Question: 1920's weddings

[saylee.livejournal.com]

I'm doing research for a fic, and find myself up against a brick wall trying to find information on weddings in the 1920s. All my google-fu is turning up are links on planning a flapper-themed wedding, and a few pages on wedding dresses from the period, which while slightly more useful, is not the sort of thing Bertie would notice.

So, does anyone know anything about weddings in the 1920s, especially in Britain, as opposed to America? Traditions we had then that we don't have now, or vice versa? What the reception would be like? Would they do a rehearsal dinner? Would the spongebag trousers Bertie talks about be something worn to all weddings, or only upper class ones? Why doesn't my library seem to have any books on this? Any tidbit is appreciated.

(And don't worry; I promise I'm not marrying off Jeeves or Bertie.)

Comments

[trista-zevkia.livejournal.com]

I always wondered about the 'fish slice' Bertie's always offering to buy when people get married. Anybody know about that?

[runciblespork.livejournal.com]

I thought it was a silver spatula type thing used for serving fish. Like the top utensil in this photo: http://www.silver2treasure.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/06/silver-fish-slice-fork-IMG_2611.jpg

It seems the sort of thingamabob you'd get someone when they were getting married.

[nzraya.livejournal.com]

Yes, a fish slice is what speakers of British English call the thing that Americans call a spatula, i.e. the thing you use to flip eggs in a pan. (A "spatula" in British English refers to the flexible rubbery thing you use to scrape out the last of the cake mix from the bowl.)

[trista-zevkia.livejournal.com]

Looks like a cake server, more than an egg flipper spatula. But I'm not much of a cook. But it does seem random enough for Bertie to select to give it to all his married people. Good to know, so Thanks!

[saylee.livejournal.com]

This makes so much more sense that the explanation I had come up with. I am glad to know there was no bizarre tradition of purchasing pieces of fish for newlyweds! It also seems like such a Bertie thing, to buy the same random gift for every couple he knows.

[erynn999.livejournal.com]

Gods, yes. That was where my brain was going, and I just could not fathom it.

[storyfan.livejournal.com]

http://www.edwardianera.org/edwardian-weddings-edwardian-era-wedding-gowns.html

Maybe this link will help. I imagine that wealthy families kept to the old way of doing things even if less well-off people started to change. I can imagine elaborate Edwardian-style weddings for the upper class well into the 1920s, especially those who were relatively unaffected by the war.

[m31andy.livejournal.com]

That link contains some inaccurate information - most importantly the wedding breakfast is the first meal of the new married couple's life. It was never given before the wedding (the meal at the reception after a wedding in the UK is still known as the wedding breakfast, in fact)

(Whether folk met beforehand for an informal meal, I'm not sure. But it would probably actually be considered bad luck in England. We don't, as a rule, like to count our chickens before they are hatched. This is the main reason why English girls think American baby showers are a bit... previous.)

The history of posh white dresses for weddings arose from the debutante weddings, who would wear their coming out dresses (white) as their wedding dress.

[storyfan.livejournal.com]

That's good to know. I wonder if the rest of the info on the site contains inaccuracies.

It does make sense, as the bride isn't supposed to see the groom before the wedding.

[saylee.livejournal.com]

Thanks for the link. Inaccuracies aside, I'm sure it'll be useful. Any thoughts on whether the trend of afternoon rather than morning weddings would have carried over into the twenties? It's the norm now, but the trend could have died off and then come back.

[storyfan.livejournal.com]

I'm thinking the upper crust would have carried on this traditions of morning weddings. The well-to-do would be eager to preserve traditions, especially in the face of so much social uncertainty. And really, Wodehouse's world was untouched by war, so having his circle of friends and enemies adhere to the morning-wedding tradition would not be far-fetched.

In the last Jooster episode, it appears to be a morning wedding. Bertie is wearing gray, which was considered a morning color, I do believe. I would think that you'd be safe in keeping the tradition of a wedding in the ack emma.

[adina-atl.livejournal.com]

I'm pretty sure there wouldn't be a rehearsal dinner, as it was considered an American thing when my brother got married in London 15+ years ago. We did it anyway, but it was more of a time to gather the in-laws from the U.S. and the in-laws from the U.K. in a smaller setting than the reception. There was no rehearsal--I think in Church of England, everyone is assumed to be using the same lines, so everyone knows the drill.

It's a little later than you want, set in the mid to late 30s, but check out "Busman's Honeymoon" by Dorothy Sayers for the upper class version of a British wedding. In that it seemed pretty simple: groom gets to the church first, ushers seat all the guests, music starts (not The Breath that Breathed o'er Eden, by very specific request, so I think the song is standard unless otherwise specified), bride walks down the aisle with escort (father, usually), have the service. Reception afterwards at mother of the groom's house, not a reception hall. Rings (plural, I think, but I'm not entirely sure) were mentioned.

[saylee.livejournal.com]

Ooh, thank you. I'll be sure to check that out - in fact, I've just found it on project Gutenburg, so all the better.

[augue-t.livejournal.com]

Realistically, any wedding Bertie would be a likely guest would be a sponge bag trousers sort of wedding! If you Google "morning dress" you'll get a good idea of what it all means.

About the wedding, it'd be in a church, there'd be bridesmaids and a best man, a tiered cake, confetti, gifts,

This is a menu card from the Queen Mum's wedding breakfast in 1923.
http://www.royalcollection.org.uk/egallery/object.asp?pagesize=20&object=9000106&row=8071

another one, from a wedding in 1929
http://tinyurl.com/67urdlo

If you go to google images and do a search like - 1928 london wedding - you get a few random results but some actual wedding photos too

and the wedding chapter from Emily Post's original etiquette book from 1922 (I know it's American, but it should give you an idea of what was available) http://www.bartleby.com/95/22.html
Hope it helps :)

[saylee.livejournal.com]

Well, he does have his down-at-heel artist friends, who probably couldn't do fancy weddings, but as they're mostly American, I suppose the point is moot.

Thanks for all the links and suggestions!

[adina-atl.livejournal.com]

His down-at-heel artist friends would do registry weddings, of which Wodehouse gives us plenty of examples.

[umpteenth-gail.livejournal.com]

Thank you for the Emily Post chapter, auque_t. It was a story without dialogue, such that I felt as if I was sucked inside the head of one of the family members and almost was a part of that family! Loved the chaos and distractedness in the house, with everyone coming and going and nervous people who can't keep still. :)