STORY:
Millennium eve ceremonies top wedding trend '99

Internet wedding resource unveils what's hot and what's not for couples marrying this year

Marathon toasting sessions are in; garter and bouquet tosses are decidedly out. Chino-latino food and cocktails are hot; puff pastry and champagne are not.

It's a new year, and as time marches down toward the Millennium, 2.4 million U.S. couples in 1999 will march down the aisle toward matrimony. How will they say, "I do?" From its front-row seat as the industry leader, The Knot, the #1 online wedding resource and gift registry, has a unique vantage point on what's in and what's out among today's modern to-be-weds. An inside line with the wedding industry's top designers and planners, as well as daily contact with hundreds of thousands of engaged couples, help The Knot keep a finger directly on the pulse of wedding trends as they happen.

According to Carley Roney, The Knot's founder and editor-in-chief, and author of "The Knot's Complete Guide to Weddings in the Real World," weddings no longer fit the traditional, cookie-cutter mold. "Now that couples are footing at least part of the wedding bill themselves, they're taking the reins and changing (or downright breaking) the rules. They're choosing to express themselves by integrating their heritage, their personalities and their passions into their celebrations."

But even with all that individuality, says Roney, she still sees certain trends emerge each year. The following trends top The Knot's list of wedding "hots" and "nots" for 1999:

• HOT: Millenium weddings NOT: Medieval weddings
• HOT: Chino-latino & cocktails NOT: Puff pastry & champagne
• HOT: Lace & plunging necklines NOT: Trains & tiaras
• HOT: Platinum & pink NOT: Gold & hunter green
• HOT: Ethnic wedding rituals NOT: Fill-in-the blank vows
• HOT: Bridesmen & Groomsmaids NOT: Even teams of attendants
• HOT: Bouquets of berries & grasses NOT: Roses & cascading ivy
• HOT: Behind-the-scenes candids NOT: Formal portrait sessions
• HOT: Marathon toasting sessions NOT: Garter & bouquet toss
• HOT: Blow-the-bank wedding bands NOT: Bride & groom gift exchange
• HOT: Swing & big band NOT: A DJ & the Macarena
• HOT: Donations to charity NOT: Tulle-wrapped favors
• HOT: His 'n' hers engagement rings NOT: Surprise proposals
• HOT: Work of art wedding cakes NOT: Over-the-top dessert tables
• HOT: Adventure Travel NOT: Niagara Falls
• HOT: Camping gear & power tools NOT: Blenders & breadmakers

DATE: 1/27/99

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