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Using the Web to tie the perfect knot
Just thinking about all of the work it takes to pull off a wedding would be enough to make me want to elope. Ten minutes spent before a magistrate would be far preferable to a year spent pondering color schemes, pew bows and ice sculptures.
I know, however, I'm in the minority on this one. With more couples setting up a household together without the benefit of marriage, those that do follow through and tie the knot seem to want elaborate weddings.
Admittedly, weddings today are more complicated. There's more to deal with than simply making up the guest list and hunting down something old, new, borrowed and blue. How would you arrange church seating for a wedding where the groom's parents are divorced–his mother is now remarried and the father is currently engaged? How does the bride decide who should walk her down the aisle if she's close to both her father and her step-father? Are the bride's parents expected to pay most of the wedding costs if the couple has lived together for two years? For the answers, turn to Good Housekeeping's Wedding Etiquette for Today (www.homearts.com/depts/relat/07wedqf1.htm) by Peggy Post, the great granddaughter-in-law of etiquette expert Emily Post. The site covers a lot of issues without being overwhelming. You can also submit a question for possible inclusion in a future column.
To find the perfect music for your wedding, the music section at WedAlert.com (wedalert.com/songs/index.htm) is definitely worth browsing. The site has compiled a library of more than 900 wedding songs, broken down by category and style. Using the free Real Player plug-in, you can listen to sound clips. There's a printable checklist you can compile to guarantee you've covered everything from the wedding's prelude to the reception's last dance. The site also includes tips to help you choose the right music for your wedding - a ceremony performed in a cathedral would require different music than one performed in a park. While browsing the lists, you can also see what the top five downloaded songs were for each category. When I discovered that Kenny G's "The Wedding Song" had nudged out the far superior "Canon in D" by Pachelbel in the prelude category, I could only pray that all those downloads were because of sheer curiosity, and not from a desire to use his song.
Today's wedding is also likely to mix tradition with a couple's unique style. OurMarriage.com has a collection of Unique Wedding Ideas (www.ourmarriage.com/html/unique_wedding_ideas.html) submitted by readers. Some postings were bizarre – one groom wore a custom-made ball cap and a tux altered into shorts. Some were practical – a couple hand-delivered some of their wedding invitations. Others were touching – one couple returned back down the aisle to escort their parents out of the church. At this writing, there were 14 pages of ideas. If your browser of choice is Netscape, don't bother visiting. You'll only see blank pages. The web site designers obviously did not test view their pages on any non-Microsoft products.
Most wedding web sites focus on the bride. BridesmaidAid.com (www.bridesmaidaid.com) provides support for the lucky girls who get to wear the ugly dresses. The site is the work of Ellen Horowitz and Joanna Dreifus, who have served as bridesmaids more than 10 times. The FAQ's cover important issues like how to save money without appearing cheap. There are tips for the bridal shower and bachelorette party, and a section of bridesmaid horror stories where plenty of nightmares about those ugly bridesmaid gowns are recanted. Lots of good info with just the right amount of humor and sarcasm.
