Oh, The New York Times wedding announcements, a celebration of the lasting bliss for those who’ve found true love, and fodder for wannabe brides’ entertainment. But, as it turns out, it’s also a telling database filled with words and phrases that revealed matrimony trends since the early 1980s when explored by Todd Schneider, a computer programmer at Rap Genius.
Schneider used over 60,000 wedding and engagement announcements to document the changing patterns of New York nuptials, which complement current events and population changes. For example, since the financial crisis of 2008, there have been fewer mentions of investment banks, but more mentions of hedge funds. And when the city’s Indian population increased by 118 percent in the 1990s, Hindu marriages rose, while WASP mentions declined. But Jewish weddings— measured by the popular surnames of Cohen, Rosenberg, and Goldberg—have remained prevalent in the announcements.
L’chaim!
When Harvard Met Sally: N-gram Analysis of the New York Times Weddings Section [Rap Genius]
(Photo by Mila Supinskaya/Shutterstock)
I am traveling to AZ for a wedding and I am a bridesmaid. Is there something that is always forgotten for either the wedding day to help the bride get ready or something that is always forgotten when traveling? I leave tomorrow and have not even started packing! Any help would be appreciated!! Thank you.