segment of the community is aflutter with calligraphers and florists.To  college graduation dresses avoid stiff competition for limos, canny brides booked their conveyances moments after agreeing to proposals.After all, the Class of '12 has had dibs on designated driver-mobiles since the previous September.Wedding reality shows such as Platinum Weddings, Bridezillas, and Say Yes to the Dress have raised the stakes within what was once an earnest exchange of vows.Whereas young ladies of yore showed their domestic skills through stitching samplers, the execution of a kick-ass wedding is now the hallmark of feminine virtuosity.contemporary weddings often have more in common with Olympic opening ceremonies than the start of life together as husband and wife.Wedding planning remains, largely, the domain of the female half of the equation.Young women and their mothers devote the equivalent of the operating budget of a third world country in preparing for the event.The time that it would take to qualify as a notary public is committed to attention to nuptial details.Yes, a wedding is like a final exam for every social convention in the modern world and many people take these matters very seriously.I was married in the backyard with my sister Nancy as my only attendant, so my perspective on these things is entirely academic.Weddings and marriages, in my view, are distinct from one another.If big weddings were any indicator of enduring marital bliss, Charles and Diana would be having their 31st anniversary this July, and the Kardashian-Humphries union would have made it past day 72.But when the question arises, females are encouraged to tackle the occasion with all their resources.Flowers, rings, party favours: there is slavish attention to all.Quartets, DJs, first dances, beef, chicken, or dove, as in the release thereof.So very much to think about.This increasingly popular dove release thing is something I puzzle over.Considering that the wing'ed symbol of your love may end up in a downtown alley, pecking at the remains of a Happy Meal, it seems like this is a metaphor that could stand further examination.That it's the bride's day is an uncontestable truth, although the Mother of  cute graduation dresses the Bride is often the final arbiter in the proceedings.It seems odd that as fewer couples actually marry, weddings themselves have grown to epic proportions.There's been a fair bit of tinkering with the vows, but the overall event hasn't been streamlined; it's been force-fed a Big Gulp of commercialization.This is one of the few chances in life to say what's in your heart, to pontificate on life, to write your own Desiderata, as it were.Despite that, this one area of the Big Day seems to be the least thought out.You can expect that at some point in the proceedings the parents of the bride will be commended for having produced such a fine feminine specimen.The bridesmaids will be thanked for allowing themselves to be photographed in lavender organza.The best man will cover off a variety of praises, hosannas and emails.If you're lucky, the speeches will be heartfelt and moving.In many people's estimation, a memorable wedding rides on the delivery of at least one good speech.Done well, the tissue-less should be dabbing their eyes with the edges of the rented tablecloths.And to the woman who raised such a noble young man, would you all please join me in raising a glass to the Mother of the Groom!Within the traditional structure of the speeches, the groom's parents are often silent place holders.Historically, they got off scot-free in the financial responsibility for the affair, so it could be argued that they hadn't earned the right to hold forth.These days, however, both sets of parents often share in the expense, or the couple themselves host the event.It would seem fair to offer a nod to the woman who taught the groom how to floss, who insisted he put the toilet seat back down, who demonstrated the hinge mechanism of the dishwasher door.If the MOG has done her job well, the chances of the marriage achieving altitude improve considerably.This might be a nice opportunity for the bride to express her appreciation for the civilizing influence contributed by his mom.I'll  graduation dresses for 8th grade take it from here, but thanks for all your hard work, thus far.You can bet the Mother of the Groom has a few thoughts to share.I was at a wedding a few weeks ago.It was a lovely affair with games, photo booth, and all the now usual bells and whistles.What made it memorable to me, however, was that the groom's mom spoke.What she said would warm the heart of any bride.The freshly minted Mr.had been living in the Far North where they both had their first real jobs; she was teaching and he was working as a pilot.In the months leading up to the wedding, the groom had been first to arrive on the scene after a crash of a Twin Otter.One pilot was already dead.Her son, who had extensive first aid training, had spent a half hour doing his best to keep the surviving pilot alive until medical help arrived.Sadly, that pilot died also.The young man was grief stricken.When his parents got word of what had happened, friends asked if they would be heading up to be with their son after this distressing episode.The mother of the groom recounted her response: No.The only person he needs right now is already with him.Of all the weddings I've attended, and of all the speeches I've heard, this will be my favourite.but I think effort is better spent on a few well chosen words and placing a box of tissue on every table.Last spring, the first collection of Sudbury-born designer Dennis Merotto made its debut and a year later, is thriving in stores, carried by Holt Renfrew and by a slew of womens boutiques coast to coast.If it's fared far better than most Canadian labels maiden voyages, that may be because Merotto is an atypical new Canadian designer: he's been quietly, you might say invisibly, designing for other people's labels for more than 25 years.When we met in his Toronto showroom one morning this winter,