The Best From
Coast To Coast

edding traditions are
changing, new patterns
are emerging, says
Marie Rama, a spokes-
person for Korbel Champagne, which
recently conducted a national survey
on the subject of marriage.
Among the findings: 97 percent
of today's couples want a formal
wedding, which means "a full course
dinner, usually but not necessarily sit-
down, and formal wedding attire,"
Rama says. The average wedding (for
clothes, ceremony and reception, but
not the honeymoon) costs $13,000,
except on the coasts, where in Los
Angeles and New York the average is
$25,000."
Brides and grooms tend to be
older, earning money and living on
their own. Instead of leaving wedding
arrangements to the bride's parents,
couples tend to be much more in-
volved in the planning. Often, they
pay for part of the affair, and are willing
to spend lavishly. Consequently, the
bridal industry (including gifts) has
mushroomed to an estimated $26 bil-
lion per year.
The changes start with the
invitations, which nowadays permit
much more creative wording than
would have been considered
appropriate in the past. While the
trend is for the bride and groom to
invite the guests, Rama recommends
that couples avoid wording that is
cutesy.
Wedding receptions have under-
gone extensive changes, too, accord-
ing to Rama, whose official title is
director of weddings and entertaining.
Rama travels around the country
appearing at bridal shows and

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Large Size Bridal Gowns in Stock

Large Selection of Mother of the Bride Dresses

28927 Southfield Road • at 12 Mile • Lathrup Village

'THE JEWISH NEWS 13