# British Weddings **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [February 2, 2005, 1:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/british-weddings/287972 "2005-02-02T13:10:14Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Ithaka](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/e0b2c6/32.png) [@Ithaka](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ithaka)\ **Post date:** [February 3, 2005, 11:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/british-weddings/287972/41 "2005-02-03T11:31:19Z")
> [@roger thornhill](#): > > I’ve never heard of a quiche. It’s a large sleeping bag, used when camping in your vol-au-vent. ---
**Author:** ![Martiju](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e8c25b/32.png) [@Martiju](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Martiju)\ **Post date:** [February 3, 2005, 11:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/british-weddings/287972/42 "2005-02-03T11:47:53Z")
> [@roger thornhill](#): > > Hi, I’m an American who just loves your country and your quaint traditions. I’ve never heard of a quiche. Who or what is it, and does he/she/it know that he/she/it has rights that include the right not to be buggered, as well as the right to be buggered to his/her/its heart’s content if such is his/her/its wish and the coupling takes place consensually between adults? > > I love your accent too. 😃 Pronounced ‘keesh’, it is a dish usually served cold with a pastry base and sides. Commonly it contains cheese and leeks and stuff. When pronounced ‘kwickie’ by mistake, it is liable to earn you a slap from the waitress - as in: “I think I fancy a kwickie”… ---
**Author:** ![roger\_thornhill](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/d9b06d/32.png) [@roger\_thornhill](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/roger_thornhill)\ **Post date:** [February 3, 2005, 12:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/british-weddings/287972/43 "2005-02-03T12:14:49Z")
Thank you, guys! 🙂 Wow! I never realized that some of your eccentric - I mean that kindly 🆒 - traditions had spread to Africa. I’m just trying to imagine where all those beautiful African people get their swans from. Do they come from Buckingham Palace as a gift from the Queen of England? Lou Ann and I will be sure to try the quiche (not quickie :p) next time we visit your beautiful country. ---
**Author:** ![owlstretchingtime](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/958977/32.png) [@owlstretchingtime](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/owlstretchingtime)\ **Post date:** [February 3, 2005, 1:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/british-weddings/287972/44 "2005-02-03T13:55:17Z")
> [@roger thornhill](#): > > Thank you, guys! 🙂 > > Wow! I never realised that some of your eccentric - I mean that kindly 🆒 - traditions had spread to Africa. I’m just trying to imagine where all those beautiful African people get their swans from. Do they come from Buckingham Palace as a gift from the Queen of England? Lou Ann and I will be sure to try the quiche (not quickie :p) next time we visit your beautiful country. Whilst appreciating that anything that’s been going on for more than 20 minutes in America is a “tradition” I have to say that you’ve got the wrong end of the stick here (incidentally the phrase "wrong end of the stick " is a thread all of its own, but that’s another story). Quiche is a relatively new tradition here - ie we’ve only been “buggering it up” since the Reformation. And we’ve really only gone in for “buggering it up” on a large scale since the '60s (the 1760s) As to the swans - as you probably know only the Queen is allowed to eat swans. This is what she lives on (no one else actually wants to eat swans - but thats by the by). That’s why her family are so long-lived. So when it comes to swans for the quiche (technically this is the “queens quiche”) you have to get a dispensation from HMTQ. This is delivered to the Marquee by an Equerry, or at a pinch, Silver Stick in Waiting. Not a lot of people know that the Queen can break a swan’s wing with one swipe of her arm (failing that she can get the RAF to nuke it). I look forward to welcoming you and lou-ann to England next time you are in Glasgow. Please bring your delightfull son Roger Thornhill III Jr. I will obtain a “Quiche me Quick” hat for Lou-Ann. (Suitable for Ladies’ Day at Royal Ascot). I hope this explains our wedding traditions. ---
**Author:** ![Made\_in\_Macau](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/eada6e/32.png) [@Made\_in\_Macau](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Made_in_Macau)\ **Post date:** [February 3, 2005, 2:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/british-weddings/287972/45 "2005-02-03T14:27:30Z")
> [@seosamh](#): > > Am I the only one confused by this thread? > > Everyone knows a Marquee is actually a music club down Wardour Street (further from Oxford Street than The Vortex) where I saw The Vibrators in 1977. I didn’t know you saw the Vibrators there in 1977! But everyone else does?? What else does everyone but me know? ---
**Author:** ![CBCD](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/9fc348/32.png) [@CBCD](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CBCD)\ **Post date:** [February 3, 2005, 2:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/british-weddings/287972/46 "2005-02-03T14:46:34Z")
> [@atlchick](#): > > I’m reading a book about a wedding in England, and they are referencing **a marquee at the wedding**. In England they play a variation of soccer called football. The game is so popular in England that there is a law, passed by **Prince Charles** , requiring there be a \*\*big-name football player present at every wedding \*\* in order for the marriage to be officically recognized by his mother, **HRH**. The big-name player is known as the **Marquee Player** , usually shortened to **‘Marquee.’** The Marquee stands to the right of the Best Man. Imagine Americans were required to have the likes of Patrick Ewing or Derek Jeter at every wedding in order for\*\* Laura Bush \*\* to give the marriage her blessing! England is a very small country, though, and they have a lot of football players. Rugby too. At **Posh and Beck’s wedding** , which was held outdoors in a big tent (op cit), Becks served as his own **Marquee**. ---
**Author:** ![TwistofFate](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/cdc98d/32.png) [@TwistofFate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TwistofFate)\ **Post date:** [February 3, 2005, 3:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/british-weddings/287972/47 "2005-02-03T15:02:45Z")
Indeed, the flirtacious uncle chatting up the bridemaids usually led to a right punch-up. this is the basis for the historic Marquee of Queensbury rules. Oscar Wilde was there, seeing as he was a heavyweight boxer at the time. ---
**Author:** ![Made\_in\_Macau](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/eada6e/32.png) [@Made\_in\_Macau](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Made_in_Macau)\ **Post date:** [February 3, 2005, 3:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/british-weddings/287972/48 "2005-02-03T15:11:02Z")
> [@atlchick](#): > > I’m reading a book about a wedding in England, and they are referencing a marquee at the wedding. I am American and have never heard of a marquee at a wedding–in the US, a marquee is a sign on a building with changeable lettering. What is a marquee at a British wedding? A sign on the church that says, “GETTING MARRIED TODAY?” I’m Welsh, but I think I know what this is. In Wales a ‘Marquee’ (pronounced marquee) is a big tent in which after-wedding parties are held by people who like to throw money around in a vain effort to impress the workmates and poorer relatives they invite. In England it’s a big sign outside a church that tells you the name of the couple getting married. You were right! Of course in May it has to be changed a couple of times a day. This is the job of the church’s verger/virgin (see Vicar of Dibley) who perceives this as a painful reminder of her single status and cries all day. In an effort to stay modern many churches also use it announce the names of couples in the parish who are getting divorced, as well as those having affairs with wife’s best friend/secretary/intern etc. In catholic churches of course they dont do this as they would need to include everyone who thought about having affairs, and then it just gets silly. Hope that clears that up for you altchick. MiM ---
**Author:** ![glee](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/b5a626/32.png) [@glee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/glee)\ **Post date:** [February 3, 2005, 3:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/british-weddings/287972/49 "2005-02-03T15:20:14Z")
I went to an English wedding once. After the ceremony we went into a big tent and ate small pastry containers filled with things like prawns or cheese. There was a crying girl, but no flirtatious uncle. So I tried to chat up the waitresses. After failing to achieve anything, I amused the small children with jokes and card tricks. Why didn’t the chicken cross the road? Because it was chicken! Later we all watched 4 Weddings and a Funeral. “Deawly Belowed. We are gaverd here today…” ---
**Author:** ![Ithaka](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/e0b2c6/32.png) [@Ithaka](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ithaka)\ **Post date:** [February 3, 2005, 3:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/british-weddings/287972/50 "2005-02-03T15:34:37Z")
I think that I have discovered the usage that the OP is referring to. The word is clearly a local term for the wharf used by ships to load / unload from in [this](http://multimap/map/browse.cgi?client=public&X=14725000.4464352&Y=-50000.1164386044&width=500&height=300&gride=&gridn=&srec=0&coordsys=mercator&db=w3&addr1=&addr2=&addr3=&pc=&advanced=&local=&localinfosel=&kw=&inmap=&table=&ovtype=&zm=0&scale=1000000&in.x=12&in.y=6) Indonesian village. ---
**Author:** ![hildea](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/ebca7d/32.png) [@hildea](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hildea)\ **Post date:** [February 3, 2005, 3:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/british-weddings/287972/51 "2005-02-03T15:35:09Z")
> [@glee](#): > > I went to an English wedding once. That was in 1960, right? For 20 minutes? ---
**Author:** ![owlstretchingtime](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/958977/32.png) [@owlstretchingtime](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/owlstretchingtime)\ **Post date:** [February 3, 2005, 3:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/british-weddings/287972/52 "2005-02-03T15:37:16Z")
> [@TwistofFate](#): > > Indeed, the flirtacious uncle chatting up the bridemaids usually led to a right punch-up. this is the basis for the historic Marquee of Queensbury rules. Oscar Wilde was there, seeing as he was a heavyweight boxer at the time. Are you sure he wasn’t there in his capacity as a “bugger”? ---
**Author:** ![GorillaMan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/50afbb/32.png) [@GorillaMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GorillaMan)\ **Post date:** [February 3, 2005, 4:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/british-weddings/287972/53 "2005-02-03T16:56:51Z")
> [@Made in Macau](#): > > In Wales a ‘Marquee’ … is a big tent … > In England it’s a big sign outside a church that tells you the name of the couple getting married. You were right! Are we being whooshed here? I’m not the only Englishman who’s responded with the “big tent” answer - and I’d never heard of a sign being called this before reading this thread. ---
**Author:** ![CBCD](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/9fc348/32.png) [@CBCD](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CBCD)\ **Post date:** [February 3, 2005, 6:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/british-weddings/287972/54 "2005-02-03T18:29:51Z")
GorillaMan wrote: > [@](#): > > Are we being whooshed here? I’m not the only Englishman who’s responded with the “big tent” answer - and I’d never heard of a sign being called this before reading this thread. In America a ‘marquee name’ is a person famous enough, such as David Beckham or Posh Spice, to entice a large tentful of people to attend an unpopular relative’s wedding. Does that clarify the American usage? ---
**Author:** ![CBCD](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/9fc348/32.png) [@CBCD](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CBCD)\ **Post date:** [February 3, 2005, 6:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/british-weddings/287972/55 "2005-02-03T18:39:03Z")
[This](http://www.puppetcircus.com/tent.jpg) illustration might be helpful. It shows wedding guests streaming into the wedding of Ms. Alana Puppet and Mr. Rodney Circus. The wedding, as you may surmise, is being held in a big tent. The tent is striped. [This](http://www.promotionaldesigngroup.com/tents_with_graphics.htm) shows many examples of tents with big letters on them that might be used for small wedding parties. ---
**Author:** ![GorillaMan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/50afbb/32.png) [@GorillaMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GorillaMan)\ **Post date:** [February 3, 2005, 6:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/british-weddings/287972/56 "2005-02-03T18:50:05Z")
> [@CBCD](#): > > Does that clarify the American usage? No - I was puzzled by **Made in Macau** ’s assertion that English (but not Welsh) usage matches the American…when this is the opposite of what everybody from England (including myself) has said. ---
**Author:** ![Made\_in\_Macau](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/eada6e/32.png) [@Made\_in\_Macau](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Made_in_Macau)\ **Post date:** [February 4, 2005, 1:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/british-weddings/287972/57 "2005-02-04T01:03:01Z")
> [@GorillaMan](#): > > No - I was puzzled by **Made in Macau** ’s assertion that English (but not Welsh) usage matches the American…when this is the opposite of what everybody from England (including myself) has said. Sorry G-Man, it was a vain attempt to point to the absurdity of having cinema style marquee’s outside a church - hence the inclusion of naming divorcee’s etc. No whooshing intended; don’t think I’ve ever whooshed before. MiM ---
**Author:** ![roger\_thornhill](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/d9b06d/32.png) [@roger\_thornhill](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/roger_thornhill)\ **Post date:** [February 4, 2005, 3:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/british-weddings/287972/58 "2005-02-04T03:22:24Z")
> [@owlstretchingtime](#): > > Whilst appreciating that anything that’s been going on for more than 20 minutes in America is a “tradition” I have to say that you’ve got the wrong end of the stick here (incidentally the phrase "wrong end of the stick " is a thread all of its own, but that’s another story). > > Quiche is a relatively new tradition here - ie we’ve only been “buggering it up” since the Reformation. And we’ve really only gone in for “buggering it up” on a large scale since the '60s (the 1760s) > > [STUFF ABOUT SWANS] > > I look forward to welcoming you and lou-ann to England next time you are in Glasgow. Please bring your delightfull son Roger Thornhill III Jr. > > I will obtain a “Quiche me Quick” hat for Lou-Ann. (Suitable for Ladies’ Day at Royal Ascot). > > I hope this explains our wedding traditions. **Owl** , Lou Ann - whose right here reading this with me - and I just LOVE your rye sense of humor. Lou Ann wants to know one thing. She just adores your Rowan Atkinson and wants to know if he does Jewish weddings too. ;j This is not a first marriage for either Lou Ann or I, and her third husband has converted to Judaism in order to marry a Madonna fan down in Florida. So you live in Glasgow. Is that near London? We are planning a cruise to your beautiful country next year and would love to meet with a real English family. Lou Ann is just so excited about the hat. If she wears it, will she get to meet the Queen of England? Or will she be visiting with her swans in the Conga? ---
**Author:** ![Baker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/bb73d2/32.png) [@Baker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Baker)\ **Post date:** [February 4, 2005, 4:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/british-weddings/287972/59 "2005-02-04T04:18:21Z")
I have a different British wedding question. Now, my experience of British weddings is limited to televised royal weddings, so I don’t know if this practice is “traditional” across the board or not. In an American wedding bridesmaids are usually peers of the bride, and they precede her up the aisle. With the televised royal weddings the bridesmaids followed the bride, and they were mostly little girls, with maybe a teenaged one to herd them. Is this a usual practice? ---
**Author:** ![Ithaka](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/e0b2c6/32.png) [@Ithaka](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ithaka)\ **Post date:** [February 4, 2005, 10:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/british-weddings/287972/60 "2005-02-04T10:02:48Z")
> [@Baker](#): > > In an American wedding bridesmaids are usually peers of the bride, and they precede her up the aisle. We can do either here or a mix. Bridesmaids can either be friends of the bride or her younger sisters / nieces. Alternatively upper class families can use peers of the realm. This is convenient as they already own their own dresses. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/british-weddings/287972.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/british-weddings/287972.md?page=4)