by Judy Lewis

* Until the 15th century, only kings wore diamonds, as a symbol of strength, courage, and invincibility. In India, where the diamond was first discovered it was valued more for its magic than its beauty and was believed to protect the wearer from fire, snakes, illnesses, thieves and great evil.

* According to Anita Diamant, author of The New Jewish Wedding, there are no Jewish laws regarding where a wedding may or may not take place. During the Middle Ages, some weddings were held in cemeteries since it was believed the life-affirming act of marriage could halt plagues.

*Wearing a wedding ring on the fourth finger of the left hand dates back to ancient Egypt, where it was believed that the vein of love ran from this finger directly to the heart.

* Queen Victoria's wedding cake was more than nine feet in circumference. A second tier rose from this plateau supported by two pedestals. On the second tier was a sculpture of the mythical heroine, Britannia, gazing upon the royal pair frozen at the moment of their exchanging vows. At their feet were two turtledoves (symbolizing purity and innocence) and a dog (representing faithful attachment). Completing the scene were various sculpted Cupids, one of them writing the date of the wedding with a stylus on a tablet.

*Eighty-five percent of all Canadian brides receive a diamond engagement ring, giving Canada the highest diamond engagement ring acquisition rate in the world.

*The longest engagement on record was Octavio Guillen and Adriana Martinez. After "dating" for 67 years, they finally married. Both 82.

*The most monogamously married man in history was Glynn Wolfe, a former Baptist minister from Blythe, California who was married 28 times.

*The most monogamously married woman in history was Linda Lou Essex from Anderson, Indiana, who married 22 times.

*The most notorious bigamist on record is Giovanni Vigliotto, who married 104 women. He was convicted of fraud and bigamy and sentenced to 25 years in prison, plus a fine of $336,000.

*The oldest bridegroom was Harry Stevens, who at the age of 103 married Thelma Lucas, a young 84. They were wed in Beloit, Wisconsin in 1984.

*The oldest bride was 102 year old Minnie Munro, who married 83-year-old gentleman Dudley Reid in Point Clare, New South Wales, Australia.

*The youngest couple ever to marry was an 11-month-old boy and a three-month-old girl who were married in Bangladesh in 1986. The marriage was arranged in order to settle a 20 feud over a disputed piece of farmland.

*Two couples share the record for the longest marriage in history: Sir Temulji Bhicaji Nnman and Lady Nariman were married from 1853 until 1940, when he died. Lazarus Rowe and Molly Weber were married in Greenland, New Hampshire in 1743 and remained married until 1829, when she died.

*The largest mass wedding was held in The Olympic Stadium in Seoul, South Korea on August 25, 1995. 35,000 people were married in a ceremony officiated by Sun Myung Moon. Another 325,000 couples around the world participated in the event via satellite link.

*Richard and Carol Roble are the most re-married couple. They wed each other 56 times, beginning in 1969.

*The most expensive wedding on record was a seven-day celebration of the marriage of Mohammed Al Maktoum to Princess Salama. The wedding took place in Dubai and the bill came to $44 million.

*The most fantastic gift of love is the Taj Mahal in India. It was built by Mughal Emperor Shahjahan as a memorial to his wife, who died in childbirth. Work on the Taj began in 1634 and continued for almost 22 years. Requiring the labor of 20,000 workers from all over India and Central Asia to complete.

*The worst place for love and romance to survive is the United States. We hold the record for the highest divorce rate in the world (4.6 per thousand).

Judy Lewis is the web mistress of HudsonValleyWeddings.com.

© 2010 Tigerlily Communications