Wedding Books

A beautifully illustrated book with great instructions, but I found most projects were created with no budget in mind. When I think handcrafted I think of saving money on the project, I didn't think that was the case with this book. Great traditional ideas and instructions for decorating from cakes to veils but not with a small budget in mind. Well worth buying if you are looking for the personal touch of doing it yourself without being on much of a budget.

The ideas in this book look like they came chargin out of the 80's. I have not used it since I bought it. This was a definite waste of money.

I had an at home wedding with a small budget. I made a bunch of the projects out of this book and made everything for less than what I could buy it for (and it looked better!). I highly recommend this book if you are going for the "do it yourself" wedding.

I absolutely love this book! I'm actually 19 and getting ready to get married but didn't want to put my e-mail or anything in. I have been freaking out over how to make my own veil and decorations. This book is definately great if you are on a tight budget but still want a beautiful wedding. You can make everything from decorations, centerpieces, veils, garters, ringbearer pillows and a whole lot more. I just got the book yesterday and am EXTREMELY pleased with it. I've already started on my veil. :D

This is a wonderful book, with beautiful pictures throughout the book. I saw it the first time at Michaels. From the moment I looked through it, I knew it was a valuable source in planning a do-it-yourself wedding, or even just adding a few homemade touches to a wedding that is professionally planned. This book has a few basic ideas for each of many aspects of a wedding. There are a few ideas I'm not too thrilled about and that's why I bought an additional wedding decoration book to supplement this one. I also bought a budget book as well, to help to keep the cost low and i bought an wedding organizer, which makes it easier to keep an overview over the whole wedding planning. There are a lot of wedding planners out there, so you are well advised to study them carefully, to find out which suits best for your purposes.

Here she is again, Carnegie Kinkaid, Seattle's favorite wedding planner, but this time she is completely out of her element.

Her best friend Lily the Librarian, is marrying her long-time fiancé, Mike Graham, of the Seattle PD, but they are holding the festivities in the San Juan Islands at the organic lavender farm run by the elderly Norwegian brother and sister who raised him. This is one wedding Carnegie wants to go flawlessly, but she doesn't know what she's up against.

The first snag is in the person of her mother's boyfriend, fabulously wealthy Owen Winter, who has offered his "cottage" as a place to stay until her room at the B & B becomes available. After a hair-raising plane ride with one of Owen's daughters and a pulse-raising encounter with Guy Price, a handsome Jack-of-all-trades, Carnegie is ready to enjoy the benefits of the San Juans.

Unfortunately, that the handsome fellow isn't nearly so appealing when he's dead. She quickly uncovers his omni-sexual reputation with the locals, but because she was the first person on the scene, Carnegie is the prime suspect. To make matters worse, she is unable to reach her special friend, Aaron Gold, the reporter who had been so cruelly hurt in Idaho (Death Takes a Honeymoon) a few months earlier.

Owen's two daughters, whom she calls "The Bitch Sisters" don't make things any easier, as they see her sweet widowed mother as a gold-digging seductress. Of course she can't leave well enough alone, so by Lily's wedding day, Carnegie's maid-of-honor dress is to die for...

Author Deborah Donnelly is a skilled author who has created yet another witty, involving "Who-done-it."

I love the Deborah Donnelly series about the Seattle wedding planner. The characters are interesting and the plots are well written.

But I do get irritated by Carnegie's snarlly romance with Aaron. They do more nasty bickering than romantic exchange. It's time for Carnegie to get a new man in her life.

Carnegie is planning her good friend's wedding, which will take place on one of the islands off the coast of Seattle -- a lovely area made lovelier for Carnegie by the fact that she's staying at the fabulous waterfront home of her mother's boyfriend. The only problem is that the boyfriend's adult children are rude and obnoxious to Carnegie and her mother (things are getting serious and they don't want to share Daddy or his money). Carnegie goes for a walk and discovers a corpse -- murdered. She's kind of a suspect, and then finds herself getting the attention of a local policeman. Her boyfriend Aaron (injured in the last book in the series) is being difficult and she doesn't know the status of their relationship so she's sort of receptive. Of course, it's difficult to plan her friend's wedding when she's a suspect in this murder...

It's a picturesque setting and a quick-paced mystery. A great book to take on vacation or to read on a rainy day. I like Carnegie, the wedding planner motif, and the whole series. OK, this is a light and breezy mystery, but what's wrong with that? It's entertaining.

I have tried very hard to get into this series. I like them enough that I keep reading them as the come out, but not so much as some of the other current authors. I really wish there were more Barbara Jaye Wilson books available. She writes a good humorous book.

Set on beautiful San Juan Island, YOU MAY NOW KILL THE BRIDE has all the elements of an entertaining whodunit: an intelligent and witty sleuth, a spooky mausoleum, two snarky soon-to-be stepsisters, and a couple of dead bodies. While trying to figure out who killed gorgeous Guy Price, Carnegie must sort through her feelings about her maybe-boyfriend Aaron, deal with attentions from a cute cop, fend off an annoying reporter, and plan her best friend's wedding. The romantic ending suits the story perfectly.

I came upon this book while looking for a book to give to my flower girl. I found it ok, but too simplistic.

It is written from the perspective of Fiona, an 8 year old who has been asked to be a flower girl in her aunt's wedding. It tries to be a step-by-step guide for flower girls, but it really lacks a plot. The best part, in my opinion, is the flower necklace that comes with the book and matches the necklace that Fiona is given in the book.

At the end of the story, there's a guide for parents to help them when their daughter is a flower girl. I found this guide generally unhelpful...it simply listed the obvious. Perhaps I assume too much, but I would expect that parents already know to bring an extra pair of stockings in case the flower girl gets a rip in the pair she is wearing?

This book addresses an old age issue existing between men and women and breaks it down in a way that we all can understand. The book made me ask my own questions and gain understanding of how men and women approach marriage so differently and why. After reading the book you feel less alone in the struggles surrounding marriage and more at peace regardless of the outcome in your life.

Great book. She got me. Wish I could say exactly how I was impacted but ... I can't.

I'm so happy to read a one-of-a-kind book that gave me insights into the different ways that men and women think about marriage and relationship....stocked with humor and great visuals of what is going on between the lines of communication. I hope that I don't have to go through it...but if I do, I'll be much more prepared. Thanks!

I went through such a tough time trying to figure out why
my bf and I weren't on the road to getting married. Great book
with insight and a very helpful way to think about things and
help me put it in perspective. I realized there are a lot of
things I could learn through this process and this book was
a great start to communication with my partner.

Andrea Passman Candell's His cold Feet made me want to go out and find all people in long term relationships and shout to them: Read this and smile! Great insight mixed with humor. An easy read as well as a thought provoking look at yourself and your significant other.

Buy, enjoy and share it with your friends!

It's a good read, witty and hilariously funny in places. I can count on Fiona Walker for sheer entertainment (like going to a funny movie)! But 5 stars? I reserve that for real literature.

now i know people say fiona walker is good and all....but really the first time i read the book it really got me all confused...i must admit i was looking for a nice romantic-neaderthal kinda novel so i was dissapointed with this...but by the third time i really got into charater.
the charaters are amazing and all have their stories. my best would be tash french (obviously), the heroine in the book. in between horse racing and trying to arrage her marriage ceremony, she's really confused about her fiance because deep down she's all for the hunk, hugo. well in the end it was chaos and all with who was who....i'll stop there ...

I just finished Well Groomed, which is the sequel to French Relations. I wish there was a sequel to the sequel! It's not often that you find authors to read just because their books are fun and make you happy, but Fiona's books are just that, fun and happy. The main characters are back, Tash, Niall, and Hugo; and you'll enjoy reading which man Tash will finally choose.

Most of the time, the sequel is never quite as good as the original - not so with "Well Groomed", the sequel to "French Relations". I simply loved this book, couldn't put it down! I've read every single one of Fiona Walker's books and can truthfully say, she is now my favorite author. I like how she thoroughly develops each character - in some to the point that they reappear in another book in a supporting role.
I can't wait for her to publish more!

Without doubt, this is my favorite Fiona Walker. The only problem I had was reading it and maintaining my life. Once I started, I didn't want to stop. Yes, I did read French Relations first (was rooting for Hugo throughout) and was so happy to rediscover characters I knew and loved. This is a much tighter novel though: in plot and writing. Pure escapism so be prepared to stay up all night and re-read chunks. Loved it.

Catherine Depford is a wealthy heiress looking to marry but disturbed by some strange events. She's started hearing voices and dreaming of a Scottish man - all rather alarming when her mother went mad and eventually jumped to her death. When Catherine actually meets the man who has been in her dreams she discovers that he is courting her because she is apparently the key to mitigating a curse on his lands - where the highland chief must marry a woman from a specific family who bears a particular mark on her body. Catherine is identified as the 'Bride' of Gabriel MacBraedon's generation, only she's not instantly willing to leave England and travel to Scotland.

Gabriel has to try to persuade Catherine that the curse is real whilst Catherine's father tries to arrange a marriage for her. As signs of Catherine's possible madness stack up, events get more serious. When Catherine finds herself in Scotland with MacBraedon she realises that she might not be his choice, if it weren't for the curse, and has to decide whether she can give herself to a marriage without love to save people she barely knows.

This book was rather a disappointment. The overall plot was pretty thin with very little happening right up until the last 20-odd pages where events moved thick and fast. Neither Catherine nor Gabriel were well drawn characters with the overwhelming impression Catherine left being that of petulance and selfishness. Gabriel was a cipher of a Scottish warlord and the other characters were equally typical for this sort of book. I didn't find the scenes between Catherine and Gabriel romantic and some of the plot devices, such as her father's behaviour, seemed both unlikely and then magically convenient. This was a fairly mediocre book without anything special to recommend it, the plot device of the curse being one I have come across many times before.

Originally published for Curled Up With A Good Book © Helen Hancox 2008

Catherine Depford is a wealthy heiress and could have her pick of most eligible titled bachelors but she was confused and afraid that the madness which took her mother's life would descend on her. Catherine's fears are real as she has been having dreams of a Scottish warrior claiming her body - igniting her with passion, and voices constantly reverberating in her head chanting curses over and over when she least expects it. Expecting to follow in her mother's footsteps she must find a kind and caring man should the worst happen.

Highland chief Gabriel MacBraedon has come to London, to claim his bride. Not the woman he loved, but the bride who will satisfy an ancient curse that has dragged his clan into poverty and despair. An honorable man, he will do his duty to save his clan but in finding Catherine, Gabriel never expected to find the woman he would be able to love and cherish.

*** I've always been pleased with this author whose talent for writing sensual romantic adventures has always drawn me like a magnet when I see her books on the shelf. In THE NIGHT BEFORE THE WEDDING, Mullins sets an unusual stage with a bit of a fantastical plot. All of it surrounds an ancient curse that will either return harmony and bounty to the MacBraedon and Farlan clans, or plunge them deeper in despair - all of it hinging on whether one woman, Catherine Depford, will wed the chief of the MacBraedon clan.

Mullins ties together a neat scenario with the telling of Catherine's mother Mad Glynis, who rejected the former MacBraedon chief and ran away with an Englishman, only to go completely insane some years later taking her own life. Catherine's father never told her the story of her Scottish background and only watched for signs of madness in his daughter, hoping that he could find (buy) her a kind husband before she went mad, a man who would care for her after he was gone.

As part of Catherine's symptoms Mullins came up with a very unusual and entertaining element where Catherine began speaking in fluid Gaelic, a language she'd never heard before! This was turned into a humorous event when the only one who understood her was her maid Peg, who was basically planted in the household to both help Catherine accept her fate and aid Gabriel in winning her over.

This was a sweet and rather simple romance with only a few minor barriers towards the two leads achieving happiness. Unfortunately, while Gabriel came across as extremely kind, honorable, handsome as the devil and a perfect mate for Catherine - I didn't `feel' the love. There was plenty of lust and physical attraction, but that spark of love that sets apart a good love story from a great one was not an emotion I felt strongly. Sorry to say, this was not one of Ms. Mullins best efforts.

Marilyn Rondeau, for www.ck2skwipsandkritiques.com

I bought this book along with another (Julianne MacLean's "In My Wildest Fantasies") and couldn't decide which to read first, so I had a friend look at the amazon.com descriptions of each one and tell me which he thought sounded most interesting and he picked this one...that was about 10:00 and I didn't put the book down til I finished it at 4 am! Debra Mullins is very hit-or-miss for me; I loved "Three Nights..." and "Two Weeks With a Stranger" but couldn't get into "Just One Touch" to save my life.
Though it took me some time to really get accustomed to the odd storyline (a centuries old curse dictating that the two characters, Catherine and Gabriel, must marry or she will go mad and his clan and it's lands will suffer desolation and poverty), I enjoyed the book quite a bit-though I might say that I liked the men from Gabriel's clan almost more than I did him-I would LOVE to read Brodie and Maire's story, and would also love to see a continuation about his younger brother, etc.
Two things bothered me, though-the first is Catherine's unwillingness to accept the idea of the curse and marry Gabriel to save his clan. Unbelievable though a curse would be to accept, she is almost beaten over the head with evidence that it exists and still denies it. She admits to herself that she could just marry Gabriel anyways, that she may as well, even if there is no curse...but then still, when asked point-blank when the wedding day is, acts as if she still isn't sure and is leaning against doing so. And then after all her protestations, she gives in almost immediately, seemingly just because she feels as though she has betrayed the hospitality and good will of the clan.
The second thing that really bothered me was the ending. Catherine's father has been against her marrying "that Scot" for the WHOLE book-even rejected him at gunpoint when he asked for Catherine's hand. It was therefore understandable for him to try to kidnap her after finding that she had already married Gabriel. But he gave up SO easily when chased after, rather in an abrupt "I've seen the light" manner. And the conflict with Jean-though I didn't want it to be drawn out or anything, it frustrated me that after as much rancor as Jean had against Catherine, she gave in so easily. Basically, the end of the book seemed like what happens a lot, I think-the author spent a lot of time developing the story line and building things up and then they get to the end and either run out of time or run out of energy, because it just seems rushed. We have the climax where the curse is broken and then it feels as though the author is racing to finish the book, and we lose out on a sense of closure.
All in all, a good read, but I dunno that I'll put it on my "keeper" shelf.

Catherine Depford is shocked when Gabriel MacBraedon informs her that because of a curse, she is to be his bride. As chief of his clan, Gabriel has always known that once Catherine was found, he had to make her his bride or the clan would suffer. Her mother ran away from marrying a MacBraedon Chieftn and the curse drove her mad. Now Catherine finds herself hearing voices and she is forced to accompany Gabriel to the Highlands. As they travel together, Catherine begins to fall in love with Gabriel, but will he ever view her as more than just his duty?

I love Debra Mullin's historical romances. She has always been a "must have" as soon I see her books on the shelf. However, I have to say that I was greatly disappointed with The Night Before The Wedding. The story started out wonderful, a curse, two people who must marry to satisfy the curse and sparks flying around them every time they are together. But from there every thing seemed to fall apart. When Catherine travels to Gabriel's home, the woman that Gabriel wanted to marry, Jean, lives in the family home, and it comes across clearly that he still has strong feelings for her. Gabriel and Jean have scenes together that ruin the story that was begun in the beginning and cause the ending to feel rushed and unformed. By the end of the book, Gabriel went from being a hero that I adored to one that I was very ambivalent about. Readers who are looking for historical romances should definitely pick up Debra Mullins older books. Two Weeks With a Stranger and Three Nights are not to be missed! But truthfully The Night Before The Wedding is not what I've come to expect from Debra Mullins and I can only recommend that readers give it a pass.

Melissa
reviewed for Joyfully Reviewed

Catherine Depford, when she turned eighteen, began having
dreams of a handsome young man in Scotland. Catherine
was hearing chanting voices from an old woman, and
Catherine feared she was going made just like her mother.
When she was six, Catherine's mother told Catherine to mine
her eighteenth birthday, when the curse of the Falans will fall
upon you. Then, she turned and leaped from the window onto
the cobblestone street below. Catherine's mother, a Farlan
was to married Highland Clan Chief Gabriel MacBradeons but
instead ran off and married an Englishman.
The Farlans and the MacBraedons were cursed. Their crops
withered and their cows gave no milk. Their lambs were born
with two heads and did not live a week.

Gabriel MacBraedon, Highland Clan Chief, went to London to
bring Catherine back to Scotland, so they could get married and
rid themselves of the curse. Catherine's mother broke the vow
and married an Englishman. The price shall be a daughter
born of Farlan blood to wed their MacBraedon Chief.

Catherine attends a Ball and across the room she sees this
handsome man that she's been dreaming about. She thinks
she is going mad like her mother. Catherine decided to go
into the Garden to get away and to be alone. Gabriel follows
her into the Garden. She sees him and says,
"You cannot be real" Oh yes, I am real. I am in London looking
for a bride. I am Lord Arneth. Catherine didn't know anything
about the curse nor has she been to Scotland to visit her
mother's family.

Garriel MacBraedon, Highlander Chief Clan, Lord Arneth decided
the only way to win Catherine was by English rules. There were
steps to be followed in wooing this bride. He asked, Mr. Depford
for Catherine's hand, to be his bride and return with him to
Scotland. Mr. Depford told Gabriel to get out and that he was
not taking his daughter. The next evening, Gabriel went to
fetch Catherine and wrapped her in a blanket which he put on
his horse and rode like the wind back to the Highlands.
There were some twists and turns in the last several chapters
when Catherine was kidnapped by her knight in shining armor!
I wasn't certain in which direction the author was going
with the plot.

The Night Before The Wedding its very different from Debra
Mullins' usual anecdote. This book was about historical and
Paranormal. I thought that the two interwoven very well, and
The paranormal wasn't pushed to where it would become
unbelievable. I really liked the characters, Catherine and
Gabriel as they were a Perfect match. I didn't like Jean and
how she treated Catherine when she to went to Scotland.
She had her own agenda. Jean in the end came through.

I highly recommend!

This is a very useful book if you plan on making your own wedding flowers. It has clear step by step instructions. Another useful, and inexpensive book is: "Creative Wedding Florals You Can Make by Terry L. Rye" I daresay that with these two books, you could start doing flowers for friends and so on. They are slightly different, but both are very well done and helpful.

This book is full of great information. It is easy to read and definitely not boring like most PR books I have read.

This book is excellent! The information matches and adds to my experience as a published author. I only wish I'd known about it before I published!

I am a first-time author and your book most certainly help me to sell and promote my book. The title of my book is "Redemption & Deliverance."
Dutchess Taylor

I am an author with a book due to be released November 2007. This book without a doubt is well written, full of insider information as well as information from an author's perspective.

I constantly refer to the book (hence the bible reference) and reread sections that may help me at whatever point I'm at in my marketing campaign. It is an empowering book for those seeking the best publicity, marketing, and venues for their creative works.

Ms. Warren's book has educated me regarding the importance of ME being present in my book's life!

Adrienne Zurub
Author of,
'Notes From the Mothership ~ The Naked Invisibles'
[...]

The Savvy Author's Book Publicity is a guide to help authors make the best use of their book publicist and publicity opportunities. The author, as professional publicist, has seen first hand a lot of the mistakes that authors make when promoting their book. Often in an attempt to help their publicist, they actually hinder their efforts. The Savvy Author's Guide gives authors ideas on ways that they can work with their publicist to make the best use of his or her skills. This book also gives tips on how to make the best use of any potential promotional opportunities and what to do once your publicist starts to focus his or her attention elsewhere.

The Savvy Author's Book Publicity is somewhat unique among books about promotion. Many such books focus on the things that authors can do to promote their books themselves. Rarely do these books mention anything pertaining to publicists beyond a sentence stating find a good publicist. However, this book states in a straightforward way not only what you can expect from your publicist but also how to actually use his or her skills to better your promotional efforts.

I made gift bags for my bridesmaid and included these cute books - I've always been a fan of little books like this, so it was perfect for me to give.

I have to laugh at some of the reviews expecting "truly practical" uses for a bridesmaids dress. Attention bridezillas: no matter how beautiful you think the dresses are, they aren't! So stop taking you, your wedding and your ugly bridesmaids dresses so seriously and add some humor to the event, your bridesmaids will appreciate.

And, if you find that spending under $20 on a bridesmaids gift is too much as one reviewer wrote, do yourself a favor, cancel your wedding, because friends that are willing to put on an ugly bridesmaid dress, buy you shower and wedding presents, deserve to do it for someone that is willing to thank them properly and a gift of under $20 doesn't even begin to say thank you to these women for being a part of your special day.

This book will bring a smile to anyone that has ever worn a bridesmaids dress. I look forward to my bridesmaids using this book to ignite some creativity of things they can do with their dress now that the wedding is over. In fact, I think I'll be disappointed if they don't do something outrageous with the dresses!

Remember, above all your wedding should be about your deep love for one another, and celebrating that love--in other words HAVE FUN! This book will get your bridesmaids on the right start.

I bought his book to give to my bridesmaids as a gift. It is really cute. It's not meant to take seriously though. Very funny! I guess you could use some of the idea in the book. I hope they like it. My mom thought it was a cute idea. I also recommended it to a friend of mine who is getting married the week before me.

I wish I had seen some of the reviews on this website before I wasted my money on this book. I was expecting 101 practical ideas and felt so ripped off when I read the book...which took about 2 minutes. Definitely not the book to get if you want useful suggestions.

I gave my bridemaids this book at the my bridesmaid brunch. We began to read through it. Other tables were looking at us because we were not doing a very good job of not laughing outloud. One of the better humor books I have seen for this topic. Helped me enjoy my wedding even more.

A great gift for past bridemaids too.