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?

[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.

[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.

[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 :)