Did anyone here have a " show of presents"? Maybe only in Scotland?

In 1969 we had the present showing. Tea and cake plus a wee sherry but no serious drinking! Lots of 'advice' on how to deal with men plus a few horrific tales of childbirth.
All gifts were given before the wedding and the first time I attended a wedding in England I thought it awkward and unwieldy that gifts were transported around on the day itself.
Paddy the shenanigans involving dressing up and parading the bride around were seen here as very 'downmarket' and my parents would most certainly have disapproved (though I'd no wish to do it!)
No hen night of course but a meal in a Chinese restaurant with 6 friends the night before - again much to mother's disapproval!

When I first came to Durham on a Friday night at going home time there might be a bride leaving work decorated with strips of paper pinned to her and a decorated hat. Very much more individual than the hen night sashes and bunny ears.

mcem thats us weegies for you....lol.Its traditional in my part of the country Stansgran we usued to spend hours making roses from tissues to decorate both the fancy hat and the potty which was disguised as allsorts of things from ars ,boats ,baby's prams floral baskets.All good fun and didn't cost us a fortune

When I was a child we were always told it was an exclusively Scottish custom and I distinctly remember being taken to a show of presents where everything was laid out in the spare bedroom, as the house only had a living room and no front room or sitting room. The funny thing is, I cannot remember who the bride was. In my mind's eye I see the show of presents being held in the house of a great-aunt whose only daughter married when I was three, so I don't think it can be her show of presents, I remember.
Glad to know that the custom pertains in Yorkshire too.

Here in Denmark, it does not exist, traditionally the bride and groom spent half the wedding reception opening presents that are displayed for the rest of the formal dinner party, but the royal family holds a show of presents that have been sent in advance. At the normal level of society we all turn up, both at weddings, christenings and confirmations burdened with presents. DH and I were accompanied by a teddy on rockers at one grand-nephew's baptism!

In Wales presents were always given before the wedding day, presents were displayed and glasses of sherry given to callers, and advice given to the bride , I loved it

I seem to remember that my parents put out the presents at our wedding reception. This was my first marriage, in Northumberland.
When I married my present husband, nearly 40 years ago, we didn't get any presents - it was a very quiet affair.
I don't really like the idea, especially if the donor is shown on the gift. People will start comparing.

We got married in Central Scotland but didn't have a show of presents, partly because most guests were coming from some distance away and partly because I was away at university until about a week before the wedding, but mostly because neither my mother (who was from elsewhere) not I had ever heard of such a thing. Our DCs got married in the NE and Central Scotland, and again, there was no show of presents. They all had hen/stag weekends in this country, involving friends and the appropriate parents, but we didn't have anything of the sort in the mid-70s - couldn't have afforded it anyway!

I dont think anyone ever compared,mind you 40 odd years ago people were a lot less materialistic.The folk who gave tea towels and towels were no different to the ones who bought a bed or a suite of furniture .They were all given with the best intentions and what folk could afford .I still have several of my wedding presents in use , a blender that has been used most days and when the kids were small several times daily and a lovely vase from my mums neighbour ,then theres the chess set bought with money from mums next door neighbour that was "meant" to buy a fridge freezer..lol.We've had several f/f over the years but only one chess set .Theres a variety of things still that remind me of the people who bought them ,even the lamp that only came out of a cupboard when the Aunt who bought it visited and my ironing board a sturdy heavyweight thing that's as good as the day it was given

Think it's Scottish as we normally give gifts before. We had one - the elders in the family expected it. Never heard of it recently though!

My wedding in 1970 was a very small registry office affair so I didn't have many the show of presents, but my sister had a very traditional church wedding in Manchester two years later and her (very many!!) presents were all on show for a couple of weeks beforehand in my mum's boxroom.
My list of wedding presents consisted of:
kitchen weighing scales,
glass pyrex nest of clear glass mixing bowls,
a set of pyrex crockery (pattern as in photo - very modern) and a Margeurite Patten cookery book that I still use regularly. (Did you spot the theme?)

I bought myself a set of Pyrex plates and a couple of casserole dishes, all with that pattern, from an offer in a magazine just before I got married.
I expect a lot of homes had them.

My experience is similar to paddyann - traditional Scottish show of presents that came from everywhere and from people we hadn't seen for years and something from every neighbour. Only problem - we lived in a 1 bedroom flat and every night for about a fortnight before the wedding everything got shifted around so I could get to bed! Mam and Dad slept in a bed-settee in the living room back then so I could have a bedroom once I reached about 10 or so.

We were married in 1965 in West Yorkshire and the wedding presents were displayed, with gift cards, in my Mum's front room after our reception. Guests were all invited to come back to view them.

There was a distinct lack of variety in the gifts - 17 pyrex casseroles and 6 cut glass vases! What we really needed were pans, towels and bed linen but hey ho, we managed with an old pan given by Mum and one I bought in the market. I got sheets and towels from Kays catalogue and paid it off weekly. I was 21 and DH 22 and all our money had gone to scrape together a deposit to buy a cottage. Very happy days. No regrets.

Any presents from my first marriage were displayed in a table at the reception 60s
Second marriage 80 s don’t think there were any as we had lived together for a few years and it was just a small family and close friends marriage and reception I don’t remember having any at all
Never heard of this one though

What about a "scramble" *Bluebelle"? The men in the wedding party all carried coins to and from the church and threw them out of the cars windows to children waiting in the street.At posher weddings the brides dad would walk around handing out silver coins to the kids .At our local church the there could be 5 weddings on a Saturday and the same kids waited for them all,it certainly boosted their finances....lol

Married in Glasgow in 1969, so yes a show of presents over 2 days the week before the wedding. I’m still using a few of the presents to this day! I hated everything about it but it was the “thing to do” and at the time I wasn’t brave enough to stand against the tide of tradition. We had a “scramble” outside the house for neighbours children and then another outside the church. I seem to remember that there were a couple of scruffy looking urchins in one of the official photos. they'd turned up at the church just for the scramble, and of course in those days you couldn’t airbrush photographs!

I've never heard of it before!

I didn't have a hen night nor did DH have a stag do, although his best man did take him to the pub for a few drinks the night before (mistake).

My daughter in law had a show of presents 13 years ago in her mother's house in Glasgow, which happened to be next door to ours! .
Every female relative, neighbours and friends came to a feast of sandwiches, sausage rolls, home baking (It had to be home baking as a matter of pride), endless cups of tea and glasses of prosecco to toast the bride and groom.
The presents were all laid out in the dining room and conservatory and there was a great deal of fun and laughter. We couldn't get rid of the guests, they were enjoying themselves too much.
I had a hen night, organised by my colleagues. I was paraded around the town of Paisley, wearing L plates and carrying a potty to collect "Donations" from passers by. It was my idea of hell, I was so embarrassed.

Oh I forgot to say, we also had a "Scramble" !!
Our neighbours were all coming to son and DIL's wedding, so all their children were lined up to collect the money thrown from the wedding cars.
Health and safety people would have a fit nowadays.

I didn't have a Show of presents as I was marrying an Englishman in England.

My relatives and Scottish friends sent presents before our wedding.
However DH's family and our English friends gave gifts on the actual wedding day.

Gifts were similar to other posters
Towels, Bedding, Pyrex, saucepans, dinner sets and cutlery.

We also had a slow cooker that lasted 35 years.
I still have a tartan blanket in the car (37yrs)

As a child I remember several Show of presents, it was only for the female friends and relatives.
One bedroom would have all the presents laid out.
The other bedroom had all the coats piled on the bed.

The comfy chairs were for the older aunties
The kettle would be permanently on the boil.
Tea with a wee drop o'something or a schooner of sherry
Sandwiches and cake.

Near the end of the evening a sing a long
with Auntie the on piano.
Nice memories, all good fun

A scramble was sometimes called a ‘poor-oot’ (Pour out) in Edinburgh-I was never allowed to take part! Here in NE Scotland the practice of ‘blackening’ still takes place for both bride and groom. I’ve seen a few unfortunates covered in gunk and handcuffed round a lamppost or else paraded around town on the back of a lorry. Does this still take place further south in Scotland?

Katek I've never seen that round our way. Thank goodness?

Katek usually see blackenings when the groom works in a large factory .We do see grooms tied to lamp posts though .I've been in the wedding industry for 48 years and its sad to see some of these customs dying out and being replaced by Ameriican impots they see on TV and Cinema.

imports

We had a huge 'Show of Presents' in the village hall. I had well over 200 presents ranging from egg cups and clothes pegs to full dinner service and canteen of cutlery, but mostly, sheets, blankets and towels as the local Co-op was having a linen sale.

My 2 bridesmaids and I did the 'showing' of the presents displayed on trestle tables round the hall, then they were cleared and tea was served, supervised by DM & MIL. All the Aunties baked and made savouries. such a spread that everyone went home with doggy bags,

Meanwhile my DF, DH 2B and Best Man took the menfolk to the pub, arriving back for the purvey. Then the tables were cleared away and DH and his band played for dancing. We only had 60 at the actual wedding but over a 100 at this 'do' a few days before. Also had a 'scramble' on leaving home and outside the church after the ceremony.