| With so many wedding possibilities available to brides these days, it's hard to know what's a "do" and what's a "don't."
"It's becoming more forgiving," says Lauren Brody, a deputy editor at Glamour magazine, whose June issue, on newsstands now, details the results of a recent Glamour.com survey in "45 New Wedding Dos and Don'ts."
Brody says an increasing number of readers are breaking with tradition in a bid to personalize their big day.
"I think some of that probably trickles down from the way celebrities have handled their weddings recently," she explains, citing pregnant Ashlee Simpson-Wentz's last-minute Alice in Wonderland-themed nups as just one offbeat example.
But, while trends for cupcakes instead of a wedding cake and professionally photographed save-the-date portrait cards are on the rise, other customs still hold fast.
"For the big decisions, our readers' taste is still pretty traditional," explains Brody of the survey results. "They don't want to just run off to city hall and they don't necessarily want to podcast their ceremony.
"The main thing that hasn't changed is that brides want their guests to have a wonderful time and that dictates their etiquette more than anything else."
TOP FIVE WEDDING DON'TS
1. Our readers told us it's definitely a "don't" to ask for cash instead of gifts.
2. One wedding planner's advice was, "Don't blow your budget on things that people won't remember or care about, like wedding party favors, which no one really remembers afterward."
3. Don't make your bridesmaids wear matching everything. It's one thing if you want your bridesmaids traditionally all in the same dress, but very few brides exist who still want their girls in the same shoes, hair and jewelry.
4. Don't drink too much. You'll have people bringing you Champagne all day. Just take a sip here and there, but pinch yourself to stay in the moment. You'll want to remember all of it. That goes for guests, too.
5. Don't worry. It's your day and things are going to go right and wrong. Once it's started, just go with it and have a great time. If you're having a good time, everybody else will, too.
TOP FIVE WEDDING DO'S
1. Wait as long as possible to take off the dress. Once it's off, the magic is over and the day is done. So, stay in that dress until the last dance is done and you've waved all your guests off, and make the day last as long as you can.
2. Do prepare if you're giving a speech and run it by a couple of friends. Remember, there are grandparents and even great-grandparents in the audience and they need to appreciate the speech as much as your college roommates.
3. For the bride, look like yourself on your wedding day. Only do red lipstick if you're a red lipstick girl, or wear your hair super-high if you feel comfortable. You don't want to look back at the photos and not be able to recognize yourself.
4. Save money by buying a white bridesmaid's gown as your wedding dress. We found a great Grecian-style long white from wedding-dress-gown.com. That's a great deal for a wedding gown and no one will be able to tell.
5. Do skip major flowers. You could spend thousands of dollars on them and, the truth is, you can achieve an ethereal look with just a few flowers and candles scattered across the table in a way that's more unique.
RAISE YOUR GLASSES
The wedding toast is often one of the most nerve-racking moments of the day for those involved. Here, two Glamour readers share their favorite toasts:
The naughty toast:
"The groom stood up and announced, 'The bride is now off the market - if anyone has the keys to her place, now's the time to hand them over.'
"Then he put a bowl in the middle of the floor, and all the men started coming up and tossing keys into it. Obviously, he had prearranged it, but it was still hilarious."
Article Sources: http://www.nydailynews.com/lifestyle/weddings/2008/06/01/2008-06-01_i_dos__donts_straightshooting_wedding_ad.html | 
