This page is a collection of assorted fun facts about weddings in no particular order. See how many you already know...
The custom of a bride wearing a white wedding dress became popular after the marriage of Queen Victoria to Albert - she wore a white gown for the event to incorporate some lace that she owned. Despite popular misconception, the white dress did not actually indicate virginity (it was the colour blue that was connected to purity). Brides used to wear their hair flowing down their back at their wedding to symbolise their virginity, but now the white diaphanous veil is said to represent this.
The longest wedding dress train was for a bride in China - it measured over 200 metres long.
According to English tradition, Wednesday is considered the "best day" to marry. Monday is for wealth and Tuesday is for health.
Millionaire Peter Shalson and his wife Pauline paid two million pounds to get Elton John to sing a song at their wedding.
In 2000, the average bride was 24 years old and the average groom was 28.
The most expensive wedding took place in Dubai for a Sheik's son. The wedding cost over £22 million and included a purpose-built stadium.
Valentine's Day and New Year's Eve are the two busiest "marriage" days in Las Vegas.
Traditionally, someone other than the bride and groom decorates the wedding car, and usually that person is the best man. As you may guess, the results aren't always pretty. If this is going to be your job, here are some ideas to help you get started:
- Use liquid chalk or window markers to write Just married or What have we done? (only joking - don't write that). Whatever you write, try to avoid obstructing the view.
- If you have messy handwriting, or the bride isn't going to be pleased, you can buy Heart or Just Married! magnets that will cling to the car.
- Tie real flowers or silk flowers to the wedding car.
- Use ribbon and balloons to decorate the wedding car.
- Decorate the radio aerial with a bulb or a flower.
- Attach cans to some strong string or rope and hang them from the rear bumper. This of course, is the classic decoration - it's probably the one thing you'll remember from your wedding car.
Music played at weddings includes a processional song (for walking down the aisle) and a recessional song (played after the couple is announced as husband and wife).
Popular processional songs include:
- The Bridal Chorus from Lohengrin by Richard Wagner - more commonly known as Here Comes the Bride
- Johann Pachelbel's Canon in D
- Segments of the Ode To Joy, the fourth movement of Ludwig van Beethoven's Ninth Symphony
- The Prince of Denmark's March by Jeremiah Clarke
- Handel's Air from his Water Music
Popular recessional songs include:
- The Wedding March from Felix Mendelssohn's incidental music for the Shakespeare play, A Midsummer Night's Dream
- The Toccata from Charles-Marie Widor's Symphony for Organ No. 5
- The Trumpet Voluntary by John Stanley
- Bach's Jesu, Joy Of Man's Desiring
- Don't Stop Me Now by Queen... "Tonight I'm gonna have myself a real good time..."