111 Fun Facts About Bride & Groom

Where is a wedding band traditionally worn in Western culture?

The instruction goes back to the 1662 Book of Common Prayer.

What is the Latin name of the mythical vein said to run from the ring finger to the heart?

Vena amoris, Latin for 'vein of love', was the name given to the vein supposedly running from the fourth finger straight to the heart, the reason given for the ring finger.

Whose 17th-century work disproved the idea of a special vein of love?

William Harvey: his 1628 De Motu Cordis described the circulation of the blood, showing every vein returns to the heart, so no finger has a special vein of love.

In which century did the first well-documented diamond engagement ring appear?

The 15th century: Archduke Maximilian of Austria gave Mary of Burgundy a diamond ring in 1477, the first well-documented diamond engagement ring.

Which company's marketing campaign made diamonds synonymous with engagement rings?

Before World War II only about 10% of American engagement rings had a diamond.

In what year was the slogan 'a diamond is forever' introduced?

1947: N.W. Ayer copywriter Frances Gerety wrote 'A Diamond Is Forever' for De Beers that year, nine years after the campaign began in 1938.

Before World War II, roughly what share of American engagement rings contained a diamond?

About 10%: when De Beers hired N.W. Ayer in 1938, only roughly one in ten American engagement rings contained a diamond, the gap the campaign set out to close.

How many months' salary did De Beers' 1980s American ads say a ring should cost?

Two months: the 1980s De Beers 'two months' salary' ads set the American benchmark, while the same campaign said one month in Britain and three in Japan.

Britain's 1942 wartime 'utility' wedding rings were limited to which gold standard?

9 carat: from 1942 Britain's wartime 'utility' wedding rings had to be 9-carat gold and weigh no more than two pennyweights, about three grams.

Grooms in the United States did not commonly wear a wedding band until when?

The early 20th century: double-ring ceremonies, pushed by jewelers from the 1920s, became the American norm during World War II when servicemen wore bands as reminders of home.

In which two Nordic countries do brides wear engagement and wedding rings together on the left hand?

Sweden and Finland: there both partners exchange plain engagement bands, and at the wedding the bride adds a second ring on the same left-hand finger.

On which hand does an Eastern Orthodox bride wear her wedding ring after the ceremony?

The right hand: in Greek and Russian Orthodox custom the wedding ring is worn on the right hand, the engagement ring having sat on the left beforehand.

In Western tradition, a man traditionally asks whom for permission before proposing?

Her father: asking for a daughter's hand descends from customs in which her father's consent was required for the match; today it is usually a courtesy.

Folk tradition in Scotland, Ireland and Finland lets women propose on which day?

A leap day, 29 February: Irish legend credits St Brigid with winning the concession, and in Finland a man who refused owed the woman enough fabric for a skirt.

What is the traditional posture of a Western man proposing marriage?

The ring usually comes out of a small velvet box.

Who did the proposing when Britain's young monarch got engaged in October 1839?

As reigning monarch she had to; she did it five days after Albert arrived at Windsor.

Queen Victoria's white-dress wedding, credited with starting the trend, took place in which year?

1840: Victoria married Prince Albert on 10 February 1840 at the Chapel Royal, St James's Palace; engravings of her white satin gown spread the fashion.

Queen Victoria's wedding dress was trimmed with lace from which English town?

The order was a big boost to Devon lace-making.

What did Queen Victoria wear on her head instead of a tiara at her wedding?

Orange blossom was a symbol of fertility.

Prince Albert was Queen Victoria's what?

First cousin: Victoria's mother, Princess Victoria of Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld, was the sister of Albert's father, Duke Ernst I of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha.

The first documented royal bride to wear white was Philippa of England, in which year?

1406: Philippa, daughter of Henry IV, married Eric of Pomerania at Lund that year in a tunic of white silk bordered with grey squirrel and ermine.

Before the Victorian era, which colour of wedding dress was popular in Finland?

Black: Finnish brides, like many across Scandinavia, commonly married in a best black dress through the 19th century; white only took over in the 20th.

Chinese and Indian brides traditionally wear which colour for luck?

Indian wedding saris are usually red with golden brocade.

What was the colour of the flammeum, the veil worn by Roman brides?

Deep yellow: the flammeum took its name from flamma, flame, and was dyed a saffron yellow to match; the Flaminica Dialis wore one daily.

The Romans connected the verb 'to be married' with which word?

Nubere and nubes: the bride was 'clouded over' with her veil.

According to old custom, a bride's veil was believed to protect her from what?

Evil spirits: in Roman and later European folk belief the veil hid the bride from malevolent spirits and the envious evil eye on her wedding day.

Why did ancient bridesmaids dress exactly like the bride?

To confuse evil spirits and jealous suitors: identically dressed attendants served as decoys, so no ill-wisher could tell which woman was the bride.

What is the chief bridesmaid called if she is married?

Matron of honour: a married chief bridesmaid takes the title 'matron', a word for a married woman, while an unmarried one is the maid of honour.

In the US, which two wedding-party members usually sign as official witnesses?

The maid or matron of honour and the best man: by custom they sign the marriage licence as the two witnesses many states' licences call for.

What colour did Queen Victoria's bridesmaids wear at her wedding?

White: Victoria's twelve bridesmaids wore white dresses she designed herself to match her own gown, and white bridesmaids became the Victorian fashion.

The best man is usually picked from which group?

Groomsmen and ushers are the same attendants; the best man stands beside and slightly behind the groom.

In a military officer's wedding, groomsmen are replaced by whom?

Swordsmen of the honour guard: fellow officers who form the sword arch take the groomsmen's role, and are usually close friends who served with the groom.

What traditionally happened to the bride if the best man or groom stepped away?

She was 'kidnapped' or had a shoe stolen: in the German Brautentführung guests spirit the bride off to a pub, and the groom pays a forfeit to get her, or the shoe, back.

The word 'groomsman' is first attested in English in about which year?

About 1698: 'groomsman' is first recorded in English in the late 1690s, whereas 'bride' and 'bridegroom' go back to Old English.

The word 'bridegroom' comes from Old English brydguma, meaning bride plus what?

Guma meant man, human being or hero; nothing to do with horses.

How old are flower girls usually?

Three to seven years old is the usual range; flower girls walk with a partner, usually the ring bearer or page boy.

Which four items does the traditional good-luck rhyme tell a bride to wear?

Something old, something new, something borrowed, something blue: the Victorian English rhyme lists four lucky things for the bride, each worn somewhere on her person.

In the 'something old' rhyme, what does the blue item stand for?

Purity and fidelity: in the rhyme blue stands for purity, love and fidelity, the colour long associated with the Virgin Mary.

Which coin does the full 'something old' rhyme put in the bride's shoe?

A silver sixpence: the rhyme's last line, 'and a silver sixpence in her shoe', wishes the bride prosperity; silver was thought to keep ill luck away.

According to an 1898 folklore compilation, what was the 'something blue' usually?

A garter: the 1898 folklore compilation recorded that brides usually wore a blue garter as their 'something blue', an ancestor of today's garter toss.

Who traditionally removes an item from the bride's leg in front of guests at the reception?

The groom: he slips off the bride's garter and tosses it to the unmarried men, the counterpart of the bride's bouquet toss.

The oldest traditional English wedding vows come from the manuals of which medieval diocese?

Salisbury: the Sarum manual, Sarum being the Latin name for Salisbury, supplied the English vows that the first Book of Common Prayer carried over almost unchanged.

In what year was the first Book of Common Prayer, with its marriage service, published?

1549: Thomas Cranmer's first Book of Common Prayer appeared in 1549 under Edward VI; a revision followed in 1552 and the lasting edition in 1662.

In the traditional Church of England vows, what did the bride promise that the groom did not?

To obey was hers alone: the groom promised to love, cherish and worship, the bride to love, cherish and obey.

Which phrase in the vows had to be changed because a word's meaning shifted by 1662?

Depart once meant separate; it became 'till death us do part'.

Which tradition has no marriage vows in its traditional wedding service?

Eastern Christians: the Orthodox crowning service has no spoken vows; the couple is married by the priest's blessing and the placing of crowns on their heads.

Which opera is the 'Here Comes the Bride' processional taken from?

Lohengrin: Wagner's opera premiered at Weimar in 1850, and the Bridal Chorus is sung there after the ceremony, as Elsa and Lohengrin enter the bridal chamber.

Whose 1858 wedding made Wagner's Bridal Chorus popular?

Victoria, Princess Royal: Queen Victoria's eldest daughter chose Wagner's Bridal Chorus for her 1858 marriage to Prince Frederick William of Prussia, and the piece caught on.

Mendelssohn's Wedding March was written as incidental music for which play?

A Midsummer Night's Dream: Mendelssohn wrote the incidental music, including the Wedding March, in 1842 for a Potsdam production, 16 years after his overture.

At weddings, Mendelssohn's Wedding March is usually played at which moment?

The recessional: Mendelssohn's march traditionally plays as the couple walk back up the aisle, while Wagner's Bridal Chorus accompanies the bride's entrance.

In which English town was Mendelssohn's Wedding March first played at a real wedding, in 1847?

Tiverton: Dorothy Carew married Tom Daniel at St Peter's Church, Tiverton, Devon, in June 1847, with organist Samuel Reay playing the march.

What are the couple doing when guests throw rice at them?

Leaving the ceremony: guests shower the couple with rice as they come out of the church or venue, the grain standing for prosperity and fertility.

Is uncooked rice thrown at weddings harmful to birds?

No, despite popular belief: wild birds eat raw rice in paddies every day, and the story that dry grains swell and burst their stomachs is a myth.

Instead of rice, what did old English custom throw after the departing couple for luck?

Shoes: throwing an old shoe after the departing couple was an English good-luck custom, and it survives as the shoes tied to the back of the wedding car.

The word 'confetti' comes from the Italian for what?

Small sweet: Italian confetti are sugared almonds, and paper confetti took its name from the sweets once thrown at carnivals and weddings.

In medieval England, what did the bride and groom try to do over a tall stack of cakes?

A successful kiss over the pile promised a prosperous life together.

What name did white frosting acquire after Queen Victoria used it on her wedding cake?

Pure white sugar was so expensive that only the rich could afford it.

Whose 1882 wedding cake was the first to be completely edible?

Prince Leopold's: the Duke of Albany's 1882 wedding cake was built in separate edible layers held together by very dense icing, with nothing inedible in the structure.

What is the traditional wedding cake in the United Kingdom and Australia?

It was the traditional American wedding cake too until the mid-20th century.

What is the traditional French wedding cake, a tower of profiteroles, called?

Croquembouche, 'crunches in the mouth': choux buns are stacked into a cone with caramel and finished with a halo of spun sugar.

A groom's cake is a Victorian English tradition now most common in which region?

The American South: the groom's cake, a Victorian English custom, survives mostly at Southern US weddings, usually a darker, richer cake such as chocolate.

A 'wedding breakfast' in England is held when?

After the ceremony, whatever the hour: the name dates from when Church of England weddings had to take place before noon, so the first meal was a late breakfast.

Where and when did the custom of a newlywed holiday originate?

Britain, early 1800s: upper-class British couples of the Regency era took a 'bridal tour' to visit relatives who had missed the wedding, the forerunner of the honeymoon.

The word 'honeymoon' is attested from which year, in the sense of the happy first period of marriage?

1546: 'honeymoon' first appears in John Heywood's 1546 collection of English proverbs, the 'honey' standing for the sweetness of a new marriage.

Modern honeymoons as pure holidays became widespread during which era?

The Belle Époque: between the 1870s and 1914 the honeymoon became a pure holiday and one of the first forms of mass tourism among the European middle classes.

What is the traditional gift material for a couple's first wedding anniversary?

Paper was recommended for the first anniversary, wood for the fifth and tin for the tenth.

Which anniversary is the golden one?

Silver is 25, ruby 40, diamond 60, platinum 70.

Linking anniversaries to gold and silver has been documented since the 1500s in which countries?

Germanic: in the Holy Roman Empire a husband crowned his wife with a silver wreath at 25 years and a gold one at 50, a custom recorded from the 1500s.

From which anniversary can a British couple request a message from the monarch?

The 60th: the Palace's anniversaries office sends a card for the diamond 60th, then the 65th, 70th and every year after, on application with the marriage certificate.

US couples can get an anniversary card from the president from which anniversary on?

Australians can get one from the governor-general at the same milestone.

A bachelor party is called what in the UK and Ireland?

A stag do: in Britain and Ireland the groom's party is a stag night or stag do, while Australians say buck's night.

Which ancient people held a dinner and toasts for the groom's last night as a single man?

The Spartans: the custom is traced to Sparta in the 5th century BC, where soldiers feasted and toasted a comrade on the eve of his wedding.

Traditionally, who hosted the black-tie stag banquet?

The father of the groom: the traditional stag banquet was a black-tie dinner he hosted, ending with a toast in honour of the groom and bride.

The scandalous 1896 'Awful Seeley Dinner' in New York was thrown by a grandson of whom?

P. T. Barnum: Herbert Barnum Seeley threw the dinner at Sherry's for his brother Clinton, and police raided it on rumours that the dancer Little Egypt would perform nude.

A bachelorette party is called what in the UK, Ireland and Australia?

A hen night: the bride's party is a hen night or hen do in Britain and Ireland and a hen's night in Australia, while South Africans may call a gift-giving version a kitchen tea.

Who traditionally pays for the American rehearsal dinner?

The groom's parents: by American custom the groom's family hosts the rehearsal dinner the night before, balancing the bride's family paying for the wedding itself.

A wedding invitation is typically mailed how long before the wedding?

Five to eight weeks: etiquette guides advise posting invitations five to eight weeks ahead; historically the bride's mother issued them on behalf of her family.

The bridal shower is said to have grown out of which earlier practice?

Dowry customs: the story goes that when a father would not or could not provide a dowry, friends brought gifts to make it up, and the shower grew from there.

A dowry is paid by whose family?

The bride's: a dowry is wealth the bride's family transfers to the couple or the groom, while bride price runs the other way, from the groom's side.

What is a hope chest called in the United Kingdom?

Bottom drawer: in Britain a bride-to-be's linens and household goods went into her 'bottom drawer', while Australians say bottom drawer or glory box.

A wedding registry is meant to prevent what?

Duplicate or unwanted gifts: the couple lists what they want at a store, and the merchant marks off each item as it is bought so no two guests give the same thing.

Which TV soap's 1981 episode may have helped popularise the unity candle?

General Hospital: the November 1981 wedding of Luke and Laura, watched by some 30 million viewers, featured a unity candle and is credited with spreading the custom.

A Jewish wedding canopy, the chuppah, symbolises what?

The home the couple will build: the chuppah stands for the couple's new household, open on all four sides like Abraham's tent of hospitality.

A chuppah is usually held up by how many poles?

Four poles, or sometimes attendants' hands, hold the cloth aloft; traditional Orthodox practice wants open sky directly above it.

In a Hindu wedding, what does the groom tie around the bride's neck?

A mangala sutra: the groom ties the sacred thread, usually black beads on a cord prepared with turmeric, around the bride's neck as the sign of her married state.

Which 1970s novel and miniseries popularised jumping the broom at weddings?

Roots: Alex Haley's 1976 novel and its 1977 miniseries showed the custom and revived it among African-American couples; broomstick weddings were also known in 18th-century Wales.

Civil weddings in England and Wales were introduced by the Marriage Act of which year?

1836: the Marriage Act 1836 created register offices and let Nonconformists and Catholics marry in their own chapels, with the new system starting on 1 July 1837.

Handfasting takes its name from what?

Binding the couple's hands: 'handfasting' comes from Old Norse handfesta, to seal a bargain by joining hands; in later Scottish use it meant a trial marriage.

Which English law of 1753 sent eloping couples over the border to Gretna Green?

Lord Hardwicke's Marriage Act: from 1754 English under-21s needed parental consent, so couples eloped to Scotland, where Gretna Green was the first village over the border.

What were the Gretna Green blacksmiths who conducted weddings called?

Anvil priests: Gretna's blacksmiths married couples over the anvil, and the last of them, Richard Rennison, performed 5,147 ceremonies before the practice ended in 1940.

Since 1929, how old must both parties be to marry in Scotland?

16: the Age of Marriage Act 1929 set 16 as the minimum for both parties, and Scotland asks no parental consent at that age, which keeps Gretna Green busy.

Which newspaper called Las Vegas the 'Marriage Capital of the World' in 1953?

The London Daily Herald: the British paper gave Las Vegas the title in 1953, when Nevada's easy licences were drawing couples over the state line from California.

Which two things does a Nevada marriage licence NOT require?

A blood test or a waiting period: Nevada issues a marriage licence on the spot with neither, and the ceremony must then take place within a year.

Since 1639, marriage licences have been required in which American colony-turned-state?

Massachusetts: the Massachusetts Bay Colony required marriage licences from 1639, and the practice gradually spread to the other colonies and states.

Charles and Diana married in 1981 at which London church?

St Paul's Cathedral: Charles and Diana married there on 29 July 1981, chosen over Westminster Abbey for its greater seating, before an estimated 750 million viewers.

How long was the train on Diana's 1981 wedding gown?

25 feet: David and Elizabeth Emanuel's ivory silk taffeta gown trailed a 25-foot train and a 153-yard tulle veil, the whole outfit valued at £9,000.

Where did Charles propose to Diana in February 1981?

The nursery at Windsor Castle: Charles proposed there in early February 1981, about six months after they began seeing each other; the engagement was announced on 24 February.

Who was William's best man at Westminster Abbey in 2011?

His brother Harry: Prince Harry was William's best man at Westminster Abbey on 29 April 2011, while Catherine's sister Pippa was maid of honour.

Catherine Middleton's engagement ring had belonged to whom?

Diana, Princess of Wales had received the same ring, 18-karat white gold with a 12-carat oval Ceylon sapphire and 14 round diamonds, from William's father.

Which fashion house's creative director designed Catherine Middleton's wedding dress?

Alexander McQueen: Sarah Burton, the house's creative director, designed the lace-sleeved gown, kept secret until the bride stepped out of the car.

Where did Harry marry Meghan Markle in 2018?

St George's Chapel, Windsor hosted the wedding; unlike his brother's, the day was not made a bank holiday.

Which fashion house did Meghan Markle's wedding dress designer work for?

Givenchy: Clare Waight Keller, then the house's artistic director, designed the gown, and the veil was embroidered with flora of the 53 Commonwealth countries.

Grace Kelly's 1956 wedding gown was designed by a costume designer from which studio?

MGM: Helen Rose, MGM's costume designer, made the gown as the studio's wedding gift to its departing star, who carried a lace-and-pearl prayer book down the aisle.

Grace Kelly retired from acting at what age to marry Prince Rainier?

26: born in November 1929, Kelly married Prince Rainier in April 1956 at 26, a year after winning the Best Actress Oscar for The Country Girl.

Roughly how many weddings did industry trackers count in the United States in 2022?

About 2.5 million: 2022 was the post-pandemic peak, with industry trackers counting roughly 2.5 million US weddings and valuing the industry at about $70 billion.

Which Chicago department store instituted the first bridal registry in 1924?

Marshall Field's started it at its Marshall Field and Company Building; Target pioneered the electronic version in 1993.

Traditionally, how many Jordan almonds are given as a wedding favour?

Five: the five sugared almonds stand for fertility, longevity, wealth, health and happiness, the bitter nut and sweet coating mirroring married life.

In German weddings, the couple saw through a log together to symbolise what?

The first obstacle they must overcome in marriage; Baumstamm sägen uses a long two-handled saw so the pair must show teamwork in front of the guests.

What do Russian wedding guests chant to make the bride and groom kiss?

'Gor'ko' (bitter) starts the chant, and the kiss must last as long as the chanting continues; the best man and maid of honour are called 'witnesses'.

In the Greek pre-wedding custom of Krevati, what do friends place on the couple's new bed?

Money and young children: the krevati, Greek for 'bed', is made up by friends who toss money onto it for prosperity and roll babies on it for fertility.

In the rural French ritual la rôtie, newlyweds are served champagne and chocolate in what?

A chamber pot: in la rôtie the unmarried friends track the couple down and serve them champagne and chocolate from a chamber pot, then share the mix and end with onion soup.