Ys at Weddings

The wedding was the 23rd August 2024 for Phil & Jo Baker, held at St Mary's Church, Shipley, UK. Photography by Luke Warner Photography.

A member of the MG Car Club Sydney who had been in the Wedding Car Business was asked by one of his long-time friends, what cars would be suitable for his nephews upcoming wedding. Being a member of The MG Car Club of NSW, he immediately thought the MG Y Type would suit their needs. He knew that we had used our Y Types for three of our daughter’s weddings and asked if our cars could be made available for the day. We offered our 3 vehicles and should also be able to source a fourth vehicle if required. Unfortunately, we would not be available to drive the cars as we would be on holidays in Western Australia at the time.

On the day of the wedding, our Two door Y Type Tourer and our Four door sedan were used to pick up the Bridal Party. The bride and her family had no idea what type of vehicles were going to take her and the bridesmaids to the church. All she knew was that her soon to be father-in-law had arranged some cars.

The bride was escorted out from the house with the bridesmaids and seeing both vehicles couldn’t believe how stunning the cars looked and was even more surprised when she realized she was going to be travelling in the convertible.

At the groom’s home, our son arrived with our Four Door convertible Y Type along with another MG Car Club member driving a loan Y Type Four Door Sedan. During the day, whether at the church or the park, numerous people commented on how great the cars looked with many taking multiple photos.

All four cars performed perfectly on the day with no mishaps, apart from a blown fuse.

Matthew & Margaret Crawford

The wedding of my God son Samuel Summers and Rachel Founds. Hector is looking resplendent in his silk ribbons in September 2022 at All Saints Church Calverton, Stony Stratford, Buckinghamshire.

May 2022 saw my only daughter marry and she was determined that our MGB Roadster would be her wedding car. Happy to oblige but this left the dilemma of what to use to transport the bridesmaids as four seats were a must and modern cars just wouldn’t fit. Into the breach without hesitation stepped fellow Winchester MGOC member Richard Knight, who despite being in Holland on the big day with his YB as part of an international gathering, willingly offered the use of his beautiful YT, even to the extent of it being driven by our trusted club sec in his absence.

MG people across the world are the best, epitomised by big hearted people like Rich ‘Y Type’ Knight.

Pictures and text courtesy of Richard Harcourt-Brown

I’m Alexandre Odier, the lucky owner of the MG Y 2354 in Geneva, Switzerland.

Here are some pictures of my sister Aline’s wedding, March 27th, 1992.

To my knowledge this is the first time my YT has been to a wedding. My niece was married in Eastbourne in early July with the ceremony and reception in a hotel. As no car was required she and her husband asked me to bring ‘Limoncello’ to add some character to some of the photos. It’s just as well the car only needed to be a prop, given the size of the dress it would have been a squeeze in the back seat!

Wedding car with a difference!

I dressed up my Y Type as a wedding car for a recent (2019) car show in Perth Western Australia except I used mannequins, Kylie and Shane as Bride and Groom. Unfortunately the car had a problem but the liberated bride, Kylie, went to work to rectify the fault while male chauvinist groom Shane, had a smoke, a beer and read the horse racing section of the news paper!

Sandra Bowerman with Y 1935.

This was the second wedding for my YA "Yasmin" (Y2940), again for a fellow MG Owners Club member.

The Wedding was held on Friday 30th July at Nymans Gardens, Handcross, West Sussex UK. The venue is described as a garden lovers' home for all seasons, with an extensive yet intimate garden set around a romantic house and ruins. Ceremonies at Nymans take place in the stunning Italianate Loggia set in the Sunk Garden.

This videeo was shot at the time of our wedding day 21 years ago.  After the wedding in the cold of winter night my wife Udita and I both went home in the MG dressed in full traditional attire. People on the streets were overjoyed looking at the decorated MG and were wishing us the best. It was an amazing evening and the love that was showered on us from complete strangers was overwhelming.  This was shot in Ahmedabad, India on 30 January 2000.

Y 2940 trying hard not to upstage the Bride on Saturday 14th September 2019. This took place in Crawley down West Sussex and was a favour for a friend in the East Surrey MG Owners Club.

Holly White (nee Collas), editor of the MG Owners' Club magazine Enjoying MG recently had an MG Y as part of her MG entourage at her wedding 1 June 2019 in Jersey.

Roger Colyer's MG Y used to transport Holly's step-father.

Roger driving step-dad Karl.

Y/T 2467 (owned by Thomas Schulz) was used as a wedding car for for the wedding of our daugther „Linda“ and her husband „Konstantin“. Wedding took place in Hagen on the 13 June 2015.

And again as a wedding car for the wedding of our daughter “Anna Lena” and her husband “Jan”. Wedding took place in Werne on the 9 July 2016.

"Elsie" Y/T 4318 was the car for the wedding of my nephew Lloyd Perry to Pamela Loreto on Saturday 16th March, 2019. The rain threatened all day but the roof and some towels kept us dry. Having the front seat out helped Lloyd going to the reception as he's a natural basketballer. The car attracted a good deal of attention, nearly as much as the bride, and made for a ceremonious arrival at the iconic spot. A great venue with the Sydney Harbour Bridge and The Sydney Opera House as a backdrop. (Steve and Lynne Brompton, Sydney, Australia)

Anil Koshti's daughter Natasha married Ben Symons on 19 August 2017 at the Kitley House Hotel, Yealmpton, Plymouth, Devon, UK Best wishes to Natasha and Ben Koshti-Symons.

Courtesy of Younger Photography

Maggie and Paul Grafham's MG YB was used recently a wedding at Woolhope Church on 23 September 2016.

The wedding was at Redditch Baptist Church, on Friday 1/4/2016. The bride was our daughter-in-laws sister, Nicola, who was marrying Mark Jones. As you all know there is not much room in a Y, so I remove the front seat to give the bride and dress plenty of room. This also has the advantage that the photographer has a good shot through the front suicide door.

Our Y (Lindsay and Mike Taylor) - LGF 633 taken at a friend's wedding in 1982.

The date of the picture is 20th August 1983 and the car is pictured outside St Senara's Church, Zennor in Cornwall (Legend of the Mermaid of Zennor). It was at my Wedding and my Dad (Bill Dale) was driving. Please also see my request for help on Where is my old Y now?

MG Y tourers owned by Bob Simpson (YT4320) and Steve Koster (YT4061) providing wedding cars on the 22nd September 2012 in NSW Australia.

Regards

Bob Simpson.

Nancy and Thilo Haus's recently restored Y (Y 5443) was used for the wedding of their daughter Alliene. The photograph is taken in front of their historic house (which dates from 1493) in Germany.

John Sanderson recently used his Y (Y 5279) at the wedding of Fiona McAllister and Alex Chan which took place at Ness Gardens, with the reception at Gladstone Hall in Burton on the Wirral in June 2013.

Palle MØldrup's daughter Trine recently married Nick Jacobsen at DSB Education Centre, Knudshoved, Nyborg, Denmark.

My YT (YT 3513) was used in a wedding a while back in Warragal Victoria Australia. I cannot remember the bride or groom's name.

Submitted by David Anderson

[not to worry David - the car looks good! Webmaster]

Here are some pictures of my eldest daughter Louise's wedding to Ian Redmond on 20th June this year, at Gibbon Bridge near Chipping Lancashire.

Submitted by Roy Clapham

YB 1230 (Paul Thompson) at the wedding of Mrs Dominique Salter and Mt Sam Salter in August. Dominique is my Daughter in Law Donna's sister.

YB 1516 in use at the wedding of Karen Perry (owner's daughter) to Frank Tingle on 18 August 2013 at Ecclesfield Parish Church Sheffield.

Jerry Birkbeck's YT in use for the wedding of Charlotte Prosser at the Parish Church in Cubbington, Leamington Spa, in August 2013.

I am attaching a picture of Ashleigh and Adam Bayou for the wedding feature on the web site. The wedding was on Sunday 18 August at Gate Street Barn, Bramley, Surrey. We have known Ashleigh Jones and her Mum and Dad since she was 8 years old; Ashleigh was determined to get me to use the YT for the wedding. It was fun driving her to the wedding and then bringing the married couple back to the Manor House Hotel in Godalming late at night. They had booked the whole hotel for 2 nights for the wedding party.

The YT wedding picture was taken at KINGSBROOK ESTATE, at Currency Creek, near Adelaide, South Australia, on 22nd March, 2013. The bride, Georgie Schapel shares ownership of the YT with sister Hayley and Dad, Bill Schapel. She married Brett Howman, who is a fire-fighter. Some weeks later, a few days after returning from the honeymoon in Europe, she was on the track at Winton, 800Kms away, competing in the MG TC historic racer she shares with her Dad. She has been competing in the TC at Phillip Island, Sandown, Winton, Collingrove hill-climb for seven years. I think she looks even better in the Sparco racing suit than in the wedding dress... Quite the MG girl and a very quick driver!

The Johnson Foundation MG YT went into service on August 11 2012 as a wedding car for the wedding of Angelica Lizak and Philip Nguyen.

Mick Bath helped his friends, George and Doreen Ashton, celebrate their 60th wedding anniversay with his car - they both share the same date. Mick's car was made on 28 August 1952, the same day George married Doreen. Mick also made them a special rally plaque to celebrate in style!

Michael Buckey used his interestingly modified MG Y, "Dennis", (4 door saloon converted to 2 door convertible) at the wedding of Helen and David.

Laura Rachel Judson Boagey married Darren Russell at Walkabout Creek, Queensland, Australia on 9th October 2010. Bob used both his Y 3490 and then newly acquired Y/T 4265.

Here we have a splendid photograph of the YB1550 earlier this year. Ivo Arnus provided the wedding car on the 8th July 2011. At present the Bride and Groom are anonymous but undoubtedly Ivo will provide us with details in due course.

YB 1170, the MG Car Club's Little Gem - was in use at the wedding of Matt Knott and Claire Brogan on August 13 2011. Matt Knott is the brother of Andy Knott, the MG Car Club's magazine Editor.

This is probably the earliest pictures we are likely to get of a Y at a wedding ... unless you know different of course!  These pictures are from the Laverick wedding - location unknown (other than it was in the UK somewhere - possibly the Hull area) as is the date, but it is about 1950ish.  The pictures were donated to the webmaster.

  Y 3755 was again called into service at the wedding on 14th October 2009 of Rosa (nee IUZZOLINO) and Christopher Romano.

  A photo from my daughter's wedding (Erin and Sean Gregory) at Daylesford, Saturday, 21 November 2009. YT's are 3706 and 3861.

Photographs courtesy of Tony Slattery.

  A wedding at Mount Edgecumbe Country Park, near Torpoint, Cornwall, UK, in July 2005.

 Matt Calder and Anne-Marie Clynch were married on Canberra's beautiful Lake Burley Griffin in March 2007.  This is a photo of the bridal cars arriving before boarding the boat for the ceremony.

 Brian Calder's MG YA was used as the wedding car for Sarah and Maris in March 2007.  The wedding was at winery near Bungendore, about 30km outside Canberra.  Sarah's father Trevor is a member of the MG Car Club Canberra.  The Club provided four cars for the wedding: the YA, Malcolm Robertson's MG ZB Varitone, Peter Daley's MG ZA and Paul Bray's MG ZB.

 Victor Rodrigues' car was used at the wedding of Mrs. Ariane and Mr. Andreas, Eggenberger-Meier at the church of the town of  Thalwil ( close to the Zurich-See), near Zurich, 2 August 2008. Victor & Evelyne are friends of the bride's parents and were pleased to provide them with a wedding car for their special day. Also included is a photograph of the car with chauffeur Victor and  Evelyne, Victor's wife.

 I was honoured to be asked to drive at the wedding of Johan Heimensen and Majan Mijnten on January 30th, 2009 in Putten (NL). The weather is always a gamble in January but although it was freezing, the sun was shining all day and we all had a very enjoyable day.

Preparations included a thorough polish, removal of the rather "loud" badge-bar and studying the Y-website for accepted methods of ribbon attachment. Alas I was stupid enough not to charge the battery to the fullest, causing some very, VERY frantic moment when the car refused to start at 7.30 in a bitterly cold garage...... The number plate text "bedankt" means "thanks".

 These two photographs come from the recent wedding of Ben Arnell (son of our Peter Arnell) to Helen McSweeney on 30 August 2008 in Richmond, Surrey, UK.  The cars are David Pelham's YA and Peter Arnell's YB.

 The photographs are of my parents wedding in YT4061 (Body #45347/676), from memory a late 1949 model? The car was owned by mum's brother Raymond Barclay who bought the car new, wedding was in June 1953 so car was around 3-4yrs old.

Steven Koster

 A Y atop of a wedding cake at the recent wedding of Steve and Adam Lombard - owners of YB 1512.

 These photos were taken at the Marriage of Ben and Alannah Noffke on the 5th April 2008 in Brisbane Australia.  The Tourer is Tony Slattery's YT, and the Saloon is David Robinson's Y 3755 ... yet to make an appearance on Ys on Parade!  Here are some more photographs.

  The picture shows Y 5729 at my daughter Judith's wedding on 30th May 2005.

John Sanderson.

  Pictures from the recent wedding (10 May 2008), of Vicky Bawn and Tristan Bawn ,the bride and groom who were married on SS Great Britain (background).  all went well with the day but we had problems starting the yb at the reception as it was a very hot day and the poor girl slightly over heated.  Additional picture is of Judith and Robin Bawn (the owner of the car) with a actor who portrays Brunel the man who built the ship.

 Pictures from the recent wedding of Tania and Yasel Perez from Cuba.  We look forward to hearing more from them for an entry to Ys on Parade.

  My late father was an avid photographer and the family decreed that my younger sister should become the keeper of his photographic legacy. The printed photos were albumed but the colour slides starting from the early 60s were boxed and unseen for many years. So all branches of the family were thrilled to receive a compilation of the best slides on DVD as a Christmas present from my sister. Having scoured all the albums for pictures of my YB and only come up with one black and white snap I was really elated to see the two slides of the send off that Val and I got, as we left our wedding reception to Honeymoon in Paris. The car was well "Done up" with pennies in the hubcaps, a kipper under the heater and as you see plenty of lipstick and toilet paper.

I kept the car for a couple of years but after a nightmare of mechanical problems with the camshaft I traded it in for a ZA. I managed to contact the present owner a few years back and found that she had been restored in the early 90s and was now dark green. The new find prompted me to make contact again and I think she will soon be on Ys on Parade.

The last I heard she had been restored and her colour had changed to a dark green. Her owner was a Chris Lovatt in Wiltshire.

Peter Vielvoye.

  On August 4th 2007 my son Tom married Karen in the Warwickshire village of Monk's Kirby, on one of the few sunny days of this summer. I drove Karen to the church and then took the newest Mr and Mrs Sharp onto the reception at Hill Top Farm in Hunningham. A marvellous day.  Peter Sharp

 I am pleased to say that Y 1090 is now registered and she was used at my son's wedding in April 2007.

 .Here are some photos of our MG Y bought in early 1983 as a partially dismantled wreck when our eldest son Matthias was about 6 months old.  In January 2007 he was married to Renee at Woodhouse, South Australia and the MG Y served as their wedding car and went with them on their honeymoon in the Adelaide Hills in South Australia.  I have also put one in of my wife Flossie and myself at the wedding. Photographs by Thomas Peitsch.

 Here are a couple of photos of my daughter's (Sara [nee] Bushell) wedding (to David) recently with my YT.  Photographs by Tony Bushell.

 Lahiru Gamage's Y 6756 used recently as a 'going away' car at a wedding.  Lahiru says " I didn't let them put many decorations because I thought it will ruin the paint.  It was made to fit with the Sri Lankan style."

 Recent pictures from Jacqui Crawford's wedding 7 January 2007. Jacqui is the daughter of Mathew Crawford, Sydney Club member.  Mathew owns the just completed, total restoration, maroon and cream car.  Alf Luckman's car is the maroon one, and the black car is owned by Peter Sutherland.

 Dren and Di Errington's 'Precious' at a recent wedding in New Zealand.

A bird in the car ...

  Andrew Coulson's YT provided the transport at the recent wedding of Andrew and Kate Matthews. They were school sweethearts (yes ... for real!).

Some hints for YT wedding cars:

1. Remove the front passenger seat. This gives the bride a fair sized area for the dress/train, and is also a wonderful location for the ice bucket and their first bottle of champagne.
2. Stay with white ribbons and flowers - it will never clash! (Kate wanted to try and match a plum/lilac/grey/mauve/whatever, so she got white!) Don't fix them to the hood 'pegs', use the windscreen support brackets.
3. Decorating the car internally is limited to the dashboard and grab handle: with a bit of luck the flowerswill stay put.
4. Take the side screens as well . On the day we used the car with hood up/hood down and then fully weather proofed when the heavens opened as we arrived at the reception!
5. Pride of ownership: this means take a mirror as the bride will be blown away due to the groom wanting the hood down. All of this happens as you arrive for another photo call.

 Here is a picture of Dave Lawrence's (Author of Let There be Y's) son Paul Marriage to Carol in March 2002. Dave drove the bride and father to the ceremony himself.

  A couple of months ago I sent a shots of our YT (YT EXR 2617 aka KLU 387) in use for local weddings here in  Millbrook, Cornwall. I also mentioned that I had arranged  at Silverstone for fellow club member Robin Wotton, who lives only 20 miles away near Liskeard, to bring his more recently acquired car (YT EXR 3253 - imported from Australia in 2003) to assist with transport at my daughter's wedding on Saturday September 24th.

 All went according to plan, and we had the unusual sight of TWO UK registered YT's in convoy to Mount Edgcumbe House on the Rame Penisula for the ceremony. Attached is a picture of the two cars awaiting the bride and groom afterwards. The official photographer took a number of shots  with the hoods down as we departed to the reception.

Tony Stock

  Second wedding for Lady Hamilton (UMG 624) was in August1997 when my son Andrew & his wife Siobhan were married, this time it was sunny no rain!  The car became a three-seater that day very easy for the bride to get in and out the front door with a wedding dress on.

John Jebb.

  The only thing I can tell you about this wedding is it was in the early '90s, a young lady from a couple of streets away asked my father (the then owner) if she could use the car for her wedding. He said yes but would not drive it, So I (present owner) was pressed into service. Lady Hamilton (as 624 is known) and I had a really nice day.

John Jebb.

  Our YT (KLU 387) which we have owned for three years, has been in demand for friends and family weddings quite a bit, in spite of the somewhat restricted leg room in the back! The first occasion was when our youngest son William married Janet in 2003, as seen in the attached picture at All Saints Church Millbrook in Cornwall. They are both MGCC members, and decided to drive themselves to the reception to avoid the legroom problem.

Tony Stock

 The YT was used again in glorious sunshine for our next door neighbour's wedding at Mount Edgcumbe House on July 9th this year. Peter and Jo Saunders are seen outside Mount Edgcumbe House after the ceremony in glorious sunshine.

Tony Stock

  This is a photo of the bride Ruth Harvey with YT 3706 in February 1994. (NOTE:-Door trim panels not original!)

  Here is a photo of Bill Spall's YA 3407 and Tony Slattery's youngest daughter Lauren and husband Shane on 3rd April 2005.

  YB 1279 dressed in December 2004 for the wedding of its owner's son. Its present owner, Graham Mack, drove the bride and groom, and enjoyed the drive so much that he purchased the car in April 2005.

  At risk of overdoing it, these pictures were taken at my younger brother's wedding in March.  The whole affair was at a winery in the mountains East of Melbourne.  It POURED all day!  However, the bride remained dry in the back of my YT.  We had a five minute break in the clouds just as we arrived, travelling the last 100m with the hood down.  The car almost upstaged the bride (which takes some doing!).  Unfortunately the battery took such a pounding with the lights and wipers on that the wedding party had to push start me at the end of the night. Photo and filing courtesy of Robert Ades YT 3706.

  Here is a picture of Georgie our 1950 YA on wedding duty in Chelmsford Essex, at the wedding of Giulia Morena and Matthew Downton on 17 May 2003. Photo and filing courtesy of John Whipp Y 5883.

  Brother Ian's youngest YT on the register, YT 5156. Ian drove his Daughter Yvonne on the occasion of her marriage to Brendan at Yering Station near Yarra Glen outside Melbourne on 12/03/05

Richard Prior sent in these two wonderful pictures.  I could not decide between them - you choose which you want to look at, or do both, lovely Bride and lovely car.  Thank you Richard, and thank you Ian and Yvonne.

  The groom is my son-in-law's brother. Being an occasional 'bit part actor' he is dressed up as Mr Darcy; my chauffer's cap is actually a genuine Aeroflot pilot's cap, presented to me by a Russian friend. Clearly the bride is so embarrassed by these prats that she's hiding behind her veil.  David Hague.

 Andrea Noll and Armin Barthel tied the knot on 31 May 2003 and began their married life in the best way possible - using a Y Type (the YT of Karl Heinz-Borchers) as a wedding car.  Clearly Andrea's father must have been impressed too - he has since bought YB 1076!  Another picture can be seen as Picture of the Month for November 2004.

  YB 0601 belonging to Phil Reckless.

 YT 4669 belonging to Daman Thakore on the occasion of his wedding.

  YT 3338 belonging to Nancy Stovall (nee Anderson) on the occasion of her wedding.

  YB 1146 belonging to Tony and Linda Rowe on the occasion of their marriage.

  YB 0538 belonging to Floyd and Kathy Inman.

  Y 2313 belonging to Ken Jones.

  David Pelham's YA in use for the wedding of his cousin Michael to Jo in October 1990.

  A moment from the first Y Type Tour of Brittany in 1992 when a French couple, freshly married seized a photo opportunity in front of three Ys (a fourth is just out of shot to the right) - from left to right we have, Paul Rundell's YB (now owned by Ron Smith), Chris Backlund's YA (from Guernsey), Alan Anderson's YB (now owned by James Lunn) and one other that we cannot identify.

  Double Ys - this time David Hague's YB (left) and Jack Murray's YA (right) on the occasion of the wedding of Jack's daughter Rebecca to Simon Richards in June 1999 in Petersfield, Hampshire.

 From Australia, an SA, a Magnette, and a YT at the wedding of Jessica Sherrill.

  YB 0655 at the marriage of Elise Holl to Richard Dixon.  The photograph was supplied by Elise's father and the car is being driven by Freda Matthewson.  Freda's car is a 1952 car.

  John Russell with his daughter Jo in March 2003 and his 1949 YA 3851.

 Jean-Marie Gillen on his marriage to Sylvie accompanied by Y 7142, a 1951 model.

 At Daniel Sherrell's Wedding we had 4 Y Types as wedding cars with each model represented (some twice! - Webmaster). From left to right we have Kevin McMahon's YA 3560, Ron Humphris's YT 2618, Richard Prior YT 3208 and YB 1179 also belonging to Ron but driven on the day by his brother.

  The picture shows Arthur Maggie with his daughter on the occasion of her wedding in 2001.  The YB belongs to David Hague.