Now that wedding season is in full swing, I am sure many readers will find their summer weekends are quickly becoming filled.

Modern weddings seem to be taking on a whole new form, a monstrous form at that. A bride and groom will not just monopolize one or two days, but often plan a whole weekend of events that they assume should take precedence over everything else that is happening in their guests' lives.

And if you are in the wedding party, then you better prepare yourself for the obligatory expectations only worsen and heighten. OK, I will admit that my tone thus far has sounded less than pleasant and even a bit judgmental, but maybe that is because when it comes to things like this I am much more of a simplistic girl. Nothing about the thought of me being the center of attention for a day, yet alone a weekend is appealing. In fact, it makes me nauseous.

I luckily have never had to be in a wedding that became out of hand, but my sister definitely has. In fact, when the movie "27 Dresses" first came out my 11-year-old nephew jokingly and, of course, perfectly timed commented, "That's just like you Aunt Steph." She is going to be standing up in yet another wedding, but this time I could not help but find the bride's take on the bachelorette party refreshing.

Instead of the age-old ritual of having one last night to sow her wild oats before making the big plunge, she decided that instead they would celebrate by kayaking down the Chicago River.

When I first heard about it, I was taken aback for the simple reason that somehow I always seemed to associate kayaking with a mountainous region and a place nowhere near Chicago. It was an ignorant assumption at best. When my sister came back she was singing this business' praises and already expressing a desire to try it again. Her only complaint was that her arms were shaking and her hands were a bit callused and blistered from the intensity of rowing 5.5 miles. But she assured me that the physical pain was a small price for such an enthralling experience.

It was more than just adventurous, the tour guides even provide you with a history lesson. You get to learn all about the beautiful buildings, historical landmarks and events that make our city so amazing. Their services extend even further than that to private lessons, rentals, adventure race training and adaptive programs. Besides that they have fireworks and social club paddles, skyline and architectural tours, and even kids' programs. You can rent their kayaks on not just the Chicago River at 1501 Magnolia and Clark Park, but also on Lake Michigan on both Montrose Beach and Leone Beach.

If you happen to have kayaking on your "bucket list" like I do or are even a bit interested, you can find information on it at www.kayakchicago.com or call and ask to speak to Dave Olson, the owner and one of the ACA Certified Instructors, at (630) 336-7245.

The opinions are solely those of the writer. She can be reached at nini85@sbcglobal.net.