As noted philosopher Carrie Bradshaw once put it, the New York Times wedding announcements are "the straight woman's sports pages." Altarcations is all about scoring the game. Each week, we evaluate the latest newlyweds, based on an elaborate rating system, described below.

Finally, after doing this for a few months, we've gotten our first great-great-grandson of a President! Yay, Nathan Taft! Not only is he William Howard Taft's great-great-grandson, but he's got two Yale degrees, works in real estate investment and is marrying a corporate lawyer whose own maternal grandmother was something of a big deal—the vice premier of South Vietnam in 1965. Look how far we've come, people! However, somehow, it was still a rather close one this week. William Howard Taft can only take you so far when your bride is 38.

Soogy Lee & Nathan Taft: 16 points

  • Soogy is over 35: -1
  • Soogy is a corporate lawyer at Simpson Thacher & Bartlett: +2
  • Soogy received a law degree from Georgetown: +1
  • The bride's maternal grandmother, the late Tran Van Tuyen, was a vice premier of South Vietnam in 1965: +3
  • Nathan works in real estate investment: +1
  • Nathan received a B.A. from Yale: +2
  • Nathan received an M.B.A. from Yale: +3
  • Bridegroom is a great-great-grandson of President William Howard Taft: +5

  • Helena Yu, Anthony Yu: 15 points
  • Couple shares a last name: +2
  • Both graduated from Cornell: +3
  • Helena graduated magna cum laude: +2
  • Anthony graduated summa cum laude: +3
  • Helena completing medical degree at U Mich: +1
  • Anthony completing medical degree at Harvard: +3
  • Helena at ideal female age for getting married: +1
  • Eve Brensike & Richard Primus: 15 points
  • Eve graduated from Brown: +1
  • Eve graduated summa cum laude from U Mich law school: +4
  • Richard graduated summa cum laude from Harvard: +5
  • Richard received a law degree from Yale: +2
  • Richard was a Rhodes scholar: +3
  • Richard was a clerk for Ruth Bader Ginsburg: +1
  • Richard is over 35: -1
  • Our patented rating system:

     Investment banker: +2
    Both Investment bankers: +5
    Job involving the word "banker" OR "investment": +1
    Both have jobs involving the word "banker" OR "investment": +3
    Management Consultant: +1
    Both management consultants: +3
    Trader: +2
    Both traders: +5
    Corporate lawyer: +2
    Both corporate lawyers: +5
    Works for Defense Department: +2
    Doctor: +2
    Both doctors: +5
    Teacher at a New York City or Connecticut private school: 2
    Parents from New York City or wealthy suburb in Connecticut: 1
    New York Times employee: +1
    State Department employee: +2
    Bride is an elementary school teacher: +1
    Works in media: +1
    Ivy league graduate: +1 *
    Both ivy league graduates: +3
    Harvard, Yale, Princeton, Oxford, Cambridge, Sorbonne: +2*
    Both Harvard, Yale, Princeton, Oxford, Cambridge, Sorbonne: +5*
    For each subsequent degree after a B.A.: +1
    Ivy league B.A. with graduate degree at low-ranking local
    college/university: -1
    If bride or groom attended/teach at any school with "Country Day" in
    the name: +2
    Coro fellow at NYU Law: +1
    Has MFA in creative writing from University of Iowa: +1
    Graduated Cum Laude: +1
    Graduated Magna Cum Laude: +2
    Graduated Summa Cum Laude: +3
    Fulbright fellow: +2
    Rhodes scholar: +3
    Couple met online: -1
    Couple met at art opening: 2
    Couple met at art opening for husband's/wife's show: +3
    Woman is at ideal age for getting married (25): 1
    Man is at ideal age for getting married (27): 1
    For each member of couple over 35: -1
    Couple married by a Cantor: +1
    Couple met during or before their freshman year in college: +2
    Bride or groom goes by middle name: +1
    Mother a nursery school/kindergarten teacher or reading
    specialist/father is a wealthy professional: +3
    If the groom is Jewish and the bride Asian: +2
    If the groom is Asian and the bride is Jewish: -1
    Bride and groom share a last name before getting married: +2
    The bride/bridegroom's first marriage ended in divorce: -2
    Descendant/related to somebody famous: +3
    Descendant of a President: +5
    Descendant of a founding father: +5
    Groom wearing gingham in picture: +1
    Parent is a trustee or board member of a company or organization: +1
    per company/org
    Parent is a member of the Bermuda parliament: +2
    Bride or Groom is a board member of a company or organization: +1 per
    company/org
    Bride "is keeping her name", "will continue to use her name professionally": -1
    If there is a Jr., II, III or IV in a name: +2
    If there is a "von" in a last name: +2
    Couple featured in "Vows" column: +2
    Bride or groom's first name is a made-up preppy name: +3
    If someone famous comes to the wedding and is mentioned: +2
    If wedding ceremony held at Bethesda by the Sea in Palm Beach, and/or
    reception under a tent at the bride's grandmother's house in P.B: +2
    Bride clearly quits her job after the wedding: +1
    Married by an Episcopal priest: +1
    Groom is 15-30 years older than bride: +3
    Bride and groom both from New Jersey: -2
    Partner in corporate law firm: +3
    Bridge teaches elementary school, groom in finance: +2
    Bride works for auction house, groom in finance: +2
    Bride/groom works for company founded by parents: +2
    Bride/groom related to a socialite: +2
    *Apply to graduate school degrees in addition to B.A.s