US vs UK Wedding Differences

The wedding fruitcake passed around on a paper napkin in this knife and fork country still makes me giggle.

The other thing that surprised me was here the bridal party pays for the expenses related to the wedding outfits for the groomsmen and bridesmaids.

It may well happen in the US too, but in my experience you only said yes to being a bridesmaid if you were willing to pay for the frock.

The other thing that surprised me was here the bridal party pays for the expenses related to the wedding outfits for the groomsmen and bridesmaids.

I actually like that bit a lot. I haven't been a bridesmaid many times, but I have friends who've had to pay for umpteen ugly dresses they'll never wear again! 

The wedding fruitcake passed around on a paper napkin in this knife and fork country still makes me giggle.

The other thing that surprised me was here the bridal party pays for the expenses related to the wedding outfits for the groomsmen and bridesmaids.

It may well happen in the US too, but in my experience you only said yes to being a bridesmaid if you were willing to pay for the frock.

I actually think it's outrageous that the bridesmaid is expected to pay for their own dress. Its not like you'd want to ever wear those dresses again, and to put financial burden on your bridal party for the things you want seems really selfish.

I actually think it's outrageous that the bridesmaid is expected to pay for their own dress. Its not like you'd want to ever wear those dresses again, and to put financial burden on your bridal party for the things you want seems really selfish.

The weddings I've been to most recently had bridesmaid dresses that were what I would call "normal", dresses that would definitely be worn again.  Is that becoming more common?
One bride told her bridesmaids what color she wanted and told them to wear whatever dress they found and loved in that shade.  It was great!  No one spent a fortune and they looked very pretty in dresses that suited them individually.

My bridesmaids have a fabric sample of my DF's tartan and instructions to come up with non-satin, tea length dresses. People (florist, photographer, the like) keep asking me what they'll be wearing and I haven't a clue.  I'm sure as each one decides, she'll inform me.

When my best friend in the US got married (about 10 years ago), all her bridesmaids were given matching fabric and asked to have a dress made--any style.  A lot of us were nerds so I went with a Renaissance style dress, a couple others went Medieval, and some went modern--it was so cool--we all got what we wanted and all were so different, but we all matched!

Since our wedding going to be in Scotland, I'm having only one bridesmaid: his 17 year old sister.

Originally, I found a color we both liked, and we found 3 dresses in that color that we both liked.  I told her she could pick whichever she wanted out of the dresses we had chosen.  I'm not horribly picky, and I wanted her to feel comfortable and confident as a major figure in my wedding.

However, since she is about the size I was about 10 years ago when I was in high school, I pulled out some of my old dresses and sent them to her.  She fell in love with one of them, and asked to wear it for the wedding, which I told her is fine.  When I was younger, that particular dress was my absolute favorite piece of clothing...it made me feel like a princess! 

The funny thing is, I had always said that I would have a white version of that dress made for myself to use as a wedding dress.  Though I'm not doing that now, it's nice to still have that dress be part of my wedding!


Plus, it cuts down on cost!! hee hee.

That is such a neat story FutureMrsMacIver!

I only wish I'd been the size of hubby's sister (who was my Chief Bridesmaid and Maid of Honor) when in high school!

Back in the '70's in the US I guess it was common to have bridesmaids sew their own (or have it sewn for them). One wedding I was in, they gave us all lengths of matching fabric and told us to buy a specific pattern, then we had different colored sashes to wear with the dress. It was basically just a sort of long sun-dress (for a Cape Cod wedding) so I suppose you could have cut it down and worn it again.
For my wedding my friend (only attendant) and I went to look at fabric and patterns and picked out a pattern and fabrics we liked.

That is such a neat story FutureMrsMacIver!

I only wish I'd been the size of hubby's sister (who was my Chief Bridesmaid and Maid of Honor) when in high school!

Mind you, I'm about 50 lbs heavier now!!!


I used to be a HUGE runner, but not so much anymore.


Note to self: get off your lazy bum and run!