Regional Differences

[Andtototoo]

-That people do not try to cover the "cost of the plate" when giving cash wedding gifts.

-That there are states which allow corporal punishment in schools and that parents are fine with others smacking their kids.

-That people still do church hall wedding receptions with cake and punch. I honestly thought that only happened in movies or in old books.

 

[hambirg]

Sure, but just so you know, I'm expecting a awesome cocktail hour with raw bar and passed hors d'oeuvres, a sit down dinner with many courses, open bar and viennese table, plus lots of dancing!

No problem. A cocktail hour, sit down dinner, open bar and dancing would be the norm here anyway. This is the Puget Sound area so adding a raw bar would be easy peasy. .. that just leaves the viennese table. . .sounds like a good idea to me.

 

[punkin]

Children attending weddings.

Asking guests to pitch in for the cost of parties, limos, etc.

I think it's strange when children don't attend weddings. Every relative's wedding I've been to after I had children had my children invited. I also had children at my wedding.

 

[Mkrop]

That there are people who think that if you enjoy alcohol at parties and find it unusual if alcohol isn't served, you must automatically be an alcoholic or that guests will be stumbling around in a drunk and disorderly state.

This observation is in no way directed at you, Conservative Hippie! It was only your observation that made me remember it.

Yes I find this odd, all of our parties have alchohol involved but no one is stumbling around drunk. But we have drinks at Christening parties, kids bday parties if they are at home and adults are invited. Heck we bring beer to a local resturant that is a BYOB, we all eat cheesesteaks and such, and the kids play video games, and we watch whatever sporting event is on. No one drinks and drives, but alcohol is just a part of social gatherings.

Heck the dads even fill up a wagon with adult beverages when they take the kids TOT.

 

[*pixie*dust*]

Tea vs. Sweet Tea

Baby Showers for just the 1st baby vs. Baby Showers for every child

soda vs. pop

alcohol in the grocery store vs. ABC stores

 

[monorailsilver]

The wedding is in Connecticut. You give more??

Come to CT. It will make you poor. My sister cringes everytime she comes home & goes to the grocery store to buy a few things. She lives in KY.

Ok...I'll bite. What the heck is a viennese table??? Never heard of this before.

I had one at my wedding as did my sisters. For us it is Italian pastry/cookies. Cannolis, the things that look like shells, rum cakes (gross), Italian cookies, etc....

 

[disykat]

No problem. A cocktail hour, sit down dinner, open bar and dancing would be the norm here anyway. This is the Puget Sound area so adding a raw bar would be easy peasy. .. that just leaves the viennese table. . .sounds like a good idea to me.

And this post proves how small a "region" can be for regional differences. I live a stone's throw from the Puget Sound and I've never been to a wedding that included a cocktail hour, a sit down dinner, or an open bar. The fanciest weddings I've been to do have tables with seating for everyone but it's a buffet with only specific alcohol available.

I'm almost 50 years old and I've only been to one banquet that had plated meals in my life.

 

[tink_n_pooh]

Now I'm confused....

Where do people not have access to grocery stores? And when/where did this come up? The closest grocery store to me is about 20-25 minutes but I certainly have access to it, I wouldn't want one any closer.


I have found that the concept of urgency varies greatly from region to region. I'm from Jersey, things must get done now. Recently I have been dealing with a lot of people from the south and midwest on a professional level... things don't happen so quickly with them

 

[Shyvioletisme]

- That you can buy liquor in grocery stores some places and not have to go to the liquor store for it.
- That not everywhere has party barns. (drive thru liquor store shaped like a barn that you pull into and they bring the alcohol to you).
- How much some people give at weddings up north.
- That it is considered tacky to bring gifts to a wedding in some places.
- That sweet tea isn't available everywhere.
- That all weddings don't have punch
- That some people say they are on line instead of being in line.

These were just the first few off the top of my head. I've learned so many regional things on here.

 

[Mkrop]

Now I'm confused....

Where do people not have access to grocery stores? And when/where did this come up? The closest grocery store to me is about 20-25 minutes but I certainly have access to it, I wouldn't want one any closer.


I have found that the concept of urgency varies greatly from region to region. I'm from Jersey, things must get done now. Recently I have been dealing with a lot of people from the south and midwest on a professional level... things don't happen so quickly with them

When I worked for a company that owned hospitals all across the country we ran into this as well. We would ask them for a report, the hospitals in the NE would have them on our desk almost immediately. The southern and western hospitals were always like..."oh you meant today, when we would call them later" Deadlines seemed more like a guideline than a rule.

 

[Wishing on a star]

Regarding weddings, I'm from the South - southeast TN.

So, when DH & I got married in 1995, we had the typical southern church wedding & reception. Our reception was in the reception hall of the church, but so was everyone else's in our circle, so it wasn't really a big deal. In fact, our reception menu was more varied & had more to offer than most other weddings we attended - we actually had some hot items on our buffet which was considered, at the time in our "circle", to be fancy.

But, *sigh*, no dancing, no drinking, no expensive gifts, etc. If someone had attended one of my showers, they didn't bring a gift to the wedding. The biggest cash gift we got was $100, & we thought that was extravagant of the gift-giver. Most everyone brought actual gifts to the wedding. I had so many frames & casserole dishes! LOL!

However, when my sister got married in 1999, she was worried because she marrying someone from Detroit, MI. She convinced my mom that our little southern church weddings were going to look really cheap & gauche to her fiance's northern family. So my sister had a much more lavish affair than I did.

To this day, I'm still miffed!

I am from the South, not far from you...
My DH is from MI, not far from your BIL...
I can tell you that your sister is right!!!

Also, to another prev. poster.
I have to disagree about that lingo....
I was born and raised in the South.
I do NOT say 'yeller', 'winder', or things like 'you'ns'.
Just for the record, yes you will find that here, especially in rural areas...
But I just had to address that stereotype.

We live in a rural area...
And, it is a big thing with us, my son is just EXPERT at copying/mocking some of the hillbilly dialect...
It is just SO hilarious when he does this!!!
So, yes, it's here.
Just don't assume that everyone in the South is a degenerate hillbilly who can't speak correct English!!!

We recently visited NYC, and DH joked around that we should let DS talk like that and freak everybody out.
We said he ought to do it in the subway with some kind of collection box, like subway entertainment!!!

 

[snapppyd]

A viennese hour is and extra hour added to the of a wedding where they serve nothing but desserts.

Sometimes people have a full hour where a separate room is used or half of the reception room or, some will just have desert trays at each table or just a single table filled with deserts.

And often after dinner drinks along with the desserts: Anisette, Kahlua, Irish Cream, Cognac, cappuccino and expresso, etc.

 

[Wishing on a star]

NEVER even heard of a viennese hour....

 

[Feralpeg]

I never realized that it was considered rude to wear my shoes in someones house when it wasn't rainy or snowy out.

 

[cornflake]

That people apparently eat dinner at 5pm some places and now, from reading this thread....,

- That not everywhere has party barns. (drive thru liquor store shaped like a barn that you pull into and they bring the alcohol to you).

WHAT?!?!

 

[scotlass]

I havent learnt much because growin up on US TV shows I knew most of the lingo and stuff but seein and hearin youse guys talkin about it in everyday posts still makes me laugh.

I have though realised I talk in Scots slang a lot more than thought.

I have to re- type most of my posts 2/3 times so youse yins will understand me !!

and I really start to use my " G " button more.

 

[hambirg]

And this post proves how small a "region" can be for regional differences. I live a stone's throw from the Puget Sound and I've never been to a wedding that included a cocktail hour, a sit down dinner, or an open bar. The fanciest weddings I've been to do have tables with seating for everyone but it's a buffet with only specific alcohol available.

I'm almost 50 years old and I've only been to one banquet that had plated meals in my life. It wasn't at a wedding.

Hmmm. . .really? Maybe the sit down dinner thing is more familial than regional. Admittedly, most of the weddings I have been to have been relatives'. Our family is from the midwest and I think sit down dinners are the norm there. I do think buffets are pretty common here too.

 

[clarabelle]

That people call spaghetti sauce gravy

That people have wine at Thanksgiving and antipasti and pasta

(Don't get me wrong- it all sounds great to me- I just don't see it here in GA)

 

[scrapquitler]

I had one at my wedding as did my sisters. For us it is Italian pastry/cookies. Cannolis, the things that look like shells, rum cakes (gross), Italian cookies, etc....

And usually ice sculptures.

 

[punkin]

That people call spaghetti sauce gravy

That people have wine at Thanksgiving and antipasti and pasta

(Don't get me wrong- it all sounds great to me- I just don't see it here in GA)

I thought people generally have wine with a formal dinner.