Weddings may be bigger, longer and pricier, and while most of their traditions have been surprisingly stable, here are four possible casualties of the trend toward ever-more-lavish events:

1. One dress per bride

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Economics have demanded that, once a bride dons her wedding dress, she wears it for both ceremony and reception. Increasingly, however, trend-setting celebs are bagging the big white gown for something they can dance in.

When she wed Marc Anthony, Jennifer Lopez wore a beaded Chantilly lace Vera Wang for the vows and a minidress to elicit wows at the reception.

Actress Selma Blair switched the pale pink Karl Lagerfeld gown that she wore to her ceremony for an identical style in black for dinner and dancing, and R&B singer Kelis changed from a green Matthew Williamson gown into a silk chiffon Matthew Williamson cocktail dress.

2. The rehearsal downer

Ah, the eternal awkwardness of the formal rehearsal dinner. Virtual strangers thrown together in a room, then anchored to their seats behind an array of glassware and silver.

Who wants to spend the evening working their way from salad fork to dessert spoon when they could be limboing with the future in-laws?

JustMarry.com reports that casual post-rehearsal get-togethers are emerging as a way to mix it up. "Backyard barbecues, clam bakes and luaus are festive, fun settings that encourage conversation and make it easier for parents, siblings, extended families and friends to get to know each other," the Orlando-based Web site says.

3. Wedding night jitters

Remember the quaint tradition of bride and groom changing from gown and tux into less formal clothing, then leaping into a car trailing tin cans?

Code blue on the getaway car! More couples are opting to leave the reception with friends and continue the party at nearby nightclubs.

"Our value systems have changed so much," says Boca Raton, Fla., wedding consultant Deborah McCoy. "The majority of brides and grooms are cohabitating before marriage, so the mystique of the wedding night is gone."

4. Doing guests a small favor

"Favors have gotten a lot more expensive because people are just tired of the things you get at proms, and everyone's got the little silver frames," says Sharon Naylor, wedding consultant and author of 23 bridal books.

Among the new-style favors mentioned by Naylor and other wedding experts: iPods and iPod accessories; buffets bearing different kinds of brownies or truffles, with boxes or bags for filling on the way out; a display of cookies, made from family members' treasured recipes and labeled as such; make-your-own fresh flower arrangements; and a pair of Krispy Kremes tucked in a takeaway box.