Teenagers

tips. Boys usually deliver newspapers, mow the lawn or wash cars in the car wash.
All teenagers have a car , they get it from parents in the age of 15 or 16 (Fe in Texas is age of 11 or 12). Children must pay for insurance and gas which can be really expensive
Dating
Boys and girls usually start officially dating around their 16th birthday, because they are old enough to drive. First date can be going to bowling or to the movie. Movie theatres are very popular in USA. It is outside the city in a large grassy area with a big screen. People stay in the car or take sundeck chairs (=skládací sedačky)
Common kind of dating is Dutch treat = each person pay for itself.
If you don't want to go on the date alone (just one pair), you can invite your best friend and her partner and make double date
In USA is very easy to get contraception (=antikoncepce) without recipe and most Americans have sex before 16.

When you are really in like with each other and have decided not do date anyone else, you are going steady .In colleges there is a custom to change between each other pins (=špendlíky) from your fraternity or sorority. It means they get pinned

Engagement
Man propose (požádat o ruku) a girl. Engagement is usually 18 months before the marriage. The couple becomes fiancé (=snoubenec) and fiancée (snoubenka). They celebrate this event in small family circle with parents of both. Both parents announce the engagement in local newspapers, They get there the CV (Curriculum vitae) of fiancés and also write the exact date of wedding
In Church can be only 2 weddings in the day (one at the morning and another in afternoon. You must book the church 18 months in advance. Then it begins large preparations for the wedding….

Wedding
You can have your "big day" anywhere you want and you can be married by anyone you want.
The most traditional (and most typical too) wedding takes place in church = church wedding. You are married by the priest or the vicar. But if you don't want to have your wedding in a church, you can choose :
 Rose garden - it's very popular, the ceremony takes place under the gate of roses
 On Shakespeare festivals - they wear renaissance costumes.
Civil marriage - is takes place in civil offices or anywhere else. You can be leader of the ceremony (like priest in church wedding) if you fill in the register. This person is responsible for registering the wedding in register office. The wedding is not official if it isn't registered.
Wedding dress
Many women make their own dress. Most women never think of renting a wedding gown (=pronajmout svatební šaty) , but you can buy or borrow it. The wedding gown is usually white and made of silk and lace. The bride has a veil (=závoj) on the face.
The men wear black trousers which are pin-stripe (the stripes are grey ), black tail coat (jacket with 2tails = frak) and waist coat (=vest) under it or tuxedo (=smoking, long jacket without tails) and top hat.
The groom and his bestman(=svědek) are dressed similar
The bride has several bride's maid (=družičky). They wear the same gown as a bride (or in same colour)

There are held 2 parties one week before wedding. For groom and his friends (men) is there a stag night (=pánská jízda) and for bride and her friends is there a hen night. They all celebrate the end of the freedom and drink a lot
Wedding ceremony
When the couple is leaving the church , people used to throw rice.
Procession
The best man makes the first toast (=přípitek) and has a speech. Then speak fathers.
It is tradition for bride to wear something old( usually some jewellery from grandma) , something new (wedding gown), something borrowed and something blue (=garter = podvazek)
There are some traditions and wedding customs which are kept :
 Throwing of the grater - at first the bride sits down and the groom lifts up her skirt and it plays seductive (=svádivá) music. The groom takes off the grater. Then the bride turns over and throws the garter. If the man catches the grater, it means than he will get married soon.
 Throwing the bouquet - the women are eager (=horlivý) to catch it. They make the next couple
 Cutting cake - all quests participate it. The cake has usually 3 layers (=tiers)

New couple is called new livest. Friends tie cans on the string attacked to the exhaust pipe of the car. The new livest leave immediately for their honeymoon

Quickly wedding
In Las Vegas or Reno in Nevada you need for wedding just one piece of ID (identification), birth certificate and 40 dollars . NO blood test and medical test as on regular wedding. In wedding chapel you can rent a gown, tuxedo and lend bouquet and you may buy the rings there.
You can also get married in your car. You drive in wedding chapel.