Have you seen a chimney sweep at a wedding?

[Glitterbiscuits]

DH and I are driving behind a sweep’s van and he wonders if sweeps still go to weddings? We are now old (50s) And I’ve never seen one at any wedding we’ve been to. Was it ever a thing? Is it a thing now? Of course you wouldn’t need to be an actual real chimney sweep to appear at a wedding, you’d just appear in a costume.

And are there any other wedding traditions that have died out? Do people still tie tin cans onto the cars?

Oh not for a long long time, my cousin had 1 at hers my stepdads nephew worked as one so he went along this was mid 80s though.

I remember getting a horseshoe at my wedding from a small child. I don't think horseshoes are a thing now are they ?

No. I remember brides being given plastic mementos of a sweep for good luck. Think popular up to 70s early80s? With garters!

At a wedding in 2006, plus others in 80s/ 90s

Our sweep, who is in his 60s, says he used to get asked when he was a lot younger, but not in decades. I suppose not very instagrammable.

We have a chatty eccentric sweep (wears waistcoat and bowler hat to attend to our chimneys). I am pretty certain he’s said that he has attended a few weddings.

I'm 42 and I have no idea what you're talking about!

Our chimney sweep advertises on his website that he attends weddings.

Just had a Google, this might just be a Scottish tradition, I still don't think it is a thing though.

My husband's a sweep and occasionally does them people usually manage to request it on dates he can't do though. He reads out a poem and gives them a piece of coal in a little bag.

Scotland here. We still do horse shoes here. When I was younger all the kids used to stand outside church for any wedding.

the groom and best men would throw handfuls of coins called a scramble.

chimney sweeps common as well.

No, never seen a sweep at a wedding- or tin cans tied to car. I was given a horseshoe at mine (late 90's).
Something old, something new...still going strong I think.
Also rice throwing? Never seen that in really life but environmentally friendly I would have thought.

I mentioned the horseshoes to my Dd when she was getting married and she looked at me like I was insane 😀 we also had a scramble.

Was it ever a thing?

No

An older family member gave us a horseshoe at our wedding a few years ago, I was aware of the tradition.

Shame my friend hadn’t met her partner at that point or we’d have had a chimney sweep there by accident!

I have heard of it but never seen it.

We were looking recently at my eldest sister’s wedding album from the 80s. She was given 5 or 6 plasticky silver horseshoes on ribbons which she then had draped over her wrist in the photos. Apparently, it was a ‘thing’. We were laughing about the absolute tackiness of this the other day. Thankfully, that custom died a death.

I’m 47 and have also never heard of this!

Only once at a wedding in the late 90s or maybe early 00s.

I just remember watching the sweep stand fairly close to the bride for a photo and holding my breath at all the black coal dust he was covered in being so close to that white meringue dress.

Of course you wouldn’t need to be an actual real chimney sweep to appear at a wedding, you’d just appear in a costume.

Surely it would have to be an actual sweep in order to be properly lucky?

I believe at royal weddings in the past there'd be a sweep to greet the bride as she left for the ceremony. Sure I've seen photos, but can't remember which wedding.

Yes, loads came to my wedding. DH is a chimney sweep and some of his colleagues came. They all did a surprise dance to the song from Mary Poppins which everyone loved.

My parents had the ribbon-coloured horseshoes draped over my mother's wrist at their wedding. 1971, Australia.

They had one at one of the midwives weddings on Call the Midwife!

I have def heard of it but never been lucky enough to see one

I remember the plastic horseshoe! There is a photo of me holding one at a wedding in the 1970s in Wales.

Only ever remember seeing a sweep at a wedding back in the 70's when I was a child. Don't know if it was ever a common thing in Ireland but the horseshoes definitely were, I recently found some from my mil's wedding back in the early '60's.

I’ve never been to a wedding where the groom has been told that he may kiss the bride. Also never seen the bride throw her bouquet.