Wedding Customs & Traditions Forum

American wedding traditions

Hi there,

I'm getting married next month to my Texan fiance. I am British and we are getting married in London. 

Are there any traditions that I should include in the wedding and reception? I want to make sure that the Americans are represented!

So far we've had a few debates about the bridal entrance (in the UK the bride enters first followed by the bridesmaids).

We don't do the garter toss in England - is this something I should do? Is there anything else I should consider?

Thanks in advance.

Hannah

Re: American wedding traditions

  • Hi there,

    I'm getting married next month to my Texan fiance. I am British and we are getting married in London. 

    Are there any traditions that I should include in the wedding and reception? I want to make sure that the Americans are represented!

    So far we've had a few debates about the bridal entrance (in the UK the bride enters first followed by the bridesmaids).

    We don't do the garter toss in England - is this something I should do? Is there anything else I should consider?

    Thanks in advance.

    Hannah
    I don't see what difference it makes over who enters the ceremony first. That's a non-issue. Typically over here, the groom enters first but it's not like OMG THE MOST IMPORTANT THING EVER if you guys don't do it that way.

    Garter toss is definitely optional and lots of people aren't into it, so if you pass, nobody should be upset about it.
    --

    I'm the fuck
    out.

    image
  • The garter toss is out of fashion.  Many brides don't do it.  I don't really think weddings are much different in the USA.
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  • Rather than focus on American traditions, you might want to ask his family about Texan or family traditions. I believe in that area of the country, a groom's cake is more common/traditional than in the Midwestern states, for example. Can you speak with a relative of his family?
  • I would not do the garter toss. Some ideas:

    - corsages for the moms/grandmas and boutonnieres for the dads/grandpas
    - cake cutting and feeding each other a bite of cake
    - spotlight dances - him and his mom, you and your dad, then you and him
    - toasts - the host(s) welcoming people to the reception and usually the MOH and BM (1-5 min/each)
    - favors - totally unnecessary and not at all American weddings (we didn't have any), but common at most weddings I've been to. Often it's something edible, like a cookie or chocolate.

    As far as the processional, this is kind of "anything goes", but most often I have seen: grandmothers, MOG, MOB, wedding party, FG/RB (if having), and lastly the bride w/ her dad. 
    *********************************************************************************

    image
  • Why don't you ask your fiancé what's meaningful to him?
  • Ask his parents if there's anything special to them that they would like to have as part of the wedding. I did this as DH's parents are from different countries. They requested that the first dance is a waltz, because that's how it's done in Finland. It was an easy request, so we took a few lessons and did that.
    "There is always some madness in love. But there is also always some reason in madness." -Friedrich Nietzsche, "On Reading and Writing"
  • zitiqueen said:
    The Chicken Dance.
    And the Cha Cha slide. That's my shit.
    image
  • You may skip the garter toss with impunity.
  • The garter toss is a fake tradition, anyway. It was invented in the late 70s, early 80s. It was a bad idea.
  • You don't have to do the garter toss or bouquet toss. Traditionally here the bridal party is introduced before the bride & groom (ceremony & reception) as they are a build up to the main couple that everyone is there to see. Here are some other traditions I've seen, you can take them or leave them as you want.

    • First dance for couple
    • Mother/Groom dance & Father/Bride Dance
    • Anniversary dance (you invite all the married couples to join you on the dance floor for a slow song and as the dj announces different times 1 year, 5 year, 10, 15, couples will leave the floor until you have one couple remaining) I have seen where sometimes that couple is given a bottle of wine or gets the brides bouquet (instead of doing a bouquet toss)
    • Lines dances (if this is big with your guests, go for it, if they aren't into it, skip it)
    • Favors
    • Flowers for the moms, dads, grandparents and any other VIP's you wish

    Good luck with your planning & I'm sure it's going to be a wonderful day. Don't forget to add a few british traditions too.  :)

  • Hi there,

    I'm getting married next month to my Texan fiance. I am British and we are getting married in London. 

    Are there any traditions that I should include in the wedding and reception? I want to make sure that the Americans are represented!

    So far we've had a few debates about the bridal entrance (in the UK the bride enters first followed by the bridesmaids).

    We don't do the garter toss in England - is this something I should do? Is there anything else I should consider?

    Thanks in advance.

    Hannah
    If you dont feel like doing the garter toss or bouquet dont do it. we have decided against doing it because out of all our guest we have only one single person. my cousin did the samething. do an anniversary dance instead.

    as for the bride going in first at the ceremony i would do your tradition since you are getting married in that Country thats just my opinion.  
    image
  • Bury the burbon? My FI is from Texas and his parents are from Tennessee
  • I don't think I've seen anybody say groom's cake yet.  That's pretty big in Texas.
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