Shotgun wedding
A
shotgun wedding is a type of wedding which is arranged not because of the desire of the participants, but to avoid embarrassment due to an unintentional
pregnancy. The phrase is an
American colloquialism based on a supposed scenario (
hyperbole) that the father of the pregnant daughter, almost by accepted custom, must resort to using coercive force (the
shotgun) to ensure the marriage is carried out.
The "shotgun wedding" has become simply an expression, referring to any hasty marriage arranged due to unplanned pregnancy. The use of violent coercion is no longer common. Often a couple will arrange a shotgun wedding without (spoken) outside encouragement.
The purpose is to get recourse from the male for the act of impregnation, ensuring that the daughter and child are taken care of, and that social
honour is restored to the daughter. The practice is a method of preventing the birth of
bastard children. In some societies the
stigma attached to
pregnancy out of wedlock can be enormous, and coercive means (in spite of the legal defense of
undue influence) for gaining recourse are often seen as the prospective father-in-law's "right," and an important (albeit unconventional)
coming of age event for the young father-to-be.
The phenomenon has become less common as the stigma associated with out-of-wedlock births has declined and the number of these births increased. Candace Bergen's character, Murphy Brown, in the sit-com Murphy Brown drew attention to this issue when Vice President Dan Quayle criticized such weddings, saying "[i]t doesn't help matters when primetime TV has Murphy Brownâ€"a character who supposedly epitomizes today's intelligent, highly paid, professional womanâ€"mocking the importance of fathers, by bearing a child alone, and calling it just another 'lifestyle choice.'"
Sometimes a woman who marries while pregnant, regardless of the situation, is simply referred to as a shotgun bride.
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Forced marriage
