# 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:** 4
**Author:** ![CBCD](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/9fc348/32.png) [@CBCD](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CBCD)\ **Post date:** [February 4, 2005, 11:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/british-weddings/287972/61 "2005-02-04T11:46:55Z")
I, too, have a question about British wedding customs. In American it is legal for a wealthy man to \*\*cast off his 1st wife \*\* if she starts to \*\*look like a horse \*\* when she gets older. He may then take up with a younger, prettier, blonder woman known as the **'Trophy Wife.'** In England, your \*\*Prince Charles \*\* has done the opposite. He cast off a pretty, young wife to take up with an older woman who looks like a horse. What gives? ---
**Author:** ![Kyla](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/eada6e/32.png) [@Kyla](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kyla)\ **Post date:** [February 4, 2005, 12:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/british-weddings/287972/62 "2005-02-04T12:41:54Z")
Stuff I learned about British weddings while attending my cousin’s wedding. (She was married in Mexico, but her husband is British, and hence so were many of the guests.) British women wear hats at weddings. One of the guests wore a terribly interesting hat to the ceremony. It had many feathers. I complimented her on it and she seemed self-conscious that she was the only person wearing a hat, but she told me that it’s traditional to wear hats to weddings. Also, weddings must be performed indoors! That’s why the marquee, I guess. That my cousin’s wedding was performed outdoors was quite remarkable. P.S. We eat quiche in America, too. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![owlstretchingtime](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/958977/32.png) [@owlstretchingtime](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/owlstretchingtime)\ **Post date:** [February 4, 2005, 12:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/british-weddings/287972/63 "2005-02-04T12:57:36Z")
> [@roger thornhill](#): > > **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? I’ll ask Rowan if he does Jewish weddings (everyone in England knows everyone else - you can be sure that I will personally know every English person you’ve ever met. Even the Irish ones, from Wales). Glasgow is just next to London - we often go there for lunch. Needless to say the Queen makes a point of personally meeting every American visitor to England (it’s to say “thank you” for saving our “ass” in the war - even though we had it won by the time you could be bothered to show up). Lou-Ann should try to form a conga with Her Majesty. She’d like that. She is a grannie after all. You can also tell Lou-Ann that I know Madonna’s Mother-in Law rather well (this is actually true. She’s very nice - and the idea that Guy is “working class” would make her laugh her socks off) ---
**Author:** ![owlstretchingtime](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/958977/32.png) [@owlstretchingtime](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/owlstretchingtime)\ **Post date:** [February 4, 2005, 12:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/british-weddings/287972/64 "2005-02-04T12:59:26Z")
> [@CBCD](#): > > I, too, have a question about British wedding customs. > > In American it is legal for a wealthy man to \*\*cast off his 1st wife \*\* if she starts to \*\*look like a horse \*\* when she gets older. He may then take up with a younger, prettier, blonder woman known as the **'Trophy Wife.'** > > In England, your \*\*Prince Charles \*\* has done the opposite. He cast off a pretty, young wife to take up with an older woman who looks like a horse. > > What gives? Diana was a rubbish shag? ---
**Author:** ![GorillaMan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/50afbb/32.png) [@GorillaMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GorillaMan)\ **Post date:** [February 4, 2005, 1:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/british-weddings/287972/65 "2005-02-04T13:03:17Z")
> [@owlstretchingtime](#): > > Diana was a rubbish shag? …and Camilla is great in bed? _ewwwwwww_ ---
**Author:** ![owlstretchingtime](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/958977/32.png) [@owlstretchingtime](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/owlstretchingtime)\ **Post date:** [February 4, 2005, 1:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/british-weddings/287972/66 "2005-02-04T13:14:38Z")
> [@GorillaMan](#): > > …and Camilla is great in bed? > > _ewwwwwww_ She looks good in a gimp mask. ---
**Author:** ![GorillaMan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/50afbb/32.png) [@GorillaMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GorillaMan)\ **Post date:** [February 4, 2005, 1:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/british-weddings/287972/67 "2005-02-04T13:19:40Z")
> [@owlstretchingtime](#): > > She looks good in a gimp mask. I don’t doubt she looks _better_ in one 😛 ---
**Author:** ![hildea](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/ebca7d/32.png) [@hildea](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hildea)\ **Post date:** [February 4, 2005, 2:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/british-weddings/287972/68 "2005-02-04T14:26:58Z")
> [@CBCD](#): > > In American it is legal for a wealthy man to \*\*cast off his 1st wife \*\* if she starts to \*\*look like a horse \*\* when she gets older. He may then take up with a younger, prettier, blonder woman known as the **'Trophy Wife.'** > > In England, your \*\*Prince Charles \*\* has done the opposite. He cast off a pretty, young wife to take up with an older woman who looks like a horse. > > What gives? You’ve got it wrong - it was Diana who cast off an older husband who looked like a horse, to exchange him with younger, prettier men. (I’m not British, but my ancestors plundered, pillaged and raped all over the British islands, so Norskies and Brits are practically cousins. We Norskies don’t care all that much about weddings, though, we tend to prefer living in sin – except we don’t really like that newfangled Kvitekrist “sin” concept, either.) ---
**Author:** ![owlstretchingtime](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/958977/32.png) [@owlstretchingtime](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/owlstretchingtime)\ **Post date:** [February 4, 2005, 2:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/british-weddings/287972/69 "2005-02-04T14:41:23Z")
Norwegians probably don’t get married for two reasons: 1. It would be cold in a big tent in Norway 2. No one can afford the drinks bill. ---
**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, 3:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/british-weddings/287972/70 "2005-02-04T15:30:01Z")
May we conclude that your devotion to following Spurs around Europe has taken in a trip to Rosenborg of Trondheim? What do they charge for a beer up there? **hildea** , I still remember the day Norway beat England and your commentator was giving it the old “Winston Churchill, Maggie Thatcher, Lord Nelson - we beat them!!” ---
**Author:** ![owlstretchingtime](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/958977/32.png) [@owlstretchingtime](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/owlstretchingtime)\ **Post date:** [February 4, 2005, 3:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/british-weddings/287972/71 "2005-02-04T15:57:59Z")
> [@roger thornhill](#): > > May we conclude that your devotion to following Spurs around Europe has taken in a trip to Rosenborg of Trondheim? What do they charge for a beer up there? > > **hildea** , I still remember the day Norway beat England and your commentator was giving it the old “Winston Churchill, Maggie Thatcher, Lord Nelson - we beat them!!” I’ve been all over Norway with the mighty lillywhites (it’s a favourite pre season tour for the front wheels). You may be intersted to know that next summer the bin lids and a few other premiership teams plus some foreign johnnies are playing in a tournament in South Korea - which is handy for you. (I am not eating a hot-dog in Korea!) Beer is about eight quid a pint in Oslo - more than London! What is quite funny is that THFC have some sort of arrangement with a Scadiwegian firm who sell packages of a weekend in Lahndahn inluding a trip to the Lane. It is easy to spot the scandies as they are all seven feet tall and are all roaring pissed. They can’t believe how cheap beer is in Lunnun. I can’t belive how expensive it is - the three quid Brittney has arrived. Does Lou-ann like a brittney? ---
**Author:** ![Rayne\_Man](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/df705f/32.png) [@Rayne\_Man](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rayne_Man)\ **Post date:** [February 4, 2005, 4:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/british-weddings/287972/72 "2005-02-04T16:55:28Z")
Why is it that people with big houses find it necessary to hold the wedding reception in a marquee ? Isn’t there room enough in the house? They are not being slightly pretentious by any chance , and just showing off to the neighbours? ---
**Author:** ![owlstretchingtime](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/958977/32.png) [@owlstretchingtime](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/owlstretchingtime)\ **Post date:** [February 4, 2005, 5:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/british-weddings/287972/73 "2005-02-04T17:09:27Z")
> [@Rayne Man](#): > > Why is it that people with big houses find it necessary to hold the wedding reception in a marquee ? Isn’t there room enough in the house? They are not being slightly pretentious by any chance , and just showing off to the neighbours? The carpets old chap. Once those grannies get bopping to the birdie song it can a right mischief to your deep pile, and royally bugger-up your shag. Also you don’t want people conga-ing round your gaff now do you? ---
**Author:** ![Zebra](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/c0e974/32.png) [@Zebra](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zebra)\ **Post date:** [February 4, 2005, 6:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/british-weddings/287972/74 "2005-02-04T18:22:38Z")
> [@CBCD](#): > > GorillaMan wrote: > 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? Not being silly. Basically every movie theatre in American has a Marquee. A large sign out front that you put the movie titles on so people can know what is playing at the theatre. A Marquee Name is someone like Tom Cruise, Tom Hanks, or Julia Roberts. If you owned a movie theatre you would put their name on the marquee as well as their name will bring in people. [/NBS] This thread has made me two tents. ---
**Author:** ![Pandora](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/eada6e/32.png) [@Pandora](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pandora)\ **Post date:** [February 4, 2005, 7:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/british-weddings/287972/75 "2005-02-04T19:25:31Z")
In a semi serious response… The American use of “Marquee” originally refered to the roof often found covering the sidewalk in front of theaters. (So the audience’s fancy dress clothes don’t get messed up by the weather or pigeons or whatever… thus preforming a similar function to the original tent of the same name) Theater owners put signs on these marquees advertising the shows/movies or the stars thereof to attract business to their theater. And, in the normal way of slang, these marquee signs eventually came to be refered to as marquees in their own right. Thus resulting in yet another British/American word war. You can have a wedding in the US under a marquee (either the tent or theater variety depending on how accomidating the person preforming the wedding is ) with or without marquee worthy personalities in attendence. However Ms. Manners would probably frown on the idea of announcing your nuptials in large letters (or “in lights”) upon a marquee sign, and she would definately not approve of having the ushers sell tickets or popcorn. Talking during the show is bad manners either way. ---
**Author:** ![Jennyrosity](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/2bfe46/32.png) [@Jennyrosity](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jennyrosity)\ **Post date:** [February 4, 2005, 8:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/british-weddings/287972/76 "2005-02-04T20:38:44Z")
> [@Kyla](#): > > Also, weddings must be performed indoors! That’s why the marquee, I guess. That my cousin’s wedding was performed outdoors was quite remarkable. No. You don’t hold the wedding in the tent. You have the wedding elsewhere - usually, at this type of event, at the family chapel within the grounds of the estate - then move onto to the tent for the reception. Do try to pay attention, old bean. ---
**Author:** ![Rayne\_Man](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/df705f/32.png) [@Rayne\_Man](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rayne_Man)\ **Post date:** [February 4, 2005, 9:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/british-weddings/287972/77 "2005-02-04T21:08:06Z")
If a suspicious person is found in the marquee they can be prosecuted for the crime of loitering within tent ---
**Author:** ![Kyla](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/eada6e/32.png) [@Kyla](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kyla)\ **Post date:** [February 4, 2005, 10:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/british-weddings/287972/78 "2005-02-04T22:20:25Z")
> [@Jennyrosity](#): > > No. You don’t hold the wedding in the tent. You have the wedding elsewhere - usually, at this type of event, at the family chapel within the grounds of the estate - then move onto to the tent for the reception. > > Do try to pay attention, old bean. Then I really don’t get the purpose of the tent. ---
**Author:** ![Rayne\_Man](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/df705f/32.png) [@Rayne\_Man](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rayne_Man)\ **Post date:** [February 4, 2005, 10:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/british-weddings/287972/79 "2005-02-04T22:30:19Z")
The tent is there for the Reception which is the meal / buffet , the speeches and the dance. ---
**Author:** ![Kyla](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/eada6e/32.png) [@Kyla](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kyla)\ **Post date:** [February 5, 2005, 2:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/british-weddings/287972/80 "2005-02-05T02:27:02Z")
> [@Rayne Man](#): > > The tent is there for the Reception which is the meal / buffet , the speeches and the dance. Why not just have that stuff inside? Then you don’t get all muddy. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/british-weddings/287972.md?page=3) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/british-weddings/287972.md?page=5)