At the wedding show in Southampton yesterday someone told us that it was good luck to have a chimney sweep at your wedding.

Well, this information was new to me and just too good to ignore: I had to find out more, and in the process I’ve stumbled across countless other wedding superstitions, old wives tales, etc.

But let’s start with that chimney sweep.

Apparently the tradition can be traced back around 200 years to an occasion when a fearless London chimney sweep stepped out into the path of the runaway horses & carriage of King George III (a yapping dog had startled the horses).

The King was so thankful that he took off his hat and bowed to the humble chimney sweep that had saved his life.

Later, when the King’s youngest daughter was to be married, King George sent for the chimney sweep because he believed that the presence of this chimney sweep – perhaps any chimney sweep – would bring good luck and happiness to his daughter in her marriage.

Thus the tradition was born, and it’s become customary to get the lucky chimney sweep a little more involved by asking him to kiss the bride and shake the hand of the groom.

The Royal Family have continued the tradition: when the Queen married Prince Philip a chimney sweep was ushered into Buckingham Palace and the Prince was seen to shake his hand (it’s not known whether he – the chimney sweep, not Prince Philip – got to kiss the Queen).

And what of other wedding superstitions? Well here’s a brief selection:

– it is good luck for the bride to see any of the following on her way to the church: a frog, a policeman, a clergyman, a doctor, a blind man, a rainbow, sunshine, a lamb, a black cat, a dove;

– it is good luck for the bride to find a spider in her wedding dress (it seems that sometimes one has to suffer to bring about good luck…);

– it is bad luck for the bride to see a pig or a hare or a lizard crossing the road on her way to the church, or to see an open grave;

– it is bad luck to meet a nun or a monk on one’s wedding day: this would foretell a barren marriage and/or a life dependent upon charity;

– it is good luck for the groom to encounter a pigeon, a wolf, or a goat on the way to the ceremony, and he should also give a coin to the first person that he sees on his way to the church;

– the bride should step into the church with her right foot forward;

– which day to get married? Well, an old rhyme advises: ‘Monday for health, Tuesday for wealth, Wednesday best of all. Thursday for losses, Friday for crosses, Saturday for no luck at all’. I think we can safely say that that particular rhyme has fallen into disuse.

– and which month? I won’t repeat the whole rhyme here, but one month stands out: ‘Marry in the month of May and you will surely rue the day’.

– June is a favoured month because it was the time when ancient Romans honoured Juno, the goddess of marriage (for whom we named our Juno ellipse pendant);

– it’s good luck to marry when there’s a full moon;

– snow on the wedding day is a sign of fertility and prosperity.

So, if you’re fixing a date for your wedding, aim for a Wednesday in June when there will be a full moon and the weather forecast predicts snow with sunshine and the occasional rainbow.

And remember to book a kissable chimney sweep!