Town & Country articles from August 2005

Town & Country archives from August 2005

The man and his music.(Frank Sinatra)(Editorial)
August 1, 2005... I GREW UP with Frank Sinatra. Well, not exactly. What I mean is that I grew up listening to his music. His voice was always a presence in our house, and not just as background music, either; when one of his records was playing, we...

Extraordinary conductors.(Letter to the Editor)
August 1, 2005... A lifelong lover of classical music, I read the section on "Today's Top Conductors" ["Arts & Culture," April] with great interest, but I think you've overlooked a gem: Osmo Vanska, the music director of the Minnesota Orchestra. Under his...

A gem of an issue.(Letter to the Editor)
August 1, 2005... I am accustomed to the high quality T&C offers its readers, but the May issue was the best ever! As an estate jeweler, I have always found T&C's jewelry items informative, but in my heart I'm really an interior designer, and I loved the feature...

The name game.(Letter to the Editor)
August 1, 2005... I found May's "Social Graces" column ["Whatever Happened to Dick and Jane?" by Caroline Tiger] very interesting. I have never loved my first name, Carol, but at least my mother thought of pairing it with her name, Ruth. Even now, though I am...

Family ties.(Letter to the Editor)
August 1, 2005... I was fascinated by the story highlighting the Noel family's retreat, Yemanja ("Easy in the Islands," May). They really have found their paradise in Mustique. Like Monica Noel, I am the proud mother of five daughters. My husband and I recently...

Correction.(In Your Own Words ...)(Correction Notice)
August 1, 2005... In the June feature "Philanthropy: A New Breed," we misstated the 2004 operating budget for Harlem Children's Zone, in New York. The correct figure is $19 million, not $1.9 million. We deeply regret the error.

Bravo, Houston.(Houston Grand Opera's party )(Brief Article)
August 1, 2005... Golden Gala: When the Houston Grand Opera throws a party, it shoots for the stars. The company's celebratory fiftieth-anniversary weekend culminated in a gala orchestrated by Houston's own star, Lynn Wyatt, that raised $2.5 million and included...

Best of the bay.(Raising Hope Gala)(Brief Article)
August 1, 2005... Treasured Event: Since its inception in 1996, the biennial Raising Hope gala has brought in millions of dollars for the Comprehensive Cancer Center at the University of California, San Francisco. Sponsored by the UCSF Foundation, the parties...

Just beachy.(PARTIES: Valentino Luncheon)
August 1, 2005... Twice Is Nice: One of the best events of this year's Palm Beach social season was also one of its newest. For only the second year the fashion house of Valentino hosted a fundraising luncheon and runway show in the beautiful Versailles-style...

Downtime: where do a chef, a furniture designer, a barber and a lawyer-turned-clothier go to unwind? Four men-about-town disclose their favorite hangouts.(ON THE TOWN)
August 1, 2005... NEW YORK NAME: Duncan Quinn. AGE: 33. PROFESSION: Private-equity attorney who moonlights as a men's clothing designer for his eponymous shop in Nolita (8 Spring Street; 212-226-7030). BIRTHPLACE: London. FAVORITE COCKTAIL: A French 75-the...

Preserving the arctic.(Subhan Kar Banerjee's photographs)(Brief Article)
August 1, 2005... SUBHAN KAR BANERJEE is not content with merely switching tracks, as he did in 2000 at the age of thirty-two, when the scientist with two master's degrees (in physics and computer science) gave it all up to become a photographer. The India...

Ask Bergio.(Promotion)(Advertisement)
August 1, 2005... I spend most of my time designing once-in-a-lifetime diamond pieces, but lately I've been thinking about more versatile and whimsical ways to wear these iconic stones. I've been ++playing with movement and shape, adding lushly-colored gemstones...

News of the world.(IN THE COUNTRY: Nature's Nurturers)
August 1, 2005... "We have only one planet," says veteran newsman TOM BROKAW. "And the way we are using it up is of the gravest concern." Raised in rural South Dakota, the lifelong environmentalist says he "developed an appreciation of wild and natural places...

Walking the walk.(Wandering Home)(Brief Article)(Book Review)
August 1, 2005... Ever since the debut in 1989 of his treatise on global warming, The End of Nature, it's been obvious that BILL McKIBBEN (below) is a force to be reckoned with. He's a graceful, clear-voiced writer who can make you look at the environment with...

Tennessee scene.(preserving of natural, historic or cultural properties)(Brief Article)
August 1, 2005... LAMAR ALEXANDER the Tennessee senator, is quick to share the wealth of praise that he and his wife, Honey, have won for their partnership with the Conservation Fund and Tennessee's Foothills Land Conservancy, which has guaranteed the...

For a greener world: here's how several environmental activists--who are also some of the biggest names in the business world--are helping to make a difference with their hearts, minds and wallets.(IN THE COUNTRY: Nature's Nurturers)
August 1, 2005... 1 TED TURNER ATLANTA, MEDIA MAGNATE Turner, sixty-six, funnels his environmental philanthropy through the United Nations Foundation (unfoundation.org), which he established in 1997 with a pledge of up to $1 billion, and the Turner...

John F. Kennedy.(fashion)(Brief Article)
August 1, 2005... As the 1950s gave way to the 1960s, America's youngest elected president helped popularize a new look for the American man. Sporty, easy and elegant, as seen in this photograph taken aboard the U.S. Coast Guard yacht Manitou in 1962, the JFK...

Perfectly preppy.(mens clothing)(Brief Article)(Buyers Guide)
August 1, 2005... From winters in Palm Beach to summers on Nantucket, the prepster personifies an elegantly casual sensibility. He loves the bold stripes, bright colors and charming sense of whimsy found here. ALL STRIPES J. Crew silk tie ($39.50),...

Truly techie.(FASHION & STYLE: Men's Shopping Guide)
August 1, 2005... Few things earn a 21st-century gent as much respect as a certain technological savoir faire. On this page, the latest and greatest of today's smallest, fastest and lightest (not to mention coolest) gadgets and gear. WRIST WHERE Suunto...

Smart and sharp.(men's Shopping Guide)(Brief Article)(Buyers Guide)
August 1, 2005... A sophisticated mien and a cultivated mind define the thinking man's style. With its evocation of college quadrangles and cozy libraries, this look is not just for professors but also for those with a professorial air. THE UNIFORM ...

Worldly and wise.(fashion)(Buyers Guide)
August 1, 2005... International men of mystery--whether aspiring 007s or jet-setting executives--understand the importance of drinking, dressing and living well. Like the items on this page, they speak the universal language of good style, which never gets lost...

Time by design: why should a watch tell only the time? Five innovative new models and the men they're made for.(WATCHES)
August 1, 2005... FOR THE CLASSICIST Jaquet Droz's watch designs date from the mid-1700s, but their stately, old-world elegance and sophisticated complications still resonate. This little-known brand, acquired by the Swatch Group in 2000, is available in...

Summer scents for men.(BEAUTY & HEALTH)
August 1, 2005... You're lounging poolside, savoring a good book, when a whiff of... tobacco and sandal-wood? Men's dressy colognes may leave you pleasantly weak in the knees on cold winter nights, but they're overwhelming in stifling midsummer heat. For a...

Going bald gracefully.
August 1, 2005... Paul Labrecque, a New York City hairstylist, offers reassurance and practical advice to men on how to handle less hair with more panache. PHASE ONE: DISAPPEARING ACT * "We advise men who are starting to go bald not to grow their...

Tick talk: the latest on Lyme disease.(BEAUTY & HEALTH)
August 1, 2005... "Lyme disease is the great imitator, which makes it hard to diagnose," explains Dr. Struan Coleman, an orthopedist at Manhattan's Hospital for Special Surgery. "It can masquerade as an orthopedic problem or as heart disease, so when a patient...

The changing face of man.
August 1, 2005... Some men, it seems, are no longer content to wash their faces with a random bar of soap or make do with a squeeze from their wives' moisturizer tubes. They're grooming with their own products: man-engineered lines, with pumped-up names, that do...

No belly laughs.(obesity in men)(Brief Article)
August 1, 2005... For my husband, Warren, forty-eight, his paunch is more a source of amusement than concern. He grabs it with both hands and shakes it playfully. I fail to imagine a woman doing the same thing to herself. "When a woman gains five pounds, she...

Travel right.(BEAUTY & HEALTH: Must-Dos for Men)
August 1, 2005... If you're a packaphobe (our term for a guy who waits until three to five hours before takeoff to pack), you'll love--and need--MOLTON BROWN's New Age Traveller kit ($75). Its sturdy, chic leather bag houses shampoo, conditioner, body wash,...

Exercise your core.(BEAUTY & HEALTH: Must-Dos for Men)
August 1, 2005... Howard Sichel of POWER PILATES warns, "Many sports and exercise regimens don't fully address your core, a group of lower-body muscles including those in the abdomen and back." Chances are you neglected your core in your twenties and thirties,...

Groom your eyebrows.(men)(Brief Article)
August 1, 2005... If you fear overly styled, arched brows that broadcast femininity as much as red lipstick and stilettos do, eyebrow guru ELIZA PETRESCU empathizes. "No one should be able to tell a guy has had his eyebrows done," she says. And no one ever will,...

Freshen your mouth fast.(Brief Article)
August 1, 2005... In your fantasyland, you have time to read every word of the newspaper, complete every item on your to-do list, answer every e-mail and brush your teeth after every meal. Savor that dream. Then wake up and give thanks for your BlackBerry and...

Keep tabs on your prostate.(BEAUTY & HEALTH: Must-Dos for Men)
August 1, 2005... One in six American men will get prostate cancer during his lifetime; one in thirty-two will die of it. With more than 230,000 new cases diagnosed in the U.S. each year, this is the most common non-skin cancer. Staggering statistics, but...

Scene & be seen: a calendar of events, trunk shows and benefits taking place at a store or location near you.(Town&Country Promotion)(Advertisement)
August 1, 2005... Laura Munder FINE JEWELRY 18 karat white gold earrings set with Peridots and diamonds. Available at Bergdorf Goodman, Wynn & Company Jewelers at Wynn Las Vegas and select Neiman Marcus stores. Please visit lauramunder.com. JULIANA...

Men and their muses: the timeless tale of art for the heart's sake.(ARTS & CULTURE)
August 1, 2005... DANTE FIRST saw his across a crowded room in Florence in 1274: she was Beatrice Portinari, to whom he would dedicate his Vita Nuova and The Divine Comedy. George Balanchine found his nearly seven hundred years later, in a ballet studio in New...

Painted ladies: some standout portraits of the women artists love.(ARTS & CULTURE: Men and Their Muses)
August 1, 2005... RAPHAEL's La Fornarina (The Baker's Daughter), 1518-19. National Gallery of Art at Palazzo Barbarini, Rome. This turbaned, bare-breasted beauty has long been considered a portrait of Raphael's mistress. The painting's admirers have included...

Museum magnetism.(ARTS & CULTURE: Men and Their Muses)
August 1, 2005... A new crop of exhibitions illustrates the power of the muse. * Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec's lifelong obsession with the dance-hall girls of late-19th-century Paris fueled some of the most alluring works on view in Toulouse-Lautrec and Montmartre...

Cinematic inspiration.(heroines)
August 1, 2005... "Sophia was created differently, behaved differently, affected me differently than any other woman I have known," said film director Vittorio De Sica, describing working with Sophia Loren on 1954's Gold of Naples (available on DVD from Turner...

Mr. Bellow's planet.(Saul Bellow)
August 1, 2005... British writer Martin Amis has said that the quest to write the Great American Novel ended when Saul Bellow published The Adventures of Augie March in 1953. (It's the story of a young Jewish man coming of age among colorful characters in gritty...

D-Day remembered: on a trip to Normandy for the sixtieth anniversary of D-Day, a historian contemplates that momentous event.(TRAVELER'S NOTEBOOK)
August 1, 2005... WHEN THE NATIONAL D-Day Museum in New Orleans recruited me for an eight-day chartered cruise last year for the sixtieth anniversary of D-Day, I signed up eagerly. I was asked to be one of a small group of historians and veterans who would lead...

The sporty life: T&C asks four active men about their favorite athletic getaways.
August 1, 2005... Gordon Brown, kayaker and maker of adventure films who in 2004 completed a historic descent from the source of the Blue Nile, in Ethiopia, to the mouth of the Nile, in the Mediterranean, as seen in the new IMAX movie Mystery of the Nile. ...

All English seasons.(TRAVELER'S NOTEBOOK)
August 1, 2005... Hampshire, England, is Jane Austen country, and her characters would certainly have admired the 18th-century redbrick manor house with columns, porticoes and marble lobbies that is now the FOUR SEASONS HOTEL HAMPSHIRE, the hotel group's first...

Florentine crests.(antique crests)(Brief Article)
August 1, 2005... During the Renaissance, trade guilds in Florence possessed political and financial might, and each organization--like those of the innkeepers, judges and notaries, wine dealers and money changers--was identified by an emblematic shield. Today...

Maine appeal.(The Edge Of Maine)(Brief Article)(Book Review)
August 1, 2005... Part travel essay, part historical account, part memoir, THE EDGE OF MAINE (National Geographic Books; $20), by Geoffrey Wolff, is, above all, a love letter to the wild land- and seascapes of Maine, a place whose "rock-strewn coasts and myriad...

Vitra.(DESIGN TRENDS For Him)
August 1, 2005... Durable high-tech-plastic Self shelving (starting at $665), designed by the Bouroullec brothers of France, can be configured at home in an infinite number of ways. VITRA, 212-463-5150. Photographs by David Prince [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED]...

Pottery Barn Kids.(DESIGN TRENDS For Him)
August 1, 2005... Outfit your beach boys with monogrammed galvanized-metal pails ($16 each). POTTERY BARN KIDS, potterybarnkids.com Photographs by David Prince [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED]

Forge de Laguiole.(DESIGN TRENDS For Him)
August 1, 2005... Summertime steaks merit their own multicolored Wilmotte knives by FORGE DE LAGUIOLE ($575 for a set of six). At Moss, 866-888-6677. Photographs by David Prince [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED]

L.L. Bean.(DESIGN TRENDS For Him)
August 1, 2005... L.L. BEAN's FR-200 shortwave AM/FM radio ($40, in eight colors) will let him tune into baseball from just about anywhere. 800-809-7057. Photographs by David Prince [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED]

Surftech.(DESIGN TRENDS For Him)
August 1, 2005... SURFTECH'S Tuflite Stepdeck board ($859) was shaped by Robert August, who paddled his way through the film Endless Summer. surftech.com. Photographs by David Prince [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED]

The future of golf?(DESIGN TRENDS For Him)
August 1, 2005... Golf isn't the most progressive sport, but THE BRIDGE, a new course on Long Island's East End, is planning to topple that tradition. When New York financier Robert Rubin bought the Bridgehampton racetrack in 1998, he lined up Roger Ferris, a...

Ralph Lauren Home.(DESIGN TRENDS For Him)
August 1, 2005... Ralph Lauren introduces barware and accessories (from $95 for the bar tool to $395 for the decanter) inspired by his collection of vintage cars. High-test cocktails, anyone? RALPH LAUREN HOME, 888-475-7674. Photographs by David Prince ...

Broad Beach Design.(DESIGN TRENDS For Him)
August 1, 2005... The Buenos Aires table lamp ($875), in pony skin with a silk shade, nimbly rides the fence between macho and elegant. BROAD BEACH DESIGN, broadbeachdesign.com. Photographs by David Prince [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED]

Valli & Valli.(DESIGN TRENDS For Him)
August 1, 2005... Latch onto VALLI & VALLI's H 351 handle ($480) from Philip Johnson-Alan Ritchie Architects. vallievalli.com. Photographs by David Prince [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED]

Sony.(DESIGN TRENDS For Him)
August 1, 2005... SONY's DVDirect ($300) takes some mastering but allows high-quality home conversion of VHS tapes to DVDs. 800-352-7669. Photographs by David Prince [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED]

Helene Aumont Collection.(DESIGN TRENDS For Him)
August 1, 2005... The Jean-Pierre desk ($7,200), modeled after an old drafting table, has an original's charm without the rickety legs. HELENE AUMONT COLLECTION, 805-884-0440. Photographs by David Prince [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED]

Vacation from vacation.(books)(Brief Article)
August 1, 2005... Dog days alert: If this summer is starting to feel uncomfortably like last summer and the summer before, maybe it's time to plan a change for next year. Where to go? Live vicariously through the following books, which deliver a taste of life in...

Polite or passe? Has the time come for men to let go of certain long-observed manners?
August 1, 2005... ONE OF THE social graces that I was taught as an Eastern Establishment boy was to open the door for a woman getting into a car or a taxi, and I've been doing it ever since. I sprint into the streets of Manhattan to hail a cab--an urban knight...

Always in character Jeff Bridges: he plays for keeps--as an actor and as a man.(Cover Story)
August 1, 2005... WHAT IS IT like to finally meet the actor who has been your romantic fantasy for three decades? When I flew to Los Angeles recently to interview Jeff Bridges, I had that opportunity. And, over a three--hour dinner during which we talked...

Master of modern luxury Diego Della Valle: for the man behind the Tod's empire, "Made in Italy" isn't just a label--it's a way of life.(shoes)
August 1, 2005... IT WAS the late Gianni Agnelli, the nearest thing to royalty in Italy, who first wore them, in the late '70s. Hollywood soon followed suit, as Michael Douglas and then Sharon Stone were seen sporting pairs of Tod's driving loafers. When the...

The fabulous Frank: ninety years after Frank Sinatra's birth, it's more evident than ever that his career was not "just one of those things.".
August 1, 2005... IF YOU DID NOT grow up during the time of Frank Sinatra, chances are you have never made love by candlelight, walked on the Street of Dreams, known autumn in New York or had one for your baby. That ring-a-ding time was Camelot for a generation...

River wild: Argentina's Patagonia River Ranch has the grit of the wilderness, the comforts of an estancia and some of the best trout fishing in the world.
August 1, 2005... IN 1993, on her first trip to the northern Patagonia region of Argentina, Edie Gangwer ate a few berries from a yellow-flowered calafate bush. A fishing guide had given them to her and told her that, according to Mapuche Indian legend, if she...

Fashion's most elegant man Oscar de la Renta: for forty years he has honed his talent for designing--and living.
August 1, 2005... I HAVE JUST landed at the airport of Punta Cana, the sprawling resort complex on the Dominican Republic's eastern coast, having left New York City early on a cold, dreary March morning. Many years have passed since I first visited Oscar de la...

Renny's reinvention: from galas to gardens, Renny Reynolds's new career profoundly feeds his fertile imagination.
August 1, 2005... THE GRAND ENTRANCE, the indelible first impression--they're paramount when it comes to parties and gardens. Just ask Renny Reynolds, the New York events designer par excellence who now happily devotes the bulk of his time and energy to creating...

The Artful Lodger Andre Balazs: behind a handsome facade, you'll find serious substance in this savvy hotelier.
August 1, 2005... "A GOOD HOTEL," declares Andre Balazs, "has what I call content--a layering of events and amusements that leaves you with a feeling of fullness and satisfaction." With the recent opening of Miami's Standard and New York City's Hotel QT, Balazs...

Chef's night off: call it an occupational hazard. When their evenings are free, today's most celebrated New York City chefs are so attached to their restaurants, they simply can't stay away--not even when we dress them up in their favorite fall fashions.
August 1, 2005... Marcus Samuelsson | Aquavit TOTAL COOKING TIME: Eighteen years. RESTAURANTS: The modern-Scandinavian Aquavit; the American-Japanese Riingo; Henry, the restaurant aboard the World Yacht, a dinner-cruise ship, all in NYC. OTHER...

Weddings.
August 1, 2005... Mr. and Mrs. Christopher Scott Crain (Carina Bradshaw-Mack) Vero Beach, Florida Dr. and Mrs. Wayne Jay Franklin (Rachel Hajeema McNeill) Montego Bay, Jamaica Mr. and Mrs. Charles Steven Cohen (Clodagh Margaret Jacobs) New York, New...

Horoscopes.
August 1, 2005... August Leo July 23-August 23 Leos never remain discouraged or distracted for long. And this month you appear to be awakening from a recuperative catnap, shaking off the dust and springing into action. Maybe certain deals or liaisons...

Your wedding questions answered: T&C receives wedding-related queries from women and men all year; here we share a few of them. If you have your own concerns about weddings, please write to us at the address below. We'd love to hear from you.(READER MAIL)(Letter to the Editor)
August 1, 2005... I WILL BE the mother of the bride at a July wedding, with the ceremony taking place at 1:00 P.M. I've found a wonderful knee-length dress that makes me feel beautiful, but my mother and my best friend tell me that I just can't appear in...

Afternoon Chic.(dresses for groomsman and bridesmaid)(Brief Article)
August 1, 2005... Cool colors look smart at a daytime wedding. The groomsman a HICKEY suit ($1,095), an ETRO tie ($115), a HICKEY FREEMAN shirt ($150) and J. M. WESTON lace-up shoes ($1,195). The flower girl s fetching in a SAEYOUNG VU ivory silk Baby Angela...

Evening elegance.(wedding dress for groomsman and bridesmaid)(Brief Article)
August 1, 2005... Delicious fabrics and classic cuts light up the night. The groomsman looks dashing in a BROOKS BROTHERS tuxedo ($1,198), shirt ($108) and bow tie ($48) and COLE HAAN shoes ($185). The flower girl is dressed in a LUCY SYKES, NEW YORK embroidered...

Bright and beachy.(wedding costume for bridesmaid and groomsman)(Brief Article)
August 1, 2005... For a seaside ceremony, have a little fun with nautical blues. The bridesmaid is radiant in a THREAD layered white eyelet cotton dress with blue silk organza trim ($345) and JIMMY CHOO silver Go sandals ($450). Hand embroidery embellishes the...

For bridesmaids.(WEDDING PARTY)
August 1, 2005... Delicate ruching gives this raspberry Tatiana silk organza dress, by SIRI, a glamorous touch. $295; 415-431-8873. JOAN CALABRESE'S Elaine organza dress will look enchanting on any flower girl. $320; at Suky Rosen; 610-649-3686. Cut the...

For grooms.(wedding dress)(Brief Article)
August 1, 2005... This BLANCPAIN Villeret watch will ensure that you get to the church on time. $14,300; 212-396-1735. Add a little panache to your suit with BRIONI suspenders. $275; 888-778-8775. A true gentleman pays attention to every detail, from...

Something blue.(BEAUTY)
August 1, 2005... A teal garter? A sapphire necklace? Here are some subtler ways to incorporate this sentimental shade into your wedding day. ACQUA DI PARMA Blu Mediterraneo Arancia lip balm ($27), at Neiman Marcus, 888-888-4757. OSCAR DE LA RENTA Oscar Limited...

Hair candy.(hair pins)(Brief Article)
August 1, 2005... Decorative accessories will keep your hair in place and in style. REGINA B. floral side comb ($525), 212-643-2939. RENEE RIVERA pearl and crystal headband ($118), 800-797-7786. REGINA B. mother-of-pearl floral side comb ($327). PARIS House of...

Kiss & makeup: these tips from experts will keep you glowing from your walk down the aisle to your last dance.(BEAUTY)
August 1, 2005... IT IS INDEED your day to shine, and other than those magic words "You may kiss the bride," nothing will make you shine brighter than a few well-placed products. Makeup can do wonders, but if you don't know the right tricks, it can also work...

Perfect penmanship.(calligrapher Bernard Maisner's works)(Brief Article)
August 1, 2005... Master calligrapher Bernard Maisner is renowned for penning extraordinary script for social stationery. He's even been tapped to write in longhand for scenes in such films as The Age of Innocence. Until last year, his work was sent to outside...

A sparkling debut.(TRENDS & TRADITIONS)
August 1, 2005... Those intending to dazzle with their proposals will rejoice at the recent opening of the DE BEERS boutique in New York. This marks the first time the company's diamond jewelry will be sold in the United States. (De Beers LV, a joint venture of...

A fashionable suite.(TRENDS & TRADITIONS)
August 1, 2005... A Halekulani hotel executive was watching a Fred Astaire movie when the thought struck him: why not create a honeymoon suite full of old-time romance? Enter Vera Wang, the queen of bridal fashion. Opened in February at Hawaii's Waikiki...

Favorite Gifts and Wedding Keepsakes.(Brief Article)
August 1, 2005... Marina Rust Connor, novelist: My friend Schuyler needle-pointed a pair of Christmas stockings for my husband and me. The pattern was from the Victoria and Albert Museum. I don't know where she found the time. Bobbi Brown, makeup guru...

Memorable touches.(TRENDS & TRADITIONS)
August 1, 2005... Sharon Sacks, special-event planner: In a wedding I did with only fifty guests, the bride and groom thought that rather than there being one cake, each guest should receive his or her own individual three-tiered wedding cake. The gasps heard...

Say it with feeling.(Toasts for Every Occasion)(Brief Article)(Book Review)
August 1, 2005... We have all watched helplessly as a best man raises his Champagne glass to the happy couple, takes a deep breath and promptly falls flat on his well-meaning face--figuratively or literally. (Some of us may even have been that person.) Making a...

Spanish lace.(Teresa Rego's works)(Brief Article)
August 1, 2005... Years before my Spanish mother-in-law married, she began preparing her ajuar, the Iberian version of the trousseau. She was kind enough to save me the trouble before I wedded her son, last summer, by introducing me to the linen and lace...

A bridesmaid's Mecca.(Saevoung Vu's new store)(Brief Article)
August 1, 2005... Searching for a dress that doesn't sap all the fun out of being in the bridal party? Korean-American designer SAEVOUNG VU must have saved a friendship or two with her flattering creations, which include sleek taffeta gowns and flirty strapless...

His version.(Committed: Men Tell Stories of Love, Commitment and Marriage)(Brief Article)(Book Review)
August 1, 2005... Brides are always the center of attention, but in Committed: Men Tell Stories of Love, Commitment and Marriage (Bloomsbury; $24.95), the guys get their say. This witty anthology features musings on relationships from seventeen writers,...