US vs UK Wedding Differences

I keep mentioning things to DF that we need to think about like customized champagne flutes and the rehersal dinner and he replies that they don't do that in the UK. 

What are some of the biggest differences and what UK traditions should I try and incorporate so that its 'us' and not 'me'?

Customised champagne flutes? I wasn't familiar with that on either side of the pond!
The only thing that really comes to mind is that here people wear hats!

Every wedding I've been to has had champagne flutes as a party favor.  I sort of like the idea of at least the two of us having them!  He thinks I'm a nutcase!

My UK inlaws definitely got us bride and groom flutes for our wedding, so it is possible to find them here!

I've been to a few weddings in the UK and the only real difference, aside from a few woman wearing hats as DrS mentioned, is that there are loads more speeches.  It's not just the best man giving a toast, bridesmaids, sisters, brothers, all get up and make usually humorous speeches.

If you want champagne flutes, go for it I think that sounds lovely (I'm a fan of the bubbly!). I'm not sure if there are HUGE differences here, but I did use "Oh, they don't do that in the UK" as my favourite excuse when planning my wedding. It meant I had to warn my mother in law in advance of the many, many things that "weren't as important" in England (ahem, bridesmaids/cake cutting ceremonies/etc).  Most of it was just to get my mom off my back though.

That said, I think that most of the differences are family to family as opposed to cultural (as, for example, weddings in my family (US) always have TONS of speeches as EVERYONE wants to put in their 2p! What can I say, we're boisterous and enjoy public speaking ). Plus hats.

DH wasn't familiar with the "cutting the cake, feeding each other a bite" custom.  Is that because he's English or because he just never paid attention at weddings.   

One of our best friends last night gave us silver champagne flutes for toasting on the day. (If you want make info, PM me!)

Other than that, I think there are few differences -- on top of the hats!
The 'wedding breakfast' would be akin to a US reception. Ok, I get that.
Then there's a 'reception' afterward...which is basically the dancing/continuation of the US reception. But I think we're supposed to get a buffet for that..?

The weddings here seem to be rather long events, lasting from 1pm till 1am, whereas the US ones I've attended have been more in the 6-8 hour range.

The speeches are another thing, as mentioned by gretel44, and I've seen quite a few non-traditional swappings of roles. That is, in a wedding next month, the 'best man' is a female friend and my DF was 'chief bridesmaid' at his sister's wedding. (No, he didn't wear a dress! hehe)

Other than that, meh. I think they're all beautiful events to celebrate happy occasions!

DH wasn't familiar with the "cutting the cake, feeding each other a bite" custom.  Is that because he's English or because he just never paid attention at weddings.   

I don't think the feeding is as common here but people do cut the cake together. The garter toss is not common here thankfully (I think that's horribly tacky).

Rehearsal dinners are not common here, we're having one as FMIL really wanted one and offered to pay for it. I dont really understand it, are we actually supposed to rehearse? Would that not make the big day less of a surprise?

The hats thing isnt just "people wear hats" but that traditionally you wear formal day wear to an English wedding, like nice summer dresses (depending on when it is) and the men wear suits, whereas evening wear seems more common in the US with black/dark suits or tuxedos for the guys and cocktail dresses and heels for the ladies.

My maid of honor (I'm not actually having one, but my closest friend) is a guy He's also my witness

I love all the imput, thanks!  I think the speaches thing really explains why DF is so adiment about having a sit down dinner vs. a buffet.  

I think I might end up just asking my parents to do the rehersal dinner.  It wouldn't really be a rehersal though, just an extra dinner for all the people who came from out of town and the wedding party.  DF would like to have mini stag and hen do's that night as well.  I'm not so keen.  

edited as I can't spell.

We had lots of speeches without a sit-down dinner (we just had food stations scattered around).  The tallest guy in the room just sort of helped us get everyone's attention, DH and I thanked everyone for being there and then about 8 people wanted to talk. So we let them.   It was super relaxed and fun.
We didn't have a rehersal dinner. But, we did all go out with anyone who wanted to for Mexican food the night before (at the Old Town Mexican Cafe, for those San Diego peeps!). 

Rehearsal dinners are not common here, we're having one as FMIL really wanted one and offered to pay for it. I dont really understand it, are we actually supposed to rehearse? Would that not make the big day less of a surprise?

Yes, you rehearse.  It's mostly a walk through so everyone knows where they're supposed to stand and when they're supposed to walk down the aisle or get up for a reading, etc.  You don't actually say your vows usually or do the readings or whathaveyou.  Of course, Americans tend to have larger bridal parties that often include little kids as flower girls or ring bearers.  And the dinner is an excuse for the two families to spend some casual time together.  

I think it is traditional for a British bride to carry a horseshoe with her bouquet for good luck.  And wear a lucky sixpence in her shoe (to go with the something old, something new, something borrowed, something blue).
And I don't think signing the register during the ceremony is an American thing.

I hope you have a lovely wedding, whatever traditions you follow.

Here the traditional order is ceremony-drinks reception/photos-wedding breakfast (usually sit down meal)-dancing-break for evening buffet-more dancing. The evening buffet is because often ceremonies are quite early (like 12), so the wedding breakfast is quite an early meal, while the dancing may go until midnight or 1. The evening buffet gives people some warm food to keep them going, and is also to feed any separate evening guests you might have. We're not having one, as our ceremony is going to be at 2:30 and our meal at a more normal dinner time, plus no separate evening guests.

I can't think of anything I'd consider a UK tradition versus a US tradition, or anything they do at US weddings that they don't do at UK ones (apart from getting married in the open air).  I think it just vaires wedding to wedding and family to family.  I've been to super-formal and super-relaxed weddings in both places.

The main differences are really legal, as far as I can see.  Like I said, you have to get married inside a building in the UK, and the signing of the register is part of the ceremony, whereas in the US that can happen much later.  It's also a lot easier to be licensed to perform wedding ceremonies in the US.  I performed a proper and legally binding wedding ceremony for my friend Amanda after being ordained over the Internet.  That would never have flown in the UK.