7 Ways British and American Weddings Are Very Different

Under ordinary circumstances, we would now be right at the start of wedding season! Nevertheless, dust off your hats and have your speeches at the ready, as we raise a glass—and magnifying glass—to seven ways British and American weddings are very different.

[Gerryof]

My mom and dad are a British/American couple. They got married the old fashioned way . . . 6 months pregnant

[blueptconvertible]

To be fair in an American wedding no one is looking at the groom when the bride is coming down the aisle. He could be doing yoga up there whilst reciting the Greek alphabet and no one would be the wiser.

[WoodsideLegacy]

Australia here, and my husband watched me as I walked down the aisle. He was wearing makeup to cover an eye condition we hadn't managed to get rid of by the wedding day, so my favourite memory from the day was seeing the love of my life so overcome that his makeup was running, not badly but it was obvious close up. There's a few pictures of me touching his face lovingly throughout the ceremony, but I'm actually discretely wiping his tears away and trying not to laugh because I thought I would be the one crying. One year this month.

[lukedoherty]

In the UK I’ve only ever known the Two Tiered wedding the other way around. Where you’re either invited to both the ceremony and the reception or just the evening reception.

[dianethoroughman]

My stepdad wore a tuxedo, a top hat with a feather stuck in it when he married my mom. He wanted the world to know that it was a feather in his cap to win my mom. They have been married for about 39 years.

[lubeeluonline]

As a very British Brit, my wedding ethos was “who do we like enough to feed twice”. Those who made the cut came to the whole day, the rest just came to the party. And the bridesmaids traditionally come in last so they can carry the train of the wedding dress.

[derpimusmaximus]

I admit this is a law rather than a custom, but Scottish weddings can be annulled if I'm Gonna Be (500 Miles) and Baker Street aren't played at the reception.

[Sarah-ndgy]

You missed out that in America the Bride will normally walk down the aisle with her father (or whoever is giving her away) on her right arm, whereas in Britain it is typical for the Bride to be walked down the aisle by her father on her left arm, handing her off to the Groom on her right.


My own father incidentally broke all protocol when he married my mother - she got half way down the aisle when he walked up to get her. Mind you it was a wedding that went a bit wonky from the beginning. Mum accidentally died her hands purple when she put a colour rinse through her hair, her youngest brother accidentally stepped on her dress and tore it before the wedding even began, her 2 youngest brothers had a full on punch up in the toilets and had to be separated by her new father-in-law, the brewery decided to go on strike so there was limited alcohol at their wedding reception, for which at least all guests were in attendance, which cannot be said of the wedding itself; my Dad's family from London got lost on the way to the church in Mum's home town in Birmingham, went to the wrong church just before the wedding was due to start, snuck in late and sat down at what was actually the wrong wedding and didnt realise it was the wrong wedding until the bride walked down the aisle and they realised it wasnt my Mum, so they had to get up and sneak out again (can you imagine a load of the congregation suddenly vacating the church as you are just finishing the wedding march?). My Dad had driven up with his parents and I believe one of his aunts (they were also late - my Dad had to stop en-route to get changed in a Pub and go straight to the church) and they were the only ones present on his side of the family for the ceremony. The rest of the family finally arrived literally as they were all leaving the church, having missed the wedding completely. I should add that this included my Dad's cousin, who was due to be Best Man. My oldest Uncle had to step in as Best Man at the last minute. Thank goodness my Dad had kept the wedding ring with him.

[bluedancelilly]

After having spent a lot on 3 bridesmaids dresses for myself (and other expenses) in order to be in friends' weddings, I decided to pay for the dresses for my own bridesmaids. I also paid for their lodging and even split the cost of airfare for my maid of honor to come from Japan. And I paid for the cost of the "bacheolorette party" (very tame). I was a kind bride because I think a bride shouldn't expect her friends to pay a lot in order to be in her wedding. I know people who have to say no to being in a wedding because of the high price. That's so wrong. We have it backwards in the US. If you invite someone to be your bridesmaid or.groomsman, it's an INVITATION and they are probably paying a lot to fly to join you. So dont also make them pay for everything else too!. Dont get me started on this topic. Sounds like the Brits have it right on this one.

[jordanherkowski]

I've been to a few weddings where the wedding ceremony and the reception are held at the same place to cut costs.

[nataliaalmeida-nacillustra]

I'm Brazilian, and cutting costs in the wedding ceremony is a new concept here. Usually people don't want to offend anyone so they invite every person they know and just sink in debt for their whole married lives.

[AliceMayLind]

As an American with a Brit husband your comments always bring a laugh! The first time I went to a wedding in the UK I was stunned when the excitement culminated with signing papers. Like a car loan or mortgage app, the moment of the John Hancock (oh, sorry about that reference!) is something we sat and watched. Also - wedding cake - what?? That's a whole thing as you know. Anyway - thank you - love your channel.

[grayice]

At African American weddings women do wear hats. It is considered a woman's crown in many black religious spaces.

[katherineatkinson]

I’m British and in my experience the two tier invite system works the other way around from how you described. The closest family and friends are invited to the ceremony and the reception with a sit down meal. The second tier of friends are only invited to the evening do or after party as you call it., where there is a disco and maybe some buffet food. I have been invited to just the after party several times but I have never been invited to just the ceremony and not the after party.

[wandarichardson]

In the U.S.A., weddings are paid for in a lot of different ways, depending upon the financial status of the bride, the groom and their families.

[ellieoxenfree]

My husband is Scottish, and I'm Canadian, so we had some fun picking and choosing different wedding traditions to suit us and make our wedding our own!

[deekrebs]

My sister got married in central WI and I was a bridesmaid. After the ceremony the entire wedding party climbed into a limo and we bar hopped for over an hour. Then we went to a local restaurant for a meal. As soon as the meal was finished, more that half the people got up and left!! I was totally confused! None of us "city folk" knew what was going on. Finally the sister who got married explained. They went home to milk the cows!!! Sure enough! They all came back in regular clothes and danced well into the night.

[catrinlewis]

Two other things about British weddings: The bridesmaids come after the bride because they're actually serving as maids: Carrying her train, arranging it when she gets to the altar, etc. The other difference is that lull in the proceedings when the couple and the vicar retire to the vestry to sign the register. You ain't married if you ain't signed the register!

[marymccarthy]

That exchange with your wife at the end was the sweetest thing I’ve heard all day. ☺️☺️

[causticchameleon]

We, in the USA, have groomsmen AND ushers at weddings