There is much tradition and folklore surrounding weddings. Generation after generation, cultures have developed rituals, superstitions and events to make this day a special one to remember:
• The world’s most expensive wedding dress featured 150 carats of diamonds and was valued at $12 million
• According to one European study, 60 per cent of couples do not consummate their marriage on their wedding night
• Traditional stag parties for grooms and their buddies have been around since at least the days of the Roman Empire
• The tradition of wearing a white dress developed fairly recently when Queen Victoria married Prince Albert wearing a gown of white satin instead of the traditional royal silver
• Wearing pearls on your wedding day either wards off the possibility of tears in the future or are a sign of the tears that will someday flow
• Several states in the U.S., including Utah, Arizona, Indiana, Illinois, Colorado and Tennessee, allow first cousins to wed under certain circumstances
• A young North American Hopi Indian man proposes by leaving clothing by the door of his intended’s home; her acceptance or rejection of the clothing signifies her answer
• In days past, the best man carried a charm in his pocket to ward off bad luck for the groom and his betrothed
• The tradition of tossing confetti at weddings evolved from an earlier practice of tossing rice, nuts and other seeds or grains as a wish for good luck, abundant harvests and a fertile marriage bed
• The average American engagement is 17 months, with June being the most popular month for wedding ceremonies, followed by August, September, October and May.
And so much more…