Weddings - Information, Tips, Humor, Fun Facts, Music, Links & More

It was the accepted practice in Babylon 4,000 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 month" or what we know today as the "honeymoon." -- Submitted by ARareJewelnLA

Why a wedding ring is worn on the third finger? It was once believed that a vein of blood ran directly from the third finger on the left hand to the heart. The vein was called vena amori, or the vein of love, and early writings on matrimonial procedure suggested that it would be appropriate for one's wedding ring to be worn on that special finger. Source: Ever Wonder Why? Douglas B. Smith / Mass Market Paperback / Published 1992

Life in the 1500's: Most people got married in June because they took their yearly bath in May and were still smelling pretty good by June. However, they were starting to smell, so brides carried a bouquet of flowers to hide the body odor. -- Submitted by Sparkegrl

The second Saturday in September is a popular date for weddings, but not in 2004 when the second Saturday fell on September 11th. Most couples did not want their wedding anniversary to fall on that date.

The wedding shower originated with a Dutch maiden who fell in love with an impoverished miller. Her friends "showered" her and her groom with many gifts so the couple could do without her dowry.

Are you planning a wedding and you or your partner's parents are divorced? Here are some articles we've found concerning this situation and ideas on how to handle it:

    The child was a typical four-year-old girl -- cute, inquisitive, bright as a new penny. When she expressed difficulty in grasping the concept of marriage, her father decided to pull out his wedding photo album, thinking visual images would help. One page after another, he pointed out the bride arriving at the church, the entrance, the wedding ceremony, the recessional, the reception, etc.
    "Now do you understand?" he asked.
    "I think so," she said, "is that when mommy came to work for us?"

Ministers are forbidden from performing marriages when either the bride or groom is drunk. (I guess Alfred P. Doolittle in "My Fair Lady" could not wed in Pennsylvania.)

It is contrary to Pennsylvania law to discharge a gun, cannon, revolver or other explosive weapon at a wedding. (I guess the groom is safe at a shotgun wedding!)

    A daughter comes home from the peace corps in Uganda and surprises her Jewish mother who is in the process of lighting the Friday night candles and serving the matza ball soup. The mother is so thrilled she can't stop hugging and kissing her daughter.
    Finally she says, "Sit down, darling. Tell me all about what you were doing."
    Her daughter says, "Mom, I got married."
    "Oy, mazeltov," says the mother. "How could you do that without telling me? What's he like? What does he do? Where is he?"
    "He's waiting outside on the porch while I tell you."
    "What are you talking about? Bring him in. I want to meet my new son-in-law."
    The daughter brings him in and to her consternation the mother sees a black man standing before her wearing a big grin, a feathered cod piece, an enormous head dress, animal tooth beads, a bone through his nose, and he is holding a very tall spear in an upright position.
    The mother grabs her daughter, slaps her back and forth on both cheeks and screams, "Dummy, Stupid, Idiot...I said RICH doctor!"

At a wedding ceremony that I was performing, I raised my hand to give the final blessing. The bride misunderstood my gesture and surprised me with a high-five. Not wanting to exclude the groom, I offered him a high-five, too.
I was finally able to get my blessing in, amid the laughter of the guests.

Weight Loss for Brides
Drop at Least One Dress Size before Your Wedding
Article submitted by Gail Young
Co-founder of The Bridal Chalet

     Your big day is fast approaching and you're terrified that you won't fit into that dream wedding gown you've bought. Follow this simple, yet proven approach for 3-4 weeks before your wedding day and drop at least one dress size.
     The stress and anxiety that most brides experience as their wedding day approaches can be overwhelming for them. The amount of preparation involved and the countless number of details needing attention can make it very difficult to eat sensibly and maintain even a modest level of good nutrition. I can recall countless conversations with brides who are so stressed out in the month or so before their wedding that they abandon all good eating habits and either starve themselves or binge on junk food to handle the stress.
     Many are genuinely terrified that they’ll be overweight and unattractive on their wedding day or even worse won’t be able to fit into their dream wedding gown.
     I have been working with a personal trainer for the past 10 years who continually reminds me how just a few simple changes to your daily routine can make a huge difference. The four basic principles I outline below really do work. I’ve had personal success using these strategies and continue to follow them on a daily basis. Many of my clients who have requested my help and followed this advice have had remarkable results. Start this program at least 3-4 weeks before your wedding day and see for yourself.

1. Water, Water and more Water

Hydration is critical. While the benefits are countless this is one of the hardest things to implement into your daily routine. Whenever I would neglect this item my trainer would recite how water lowers body fat, flushes cellulite, improves digestion, gets rid of dark circles under the eyes, and makes you feel full. These are just a few of the benefits of drinking the required 2.5 liters of water per day.

This may seem like a lot but I found the easiest way to get into the habit is to break the amounts down into manageable amounts:

Keep a bottle of water beside your bed. Before you go to sleep drink 1/2 the bottle and as soon as you wake up (before your feet touch the floor) drink the remaining 1/2 bottle

Before each meal drink a half a bottle of water

Carry water with you and sip it throughout the day

I can’t overemphasize how important this step is.

2. Go for a 10 minute Walk Every Day

Start with this...you can always increase later after it becomes routine. It’s enough to gently boost your metabolism and keep you active.

3. Eat Often but Only in Small Portions

Before I started this method of eating I would starve myself for a couple of days whenever I wanted to lose weight. It seemed logical to me at the time. When I started personal training I had to modify many of my bad eating habits. I had to start eating 6 meals a day. Don’t panic, it’s easier than it sounds. Every 3-4 hours from the time you wake up eat a little something. Your digestive system is far more efficient at handling a series of small meals than it is at tackling one large meal. I usually eat at 7am, 10 am, 1pm, 4pm, 7pm and 10 pm. Your meal portions (meat, veggies, carbs) should be no larger than the palm of your hand and no thicker than the palm of your hand.

4. Eat Healthy

I could spend days offering suggestions on meal variations but there are many excellent books that have been written to give you ideas. I will share my recommendations in another upcoming article. So to make it simple a typical meal should be a protein, a carbohydrate and a vegetable or fruit.

Here is a sample daily meal plan that I eat to get you started:

Meal one: Protein shake with 1% milk (I like whey protein drinks such as IsoPro)

Meal two: 1/2 an apple and cottage cheese or yogurt

Meal three: Piece of chicken (no skin) and a small salad

Meal four: Cheese and the balance of the apple

Meal five: Piece of lean meat, rice or potatoes, vegetables

Meal six: Low fat chocolate pudding mixed with protein powder

5. The Best Part – Reward Yourself!

Choose one day a week as your reward day and eat whatever you want and as much as you want. Whether you like pasta, cookies, ice cream or my personal favorite chocolate.

Enjoy!

Don’t worry, you won’t gain fat if you do this because for the past six days your body has been used to eating what I term ‘clean’ food. On the seventh day your body thinks you are going to do the same and when you don't it gets fooled and eliminates the effects of the ‘junk’ food. In essence you are tricking your body that day but you must eat cleanly on the following day.

I have told many upcoming brides about this method of eating and almost all of them have emailed me back to let me know how thrilled they were at reaching their target goal of weight loss. I hope it works for you too.

As a final note of encouragement, my daughter used this method of eating and in 1 year she went from a size 18 to a size 2. This was four years ago and she has still maintained her weight to this day.

These simple techniques will not only help you quickly, safely and effectively lose at least one dress size but they will also help you feel more energetic, vibrant and healthy. Not to mention the positive effect it will have on your skin texture and overall appearance.

Stay on track and you’ll be amazed at your results. Eat well, drink plenty of water and as you progress, simply imagine your groom seeing you for the first time in your wedding gown and watching his jaw drop in speechless silence.

Author Bio: Gail Young is a co-founder of The Bridal Chalet, an online bridal boutique selling designer style couture and traditional wedding gowns and bridal accessories. She has extensive background in fitness and nutrition as a former amateur body sculptor and combines this with her knowledge and passion for designing bridal fashion. Visit her website at: www.bridalchalet.com.

We had so many good links to other Web sites with wedding, shower and family information that we made a new page: