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Bridesmaids

Bridesmaids

Date: Mar 12 2010

Themes: Romance

Grammar: Present Perfect Tense

Intro

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2. Read and Prepare - Read the introduction and prepare to hear the audio.

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Being a bridesmaid can be fun, but it can also be a nightmare. It’s great to stand up with a friend or relative you care about and support her at her wedding. But bridesmaids also have a lot of responsibilities, from helping to plan the wedding to keeping the bride calm and relaxed on the big day.

And then there’s the dress. Bridesmaid dresses are known for being unflattering and expensive. Some dresses are prettier than others, but if there are several bridesmaids who all have to wear the same dress, it’s sure to look bad on at least one of them.

Marni and Beren have both been bridesmaids in the past. But they’ve also been to weddings where they didn’t have to be bridesmaids. Find which they prefer.

Dialog

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2. Study - Read the dialog again to see how the vocab words are used.

Beren

Beren

Marni

Marni

Beren:  This summer, there were a bunch of weddings. My brother got married, my cousin got married, friends got married. Have you ever been in a wedding party?

Marni:  I have, yes. I have indeed, and it’s…it’s OK. You know, I actually, it’s funny you say that, because I was actually at quite a few weddings this summer as well, and I wasn’t a bridesmaid in any of them. And you know, part of me was like, OK, well, these are good friends, and should I get my feelings hurt because they didn’t pick me? No, because honestly, it’s kind of…I don’t know. It’s kind of a hassle, you know?

Beren:  Totally. I went to my…my really really good friend got married, and she didn’t ask me to be a bridesmaid and then later she’s like, “I was gonna ask you, but I didn’t want you to have to deal with everything that the wedding party was going to have to do.” And I was, like, grateful. I went to her bachelorette party, it was awesome.

Marni:  Right, right.

Beren:  And she was also a total bridezilla, just went crazy with stress, so I’m glad I didn’t have to deal with that aspect of it.

Marni:  So the bachelor/bachelorette party. I was actually just at a bachelorette party two nights ago. Super fun. We went to, you know, we actually had a hotel room downtown and then we went to a few bars and went dancing.

Beren:  Awesome. Did it get out of control?

Marni:  It didn’t get too out of control. The bachelor party got out of control.

Beren:  Oh.

Marni:  But uh, that seems to be expected.

Beren:  Par for the course.

Marni:  Yeah, exactly.

 

Grammar Point

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Quizzes

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Lesson MP3

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Discussion

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Both Marni and Beren have been to a lot of weddings recently. But they weren’t in the wedding party at all of them. They agree that in some ways, it’s more fun to not be a bridesmaid at a wedding. Being a bridesmaid can be a hassle, especially if the bride turns out to be a bridezilla.

Sometimes people’s feelings get hurt if they don’t get asked by the bride to be in the wedding. It can be difficult for the bride to choose who her bridesmaids will be if she has a lot of close female friends and relatives. Usually the bridesmaids walk down the aisle in front of the bride in the wedding and wear matching dresses. They also help the bride plan the wedding and throw her a bachelorette party.

Have you ever been in a wedding party? Is it common to have bridesmaids at weddings in your country? Have you ever known a bride who acted like a bridezilla?

 

Comments

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baraniii

baraniii

Iran, Islamic Republic Of

they talk very fast :(

05:38 PM Nov 12 2012 |

wwongsapun

wwongsapun

Thailand

Yes. I ever been in a wedding party, The culture of my country, bridesmaids is not difficulte about to prepare for party.

12:12 PM Jun 15 2011 |

Tosya

Tosya

Russian Federation

2 max_srs - I understand what this word means, but just cannot find appropriate russian translation Smile

01:10 AM Apr 15 2010 |

Marcelolic

Marcelolic

Brazil

Oh yes I love weddings party mainly to eat a lot! hahaha :P Humm Here in Brazil we don't have this custom to have many bridemads in a wedding party…What occurs is we have the presence of pairs godparents wedding and a pair of children who usually take the alliances for the grooms,that's it ;)

11:56 PM Apr 07 2010 |

masoud2009

Iran, Islamic Republic Of

yes.Last month I was in a wedding party but i wasn't bridesmaid.

actually It's not  common  to have bridesmaids.but a close relatives of bride help her espically

hes sister or her  cousins.But they didn't call it bridesmaid

08:09 PM Mar 18 2010 |

iwori

iwori

Japan

I've never heard of bridesmaids and bachelor/bacheloretter party. As they say, bridesmaids might be a kind of husstle role. In my country, brides ask their the closest friend to prepare wedding party. Only one friend!

Bachelorette party sounds fun:) I hope I'll have a party like that when I get married.

 

03:59 PM Mar 18 2010 |

kukuka

kukuka

Ukraine

Last year, I was at two wedding parties. Bridesmaids aren't common in my country. A bride usually has one bridesmaid here… What was the next question?

02:29 PM Mar 18 2010 |

rosendo

rosendo

Mexico

wow , it's cool to be in a bachelor party bcs here in mexico the husband's friends  make the party could be in a night club or in a friend's house. but the most interesting in the party are the barbies's show , bcs one of the husband's friends has the duty to hire them. and then all is aweson Cool

10:13 PM Mar 17 2010 |

Ellen_gaeng

South Korea

In Korea, it's not common to have bridemaids at weddings. i have been wedding party. i sang a song of celebration.

02:50 PM Mar 16 2010 |

susan0101

susan0101

China

wedding i think it‘s horrible,u spend money,time,invite people and give them a wonderful show,,i'm bride but it's nont my party ~X_X, it's a hassle

06:38 AM Mar 15 2010 |

Tosya

Tosya

Russian Federation

Does somebody know Russian translation of the word "bridezilla"? I am curious to know Smile

02:35 AM Mar 15 2010 |

YaMaPY

Saudi Arabia

Hi Cool

how are u

08:00 PM Mar 14 2010 |

Grace W

Grace W

Canada

YES!!! I like wedding party, and I'll become very emotional on that day.. XD

12:47 PM Mar 14 2010 |

dearpesar

dearpesar

Iran, Islamic Republic Of

in iran it's common to be bridegroom and that's fun.

12:38 PM Mar 14 2010 |

dannyoko

Mongolia

i dont like be bridemaid, better make marriage with my husband

07:49 AM Mar 14 2010 |

sadness hero

Lebanon

in my country bride have arest all the wedding day and her relatives do every thing for her thats better( i think)

09:04 PM Mar 13 2010 |

sadness hero

Lebanon

i think that hassle make my angry i could not sleeping in hassle

what abuot others?

08:59 PM Mar 13 2010 |

alhgag

alhgag

Libyan Arab Jamahiriya

i don like weedings .

in fact i don't  have  any relationsips because it's my life

07:33 PM Mar 13 2010 |

bbc_princess

Iran, Islamic Republic Of

No, never ! But I'd love to .

In fact, it's not common to have bridesmaids at weddings in my country !

 

03:17 PM Mar 13 2010 |

luoliwa

China

it's  great! You can speak english fluently. I am proud of you!

02:57 PM Mar 13 2010 |

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