I can’t take credit for this post because I’m actually stealing all of this fun wedding trivia from one of my recent bride’s wedding program. Sarah obviously spent quite a bit of time researching all this and then included 3 full pages of info. in her extremely comprehensive ceremony program… so thanks Sarah for the great material! Certainly there are many variations of some of these “facts” so if you know a different version please send it along to me as a comment… thanks!
~ White Wedding Gown: Queen Victoria elected to wear a white ball gown for her wedding to Prince Albert in 1840 whereas brides typically had worn their best gown. Contrary to popular belief, white symbolized wealth and blue was the color of purity.
~ Bridal Veil: In Ancient Rome, the veil was worn to ward off evil spirits.
~ The Bouquet: In ancient times it was believed a bride could ward off evil spirits by carrying a bouquet or wreath of herbs and garlic.
~ Bride on the Left: Because times were so violent and unpredictable, a bride was likely to be kidnapped and held for ransom at her wedding! The bride was placed on the groom’s left in order to leave his sword hand free in case he had to defend her.
~ Kiss: A kiss was long believed to be the medium for the exchange of spirits where a part of the bride’s soul joined the groom’s soul and vice versa. A kiss in some cultures is like a signature, literally sealing the wedding contract.
~ The Wedding Cake: In Rome, the wedding ended when a wheat or barley cake was broken over the bride’s head, a symbol of fertility.
~ Toasts: The word “toast” stems from the Greek and Roman way to honor guests: they would float a piece of toast in wine to reduce acidity. The tradition of clinking glasses was said to be away to frighten off evil spirits.

If you’re planning a wedding in the Charlottesville area, the Charlottesville Wedding Directory will make your life so much easier… check it out… and happy wedding planning!

As I’m sure you realize, tomorrow is 08-08-08 but you may not realize what a BIG day for weddings it is! Tho’ certainly not as big as 07-07-07 was. After all, everyone knows that number 7 is lucky, right? But lucky 8? I don’t think so. I have 2 weddings scheduled for tomorrow myself but over the last year I have had inquires for dozens more that I had to turn away.

So, I was wondering what the big deal is … what is the significance of this date? I found lots of material, the most prevalent of which is that in Asian cultures, China more specifically, 8 is considered a very lucky number. According to Wikipedia the word for “8″ in Chinese sounds similar to the word for “prosper” or “wealth”, making it a lucky number, indeed.

I also found an article that ran in this past Sunday’s New York Times giving a great variety of interesting factoids on the date… not the least of which is that the premier wedding site The Knot reports that it has 4 times the number of weddings registered for Friday, August 8 than it does for other Fridays in August: 20,000 vs. 5000… amazing!

For most of us I would imagine that the opening of the Olympics tomorrow will be grabbing our attention but there will also be lots of couples tying the knot all over the country. My guess is that for most of them it was just a fun idea to get married on that date… rather than something highly significant to them culturally or spiritually. Makes me wonder if there will be an abundance of weddings in Asian countries tomorrow as well or is it just us crazy Americans!?!?!. Hmmmmm.

Seems like a bit of an odd day to get married – February 29th – but certainly unique! This wonderful couple, Chris & Bill, chose to rent a lovely house at Wintergreen Resort (about 25 miles SW of Charlottesville) for the weekend and have their ceremony in front of the fireplace with just their closest family in attendance.

This was a first for me but seems like a great idea… a relaxing way to get away for a few days and enjoy the company of your nearest and dearest with lots to do right nearby: skiing & snowboarding, spa services, swimming, hiking, great restaurants and more plus lovely views and time to relax together… sounds good to me!

Chris and Bill found their rental through the very nice folks at Rentals at Wintergreen They were so patient with me when I called for driving directions directions!

Just for fun, I looked up a few facts about Leap Day on Wikipedia… here’s what I found:
February 29 is a date that occurs only every four years, in years evenly divisible by 4, such as 1988, 1996, 2008 or 2016 (with the exception of century years not divisible by 400, such as 1900) for the Gregorian calendar, which is most widely used in the world today. These are called leap years, and February 29 is the 60th day of the Gregorian calendar in such a year, with 306 days remaining until the end of that year. February 29 is also known as bissextile day or Leap Day.

Although the modern calendar counts a year as 365 days, a complete revolution around the sun takes approximately 365 days and 6 hours. Every four years, an extra twenty-four hours have accumulated, so one extra day is added to that calendar to keep the count coordinated with the sun’s apparent position.

I wonder if Chris and Bill will celebrate their anniversaries on Feb. 29th or March 1st in the years to come.

With Valentines’ Day on the horizon I thought that this bit of info. as to the origins of this day from The History Channel would be fun to share: Every February, across the country, candy, flowers, and gifts are exchanged between loved ones, all in the name of St. Valentine. But who is this mysterious saint and why do we celebrate this holiday? The history of Valentine’s Day — and its patron saint — is shrouded in mystery. But we do know that February has long been a month of romance. St. Valentine’s Day, as we know it today, contains vestiges of both Christian and ancient Roman tradition. So, who was Saint Valentine and how did he become associated with this ancient rite? Today, the Catholic Church recognizes at least three different saints named Valentine or Valentinus, all of whom were martyred.

One legend contends that Valentine was a priest who served during the third century in Rome. When Emperor Claudius II decided that single men made better soldiers than those with wives and families, he outlawed marriage for young men — his crop of potential soldiers. Valentine, realizing the injustice of the decree, defied Claudius and continued to perform marriages for young lovers in secret. When Valentine’s actions were discovered, Claudius ordered that he be put to death.

Other stories suggest that Valentine may have been killed for attempting to help Christians escape harsh Roman prisons where they were often beaten and tortured.

According to one legend, Valentine actually sent the first ‘valentine’ greeting himself. While in prison, it is believed that Valentine fell in love with a young girl — who may have been his jailor’s daughter — who visited him during his confinement. Before his death, it is alleged that he wrote her a letter, which he signed ‘From your Valentine,’ an expression that is still in use today. Although the truth behind the Valentine legends is murky, the stories certainly emphasize his appeal as a sympathetic, heroic, and, most importantly, romantic figure. It’s no surprise that by the Middle Ages, Valentine was one of the most popular saints in England and France.

Visit the History Channel website for expanded info.