Trivia & Tidbits

A: Queen Victoria made white the bridal color of choice when she wore it to wed Prince Albert in 1840.

A: "Tying the knot" dates to Roman times, when the bride wore a girdle that was tied in knots -- which the groom then had the fun of untying.

Q: Which Roman goddess rules over marriage, the hearth and childbirth?

A: Juno, queen of heaven and partner to Jupiter (a.k.a Zeus, the king of gods). The month of June takes its name from her, making it most appropriate for weddings.

A: The veil dates back to ancient Rome, when it was flame-yellow, always worn over the face, and called a flammeum.

Q: According to English folklore, which is the unluckiest day to marry?

A: It recalls the ancient tradition of making loud noise to frighten away evil spirits.

Q: Carolyn Bessette and John Kennedy Jr. slipped away to wed in a tiny church of what denomination?

Q: Holly Hunter, Elisabeth Shue and Mariah Carey all wore wedding dresses by which designer?

Q: He's happily married to Melanie Griffith. Why doesn't Antonio Banderas wear a wedding ring?

Q: What percentage of Americans say a happy marriage is part of the "good life"?

A: Sixty-seven years, according to the Guinness Book of World Records. The happy couple finally wed at age 82!

Q: How many weddings are performed annually at the wedding chapel in Minnesota's Mall of America?

Q: The wedding toast "May you grow old on one pillow" is from which culture?

1. It was a custom in ancient times for a newly married couple to drink a potion containing honey on each of the first 30 days ( a moon ) of their marriage.

2. It was accepted practice in Babylonian 4000 years ago that for a month after the wedding the bride's father would supply his son-in-law with all the mead he could drink. Mead is a honey beer, and because their calendar was lunar based, this period was called the "honey moon" or what we know today as the "honeymoon".

A: The first marriages were by capture, i.e.; the groom would kidnap the bride and take her away from her tribe with the help of a warrior friend - the best man. The warrior friend would help fight off other men who wanted this woman and also help to prevent the bride's family from finding them.

A: In the days of capturing brides, when the groom fought off other warriors who also wanted his bride he would hold onto her with his left hand while fighting with his sword in his right hand.

A: The most well timed ceremony takes place at noon, when the hands are both facing heaven, and said to be "praying".

A: It was once required that ten witnesses be present at a marriage ceremony to outsmart jealous spirits. Bridesmaids dressed similarly to the bride and ushers attire resembled the groom. This confused the spirits who wanted to harm the couple. If the spirits could not tell the bride and groom apart from the attendants, they could not carry out their evil deed.

In times past, if a young man encountered a blind person, a pregnant woman, or a monk on his way to making the proposal to his intended bride, it was believed that the marriage would be doomed if he continued on because these images were thought to be bad omens.

On the otherhand, if he were to happen upon a pigeon, wolf, or goat, he would expect extremely good fortune in the marriage!

"To change the name and not the letter, is to expect the worst and not the better!" This little riddle conveys the notion that it is thought to be unlucky to marry a man whose last name begins with the same first letter as your own.

Practicing writing your new name prior to the wedding (and what bride doesn't do this??) is believed to tempt fate and thus, is also believed to result in bad luck during the marriage!

According to this old rhyme, the month in which you marry may have some bearing on the fate of the marriage:

Ancient tradition thought May to be an unlucky month to marry because in the times of the Romans the Feast of the Dead and the festival of the goddess of chastity both occurred in May.

It was thought that misfortune would come to those who married during lent - "Marry in Lent, live to repent" - because lent was a time for abstinence.

June is believed to be a lucky month for marriage because it is named after Juno, the Roman goddess of love!

This well known little rhyme originated during Victorian times and is still commonly practiced for good luck.

Traditionally, the "old" would have been the garter of a happily married

woman, with the thought being that her good fortune would be passed down

family. It symbolized prosperity within the new union, but would bring that

"Something blue" came from an ancient tradition in which the bride would

Placing a silver sixpence in the bride's shoe was to ensure wealth in the

couple's life. Today brides place a penny in their shoe before the ceremony in

place of the difficult to acquire silver sixpences! As such, the rhyme is often

It is believed to be bad luck for the bride to make her own wedding dress.

It is believed to be bad luck for the bride to wear her complete outfit before the wedding day. As an extention to this, some brides leave a final stich on the dress undone until the day of the wedding for good luck.

There is an old saying that "the bride wore a green gown". This implies the belief that she was promiscuous before marriage and refers to the image of her rolling around in grassy fields with a young man.

It is held that a final look in the mirror right before the bride leaves her home for the ceremony will bring good luck. However, if she looks in a mirror again before the ceremony, her luck will tarnish to bad!

Seeing a lamb, frog, spider, black cat, or rainbows on the way to the ceremony is believed to be a sign of good luck! But, seeing an open grave, pig, or lizard on the way to the ceremony, or hearing a crow after dawn on the morning of the wedding are all thought to be omens of bad luck.

Catching a glimpse of a monk or a nun is also thought to be a omen of misfortune because of their association with poverty and chastity.

Bad weather on the way to the wedding is believed to signify unhappiness in the marriage. Traditionally it is believed that cloudy skies and wind en route to the wedding will result in a stormy marriage. However, snow on the way to the wedding is a sign of fertility and prosperity!

Traditionally brides have been thought to be particularly vulnerable to evil spirits. Many wedding customs and traditions were originated in order to fend away and protect from those evils. The veil was worn with the belief that it would disguise the bride and fool the evil spirits. In 1800 Britain, the veil came to symbolize modesty and chastity.

The tradition of tying tin cans to the back of the newlywed's vehicle originated long ago when items which would produce noise were tied to the back of the couple's carriage to scare away evil spirits.

Playing pranks on the newlywed couple was also a tradition which began with the intentions of warding off evil spirits. Loyal friends of the couple would do this in hopes that the spirits would take pity on the couple for already being picked upon enough, and would then leave the couple alone.

The tradition of having members of the wedding party dress alike was started with the hopes that this would cause confusion for the spirits and send them on their way.

Tradition says that the first member of the newlywed couple to purchase a new item following the wedding will be the dominant force in the relationship. As such some brides will pre-arrange to buy a small item from one of the bridesmaids immediately following the ceremony!

Cutting the wedding cake together, still a predominent ritual at weddings, symbolizes the couple's unity, their shared future and their life together as one.

Cakes have played a part of weddings all through history. The Romans shared a plain cake of flour, salt and water during the wedding ceremony itself, as do some Native Americans to this day. The traditional fruit cake originated in Britain, with the fruit and nuts being a symbol of fertility.

The custom of throwing rice at the newlywed couple was to symbolize fertility. In some cultures, it was not rice which was thrown, but rather small cakes or pieces of a crumbled cake. Today some still throw rice, but more commonly confetti is thrown in place of rice due to a number of practical and

environmental reasons - the symbolism remains the same! [Rice is hazardous to birds who frequently attempt to eat it off the ground. It is also very easy to slip upon, presenting potential for injury.]

In England, it was traditional to throw a plate with a piece of wedding cake out of a window on the occassion of the bride's first return to her family home after the wedding. If the plate broke she could expect a happy future with her husband, but if the plate remained intact, prospects for the future became grim.

Another old English custom was to bake a ring into the wedding cake, as a symbol of bliss and happiness. The guest whose piece of cake contained the ring could look forward to a full year of uninterrupted happiness.

The three tiered cake is believed to have been inspired by the spire of Saint Bride's Church in London, England.

It is believed that an unmarried male guest who keeps a piece of wedding cake under his pillow as he sleeps will increase his chances of finding a mate. An unmarried bridesmaid who does the same will dream of her future husband.

It is customary, near the end of the reception, for the single female guests to gather around the bride who will throw her bouquet over her shoulder for one of them to catch. Originally, the bride would actually throw one of her shoes over her shoulder during this ritual. Tradition says that whoever catches

the bouquet shall be the next to marry. She keeps the bouquet to ensure this destiny.

A parallel custom is for the groom to remove the garter worn by the bride and throw it back over his shoulder toward the unmarried male guests. Whoever catches it will be the next gentleman to marry.


	Brides and Friends \| home \| Our Products and Services About Us \| Contact Us \| Products and Services \| Trivia & Tidbits \| Brides and Friends Items \| Planning Trivia & Tidbits Assorted Trivia Q: How much does the average American wedding cost today? A: $19,000. Q: Who started the trend of brides wearing white? A: Queen Victoria made white the bridal color of choice when she wore it to wed Prince Albert in 1840. Q: Where does the expression "tie the knot" come from? A: "Tying the knot" dates to Roman times, when the bride wore a girdle that was tied in knots -- which the groom then had the fun of untying. Q: Which Roman goddess rules over marriage, the hearth and childbirth? A: Juno, queen of heaven and partner to Jupiter (a.k.a Zeus, the king of gods). The month of June takes its name from her, making it most appropriate for weddings. Q: Which bridal tradition dates back the furthest? A: The veil dates back to ancient Rome, when it was flame-yellow, always worn over the face, and called a flammeum. Q: What does a sapphire used in a wedding ring represent? A: Marital happiness. Q: How many carats is the largest diamond found to date in the U.S.? A: 40 carats. It was mined in Arkansas. Q: On her wedding day, Grace Kelly wore 125-year-old what? A: The actress-turned-princess wore a dress of 125-year-old lace. Q: According to English folklore, which is the unluckiest day to marry? A: Saturday; the most popular American choice! Q: Why do the cars in a wedding motorcade honk their horns? A: It recalls the ancient tradition of making loud noise to frighten away evil spirits. Q: Carolyn Bessette and John Kennedy Jr. slipped away to wed in a tiny church of what denomination? A: African Baptist. Q: Holly Hunter, Elisabeth Shue and Mariah Carey all wore wedding dresses by which designer? A: Vera Wang. Q: When were Katharine Hepburn and Spencer Tracy married? A: These two great lovers never got around to tying the knot. Q: He's happily married to Melanie Griffith. Why doesn't Antonio Banderas wear a wedding ring? A: He does: it's on a chain around his neck, close to his heart. Q: Which popular singer eloped with her drummer? A: Lilith Fair founder Sarah McLachlan. Q: What percentage of Americans say a happy marriage is part of the "good life"? A: 80 percent, according to American Demographics magazine. Q: How long was the longest engagement? A: Sixty-seven years, according to the Guinness Book of World Records. The happy couple finally wed at age 82! Q: What's the traditional bridal color in Russia? A: Blue. Q: How many weddings are performed annually at the wedding chapel in Minnesota's Mall of America? A: About 300. Q: The wedding toast "May you grow old on one pillow" is from which culture? A: Armenian. Q: Where did the name "honeymoon" come from? A: There are 2 opinions: 1. It was a custom in ancient times for a newly married couple to drink a potion containing honey on each of the first 30 days ( a moon ) of their marriage. 2. It was accepted practice in Babylonian 4000 years ago that for a month after the wedding the bride's father would supply his son-in-law with all the mead he could drink. Mead is a honey beer, and because their calendar was lunar based, this period was called the "honey moon" or what we know today as the "honeymoon". Q: How did the "best man" get his name? A: The first marriages were by capture, i.e.; the groom would kidnap the bride and take her away from her tribe with the help of a warrior friend - the best man. The warrior friend would help fight off other men who wanted this woman and also help to prevent the bride's family from finding them. Q: Why does the bride stand to the left of the groom? A: In the days of capturing brides, when the groom fought off other warriors who also wanted his bride he would hold onto her with his left hand while fighting with his sword in his right hand. Q: Why is the wedding band worn on the inside of the engagement ring? A: This is so the wedding band is always closest to your heart. Q: What time of day is considered the luckiest to be married? A: The most well timed ceremony takes place at noon, when the hands are both facing heaven, and said to be "praying". Q: Why do we have attendants? A: It was once required that ten witnesses be present at a marriage ceremony to outsmart jealous spirits. Bridesmaids dressed similarly to the bride and ushers attire resembled the groom. This confused the spirits who wanted to harm the couple. If the spirits could not tell the bride and groom apart from the attendants, they could not carry out their evil deed. Miscellaneous Tidbits In times past, if a young man encountered a blind person, a pregnant woman, or a monk on his way to making the proposal to his intended bride, it was believed that the marriage would be doomed if he continued on because these images were thought to be bad omens. On the otherhand, if he were to happen upon a pigeon, wolf, or goat, he would expect extremely good fortune in the marriage! "To change the name and not the letter, is to expect the worst and not the better!" This little riddle conveys the notion that it is thought to be unlucky to marry a man whose last name begins with the same first letter as your own. Practicing writing your new name prior to the wedding (and what bride doesn't do this??) is believed to tempt fate and thus, is also believed to result in bad luck during the marriage! According to this old rhyme, the month in which you marry may have some bearing on the fate of the marriage: "Married when the year is new, he'll be loving, kind and true; When February birds do mate, you wed nor dread your fate; If you wed when March winds blow, joy and sorrow both you'll know; Marry in April when you can, joy for Maiden and for Man; Marry in the month of May, and you'll surely rue the day; Marry when June roses grow, over land and sea you will go; Those who in July do wed, must labour for their daily bred; Whoever wed in August be, many a change is sure to see; Marry in September's shrine, your living will be rich and fine; If in October you do marry, love will come but riches tarry; If you wed in bleak November, only joys will come, remember; When December snows fall fast, marry and true love will last". Ancient tradition thought May to be an unlucky month to marry because in the times of the Romans the Feast of the Dead and the festival of the goddess of chastity both occurred in May. It was thought that misfortune would come to those who married during lent - "Marry in Lent, live to repent" - because lent was a time for abstinence. June is believed to be a lucky month for marriage because it is named after Juno, the Roman goddess of love! "Something old, something new Something borrowed, something blue And a silver sixpence in your shoe". This well known little rhyme originated during Victorian times and is still commonly practiced for good luck. Traditionally, the "old" would have been the garter of a happily married woman, with the thought being that her good fortune would be passed down along with it. The "new" stood for the couple's new bright and happy future together. "Something borrowed" was usually a much valued item from the bride's family. It symbolized prosperity within the new union, but would bring that good fortune only if it was returned to the family. "Something blue" came from an ancient tradition in which the bride would wear a blue ribbon in her hair as a symbol for fidelity. Placing a silver sixpence in the bride's shoe was to ensure wealth in the couple's life. Today brides place a penny in their shoe before the ceremony in place of the difficult to acquire silver sixpences! As such, the rhyme is often adapted to "...And a lucky penny in your shoe". It is believed to be bad luck for the bride to make her own wedding dress. It is believed to be bad luck for the bride to wear her complete outfit before the wedding day. As an extention to this, some brides leave a final stich on the dress undone until the day of the wedding for good luck. There is an old saying that "the bride wore a green gown". This implies the belief that she was promiscuous before marriage and refers to the image of her rolling around in grassy fields with a young man. It is held that a final look in the mirror right before the bride leaves her home for the ceremony will bring good luck. However, if she looks in a mirror again before the ceremony, her luck will tarnish to bad! Seeing a lamb, frog, spider, black cat, or rainbows on the way to the ceremony is believed to be a sign of good luck! But, seeing an open grave, pig, or lizard on the way to the ceremony, or hearing a crow after dawn on the morning of the wedding are all thought to be omens of bad luck. Catching a glimpse of a monk or a nun is also thought to be a omen of misfortune because of their association with poverty and chastity. Bad weather on the way to the wedding is believed to signify unhappiness in the marriage. Traditionally it is believed that cloudy skies and wind en route to the wedding will result in a stormy marriage. However, snow on the way to the wedding is a sign of fertility and prosperity! Traditionally brides have been thought to be particularly vulnerable to evil spirits. Many wedding customs and traditions were originated in order to fend away and protect from those evils. The veil was worn with the belief that it would disguise the bride and fool the evil spirits. In 1800 Britain, the veil came to symbolize modesty and chastity. The tradition of tying tin cans to the back of the newlywed's vehicle originated long ago when items which would produce noise were tied to the back of the couple's carriage to scare away evil spirits. Playing pranks on the newlywed couple was also a tradition which began with the intentions of warding off evil spirits. Loyal friends of the couple would do this in hopes that the spirits would take pity on the couple for already being picked upon enough, and would then leave the couple alone. The tradition of having members of the wedding party dress alike was started with the hopes that this would cause confusion for the spirits and send them on their way. Tradition says that the first member of the newlywed couple to purchase a new item following the wedding will be the dominant force in the relationship. As such some brides will pre-arrange to buy a small item from one of the bridesmaids immediately following the ceremony! Cutting the wedding cake together, still a predominent ritual at weddings, symbolizes the couple's unity, their shared future and their life together as one. Cakes have played a part of weddings all through history. The Romans shared a plain cake of flour, salt and water during the wedding ceremony itself, as do some Native Americans to this day. The traditional fruit cake originated in Britain, with the fruit and nuts being a symbol of fertility. The custom of throwing rice at the newlywed couple was to symbolize fertility. In some cultures, it was not rice which was thrown, but rather small cakes or pieces of a crumbled cake. Today some still throw rice, but more commonly confetti is thrown in place of rice due to a number of practical and environmental reasons - the symbolism remains the same! [Rice is hazardous to birds who frequently attempt to eat it off the ground. It is also very easy to slip upon, presenting potential for injury.] In England, it was traditional to throw a plate with a piece of wedding cake out of a window on the occassion of the bride's first return to her family home after the wedding. If the plate broke she could expect a happy future with her husband, but if the plate remained intact, prospects for the future became grim. Another old English custom was to bake a ring into the wedding cake, as a symbol of bliss and happiness. The guest whose piece of cake contained the ring could look forward to a full year of uninterrupted happiness. The three tiered cake is believed to have been inspired by the spire of Saint Bride's Church in London, England. It is believed that an unmarried male guest who keeps a piece of wedding cake under his pillow as he sleeps will increase his chances of finding a mate. An unmarried bridesmaid who does the same will dream of her future husband. It is customary, near the end of the reception, for the single female guests to gather around the bride who will throw her bouquet over her shoulder for one of them to catch. Originally, the bride would actually throw one of her shoes over her shoulder during this ritual. Tradition says that whoever catches the bouquet shall be the next to marry. She keeps the bouquet to ensure this destiny. A parallel custom is for the groom to remove the garter worn by the bride and throw it back over his shoulder toward the unmarried male guests. Whoever catches it will be the next gentleman to marry.