Wedding Books

At one point in Ulysses, Stephen thinks--or says something to somebody about how you can always tell Synge because he sounds like Shakespeare. That's a jab, but a friendly one. I don't think it's intended to be far off from the truth either.

I agree that reading these plays aloud is wonderful.

In a class I took, we read extended portions of "Playboy of the Western World". The class was busting, tearing up with laughter. The play is fall-over funny even if you're reading to yourself.

I just have to say though, that the plays are for performing.

A friend of mine and I did a scene as an acting exercise for a class she was taking--it was one of the scenes in which Christy courts Pegeen Mike--from "Playboy of the Western World". The audience--about 15 people--were spellbound. We looked out at dropped jaws.
This friend of mine and I did a competent job of acting. What blew the class away, really, was the ecstatic language and the infatuation one feels for the characters, their solidity, and the dramatic electricity between them... Lines from this bit come back to me, what? 20 years later? It's like music! The action goes from high tragedy to knockabout.
Well, it's what makes the Irish the Irish.
And the play's been just as good when others did it.

"Riders to the Sea" is like a religious ceremony, similar to the way that the plays of Aeschylus and Sophocles are. They use choruses to much the same effect. The action is ritualized and repetitive. Idealized characters utter formula phrases. "Riders" sounds out some elemental terrain: it packs a deep sort of wallop. I'd love to see this performed.

These are classic plays by Irish playwrite and poet John Millilngton Synge, with the attention to language and folklore that is typical of Synge. Best enjoyed by reading the plays aloud.

My husband and I recieved the Predictionary 6 years ago and loved it. Now my sister is getting married and we had everyone at her shower fill out the questionnaires. It was a great
alternative to the usual corny shower games. Everyone loved it and my sister had a unique gift to take home with her!

Not really knowing what this was, I bought it off the shelf at a bookstore just before my wedding, almost four years ago. We had a great time filling out the booklets, and our friends and family had fun completing their questionairres. The book is sealed and put away for now... however, one questionaire did not make it in time... and on our third anniversary we caved... and opened it. We had a great time reading what my Mother-In-Law thought of us then, and how well she predicted where we might be headed (all good of course). We've since given both this and the graduate's predictionary for gifts on a few occassions. A great buy!

I received this as an engagement gift and found it to be my
favorite. I plan for me & my soon-to-be husband to fill this
out on our honeymoon. This is also a great way for friends and
family to join in on the fun.

I bought this because I wanted to do my own set of predictions cards as a game at my reception (there was no dancing at my reception), and I wanted to use their ideas. These were absolutely invaluable to greating a good set of predictions cards for my guests. I'm saving the set I bought to give as a gift to another engaged couple, and it's permanently on my list as a good engagement or bridal shower gift. These time capsules things are totally fun to open on an anniversary, and it is much more personal than the signatures in a guest book you might get from each guest. It was fun to harass my guests about their outlandish predictions.

Buy this for anyone who is getting married as a fun trinket. It will definitely be appreciated for years to come.

This book was so much fun. Inside the hard-bound package there are two soft cover books. One for you and one for your partner. Inside these books are lists of questions about what you envision your lives together to be like in the future. The questionnaire asks about everthing from kids to old age. Also included in the package are mini-surveys for you to give to the people in your lives that know and love you. The idea is that in 10, 20 and/or 30 years you both look at your own predictions and share your thoughts. Very well put together package and well worth the money.

Wow! This is a GREAT book. I wish I'd read it first. It offers practical advice on how to handle all the "stuff" that comes with being a bride. It addresses the practical and emotional things - things a lot of wedding books don't tell you about.

I was stressed with the wedding planning and stuff that comes with it but after reading this book I'm feeling much better and am looking forward to it even more. It made me laugh so much and was just what I needed. It's a breath of fresh air. I love it!

No this book is not ideas on what you should do for your wedding. It's someone on your side telling you stories from others who've been through it. You get to read short little bits about how doing certain things worked for them -or didn't.
You get advice without having it crammed down your throat.
Hysterical read.

I got this book from the library along with "Weddings for Grownups" and I must say it was a breath of fresh air of sanity and reminded me to laugh at my crazy wedding plans. My only complaint is that it is slightly outdated--there is no email mentioned...no digital cameras...and I would love it if she wrote a 2nd edition. I would buy a copy for a friend or end up buying a copy for a friend.

Despite the slightly-too-fuzzy-pink cover illustration (as others have noted), this book turned out to be a great buy. It's different from other wedding books out there in that:

1) It approaches the wedding as entirely in your hands - there are no lists of "must dos" or of boring suggestions for how to slightly tweak a traditional wedding. It's not a predictable outline of a predictable wedding. It's empowering. It tends more toward guiding the bride (yes, it's written for you, miss) to come up with her own ideas and solutions. There are plenty of creative real-life wedding stories included for inspiration.

2) It's well-written. Meaning: It feels like it was written by an actual person, for an actual person. It's funny. It's down-to-earth. It's so refreshing in this world of repetitive quantity-over-quality wedding jabber.

3) It's a confidence-booster. The main theme of this book is how to identify your ideal wedding and then how to wade through the throngs of relatives and industry salesladies to actually get it. It's not exclusively about saving money, but it's about knowing how to go about your interpersonal interactions if that's what you want.

I think what endears me to this book most is its staunch position that the purpose of your wedding is to publicly celebrate the love and commitment between you & your spouse. This is a thoughtful book designed to bring you closer to that ideal, and the fact that it's a rare find is depressing.

But don't despair. Just order the book.

Every time I started reading one of those wedding-planning books, I would feel my anxiety rising quickly to an intolerable level. "The average wedding costs over $25,000." "It is of absolute importance that you make sure no to offend anyone." etc. There were only two out of the many (15 or so) that I read that gave me a relieved feeling and called me to remember that it was really about the love, and all this other stuff was icing. This was one of those two (the other was about eloping!) Some reviewers have said that it does not contain enough information; I would say that brides generally suffer from an overabundance of "information", and most could really use the gentle call to sanity that this book offers.

In the nightmare industrial underworld of Necromunda, brutal gangs clash in the continuous battle to increase their standing with the decadent House families who occupy the uppermost spires of the teeming Hive City.

Kal Jerico thrives deep in the underhive as a bounty hunter. Though Kal is of House Helmawr and could live in the top level, he much prefers the underhive with his metal mastiff, Wotan, and the semi-companionship of two other bounty hunters, Yoland and Scabbs.

When the ruler, Lord Gerontius Helmawr (Kal's father), is assassinated, Kal Jerico is coerced (to put it nicely) into taking his place. Kal is now the target of assassins and is being forced into marrying a Spire noble. Kal has two choices: die or wed.

***** There are two previous titles about Jerico and his pals: Blood Royal & Cardinal Crimson. I have not had the pleasure of reading the two earlier titles; however, if they are even half as fantastic as THIS title is, then I would LOVE them! Even though I jumped into the series late, I never found myself lost, scratching my head in wonder, or confused. I easily immersed myself on the first page and never came up for air. This is a terrific read from start to finish by an exceptional author! *****

Reviewed by Detra Fitch of Huntress Reviews.

I loved this book for it's absolute tradition. This will show people tradition is still very much alive and kicking. Very handy tip's easy to use and doing the arrangements looks easy and won't put you off.

I enjoyed this book because of the ideas it presented for the little details ... suggestions for floral arrangements that were dramatic, beautiful, and unique. It gave examples of floral arrangements for everything from baptismal fonts to tents. I was inspired to think beyond the standard altar pieces and table decorations.
While many of the actual examples were a little heavy for my taste, I found them to really demonstrate how powerful flowers and greenery - beyond the white roses and baby's breath - can be, and how carefully chosen floral arrangements can compliment any decor and create ambiance. I recommend that anyone needing to choose flowers for a wedding - or really, any occasion - at least take a look at this book for inspiration, even if one isn't going to actually arrange one's own flowers.

I am thoroughly enjoying Shirley Monckton's book, which I happily discovered on returning from an "early honeymoon" in England, in which my fiance and I explored wonderful Gothic cathedrals and appealing parish churches. Yes, Ms. Monckton is writing for an English audience and her lovely decorations are suited more for the churches and manor houses in her country, but she has a great sense of design and lots of detailed advice for the rest of us, too. Being "florally-challenged," I greatly appreciate Ms. Monckton's experienced guidance on things I would never have considered, such as determining what the rules are in decorating a particular church or hall and who enforces them, how to keep a vertical arrangement from looking like a Christmas tree, how to prevent plastic in a basket arrangement from reflecting sunlight or camera flashes in your wedding pictures, and how long to condition flowers before arranging them (two hours to overnight . . . not the two minutes I would've allowed). Shirley emphasizes planning ahead and informs the reader which things can and cannot be completed until the Big Day. She kindly nudges the bride to delegate the last-minute work to the florist or talented friends/family members. Of the three wedding flower books I've read in recent weeks, Shirley Monckton's is definitely the best.

I found that this book was not detailed enough for beginners in terms of creating the arrangements. It focused more on the wedding day rather than the actual flower arrangements. I was looking for more of a step-by-step guide for arranging wedding flowers.

This is a cute book with lots of ideas. Doesn't have a lot of "how-to's", but does have some. Great pictures. I use this as a book for "brides-to-be". Someone always chooses something from this book.

This book is perfect for couples planning the "Cookie Cutter Same As Traditional Wedding." It is a Christian Wedding book, there are no good alternative vows, readings, blessing, or optional elements. It is a dry and boring read. It would be easier to go online and pull up "The Book Of Common Prayer Wedding and print it. The intent of the book is misleading with the title. The Title of The Book Should Read: Your Standard Basic No Frills Christian Wedding. That way readers know what they are purchasing and will be satisfied instead of disappointed.

When i purchased this book I was looking for something that would help me write a comepletly secular ceremony for my wedding. This book is not secular by any means!!! It outlines certain ways to have a ceremony based on a series of different relgions. I have certain words that will be omitted from my ceremony (god, christ, worship, covenent, etc) and this book didnt help. every passage the offer has one of these words in it. It does have about a page on civil services, so i guess its not all bad. But if you are like me dont bother buying this book, its not helpful.

too much junk
didnt like the book it was more religious and not common person stuff didnt like it.

I'm getting married in about ten weeks, and I just bought this book yesterday. I went to a bookstore (sorry, Amazon) and looked through dozens of 'wedding vow books', and found them all schmaltzy and trite. "Words for Your Wedding" is what most of the others are not -- simple, inexpensive, and completely lacking in advertisements being passed off as advice. The authors identify the most common parts of the service, and then give you alternative wordings from various Christian denominations (there is a short section on Jewish weddings in the back). This book clearly isn't for everyone, but I would absolutely recommend it for couples who are focusing on their marriage rather than their wedding.

We have used this book for some years now to assist the couples we marry in sorting their vows. Of the several books we have for this purpose, as Officiants of Christian marriages, this book has been the most helpful - for us & the couples as they choose their special words. Rather than choosing all the words a particular denomination uses, the couples have taken words from the different ones to say what best expresses them. We recommend it.

This book is chock full of little lessons, cute illustrations, and a fun story line! The text is fancy and fun. The book is sturdy, strongly-bound, and well-made, unlike some, that for near the price, feel and look as though they were made in someone's garage. My class loved how every other layout has a different QU word on it. This book is different because it allows children to learn why Q needs a vowel after her. The wedding ceremony is adorable, with interesting, witty, and well-thought out vows. Obviously, kindergarten kids COULD NOT have written a better book. This book certainly does "bring it all together" if you want to teach your youngsters why these letters are together, not looking to xerox a mock ceremony that has been around for over a decade. Our librarian supplied our library with this book and it is checked out each week. I, without a doubt, got what I paid for...high quality, great lessons, and characters that were brought to life by a talented author! Way to go, Q and U and the one who brought you to life!!!!! Superb! YOU won't be disappointed.

This story is adorable! My Kindergartners loved the uniQUely written vows, illustrations of items that begin with Qu and the underlying lesson to solve a problem by thinking it through. This author knows young children well, it is obvious. My students take turns reading the text and the teachable moments and references to classic fairy tales is awesome! We have done a wedding in our class for almost a decade, so that concept is nothing new to teachers. But to learn why Q and U are together to make a specific sound in a word is priceless learning. It is no wonder more educators choose this selection. It is so worth the price! It is not flimsy and thin. The book is over 40 pages and is printed on high-quality paper. I have given this book as gifts and the parents and children love it! Unless you have written a book yourself, it is unimaginable for critics to knock down a book that is so cute and captivating for young readers, writers, and spellers. Great job! We highly recommend this book that is worth every penny!

My kindergarten class could have written a better book. It was way overpriced. By the time I paid shipping, I spent around $20.00 for a crummy paperback book. We have a big wedding in our class for Q and U and I was looking forward to this book to bring it all together. I was disappointed.

This is a remarkable book of "altered vintage style" imagery.
Don't be put off by the title! Even if you're not getting married you will still find all sorts of ideas and images in here. Sandra Evertson's books are some of the most imaginitive, creative books on the market. Each page is a beautiful work of art in its own right!