Wedding Books

This book gives a quick overview, but lacks detail. For example, the section on bridesmaids has one page per decade, each page with three or four short paragraphs and one illustration. Other information is rather general: the section on vintage wedding flowers is a list of flowers that were popular from 1910 to 1950, with no breakdown by decade. Why not include more specific information, such as the fact that when Grace Kelly was married in 1954, she carried a bouquet of lilies of the valley and a small bible? There are decent suggestions of things to consider when planning a wedding with a period feel (i.e. if you want someone to design a period wedding dress for you, find someone who knows what he or she is doing), but they don't go into more detail than one might expect in a magazine article, assuming one could find an article on the topic. The glossary is for the most part a pointless waste of space. For example, it contains definitions like "boot: men's or women's footwear that covers the foot and part of the leg" and "short sleeve: a sleeve length that comes to the middle of the upper arm." It does not include definitions of terms like "tarlatan," which are actually used in the book, such as in the reprinted 1949 directions on how to make a nosegay bouquet. (In case you are wondering, tarlatan is a kind of open-weave muslin/cotton organdy that has been stiffly starched.) I have no doubt that someone who needs to have "chiffon" defined (which is included in the glossary) would also need to have tarlatan defined.

More potentially useful is the list of historic venues for weddings. The list is quite scanty (I know for a fact that there is more than one suitable venue in Iowa) but might serve to jog one's memory to think of more in one's own area. It appears to have better coverage for sites in California.

This would be a good book for someone with a general desire to have a wedding with a vintage feel, but who doesn't have a handle on what kind of things were fashionable in different periods. Someone who already is interested in a given period (particularly if that interest lies in fashion) probably already knows most of what is in the book and probably knows where to look up everything else. Might be useful as a starting point in the early planning stages.

You don't actually need to be planning a retro wedding to enjoy this book. If you have a photo of your mom, grandmother, or great-grandmother at her wedding, this book will give you a good idea about what was going on behind the scenes. It's a fascinating look at the fashions of the day, and how they changed over the decades.

If you're planning to wear grandma's wedding dress and want to make your own wedding true to the period, this book will give you the low down on what undergarments and shoes work with the gown and how the veil should be arranged.

It was fun seeing how the wedding cake evolved over the first half of the 20th century. The author even includes cake recipes for each decade - and the basic cake recipe did change! It was amazing to learn that a bride in the 1910's may have made her own cake a day or two in advance, and by the 1940's she may have baked the cake, but would have taken it to a bakery to have it professionally frosted.

The information about the flowers is also very interesting. There are lists of flowers that were popular through the years, with some flowers remaining in favor. So a bride in 1910 or 1950 may have carried lily of the valley and orange blossom, but bouquet construction definitely went through some changes. For the nosegay type bouquet the author includes a diagram of how the base is put together that you can try yourself, or take to your florist.

For each decade, there are color palettes that show you how the popular shades changed for the bride, groom, and bridesmaids. There are representative menus for the reception. There are song lists of the popular music that would have been heard. There are even examples of how the invitations were worded and printed, plus the "at home" cards.

There is a nice section of material on how the groom's fashions changed as well. This includes a section on the current formal wear, or uniform or suit - plus diagrams of how to fold the pocket handkerchief and how to make the appropriate knot for the tie.

The book is simple, but it does include a lot of detail covering a 50 year period. It will satisfy your curiosity about grandma's wedding pictures, and it's a great place to start researching for your own retro wedding.

This book is great! I picked it up to get some ideas to create a period wedding. This book has information on everything I could think of from attire, to recipes, to color palletes. It's a must-have for anyone thinking of planning a vintage wedding. It even lists sites one might want to check out for a wedding location and all the information is up-to-date. Check it out!

I enjoyed reading from the perspective of each character - ladies connected to the bride one way or another. Each woman is going through a different phase in life. You have the aunt of the bride, the grandmother of the bride, a friend of the family's, the bride's best friend, and the bride's soon-to-be sister-in-law. All have their "angst" that day. It shows how weddings bring out the stress in people, particularly with this one being a "grand" event with the fussy mother-of-the-groom being an "everything in life must be perfect" kind of woman. I felt privy to the day's events - like a fly on the wall.

At their best, Melody Carlson's stories are crisply written and filled with the kind of realistic, mind-grabbing plots that force readers to keep reading just one more page. Unfortunately, this "quieter" story by Carlson is the opposite of the above description. "On This Day" chronicles the intertwined stories of five seemingly unconnected women who attend a lavish wedding while struggling to come to terms with their separate issues. Aunt of the bride Elizabeth feels certain that her marriage is quietly crumbling, grandmother Margaret confronts her mortality, bridesmaid Ingrid questions the wisdom of her engagement, sister-in-law Laura struggles with feelings of inadequacy in the face of her husband's wealthy family, and family acquaintance Suzette hides fury over her husband's affair behind an impeccable appearance.

While each of their stories began promisingly, and were potentially the sort of situations that could easily have crafted into compelling reading, somehow each fell flat. One glaring problem, especially as the novel continued, was the amount of repetition. Each woman's problem was discussed so thoroughly and continuously that I often felt like skipping a few pages to get to a part where something fresh happened. Yes, I know that these detailed revelations were meant to draw the reader deeply into each woman's mind, but in this case, the tactic failed too often. Furthermore, these separate yet connected stories often slowly wound their way toward a sadly weak conclusion. Suzette had a snobbish, dramatic nature that could have made her one the most interesting characters, but her storyline fizzled out in a hasty way that seemed almost purposeless. Elizabeth's worries at first evoked sympathy, yet after being so "built up" but ultimately so tidily resolved, they seemed slightly silly. Ingrid's story had satisfying twists and in general, a resolution that would satisfy most readers. Laura's honesty was refreshing throughout "On this Day," although her story suffered some of the same "tidy resolution" problem that Elizabeth's had. As for Margaret, her quiet, sweet wisdom made her a loveable character (and one had to enjoy the small surprise she received at the end of the wedding day).

"On This Day" just doesn't come together as a truly engaging novel. The premise of strikingly different characters thrown together for a single day was intriguing, but was not fully developed, and while flashes of Carlson's best writing occasionally emerged, she failed to craft the kind of captivating plotlines that made previous "Finding Alice" and "Looking For Cassandra Jane" the kind of books that I carried with me until I finished them. Solidly average and unfortunately forgettable, I can only give "On This Day" 2.5 stars.

Melody Carlson's latest novel tells the story of one young couple's wedding day from the perspectives of five women at different stages of their own marriages.

From a young woman newly engaged, to a grandmother recently widowed after almost 50 years of marriage, Carlson craftily weaves together the five women's stories over the course of the wedding day as the women meet, interact, and share their life experiences.

On This Day is a lovely story that is all at once interesting, touching, insightful and thought-provoking. Readers will find themselves easily engaged by Carlson's characters and hoping for a happy ending.

Melody Carlson is a freelance writer and the author of many works of fiction, including Finding Alice and Crystal Lies.

Armchair Interviews says: The perfect summer read.

The adept and talented Melody Carlson (FINDING ALICE, CRYSTAL LIES, HOMEWARD) turns her pen to this contemporary romance about the multi-generational struggles of women that coalesce at a destination wedding in ON THIS DAY.

The point of view of each chapter rotates among several interesting women of varying ages and stages in life. Laura Fairbanks is a frumpy schoolteacher and brand new mom who married the groom's brother David three years ago and has found she doesn't fit into her in-laws' high-powered, wealthy world. Rife with insecurities, the elaborate wedding for David's brother Michael makes her question her own simple lifestyle choices. Elizabeth Anderson is the middle-aged aunt of the bride who is bitter toward her handsome husband Phil because she believes he is interested in a young, attractive divorcee. Women will identify with her frustrations over getting older while wishing she'd just stop complaining long enough to give her husband a chance to explain (which would ruin the tension, of course, so never mind).

The hard-drinking Suzette Burke, middle-aged wife of the groom's boss, is there to keep up appearances and cast a watchful eye on her husband Jim's romance with his secretary. Ingrid Campbell is the cute maid of honor who, caught up in Jennifer Simpson's wedding plans, has gotten engaged. Now, eying one of the handsome groomsmen, she questions her impulse. Readers will love bride Jennifer's grandmother, Margaret Simpson, whose own nearly 60-year-old marriage ended with her husband's death a year previous. Her sweetness, wisdom and vulnerability will help the other women as they sort through their various issues.

It takes a few chapters to get the hang of the novel and fix each character firmly in mind. That said, the joy of this book is Carlson's smooth switches back and forth from various distinctive points of view, and her ability to keep each character from turning into a caricature. Suzette has our sympathy because of her philandering husband, but we shake our head over her own grasping, selfish ways and embarrassing drunken episodes. Ingrid comes across as young and uncertain, but trying to figure out the right thing to do. We want Laura to stop whining, but any woman whose ever had a baby will reluctantly remember how it felt to be postpartum, complete with leaky breasts.

Although the wise sage Margaret's generosity and willingness to share her own imperfect life story changes the lives of some of the other women, she still has her own battle with hopelessness that isn't resolved until the very last pages. This makes for some nice plot tension. Of all the characters, perhaps Elizabeth deserves the least sympathy and the most impatience. (Just talk to your husband, Elizabeth! Puh-leeze!)

The choice of a wedding setting is perfect, since what woman doesn't re-evaluate her marriage or dating relationship when attending another woman's Big Event? As Margaret says, "I suppose weddings do that to us, make us remember when we were young brides." The faith touches are extraordinarily light and fit seamlessly into the text. Carlson also throws in a few nice twists that will catch the reader by surprise, and doesn't feel that she has to tie up the loose ends for every character. This is a fun, enjoyable read that should appeal to women of all ages.


--- Reviewed by Cindy Crosby. Contact Cindy at [...].

What would happen if you were able to follow five unrelated women around for a day as they attend a grand, expensive wedding at a remote mountain lake resort? Well, if you were Melody Carlson you would write a delightful book about it called On This Day, which completely immerses the reader into the thoughts and feelings of each woman.

Elizabeth's beloved niece, Jenny, is getting married, and she is determined that nothing will spoil Jenny's day. Elizabeth's worries that her own marriage is falling apart and that her husband is having an affair, but confronting him today of all days is definitely out. When Elizabeth is assigned the task of making sure high maintenance Suzette Burke doesn't cause a scene during any of the festivities, she is forced to hear about Suzette's marital problems. Suzette has just discovered her husband is having a fling with his secretary, and she isn't about to let the floozy have him without a fight.

The maid of honor, Ingrid, is having serious doubts about her own upcoming marriage to her fiancé, especially when she sees Jenny's handsome cousin, Patrick, for the first time in two years. Sister-in-law to the groom, Laura, has just had her first baby and is having her own issues, what with rushing upstairs to feed her baby, leaking breast milk all over her new dress during the luncheon, and worrying that she's underdressed and outclassed at this overly fancy wedding.

Margaret is the grandmother of the bride, and she worries that she is just in the way. She's already had one heart attack, and her doctor has warned her she doesn't have much time left unless she has heart surgery. However, she doesn't want to have the surgery. Her husband is already gone, "So," she wonders, "why would I prolong my reunion in heaven with my beloved Calvin?"

This book delivers a few gentle surprises at the end, which makes it a satisfying read. - Melanie Dickerson, Christian Book Previews.com

This is one of the best wedding planning books I have come acrossed. It covers everything whether you are having a small to large wedding. Great ideas, do's and don't's, and some check off lists. Save your money and go for this one!!!

This book gives straight-forward, practical advice for the modern bride. Filled with lots of ideas, it also gives a reality check for newly-engaged girls who want to jump right into wedding planning.

Don't waste your money on any other book; this has all the real inside tips and knowledge every bride needs. It's simply the best wedding planner ever. A must have reference book.

I liked this book even better than the first one. (It's Never Too Late To Get A Life)

Once again, Angie gets involved in so much "stuff" by just living her normal life. (I can so relate.)

I giggled as soon as I read the symptoms her poor friends - all three of them (and her) - exhibited, knowing full-well what was going on.

The only complaint I have, is there was too much of a happy ending; that's all well and good, but it kinda detracted from the credibility and reality of the story.

I'm anxious to read book number 3, even though I rarely read Chick-Lit.

After attending Heather's work-shop at a Writer's Conference at Sac State last week-end, I was so impressed with the way she spoke and presented herself, I bought both of her books that are currently in print.

I'll be at her book #3 signing next month.

It was 2AM and my hot flashes combined with my very own "fur covered hot water bottle" were keeping me awake (OK, and maybe some insomnia) when I picked up this book. Thank goodness I didn't have to go to work the next day because I not only saw the sun come up but tore up my to-do list and just enjoyed the book. I was glad to hear that there would be one more....keep them coming!

As she closes in on her fiftieth birthday, Angie is at the point of no return and needs help as she is behind on planning her daughter Jenna's wedding. She turns to her best friends, but soon worries about them as she realizes none are in a mental state to assist her; instead they need help. Marie's marriage with Jack appears over; grandmother Jess dates men younger than her children; and Gwen seems like an early Alzheimer's victim with no ability to recall anything which in turn has led to a lack of self confidence which in turn leadns to more forgetfulness.

She soon concludes that menopause has struck making her realize nature must take its course. At the same time, she wonders if menopause can be used as an alibi if she kills the bimbos dating her son and her former husband; they offer her help with the wedding, which means more work for her as these female morons have individual bra sizes greater than their combined IQ,.

In her second adventure to regain control of her life, Angie struggles with the upcoming nuptials of her daughter, but as she seeks help from her three amigas she deduces they each face big crises. Her pals were there for her when Bob dumped her (see IT'S NEVER TOO LATE TO GET A LIFE) so Angie plans to reciprocate, find time to put on a wedding and cope without killing the double teaming bimbos. Though a serious undertone with the troubles facing the aging boomers, this is a lighthearted amusing romp starring a woman who struggles to regain control of her life at a time when everything seems out of control.

Harriet Klausner

My cousin and I are getting married within 6 months of each other and this book allowed me to plan a party for her with very little stress. She is also going to use the book to plan the party of MY DREAMS. THANKS

I enjoyed reading this book, especially not knowing the first thing about throwing a bachelorette party. The book also gives enough examples to where it is possible to create your own original ideas following along with a basic concept of i.e. themed parties. The book is light hearted, and fun, which is expected considering the subject matter. Overall, it is a very interesting and practical book, for the purpose.

A lot of good ideas, many drink recipes and decorating ideas. If it hadn't been for this book, I don't know how my best friends bachelorette party would have turned out. Highly recomend it, many, many recipes.

I was able to use many of the book's ideas for planning a friend's bachelorette party. Among other things, it features a variety of unique themes and games. The scavenger hunt was very original and lots of fun!

I bought this book hoping to expand my knowledge on bachelorette parties....or at least to get some cool ideas. Unfortunately, this book really didn't tell me anything I couldn't have found out for free from about a dozen bachelorette websites I've already visited. The few ideas in the text that were somewhat original were lame and unrealistic. One idea I found completely ridiculous and cartoonish was the idea of having invitations in champagne glasses "delivered on a silver tray by a gentleman dressed in a tuxedo". WHAT? I want to meet the guy that you can hire to do this. Then I want to slap him. Hard.
Overall I just found this book to be a waste of money. It vaccilated between adolescent "put the condom on the banana" games and "useful tips" on creating really crappy homemade party favors. The only part that was even remotely useful was the recipe section which included appetizers, desserts and drinks. Unfortunately, I wasn't needing a cook book. I was needing some new and innovative ideas to give my friend a special night to remember. Two thumbs most enthusiastically down.

The fact that this book recommends the Hartness House in Springfield, Vermont makes me doubt its worth. The Hartness House only looks good in the winter when the snow covers many of the problems. I would not trust this book.

No pictures, outdated information. There are thousands of sites I've found online that are not included in this book. And, the ones they rate as the best are definitely not. Very disappointed. Their research is flawed.

I own a info website and thought that this book would be useful for assisting in the reviews and generating ideas. It did just that, although some of the desinations seemed to mundane.

This is a nice little book. It contains and describes a number of places I would never have thought of. The references are very helpful. However, it covers only 100 places (as advertised) and few of them have the WOW! factor I expected from a book with his title.

I recommend the book. It's a can't hurt, might help item that is not very expensive. It's worth the price.

While the information provided for each venue in this book is useful and detailed in its own right, the actual venues chosen are quite suspect in many cases. It seems pretty clear there is an arrangement with some of them to be included in the book, rather than being places that were discovered through research by the author. IOW, many great places are left out because they weren't part of the "marketing plan". Also, while it's admirable to include as many states as possible, the plain fact is many states simply lack any real destination "pull".

Example: South Carolina is a state with literally dozens of beautiful seaside resorts, huge gardens and old historic places where one might want to have a ceremony. There is ONE listing for South Carolina... the same number of places listed for Minnesota (Mall of America???). The fact that Mall of America made it into a listing of America's 100 best "destinations" for a wedding, tells you something about how carefully the places in this book were considered. Similarly one listing for Alaska seems incredibly short-sighted, considering all the cruises and beautiful National Parks there. Meantime there are more than 12 locations listed for New Mexico. Don't get me wrong, I'm sure there are some beautiful locations in NM, but that is a disproportionate number of listings for a place most people will not have on their "short list of states".

Another problem with the book is that it has about a dozen pictures total, all in the front of the book, so there are many many locations you don't even get a sense for. How is the average couple supposed to say "Yes, that's the place we want to look into!" if you can't even see a picture of it? Bottom line: many great locations are overlooked in favor of those the author presumably has some connection with, and that helps no one...

...I do not recommend this book other than to borrow from someone (just in case the place for you happens to be here).

some editor needs to pay more attention - Nellie becomes Sadie; Stan blames Robbie for blurting out his name when, in fact, Stan is the one who gives away the name, etc. I have read many of Kate Kingsbury's books but this is a first.

As usual, a nice "lite" read for a mystery but just the thing to have in one's purse or pocket to fill in time on a train, bus or where you have some moments free. If you are an Anglophile, then this will be just your cup of tea!

For those who have enjoyed the excellent Pennyfoot Hotel series by Ms. Kingsbury, this series will prove delightful, moving from the Victorian era to the English countryside during World War II in a manor house setting.

I enjoy these books very much.As I grew up in London during the war I find it brings back some good memories of how people were then.Kate Kingsbury has really caught the "flavour" of those times.
I can't wait to read her next one in this series.

I have read all of Kate Kingsbury's WW2 series and find them so relaxing and full of the most wonderful escapist writing. This last one maintained the high standard and I look forward to the next

I don't usually post reviews but this book is so unique, so useful, so needed in the Alt.sex community, that I am compelled to comment. I found the BDSM scene four years ago. I had many questions about how to navigate the community in a polite and respectful manner. Once in the BDSM community, I crossed paths with transgender folk, polyamorous folk, and queer folk. This has been a journey of discovery for me and at times I've been at a loss how to interact and build friendships - I wasn't sure about the etiquette and I didn't want to offend people in the process of getting to know them.

This book would have been a tremendous help. And actually, after reading it, is an interesting and engaging etiquette guide for interactions with the world at large. It is useful for navigating dating within any community, social events (parties, weddings) in any community, and delivers good advice for the workplace as well.

In many cases I found my initial judgment of how to approach new people was correct. I was relieved to see that in some cases, the reactions I had seen were inappropriate from the other party. But in other cases, I found new strategies for showing empathy and respect. I did disagree with one statement in the book: The author's opinion on public displays of affection at large street fairs (Pride & Folsom Street Fair) is that anything beyond hand holding and social kissing is not appropriate. These events are targeted at encouraging people with alternative lifestyles to be proud of that lifestyle and is one of the few places that you *can* freely express your sexuality. I believe that attendees understand that in advance and the "displays" they see are not a surprise, therefore, acceptable. But the book gave me another perspective on this situation.

This book is now at the top of my "what to recommend to a newbie" in the scene list. No, it doesn't address the play & safety issues that must be considered before jumping into BDSM play, but it gives you a foundation for respectful communication that really is required before those other conversations should occur.

This is an excellent, helpful guide to etiquette for folks who didn't think Miss Manners would work for them - although, as Drew slyly implies, she could! The book offers common-sense advice told humorously and well for folks who move regularly in non-traditional roles and relationship structures. I hope everyone in these categories (and really, who isn't?) gives it a read.

I admit it; I bought this book mainly because Donna Barr, one of my favorite artists, illustrated it. However, I found it quite enjoyable reading, both for its look into subcultures I hadn't known existed (and sexual variations ditto) and for its calm, "Miss Manners" approach to etiquette for extremely non-traditional people, social situations, and subcultures. It would be quite useful to anybody who wants to get into this sort of activity, as well as to those who find that a loved one is involved and want to know how to react and what to say.

If you care about good manners - and you should - and you are or enjoy relationships with SMers, leatherfolk, the polyamorous, pagans, transgendered folk and others who are usually left out of etiquette books - this is THE book for you. Clever, entertaining, and useful, it's blessed with stunning illustrations as well as practical, elegant advice. My only criticism is that it's too short! I can hardly wait for more from Drew Campbell, one of my favorite authors.

This is a must read for all the altsexers out there! In fact, even though I am altsexer myself, I found the information in here invaluable in my "normal" life. Many of the situations and attitudes that are pointed out by Campbell apply to everyday situations outside of the community. I found this book invaluable and an incredibly good reminder that people need to be polite to each other. In fact, I've read passages of this book to straight friends who have asked me how to act in certain situations and even though the book was meant for altsexers it worked fabulously in straight situations. I would say that this is an easy and fun read. It is something that I think everyone should read altsex or not. We could all use a dose of politeness everynow and then!