candy4brandi's Pink wedding

It's sorta fun to know where some of the wedding traditions came from....


Dressing Matters
The tradition of bridesmaids dressing the same as each other and in similar style to the bride comes from ancient days when it was believed that evil spirits have a more difficult time distinguishing which one is the bride and putting a hex on her.


Engagement Length
The average engagement period is 16 months, which is up from 11 months in 1990.


Engagement Rings
74% of all brides receive a diamond engagement ring. Of those, 60% are involved in picking out their ring, while 3% actually pick it themselves.


Engagement Rings
The practice of giving or exchanging engagement rings began in 1477 when Roman Emperor, Maximilian I, gave Mary of Burgandy a diamond ring as an engagement present.


Formal or Casual
80% of brides plan formal weddings.


Internet Wedding Planning
8% of all Internet users are engaged to be married.


It's Popular to be Unlucky
According to English folklore, Saturday, the most popular American choice, is the unluckiest day to marry!


Number of U.S. Weddings
The number of marriages in the U.S. has averaged 2.25 - 2.4 million every year for the past 20 years.


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


Remarriage
For the past 20 years, 2.25 to 2.40 million weddings have taken place each year in the United States; a third of them are remarriages.


Second Weddings
In almost half of U.S. weddings either the bride or groom has been married previously.


Something Blue
In the rhyme 'something old, something new, something borrowed, something blue', "blue" is symbolic of the blood of royalty, since both the bride and the groom were once considered to be "royal" on their wedding day.


Strange But True
In Pennsylvania, Ministers are forbidden from performing marriages when either the bride or groom is drunk.


The Kiss
The kiss that is given by the bride to the groom at the end of the wedding ceremony originates from the earliest times when the couple would actually make love for the first time under the eyes of half the village!


The Wedding Party
The most frequent number of bridesmaids is 4 (including the maid of honor). 62% of weddings have a flower girl, while 56% have a ring bearer.


Wearing a Wedding Ring
The reason that the engagement ring and wedding band is worn on the fourth finger of the left hand is because the ancient Egyptians thought that the "vein of love' ran from this finger directly to the heart.


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


Wedding Costs
The average wedding costs $18,874 with 186 guests.


Wedding Costs
The average wedding in the United States costs between $20,000 to $25,000.