British/Scottish Wedding Traditions?

[ginger1981 0]

I was thinking that it would be a great idea to incorporate Brit/Scottish wedding traditions into our ceremony and reception. I found various things online like wedding hats, fruit cakes etc but what are some things considered "quinessential" to a wedding in the UK?

My DF is already wearing his kilt and all that goes with it, so we got that covered. What type of foods do you serve at the ceremony? I'm having our reception in an Irish Pub, so I'm guessing they could probably come up with some of the traditional foods.

Oh, and as I'm sure someone is already going to bring this up, it is already a tradition in Nebraska to double/triple fist drinks from the free bar...so lots of alcohol is already well covered!

[britty 1]

I was thinking that it would be a great idea to incorporate Brit/Scottish wedding traditions into our ceremony and reception. I found various things online like wedding hats, fruit cakes etc but what are some things considered "quinessential" to a wedding in the UK?

My DF is already wearing his kilt and all that goes with it, so we got that covered. What type of foods do you serve at the ceremony? I'm having our reception in an Irish Pub, so I'm guessing they could probably come up with some of the traditional foods.

Oh, and as I'm sure someone is already going to bring this up, it is already a tradition in Nebraska to double/triple fist drinks from the free bar...so lots of alcohol is already well covered!

Being British with Irish parents, I am well versed in the requirements of a good old knees up! Standard fayre would include, and not necessarily fortunately, cheese and pineapple on cocktail sticks all inserted into a foil covered orange (bizarre I know), small link cocktail sausages, ham sandwiches, cheese sandwiches, egg salad sandwiches, chicken drumsticks, assorted cheeses with Branston pickle, crisps (chips), nuts, pork pie, large turkey or ham, potato salad, coleslaw, trifle, and fairy cakes with brightly coloured icing !!

Most of the wedding traditions are similar to the US including first dance, cutting the cake, tossing the bouquet etc. Not sure if the US do the "groom removing the garter from the bride's leg" in the US but that is a big one in the UK.

[j4k 0]

Not sure if the US do the "groom removing the garter from the bride's leg" in the US but that is a big one in the UK.

yep it is! we do this at most weddings that i've been to...

[msu17 0]

UGH, I HATE that tradition. How is playing corny music and the groom going up the brides skirt in front of all their loved ones in any way appropriate. All the sexual undertones of weddings really drives me up a wall.

[no name 1]

UGH, I HATE that tradition. How is playing corny music and the groom going up the brides skirt in front of all their loved ones in any way appropriate. All the sexual undertones of weddings really drives me up a wall.

Agreed.

[britty 1]

UGH, I HATE that tradition. How is playing corny music and the groom going up the brides skirt in front of all their loved ones in any way appropriate. All the sexual undertones of weddings really drives me up a wall.

LOL

[Trompe le Monde 1,107]

Based on my experience, getting really drunk and getting everyone to dance to the birdie song is essential to any UK wedding.

[Converse34 1]

Here are some of the differences I noticed between UK and US weddings (I'm Italian from the Northeast, so we have our own style)

UK

Cash Bar

Finger Food

Lack of Thank You Notes from the Bride and Groom

No Bridal Shower

Rehearsal Dinner?

Best Man buys Bridesmaids gifts?

US

Open Bar

Full Dinner

ALWAYS Thank You Notes

Bridal Shower is for gifts/Wedding is for Money

Always a Rehearsal Dinner

Bride and Groom buy gifts for their bridesmaids/groomsmen

I didn't do the bouquet toss or the garter. We did incorporate a Celtic tradition of a "hands ceremony" where the officiant wraps both of your hands with a ribbon (or the family tartan). We opted for that even though it was a new tradition for us.

We had our last dance as New York, New York. Mainly because we loved the Peter Kay comedy act.

Edited February 14, 2008 by Converse34

[Alex & Rachel 78]

Converse - I think most of that may just be your personal experience, as every UK wedding I've been to has had an open bar (or, rather, selected drinks served - either way, the alcohol was free), a full, sit-down meal and thank you notes! Sounds like you've known a few couples in breach of proper etiquette! I also had my bridesmaid gift given to me by the bride and groom. However, you are correct in that we do not have bridal showers.

I don't like the sound of the garter tradition, either. I'm certainly not including anything like that!

[ajames79 0]

UGH, I HATE that tradition. How is playing corny music and the groom going up the brides skirt in front of all their loved ones in any way appropriate. All the sexual undertones of weddings really drives me up a wall.

Agreed! No way was I doing that in front of my 90 year old grandparents!!

[ajames79 0]

We didn't have a rehearsal dinner but a rehearsal party rather!

Since a lot of Chris' family was traveling from England and a whole lot of my family and friends were traveling from all over the country, we didn't want to not inculde people who came all that way! Also it gave everyone a chance to talk and get to know eachother so NO one was shy at the wedding! IT was amazing!

Nothing fancy! We had stromboli on platters, huge gourmet sheet pizzas, salad, and brownies, wine and beer! The pizza place stayed and took care of all the service. (Was a local eatery and they were awesome)

Decorated the tables with mini Union Jack and American Flags, and my moms best friend did flowers for us. I think nearly 150 people came to the event.

Not typically British or American but fun just the same!!

At our engagement party in England we had balloons and a huge table full of everything..crisps, sausage rolls, nearly all the food items mentioned above, and a free bar if I remember correctly! Oh and a fondont (spelling?) cake!

Edited February 14, 2008 by ajames79

[Converse34 1]

Converse - I think most of that may just be your personal experience, as every UK wedding I've been to has had an open bar (or, rather, selected drinks served - either way, the alcohol was free), a full, sit-down meal and thank you notes! Sounds like you've known a few couples in breach of proper etiquette! I also had my bridesmaid gift given to me by the bride and groom. However, you are correct in that we do not have bridal showers.

I don't like the sound of the garter tradition, either. I'm certainly not including anything like that!

Well of course, the only thing I have to go on in this world is personal experience

I was just listing some of the differences I noticed from the weddings I went to in the UK and a little bit of cultural differences when planning my own wedding.

I lived in Manchester for 6 years and a cash bar def seems to be the norm. They might put a few hundred quid behind the bar and when it runs out it is out, but otherwise it is cash (which is fine by me when we have a reception later this year!)

I just don't think Thank You notes in general are as valued in the UK as they are in the US. We sent a huge package to England for xmas, all of Conrad's nieces and nephews, not ONE thank you note. My mother would have forced us for sure to send one back.

[Alex & Rachel 78]

My mother is quite strict about them, but I must admit we're one of the only families I know who writes thank you notes. And I must confess that for birthdays and Christmases I've never written to very close relatives - i.e. my parents, siblings and one of my aunts. Just friends, more distant relatives and grandparents. Letter writing in general seems to be a loss art - it's a shame!

[rene1 0]

I was thinking that it would be a great idea to incorporate Brit/Scottish wedding traditions into our ceremony and reception. I found various things online like wedding hats, fruit cakes etc but what are some things considered "quinessential" to a wedding in the UK?

My DF is already wearing his kilt and all that goes with it, so we got that covered. What type of foods do you serve at the ceremony? I'm having our reception in an Irish Pub, so I'm guessing they could probably come up with some of the traditional foods.

Oh, and as I'm sure someone is already going to bring this up, it is already a tradition in Nebraska to double/triple fist drinks from the free bar...so lots of alcohol is already well covered!

You could give your guest a Scotish favor! a lil bottle of the good stuff and put the date etc on it, some home-made shortbread (or you could buy it online)wrapped in your family tartan.

[ginger1981 0]

The place I'm working with is great. The bar owner said that basically we can cut off the open bar whenever we like. But I'm also thinking about handing out 2-3 tickets that would be worth a free drink, and once they are used up they have to pay for their own. That way it might control the double/triple fisting of drinks that happens at pretty much every wedding open bar I've been to (and I'm guilty of it too).

It's very important, as our familys combined could easily drink us into several years of debt :-p