Fascinating wedding facts

It happens like some sort of divine intervention. You’re single, depressed and desperate for a relationship, but just as you hit rock bottom, when you’ve given up all hope, the right person makes a grand entrance into your life.

If you think you’ve met the perfect mate, someone who has mastered the art of charming spontaneity, romance, weekend getaways—and can cook and likes doing dishes—then maybe you’re ready to take the next big step: marriage.

But before you take the plunge, consider these fun facts; they won’t change your mind, but they may help put the experience in a lighter perspective.

National Numbers

• More than 2.2 million marriages were conducted in the United States in 2005. (Center for Disease Control and Prevention and The National Center for Health Statistics)

• The average age for brides is 27, and 29 is the average for grooms. (The Knot Wedding Network’s Real Wedding Survey 2007)

Vegas Numbers

• There were 107,175 weddings performed in Las Vegas in 2007. (Clark County Recorder)

• But only 106,789 marriage licenses were issued. (Clark Country Marriage License Bureau) That leaves a difference of 385 more marriages than licenses, which might be vow renewals, polygamists or lazy drunk couples.

• Las Vegas brides have the shortest engagements at 9.1 months. (The Knot Wedding Network’s Real Wedding Survey 2007)

The Ring

• The average engagement ring cost: $4,225. (The Knot Wedding Budget Study)

The Dress

• The average cost of a wedding gown: $1,317 (New York City brides spend the most at $2,206). (The Knot Wedding Network’s Real Wedding Survey 2007)

• Wedding dresses featured in the window of Monique Lhuillier, located on Melrose Place in West Hollywood, can range from $4,000 to $12,000. Celebrities like Eva Longoria, Ashley Simpson and Eli Manning’s wife Abby McGrew have all worn Monique’s Lhuillier dresses, according to a store clerk.

The Budget

• The average cost of a wedding, including the honeymoon, is $32,660. (The Knot Wedding Network’s Real Wedding Survey 2007)

The Gifts

• Luckily, wedding expenditures aren’t limited to the bride and groom - more than 90 percent of couples have at least one gift registry, and most have two or three different registries. The most popular gifts are tabletop and kitchen products. (The Knot Inc. Market Research for Weddings 2005-2008)

The Guests

• The average guest list is 153 (Wisconsin brides have the largest weddings, averaging 189 invitees). (The Knot Wedding Network’s Real Wedding Survey 2007)

Jay Firestone is an unmarried 23-year-old male and in the past three years he has been in three wedding parties, two of which for his sisters, and he will be in yet another this fall.