Sun Lite for Feb. 17, 2003

Monday, Feb. 17, 2003 | 8:24 a.m.

Gee, thanks

So, ladies, you've been kissing the frog for a while now, praying he'd turn into Prince Charming or at least offer up a Valentine's Day present worthy of your efforts.

You wanted candy, a gem maybe. What you got was a gift-wrapped pack of breath mints and one gem of a story to sob over with your closest friends.

Bruce D. Verstandig wants to hear your tale of woe, too. The owner of website Jeweler.com is sponsoring a contest in search of female recipients of this year's worst Valentine's Day gift. The woman with the most pitiful gift will be awarded a 1 1/2-carat diamond and white-gold heart-shaped pendant.

Share your tale (by Feb. 28) via e-mail Contest@Jeweler.com or by writing Jeweler.com at 589 Fifth Ave., Suite 1202, New York, NY 10017. The winner will be announced March 3.

Engaged and en vogue

Maybe you received one of the 24,000 marriage proposals that are estimated to take place each Valentine's Day. That number is according to diamond expert Fred Cuellar, who was mentioned in last week's column as author of "The World's Greatest Proposals" (2000, Casablanca Press, $9.95).

If so, it's time to get busy with the prep work. Lisa Light, owner of a special-events planning company and the website DestinationBride.com, based in Chatham, N.Y., says more couples this year will break from old nuptial traditions in favor of customizing their weddings.

Don't bother hosting an always-popular open bar at the reception. Instead, opt for "signature drinks" developed and named for the bride and groom and members of the wedding party. A Bertha Banana Daiquiri, anyone?

This news is sure to make bridesmaids-to-be rejoice: Pastels are out. "Bold, dramatic" dress colors for the pretty maids and even brides, who may wear a red or blue gown are hot.

Also out: Receiving lines. This tired tradition bit the dust, replaced with the happy couple mingling with their guests during the reception.

Wedding-night blues?

We did say "the happy couple," right? Could have fooled the folks at the Relationship Institute in Royal Oak, Mich.

Dr. Joe Bavonese and his wife, Shirley, represent the institute, a "psycho-educational service organization" designed to help people "create healthy, passionate intimate relationships." The pair points to recent published reports that more than 40 million couples in the United States are having "little or no sexual contact with their spouses," and offer tips for reigniting the passion in marriage: