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27 Dresses

English, baby!

27 Dresses

Date: Apr 23 2008

Themes: Fashion, Romance

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Intro

1. Learn Vocabulary - Learn some new vocabulary before you start the lesson.

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

How exciting! Your friend is getting married! And you get to be a bridesmaid! Well, you wouldn’t think so if it was the 27th time one of your friends asked you to be a bridesmaid. You’d probably be pretty tired of planning bridal parties and buying expensive dresses and wondering when it will be your turn to get married.

Being a bridesmaid can be a lot of fun, but it can also be a strain on your patience, wallet and time. When Mason and Amanda talk about the movie 27 Dresses about a woman who is a bridesmaid 27 times, it brings up a little bit of frustration.

Dialog

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

Mason

Mason

 Amanda

Amanda

Mason:  The whole concept of the movie, right, is “always a bridesmaid, never a bride”...

Amanda:  Yeah, ouch.

Mason:  It’s like someone took that old saying and made a movie out of it. Is that really true?

Amanda:  It’s true and you know what’s really hard about that is the financial implications associated with that. It’s not only the heartache of being right there by your best friend who is the bride over and over again, you’re dropping cash for the dress, the bachelorette party, the shower. People don’t even realize that. So imagine going through that 27 times.

Mason:  Huh. I don’t know that they covered that in the movie, but that would be interesting. I was even gonna ask, is it such a big deal to be a bridesmaid? What are the responsibilities? How does that even happen? You ask your best friend to do all this stuff for you because anyone else would kill you by the time they’re done?

Amanda:  You know what I don’t understand is what the criteria is for choosing your maid of honor. That’s what I don’t get. Because, to be honest, I’ve been a maid of honor for someone who I really was not close to. So, why?

Mason:  Maybe you were the responsible one.

Amanda:  Maybe I was the responsible one.

Mason:  Maybe they needed someone who can get stuff done.

Amanda:  Maybe I was the only one who could afford do this lavish shower and bachelorette party for her.

Mason:  Oh…

Amanda:  Maybe she wanted someone that looked like me next to her in photographs. I’m just saying. I’m just throwing that out there.

Mason:  You were like the rich nanna? Like, she totally just cozied up to you because her rich nanna was gonna give her the pony?

Amanda:  I just think it’s weird having been a maid of honor and then the wedding came and after the wedding I never hear from her again.

Mason:  There’s no bitterness there.

Amanda:  None at all. I’m just saying. Just putting it out there.

 

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Discussion

Mason explains that the movie 27 Dresses is an extreme example of the old saying, “always a bridesmaid, never a bride.” He asks Amanda how often that happens in real life.

She’s not sure, but being a bridesmaid 27 times sounds pretty expensive to her. You usually have to buy a fancy dress and put on a couple of parties for the bride. Mason asks if that’s why your head bridesmaid, or maid of honor, is usually your best friend. No one else would be willing to do all that stuff for you.

But Amanda says that she was a maid of honor for someone she wasn’t all that close to one time. She’s not sure why she was selected, but after the wedding she never heard from the bride again. Mason senses that Amanda is a little bitter about the situation but she denies it.

Have you ever been a bridesmaid or a best man? Is there a role for the best friend of the bride in the wedding customs of your country?

 

Comments

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winnie_11

winnie_11

China

My good friend will get marry on May 2, first ,  she asked me to be her bridesmaid , but I have sth to do on that day! It is petty! But I really want to be.

04:02 AM Apr 25 2008 |

195854255

195854255

United States

Haha, I ever been a bridesmaid for one of my friends. And the wedding is quite interesting, exciting and lively. And the bride was kinda shy….

I also been a bridesmaid my my sister. She was beautiful that day. And now, she is living a happy life with her hansband and two kids. 

04:00 PM Apr 24 2008 |

purple_bloom

India

Once won't be bad i guess, instead it'll be fantastic but 27 times, that just don't happen in real life….. And i must say this lady must be really brave to do it again and again while she kept counting…... Way to go gal!

10:17 AM Apr 24 2008 |

studiousCroatina

Germany

ps.does somebody know, why my picture isn't shown here? thanks in advance

08:44 AM Apr 24 2008 |

angelusp

angelusp

Burkina Faso

I never be a best man but I mean that it is gooq thing. That is the best present that we able to do with some friend.

08:41 AM Apr 24 2008 |

studiousCroatina

Germany

I'm gonna be the chief bridesmaid for my friend in July 2008 :) and yes, I agree there is really a lot to organize, the bachelorette party (in Germany you commonly let the bride-to-be do sth, she can make money with e.g. sell small things on a vendor's tray etc.) and the games to play at the wedding…and you prepare gifts as a marriage newspaper etc. and before that you go and buy the bride dress with her, help in chosing the church, the restaurant etc. and on the wedding day you decorate the church and the cars of the guests (with a white strap)...

but all in all I am really looking forward to being her maid of honour :) We are really very good friends and yes, I like to do all this for her :)

08:36 AM Apr 24 2008 |

mickey aguirre

Panama

It seems to be be exciting! maybe i would like to being a bridesmaid for one night, no more. It's too difficult!!

08:38 PM Apr 23 2008 |

mickey aguirre

Panama

it seems to be exciting! Maybe i would like to being a bridesmaid for one night no more!! it's too difficult!

 

08:36 PM Apr 23 2008 |

SÉRGIO

SÉRGIO

Brazil

i prefer to take part of the party as a guest!!

07:23 PM Apr 23 2008 |

SÉRGIO

SÉRGIO

Brazil

The best part of a wedding is always the parties!!!

07:18 PM Apr 23 2008 |

InSiDeRz

Peru

i only can say nice movie lol

07:00 PM Apr 23 2008 |

Nguyen Ngan Ha

Viet Nam

I think that being a bridemaid is quite interesting. Laughing

05:30 PM Apr 23 2008 |

Ono

Ono

Hungary

I wanna be a maid of honour in a dress like a dream.:)

04:13 PM Apr 23 2008 |

Simagirl

Simagirl

Brazil

In Brazil, all the bridesmades have the same importance. About the brachelorette party, some bride's friends help to make it. The bridesmade don't have to wear a dress similar to the bride's one.

01:47 PM Apr 23 2008 |

Nhi_VN

Nhi_VN

Viet Nam

I did see this film, it is really amazing, humorous with a happy end to the bridemaid. Finally she took the main role in her wedding – a beautiful bride. And you know she had 27 bridemaids! Each bridemaid wore again the dress which they had worn in their own wedding.

Actually in Vietnam, the bridemaid is not really necessary any longer. She may be the bride's close friend or sister. The bridemaid will bring the wedding cake. The bridemaid may bring on a good feeling to the bride, a person the bride can rely on if something wrong happens. Not as in the film, the bridemaid does not need to wear the same style of dress as the bride so she will not drop cash for dress. Important thing:  bridemaid should not be prettier than the bride :-)

 

 

01:37 PM Apr 23 2008 |

kaushalyats

Sri Lanka

Do you know what is the reason behind for having a best man or bridesmaid. It is because if something happenned to bride or bride groom just before the wedding or even after the wedding , best man or bridesmaid should have to become other party's partner.

12:28 PM Apr 23 2008 |

kaushalyats

Sri Lanka

Do you know what is the reason behind for having a best man or bridesmaid. It is because if something happenned to bride or bride groom just before the wedding or even after the wedding , best man or bridesmaid should have to become other party’s partner.

12:28 PM Apr 23 2008 |

bowish2006

bowish2006

Saudi Arabia

no commentsLaughing

10:30 AM Apr 23 2008 |

doris zhao

doris zhao

Canada

     27 times ,it's great! but i think it never happened in fact, in China, the braidzmade almost is the braid's best friend ,and the braidzmade never droping anything, for example dresses and do on.all which been braid offer to。it's luck, 27 times, if you really have 27 good friends.

10:05 AM Apr 23 2008 |

_Anastasia_

Russian Federation

I have never been a bridemaid. And don't want to. I want to be a bride ))

09:10 AM Apr 23 2008 |

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