Celebrate!

BIG DAY page C37

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Expires 3/14/97.

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Showers • Rehearsal Dinners
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thing, it would be next to im-
possible to drag most men to
an afternoon tea to play bridal
games. Couple showers can be
anything from an outdoor bar-
becue to a buffet brunch to an
afternoon tailgate party. Ideally,
the theme of the shower
should reflect the personalities
of the couple.
If the bride and groom are
outdoor enthusiasts, for exam-
ple, sporting goods might be
the most appropriate gifts. For
the couple who likes to enter-
tain, gourmet food and wine
would probably be welcome.
Other shower gift ideas include
holiday decorations, gifts from
different countries or travel
items for the honeymoon.

REHEARSAL DINNER
The rehearsal dinner is usu-
ally held the evening before
the wedding, after the wed-
ding rehearsal. While it is tradi-
tionally hosted by the groom's
parents, it can also be hosted
by the bride's parents, a close
friend or relative or by the
wedding couple.
The rehearsal dinner can be
as formal or informal as you
and the hosts like. It could be
sit-down dinner at a restaurant,
a catered affair at home or an
informal backyard barbecue.
Guests should include all
members of the wedding party
and their spouses or significant
others, parents and grandpar-
ents, the clergy and any out-of-
town guests.
After dinner, the bride and
groom will typically present
their gifts to the wedding atten-
dants and, perhaps, their par-
ents and each other. It is
customary for the best man to
propose a toast to the couple
and for the couple to toast their
parents. Others are also en-
couraged to join in the toast-
ing.

WEDDING WEEKENDS
One of the newest trends is
for couples to host a weekend
wedding. Usually these wed-
dings take place out of town
and often become an occasion
for a reunion of family and old
friends.
Typically, these weddings oc-
cur over a long holiday week-
end and are held at a resort,
country inn or other special lo-
cation. The biggest difference
between a weekend wedding
and traditional wedding is that
everyone participates in every-
thing. Guests are encouraged to
arrive Friday evening for a wel-
come reception, are invited to a
pre-wedding party on Saturday
and attend the wedding and re-
ception on Sunday. Often a
farewell brunch will be held on
Monday morning.
It is expected that the bride
and groom - or their parents -
will foot the bill for their guests'
accommodations and meals.

BRIDESMAIDS PARTY
The traditional bridal lun-
cheon, given by the bride for
her attendants, has given way
to other options, including
breakfast, brunch or dinner on
the town. The purpose of the
party is for the bride to thank
her attendants for their friend-
ship and support and to give
the women an opportunity to
become better acquainted if
they don't already know each
other. Often the bride will use
this occasion to present her at-
tendants with their gifts.
The bridesmaid party does
not have to be the least bit for-
mal or expensive. The bride
may want to take her friends
out to lunch after picking up
their bridesmaids dresses, treat
them to a facial and manicure
the day before the wedding, or
invite them to happy hour one
evening after work. 0

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