Regardless of nationality, starting a family is an important step in the life of two loving hearts. As for the British, they are quite serious about the wedding. People of this nationality are known for their reverent and respectful attitude to traditions. Therefore, the wedding ceremony is shrouded in many rituals and customs that give the holiday a special charm.
Wedding preparation and tradition
Modern Englishmen sometimes spend more than one year preparing for the wedding, so that everything is done efficiently and well organized. Some young couples rent castles, hotels in the woods or other interesting places outside the city for celebrations. The British have a special place for wedding photography, because the album with pictures becomes the subject of family pride. More recently, the British have borrowed from the Americans the tradition of laying out business cards with the names of guests on the tables, beautiful velor bags with caramel, and a wedding menu.
The wedding tradition is also known from romantic films, when the bride should have something new, blue, old and borrowed in her outfit. The new is considered a symbol of prosperity in the future, the blue color symbolizes the loyalty of the newlyweds, the old thing should be presented by a woman from a strong and happy marriage (usually a suspender for stockings). Most often, they borrow jewelry from the bride's family, which must be returned after the wedding, otherwise you can frighten off well-being. The future spouse should put a coin in her shoe for material well-being.
The newlyweds spend the night before the wedding separately. The morning begins with the groom and friends heading to the pub for a pint of beer. Girlfriends and father come to the bride. Bridesmaids should be dressed in the same style.
Wedding ceremony
According to tradition, the bride should be ten to fifteen minutes late for church. A priest in England wears jeans and a T-shirt, he jokes and creates a relaxed atmosphere, thereby relieving the inner tension that is usually present before such an important event. Guests gather in the church, while the relatives from the bride's side sit on the left, and the groom's relatives - on the right. Married English women are required to wear a hat to the wedding ceremony. On the benches are the scripts of the wedding ceremony, as well as the lyrics, which are performed by the choir.
The ceremony begins quite solemnly. The choir sings, and the groom and the best man stand to the left of the priest. The father leads the bride, followed by pairs of bridesmaids, whose main duty is to keep an eye on the hem of the bride's dress. The future wife comes to the altar, the girlfriends sit on the benches. The very act of marriage is filled with tenderness and love, the priest speaks measuredly and beautifully, the choir sings, and the bride and groom look each other in the eyes, promising to love forever.
When the newlyweds exchanged rings, they will only have to sign the necessary documents together with witnesses. After that, the priest declares the couple husband and wife, the guests congratulate the young. The groom's father comes out first and congratulates the newlyweds, then the bride's witness continues. The choir sings a song and all the guests sing along. At the end of the ceremony, relatives and friends line up at the door of the church, shower the young with rice and rose petals.
Then the husband and wife and all the guests go to the prepared banquet hall, where a buffet table awaits them. Usually it takes place in the courtyard of a hotel or restaurant. This includes casual live music, champagne and light snacks. It is not customary to congratulate the young during a banquet, and they do not pronounce the usual toasts. The spouses and their parents get up at the restaurant, and the guests congratulate each and go inside. The heroes of the occasion are the last to enter.
At weddings in England, there are no toastmaster or hosts. This role is played by the groom's witness or best man, the course of the celebration depends only on him. After the meal, the guests move to another room, where the newlyweds cut the wedding cake. At the place of the banquet, a dance floor is organized, where the spouses first dance their first dance, then a disco for everyone. This is where the wedding for the guests ends. Some newlyweds go on a honeymoon trip, sometimes without changing their clothes, rushing from the celebration to the airport.
