From Wedding Essentials editor Chris Christen, on vacation in Swittzerland:  Bachelorette parties are called hen parties in the German-speaking region of Switzerland. The tradition is for the bride and her girlfriends to put together little party favors, decorate a small wagon, baskets or pails and then canvas the city asking the public for donations to help pay for the wedding!

We saw these girls at noon and then again at 11 pm! They said they needed photos of 10 bare-chested men by midnight … So my husband and a nephew tore off their shirts in the middle of rush hour traffic to help this bride meet her goal. Fortunately those photos are on another camera card and cannot be shared at this time. Kurt looked like a streaker and Hans got giggles for his resemblance to Justin Bieber.

The dresses are from a bridal boutique in Bern. Original designs by a Swiss woman who gets her silk from Italy. Exquisitely made by hand by Bulgarian seamstresses.  The boutique is in the Old Town; which would compare to the Old Market in Omaha.

Check back for more wedding tips from Switzerland.  Our editor is abroad for a family wedding and is picking up tons of fun ideas and quirky traditions.