Not your Mother's Bridal Shower

• Henna Parties -- At Moroccan-themed teas, a henna artist decorates everyone's hands, feet and bellies.
• Instructional Classes -- Knitting, pottery painting, flower arranging and jewelry design combine bridal showers with a lesson or two.
• Fashion Advice -- A Brazilian bikini boutique in Seattle holds private fashion shows for brides and their friends. Between sips of champagne, participants learn how to match personal style to body type.

• On The Road -- Brides-to-be are heading out to destination parties, whether a weekend in Las Vegas or three days sunning in South Beach. New Orleans and even the more exotic Iceland are popular spots.
• Group Adventures -- Women are flocking to fitness ranches for rafting, tubing and hiking, turning to the great outdoors for the last "hurrah."
• Hummer Parties -- Off-road driving on wooded trails are all the rage at coed showers.

• Cook-It-Yourself -- Breaking bread (and breaking the ice) with each other's family is easy to accomplish when making dinner together at a cook-it-yourself restaurant.
• Home Movies -- Brides and grooms are renting a small cineplex to showguests home movies and serve popcorn and other treats.
• Galleries Galore -- Couples are choosing specialty museums and galleries for an instant theme -- guest dine amid dinosaurs, Indian artifacts or contemporary art -- no decorating needed!

• Evening Games -- After the reception is officially over, couples are scheduling billiards, darts and even midnight croquet by torchlight.
• Private Lounges -- While the reception is in full swing, a private lounge -- complete with ottomans, comfy couches, a dj, and even a convection oven for baking warm cookies -- gets set up in another area of the hotel, a party space, or an adjacent tent.

• Wishful Thinking -- Celebrity event producer Colin Cowie once staged a brunch on a Mexican beach adjacent to a turtle hatchery; each guest released a baby turtle into the ocean with a wish for the newly married couple.