British Pathe

Jewish wedding - mid 1920s? (Nothing specifically Jewish in clothing / customs observed.)

Location of events unknown - London?

Bride and groom coming down steps through crowd of wedding guests who throw rice; rose petals; confetti. Bride has two long plaits of hair hanging down either...

Jewish wedding - mid 1920s? (Nothing specifically Jewish in clothing / customs observed.)

Location of events unknown - London?

Bride and groom coming down steps through crowd of wedding guests who throw rice; rose petals; confetti. Bride has two long plaits of hair hanging down either side of her face. CU bride in car talking to someone through window & waving as they drive away. Other members of wedding party come down steps. Bridesmaids (in their late teens or 20s) wear close-fitting hat with coiled circles of fabric over the coiled hair over their ears; a popular fashion at the time for hair as well as hats; it echoed the look of radio headphones! Bridesmaids and men in top hats pose; one couple start dancing on pavement - they just do a few discreet Charleston steps. Shots of wedding guests waiting for cars outside church.

At another site; many wedding guests and wedding party arrive in cars and walk up toward camera. Bridesmaid does some more dancing on the pavement. Nurse carries child.

Interior: middle-aged women sit posing (quite informally) for the camera. CU bride with mother. In receiving line; bride and mother sit together; groom standing to left; sometimes off screen; as guests pass by & offer congratulations. It all looks quite staged - everyone looks a bit self-conscious and bride keeps looking at camera a little anxiously (as if to say 'Did you get that?'), but everyone seems to be having a good time - the guests waiting are all laughing and smiling. Great footage of formal dress of the era. A small child gives flowers to bride. Bride and groom pose together when the guests have all walked by. He gives her a kiss. Then bride and groom pose with bridesmaids and men (best men?). The Charlestoning girl is dragged out of shot - she can't stop dancing! Then a fabulous sequence of the three bridesmaids doing some dancing in a line - kicking their legs and doing the Charleston! The men join in too. Really great footage of exuberant people, quintessentially 1920s, having fun at the wedding party. Not sure if they are a well-known family of the time?