CLICK & DOUBLE CLICK: WITH JUNE NEAR, WEDDING BELLS ARE RINGING ON THE INTERNET

CYBERTIP: Interested in learning more about the Internet? SEMissourian.com is sponsoring a free one-hour lecture introducing the Internet on May 29. On June 5, hands-on training sessions will be held from 10 to noon and repeated from 7 to 9. The hands-on sessions cost $5. To register, fill out the registration form on page 9A of today's paper or call us at 573-335-6611. Only about one-third of the slots remain in the hands-on sessions, which are limited to 24 each. We can handle more than 125 in the general session.

It's May, almost June, and wedding bells are ringing on the Internet.

When you type in weddings on Yahoo, you'll find hundreds of choices from wedding planning to gowns to honeymoons to bridal humor.

Frankly, we feel a little out of the loop here. We're both longtime married folks, nearly 30 years between us.

Peggy: But you're so young, Joni.

Joni: All I can say is child bride. Maybe a good place to start is an established magazine that caters to brides and wedding planning.

http://www.modernbride.com

Peggy: Choices from the magazine include: wedding planner, fashion and beauty, honeymoon planner, tip of the day, etc.

Joni: Let's look at the Tip of the Day: Keep up with your thank-you notes. If you stay current on them before the wedding you won't be forced to write a hundred notes the night you get back from your honeymoon.

Peggy: They give you advice on planning your wedding like a pro, setting your budget and Beauty 911.

Joni: They have an interactive calendar, customized for you based on the date of your wedding. The bride's name, e-mail, etc. is required. Information on the groom is optional. Let's say I'm going to renew my vows on my anniversary, Feb. 14.

Peggy: Look you're already late. They recommend planning 18 to 24 months ahead.

Joni: I should have already planned the reception, drawn up the list of guests, selected the dress, veil and accessories and bridesmaids' dresses, and picked a photographer. Obviously, I'm clueless on this. Mark and I eloped.

Peggy: They don't know reporters very well either. We never plan anything two years in advance. Although the advice is good, the timetable seems a bit of a stretch.

Joni: Let's look at Beauty 911. "Help, I stayed too late at last night's party and now have puffy eyes. What's best?" They say splash icy water on your face at least 20 to 30 times. A foolproof plan according the magazine.

Peggy: The honeymoon planner helps you pick destinations and plan a budget. Most honeymooners are following the sun, according to this magazine -- Florida, Hawaii, Mexico, Jamaica.

Joni: For those thinking about tying the knot, check out The Knot, Weddings for the Real World.

http://www.theknot.com

Peggy: The site choices include decisions, details, grooms, honeymoons, dressing up, beauty, girls and guests, love, gifts and the nest. They have recommendations for first dance songs and hot wedding presents. They also offer a planning calendar. They have recommendations, like rent a cell phone for a day.

Joni: Let's take a look at Grooms and Guys. This month, it's a story by a groom who felt he was somewhat invisible. One of his groomsmen had told him that a wedding is 50 percent for the bride and 50 percent for her mother. After seven months of planning and the big day, he agreed.

Peggy: Interesting that he signed his name. The honeymoon may already be over.

Joni: The site has a lot of information, but it does run a little slow. Perhaps that's because of a crush of wedding planners.

Peggy: You can also chat with other planners or join other Knotters. You get a no-cost membership that allows you to search for others with similar interests or the same wedding date.

Joni: Celebrate global bliss at Way Cool Weddings every week, a truly different look at weddings.

http://www.waycoolweddings.com

Peggy: Every week they highlight someone's wedding. This week it's Amy and Ben from St. Louis.

Joni: You can learn 19 ways to be offensive at a wedding. These really are offensive: Show up with a baby and claim he belongs to the newlyweds. Cover yourself with glue to improve your chances of catching the bouquet. As you move down the reception line, spit on every person.

Peggy: The page is designed for adults, and some suggestions can't be printed in a family newspaper. Let's just say that indeed some of the suggestions are pretty offensive.

Joni: Most of the information we found on the Internet is geared for brides, but one site is dedicated to the men. Find a man's perspective on engagement and the big event

http://www.ungroomd.com

Peggy: The opening page explains: Marriage is a three-ring circus ... engagement ring, wedding ring and suffering.

Joni: They are counting the number of American men who have tied the knot since the first of the year, more than 912,000 and rising.

Peggy: You can register for a free pair of tennis shoes, learn the history wedding rings, find information on marriage and share a dose of reality from married men around the world.

Joni: You get lots of facts and figures. For example, more than 16 million people buy engagement rings each year at an average cost of $1,500.

What's your favorite wedding site? E-mail us at clicksemissourian.com

See you in Cyberspace.

~Joni Adams is managing editor, and Peggy Scott is graphics editor at the Southeast Missourian.