(4) A favorite of my creative but tasteful cake ideas had to do with the attendants' gifts. The theme of the wedding was art deco, black and white. A specially designed simple zebra striped cake was ordered for the rehearsal dinner. We had the cake designer make rolled chocolate boxes with lids that could be removed. The actual gifts were elegantly wrapped and then placed each in a chocolate box. The pastry chef finished the box by creating lovely rolled chocolate ribbons and bows wrapped around the lid and box. They were then painted in lovely pastels. After the rehearsal dinner, the waiters brought each box on a dessert plate and placed it in front of the attendant. Everyone gushed, oohed and ahhed. The bride's and groom's eyes twinkled mischievously as the guests began to cut into the dessert with their forks, only to find that as they peeled back the
covering, inside was the wrapped gift. Everyone got such merriment at the surprize. I've since called the idea, "Having your cake and eating it too!"

4. Gifts:

a) The groom should present his attendants with proper formal socks if formal attire is to be worn. Obviously this should be in addition to the actual attendants' gifts. This seems like a silly idea until you realize that many of the formal photographs with the men holding the bride up in their arms, hiking their legs up on a chair or even when all the attendants are posed for full length family and group pictures. You would be surprised how even navy blue, or thick wooly, fuzzy socks and shear fabric socks contrast in group pictures. Besides the length of the slacks, which sometimes are tailored too short (but more often than not are several inches too long!), it is the clashing of colors and fabric that stand out in otherwise beautiful group photos.

 

5. Other ways to personalize your wedding:

a). If the two of you enjoy dancing, then sign up and take weekly dance lessons. Besides the basic fox trot or waltze and learning to dance properly, why not be courageous: learn a tango or a cha-cha. Most wedding consultants and advisors are against this idea. They say you'll be too nervous, and you don't want to make fools of yoursleves in front of your family and closest of friends. I disagree. What better place to be fun and foolish than with your family and friends. In reality, you have anywhere from six months to a year as you plan your wedding. If you go to dance lessons weekly or even twice a month and learn to dance not only with one another, but with others in the class, you will have the new dance down to perfection. And why not show off? The entire wedding day is theatre anyway. That special dance is just another opportunity for the two of you to be playful and have a good time. The added gift of dance lessons (Scott Patterson, San Francisco 650 738 9580; Las Vegas, Nevada: Kim Sakren: firstdance@aol.com) is that it gives still another opportunity for the two of you to do something together. They do say that swimming and dancing are amongst the best exercises!

b). A favorite JWI wedding was that of a Greek and Turkish couple (The Wall Street Journal flew one of their editors in from New York and she wrote it up in a lengthy article that appeared on the front page of the June 26, 1987 issue). Besides ethnic food from both families, we brought in Greek nd Turkish dancers who danced first as individual groups, then together as a unity, and then with all of the guests joining in. Besides having fun, it was a beautiful symbol of two becoming one!