Wedding Books

The weddings photographed in this book are really over-the-top (dollar). Which is not to say they aren't fun to look at and incredibly imaginative and beautiful. While the average bride doesn't spend money on 40 custom covered silk seat cushions to match the custom tent shading the cake, the professional process the designers went through thinking out the "look" of each wedding is very useful. It taught me to stop seeing every choice by itself and start visualizing our upcoming event as a whole concept. Fun for the ideas and a peak into how the super rich get married.

The Perfect Wedding Reception: Stylish Ideas For Every Season
Really a great book. a must own for every bride. Broken down into Seasons, really incredible and lovely to read!

There are limited ideas and since trends change from season to season you are better off buying a bridal magazine. If you are looking for help planning a wedding there are better sources online. Watching cable television can give you ideas and save you some money; money that you can actually use for the wedding reception.

In this day of everyone thinking they have the talent, time and the option to "do-it-yourself", to shop cheap in price clubs or on the internet (or "know" someone in the business who owes you a favor), and also have access to countless mediocre DYI television shows and books, it is refreshing to see a book that tells it like it is.
If you want and can afford a top notch wedding done by true professionals, then lucky you. This book can guide you and your professional team to some amazing ideas.
This book gives one many, many ideas that many others have paid much more for. Some may seem over-the-top (average ideas do not make it into books), but these ideas will get a bride or wedding planner/designer/florist/cake baker all thinking and dreaming, and perhaps taking a wedding somewhere other than a factory, cookie cutter production. Anyone can flip open the yellow pages and go to the tacky wedding factory that every town and city seems to have. Anyone can have a backyard wedding. Anyone can elope to Las Vegas. And that's great if that's what you want.
Not everyone can plan a wedding, make beautiful bouqets, bake a great wedding cake, do lovely caligraphy, etc. - or write, edit and produce wedding articles and books. It truly does take a village of some kind to produce a wedding (or a wedding book).
Maria McBride-Mellinger is a consumate professional who plays in the big leagues. She has talent, taste, artistry, heart (she still gets enthusiastic and creative about the wedding business which she has been a trendsetter in for years). The extensive and generous directory of sources at the back of the book is pure gold. Even if you are in the business, these sources and recommendations would be a chore to come by.
The book has high production values, great photography; wimsy and reality; research and inspiration. It is very hard to keep reinventing the old wedding wheel, and kudos to Maria for doing it again!

This book was not what I was looking for, but what it's for is great. It give's you everything from start to finish. I'm not going to fault it just because it did'nt have only all flower's in it, because that was what i was looking for. It will be great for any bride who is starting from the start with there wedding arrangement's.It give's great idea's.

I was hoping for the holy grail book on how to use my crafty side to save money on my wedding. Most of the crafts were pretty hokey and I would never want them at my wedding. Secondly, the ideas were more finishing touches rather than essential pieces. I have found much better books than this if you want to "DIY".

I didn't find anything new or "ground-breaking" in this book. You can get similar information for free on wedding blogs. This could possibly be a good book for people that are not already DIY-oriented, but for me, it wasn't worth it.

this book was so much help. I am a creative person myself but this book gave me so many new ideas and showed me new ways to do things. Also, making the projects saved my fiance and i a lot of money. Any DIY bride wikll definately want this book!!!

This book does have a very detailed, excellent series of DIY projects, which would be perfect for a more energetic bride than me. Since becoming engaged, it seems like everything I run across makes me want to elope. However, this book is engagingly written and a good match for women who enjoy putting hours into dainty save the dates or original wedding favors. I think that kind of effort is commendable, I just can't bring myself to really put forth the effort on any of the projects.

By the time we get married, my fiance and I will have been engaged for 3 years (longer than we've been dating)! We pushed the date back in order to save money to pay for this party. Had this book been available earlier, I would have gotten married sooner with all the money I would have saved! I've purchased other DIY wedding craft books, but this is by far the best! The projects are fun and hip unlike some other books that have projects that look like they are straight out of the 80's. Some of the best features of this book are (1) the resource guide in the back--it lists many different websites and stores where the materials can be purchased, (2) the money-saving clues for each project (it lists what the item would cost if you purchased it from a vendor as opposed to DIY--I love knowing that I'm saving money!), (3)skill level and time/manpower needed (it lists whether you can complete the project by yourself or if you should enlist the help of family members, maids, or fiance), (4) the step-by-step instructions with visual aides for those of us that need visual cues, and (5) the timeline in the front of the book lists when you should purchase materials needed by and what projects should be completed first. I definitely would recommend this book as I already plan to do several of the projects! GREAT BUY!

I bought this book to get ready for my upcoming wedding this summer. It's a great book. It's very easy to read and has a great personal touch. I love how she has pre-planned the workouts and is giving realistic time frames. I read it in one day and I love her exercises. They are very reasonable and she explains them great.

This book is awesome! It is easy to follow and includes a well balanced weight training program. There are pictures of each exercize as well as differentiation for Beginner, Intermediate, and Experienced levels. Plus, you don't need much equipment to get the job done! Just a few handweights and an exercise ball. I showed this book to a personal trainer and he said it is exactly the same as routines that he designs for $75 a session. Great Buy!

When I first received this product, my husband (then fiancee) was a bit concerned about the title. Buff he said?? I calmed him down by saying that the book was all about toning and firming. It is arranged by area you would like to work on, like arms, back, chest, tummy, and butt. It was nice to have specific exercises for target areas. I really felt like it worked and I felt beautiful on my wedding day.

I thought the suggested programs were helpful as it had specifics on which exercises to do for each week. It had a Buff Bride program for the bride with 6 months and a 12 week Crash Program for those brides with less time. My only suggestion would be that I would have liked to see some color in the book. The black and white pictures are only so inspiring. My preference is for color pictures, but maybe that is just me.

Well I ordered 3 workout books all at once, I was going off of reviews and what my ultimate goals were. I tried Hugo Rivera's Women's body building, read through, then I read this one, and OMG hands down this one had all the advice, in a very very easy to read manner, great descriptions of what to do and a workout plan. I'm not getting married, at least not that I know of, but I did want to tone up and get in shape, and I think with this book it will be a breeze. I wanted something I could do at home or in a gym. So thank you Sue, I can't wait to start!!

This book would be great if the pictures of the exercises were next to each workout. When you go to the weekly workout, you have to flip to each exercise to see what it is. Since there are 10-12 different exercises to do in a day and so many different types of exercises, it makes it kind of a pain.

Other than that, it has some good tips.

Thought this was a great extra gift to get for my Maid of Honor after asking her to be this very special part of my wedding. It was a quick and easy read and on top of it all it was cute and informative.

I purchased this booklet to share with my 10 year old aspiring chef and it fit the bill perfectly. Shows how many decorating projects are done with easy to read and understand directions plus lots of pictures. Recommended resource for beginners of all ages!

I love everything of Wilton's. I bought this book to find out that I have the same one with just a different cover! But, it had a couple more ideas that I didn't have, great book, very simple to follow.

This was my first time at cake decorating and I was determined that this summer would be the summer for this project. I searched for several books, but in the end the cheapest book I bought (this one) was the one that I turned to when I wasn't sure about the process. It also gave me the confidence to get creative.

recieved on time and in the description I ordered. I am pleased with my order

I was pleasantly surprised to order what I thought was 1 book and receive a 6-pack of these 40-page booklets. These would make great gifts for friends interested in learning the basics. It covers baking, leveling, stacking, icing the cakes; preparing the cake board, making and coloring buttercream and royal icings, preparing bags, filling with icing; bag position; decorating with various tips (round, star, petal, leaf). Then it gives instructions for specific projects including a bear cake, fish cake, swirl-topped cake, lettering, cupcakes, clown cake, balloon cake, star cake, castle cake, flower/heart cake, baseball cake, big cookie.

Beautiful contemporary designs -really helpful book. I am a wedding planner and my clients really like it.

After reading Bussen's "Simple Stunning Weddings", which was full of wonderful ideas and beautiful floral designs, I decided to get this book as well. On it's own, I probably would have really enjoyed it and found it to be useful. However, after reading the other, I found it to be filled with more or less the same suggestions and not nearly as informative or inspiring. I'd recommend getting her "Simple Stunning Weddings" instead.

Nice pictures, good ideas, I really enjoyed this book and will use it in my business with clients

Great book, definately an eye catcher, beautiful photos, well detailed pages, very informative for anyone creating the perfect bouquets and arrangements for that most perfect day. The book is full of ideas, well worth getting for your collection.

I just got engaged and thought this was the perfect gift to give to my bridesmaids when asking them to be part of my special day. The book gives the girls information about their "typical" duties, gives them tips, and fun ideas, all while being both informative and humorous. Overall I thought it was a cute little book for them to read through if they wanted and something to get them all in the wedding mood :)

Although this is not the end-all etiquette manual (that would be by Emily Post) it is a cute little gift for your favorite girls.

How to Give Them a Nudge, Not a Shove:
I sent one to each of my bridesmaids and maid of honor and kept a copy for myself. Rather than insulting my best friends - ("Here. You need some help for MY wedding.") - I sent fabric covered memory boxes in my wedding colors filled with goodies: local letterpressed notecards with plenty of tear-jerking heartfelt sentiments, fabric swatches for the girls and their dates, a list of important contacts, and purse-sized leather journals in my wedding colors to go with The Bridesmaid Guide. I wrapped and packaged them by hand, and everything arrived in tact.
They were awed. They were ecstatic. They were moved to tears. All of 'em.

What Makes This Book Different:
I loved the size, color and graphic design of this book. It is adorable. It is the friendliest, most informal way to introduce your bridesmaids to a simple set of social rules. It just feels fun!

Buyer Be Aware:
I checked out The Guide in person at a local bookseller, so I knew what I was getting myself into. Make sure you utilize the Search Inside feature on Amazon. If you are looking for the etiquette encyclopedia, I highly suggest Emily Post's Wedding Etiquette. It has everything, but it's in a huge reference manual format, not in a hip and girly guide format. As long as the bride (and her mum) has her serious-people etiquette book at home, this relaxed little charmer will provide a solid foundation for your maids.

Did You Say Creative?
The book is worth it's price just for the party ideas! I won't spoil the fun, but there are more ideas in this book than a girl can use in one wedding! There is something for everyone - wild and crazy ideas, youthful ideas, and my personal favorite, clean and proper ideas - for everything from showers (even if you don't want them to be centered around gifts) and the more innocent variety of "bachelorette" parties, both events of which I did not want to partake for fear of anyone doing anything in bad taste!
This book has helped quite a bit in ironing out some of my tastes and ideas for my girls. Let's just say it has communicated on my behalf and inspired some of my wildest girlfriends with ways to leave their mark in a setting I can enjoy!

Useful:
One of my bridesmaids was a maid of honor for another friend of hers this past weekend and was able to use a lot of the information this book provided. In fact, the wedding coordinator herself was impressed by my bridesmaid's knowledge! And when speaking with my maid this afternoon about veils, SHE told ME the veil I was referring to was called a blusher!
This little guide is an investment that has already paid off, and I've still got a year till the big day!

Being a first-time bridesmaid (for my best friend's wedding in October), I am thrilled and at the same time I want to make sure I have all the important information that I need to know. While this book offers some broad strokes on bridesmaiding, I found a lot of the information to be impractical. It tends to assume that there are many maids in the party (I am one of only three) and it places emphasis on themes and games - both of which don't apply to a lot of today's less traditional brides. I feel like it needs an update to become more useful.

I thought this book was cute... really CUTE. There are others that are smart and others that are funny, this was cute and a decent choice for my little sister who is going to be my Maid of Honor. It talks down to you a little and it's very "girly" but it's quite fun and my sister enjoys it.

A fantastic gift for the new bridesmaids and maid-of-honors! It really set the relaxed and fun tone for my bridesmaids. Even if someone has been one before I'm sure they would have fun thumbing through this book and getting great ideas. A must buy for all brides for their bridesmaids!

Useful if you are planning a large wedding reception. Very useful if you can afford to hire a super talented DJ/MC and/or a band (as Chapter 7 will scare you away from any other option).

However, for the "intimate wedding" or "destination wedding", like the one I am planning, the book is not as helpful. With a budget of <$10K, only about 40 guests attending, 1 bridesmaid and 1 best man, and guests who would leave a reception rather than run the risk of being singled out to play a game or dance, I did not find a lot of useful tips in the book.

On a positive note, there was one example in the book that included a wedding without dancing where they filled the time with games, instead (which wouldn't work for guests that are scared off by the threat of public humiliation). Plus, there were a couple of nice sentimental ideas such as the Unity Candle and the Anniversary Time Capsule, where the guests filled out advice cards to be placed into a metal container and opened on the couple's 25 wedding anniversary. But those ideas comprised about 3 pages of the book and many of the other suggestions needed an MC to execute.

I still think you can have the best wedding reception...ever! without having a large guest-list, large budget, dancing, games and an MC. Perhaps there are restaurants that specialize in this kind of thing? Perhaps providing icebreakers at the table? Perhaps, if the wedding is small, a large dining table that everyone sits at so everyone feels included? However, you won't find ideas for that kind of wedding in this book.

My advice to you if you are not planning to have a DJ/MC or you have a quiet family is to either avoid the book altogether, or go to a bookstore and flip through it for the occasional sentimental idea to incorporate into your ceremony.

This book was written by a person who truly knows the real truth about the industry and hiring the right vendors to create a perfect wedding day. It will answer all of your questions and give you so many great ideas of how to have the Best Wedding Reception Ever!

As a professional Disc Jockey Entertainer for over 25 years I give this book to my clients so that they will be knowledgeable about all aspects of their big day and how to make it unique and memorable for them.

"The Best Wedding Reception Ever" is a MUST for any couple getting married who wants to have a fun, stress free and perfect day.

I have been a wedding entertainer for many years, and this book is by far the most comprehensive and well-written guide on wedding receptions. It contains a lot of great ideas for brides and grooms. It's also a fantastic training tool for DJs and other wedding professionals. I have seen and done lot of the ideas in the book, but there are a few new tricks I learned as well. If you want to have a really fun reception, read this book!

George Gibson
(Owner and DJ) Twilight Entertainment
http://www.twient.com/

Of all the wedding books and websites I've seen, this book was the best. It really focuses on how to have a fun reception. It was a 1000 times more useful than another book about sending invitations or any of that. This book is a great investment and a fun read.

This book is a great buy! Our DJ - Greg Lowder recommended this book and it truely made our wedding a success. My parents friends wrote many thank you cards saying "it was the best wedding they ever attended." My wedding was a memorable event for everyone and I could not have put on a wonderful wedding ceremony and reception without the help of this book.

I have read many books on similar subject matter. However, this one sort of wakes up the reality. Engagement is the bridge between singlehood and wife. There are lots of emotions and expectations flying, and it can be incredibly overwhelming. This book is a lovely "calm down". I also like that it's focus is on your feelings about "marriage" verses the wedding. The wedding lasts a night, the marriage hopefully lasts the rest of your lives!.

As an engagement gift a girl who I used to work with sent me two books about the wedding process. One of which was "The Conscious Bride." At first glance I threw it aside thinking that it would be about etiquette and how to treat my guests right (which I am honestly sick of hearing about because in trying to be a good bride I am sacrificing what I want out of the day). Then one day when I was bored at my fiance's I started to read the book and realized that it was actually about being conscious of all the emotionally changes and realizations we go through during the planning process, the actual day of the wedding, and immediate time afterwards. The book basically talks about validating your feelings and while it doesn't exactly give specific advice, it does say things like "you need to talk about your feelings with your friends, mother, father, FH, etc." so that they don't blow up and cause more problems that some women have said they regret for years.

I think we get so wrapped up in getting the right vendors for the right costs that we all get overwhelmed and it causes us to be emotional wrecks. Multiple women talk about how they cry a lot, don't feel supported etc. and after reading some of this book and exploring my own feelings about my upcoming wedding I realized that while we get pots, towels, lingerie, and magazines on how to plan the aesthetically perfect wedding from others, I think what we really need is a place to come to explore our opinions and emotions about marriage as a whole. "What do you think about changing your name?" "How do you feel about moving in with with your fiance/husband?" etc.

That being said, I'm a very introspective person, but since I have been too busy to think about myself at all over the last 4 1/2 months, I think this book has really helped me work through much of my confusion, frustration, doubts, etc. and made me feel so much better about my relationship with my fiance.

I've read some of the other reviews and have seen people say that they feel the book is dated, feminist, sexist, and a bunch of other things. But I think what this book is really meant to do is prompt brides to think about their emotions concerning getting married and no matter what your age (they do address many different life situations) is I think you can find something in here that is helpful.

I think the intent of this book is great. The wedding planning process, as well as transitioning into married life, is incredibly stressful and no one really talks about it. However, I found I could not relate to the whole psychoanalytical approach used in the book. I kept thinking, "Well, maybe the next section will be helpful." But it never was! Perhaps because of my age (39), I've already done more introspection than most brides and did not need validation that I'm not "crazy," because of all the insanity surrounding the process. Some of the quotes from other brides were interesting, but the book was just too "out there" to be useful, at least for me.

I found this book thought-provoking and helpful! I picked it out because I was hoping to get some clues as to how to deal with the stress of my engagement, but while reading it I found myself sinking further into introspection, which was actually really good. This book doesn't necessarily have answers, but it makes you ask yourself questions that you may not otherwise have asked. I plan to read it again, just to see what I discover the second time through!

This book is about being present to the transition of going from singlehood to couplehood, on leaving the girl behind and stepping into the next phase in life...we are so much more than just "wife" - but this book explores the psychological transformation of one of the most important times of our life - like a changing of the seasons.

I highly recommend this book for every bride. Educating myself and being present to the inner changes of our psyche has helped me navigate through this time - and appreciate everything that occurs as divine order.