Wedding season is upon us, and it feels like there’s a new engagement, baby, or marriage every weekend this year. The British are big on traditions, particularly when it comes to weddings.
The most famous traditions follow the rhyme: something old, something new, something borrowed, something blue, and a silver sixpence in her shoe.
Here are a few other UK wedding traditions and how they are approached by newlyweds today.
Man proposes
Traditionally, the man proposes to the woman with a stunning engagement ring. This is still a tradition that is closely followed today – with leap year proposals being the exception.
Paying for the wedding
Across the world, it is tradition for the father of the bride to pay for the wedding. This tradition feels massively outdated in 2021, and many brides feel uncomfortable asking their father for such a large amount of money. Despite being one of the oldest traditions, many couples have started to take financial responsibility and pay for their wedding themselves. In a recent Bridebook survey, a staggering 90% of couples said they planned on paying for their own wedding.
Invites come from the bride’s parents
Traditionally, the bride’s parents would send invites asking people to attend the wedding for their daughter. Carefully designed wedding invitations are surprisingly still popular now despite the rise of digitisation. Most couples send their invites themselves – after all, it is their wedding. It is tradition to send invites eight weeks before the wedding date to give guests ample time to RSVP.
Bride walks down the aisle with her father
It is very common for the bride to walk down the aisle with her father. The origins of this tradition do not adhere to today’s political stance on feminism. However, many families carry out the traditional as a loving sentiment instead of a symbol of ownership. Same-sex couples typically walk down the aisle together or one after another.
The receiving line
Traditionally, newlyweds and their parents will line up and welcome each guest and thank them for coming. Few couples engage with the receiving line tradition because it takes so long to do.
The bouquet toss
The bride traditionally throws their bouquet to the single women before heading off on the honeymoon. Although the bouquet toss is still carried out at some weddings, the couple rarely heads off their honeymoon straight away. Instead, they party the night away with their guests! According to the old wives’ tale, whoever catches the bouquet is supposedly the next woman to get married or find love.
Not all brides want to throw their beautifully hand-crafted bouquet. Many brides have started to preserve their wedding bouquets by drying the flowers and framing them on the wall. Some brides will have a smaller bouquet made specifically for the bouquet toss, so they can still engage in the tradition and keep a sentimental part of the wedding.
If you are attending a wedding this year, keep an eye out for some of these traditions.
