for the married couple and guests to walk through. Some time before the wedding, usually about one month, either the bride, or her best friends, organizes a "kitchen shower" (wedding shower) with the purpose of giving the bride an intimate reunion with her closest friends. This party used to be a "girls-only" event, and was usually a small intimate party. Nowadays not only have the parties gotten bigger, but they also have started to admit men to the event. The person that is invited to this kind of party usually gives the bride something for her kitchen; hence the name "kitchen shower", and not wedding shower. The wedding ceremony and party are usually paid by the wife's family, although this is a tradition that is not always followed, understandably because of the high costs involved. Ceremony Brazilian wedding ceremonies normally follow Christian traditions closely. The bride and groom recite wedding vows to each other after a prayer is read. Then the bride and groom exchange wedding rings. These rings are usually engraved with the name of the groom on the bride's ring and the name of the bride on the groom's ring. After the religious ceremony, the newlyweds usually throw a big party were they receive the compliments from all the guests. The party usually happens in a different place, a private party house that in Brazil is called a "ceremonial." A lot of singing and dancing goes on usually after the couple dances a Waltz. Reception Receptions for Brazilian weddings involve food, drinks and music. The married couple gives gifts to their parents, while the parents bestow a number of gifts upon the couple. Another unique thing about the weddings in Brazil is a sweet called "bem casado" (well married), which is normally given to the guests on their way out. It is considered to bring good luck to the couple. Usually towards the end of the party or before the married couple leaves, the bride throws her flower bouquet to her unmarried friends. The belief is that whoever catches the bouquet will be the next one to marry. One other tradition for offering fortune to the couple is for the bride's friends is to write their names on the inner part of the bride's dress. This is also said to help the unmarried bride's friends to find a husband for them. The Brazilian culture is very rich with