...Right at the moment of the first kiss, the bride turned around to see a lavish display of fireworks over the ocean. It was a surprise planned by the groom.

Don't you just love surprises like that?

While fireworks are truly a grand gesture, the newest trend in weddings today is for the bride and groom to plan surprises for one another…either before, during or after the wedding. It's that little something extra that creates a wonderful memory.

Consider the story of Patricia Froehlich, a Sarasota Florida bride who planned a very sweet surprise for her groom Alexander Klier: "Alex loves cheesecake, but I love regular cake," she says. "So when it came to choosing our wedding cake, I stuck with the traditional. Since he didn't know about the tradition of having a groom's cake, I ordered his favorite cheesecake just for him at the wedding."

From fireworks to cheesecake, your options are plentiful. Today's couples plan surprise drives to watch the sunset the night before the wedding, or they send special little gifts like a charm bracelet. They've even flown in a long-distance friend who was thought not able to attend the wedding. Yes, a person can be your surprise, too!

The key to a great wedding surprise is tailoring it to your partner, knowing what would bring the most joy. Here are just some of the most popular gestures to consider:

• A bouquet of flowers delivered on the wedding morning
   
• A single red rose on the bride's pillow on the wedding morning
   
• A single white rose (for pure love) waiting for her in the limousine
   
• Fill the bride's getting-ready room with flowers
   
• On the day before the wedding, plant a rose bush or flowering tree outside your home.
   

• Leave a surprise gift to be discovered on the morning of the wedding.
   
• Have breakfast delivered to the men where they're preparing for the wedding.
   
• Create a scavenger hunt through your home, leading to a spectacular or sentimental gift at the end of the trail.
   

• Go out for a day of revisiting the key places in your love story: the restaurant where you had your first date, the beach where you proposed, the school you both attended.
   
• Create a music CD with all of the songs from your love story: the song that you first slow-danced to, the song that was playing when you got engaged, etc.
   
• Re-create your most special meals, such as the first dinners you made for each other.
   
• Plan a midnight picnic under the stars or by your fireplace.
   
• Surprise your sweetie with a night of massage. Set the scene with candles, soft music, and a favorite scented oil.
   

• Write a romantic, meaningful love letter.
   
• Write seven love letters, one for each day of the week.
   
• Leave surprise messages on Post-Its around the house.
   

• Plan those fireworks through a reputable fireworks company.
   
• Fly in that long-distance friend or relative.
   
• Arrange for something at the wedding that your partner thought was out of the budget, like that beautiful wedding cake.
   
• Announce that you upgraded to great plane tickets for the honeymoon, or that you've booked a 5-star suite, spa treatments, a swim with the dolphins, etc.
   

Your surprises can start right now, no matter how far in the future your wedding date. Your surprises show that you care about one another more than you care about the wedding details, which is the best gift possible.

Sharon Naylor is the author of 30 wedding books, including 1000 Best Secrets For Your Perfect Wedding , and others at www.sharonnaylor.net