Foreword<br > hen BRIDE S Magazine reached its half-century mark several years ago，<br > we celebrated by publishing a special Golden Anniversary Edition<br > which we intended to be the ultimate BRIDE S Book of Etiquette. At that time，<br > we sincerely believed that wedding customs， attitudes and all the other aspects<br > of etiquette covered by this book， would remain fairly constant for the foresee-<br > able future. But we underestimated the current rate of evolution in this society.<br > In the matter of just a few short years， there have been such changes in the<br > wedding ceremony and the other festivities surrounding it that this new revision<br > has become an absolute necessity.<br > The inspiration for this revision comes， quite naturally， from the readers of<br > BRIDE S Magazine， who share with us both the dreams and the realities of their<br > wedding plans. Throughout these past few years， we are encouraged to learn that<br > these celebrations are becoming increasingly personal as couples seek to sanctify<br > their commitment while creating a new family structure. This BRIDE S Book of<br > E&tuette， therefore， respects not only tradition but also the needs and wants of<br > the individual. It is designed to help each couple plan a wedding celebration<br > that is both joyous and solemn . . . and filled with a lifetime of memories.<br > As a woman and man who have agreed to marry， you are about to embark<br > upon one of life s richest and most rewarding adventures. No one， of course，<br > thinks marriage is easy any longer. We have scores of bleak statistics to prove<br > that failure is possible， and problems certainly probable. And yet we persist.<br > Why?<br > Because marriage--reexamined， restructured， modernized and custom-<br > made--is the best (though admittedly imperfect) institution of total personal<br > Commitment. And without commitment， without the daily interaction of two<br > : dedicated personalities， most of us feel vaguely empty and unfulfilled， having no<br >~ distinct roots or purpose. Private agreements between loving couples are fre-<br >