Thank you very much for the link Jim. I'll get on to it when I can.

I was gobsmacked that the mixing waters ritual still exists in Scotland. It died out in England nearly a century ago. Well before waggon days.
That said a part if the ritual was revived for my Grandaughters wedding, with my wife acting as Rani (Wise woman). We drew the line at mixing waters though. So here goes as I have been told.....

This is a marriage ritual not courtship. In the old days there would be two Rani's, one for the union one against. A bit like a kangaroo court.
The prosecution would say something like 'It's a bad match! He has no money and no horses and his wagon is a wreck-She will make no good wife, she is not fertile her mother only had three children, and she is not as clean as she should be. She's a 'Slough' (Pronounced Sluff. A dirty Gypsy who does not follow the clean bowl dirty bowl rules)
The defence (a second Rani) will contradict, and say 'My sister is wrong to 'shan' them (Shan= demean, and generally take to task)
'She is a fine daughter and will make a fine wife. He has plenty of gold and will look after her!' etc.etc.

This of course is all for show, because the union has been approved months ago. Then the two family members will vote (however the outcome is a foregone conclusion) The marriage will be approved and then the following will happen. (No don't get worried! That Happens many miles away!)

The couple will bind their hands, (in my Grandaughter's case they also said their vows. My wife the Rani, stood under an arch of wild flowers) then the mixing of waters takes place (many years ago in England, not at our family wedding) and then maybe a song is sung (I sang a version of the Wedding Song) and then they jump the brush.
We all shouted Jump! Jump! (and unfortunately the Vicar who had done the legal stuff that morning left in disgust at this point) Then the fun begins as at any other wedding.

Decades ago as waters were mixed the Rani said something along the lines of Those who God has joined let no man tear asunder, however I am not sure there was any Christian element to this ritual at all.

Please do me a favour and take absolutely no notice of 'My great big Gypsy NOTHING' on T.V.
Gypsy Folk tend to opt for a standard Church Wedding nowadays, and despite what you might have heard behave reasonably well, until the obligatory fight breaks out. It's a sort of foregone conclusion and
is a carry on from the courtship ritual I quoted above.
'A few of us got into it!' said my best friend sporting an award winning black eye.

I hope this has been interesting for you.
kind regards
Nick