While February is typically considered the month of love thanks to Valentine’s Day, what you may not know is that it is also National Wedding Month.
Not only is this a popular time for couples to get engaged, but there is also the highest number of bridal shows in February, as many couples gear up for planning a summer wedding. Therefore, for any photographers that hope to fill their summer by capturing memories at as many weddings as possible, now is the time to get clients booked in.
To get in the mindset for this occasion, here are 7 fun facts about weddings that you may not already know:
1. Ever considered why we typically wear our wedding rings on one specific finger? This is because historically, people believed that that there was a vein that ran through this finger straight to your heart. As it turns out, this isn’t the case – it was just a myth!
2. Everyone who gets married hopes for a long and happy marriage to their partner, although most of us will be unlikely to reach the current record for the longest marriage, which was for 86 years, 9 months and 16 days!
3. Bridal bouquets are considered to be one of the key features of a bride’s outfit, staying with her from when she walks down the aisle until she throws it over her shoulder to the next lucky bride. But they weren’t always a nice bunch of flowers. Traditionally, a selection of garlic, grains and herbs were considered to be vital in warding off any evil spirits. Surprisingly, these ingredients were also used to symbolise fertility in the bride!
4. White wedding dresses – or a variant of white, such as ivory – are seen today as the typical choice for the majority of Western brides. However, many years ago some brides could not afford to buy a new dress, and so would simply wear the prettiest dress they already owned. Red, blue and green were also all common colours previously worn by brides, in contrast to the now traditional white.
5. The phrase “tying the knot” is yet another very old tradition – the idea being that couples would take threads from their clothes and tie them together in a knot. Though this might seem a little unusual today – especially as few brides would want to tear a thread from their wedding dress – this act was completed to symbolise the union between the couple, as their clothes were a material representation of themselves.
6. The average American spends $6324 on an engagement ring, although in some states this cost gets close to five figures! These rings are often so expensive because they typically contain diamonds, which traditionally symbolise eternal love – it has also been believed throughout history that diamonds are made from the stars or from the teardrops of gods.
7. And finally, to tie-in the importance of photography on your big day: not only is there likely to be a professional photographer snapping away, but when you include all of the pictures taken by guests as well, a bride can be photographed up to 3000 times on her wedding day! Just thinking about the amount of data storage that is required for this is daunting, hence why photographers need to keep up to date with the best storage units on the market.
Not only are these facts a fun way to start the new wedding season, they also show just how much there is to be enjoyed on a couple’s wedding day. If you’re the photographer, it’s crucial that you capture every moment, so they can relive their wedding for years to come.
4 years ago