Burying a Sausage Wedding Tradition: Six Sausages Put to the Test
If you’ve ever been told to bury a sausage before your wedding for good weather, you’re in very good company. The bury a sausage wedding tradition gets passed down by nans, great aunts and slightly-too-confident best men up and down the country.
The idea is simple: pop a sausage in the ground the night before the big day, and the rain will stay away.
So we did what any diligent, curious wedding planning platform would do. We tested it. Discover more wedding traditions here.
Over two weeks in September 2026, the Bridebook team buried six different sausages in the same local green space and rated the next day’s weather against one question: would you be happy with this on your wedding day?
The sausages scored 19.5 out of a possible 30 wedding-weather points. That’s three clear wins, one middling result, one near-miss and one proper washout. The superstition held up more often than it fell over. Here’s everything we learned, plus how to bury your own wedding sausage (properly, and without upsetting the council).
Why do people bury a sausage before a wedding?
Couples bury a sausage before their wedding in the hope of a dry, sunny day. It’s a piece of British wedding folklore, and nobody seems quite sure where the bury the sausage tradition first came from.
What we do know is that it’s travelled through families by word of mouth, usually from whoever in the family has the strongest opinions on the weather.
The reason it’s stuck around is easy to understand. Summer is still the most popular time to marry, chosen by 38% of couples, but according to the Bridebook UK Wedding Report 2026, more than a third (36%) now tie the knot between September and November – right when the British weather gets unpredictable.
Plenty of couples are hoping to be outside when it happens, too. Nearly half (49%) plan an outdoor ceremony, and a fifth (21%) of those end up moving it indoors to avoid weather-related stress on the day. With that much riding on the forecast, it’s no wonder people reach for a sausage and a spade.
“Every couple keeps one eye on the forecast in the run-up to their wedding, so it’s no surprise people turn to folklore. We wanted to see if burying a sausage really works, and while we’re not scientists, we’re also not not scientists.” – Zoe Burke, Head of Brand at Bridebook
How to bury a sausage for good weather
When to bury a sausage before your wedding
The tradition says the night before, but we’d suggest late afternoon the day before. That’s when every sausage in our experiment went in. Leave it too late and you’ll be digging by torchlight in your hair rollers.
Should you bury a raw or cooked sausage?
Raw. Our only pre-cooked contender, the cocktail sausage, landed mid-table despite fairly decent conditions. It raised an urgent question for future research: does cooking a sausage drain its weather powers? Until someone finds out, leave the grill for the reception.
Where to bury your sausage
Your own garden is the safest bet. If you’re eyeing up the lawn at your wedding venue, ask the venue first. And whatever spot you choose, mark it – you’ll want to find it again before the local dogs do.
Who should do the burying?
Anyone you trust. The night before a wedding is busy, so a bridesmaid, best man or sausage-curious uncle can happily take on the role of Chief Burial Officer.
Does burying a sausage work? Our (very serious) experiment
Between 15 and 27 September 2026, we buried six sausages at the same spot in a local green space in Croydon, always late in the afternoon. We judged the next day’s weather at around 7pm, once the day could be fairly called, and gave it a score out of five.
To account for every budget and dietary preference, the sausages went head to head in three categories: Luxury vs Budget, Size Wars and Veggie vs Porky.
The final scores
- Asda Jumbo pork sausage – 5/5. T-shirt and sunnies weather in late September.
- M&S Posh Dog – 4/5. Sunny, dry and barely a breath of wind.
- Heck pork sausage – 4/5. Low 20s and no daytime rain. Classic wedding weather.
- Sainsbury’s cocktail sausage – 3.5/5. Dry but chilly. The only pre-cooked sausage in the line-up.
- Aldi own-brand pork sausage – 2/5. Drizzle and grey skies. A jacket day.
- Richmond meat-free sausage – 1/5. Showers all day. Time to head indoors.
Size Wars: the jumbo sausage takes the crown
The undisputed champion was the jumbo sausage, buried on Wednesday 23 September. It earned a perfect 5/5, with full sunshine, sunglasses out and t-shirt weather deep into late September. The only thing needed by evening was a light cardigan.
Its Size Wars rival, the humble cocktail sausage, managed a respectable 3.5/5. The day stayed dry and reached highs of 21°C, but a chilly breeze kept jackets on for lunchtime walks and tights on in the office.
Luxury vs Budget: posh paid off
The M&S Posh Dog romped home with 4/5, bringing a sunny, dry and almost windless day. Its Aldi own-brand rival scored 2/5, with on-off drizzle, grey skies and only the odd pocket of sun.
Veggie vs Porky: the weather gods want meat
The biggest gap of the experiment came here. The Richmond meat-free sausage produced the wettest day of the fortnight, scoring 1/5: showers all day, umbrellas on standby and windscreen wipers on full on the motorway.
The Heck pork sausage, buried the very next day, bounced back with 4/5. It brought low 20s and no daytime rain, with a single 11pm shower arriving long after the first dance would have started.
What kind of sausage should you bury before your wedding?
Based on our results, go big, go posh and go pork.
- Go big. The jumbo sausage was the only one to score full marks. More sausage, more surface area for the weather gods to appreciate.
- Go posh. The premium banger beat its budget rival 4 to 2. Now is not the time to skimp.
- Go pork. Meat outscored meat-free by three whole points. Vegetarian couples may wish to fund further research into other brands.
- Keep it raw. The only pre-cooked contender finished mid-table.
“The results were more convincing than any of us expected. Our advice? Go big, go posh and go pork. Paying more pays off here.” – Zoe Burke, Head of Brand at Bridebook
Before you grab a spade: a few sensible rules
Weather magic is one thing, fines are another. Keep these in mind before you dig.
- Ask before you dig. Your own garden is the safest bet. If you’d like to use your venue’s lawn, check with the venue first. Digging on someone else’s land without permission is not the way to start married life.
- Check the park byelaws. Public parks are governed by local council byelaws, and they differ from place to place. Many protect a park’s turf, soil and plants, and breaching them can mean a fine.
- Don’t leave it behind. Food left in a public place can count as litter. Leaving litter is an offence under the Environmental Protection Act 1990, and councils in England can issue on-the-spot fines of up to £500. Dig your sausage back up once it’s done its job, and bin it.
- Think of the dogs. A buried sausage is a very tempting find for a passing dog or fox. Many sausages contain onion or garlic, which are toxic to dogs even when cooked, so bury it deep and keep your own four-legged ring bearer well away.
- Don’t eat it afterwards. It’s spent the night in the ground. Enough said.
Always have a plan B
Even our six committed sausages couldn’t fix a drizzly Saturday in September. A British wedding always deserves a wet-weather option, so book the marquee, pack the umbrellas and keep the wellies by the door.
Looking for a venue with a beautiful indoor option as well as a garden worth burying a sausage in? Search wedding venues on Bridebook.
Bury a sausage FAQs
Why do you bury a sausage before a wedding?
It’s a British wedding superstition said to bring good weather on the day. Couples bury a sausage the night before in the hope of keeping the rain away.
Is it good luck to bury a sausage before your wedding?
In our experiment, mostly yes. Our six sausages scored 19.5 out of 30 for wedding weather, with three clear wins and only one proper washout.
Do you bury a raw or cooked sausage?
Raw. Our only pre-cooked sausage finished mid-table, so we’d recommend saving the cooking for the reception.
When should you bury the sausage?
The day before your wedding. We buried ours late in the afternoon, which saves a torchlit dig the night before.
Can you bury a sausage in the garden?
Yes, and it’s the best place for it. A garden avoids council byelaws and permission questions. Just dig it back up afterwards and keep pets away.
Does it have to be the couple who buries the sausage?
Not at all. Anyone can do the honours, so it’s a lovely job to hand to a bridesmaid, best man or family member.
This was a light-hearted experiment, not a scientific study. Bridebook can’t guarantee that burying a sausage will affect the weather on your wedding day – but we can help you plan everything else. Start planning for free on Bridebook.
