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Trying to find the perfect winter wedding inspiration? Here are some beautiful books on snowflakes, to spark your winter wedding ideas!

The Snowflake: Winter's Secret Beauty (Hardcover)

Physicist Libbrecht and photographer Rasmussen both grew up in snowy climes, but it took a scientific and aesthetic focus to deepen their appreciation for snow's hidden beauty, revelations they now share in a felicitous union of word and image. Libbrecht decodes the exquisite architecture of individual snowflakes by explaining how these "miniature ice masterpieces" are literally conjured out of thin air as water vapor condenses into ice in shapes dictated by the geometry of water molecules. Temperature, humidity, and motion all contribute to the forming of snow crystals, which shape-shift rapidly from simple faceted structures to complex branching forms, growing and falling at the rate of a million billion crystals a second. The physics of snow crystals is fascinating, and so, too, is Libbrecht's history of the science of snowflakes, which features Rene Descartes; Johannes Kepler; Vermont farmer Wilson Bentley, who pioneered a method for photographing individual snowflakes; and physicist Ukichiro Nakaya, who figured out how to grow them. And then there are Rasmussen's exquisite photographs of these gems.

Review: Stunning Photographs
The first thing that anyone will notice upon opening "The Snowflake" is Patricia Rasmussen's incredible photographs. I am something of a snowflake enthusiast, and I have never seen such stunning photographs of snow before. There are over 100 exquisitely detailed photographs of snow crystals and snowflakes that will take your breath away. Fans of "The Snowflake Man", W. A. Bentley, will love this book. But it isn't just pretty pictures. The photographs illustrate a text by physicist Kenneth Libbrecht. Dr. Libbrecht is a snow crystal researcher, and his fluid prose successfully communicates the depth of knowledge and enthusiasm he has for his subject. "The Snowflake" has eight chapters, all of which are generously illustrated with photographs and most of which are short. The first seven chapters explain how and why snow crystals form the way they do, as well as the history of our understanding of snow. Libbrecht's text is detailed and technical, but it is very readable and easily understood by a lay person. And he moves onto the next topic before you have a chance to become bored by the particulars of the last. Chapter 8, which is by far the longest chapter at 32 pages, is a "Field Guide to Falling Snow". All types of snow crystal, both common and rare, are described and pictured so that the reader will be able to identify just about anything he/she might encounter falling from the winter sky. "The Snowflake" is a thoroughly enjoyable and genuinely inspiring book. Patricia Rasmussen's photographs are a testament to the extraordinary beauty that can be found is such a small natural wonder as a snowflake. And Kenneth Libbrecht's writing is sure to inspire many of his readers to abandon their cozy living rooms and head outside with a magnifying glass the next time it snows. I think that Dr. Libbrecht succeeds in the seemingly absurd task of making us understand why snow crystals are so fascinating that a person might dedicate his professional life to understanding them. "The Snowflake" is a great winter read, a lovely "coffee table" book, an informative scientific text for enthusiasts of all ages, and it might even cheer you up during the next snow storm. If your car is stuck, your walk needs shoveling, and you are tired of all that white stuff, a chapter of "The Snowflake" and an inexpensive magnifying glass will surely put things in a better light. Fans and practitioners of macro photography will also find this book irresistible.

Review: Beautiful Photos and Inspired Science
It is hard to think of a natural phenomenon that has more intrinsic delight and fascination than a snowflake. Sure, the things pile up and please skiers and dismay drivers, but taken one by one, each snowflake is not only pretty, it has enough complexity and mystery about it to delight any careful observer. In _The Snowflake: Winter's Secret Beauty_ (Voyageur Press), two careful observers have documented what intrigues them about snowflakes. Kenneth Libbrecht is head of the physics department of Caltech, and he not only rushes out with a magnifying glass when it snows, he grows snowflakes artificially in his lab. Patricia Rasmussen is a photographer who started taking pictures of snowflakes with her own equipment and then used Libbrecht's special apparatus. This is a book a little larger than a hundred pages, but the pictures are elegant, and the text tells the current explanations, as far as we now know them (there are still mysteries), of why snowflakes look the way they do.
The famous snowflake pictures of William Bentley inspired Rasmussen to start taking pictures of snow. Bentley's pictures are carefully reproduced white-on-black images, but Rasmussen has experimented with colored light to give multicolored pastels that shine on and through the hundreds of crystals depicted here. There are plenty of the six-armed variety, but also triangular snowflakes, and twelve, eighteen, or twenty-four armed ones, as well as tiny ice crystals shaped like needles, prisms, barrels, or bullets. can form at the right conditions. Different humidity and temperature produces the shapes. For the familiar snowflake, each arm experiences the same microclimate, so each changes in the same way. One arm of a flake thus does not "know" what the other arms are doing so it can turn itself out identically; they are all simply products of identical environmental history. As can be suspected, snowflakes that develop in the same regions have the same general design. But of course, everyone knows that no snowflakes are identical. Libbrecht considers whether this question is really true, and finds it cannot be answered without close considerations of "What is a snowflake?" and "What is identical?"

Snowflake science is here presented clearly and with good humor by someone who obviously loves his work. Libbrecht demonstrates that since a snowflake is a billion billion water molecules grabbed from the atmosphere, some of them are from your own exhalations. He does the calculations to show that about a thousand of the water molecules in every snowflake you see in this book (and of course, any other snowflake) come from you. "Thank you for your contribution," he says, "and keep up the good work." Jaunty and illuminating scientific descriptions, plus the most beautiful pictures of snowflakes ever made, make this a volume that can be valued for eye-catching brilliance or mind-engaging elucidation.

Review: Absolutely Wonderful!
When I ordered this book, I wasn't too sure of what I was getting into. I wanted a book with lots of great pictures, but Amazon didn't tell me that much, so I couldn't be sure if I was about to recieve a coffee table book or an indecipherable science book. I got just what I wanted! TONS of pictures, all greatly photographed, even a cool section on the back about the way to photograph them, too! It also had some cool information about the different types, etc., as well. The only thing that stopped me from giving it five stars was the fact that the author made it pretty clear that he was an athiest by mentioning things like the Big Bang and such. It's only minor though, and if that doesn't bother you, it's a must-buy for anyone interested in snowflakes, whether it be for a science project or a book to flip through and enjoy. =)

Review: Intangible Wonders of Nature Captured with Majestic Skill and Appreciation
How many childhood flights of fantasy have been paused in that singularly magical moment when a snowflake from winter's sky touches the darkened gloved finger, pausing only long enough to suggest the mysteries of the universe, only to suddenly dissolve? For those who have held in wonder the beauty of the intricate architecture of the snowflake, heretofore only 'reproducible' by eyeing through a kaleidoscope, then this book is a gentle surprise.

Photographer Patricia Rasmussen and physicist Kenneth Libbrecht have collaborated to produce this monograph on not only myriad forms of the snowflake, but also the science of how these natural ornaments are formed and how they can be examined with utmost scrutiny. The result is not the expected bursting of the bubble of wonder at nature's secrets, but is instead an expansion of the beauty of just how unique each snowflake is.

This is a book for the nature lover, for the inquisitive mind longing to understand the workings of nature, and for the artist in all of us who simply want to gather more time with the transient works of ice that flurry away with our imaginations. A beautiful book for all seasons, but especially appropriate for gifts at this time of year!

Review: If you want to know about snowflakes this is your book!
This is a great book for snowflake fans and people who are curious. The photos are beautiful and the text is very interesting and though scientific easy to understand.

Review: Snow flakes
I purchased this book for my wife as she loves snowflakes and she was not disappointed. This book has very detailed scientific information about snowflakes and has many wonderful pictures. Definitely not a childs book.



The Little Book Of Snowflakes (Hardcover)


Review: More Stunning Photographs of Snow Crystals!

"The Little Book of Snowflakes" by Kenneth Libbrecht is a diminutive companion of sorts to the larger "The Snowflake: Winter's Secret Beauty", which Libbrecht wrote with Patricia Rasmussen. It contains 140 beautiful photographs of snow crystals and snowflakes, taken by Kenneth Libbrecht and his traveling photomicroscope. 45 of the photographs are full page, which in this case means 5 1/2 inches (14 cm) square. I'm not sure if any of the photographs duplicate those found in "Winter's Secret Beauty", but most of them don't. If you haven't seen either of these books, the photographs are so beautiful that they must be seen to be believed. The text in "The Little Book of Snowflakes" is sparse. It consists of basic information from the author on how snowflakes are formed and 30 quotations on the subjects of snow and nature by an assortment of notable names, from Aristotle to Hsiao Tung to William Blake to Albert Einstein to Yogi Berra. As with it's companion book, the price of "The Little Book of Snowflakes' belies the quality of its contents. It makes a wonderful gift for the photographer, nature lover, aesthete -or anyone who has had too much or too little of the white stuff outside. Kenneth Libbrecht puts snow in a new light. For those who couldn't get enough of the photographs in "Winter's Secret Beauty", this little book is a welcome addition.

Kenneth Libbrecht is a physics professor at CalTech, and he has an excellent web site: www.snowcrystals.com . Whatever else Libbrecht may accomplish in his field, the publication of "The Snowflake: Winter's Secret Beauty" and "The Little Book of Snowflakes" seem to ensure his place in popular history as a "snowflake man", an epithet previously earned only by Wilson Bentley a century ago. If you like this book, be sure to check out "The Snowflake: Winter's Secret Beauty" for more photographs and detailed information about the formation and identification of snow crystals.

Review: YOU CAN HAVE YOUR DIAMONDS !!
Kenneth Libbrecht, Caltech physicist, has inspired a book that may be purchased in quantity for gifts . . . or shared to delight friends and associates. He has followed in the footsteps of Wilson Bentley (see below), photographing the delicate and exquisite crystals that fall from our sky.

Quotations by Rachel Carson, John Muir, Oscar Wilde, Thoreau, Einstein, Robert Frost and others complement the text & the remarkable photographs, colorfully reproduced.

"Out of the cloud-folds of her garments shaken . . . Silent and soft, and slow . . . Descends the snow" is Henry Wadsworth Longfellow's beautiful metaphor. Libbrecht explains that "most symmetrical crystals are formed during light snowfalls, with little wind" and during especially cold weather. He tells us that 3-fold symmetry is rare, and "you will not find (any) eight-sided snowflake."

MORE FASCINATING THAN DIAMONDS, snowflakes are works of art that come in countless, intriguing shapes. Libbrecht says "each takes about fifteen minutes to form . . . out of water vapor in the air." 19th century author Eden Phillpots said "the universe is full of magical things patiently waiting for our wits to grow sharper"!

This book should be shared with children, along with the 1998 Caldecott medal-winning book (isbn # 0395861624) written by Jacqueline B. Martin and illustrated by Mary Azarian's woodcuts. It tells about the young Vermont farmboy who collected snowflakes and invented the process of photographing them . . . and grew into his nickname of "Snowflake Bentley" - - the title of the book.

REVIEWER mcHAIKU recommends: "Make multiple gifts of 'THE LITTLE BOOK OF SNOWFLAKES' - - THESE ICE CRYSTALS MELT THE HEART!"

Review: Outstanding Gift Book Value in a Pocket Sized Version

Last year's book, The Snowflake: Winter's Secret Beauty by Kenneth Libbrecht, was one of the finest books about the beauty and science of nature that it has ever been my pleasure to see and read. I gave copies to many members of my family.

Naturally, I was intrigued by the idea of The Little Book of Snowflakes. I am very impressed with what I see. Although the book is small in page size and numbers of pages, Mr. Libbrecht has created another masterpiece. Somehow he has managed to do several difficult things at once: Show the intricate beauty of snowflakes; demonstrate how they can vary with different weather conditions; explain the science behind their development; and capture the implications of their beauty in a number of luminous quotes.

I picked the book up thinking it would take but a few minutes to scan. I looked up two hours later to wonder how that much time had passed. I could not have had more fun if I had been looking at the world's finest collection of diamonds of rubies.

Trust me. Stock up on this book. It's perfect for all kinds of gift occasions. And be sure to keep several for yourself so you'll always have one to look at when you want to bathe your soul in beauty.




Easy-to-Make Decorative Paper Snowflakes (Other Paper Crafts) (Paperback)

Review: Lovely Winter Snowflake Designs
These designs are lovely and can be used year round as well as at christmas. They are easy to do just requiring a pair of small sharp scissors. Wouldn't recommend for small children who shouldn't handle sharp scissors or can't make fine motor movements to get the edges etc. Will be able to use these for years to come.

Review: Will get you started!
I have always made paper snowflakes since I was a child. So...when I saw this book available I snatched it up to give me more ideas. Some of the designs are difficult, so I would not generally recommend this book for children. I used the cut-out designs exactly as portrayed, but also to use freely as a starting point in my own way.

Beautiful Wedding Receptions (Pennies from Heaven Series) (Paperback)

Your wedding reception will be the party of your life. It will be a time to gather all the people who are meaninful to you and your husband. This book is about creating the wedding reception of your dreams.




The Perfect Wedding Reception : Stylish Ideas For Every Season (Hardcover)
Book Description

Once couples decide to say "I do" there are dozens and dozens of decisions to be made. It's hard to know where to begin and even more difficult to fit all the dozens of details together into one wonderful event. Thankfully Maria McBride-Mellinger, author of acclaimed bridal books, stylishly illustrates just how to create a dreamy reception that will be forever memorable.

The Perfect Wedding Reception features exquisite wedding celebrations designed by Maria McBride-Mellinger that capture the magic of each season in refreshing, contemporary style. The nuptial adventure begins in a formal spring garden but soon its off to a beach front for a fanciful summer wedding, to a revolutionary era stone barn for a rustic fall wedding and finally to a gracious country home for a candle lit winter wedding feast.

Glorious photos of each location, flowers, menu selections, table details, centerpieces, bouquets, invitations, wedding cakes and favors tell the story of each wedding with helpful tips and most importantly McBride-Mellinger's favorite resources from around the country that will actually help bring your wedding reception to life.

Whatever season you choose to marry Maria McBride-Mellinger offers delightful flourishes to tempt every couple as they plan the party of their lives and create memories meant to last a lifetime.

Review: Perfection!
As a second-time bride, this was the book that "did it" for me. My October wedding reception, while not the exact replica of Ms. McBride-Mellinger's, incorporated as many of her ideas as I could. This is an absolutely beautiful book which will be an inspiration to any bride to be that wants a classy, memorable wedding befitting her chosen season. The settings, invitations, floral designs, cakes, and small touches are unique and certainly can be "scaled down" for those on a smaller budget.
Not the end-all, be-all catalogue of a bridal book...but a digestable and exquisite source of inspiration.

Review: Beautiful pictures, but not enough different weddings
This book has wonderful pictures of four weddings, one in each season.
The pictures are truly extraordinary, but they are almost exclusively of these four weddings, so there aren't tons of different ideas for each season, rather one "theme" idea for each season. One thing that disappointed me was that her summer wedding was a casual one on the beach, so if you want more formal ideas for a summer wedding you are out of luck. Like other reviewers have said, most of these perfect presentations would be completely out of a lot of people's price range, but you could definitely pull a few ideas that you loved from her spreads and make it work on a smaller budget. By and large this is a good supplementary book on reception ideas, with tons of photos and some good "idea" text (as opposed to "how-to" text.)

Review: OSTENTATIOUS IDEAS FOR EVERY SEASON BUT NOT EVERY BRIDE
If Kennedy or Vanderbilt is your last name and I mean The Kennedys and The Vanderbilts, if Bill Gates is your wedding sponser or if you are a member of the Royal Family then this book is for you. If you live in the real world you may not want to bother reading a book that would embarrass even Martha Stewart. Even if your wedding budget isn't that of a small nation you can uncover some ideas to use on a realistic day of bliss. But I would leave out the "Honeymoon bed out in the open" next to a swamp unless you are marrying Jeff Corwin or the Crocodile Hunter. Look at page 116 and see if you would like to spend your wedding night there but McBride-Mellinger says "far from sight of the area's inhabitants". It's also far from sight of a bathroom,room service and Walgreen's to get some mosquito spray and close to sight for anything with four or six legs or even eight hairy ones that hopefully would be four groomsmen rather than a spider. As in all the weddings in the book, the cakes are works of art, the prettiest I've ever seen (pgs 106&107, 214&215 "a masterpiece" and the chapter on Confections) and the flowers are magnificent. If you read this book make sure to have a dictionary for all the $2.00 words as it must have been written with a word processor in one hand an a Thesaurus in the other. Also, a really good cook book will come in handy to try and figure out what everyone was eating. McBride-Mellinger is even so helpful as to tell you how to dress the "help" as if in this day and time the guests even know what to wear, where the "help" should go to the bathroom, and to prepare food incase they work more then four hours. But do show respect because Maria McBride-Mellinger has a very high opinion of herself and a much over inflated ego. "The Perfect Wedding Reception" is that: perfectly ostentatious,pretentious,over the top and prefectly not for middle class America. The book is a "perfect" waste of a good tree. For over 30 years I have been a floral artist and wedding planner with the experience of over 500 weddings in all parts of the US and Europe.

Review: creative suggestions
This book suggests many creative ways to make your wedding reception fun and unique. The author describes 4 weddings (one for each season) thoroughly and with an artist's eye for detail and color. She also provides an extensive index for all aspects of reception preparation and planning. The pictures vividly display the character of each wedding, bringing them to life. I would have prefered some extra examples with illustrations of decorationg ideas for each season that were not part of the featured wedding. It would have been nice to have some more practical examples of possibilities. The featured weddings are gorgeous but, for people like myself, a bit out of reach financially. Surely, one can put a creative, unique twist on some less eccentric styles to make them equally as special, beautiful and perfect for any wedding.

Review: Very helpful
There are some wonderful suggestions here to make your day special. You will read this and remember the little things to do. One recommendation would be to direct readers to Katherine's Song, the wedding song in Defenders of the Holy Grail (Ken Agori)...this is THE song for this millenium. Of course, this may belong more at the service, but at the reception for the first dance, WOW!! THis book is worth the money...

Review: One of the Best
In preparation for our wedding, I ordered just about every book that I thought looked appealing and got great reviews, literally HUNDREDS of dollars' worth of books! This and its companion, The Perfect Wedding, stood out among the rest.
I liked it for the following reasons:

1. Beautiful pictures of original ideas. There were lots of pictures and lots of ideas. Obviously you aren't going to find a book that has absolutely every idea for flowers or cakes (it would be HUGE!), but the ones that this book included were very nice.

2. Good mix of pictures and text. About 3/5 of the book was pictures and ideas. It was divided up into 4 sections representing the 4 seasons, so you could get ideas for your specific season (getting inspiration from the best of your season is a great idea!). The other 2/5 of the book was resources with phone number, addresses, websites, etc., so you could actually get ahold of the people who put together the beautiful things in this book or go to the places that would give you more of a similar idea.

3. Not just for the wealthy. Granted that I personally am not too concerned with books geared for my budget, this book gave ideas for all ranges of budgets. Of course, some of the cakes, flowers, etc., must have been expensive, but she also gives ideas that are more budget-conscious.

I would recommend this book, no question. It's better than Colin Cowie's, on par with Martha's, and definitely much better than Vera Wang's.

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.