Guest Post: Wedding Wednesdays with Across the Pond

If you read this blog, you probably read Across the Pond.  After all, Megan's just like me - except that, you know, she studied neuroscience and was a model and has a fiancé who calls her "pet" and lives in Scotland.  None of those things are true for me.  But otherwise we're basically twins.  So, when it came to finding the perfect expat guest blogger for Wedding Wednesdays, I knew that Megan would hearken to the call.  Thanks, lovely!

p.s. She's 100% right about the hats...

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Hi Everyone!

I am Megan from Across The Pond

That would be me, and my Northern Irish Man candy of a fiancé.

I am from Los Angeles, California,

currently living the expat life in Scotland,

and getting married next year in Northern Ireland to that accented stud.

Basically Betsy and I are in the same boat...

planning a wedding in a foreign country because we fell hard for the accents,

and wanted our guests to wear hats.

I get asked a lot about some of the differences I've noted in regards to weddings in the USA and UK,

and after attending a few weddings here,

and going through the process of planning mine, 

here are some of the differences that have caught my attention.

(Some of these differences apply strictly to more small town places of Northern Ireland, Scotland, England, and Wales...London is in a different league I think)

My top 10 UK wedding traditions that differ from the US:

1. Less is more with bridesmaids. People will give you the side eye if you have more than four bridesmaids in the UK. They don't get it. I have showed S pictures of weddings in the US where girls have 7-10 bridesmaids. He thinks it ridiculous, i think it is normal.

2. Bridesmaids traditionally walk BEHIND the bride when entering the church and the Maid of Honor (chief bridesmaid) goes last instead of first.

3. You cannot have your brother, friend, cousin, relative, guy on the street corner marry you. There are one of two options to be wed in the UK..you can try and have a church wedding, but be prepared to jump through hoops if you are not a member of that church, or your parents are not members. You have to go through counseling sessions, meetings, and be approved to get married in the church by a minister. If you are not church people, then your only other option is to be married by a registrar. If you are church people but cant find a church to marry you, then you get married by a registrar (not in a church building) and then can have a minister perform a blessing in the church. Ministers do not perform weddings outside of the church.

4. Wedding planners, rental companies, wedding stylists= almost non existent in certain countries/areas. They are trying to build more of a market for these services, but they are hard to find. 

Currently finding linens is showing to be a nightmare.

Little details that you see in American weddings is not typically incorporated into weddings in the UK.

5. Florists cost 3x as much.

6.   Women do not give speeches. Speeches are done by the father of the bride, father of the groom, groom, and best man. In that order. Only.

7. The flowers in the church are given as gifts to the mothers and grandmothers of the bride and groom during the dinner reception. I think this is so sweet. 

8. cocktail hour=drinks reception; reception dinner is called the wedding breakfast, even though it is actually dinner.

9. In the church we are getting married in, and a few others, the wedding kiss is not done at the end of the service.

10. You have a signing of the registry in the middle of the wedding ceremony...it is incorporated and considered the most important part of the ceremony.

mind blown huh?

If you want to read more about my wedding planning journey, or just other life randoms, you can visit me here!