Looking for Autumn Themed Wedding Inspiration for your fall Wedding?

Here are some great idea books for wonderful Fall Wedding planning.



Autumn: A New England Journey (Paperback)

Review: The best therapy for a hot Texas day
I've never had the pleasure of going to New England during autumn but I desperatly wish to and after enjoying a book like this, the ache is only worse! This is a lovely book to own and browse whenever the hunger for the color of fall leaves, the long stretch of early evening shadows and the smell of buring wood seems far, far away. We have no where near as sectacular (or long) of an autumn in Texas but that doesn't keep many of us from respecting and longing for this most reflective and moody of all seasons. This book captures so much of the romantic, misty images with common and comfortable pictures. This with the beautiful works of great writers including (in my own opinion) the greatest, Robert Frost, make this book a joy. As I write this, it's summer in Texas and near 100. I'm going to crank the A/C down and make a cup of cider....

Review: Very good... but suffers from an inherent flaw
This is indeed a beautiful book. It was originally published in 1988 and re-published last year. But the photos look like they could've been taken last week. There are 90 photos taken throughout New England (mostly in Northern N.E., it seems) and they vary from woodland landscapes to bayside scenes, and a variety of sorts in between. It's nice to see a little diversity because, believe or not, looking at a book full of Autumn landscapes could actually be somewhat monotonous.

I enjoyed some of the poetry/writings, such as that from Emerson, Thoreau, and Frost, but I didn't take much from the likes of Emily Dickinson and E.A. Robinson. But I'm not a big fan of poetry to begin with.

The "flaw" that I alluded to is something I think any photographic book like this gets nailed with: the pictures are exciting to look at a limited number of times. So maybe you only pull this book off the shelf a couple times a year to browse through and reflect on the joys of the best time of year -- like maybe after a hot Summer day.

All in all they did some good work, even putting together a rudimentary tour guide that points out some viewing hotspots in each N.E. state.

Review: A Must for Nature Lovers
The photos in this book are exceptional. Combined with the writings of New England authors this book celebrates the wonder and spirituality of nature that we, non-writers, feel but for which cannot find the words.

Review: Great Memories of Autumn in U.S.
I spent two years in Boston and I was surprised at the beauty of New England especially in autumn. This book always reminds me of sweet memories in Boston and beautiful foliage in New England.



Fall Colors Across North America (Hardcover)

Book Description
Through the inspiring photography of Anthony E. Cook and the evocative writing of naturalist Ann Zwinger, Fall Colors Across North America takes you on a magnificent tour of autumn's multicolored tapestry. For four autumns, Cook trekked across North America to capture the alluring changes of fall foliage. His journey took him from the Alaska tundra in the Far North, through Canada and the northern United States, all the way to the bald cypress swamps of Louisiana in the Deep South. The result is a stunning, artistic look at this most magnificent of seasons.

Ann Zwinger's essay explores how the fall colors explode into life and why they so strongly affect people. From the soaring scarlets of vine maples and the golden quiver of aspen leaves to the rich topaz of larch needles and the plump purples of concord grapes, Zwinger bears witness to the glory of this annual display.

Review: Beautiful
I went to see the photographer at a show and his work is just gorgeous. He uses intersting angles and if you like nature you will love it!

Review: Great Compositions + Technical Skills = Superb Imagery
I had the opportunity of purchasing this book after viewing Mr. Cook's slide presentation. His compositions are fresh and inspiring, and he is a perfectionist when it comes to technical execution. I congratulate him on extracting the very most from the 35 mm Nikon / Velvia combo.

Review: Best Image is the one on the Cover

Purchased the book because could not get out to see folige this year. So I was very excited to receive the book, but after viewing the images, I feel a bit disappointed. His best image is cleary the cover image, which is spectacular. But inside the images are not biting sharp, probably due to the fact that he shot it in 35mm instead of say medium or/large format. There are too many images of animals. I want to see folige and color. He also include images of evergreens during fall season which are ...green, and rock formations in Zion National which are pretty but they are not folige. He also like to shoot water falls with a slow shutter and again...nice but I wanted more color.

In fairness to the authors and photographer, the title is "Fall Colors Across North America" and not "Fall FOLIGE Colors Across North America".

I will keep the book because I love fall folige and there are some very good images of that but I would have liked to see 1. A larger book in paper size. 2. Sharper images 3. More Folige and less animals and water falls.

I cannot comment on the essays as of yet as I have not read any, that may change my opinion. Hope this review is helpful.

Review: Enter All Parts of Nature's Fall-Decorated Cathedral!

If you buy only one book of nature photography focused on the autumn season, this book would be a superb choice!

If you are like me, you've always wanted to take several months off and follow fall as it begins in the northern tundra and creeps gently downward to the southern coasts of the United States. Mr. Anthony E. Cook has lived that trip for us, not once, but more than four times as he traveled with fall through 28 states in the U.S. and 7 Canadian provinces.

When I opened this book, I expected mostly to see variations on the familiar scenes of New England (where I live now) and California (where I grew up). Instead, I was pleasantly surprised to see that the ways that autumn touches the land, sky, and water covers an immense tapestry beyond my experience and imagination. The Louisiana bayous bring special perspectives that I had never considered. The stark rocks of the American southwest create fascinating interplays of light, shadow and rock.

Mr. Cook sometimes takes nature, and dresses her up. He has a talent for letting motion speak for itself, whether by taking a long exposure in a whirlpool or by doing the same with colorful aspens trembling in the wind. Some of the work becomes totally abstract in the process. Other work simply takes color and blurs it with motion to make the leaves, rocks, and water look like an early Monet painting of the shore.

With Zion, Mr. Cook becomes a surreal master, showing sides of nature that I would never have looked for in the fall season.

From another perspective, he also honors nature with formal portraiture. The book is filled with stunning panoramas that bespeak carefully planned compositions and being there for just the right moment. He climbed Mt. Jo ten times before he got what he was looking for. The patience of Ansel Adams comes to mind. The panoramas are double the usual width and require a necessary division by the binding, which seems to have been planned for in the composition so that little impact is lost.

Mr. Cook's talent for composition is best captured by his many simple still lifes with two or three contrasting elements. My favorite was a partially turned red maple leaf lying atop a variegated lily pad in the water.

A nice surprise for me, as well, was to find a number of dignified images of animals that I seldom see during the fall such as beaver, moose, and a coyote.

This work is also enhanced by a fine foreword by Mr. Art Wolfe, a wildlife photographer, who was trained as a painter, and by Ms. Ann Swinger who explains more about how the fall colors occur.

To view this book is to see beauty, to understand new aspects of nature (especially the way that summer and winter can tug on autumn in between), and to experience transcendence. The experience was so intense for me that I could smell, hear, and touch the scenes with my mind as I viewed many of the images.

After you have read this book several times, I suggest that you arrange to visit new places each year to enjoy the fall changes. You can get ideas from this book about places to go. For example, I had never thought about Denali in Alaska as an alternative but Fall Colors Across North America has captured my imagination in a way that no other photographs of that area have before.

Fall Foliage: The Mystery, Science, and Folklore of Autumn Leaves (Paperback)

Book Description

Fall Foliage celebrates one of nature's most spectacular, beloved, and fleeting phenomenon. This informal but authoritative guide-part artistic color photography, part science, part travelogue-answers commonly asked questions about foliage: Why do leaves turn yellow, or red? Why do leaves fall? How can you identify trees by their leaves or their bark? Where are the best displays of fall foliage nationwide, and when is peak season?

From the Back Cover
Fall Foliage is a celebration of one of nature's most spectacular, beloved, and fleeting phenomena. Equal parts field handbook and travel guide, this visually stunning book features brilliant color photographs and answers commonly asked questions about the changing of the season: Why do leaves turn yellow, or red? Why do leaves fall? How can you identify trees by their leaves or their bark? Where are the best displays of fall foliage nationwide, and when is peak season? From coast to coast, Fall Foliage is the perfect companion for an autumn drive.

Review: Simply a jewel
In recent years, quite a number of autumnal books have appeared on the market. Featuring beautiful photographs reproduced in brilliant colors, the coffee table tomes and regular-sized volumes now appear on store bookshelves just before the *real* leaves begin to change throughout the landscape. Publishers know that "leaf-peepers" want to take samples of those leaves home with them after seeing them in person. Or perhaps displaced Northerners, missing the four seasons, want visual reminders of home.

This year a new title enters the ranks. It meets the standard set by the others with its exquisite, vibrant images. The difference here is that this book isn't just a collection of pretty pages to gaze upon. It's a working tree and shrub identification guidebook, set in autumn splendor. Traditional guidebooks show leaves and trees of individual species in full summer spread, predominantly green. "Fall Foliage" shows what those leaves and trees typically look like when they change color. 37 native and landscape/non-native species are represented. The latter section of the book is devoted to *where* such fall colors can be seen, outlining key touring spots in about half of the states in the union. (In this effort, I must take a small offense at the omission of Illinois, Iowa and Indiana; for I know after living in the Midwest that tree color can be seen in those states, just not an overwhelming amount of it.) Foliage hotlines and state vacation web sites are listed as well.

A beautiful and useful book that belongs in nature center libraries everywhere, and a must for "leaf-peepers" who want to identify species from the comfort of their automobiles.

From Something Olde to Something New: A Bride's Guide to Something Unique : Creative Ways to Personalize Your Wedding Celebration (Paperback)

From Independent Publisher
The most important thing a bride needs (after the groom) is the reassurance that her day will be something special and unique. This concise guide offers solutions to the multiple needs of planning the wedding, with imaginative interpretations of the traditional and ideas for creating a truly personal event. A section is devoted to an examination of old wedding traditions from around the world that could be adapted in a variety of ways. The final section deals with the planning, the timing of everything from mailing invitations to the bride's hair appointment. This precise scheduling advice is most welcome and along with the checklists and the etiquette guide should help lessen, if not avoid those last minute jitters. There are almost as many wedding guides as there are brides, but for the price this one serves as well as most. One could only wish that the list of "Royals to Research" did not read more like one of dysfunctional pairings!





Fabulous Favors: Favors for Parties, Weddings, and Holidays (Paperback)

Book Description
This book celebrates the returning popularity of wedding and party favors. Many brides want to give something back to the guests who attend their weddings; a special, handmade favor is often just what the bride is looking for to make her wedding unique and memorable. Now, more than ever, that same personal touch is sought out in other areas of entertaining, from simple family Thanksgivings to more elaborate dinner parties and corporate fundraisers. Beverly Clark's favor designs range from simple to elaborate, and each includes a materials list, estimated time required, price range, and level of experience required for the assembler. Filled with beautiful color photographs and simple black-and-white instructional drawings, Fabulous Favors provides a wide variety of ideas for anyone who wants to add a personal creative touch to a wedding, party, or other special occasion.



Party Time: Making Invitations Favors And Decorations (Paperback)

Book Description

Never again will you be short on inspiration for making special times memorable! Find fun ideas for creating invitations, favors, and decorations for a multitude of events.

-- Find 15 occasions to celebrate with simple projects that even beginners can do—includes over 75 ideas

--Create projects for holidays from Valentine’s Day to Christmas, plus events such as showers, birthdays, graduations, and retirement parties

--Learn easy techniques for making an accordion-fold invitation, a pinwheel, party crackers, and more

The Artful Bride: Wedding Favors and Decorations : A Stylish Bride's Guide to Simple, Handmade Wedding Crafts (Artful Bride) (Paperback)

Book Description
Saavy, modern brides are seeking ways to personalize their wedding celebrations, and to make them unique, special, and unbelievably fun without relying on tradition-heavy standards. This beautiful guide contains everything a bride needs to put her own stamp on all of the special events surrounding her wedding, from pre-celebration parties to the rehearsal evening to the reception, with elegant-but also simple and inexpensive touches. Artful Wedding Celebrations includes more than 20 fashionable and fun-to-make projects from handmade place cards to humorous party favors, dramatic centerpieces to customized glassware.

About the Author
April L. Paffrath is a freelance editor and writer in Cambridge, Massachusetts. In addition to book and magazine editing, she has written architecture profiles, travel pieces, cooking articles, and craft how-to's, for magazines such as Scientific American Explorations and Martha Stewart Living. She is coauthor with Laura McFadden of The Artful Bride: Simple, Handmade Wedding Projects (Rockport, 2003).
Livia McRee is a craft writer and designer who is always looking for new twists on beautiful crafts. She lives in Wellesley, Massachusetts, is author of four craft books, and has contributed to several others.

Paula Grasdal is a printmaker and mixed-media artist living in Cambridge, Massachusetts. She has contributed to several Rockport publications and is coauthor, with Holly Harrison, of Collage for the Soul: Expressing Hopes and Dreams through Art.




Creative Wedding Keepsakes You Can Make (Paperback)

From Library Journal
Wedding expenses can be astronomical, and smart brides, with the help of their friends, can cut costs by making some accessories themselves. The projects in this book are mainly for items using real or artificial flowers such as bouquets, table decorations, and the bride's personal accessories. Most are easily assembled, and the finished products are lovely and very professional in appearance. An excellent choice for all public libraries.