From "A History of Seventh Day Baptists in West Virginia," 1905, by Corliss Fitz Randolph, p. 66

"About the middle of the second half of the nineteenth century, "horseback" weddings were much in vogue in some parts of this country.  The bride and groom, accompanied by one or more other couples, all mounted on horseback, the usual mode of conveyance at that time, travelled to the home of some clergyman, often without previous notice to him, and without dismounting, were married in the public highway, the clergyman standing by the roadside in front of his home.  Sometimes the clergyman was overtaken as he travelled along the road, and under the friendly shade of some nearby tree, the marriage service took place.  Often the horseback weddings were regarded as a sort of adventure, when the bride and groom were likely to be accompanied by a dozen or more couples.  At other times it was resorted to as a means of economy, and to avoid display, when the bride and groom were accompanied by but a single couple, or were wholely unattended, members of the family of the officiating clergyman, or of some nearby neighbour, acting as witnesses."

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