Explain to your guests in the e-mail that the ceremony, such as a wedding, bar mitzvah, anniversary dinner, baptism, etc.

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So Ms. McRee, a 22-year-old who lives outside Austin, Texas, scheduled her larger wedding for the following Saturday, Dec. 15, and planned her rehearsal dinner for Dec. 12 and turned it into a small, casual wedding for just close family and friends.

WSJ: Two Weddings: Etiquette Advice for Bridal Couples Having Two Ceremonies and Receptions

Whether you are asked to give a toast at a wedding, say a few words at a birthday dinner, nail a sales presentation, or speak to the student body, might as well shoot for the stars.

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Princess Charlene wore the tiara during a gala dinner that was the final event in the two-day celebration of the royal wedding.

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