Sunday, February 14, 1999
Wedding trivia from TheKnot.com
Scripps Howard News Service
Wedding trivia compiled from the files of TheKnot.com:
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.