Wedding superstitions are so commonplace that we don’t even think to question them – mainly because they are disguised as 'tradition', but no-one’s fooling me.

I’m a fairly superstitious person. No walking under ladders, saluting a solitary magpie when I see one, freaking out when a black cat crosses my path – you know, all those totally rational things. However, wedding superstitions have never been on my radar… until now.

During a recent wedding-related conversation with my mum, we were discussing the guest list and she casually dropped in that she might know a chimney sweep who could be at the wedding. “I’m sorry… WHAT?” I replied.

It transpires that it’s good luck to have a chimney sweep at a wedding. “Don’t you remember Mary Poppins? You watched it enough times when you were small!” So, yes, I will be having a chimney sweep at my wedding – the American guests are thrilled.

I’ve now opened a can of worms however, by looking up all the different British wedding superstitions. Here are the ones I’ve stumbled across and their (mainly sexist) origins.

The Stylist wedding blog: wedding superstition (and its sexist undertones)