Photo © AP/Clarence House
No wedding in May – the ideal time for an English wedding
While May is one of the classic wedding months in Austria and Germany, couples in England try to avoid May as a wedding month if possible.
An old saying goes:
“If you marry in Lent,
You will live to repent."
"When you fast,
You will regret it for the rest of your life."
“Marry in September's shine, your living will be rich and fine” is an old English saying. Autumn is literally the best time of year to get married because you have enough to eat.
There are also old sayings about the days of the week on which people get married, which many English people still adhere to today. For example, in County Durham, a wedding on a Wednesday is nothing unusual, as this seems to be the "best" day of the week for a wedding. Friday and Saturday - in Austria and Germany, actually classic days for a wedding celebration - are not an option:
Monday makes you rich,
Tuesday healthy,
Wednesday is the best of the days,
Thursday is for losing,
Friday to puzzle over,
And Saturday brings no luck at all for the celebration.
The time at which the wedding ceremony is celebrated may seem unusual to some: in Great Britain, weddings usually take place at midday. This is followed by a hearty snack called the "wedding breakfast".
English wedding traditions - Something old, something new…
The old English saying for the bride is in full:
Something old, something new,
something borrowed, something blue
and a silver sixpence in your shoe
to make all her wishes and dreams come true!
Something old, something new, something borrowed, something blue and a silver sixpence in the bride's shoe are said to ensure a happy marriage in which all of the bride's dreams come true.
Myths, magical powers and customs surrounding the wedding cake
- There are different customs regarding wedding cakes in the individual counties of England. For example, in Gloucestershire, England, the wedding cake was not cut, but broken over the heads of the bride and groom, following an old custom.
- In other places, the wedding cake is often said to have magical powers. For example, unmarried guests take a piece of the wedding cake home with them. Not to eat it after the celebration, but to put it under their pillow. It is said that an unmarried woman will then dream of her future husband. Because of this magical power, a piece of the wedding cake is often sent to people who could not attend the celebration.
Hen and Stag Party
What we call a Polterabend is what the bride calls a Hen Party in England and the groom calls a Stag Party. The course of such a celebration is not very different from our bachelor parties: games, alcohol and the famous striptease performance are usually not missing.
Kiss at the sound of the bell
This custom goes beyond the wedding and is intended to remind the bride and groom of the wonderful wedding celebration in the first year after their marriage. English weddings typically include many speeches and toasts. These are always "ringed in" by a knife or spoon clinking against a drinking glass. If the couple hears bells ringing during the first year of marriage, they should kiss on the spot.
We hope that we have given you some inspiration that you can incorporate into your wedding if you wish.
Have fun! :)
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