The Weirdest Marriage Advice Your Great-Great-Grandmother Ever Received

Weddings today are certainly different than they were in the Victorian era. Lately, ceremonies are all about gorgeous flowers, Insta-worthy décor, and finding the perfect hashtag. But back then, there were lots of little social etiquette rules that must be followed, and though most of the customs are cringeworthy by today’s standards, they're still worth examining. Or, at least, that’s what author Therese Oneill makes a case for in the book, Unmentionable: The Victorian Lady's Guide to Sex, Marriage, and Manners.

Though it unearths some not-so-pretty facts from that time period, Therese makes it clear that she’s not judging Victorians. "They had 150 years less knowledge than we do," she says. "We have no right to rag on them for that. It's far more interesting to me that, usually, when the Victorians had an offensive, crazy, sexist practice by today's standards, they usually had a practical reason behind it." Read on for some of the most head-scratching pieces of marriage advice from the era, and the interesting rationales behind them