1. Your stag night began in Sparta.
2. You can thank Pope Innocent III for your engagement ring.
3. And Queen Victoria for your wedding dress.
4. Impending weddings were originally publicly announced to prevent incest.
Admittedly these origins aren't particularly barbaric yet, with dresses and popes and watered-down wine. But just you wait.
5. Until the 18th century, it was common practice for grooms to abduct brides before the wedding.
6. The groomsman who proved to be the most skilled kidnapper became the "best man".
7. And the kidnapped bride stood to the groom’s left, so that his right hand was free to fight off rival suitors.
8. Even when weddings became more civilised, the wedding was still a business transaction between the father of the bride and the groom.
9. In ancient Rome, bridesmaids and groomsmen were decoys for the bride and groom.
The wedding party dressed alike to confuse evil spirits who might target the bride and groom, which is slightly more commitment than organising the bridal shower, tolerating orange taffeta, and trying not to turn up drunk on the day.