May is the beginning of what is known as ‘peak wedding season’, which runs until October. Springtime is historically the most popular season for weddings, with wedding venues and vendors being most in-demand.
The presence of money during weddings is a much recognised tradition that takes place in many different cultures and countries. Here, we will be exploring the different monetary rituals that occur at wedding ceremonies across the globe.
British Traditions
We are all familiar with the popular wedding verse ‘something old, something new, something borrowed, something blue’ concerning what items the bride should wear to bless her with good luck. However, many people are not aware that the verse ends with ‘and a silver sixpence in her shoe’. Traditionally, the father of the bride would slip a sixpence into his daughter’s shoe before she walked down the aisle. This sixpence is said to symbolise the father’s wishes for the couple to have good fortune and prosperity, but also to bring them good luck.
Practised in Scotland and some parts of Northern England is the act of throwing small change onto the ground on the way to the wedding venue, also known as ‘Wedding Scramble’. Children would gather around the wedding car just before the bride would leave, and her father would throw money out as they drove away. This tradition is thought to bring strong financial stability to the new couple. Nowadays, there are a few moderations to this, such as the groom throwing coins out of the car as he drives away with his new bride, or the father of the bride throwing money after the newly-weds.
A lesser known tradition is to insert a silver coin, minted in the same year as the wedding, into the cork of a champagne bottle popped on the day to be used as a keepsake for the newly-weds to cherish. This act signifies wishing the couple prosperity and good luck. Over time, the cork will tighten around the coin, representing a growing bond for the married couple.
Worldwide Traditions
Similarly to British traditions, in Sweden the bride is given coins from her parents before the wedding ceremony. A silver coin is given to her from her father and is placed into her left shoe, and a gold coin is given to her from her mother and is placed into her right shoe. This tradition is practised to ensure that she will never go without financially.
The ‘Money Dance’ or ‘Dollar Dance’ has been a cultural tradition at many wedding festivities throughout Europe since the early 20th Century. To participate, the bride will wear a purpose-made apron over her wedding dress, and guests will then pin money onto the apron in exchange for a dance. Traditionally, the groom will pin money first, then the father of the bride, then relatives and finally close friends. It is believed to help establish the couple in their new life together and to show how much they are valued. Nowadays, many female guests will do the same for a dance with the groom.
In Spain and across Latin America, there is a tradition known as ‘the gift of thirteen coins’ in which the groom will present his bride with a bag containing thirteen gold coins on the night before the wedding. These coins represent Christ and his twelve Apostles and signify the groom’s willingness to support his bride. During the ceremony, the bride must carry her bag of gold coins. Some couples will follow the older Roman tradition of presenting each other with coins during the wedding ceremony; the bride a bag of silver, and the groom a bag of gold. This is said to represent a pledge of commitment and support to each other.
Also at some Spanish weddings, the grooms-men will take scissors and chop up the groom’s tie to sell pieces to guests in order to raise money for the newly-weds. The same practice is sometimes used with the bride’s garter too!
We have available a Queen Elizabeth II Proof Quality Coin Set of 1970, which includes a sixpence, HERE