British Weddings Vs American WeddingsPosted by Kim Rix on March 23rd, 2010
Dear Bride and Groom,
Britain and the USA have a great relationship. Both countries are heavily influenced by each other. As Brits we love the American confidence, glamour, sunshine and positivity. Americans love the British accent, the romance, history and tradition.
Much like in the UK the USA is seeing a decline in marriage rates. The couples that do get married are also marrying much older.
In the UK the average age of the first time bride is 29 and in the US it is 26. These have been slowly rising over the past few decades. For most men in the UK they would expect to be in their early thirties before getting married and in the US they wouldn’t be too far off at 28. Only a few decades ago your mother would have been giving you worried glances if you were unmarried in your late twenties, now you will be seen as a young bride or groom!
We are both equally extravagant in the amount we spend on our weddings too. The average bill in the USA comes to around $30k (just over £19k at the current exchange) and in the UK we spend a little more at around £22k ($33k). The Brits are also eager to marry with the average engagement being 18 months to America’s 19.
There are no huge differences in the wedding ceremonies and celebrations themselves. Many of our traditions have been amalgamated and mixed in with other cultures and country’s traditions. Indeed what is legal and expected in England is different to that in Scotland and so on. As long as the legal vows are said and the certificate is signed, all is well!
One thing I did enjoy at a recent American wedding was a rather extravagant ‘Groom’s Cake’. Although I didn’t much care for them stuffing it into each other’s mouths…can’t comment if that is necessarily traditional though!
Happy planning!
Kind regards,
Kim Rix