Guest Table Trivia

Hi Wendy!
Love your web site. It has some great information. I need your
help for my wedding next May. For our seating arrangement in the dining room, we are assigning tables. To denote the table, each will have a card with some kind of different wedding trivia, such as "the origin of the wedding cake" or "how did honeymoon get its name". My problem is that I'm having trouble coming up with enough short and sweet trivia tidbits. I need twelve and only have about four. Do you know a web site or place where I might find this information?? Thanks for your help!!

Susie McConville
AMERITON Properties Incorporated

Hi Susie,

I am a cheerleader for creative ways to distinguish guest tables from one another. Working as ice breakers, they help the newly formed table mates to get to know one another instead of sitting in silence. Your selection is both entertaining and educational … bravo! As far as the questions themselves, any tradition or custom can be used. Simple turn the fact into a question. Below are some of the more popular bits of knowledge. Check out the book review section for an excellent book packed full of ideas for you to use, "A Bride's Book of Wedding Traditions".

HONEYMOON

#1
It was a custom in ancient times for a newly married couple to drink a potion containing honey on each of the first 30 days ( a moon ) of their marriage.

#2
It was accepted practice in Babylonian 4000 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 moon" or what we know today as the "honeymoon".

MARRIAGE BY CAPTURE

The first marriages were by capture, i.e.; the groom would kidnap the bride and take her away from her tribe with the help of a warrior friend – the best man. The warrior friend would help fight off other men who wanted this woman and also help to prevent the bride's family from finding them. The groom would put himself and his bride into hiding – the honeymoon. By the time the bride's family found them the bride would already be pregnant. When the groom fought off other warriors who also wanted his bride he would hold onto her with his left hand while fighting with his sword in his right hand. This is why the bride stands on the left and the groom on the right.

RINGS

Traditionally the wedding band is worn on the inside with the engagement ring on the outside. This is so the wedding band is always closest to your heart.

TEACUP

At the turn of the century it was popular for a gentleman to give his
fiancé a teacup when they became engaged. She was to drink tea every afternoon and think of him while they were apart.

TICK-TOCK GOES THE CLOCK

To be married on the half-hour brings good luck because the minute hand is ascending toward heaven. To be married on the hour supposedly brings bad luck, since the minute hand is pointing in the opposite direction. Obviously, the most well timed ceremony takes place at noon, when the hands are "praying".

VEIL

During the times of arranged marriage, the groom's family told him whom he was to marry. The family very rarely let the groom see the bride before their wedding date. Not just the day of, but ever. The thought was that if the groom saw the bride beforehand and did not like the looks of her, he would protest the marriage. Therefore, when the groom lifted the brides veil after the pronouncement of marriage, it would be his first time of seeing her.

WITNESSES

It was once required that ten witnesses be present at a marriage
ceremony to outsmart jealous spirits. Bridesmaids dressed similarly to the bride and ushers attire resembled the groom. This confused the
spirits who wanted to harm the couple. If the spirits could not tell
the bride and groom apart from the attendants, they could not carry out their evil deed.

Guest Table Trivia