The words “bridal” and “shower,” when paired together, are known to strike fear in the hearts of many aisle-bound women and men. No matter what lingerie and cookware parties your grannies may have in mind, showers needn’t be the stereotypical estrogen fests of yore. Toilet paper dresses? We think not. Instead, many couples are choosing to go co-ed—dumping the traditional Jell-O salads and cheesy bride-to-be games for joint celebrations that honor the couple’s distinctive interests and hobbies. The result? Less kitsch and a whole lot more fun.

http://www.jacksonfreepress.com/index.php/site/comments/fly_shower_gift_guide_060408/

See also bridal shower tea invitations

Beach parties with summer and winter people pot lucking it on the logs at the beach was an annual affair not to be missed.

A wedding at the beach where the bride was rowed in from Snug Cove, and the caterer served the food from a tug boat, and the guests rolled up their fancy clothes thigh high and stood in the water for the ceremony because of the heat, remind me that weddings should be memorable.

The best part, was the fact that we could lock up our house in North Vancouver, catch the ferry and be at the cottage in an hour — provided we made the ferry which we almost always did.

http://www.canada.com/vancouversun/news/letters/story.html?id=4fb2cdf1-f48b-4cd8-8471-01d930b5bfdf

Also view beach wedding flowers

Giants star Eli Manning kicked off his wedding weekend Thursday sweating on the golf course with his brother, Peyton, and four other buddies in Mexico.

The Super Bowl Most Valuable Player and his entourage came back sunburned and exhausted at lunchtime after a morning on the 27-hole Jack Nicklaus-designed Palmilla Golf Club.

http://www.nydailynews.com/gossip/2008/04/18/2008-04-18_eli_manning_in_mexico_for_his_wedding-1.html

See also las vegas golf course weddings

The pressure’s on.

There’s a wedding on the horizon. Maybe you’re a close friend, the maid of honor or another member of the bridal party. It’s up to you to create a memorable wedding shower for your BFF. 

http://www.cleveland.com/living/plaindealer/index.ssf?/base/other/1206520291126350.xml&coll=2

Also see destination wedding invitation inserts

Advice for do it yourself wedding invitations:

A dozen tips . . .

1. Enlist the girls. Spend some quality craft time with your friends by hosting an invitation-making party. I’m hosting an afternoon tea, complete with scones, Darjeeling tea, and invitation supplies. It’s not only productive and extremely helpful, but it’s just another fun excuse to hang with the girls, catch up, chat, and eat.

2. Enlist your guy. I bet it’ll be pretty enjoyable watching your

http://www.washingtonian.com/blogarticles/weddings/bridalparty/7391.html

See also inexpensive make your own wedding invitations

NEW YORK, March 20 (UPI) — Famed New York fashion designer Vera Wang says the dress she created for Jennifer Lopez’s canceled wedding to Ben Affleck was the most expensive she ever made.

Wang discusses the fabulous garment on an episode of CNBC’s “Conversations with Michael Eisner” set to air Monday.

Asked what the most expensive wedding dress anybody has ever asked her to design was, Wang told Eisner: “Probably the most expensive — dress I have ever done was a dress that — actually didn’t get worn at the wedding but was (designed during) — Jennifer Lopez’s first engagement. Engagement, wow, it’s really — her — yes, it was her engagement to Ben Affleck.”

http://www.upi.com/NewsTrack/Entertainment/2008/03/20/j_lo_wedding_dress_wangs_most_expensive/5152/

The New York Times recently reported men go to great lengths to propose to their girlfriends. Some men are enlisting an event planner to create an amazing setting for a proposal. These services aren’t cheap – these out-of-this-world proposals can run men up to $10,000.

The American Express Platinum Card Concierge, consultants who help fulfill card member requests, anywhere in the world, 24-hours a day offers a similar service to members and has noticed a trend in marriage proposals.

http://blogs.timesunion.com/kristi/?p=1685

 In traditional American society, some conventionalists worship the institution of marriage. But in San Francisco, there are some men and women who rue the sanctity of marriage by dressing up in tattered wedding gowns and saying “I do” to a Saturday afternoon pub crawl.The San Francisco Cacophony Society hosted its 10th annual Brides of March Pub Crawl on March 15, which began its congregation at Tunnel Top bar on Stockton and Bush streets. By 3 p.m., hundreds of male and female brides were jam-packed in the two-story neighborhood bar, creating a traffic jam in the surrounding area.

Many of the brides pounded Irish Car Bombs as they prepared to embark on a 12-stop pub crawl that would roll over well into the late evening and continue all night, making its last stop back at Tunnel Top.

“San Franciscans love to indulge in their alter-egos,” said Joe Schwan, 41. “That’s why San Francisco has more dress-up events and parades than anywhere else in the world. We all dream about being something that we’re not, and dressing up for events like this is how we make that alter ego come to life.”

http://xpress.sfsu.edu/archives/arts/010652.html

At least these gals get to wear their dresses twice. To each her own!

See also inexpensive wedding gowns

Engagement rings have always been able to bring soon-to-be married couples closer together but one German designer has taken things a step further.

Jennifer Flume has come up with concept rings which contain a USB device, allowing husband and wife to share data wherever and whenever they want.

The Swarovski Crystal Engagement Ring allows wearers to store pictures of their loved one, romantic poems and any other sort of data they feel they need to carry around on their fingers.

http://www.metro.co.uk/news/article.html?in_article_id=123194&in_page_id=34

I think most women would definitely prefer a diamond!

See also discount engagement rings

Instead of something old, something new, something borrowed, something blue, Kerry Hawk is adding green to the mix.

Hawk, owner of Blue Sky Events, started coordinating green weddings two years ago after a couple requested an eco-friendly wedding.

“I learn a lot from my brides,” Hawk said, “and I encourage others to think about it.”

Blue Sky Events will have a booth at Friday’s Green Business Expo at MontBleu Resort Casino & Spa. Attendees can learn about other local green services and products at the expo, which will feature a Green University, where speakers will discuss topics relating to business and the environment.

http://www.tahoedailytribune.com/article/20080320/NEWS/17332351