Wedding Books

I seriously encourage any couple of either mixed faith, culture, heritage, or any couple seeking guidance for their wedding to purchase this book. Rev. Susanna has put together a wonderful book that will put a stressed brides mind at ease. She gives you ways to deal with the stresses both large and small of your wedding. My Fiance and I are of mixed race, faith, and culture so we knew going into this wedding there would be challenges but not to the extent we have seen. Once I recieved this book I couldn't stop reading it. There are stories of both happy and sad times surrounding a wedding. I am at a better state of calmness after reading this book and want to thank Rev. Susanna for creating this book for brides like me needing help.

I'm an interfaith minister and perform about 100 weddings per year. When I saw the title, "Joining Hands and Hearts: Interfaith, Intercultural Wedding Celebrations..." I thought it would have some good reference information and practical perspectives for my ministry.
As it turns out, this is one of those books that seem to be popular today that encourages couples to conceive and write their own wedding ceremony and then find a celebrant to perform it according to their instructions.
In the real world, at least the one I know, there are very few wedding officiants who work this way. Yes, of course we try to elicit the couple's thoughts and preferences and prepare a ceremony to suit their beliefs, backgrounds and personalities. But the only celebrants I know who will simply step up and read the couple's text are the ones who are just going through the motions, for a fee.
Most of this book focuses on walking the couple through an examination of all their thoughts, feelings, and life experiences; discussing possible implications; and then planning the content of their ceremony-- none of it being done with any guidance or input from a professional (except the writer).
It has a lot of pages, and occasionally raises a good point for consideration. But I think any member of the clergy should have learned all this long ago, and a bridal couple should be doing their planning with the person they've selected to perform their ceremony, so they can benefit from the knowledge base and practical expertise.

Since we are based in the UK, I wasn't at first sure how useful this book would be to the European context but it has been a truly uplifting and empowering book, offering guidance on how to turn an interfaith wedding into what it is: a celebration of love that knows no religious or cultural boundaries. Susannah Macomb shows a good understanding of the sensitive nature of interfaith relationships, such as difficulties in articulating and managing our own and our families' expectations. The book deals with the often difficult realities of interfaith relationship while being optimistic and encouraging. By giving specific examples of how to integrate different cultural aspects into a wedding ceremony it is both a practical guide as well as spiritually nurturing.

This book truly shaped my special day. The author is tremendously knowledgeable about a wide array of cultures and rituals. I am a Black American woman married to an Indian American man. I knew that I wanted to infuse both of our backgrounds in our wedding ceremony. Her book provided all I needed to do that. We answered the questionnaire featured in her book where we were able to illustrate our feelings toward our upbringing, families, and each other. These words were then interlaced throughout our ceremony. We incorporated our families into the ceremony as well - having them take part in certain rituals and reading our words of love to them. From her book I was able to pick out the rituals that I liked the most and that I felt tied in both of our cultures the best. We poured libation, tied the knot, exchanged rings and garlands, took the seven steps, jumped the broom, and of course kissed. Her book even had a number of readings associated with each ritual that I was able to choose from. Everything was absolutely perfect thanks to Reverend Macomb and her book. Her kind human spirit really comes through. I could not recommend her book more passionately.

Rev. Macomb's book is a must not only for those who are planning interfaith or intercutltural weddings. I'd say it's a must for ANYONE who is planning a wedding b/c it is laden with wisdom, knowledge, and real compassion and emotion. There is a multitude of beautiful readings that are pertinent to various parts of a ceremony, as well as a treasure-trove of tid-bits and historical facts about so many cultures. Most importantly, the book keeps things in perspective: why you are getting married, why it is important, and what it means. The book is well organized and well written, and has an honest and spiritual voice that is both calm and soothing.

We were lucky enough to have Rev. Susanna conduct our ceremony--she is a genuine and kind person who really loves and cares about what she does, and if you can't have her actually marry you, then this book is the next best thing!

What a wonderful book. Avon Inspire impresses me once again. So far with all of their books I have read, I have loved, not just liked, but loved every single one! Previously, I have read Linda Windsor's Scottish historical series and enjoyed it, but this book is way fabulous beyond that series. I cannot wait to read the sequel "For Pete's Sake". I'm glad I own it already, but it's too bad that it's packed for the move... *sigh* Alexandera, the main character in this story undergoes a lot of stress, and a lot of real life. Through her journey with family, friends, and Christ a reader can really get pulled into looking at where their own life is with listening silently to what we are to hear. I fully enjoyed this story with the ensemble of characters, and when I thought the book couldn't get any better a bit of a mysterious twist was thrown in that was great fun as well to uncover. I really enjoyed this book, and I'd relate it to Rachel Hauck's "Sweet Caroline" and "Love Starts with Elle". It is a book that I would should just about anyone read. It's a good vacation or weekender that will make you smile and sigh with contentment.

Linda Windsor has long been a favourite author of mine, penning humourous tales of spunky women looking for love and finding mishaps and adventure along the way. Wedding Belle Blues is no exception. Alex is a heartwarming mix of independence and loyalty, the latter holding her back from stepping away from her father's domineering presence in her life. When Josh Fraser shattered her heart and their wedding vows sixteen years earlier her devoted friends, Suzie, Ellen and Jan flew in to protection mode and with Josh's sudden reappearance, her friends once again take on their guardian roles.

Wedding Belle Blues is a vibrant and fun story with plenty to love about the characters and setting. Alex learns transformation is possible and a future she thought lost may still be on the horizon, if she can get past her hurt and fear. Without a doubt, Linda has drawn me in with one story to the lives of the women of Piper Cove and it is with great anticipation I look forward to Ellen's story, a Harley riding, practical woman and absolutely no time for romance, in the 2008 release of For Pete's Sake.

It took me awhile to get into this book, for some of the same reasons as mentioned by others, the seeming "non-Christian" actions/vocubulary of some of the characters.

I decided I needed to give it another chance and am SO glad I did. About half way through, I met Linda Windsor and had a chance to chat with her. I expressed my concerns and she blushingly explained. Linda used to write non-Christian romances and has switched over to Christian fiction. She was embarrassed to admit that there were some slip-ups in her novel that she and her editor didn't catch, that shouldn't have been there. It's tough doing a cross-over novel, when you've been used to writing secular fiction. If the book goes into reprint in the future she assured me those items will be changed.

Now..for my opinion. I loved the story line. It was fresh and the two main characters fleshed out enough to feel you knew them. I enjoyed the fact that they were far from perfect and depicted some of the struggles that do go on in our personal lives. The secondary plot that centered around the heroine's father added to the depth of the story line and the last half of the book in particular grabbed my attention and kept me moving forward. If you can turn a blind eye to some of the small boo-boo's that Linda overlooked, you'll enjoy the story.

I like to read inspirational books because I don't have to worry about how clean they are, especially the language. I felt like this book pushed the envelope a bit. It had at least one actual swear word and a few abbreviations. There were a couple other things that made me uncomfortable like it was a little more sensual then was necessary. I won't be reading the rest of the series.

The first installment of The Piper Cove Chronicles from Linda Windsor shines with good writing and fun deeply layered characters.

This is the first book of Linda Windsor's that I've read, but it won't be the last. She writes with a sensitivity that allowed me, as a reader, to fully engage with the characters and see both Alex and Josh's perspectives. And there are huge hurdles in this romance. Much more than the fact that he left her with only a note 16 years ago.

While the old sparks and attraction are still there, Alex isn't willing to jump into his arms and repeat the mistakes of the past. And the characterization fully supports her reactions.

The setting is the fun Maryland Eastern Shore which Linda writes well. I could practically see the community and the real ones that surround it. There is also a full cast of supporting characters who add to the book's warmth and layering. And I have a feeling her girlfriends will find themselves in leading roles in future books.

I got this book because of the reviews. But after reading it
I had a few problems with the story. Things happen super fast between Michael & Libby. One minute Michael and Libby meet (hardly any conversation between the two) and the next he is in her bed in the middle of the night and she's ok with it, and so it goes with things happening between this two that hardly know anything about one anoher but act like they've know eachother for years (no explanation as how they got to that point). The dialogue between the two falls flat. I felt no connection between the two. It was almost boring.

I loved this book and all the "Highlander" books!! Janet Chapman is an excellent author..

I read the fourth book in the series first, as it was a current release and I didn't realize at the time of purchase it was a series. I was hooked and had to purchase all of the series. These books can stand alone, but it was also an excellent series that I would recommend.

A little insite in to the book would be nice. A small peice to read to get a feel for the book and so it would help in my decision on buying. But since i read a book by Janet Chapman before; I knew that this would be just as good as the other. When I read her books it is like a movie playing in my head while i read, because i can picture all of it. wonderfully inviting.

I just discovered Janet Chapman and I will now look for every one of her books. This is a great tale about living in the Maine woods (something about which I am familiar) and I loved every page. I had been seeing her books and not getting them, because I was kind of 'done' with the historical Scots, but I accidentally discovered that these books were about modern life (sorta) and that changed everything I felt about the whole series of books. Get them! They are great!

Each craft comes with a list of needed materials--very good. I see this as a basic 'how-to' for untrained crafters/high school wedding party on the cheap. If you think of changing some of the ideas for prom night, the real customer for this book is a high school junior

The book has some neat and wonderful creations but deals primarily with silk flowers for the crafts and it doesn't fully offer explanations or detailed instructions on some of the crafts. Most arrangements or crafts are primarily traditional older ideas, nothing with a contemporary touch for the 90's.

I'm so sorry that i didnt read the costomer review before i buy it, it is so disapointed and all what the costomer says about it is true, blus no any creative idea, this book didnt provide you with any idea that can make your wedding party special, dont waste your money on it and try to find another book.

This book had a lot of good information, especially for those in their first serious Christian relationship. As a 26-year old, who has gone through a couple of serious relationships (not as far as engagement), I found some of this information was nothing new or did not really pertain to me. The middle of the book focuses a lot of conflict-resolution. This material was not too helpful, as I haven't had an issue with this in my relationships and feel that the more mature Christian would have a better grasp on dealing with issues of personal conflict in a relationship. The most helpful parts of the book were the beginning and end. The beginning went over things that should be discussed in depth prior to marriage. The end (part 4: oneness), was insightful in its discussion of how other relationships will have to change (family and friends) once the couple is married.

My fiance and I have read this book and discussed each chapter. Overall, it is a great practical tool that helps spark conversations. It helped us realize more about ourselves and how we relate to each other. There are 2 downsides to this book. One, it could be much shorter. Some parts repeat themselves too much and could be tightened. Two, many of the stories the Smalleys tell are a little...cheesy. But, if a book can get you and your significant other to start opening up and talking about issues you haven't discussed before, it's done its job!

This is an excellent pre-marital tool. I have learned a lot and I highly recommend it to anyone considering marriage. It is a great counselor before the couselling. Our date is actually a little over a year into the future, but we both are of the mindset to have our heads as well as our hearts and spirits on straight before venturing into our life together. This books helps to outline as well as provide details of how to make rational decisions regarding the most important decision one can make in a lifetime. I caution everyone. Do not take your vows lightly. Count the cost before you start to build.

I just bought this book and read it and I love it. I'm engaged and this book really talks about relating to one's partner and how to properly communicate with one another. I liked how it talked about dealing with conflict in your relationship. In the book, they likened the fighting that couples do to a "dance", when couples fight, they push each other's buttons and get reactions that just go back and forth in a "dance". This book definitely made me think about how I deal with my relationship and how I fight with my fiance. Another point the book brought up is that you should never be against your partner in an argument, you need to remember you both are on the same side, going for the same goal (the argument being resolved!) This book made me think about how I treat my partner, I should treat him with respect because he is God's gift to me, not my enemy!! I really, really think this book should be read by everyone before they get married and divorce would be prevented a large amount of the time! I highly, highly recommend it!

Book Description: LOVE AND MARRIAGE - Getting engaged had seemed like a good idea. Now Sister Eugenia Smith wasn't so sure. She was fond of Humphrey, but did she love him? When surgeon Gerard Grenfell offered her the chance to work in Europe, she went willingly. Perhaps a break would help her think thing through, but Eugenia discovered that she was in love - with Gerard. As he was engaged to the glamorous Miriam, it was pretty hopeless. Fortunately, wedding plans can be changed.

Gerard Grenfell, Senior Consultant & Eminent Surgeon and Eugenia Smith, Women Surgical Ward Sister made a handsome couple; they belonged together; everyone could see it; surely, they should - - - or so thought Women Surgical Staff Nurse Hattie. Eugenia knew that Gerard needed: a woman who would never feel threatened by his devotion to his work and a woman who would love him to distraction. She came to realize that she was that woman. Unfortunately he was engaged to the beautiful Miriam and Eugenia would be forced to marry the frugal and demanding Humphrey.

Gerard & Eugenia appear in "Magic in Venice"; Gerard & Charles Trescomb are friends.

Paula Pryke is very popular in the industry and has the reputation of being UK's top florist. Paula designs tasteful, classic, never go out of fashion styles so you won't find anything wild or trendy in her work. Because of this, brides who lean towards classic, tasteful styles are more likely to be satisfied with the bouquets they'll find in this book.

This is definitely more of a reference book for bouquet photos and basic information and not really a "how to" book. If you're looking for "how to" books for making bridal bouquets and wedding arrangements, you'll want to check out books by Ardith Beveridge and Terri Rye. Most of their books are "how to" books filled with step-by-step instructions.

A previous reviewer states that the book's author recommends brides hire a professional florist to design at least their wedding bouquets, and that reviewer ultimately rated the book lower because of that. I make that same recommendation to my budget-conscious clients on a daily basis due to a long history of past experiences so I totally understand why Paula felt that is important enough to mention. All too often florists everywhere (including myself) get last minute, frantic calls from tearful brides or their mothers. It's the evening before the wedding and the bulk flowers they ordered online to save money are wilty and brown or not the flowers they ordered and they need to know what you have available for purchase. Ultimately, they spend twice as much as they would've (buying two sets of flowers) if they had contacted a florist in the first place. The other most common frantic call is from brides and their mothers when they've attempted to design the bouquets themselves and they are gravely disappointed at the results (typically because they don't have any formal art or design training to understand proper visual placement to make the designs most appealing, they don't know proper floral prep procedures to make sure the flowers don't prematurely wilt, and/or they don't know proper mechanical techniques and the bouquets are loose or falling apart). I wholeheartedly agree with the author on this point. It's one thing for a bride to place some simple loose stems in a vase for inexpensive centerpieces, but when the bride spends a small fortune on photographs, it makes sense to let a professional design the flowers (bouquets and boutonierres) that will appear in nearly all the photographs and be forever documented in an expensive wedding album.

The two key visual things that define a bride as a bride on her wedding day are her wedding gown and her bridal bouquet. Most brides don't make their own wedding gown (for fear of how it will turn out if they haven't had formal sewing training) so why would they make their own bridal bouquet if they haven't had formal training in floral design? It's not just about knowing how to hand-tie a bouquet -- it's about knowing formal visual design principles and floral properties (such as how quickly a flower blooms and wilts, how it reacts to other flowers and greenery that may excrete sap, how to condition, handle without damaging, etc). It really is more involved than people think so it's very easy for people to bite off more than they can chew and get into trouble, resulting in panick during one of the most nerve-racking, stressful times of their lives. As such, I don't interpret Paula's comments as a "hard sell" for floral services. Instead, I think she's simply trying to educate brides about the fact that it's so much less stressful and risky to hire a professional designer to handle at least the most important and photographed flowers of their wedding day.

It's a lovely book on choosing wedding flowers, but like all products from the Bridal-Industrial Complex, it's more about giving you a complex than giving you a wedding. Paula Pryke comes up with some beautiful arrangements, and she gives you lots of wonderful information about the history and meaning of flowers, what flowers are in season, and how to go about choosing flowers. That said, she is, as is unsurprising for a professional florist, utterly convinced that decorating a wedding is something for hired professionals to do. She says in the intro that you should, at the very least, hire someone to do the bridal bouquet, the implication being that if you do not, you will suffer ignominious failure. This is especially frustrating, since many of the bouquets she showcases for the bride are simple, classic, one-type-of-flower affairs, of purple calla lilies or roses making a wonderful impression, simply gathered in a ribbon. There is a lot of great information, but not much practical how-to. And much of what's good in the book (the seasonal suggestions) you could get from merely speaking to a competent florist, which is what she encourages you to do anyway. Save your money, or at the least, only buy this used. It's better as a coffee table book than as a resource.

Paula Pryke Wedding Flowers is a wonderful book. The bouquets are absolutely beautiful and inspiring. She provides excellent directions. Festive Flowers by Pryke is another great book.

Was a gift for my sister and future brother-in-law. Had it shipped to them, but it was never received. Sounds like a good book though.

I was hoping the focus would be on planning an outdoor wedding. I am a very detail oriented person and thought this would give me all the details I've established and then the ones I wouldn't even think of, being I've not planned an elegant outdoor event. Unfortunately my own details far surpassed what is written in this book. Most of the advice mentioned in this book is common sense. I would have appreciated a bit more info on seating, on sand, deck, grass, a mountaintop...decor, and what will work where, and what to use in place of candles (being outside can be windy), Outdoor foods, maybe some budget ideas thrown in...a disappointment, sorry

We learned so much from this book! From the insider questions to the solutions to common weather challenges, decor ideas and great secrets about which types of menu items to use and not use...this book saved us a LOT of trouble with our planning, and we now have details that we're confident about. Instead of worrying, we're looking forward to the wedding because we were so well-guided by this book! We especially loved the ideas for planning an outdoor wedding aisle, and those will definitely be a part of the wedding.

Whether you are contemplating a big bash of a celebration, an intimate dinner, or an elegant afternoon party, this book has plenty of inspiration and ideas. I bought it in anticipation of a wedding potentially planned for a barn. We moved the venue, but still borrowed many ideas from the book for refreshments, flowers, lighting and other party particulars.

This book is way short on substance (based on what it's supposed to help you with) and way long on anonymous hype. Don't buy it.