The 15 biggest differences between British and American weddings

If you are an American, one thing you may not realize is that the wedding you envisioned for Harry and Meghan isn’t exactly the one that happened.

This isn’t only because their wedding is fit for royalty. As it turns out, there are a bunch of interesting, and fundamental differences between weddings in America versus those across the pond.

So, while you wait for your invite to the wedding of the year check out these surprising differences between British and American weddings.

British wedding toasts are more like roasts

At an American wedding, you can generally expect the toasts and speeches to rely heavily on sap and sentimentality. But at British weddings, the toasts might seem, well, rather rude.

According to Vogue, the goal of wedding speeches in the UK is to fully mortify its recipient. So, if you’re giving a toast in the US, you can prepare your standard touchy-feely fare. If you’re giving one in England, just pretend like you’re getting ready for a roast.

If you’re a woman, you probably won’t give a toast

According to Cosmopolitan, British weddings traditionally only have three sets of speeches —one from the groom, one from the father of the bride, and one from the best man. 

British wedding guests wear hats

One thing you can definitely be prepared to see at the upcoming royal wedding is some fancy headwear. According to PureWow, it is royal protocol for all royal women to wear hats on official occasions. (So, yes — Kate Middleton is going to be wearing one at the upcoming royal wedding.)

And if you were wondering, this isn’t just a royal thing — according to Vogue, almost every wedding outfit in the UK tends to be topped off (literally) with a fancy hat or fascinator.