Laying claim to the name Honeymoon Capital of the World
Honeymoons and the City of Niagara Falls have gone hand in hand for a very long time, from the first documented Niagara Falls honeymoon in June 1801.
Theodosia Burr (the U.S. vicepresident’s daughter) and her husband Joseph Alston visited the city on a delayed honeymoon that included a visit with the famous Mohawk Chief Joseph Brant. The city later became known as the Honeymoon Capital of the World. From time to time, our popularity as a honeymoon destination has waned and when this happens, some rather interesting events have been promoted to give the destination a needed boost.
The idea of handing out Honeymoon certificates was “borrowed” from Niagara Falls, N.Y., but the Canadian certificates became much more popular. Starting in 1949, newlyweds could visit the chamber of commerce office to sign the Honeymoon Register and pick up their certificate. Coupons for free and discounted tourist activities were often given to the happy couples. In total, almost one million certificates have been given out and are still available today.
In 1993, the cities of Niagara Falls on both sides of the border attempted to rekindle the honeymoon destination romance. A contest was advertised in more than 1,000 newspapers in the U.S. and Canada. Couples who had honeymooned in either city were asked to submit letters of their fondest memories. Ten winners would be selected to share in prizes worth $20,000. From more than 400 entries, Saskatoon couple Bill and Eleanor Ryan, who honeymooned here in 1957, were the grand-prize winners. Festivities for the Valentine’s Day weekend included a memorable toast when a 12-foot, 50 gallon bottle of pink champagne was poured over the falls by helicopter, followed by a finale of champagne-coloured fireworks.
The most recent event that attempted to solidify the city’s reputation as the Honeymoon Capital occurred on Valentine’s Day in 2000. It was called The Wedding of the Millennium, organizers hoped to attract 1,000 couples who would be married en masse, outdoors at the Oakes Garden Theatre. In the end, 200 couples registered for the event, the largest group wedding ever held in the area. Rev. Derek Rymarchuk presided, assisted by 20 ministers who then married each couple individually (for legal reasons).
If you would like to read some of the honeymoon letters, they can be viewed in person or online at www.nflibrary.ca/nfplindex. As well, the Niagara Falls, Ontario, Canada, Honeymoon and Visitor Registers (1949-2011) can be viewed online at any library location using Ancestry Library Edition.