Wacky Wedding Facts!

Weddings. One of the few customs to be celebrated around the world- the union of two souls wanting to spend their life together. Since this is quite the commitment, its not surprising that more time and money is expended on the average wedding than almost any other life event. A great lover of facts and stats, I thought, Theres got to be some peaches about weddings. Yet I could never have guessed the confetti of funny, quirky and downright bizarre wedding facts I would find...

1) Despite there being no actual law that a bride must change her name after marriage, 70% of American respondents believe a wife should adopt her husbands name. 2) 70% seems to be a popular figure- although there are many stones available, 70% of brides still opt for the traditional diamond on the fourth finger of their left hand. 3) Ever wondered why the wedding ring is worn on that particular finger? Before it was debunked by science, popular belief held that there was a vein running from the left hand ring finger straight to the heart. 4) The two most married people in the world are Linda Wolfe, who has married 26 times (her marriage to Glyn Wolfe was a publicity stunt, as he himself had been married 29 times) and Kamarudin Mohamad, who has been married a whopping 53 times! 5) The record for most attendees has to go to a 1993 Jewish wedding in Jerusalem. The number of guests? 30,000! 6) The most popular piece to be played as the bride walks down the aisle is Pachelbels Canon in D, far outranking opponents such as the Wedding March and the Bridal March. 7) Contrary to popular belief, Las Vegas isnt the wedding capital of the world. Istanbul marries 166,000 couples a year, with Las Vegas trailing behind with 114,000!

8) If youre ever impatient about the length of your engagement, spare a thought for Octavio Guillen and Adriana Martinez. After dating for an astounding 67 years, they finally married- aged 82! 9) Its estimated that the cost of the average American wedding is $20,000. The cost of the average divorce? $20,000! 10) Kissing at a wedding binds the marriage- a custom dating back thousands of years. Did you know that in early Church of England weddings the bride was expected to kiss the minister as well? A good thing they havent revived that tradition? 11) Have you ever wondered why the bride stands on the left and the groom on the right? By all accounts, weddings used to be just as ridiculous as romantic comedies. It was to prevent the bride from being kidnapped by scheming rivalsand so the groom could reach his sword! 12) Tossing the bouquet is more than just a nuisance to the happily single. Back in the day, the bridesmaids tore off parts of the brides dress for luck- chiefly that they too would marry. Since nobody really wants enormous great chunks ripped from their clothes, the bouquet is a better arrangement all around? 13) Getting a dress in the wrong size because Im planning to lose weight is the most common mistake brides make, according to wedding shop owners. Dont do it! 14) Royal weddings are famous for being calamities. Little Augusta, the bride of Prince Frederick, was so nervous she vomited down her dress; George IV was so dismayed by the sight of his bride Caroline of Brunswick that he went into hysterics and downed a large brandy. Edward II and Isabella of France, probably historys most disastrous royal marriage, even began badly. Not only did Edward send along a stand in, he gave most of the wedding gifts to his best friend and probable lover, Piers Gaveston. Isabellas thoughts are best not imagined. 15) Princess Dianas wedding to Prince Charles is estimated to have been watched by a billion viewers across the world- undoubtedly the biggest audience watching the one broadcast in history.

To find out more, follow these handy links!

Hitched.co.uk: The webs biggest wedding resource! Weddings and Gems: Looking for the perfect wedding accessories? Youve come to the right place! The Ritz: Searching for a romantic wedding venue? The Ritz offers it all!