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?

I'm 50 and have no idea what you are talking about.

Wasn’t it simpler times though. People happy with a few horseshoes and ribbons on their cars or a visit by a sweep!
Now weddings are set in stately homes, castles and not a plastic gift in sight!

It was traditional to give a horseshoe for good luck at weddings in England, it was given as the couple stood outside the church. Guests would at this time hand them to the bride.

not so many church weddings and so not much standing outside the church.

Lots of people saying it's a shame it's not around anymore yet didn't pass on the tradition, even after having it done to them.

It was quite popular in the 1980s. Some sweeps also took a black cat with them for extra luck.

I think there are fewer sweeps about. I have never lived in a house with a working chimney and I'm nearly 60.

We had the coins tradition in Ireland when it was growing up, but it was called a gushie or grushie (I can't quite remember and I've never seen it written ddown). I haven't been at a church wedding in years, so I don't know if that tradition is still going or if it's died out. Haven't heard of the chimney sweep tradition.

"Going away" was also a big thing at weddings in Scotland. Before the end of the evening do the bride would slip away and get changed into her "going away outfit". Then all the guests would stand outside the hotel and wave them off.
Nowadays they stay till the end and often don't go off on honeymoon immediately.

DD turned 21 last year and I told her about the 18 and 21 keys in boxes. I got all nostalgic and DD was less than impressed {grin]. They used to sell them in card shops and you usually got them from your parents. I actually got DD a 21 keyring (the 21 was shaped like a key) but it was kind of done in an ironic way. I think I got it more for me than for her.

I got a horseshoe that had been reshaped into a heart, that was a few years ago. North west,not Scotland

The very first wedding I attended was my aunt's wedding in the late '80s. I was just invited to the afters. I was intrigued by my aunt and uncle changing into tbeir travelling clothes at the end of the evening. I tbought my aunt looked ever so glamorous in her fancy clothes. The wedding guests lined up in two rows and we put pur arms up and linked hands with the person across from us, to form a kind of tunnel. My aunt and uncle held hands and ran through the 'tunnel' a few times, before we waved them off. Some of the guests tried to trip them up, or aim fake kicks at their bums, but it was all very good natured. I'm not sure what the point of the tunnel was. Tunnel of love? Running through the obstacles of life together? Anyway, it must have been a wedding tradition, because everyone else seemed to know about it and told me what to do.

I assumed they were going straight to the airport, to board their aeroplane. But then someone explained that they were staying in a hotel (wedding hotel or airport hotel? I'm not sure) and would fly out the next day. I was clueless about the whole thing (weddings and foreign travel). It never occurred to me that the other aeroplane passengers might not want to fly at midnight .

A friend got married in the '90s. She changed into travelling clothes, but didn't actually leave the wedding. Now the bride and groom sray for the whole night and don't change into travelling clothes. Although the bride changing into a second wedding dress seems to have become a thing, probably influenced by celebrities or influencers.

True 're the chimney sweeps, but variations of it or other stuff mentioned on here could be more prevalent if people passed it on.

PP commenting they had it at their weddings, but their daughters/sons didn't.

I’m 61 and my friend had one at her wedding, it must have been about 1991. Her father paid for it and said afterwards that the sweep charged £40 and had about 9 weddings to attend on the same day! He must have earnt more for his wedding gigs than the day job!

Keys in boxes for 21

I've still got mine. I come across it sometimes when I'm having a declutter. I can't remember now who gave it to me, probably my mum.I

Although the bride changing into a second wedding dress seems to have become a thing, probably influenced by celebrities or influencers.

And royal brides.

"Good luck will rub orf when I shakes 'ands with you" as Dick van Dyke once said.

shopping for your going away outfits was the main thing when you married. The wedding dress and bridesmaids dresses etc were usually made by a local dressmaker. going for fittings were quite a thing! then you would have dyed shoes to match your bridesmaids dresses.
when choosing your going away outfit you also had a trousseau which was a nightdress and negligee plus lovely underwear to titilate your groom!
as well as horseshoes rolling pins some people had black cats too. i remember someone having a black cat on a ribbon

Yes, quite a few.