Wedding Books

This book contains three stories: "Reluctant Father" by Diana Palmer, "Rent-A-Husband" by Annette Broadrick, and "The Wedding Wager" by Elizabeth Bevarly. I bought it primarily for the Diana Palmer story, but I really enjoyed the other two as well. It was a great read.

I've used the unofficial travel guides for years and I usually love them so when I was getting married I decided to give this book a shot. Unfortunately, I just didn't find it very helpful. It's full of very practical suggestions but these are all common sense items which most people figure out on their own. I didn't find anything that made me feel this book was worth the read.

I love this book. I have a planner but I am finding that this book is more useful for planning the wedding. The tips and hints, the brief summaries at the end of each chapter and the little bits of facts and tidbits make reading this book very easy even for a very busy person. You get what you need to know, in a very organized way without being talked down to or made to feel you "have" to do it a certain way. And the advice is helpful no matter what kind of wedding you are planning.

Like many brides I went out and bought about 5 different books the minute I got engaged. Of all those books, and all the magazines, this is the only book I used. From the all-encompassing advice (everything from hiring a florist, to finding someone to marry you, to getting everything you want on a budget), to the great checklists. This book has the best registry checklist I've seen, as well as great tips that you won't find from other books.

This practical book is very helpful for wedding planning. My favorite part is the tips listed in the margins. "Bright Ideas", "Money Savers", and especially, "Watch Out!" point out some vitally important details that can easily be overlooked. If you want to look at pretty pictures, buy Vera Wang's, or Martha Stewart's wedding book, but be sure to get a copy of this book for the actual planning, it's a great time saver.

I began reading this book shortly after I became engaged, and continued to use it through the week of the wedding. I found this to be the most informative, logical guide around. It gave me specifics of how to proceed, what questions to ask, and tips on making it all go smoothly.
I loved this book so much, I'm buying a copy for a recently engaged friend!

This is a very thick book... and for good reason. It has photos (albeit black and white ones) or photo-rendered sketches of many potential wedding and reception venues. Each venues' pages come with the stuff you need: the seating capacity and approximate prices. There are also other sections of the book focused on vendors for flowers, etc. I recommend this book if you're trying to get a feeling for "what's out there" with regard to venues. It's a great place to start, and you'll probably feel like you've covered a lot of ground once you've gone through this book.

Wonderful book, a must have!

This has been an invaluable book during my wedding planning. When I got engaged in December 99, a girlfriend suggested that I buy the SoCal edition immediately to start finding reception and ceremony locations. I did buy it, and whipped through the whole book one evening. Sitting there reading, I quickly dismissed reception site after site and determined that the book just couldn't help me. I put it aside.

Then I started actually going out, visiting places, and realizing that it wasn't so easy to find the perfect place! I quickly realized I was going to have to work a lot harder than I thought to mesh the right church location, my number of people, and a convenient indoor reception site. So I came back to the Guide--time and again! Soon I had it dogeared and filled with notes as I reconsidered the options I'd been so quick to skip past earlier. The statistics on each site helped keep me focused and helped me and my fiance consider new places when others fell through, and keep the attributes of each place in mind. The descriptions of the reception sites are detailed, positive and generous-but-not-misleading. We ultimately booked a site listed in the Guide and are thrilled to have found it.

Now that I've moved on to choosing a photographer, I went to the Guide again. First I read through each photographer's profile in the book, then went on the Guide's website! It's so easy to use - - it allows you to jump to photographers' websites and see their portfolios, all without making appointments or driving around! I feel satisifed that I don't need to look beyond the professionals listed in the Guide, since the authors have already done the legwork in finding people with high standards and good customer service.

If you really want to explore all possible options for your ceremony, reception, and event professionals, you will love Here Comes The Guide! The hardcopy book and the website are thorough, pleasant to read, and - - most importantly - - really helpful. My mom keeps saying, "I had no idea it was this complicated to plan a wedding in this day and age!" Here Comes the Guide goes a long way towards relieving the complication!

While the bulk of the Guide is dedicated to reception site listings, the vendor listings in the back are very helpful. The listings are not mere "paid advertisements." If you read the book, The Guide explains how each vendor undergoes a thorough screening process--something even the most persistent bride likely wouldn't have the time or ability to conduct.

As The Guide states on Page 483, their process "involves interviewing 15-20 other event professionals. We call every single reference and ask about the professionalism, technical competency and service orientation of the advertiser in question. ... Those candidates who received consistent, rave reviews made it into The Guide."

Using The Guide as a starting point (combined with the internet, magazine ads, and friends' recommendations), I conducted exhaustive research of my own of wedding professionals in Los Angeles and beyond. I wound up hiring three vendors who had been featured in the Guide (caterer, band and florist, 11-11-00 wedding). All performed beyond my greatest expectations, and my guests cannot stop raving about the "fabulous," "amazing," and "out of this world" food, music, and flowers. Clearly, The Guide got it right.

So don't be fooled by the relative size of the vendor section compared to pages allotted to reception sites. The vendor section may be small because they are the cream of the crop, thanks to the Guide's legwork.

I am so glad that a friend told me about this book. I was so daunted by the search for a location for my wedding, I didn't know where to start. This book (and their fantastic website by the same name) made it really easy. They give great descriptions and the pricing information helped me narrow down the places I could afford. It saved me so much time, I was able to actually enjoy looking for a reception location. Thank you, Here Comes the Guide.

I loved all the books in this series. It really shows how even though you think everything is all messed up, God sure does know what He's doing. :o)

I regret that I bought this whole series all together with high hopes and I was severely disappointed. By this last book, I ended up just scanning through it to get the basic (lame)story line. I mean, I had already bought it so I might as well just see what happened in the end. Terrible, boring, shallow series!!!

i really loved the book, i didn't want it to end. It's funny and realistic. It's the perfect end for Ashley Stockingdale. Makes you dream and be positive about life. And if you didn't read the other 2 books, you won't have much trouble to understand this one.
It really worth the price and the time i'd wait for to read it.

I have read all 3 of the Ashley books now and am quite disappointed in the whole series. I finished the series, hoping it would improve and I would likes the books, but that didn't happen. I was expecting a good read that would entertain me and make me laugh. There were times I was entertained and times I laughed, but overall, this book left a bad taste in my mouth. I felt bad for Ashley when Emily took over her wedding, but Ashley could have tried better to take back control. The Bible doesn't say "thou shall be a doormat". Kay's crisis about the man from her past was really unbelievable. That she held onto that for 20+ years made me sick. I would have expected something much better or at least something I could believe. I know that Ashley is a California girl, but being a girl from Philadelphia myself, I was a little upset with how Ashley criticized it and saw moving to Philadelphia as almost being exiled to Siberia. Really, we still have malls here and even some upscale ones. And food other than cheesesteaks.

Ms. Billerbeck is a good author. Her books read well. I just don't like them. I don't enjoy how the characters are all overblown and rather unbelievable. I don't feel that they even stayed in character for this book. The harping on Mensa really bothered me as I am someone who in incredibly intelligent. Being smart does not mean a person cannot be a Christian or a good human being. Also, the Christian part of this book sometimes seemed just thrown in because it hadn't been mentioned in few pages or chapters. I did appreciate that the author had characters that were flawed Christians. I just wish the book hadn't left me feeling as though Ms. Billerbeck feels all Christian women need to be married and need to do it before they run out of time or options. That being said, I'm glad Ashley did marry Kevin, as this let her accomplish her major goal in life.

If you're looking for other Christian chick-lit or fiction books to read, I'd recommend books by Trish Perry, Erynn Mangum, Denise Hildreth, Judy Baer, and Dee Henderson.

As someone who is planning a wedding. I got a huge kick out of this book. It made me laugh out loud and is very discriptive i could just imagine the characters. In some aspects i could see myself in this character. I give this book two thumbs up for anyone who is looking for a good book to entertain themselves with.

This book gives great, inexpensive ideas for throwing showers. Every detail from the theme, to the invitations, to the drinks and food you serve is covered. Most of the ideas can actually carry over for birthday parties, too. Worth the purchase.

Hi, I liked this book for the ideas in it, but the author doesn't give you how to make the invitations to go along with the ideas or how to make favors to match, etc. If you are wanting more of a "project" oriented shower book, don't buy this book. This book is more of an "idea" book. Now, there's some good recipes in the back, but that's about all this book seems to be good for as far as "project" orientation goes. I would suggest a different Bridal shower book if you want projects to make. Thanks.

I bought this book just for Shower ideas - and it also had recipes! I loved it!!

I enjoy all of Karen Bussens' books. They are elegant,beautifully photographed and full of wonderful ideas. Perfect for anyone who loves to give parties, entertain, or is just creative in general. You do not need to be involved in wedding planning to need or even enjoy these books. A very good buy!!!!!

This book was very helpful and planning wedding showers and the pictures were awsome. The main reason i bought the book was for the pictures, they give you great ideas for all kinds of things. A bonus of the book is that in the back it tells you where you can buy all the products u see in the book. If youre looking to plan a shower and need help with themes, games, information, resources, then this is definitely the book for you.

This book is exactually what I need for my costuming information. The book is excelent in illiustrations and patterns.

As a director this was an excellant resource book, however my seamstresses found it next to impossible to figure out the patterns. It would take someone quite comfortable in making patterns. The directions are there and could be worked out with enough effort and trial. Still, as a resource it's great and was quite useful. The designs and details alone are worth the price.

Cary Riggs
Thomasville, GA

Good book for creating fashions of the era .And the price for each pattern was a price I could not pass up.I love the patterns and clothes of days gone past and this is no exception.

Being a costumer, I'm frustrated that there aren't enough "authentic" patterns, with the fine details that they had, being produced out there, except for the "Halloween-type" costumes. This is a great resource for patterns that have the look and period-correct construction techniques. Ms. Grimble has chosen some truly beautiful ones from real vintage patterns to include in her book. I haven't had a chance to learn how to scale the patterns up yet, but look forward to it.

This book features patterns for dresses, skirts, shirts, jackets, underclothing (etc.) for the years 1905 and 1907-1909.
It contains:
20 (patterns) from 1905
22 from 1907
21 from 1908
23 from 1909

This is a good book, well up to Frances Grimble's high standards. It contains many patterns but can also double as a sourcebook, since it contains many pictures of clothes from fashion plates. I would recommend buying it, but make sure to research these years to find out if you really want it. Remember, this is mid-late edwardian.

this is a sequel to hard man to love. the story of the sexy Hardt brothers. This is a good sexy hot read. With a love story to go with it.

It's been a while since I read such nice, well written stories. They were easy to read and made me wonder about issues like being an organ donor and how to trust after having endured a broken heart. It's my first book by this author and I'll be looking for more of her books to buy.

Angela Thirkell's long-running saga is beginning to show signs of running down at the start of the story. Fortunately she peps it up by bringing in two new characters (grandaughters of the deanery)and making the newly grown-up Edith Graham the central female character. By doing this and judiciously mixing in our many old friends we get a story that moves the chronicles along very nicely.

I have to admit that I had never heard of Angela Thirkell, even though I enjoy English authors so very much. Someone suggested that I give her a whirl, knowing how much I enjoy Jane Austen and Miss Read, Elizabeth Cadell and DE Stevenson. I landed on this book, A Double Affair, and found myself completely absorbed in the characters from the very first. This book is almost the last in a long series, The Barsetshire series, so even though I was meeting everyone for the first time and there was gads and gads of past history I was unfamiliar with, I was not lost for context.

This woman is witty! If you are a fan of Jane Austen at all, you have just got to try this author. I found myself chuckling with her interspersed observations about her characters, as if she were sitting in a cafe watching their lives unfold before her and recording it for our enjoyment. The books are kind, there is friendship and courtesy, but there's nothing "high faluting" about them.

Now I have to go figure out which book is the first and start there. There are many many books in this series, so I should have plenty to enjoy for a good while.

This book is great and the bonus CD that it comes with however you would have to buy the software but I really like this product and I will be buying the software.

I designed my wedding invitations using this book. I have almost no artistic talent, so I had my doubts. But this book is filled with so many great ideas and simple instructions that I was able to put together a beautiful design in an afternoon.
I wound up with invitations that were more original (and much less expensive) than anything I could've bought at the stationery story.
Since then, I've given this book to five newly engaged friends--they're thrilled!

This is just a teaser to get you to buy the more expensive book. The accompanying cd has almost nothing on it, just a few borders and pictures. Fonts are supposed to be available for download from the website, but they offer nothing substantially different from the Word fonts. A waste of time and money.

Now, I'm just a dude... metrosexual maybe, but still just a dude. So I don't know my @$$ from my elbow when it comes to making invitations. But this book made everything very accessible. I see some complaints about the need for additional software, but I found I could implement a lot of the suggestions using apps that I already had on my computer.

Bottom line: Friendly, well-written and full of ideas.

They should have added to the title, "With our software that you can purchase seperately." There's a cd included, big deal, just gives you a taste of what you can buy. I ended up downloading a program for free to make my invitations. There is some info on paper, styles, etc. that may be helpful, but oh, why am I trying to be nice? The title is misleading and this was a waste of money.