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

Not in Scotland, but I seem to remember displaying presents received before the wedding on a table in the front room and if neighbours popped in they were shown them, but then there were all taken to the wedding reception in the church hall, and the many that arrived on the day were opened and added to the display. What a palaver!

Never had, or been to, any shows but my young DGC loved the ‘scramble’ at their cousin’s wedding in Scotland two years ago.

The show of presents was common in Scotland but seems to have died out. I remember going to one where the cheques were pegged to a piece of washing line!

I do remember a bride(or groom?) Tgeowing coins when I wa a child in the 50s but never saw it as an adult.

No certainly not showing off, just a jolly time with female family and friends before becoming a wife and setting up home as a married couple.
A brides bottom drawer was also quite usual.

The scramble tradition in our family was always the father of the bride throwing a pocketful of coins as he escorted his daughter into the wedding car.

it wasn't showing off pollyperkins just showing friends and family what you had received and it was usually the week before the wedding in Scotland .

Oh yes in my experience it was definitely the thing for parents of the bride to display all the presents comete with labels to see who had given each one. This was usually back at the brides house after the reception after tge bride & groom had gone off on honeymoon. Usually there was no evening do but guests were invited back for tea and cake and to see the presents often on the dining room table. This was in England in the 1960s. It was done at every wedding I attended as well as my own. But I dont remember it being called a show and it wasnt thought of as showing off I dont think. People were just interested to see what had been given eg 2 toasters, , 3 teapots, an iron, china, glasses, sheets, tea towels etc. Most were very practical.

I am currently using my Mother's wedding china dinner set on a daily basis, as I love it, it cheers me up. We don't have a dishwasher and my former one - DH- doesn't work anymore

In the 60s we had a show of presents . Everyone who gave a gift was invited regardless of the size of the gift. It really was a jolly affair I took the people round telling them who gave what and made the same jokes each night we did it. In Fife I discovered this is called a spree . I had never heard of that until I lived there .We still use the cutlery , kitchen impliments steak forks and knives and some mixing bowls .The wonderful Royal Albert tea and coffee set has been used once at my daughter's christening . It was shipped from England and must have cost a lot . None of my family want it . DD's mother-in-law is downsizing and still has her wedding china she is 90 and once again nobody wants china that does not go in the dishwasher .

The reason we had the Show of Presents in our house was that we were moving in to the house owned by DMiL and DH. My MiL was widowed, and I don't think she expected her son to get married. I had other ideas.

I didn’t really have any presents “to show” .

First marriage no presents at all ( unless you count a baby) second marriage, we just did it. MiL bought us a fridge . Third marriage we said we didn’t want anything at all and got our wish.

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Blackenings. They’re based on old Celtic traditions to ward off evil spirits and accompanied by lots of noise. Common occurrence in Highlands, NE Scotland and Northern Isles.

Another "weegie"here and I too have great memories of my 3 shows of presents,-relatives,then neighbours then my personal friends and colleagues.I was a teacher and the children spent hours making toilet tissue flowers to decorate myself and the wheelbarrow in which I was wheeled around the school and playground.The parents joined in enthusiastically, and generously filled the 'potty' with money (teachers were not well paid!)
Family collected coppers for weeks for the scramble and some threepenny bits and sixpences were added.
My English future in-laws were bemused by all this but very impressed by, and envious of, the strong community involvement. Those were the days my friend,innocent and traditional.

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.

imports

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.

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

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?

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

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.

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.

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).

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!

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

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