........................................................................................................................





The Knot Ultimate Wedding Planner : Worksheets, Checklists, Etiquette, Calendars, and Answers to Frequently Asked Questions (Paperback)

Book Description
Amazon.com
This practical companion to The Knot Complete Guide to Weddings in the Real World acts as a stand-alone guide to the nuts and bolts of planning a wedding. The Knot Ultimate Wedding Planner is where the bride and groom can record wedding ideas, create budget guidelines, check items off their to-do list, generate the guest list, store contact information for their wedding vendors, and get tips and advice on the best way to plan their big day.

Chapter by chapter, the planner walks the bridal couple through each major step: for example, choosing the reception site, picking a photographer, and deciding on a menu. Author Carley Roney and the editors of The Knot Web site have talked with both wedding professionals and hundreds of thousands of brides and grooms, and have a good idea of the necessary ingredients for a successful wedding. Most helpful and thorough are each chapter's "Questions to Ask" checklists and the "Knot Knowledge" tips, which include money-saving ideas. The book also contains a gift log, a budget tracker, and a wedding-day phone contacts sheet.

Roney offers loads of helpful advice, such as recommending that the bride and groom declare "wedding free zones" where the couple makes time for activities together that have nothing to do with planning the wedding. Each chapter also includes her down-to-earth answers to commonly asked questions, such as whether it's appropriate for a relative to host a shower or if the wedding couple should pay for guests' travel expenses. With all of its tips, advice, and organizers, The Knot Ultimate Wedding Planner may just be, next to a wedding coordinator, the best way for modern couples to ensure their wedding is a smoothly run, stress-free affair. --Kris Law

Review
"[Carley Roney is] cyberland's Martha Stewart."
--Vogue

"The Knot is . . . the most popular wedding site."
--The New York Times

"No gush, no cheese."
--Glamour

"Hip, informal and humorous, this book includes all the basics of modern matrimony.
--Dallas Morning News

Book Description
From the author of The Knot Complete Guide to Weddings in the Real World, a thoroughly modern, must-have workbook to help you pull off the perfect wedding.

With so many nerve-wracking details to tend to, planning the perfect wedding can seem an impossible task. Now The Knot Ultimate Wedding Planner guides you step-by-step through the countless stages of planning your big day. Packed with easy-to-follow checklists and worksheets, and the hip, insightful wisdom that has made theknot.com an indispensable resource for millions of couples worldwide, The Knot Ultimate Wedding Planner provides:

A one-year calendar with monthly and weekly to-do lists leading up to the moment of marriage
Worksheets to help you:

Organize the attendants, the guest list, and the invitations
Design the ceremony--from the site and officiant to the dress
Arrange the reception--from the cake and caterer to the music and the photographer

Checklists to keep track of finances, contracts, and post-marriage legalities
Money-saving tips and answers to Frequently Asked Questions

Inside Flap Copy
From the author of The Knot Complete Guide to Weddings in the Real World, a thoroughly modern, must-have workbook to help you pull off the perfect wedding.

With so many nerve-wracking details to tend to, planning the perfect wedding can seem an impossible task. Now The Knot Ultimate Wedding Planner guides you step-by-step through the countless stages of planning your big day. Packed with easy-to-follow checklists and worksheets, and the hip, insightful wisdom that has made theknot.com an indispensable resource for millions of couples worldwide, The Knot Ultimate Wedding Planner provides:

A one-year calendar with monthly and weekly to-do lists leading up to the moment of marriage
Worksheets to help you:

Organize the attendants, the guest list, and the invitations
Design the ceremony--from the site and officiant to the dress
Arrange the reception--from the cake and caterer to the music and the photographer

Checklists to keep track of finances, contracts, and post-marriage legalities
Money-saving tips and answers to Frequently Asked Questions

About the Author
Carley Roney is the founder of The Knot (www.theknot.com and AOL keyword: knot), the world's most popular and complete wedding Web site. As the author of The Knot Complete Guide to Weddings in the Real World, she fields the questions and concerns of 500,000 couples a month. The site's new wedding magazine, The Knot, debuts in Spring 2000.

Excerpt. © Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved.
Operating Instructions

HOW TO USE THIS BOOK

Producing a wedding involves endless details, pressing deadlines, family drama, and -- far too often -- enough stress to kill any prenuptial honeymoon period. The Knot Ultimate Wedding Planner is a couple's secret weapon against such insanity. It's your cheat sheet -- telling you what you need to know and do, and when. It's your insiders guide -- giving you TheKnot.com's most essential expert advice in bite-size pieces. It's your security blanket -- the next best thing to a guarantee that you'll have a memorable wedding without losing your mind.

Here's how to get he most out of these jam-packed pages:

Don't Leave Home Without It

You never know when someone will mention this amazing caterer or you'll remeber a must-not-forget-name for your guest list. Take this book with you everywhere. Jot down all your wedding notes in one place (use the inside covers if you run out of room in the notes areas). Must-have accessories include a pen, a small spiral-bound notebook, and a heavyweight two-pocket folder -- label one side Research and the other Completed Contracts. (Since we're all on the go, we aren't fans of the fifteen-pound planner, but if you think you'll be tearing out tons of magazine pages and collecting piles of brochures, you may want a three-ring binder or accordion file.)

Use Your Imagination

Before you get overwhelmed by all the minutiae, sit down together and read Chapter 2, "Getting Started." It's meant to get your juices flowing with a worksheet to help you envision exactly what kind of wedding you want to have. Keep an open mind and have some fun with it; your answers will inform future detail decisions. You'll also need to finalize a budget before you spend a dime -- our easy worksheet will help you do it.

Stay on Schedule

Chapter 1 is an overall wedding-planning calendar and checklist that lays out the entire process and tells you what to do when. Read it all the way through before you begin to get a sense of the timing involved. To personalize it, backtrack from your wedding date and fill in the actual deadlines: one month before, two months before, and so on. The calendar refers you to the chapters in this book that get into detail on specific topics.

Do Your Homework

The worksheets at the start of each chapter will help you focus your thoughts and create a vision for each aspect of your wedding. Have everyone involved in the decision making help with these exercises to make sure you're all on the same page before you begin. Once you have an idea of what you're looking for, you'll need to find a professional to handle the task. Don't hire anyone until you've asked each and every question on the lists in each chapter. The answers will clue you in to how professionals approach their work -- and to whether their approach is appropriate for your wedding.

Take Our Advice

In each chapter we share out most essential Knot Knowledge -- what we've learned in our years of experience talking to wedding professionals and hundreds of thousands of brides and grooms. Read these essential tips and money-saving tricks; the peruse the "Ask Carley" sections for up-to-date answers to the most frequently asked questions in each category before you make any final decisions.

Delve into Detail

The latter part of each chapter gets into the specifics of executing your plan. Use our checklists to make sure your contracts with each vendor are complete. Fill in the contact cheat sheet for each professional you hire -- you'll need easy access to their information as other vendors request it or when it's needed in an emergency. (Hint: Staple business cards to each vendor's contact page. it will halp you to turn to them easily.)

Have It Your Way

This book is about realistic guidelines, not hard-and-fast rules. Feel free to personalize the process according to your own priorities. If photography means everything to you, by all means, secure your photographer and spend 10 percent of your budget on your package instead of the suggested 8 percent (just make sure it all still adds up to 100 percent). Same goes for etiquette: We give you the guidelines, but you need to judge your own situation.

Enjoy the Ride

Okay, we admit it: planning a wedding can be a roller-coaster ride. But considering this is likely to be the most extravagant party you'll ever throw in your lives, you'd better have a blast -- from your first hour brainstorming right through the last five seconds of your reception. We'll help, of course, but you're ultimately responsible for delighting in every up and riding out every down. Some general advice: Don't drive yourself insane over every detail. Declare some days wedding-fee zones. And, most of all, maintain your sense of humor. Laughter will go a long way toward keeping th love bug alive throughout the planning process.



The Best of Martha Stewart Living Weddings (Best of Martha Stewart Living) (Hardcover)

Amazon.com
The maven of all things tasteful, Martha Stewart has impeccable style when it comes to weddings, and The Best of Martha Stewart Living: Weddings compiles the finest ideas from the magazine of the same name. The book is designed to provide inspiration for the big day, whether it is for the ceremony or the reception. Wedding apparel isn't covered, but all of the other significant parts of the wedding are: ceremony and reception decorating, bouquets and boutonnieres, wedding cakes, favors, guest books, music--even storage and display of photographs and other memorabilia after the wedding.

Stewart encourages readers to use the book's ideas as inspiration for wedding elements unique to the bride and groom, and to avoid simply incorporating the book's ideas into their wedding day. She emphasizes that a wedding should reflect the couple's personality and wishes, as well as any customs they choose to follow. There are few rules of etiquette à la Emily Post. Instead, the book provides historical explanations of common wedding traditions, then gives examples of variations on that tradition that couples have decided to use in their weddings. Stylishly arranged color photographs of the bouquets, wedding cakes, reception decorations, table settings, party favors, and more bring the ideas to life; instructions for reproducing them are often provided.

Many of Martha's suggestions are doable even on a budget because they stick to simple, classic design. The reference section at the end of the book includes ceremony and reception planning and seating tips; music suggestions; recipes for cakes, drinks, and hors d'oeuvres; and sources for wedding supplies. The Best of Martha Stewart Living: Weddings should prove a rich source of inspiration for couples looking to add stylish and meaningful touches to their wedding day. --Kris Law

Book Description
"Will you marry me?"

If you or someone you love said yes, let America's wedding experts help you create a day as romantic as the day he asked. For more than a decade, Martha Stewart and the editors of Martha Stewart Weddings have guided brides down the aisle, onto the dance floor, and over the threshold with thousands of ideas for making their wedding day unforgettable. In this breathtakingly beautiful volume, brides-to-be -- or anyone participating in planning this joyous event -- will find ideas and inspiration for every element of a wedding, including decoration, flowers, cakes, food, favors, and photography.

The very best ideas from Martha Stewart Weddings have been organized here in four sections--For the Ceremony, For the Reception, Forever, and For Reference. For the Ceremony is filled with bridal bouquets, boutonnieres, and bridesmaids flowers. There are decorating ideas for every kind of ceremony imaginable -- a classic clapboard church, a grassy meadow, or the family living room. For the Reception features exquisite lighting ideas, a selection of drinks and hors d'oeuvres, charming favors for guests, and, of course, cakes. There are more than 30 cakes to inspire you, and there is one to suit every style, taste, and budget. Novice bakers can learn how to make a basic wedding cake in Wedding Cake 101. Forever includes albums, guest books, and keepsakes. In the For Reference section there is information to help you plan the ceremony and reception, select music, chose stationery, prepare hors d'oeuvres and cocktails, and find supplies to make many of the projects pictured.

Designed to evoke the grandeur with which a wedding day should be celebrated, The Best of Martha Stewart Weddings is the ultimate guide to creating a wedding day as touching as the words "I do."

Review: Martha at her BEST
What a beautiful and helpful book! Really - it's Martha at her best! She's so good at weddings, and this book has a wonderful collection of some of her best ideas on the subject. Such useful information! It was interesing to learn about placement of the bridal party and where the guest seat! Who knew that Catholic and Jewish ceremonies were diffrent. The invitation help was great too - especially if you are making your own, like we are!

Review: ESSENTIAL READING FOR ALL BRIDES -TO -BE
**This is my second copy... (I wore out my first copy).. Have styled many many weddings using this invaluable guide - from budget nuptials to ooh la la over the top extravaganza's.. so many many ideas that are so easy to do yourself.. Martha makes it all so easy.. If you buy no other books, buy this one!!!

Review: The Best of Martha Stewart Living Weddings
Excellent reference book as well as beautiful layout overall. With my first-time buyer incentive on Amazon.com, the price was excellent!

Review: Ideas for planning a wedding
Martha Stewart's "The Best of Martha Stewart Living Weddings" provides information such as decorations, cakes, flowers, as well as reception ideas that are useful for couples who are planning for their weddings. Stewart also provides information for those who are interested to make things (cakes, favors, etc) rather than just buying them from the stores. The book is filled with colorful pictures that help to illustrate her ideas.

Before reading this book, I thought that it would be too fancy and way too expensive for middle-class folks (like some of the wedding books out there). However, I am pleasantly surprised that some of her ideas are quite practical and doable and they were not as expensive as I thought. A useful book to have. I would also recommend Carley Roney's "The Knot: Complete Guide to Wedding in the Real World" which I think provides even more detailed information.

Review: A Must have
A "Must Have" for those who works in the wedding industry or getting married. Featured some creative decoration ideas, wedding bouquets & boutonniere style, cake decoration,Type of flowers, color coordination, music lists, etc. Great book for references.

Review: A beautiful and practical must-have reference!
This is a high-quality volume, and includes page after page of beautiful full color photographs that are very enjoyable to look through as well as very helpful in inspiring ideas for one's own wedding. It is also an incredible reference, loaded with valuable information about all aspects of weddings (ceremony, reception, attire, flowers, and much more). I don't know what I'd do without this handy and lovely guide, and I look forward to a very unique and elegant wedding with significant thanks to this book for it. The one single best resource out there for brides-to-be.

Review: The BEST Wedding Book Out There, By Far!
Like most brides, I have probably spent 1/8 of my budget on books and magazines alone! But save yourself some money because this is truley the best wedding book out there! The pictures were full of ideas that you could really incorporate into your own wedding. This book is just full of inspiration!

Review: WORTH THE INVESTMENT
BEYOND THE BASICS... I love this book! As a compulsive researcher, I wanted as much information as possible when I was planning my wedding. This book goes beyond the basics and covers such topics as having a tent reception, seasonal flowers, preserving photos after the wedding, and so much more. On top of all of the great info, this book is just plain beautiful. It is filled with gorgeous photography and many details. I had my baker recreate a cake from this book, and I also had my caterer use a punch recipe. I just loaned my precious copy out to an engaged friend and I hope she enjoys it as much as I did.

Review: A Lovely Book
When my daughter and I planned her wedding last year, we found that it was easy to get overwhelmed by the commercial hoopla around the wedding preparation process. This book helped by having plenty of beautiful ideas all in one place.
The book includes a variety of styles -- unlike the bridal magazines, which all seemed to have the same ideas over and over. All the ideas are classic, elegant, and practical. We were able to use the pictures in this book to crystallize ideas, which we then could take to our wedding professionals, who were able to help us make them affordable and realistic for a simple backyard wedding.
The book goes through flowers, cakes, refreshments, stationery, favors, and music. From the early dream stage through the final preparations, it is a useful and practical help.

Martha Stewart's Keepsake Wedding Planner (Ring-bound)

Book Description
This planner is overflowing with useful features to help you plan and organize the perfect wedding—in addition, you can preserve those memories for a lifetime. The three-ring binder makes it easy to customize it for your needs. Inside you'll find:

• Ten in-depth chapters with planning information, inspirational color photographs, timelines, checklists, and diagrams
• Sturdy pocket folders to hold contracts, menus, and notes
• A clear plastic business-card holder and resealable plastic pouches for fabric swatches, paper samples, and ribbons
• A full-color glossary with photographs of hundreds of flowers

Inside Flap Copy
This planner is overflowing with useful features to help you plan and organize the perfect wedding?in addition, you can preserve those memories for a lifetime. The three-ring binder makes it easy to customize it for your needs. Inside you'll find:

• Ten in-depth chapters with planning information, inspirational color photographs, timelines, checklists, and diagrams
• Sturdy pocket folders to hold contracts, menus, and notes
• A clear plastic business-card holder and resealable plastic pouches for fabric swatches, paper samples, and ribbons
• A full-color glossary with photographs of hundreds of flowers

About the Author
MARTHA STEWART is the author of two popular books on weddings, as well as dozens of best-selling books about decorating, gardening, and cooking. For more information on weddings, see Martha Stewart Weddings magazine (available on newsstands) or visit www.marthastewart.com.

Review: Excellent resource
I used this binder until it bulged at the seams. The only complaint I have is that not all sections have a pocket folder, but it's easy enough to 3-hole-punch a document to file it instead. The layout is simple and elegant, and the section on flowers, arranged by color with photos of many popular varieties, was phenomenal and was influential in my floral choices. The florists I spoke to were impressed with my knowledge! Martha has done it again. This is an indispensible tool for the organized bride, no matter your opinion of Martha Stewart or how "fancy" your event is. Fabulous.

Review: Wedding Efficient!
Being a Martha Supporter and Follower I couldn't consider planning a wedding without using tadbits from Martha. This being said you may want to look around to see if there's something more comprehensive that meets all your needs. Which I haven't found so far.

The Binder is beautifully made, colors, design, format & lightweight. Cover is fabric; much nicer then the minilla folders I have been carring around. Includes ten chapters (I could use more, as I am a do it yourselfer but reduces and narrows down the important docs with just the needed xtras)
Love the color photographs of the floral arrangements. Getting Married in the Cayman Islands and have lots of ideas and needs that I am bringing from NY - but also want to keep the island theme...So with that lots of additional print outs added to this 3 ring neccessity.

Includes timelines, checklists, and diagrams as you see in all planners and online planners. Keeps you more organized by holding all the neccessities in 1 place. But you will need an addition 3 ring binder or planner if you are just beginning your planning.

With this all said..Enjoy your planning for it is this time which lasts much longer then the actually day.

Review: Great planning tool
This book has been very helpful in the planning of my daughter's wedding. We are using many of the ideas suggested. It is great way to keep everything organized and in one place. This book will be something my daughter will cherish and share with her daughter someday.

Review: An elegant and thorough planner
I will admit going in that I am a little biased. I like Martha Stewart. That said, I did shop around when I looked for planners. I chose this one for a couple of reasons - the main one being it's classy design. It's much less tacky than the others I saw and the photography was gorgeous. I found it had all the information I needed.

The binder is divided into several sections by tabs, each of which is several pages and has room to keep include your own things. The first section is "Getting Started" which contains a timeline of when to do things and a calendar. Then there's a section on "Guests" with suggestions for out-of-towners and a worksheet for keeping track of invites. There's a complete section on "Stationery", which is a little more than I needed detailing the various components of a traditional invitation, with descriptions of font-sizes and pictures. The other sections are: "Fashion and Beauty," with tips on the outfits for all members of the bridal party (even ringbearers); "Ceremony," with details on processionals, recessionals etc.; "Reception" which has fantastic tips on working with caterers, renting tents and questions to ask about the site; "Photography and Music," which also contains lists of questions to ask vendors, suggestions for music and tips on digital or traditional film; "Flowers," which has wonderful colour illustrations of various flowers organised by colour and when they're in bloom, and finally "Cakes and Favours," and "Registry and Honeymoon," with a good checklist of suggestions for registering and booking travel.

Things I like about this planner are that it is lightweight and easy to carry around. Also there are plastic containers for business cards as well as folders to stick contracts and other documentation in. Some people have complained it fell apart easily, but mine has a canvas section around the back that is quite solid. The three metal rings are also sturdy. The best thing about is there is plenty of room to add your own clippings or papers in, a major flaw with some of the others. It's true, you do have to photocopy some of the worksheets like the one for guests, but since I will likely keep my guestlist electronically, I don't need all those extra copies. The sample she provides is thorough and useful though and I will be typing it up.

We are planning our wedding ourselves and it's been the book I've consulted most often. If you like classy, beautiful photography and want necessary information on planning, this is good for you. If you want a thick compendium that covers every possible thing from changing your name to how to tell your ex-husband you're getting married, then maybe you need something additional. For me, I didn't feel the need for advice on those topics, and this was great for just reminding me of what needed to be done and staying organised.

Review: If you are a Martha Stewart fan
I bought this to plan for my wedding. If you have been enthralled with Martha Stewart Weddings' pictures and ideas and thought this planner will help you in your wedding plans, you will be disappointed. It has amazing pictures and the planner basically reused pictures from past issues, categorized and re-organized into topics: beauty, ceremony, flowers, reception etc. It is however, not a planner. The information contained is a summary of what you can find on marthastewart.com - it's succinct, and not detailed - you'll have to supplement with your own notes which is fine except for the construction of the binder: The binder has limited capacity and so could not contain many additional notes/clippings you may have as you progress. In addition, the elastic band that holds the binder is placed too near the edge of the binder and so does a poor job holding the flaps together. Its claim is correct though - it's really a 'keepsake'. If you like Martha's ideas, you'll still find this a treasure trove. Bottom-line, to use this, do more research and be prepared to buy an extra thicker binder.

Review: Could have included more, but still the best planner available
The 3-ring binder format of this planner (found in very few planners) make this planner extremely useful. We are able to keep all our contracts together in it. Plus, any other papers (e.g., I printed out some ceremony readings, punched holes in them, and put them in the binder) There is also handy storage for business cards. There are gorgeous, glossy full color photos. I can't stress enough how practical and functional the 3-ring binder format is. However, I would suggest a companion planner to go along with this that includes things this one left out, such as The Anti-Bride Wedding Planner by Gerin/Hughes/Hornick. (I bought and looked at a ton of planners, and not one of them "had it all") Still the best, but it could have included more. More worksheets could have been included (for example, lists of questions to ask each vendor, for one thing), and instead of one worksheet for each category that is included, with a notation to "make photocopies as needed", it seems the book would have been more "helpful" (it's goal) and a better value to have just included multiple copies of each. If you love Martha Stewart you will enjoy this planner, but probably with a companion planner to one that includes some of the things this one leaves out. It's a very elegant and beautiful keepsake.

I edited the review 4 months into my wedding planning, because this planner turned out to be a lot more helpful than I initially realized it would be. My previous review was lukewarm, but after 4 months of serious planning and 7 vendors hired, I am appreciating this planner's usefulness. I looked at 15+ planners. I bought 4 planners. 2 of the 4 I bought I threw away - I thought they'd be useful but they weren't. Now I use both Martha Stewart and Anti-Bride. Neither would be enough alone, but they are great companions. No one planner out there "gets it" yet.

How to Have an Elegant Wedding for $5000 (or Less) : Achieving Beautiful Simplicity Without Mortgaging Your Future (Paperback)

Amazon.com
Yes, weddings can be expensive, but is it really worth giving up your firstborn child so you can have tulips in September? When your wedding day arrives, you want to be able to enjoy this once-in-a-lifetime event and know that the ceremony and reception are not going to put you in hock for the next 10 years. In How to Have an Elegant Wedding for $5,000 or Less, authors Jan Wilson and Beth Wilson Hickman teach you how to budget and balance so you can have the wedding of your dreams without the headache of enormous bills.

Whether you choose to have a big or small, formal or informal wedding, the reception seems to clock in at approximately half of your budget. So, going with that figure, you need to evaluate and prioritize wedding clothes, flowers, the photographer, the cake, music, invitations, and the ceremony itself. Can you wear your mother's wedding dress (with some alterations, of course)? Can you cut invitation costs by using black ink rather than a fancy foil? When you booked the band, did you read the fine print? (One bride found, the day before the wedding, that they had to provide a soundman and soundboard. Yikes!) "Weddings, like life itself," say the authors, "are rarely predictable." They suggest appointing one or two (two is better) close friends or family members (but not attendants) as coordinators. It will give the couple a trusted helper/point person during the planning process and take some stress off the day of the event.

How to Have an Elegant Wedding for $5,000 or Less encourages you to dream of your ideal day and then helps you to practically and economically make it happen. "Decide what is really important on your special day and make that a priority," say the authors. "Know what is right for the two of you. Your wedding day should reflect that." --Dana Van Nest

Review
The Perfect Wedding Doesn't Have to Cost Your Life's Savings

Bob Masullo, The Sacramento Bee
You might be able to keep wedding costs to $5,000 on your own but it probably would be anything but elegant. Jan Wilson and Beth Wilson Hickman give you the tips that make it possible.

Review
The Perfect Wedding Doesn't Have to Cost Your Life's Savings

Book Description
The Perfect Wedding Doesn't Have to Cost Your Life's Savings
Relax. You don't have to mortgage your future to have the wedding of your dreams. According to mother-daughter wedding consultants Jan Wilson and Beth Wilson Hickman, the secret is in the planning. Here they tell you everything you need to know to plan a wedding that is both beautiful and affordable. Inside you'll find a wealth of creative ideas and invaluable advice from couples who have saved a fortune on their weddings. Jan and Beth guide you through every step of the process—right up to the day of the ceremony—and show you how to:

1. Organize and prioritize using a month-by-month checklist

2. Select gowns and tuxedos that look wonderful but don't cost a mint.

3. Find unique yet affordable ceremony and reception locations
4. Decorate with style—without breaking the bank
·And much, much more!

5. It is possible to have a beautiful wedding without going broke, and Jan Wilson and Beth Wilson Hickman show you how in this extremely comprehensive and practical book."
—Diane Forden, editor in chief, Bridal Guide magazine

"You might be able to keep wedding costs to $5,000 on your own but it probably would be anything but elegant. Jan Wilson and Beth Wilson Hickman give you the tips that make it possible."

—Bob Masullo, consumer writer, The Sacramento Bee

Inside Flap Copy
The Perfect Wedding Doesn't Have to Cost Your Life's Savings
Relax. You don't have to mortgage your future to have the wedding of your dreams. According to mother-daughter wedding consultants Jan Wilson and Beth Wilson Hickman, the secret is in the planning. Here they tell you everything you need to know to plan a wedding that is both beautiful and affordable. Inside you'll find a wealth of creative ideas and invaluable advice from couples who have saved a fortune on their weddings. Jan and Beth guide you through every step of the process?right up to the day of the ceremony?and show you how to:
1. Organize and prioritize using a month-by-month checklist
2. Select gowns and tuxedos that look wonderful but don't cost a mint
3. Find unique yet affordable ceremony and reception locations
4. Decorate with style?without breaking the bank
·And much, much more!

"It is possible to have a beautiful wedding without going broke, and Jan Wilson and Beth Wilson Hickman show you how in this extremely comprehensive and practical book."
?Diane Forden, editor in chief, Bridal Guide magazine

"You might be able to keep wedding costs to $5,000 on your own but it probably would be anything but elegant. Jan Wilson and Beth Wilson Hickman give you the tips that make it possible."
?Bob Masullo, consumer writer, The Sacramento Bee

From the Back Cover
The Perfect Wedding Doesn't Have to Cost Your Life's Savings

About the Author
Mother-daughter team Jan Wilson and Beth Wilson Hickman have spent nearly a decade assisting brides-to-be. Their wedding consulting business, Storybook Weddings, began after the successful planning of Beth's wedding and has continued to profit from the same experience, innovation, and creativity that the authors bring to this book.

Great Wedding Tips From The Experts : What Every Bride Can Learn from the Most Successful Wedding Planners (Paperback)

Amazon.com

From the Author
Robbi Ernst III has spent 21 years in the wedding industry and pioneered the modern concept of wedding consultation. In 1978 he founded June Wedding, Inc. and has produced more than 750 weddings all over the country and trains and certifies wedding consultants and vendors throughout the country.

About the Author
Robbi Ernst III, is the founder and president of June Weddings, Inc.®, an association for event professionals, and has 20 years experience in wedding and event planning.

Excerpted from Great Wedding Tips from the Experts by Robbi Ernst. Copyright © 1999. Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved

Great Wedding Tips From the Experts organizes the major aspects of a wedding and gives the inforrmation you need to make informed decisions when interviewing vendors. We explain the jargon or the terminology our industry uses, and we give you guidlines to help streamline your process of searching for the right vendors in each field so you are not running around in circles, interviewing people who should have been eliminated from the onset. Within each chapter you will find valuable tips that will explain how the wedding industry works along with points you can, and often should, consider when planning your own wedding. You will be shown the importance of having a realistic budget and how to remain within its confines while at the same time not diminishing your event. If you can afford a lavish budgget, or if you choose to spend more than you originally planned, then know that at every step of the way, it is your choice. This book is written by the wedding consultant who "pioneered the contemporary profession of wedding consultation? when wedding consultation was still new to the West Coast and when even in he East, the profession was perceived in a negative way or as too costly. Many parents planning their daughters' weddings in those days didn't feel that they got the full value of their money when hiring a wedding consultant, and often they didn't. From the beginning, June Wedding, Inc. (JWI) has taken the bride and groom seriously and thus became a pioneer in training and educating the industry. In seminars, conferences and courses in college programs, JWI has worked to unite a diverse group of independent consultants into wedding professionals. After reading this book, you will have the necessary tools to plan your wedding and you will know how to compare "apples to apples" when interviewing vendors. In each chapter you will be given all the information you need and you will find tips and advice about specific types of vendors. Our goal is to help you avoid any snares, traps or mishaps. Today, brides and grooms, rather than their parents, are the people most involved in the wedding planning process. Make certain that during the months of planning, the two of you take time out for romance and fun. There is absolutely no reason that you should not be enjoying this planning time.

The Unofficial Guide to Planning Your Wedding (Paperback)


Book Description
Readers getting married for the first time, or the second or even third time, are absolutely inundated with information. They want a unique wedding, but they can't afford to spend that kind of money. They want to please their families, but not at the expense of pleasing themselves. They have questions upon questions, but they don't want a rehash of the same old information. They expect and deserve inside advice from brides who have been there. Enter The Unofficial Guide to Planning Your Wedding. By teaching readers to sit down and focus on the kind of wedding they want, it allows them to come through the event with their sanity and their pocketbooks intact. The practical tools and checklists detail what to expect to spend on the caterer, the florist, the photographer, etc., as well as how to handle such sticky situations as intermarriages, divorced parents, and family feuds. And best of all, it reminds readers about the elements of a truly unique wedding.

From the Back Cover
The inside scoop… for when you want more than the official line! No matter what your wedding vision—from floating down the aisle in a glorious gown, or saying "I do" barefoot in a meadow—bringing your dream to life can be a daunting task. From announcing the big news to hiring the caterer and the photographer, how do you keep all the details straight and sail serenely through your big day with confidence? You want to know how to have the wedding you've always wished for. You want the inside scoop. The Unofficial Guide™ to Planning Your Wedding gives savvy consumers like you a foolproof appraisal of what works and what doesn't—the good deals and the bad ones—with unbiased recommendations that are not influenced by any company, product, or organization. This book, like every Unofficial Guide™, is intensively inspected by the Unofficial Panel of Experts, a team of highly respected wedding-planning experts. They ensure that you are armed with the most up-to-date insider information on how to plan your wedding and are told exactly what the Official establishment doesn't want you to know. Vital Information that other sources can't or won't reveal—from where to find a designer dress without paying designer prices to interpreting the fine print on vendor contracts. Insider Secrets from wedding consultants, caterers, florists, DJs, and other wedding planning professionals—as well as brides and grooms who've been through it all. Money-Saving Techniques that will let you make your dream wedding a reality without breaking your budget. Time-Saving Tips for everything from handling your invitation list to shopping for your gown. The Latest Trends in destination weddings, weekend weddings, theme weddings, and more. Handy Checklists and Charts that help make your wedding planning smooth and stress free.

Review: If all you do is read the margins...
This practical book is very helpful for wedding planning. My favorite part is the tips listed in the margins. "Bright Ideas", "Money Savers", and especially, "Watch Out!" point out some vitally important details that can easily be overlooked. If you want to look at pretty pictures, buy Vera Wang's, or Martha Stewart's wedding book, but be sure to get a copy of this book for the actual planning, it's a great time saver.

Review: My Bible
I began reading this book shortly after I became engaged, and continued to use it through the week of the wedding. I found this to be the most informative, logical guide around. It gave me specifics of how to proceed, what questions to ask, and tips on making it all go smoothly.
I loved this book so much, I'm buying a copy for a recently engaged friend!

Review: The only wedding planner you'll need
Like many brides I went out and bought about 5 different books the minute I got engaged. Of all those books, and all the magazines, this is the only book I used. From the all-encompassing advice (everything from hiring a florist, to finding someone to marry you, to getting everything you want on a budget), to the great checklists. This book has the best registry checklist I've seen, as well as great tips that you won't find from other books.

Review: Very thorough; readable, and practical for everyone
I love this book. I have a planner but I am finding that this book is more useful for planning the wedding. The tips and hints, the brief summaries at the end of each chapter and the little bits of facts and tidbits make reading this book very easy even for a very busy person. You get what you need to know, in a very organized way without being talked down to or made to feel you "have" to do it a certain way. And the advice is helpful no matter what kind of wedding you are planning.

Review: A lifesaver!!!
When I got engaged, friends bombarded me with wedding-planning books, but this was the only one I needed! Not only was it fun to read, but I think it's the only thing that kept my big day from being a total disaster. There were so many money and time-saving tips that I never would have thought of in a million years. Pass on the wedding planner and do it yourself with this gem of a guide. Covers everything from flowers and finances, the band v. DJ debate, posing for pictures, electing your entourage, hiring caterers, choosing cocktails, arranging consultations... if you've got the groom, this book's got everything else.

Review: Everything you need to know about weddings
Like most other prospective grooms, I was relegated to a minor role in planning our wedding by my fiancee and her mother. Fair enough, especially since I was in for a lot of travel for an extended period. I figured I could stay in touch with the process (& occupy myself in airports and planes) with a wedding planning book. This one attracted me because of the handy size and its apparent all-encompassing nature. It's got everything covered, but the author lets you make your own choices, based on her research and sage advice. What I ended up liking the most was her engaging humor: she has a way of making the most tedious decision-making seem like fun. The payoff: I had so many great ideas to contribute that I've had a much greater impact on the planning than I expected. In fact, my fiancee bought her own copy of the book!

Arranged chronologically, The Everything Wedding Organizer takes a step-by-step approach to the ceremony and celebration. Beginning with setting a date and creating a budget, every aspect of the wedding is covered, right to the last details, including the honeymoon. And it's small enough to carry around to appointments with florists, caterers, and other wedding professionals.

With its light and fun tone, this organizer is exactly the tool you need to plan-and achieve-the perfect wedding.

Review: The best wedding planner I found!
I bought four wedding planners/ ettiquette books for my wedding and I found this one to be the most helpful of ALL of them! The ettiquite books are great for reference, but the other PLANNERS are too large for taking to appointments! (most are 8x11" or larger) This planner's SIZE is perfect, and it had everything in it for ALL of my appointments...all the information I needed, plus worksheets and space for notes. I have recommended the book to 4 friends of my mine who are getting married and all 4 have thanked me over and again for pointing out this book to them! We all had different budgets and ideas, and the book helped all of us to plan the perfect wedding! My suggestion: get this book and a small day planner or calendar, take them with you to every appointment, and you'll be on your way to your dream wedding!

Review: a true 'get down to business' book.
Most of the wedding planners I found were these absurdly expensive and more keepsakey than I wanted. I just wanted a place that i could jot down all the quotes, phone numbers, budgets, etc. This also provides all sorts of useful info and fits in a tote/purse. I trashed mine and was happy I didn't buy one that was all fancy. Has spaces to write multiple estimates from multiple vendors. All the 'everything' wedding books ended up being the most useful of all my wedding planning books becuase of their clear, straightforward, down to earth manner.

Review: Wedding Organizer is Great!
We are planning our daughters wedding and this book is going to be very valuable. Well organized, nice size. Can be put in woman's larger purse. A must have for the bride and groom.

Review: Great book
I desperately need to get organized as my daughter has moved her wedding date from June 2006 to November this year! I am sure this book will help us a lot in our planning process.

Review: Finally, a planner for real brides having practical weddiing

I've been engaged for over a year and flipping through various planners, books, and magazines in the hopes of finding a planner or book aimed at real, actual, honest to goodness brides for just as long. All of the books out now dealing with weddings, especially planners, are operating under the assumption that all of us are throwing weddings that cost an outrageous amount of money, which involve everything from fireworks to 12 piece orchestras and hundreds of hundreds of guests. That effectively left out people like me, having a smaller, more intimate wedding, that by no means is simple, but isn't so complex that we're coordinating outrageous Hollywood-like events to compliment the ceremony. Thankfully, there is an answer for us real-life brides... And it's this book.

This book is utterly fantastic. If I had it to do over, I would have bought this book, and ONLY this book. The information is comprehensive and complete, while not being overwhelming or reading like a stereo manual. The worksheets they have are flexible, yet contain enough information that it's sure to help "remind" you of the things that you've forgotten or hadn't even considered. This book is blessedly practical in size, easily fitting into a bag or modest-sized purse, making it so easy to carry around and not at all cumbersome, something that in and of itself separates it from the competition since most planners are gigantic in size and girth, weighing more than a stack of Bibles and being larger than most coffee table books. I've brought it to many bridal shows because it's not clunky or cumbersome so it doesn't get in the way, and because it's spiral bound and not ring bound, which not only means that you won't lose a paper here and there, or take a paper out and lose it to the vast unknown, there's no chance of that embarrassing scene where everything dumps out everywhere. On the day of the wedding, it will be so easy to take it with me for simple reminders, and easy to give to my Maid-of-Honor so that she can get the pre-ceremony and pre-reception "problems" resolved quickly. The cover is a kind of laminated cardstock, making it durable, yet still flexible enough for you to bend to allow the book to fold on itself, much like a spiral bound notebook.

There are, as with all things, some basic flaws of the book... But they are all mostly easily correctable. For reasons passing understanding, this book doesn't have an index section, which is unfortunate because with the information in the book (though really user friendly), it would have been just that much more helpful to have an index to consult. I could have also wished that there were tabs in the book so that I could easily flip to the sections that were most useful to me, but $2.00 at the office supply store fixed that problem; I bought a couple of packages of self-adhesive colored plastic tabs... Problem solved. The last thing I wish they had added was a section for notes... Just 50 or so lined pages at the end of the book so I could jot down notes for the interesting quirky things I'm planning that maybe others aren't. Again, a trip to the office supply store to buy a small, ruled pad fixed the problem... I bought a pad the same size as the book and attached it to the back cover, and that was more than enough for me.

Frankly, I'm thrilled with this book. I love it. It meets my needs, and I'm sure it will meet the needs of other brides in my situation, who are planning a practical wedding, and not a gala event (though, if you're planning a gala event, this book may not be for you... But I'm sure you already know that and have chosen an equally grand planner ;) ). I will also enjoy holding onto this book after the wedding, and showing it to my kids so they can see what "Mom and Dad" did when they got married. :)



Planning a Wedding to Remember: The Complete Wedding Planner (Spiral-bound)

Amazon.com
Which flowers are in season in June? How should you word invitations to a second wedding? What questions should you ask a caterer or photographer? Wedding-industry expert Beverly Clark gives you the answers to these questions and many more in her remarkably thorough guide, Planning a Wedding to Remember. The 23 chapters in this hefty, spiral-bound planner cover everything from announcing the engagement to developing a budget to planning flowers, photography, prewedding parties, and the honeymoon. Clark gives couples the information they need to start thinking about their special day, and then provides them with the organizational tools to create their own special, personal celebration. "Start by deciding what is most important to you," she writes, "and plan the rest of the wedding around that." But what's truly unique and oh-so-useful about this planner is that in addition to Clark's tips and tricks, it contains dozens of worksheets and checklists to help you organize, shop, make decisions, write thank-you notes, and attend to every last detail--without going nuts and succumbing to the wedding crazies.--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Book Description
Weddings are, inevitably, much more than a simple ceremony. Toss in the fairy-tale dreams of youth, parents' hope for a family reunion, and friends' expectations of a Hollywood extravaganza, and it's no wonder planning this event can cause some to question their sanity. Beverly Clark's Planning a Wedding to Remember eases the process with an authoritative, comprehensive approach. Featuring hundreds of original ideas, special touches, and practical advice for this special day, the book has been completely updated for the new generation of brides, emphasizing ways to add more fun and entertainment for a truly memorable event. New to this edition are tips on how to personalize a wedding, the latest wedding trends, details on multicultural and religious weddings, updates on the role of the internet in wedding planning, and how to create a personal style of wedding with decor tips and individual party favors.

Review: Very helpful & informative book
After looking through dozens of wedding planning books, I finally decided to use this one. It has tons of charts and is full of useful hints. The layout is logical. There are several quizzes, which I love, that help you discover which type of wedding might suit you. I would suggest this book to another bride-to-be! I only wish that it had more money-saving tips and storage pockets. There are two pockets for clippings, etc., but more would be a big help. Other than those two small things, this book is EXCELLENT!

Best wedding planner available !!!!
I went to the book store and spent several hours reading every available planner. I chose to buy the Beverly Clark Wedding Planner because of the taste level of Ms. Clark as well as the efficiency of the planning organization component.

I bought the book on Amazon because they had the best price available. I used the book to plan our wedding and it was truly a life saver. Our wedding was simply lovely and we enjoyed every moment. We even bought the Beverly Clark wedding accessories at www.bridalsalon.com.

Congradulations and good luck on your wedding plans!!!!!

Review: Best Planner out there
I recently got engaged and wanted to buy all the books. This book has everything you could think of and more. My finance even looked through it and found some useful stuff. It's not just for the bride. I recommend this book to anyone who is planning a wedding big or small.

Review: Wedding Planner
I became engaged in November of 2000. My fiance and I were on a bit of a budget, so we would be planning the wedding on our own. I wanted to find an inexpensive planner that could help me plan the many details, make decisions, and keep me organized. My reasons for choosing this planner were:

1. Worksheets, Information Sheets, and Checklists
There are worksheets covering everything from writing your engagement announcement to changing your name and address. There are information sheets to keep every aspect of your wedding organized, for example, catering, flowers, music. Most importantly, there are checklists to make sure you don't forget anything.

2. Spiral Bound and Easy to Carry
This planner is spiral bound like a notebook. I knew I would have it with me quite a bit so I wanted something easy to carry and fairly durable.

3. The Content
Each section covers, step by step, what needs to be done and how to do it.

Here are some of the different sections.

Your Engagement
This section covers telling your family, engagement announcements and parties, engagement and wedding rings (how to choose diamonds, style, etc.), and even etiquette on breaking the engagement.

Date and Planning Calendar
There is an undated nine month calendar that you can fill in to count down and keep track of appointments. There is a bride's and a groom's checklist as well as information on hiring a bridal consultant.

Wedding Ceremony
There are creative ideas on how to personalize your ceremony, a worksheet for writing your own vows, and a couple sample ceremonies.

Wedding Budget
A very important section for us. It tells you how to determine your budget, has money saving tips such as borrowing items or doing your own flowers, and a wedding expense record to keep track of how much you really spend.

Invitations and Stationery
The all important guest list. There are 650 spaces, so you won't run out of room! There are ideas for many different styles of invitations and stationery as well as examples on wording and addressing.

Planning the Reception
Tips for the location and type of reception. Special touches and money saving tips. Questions to ask the caterer and bakery. Again, plenty of room for the seating chart with 260 seats.

Beyond this there are some of the more self explanatory sections such as The Wedding Party, Bridal Gown and Accessories, Flowers, Music, Photography and Videography, Pre-Wedding Parties, Gifts, and The Honeymoon.

The only problems I see with this planner are that the calendar is only nine months. Where I live planning needs to start at least a year in advance. There's also not much room to write daily appointments especially if you have more than one in a day. I also would have found it helpful to have tabs for each section as well as pockets for business cards and receipts. There is a pocket in the back but it's kind of flimsy. The book comes with a Beverly Clark accessory catalog in the back pocket. Mine was glued in, so it ripped the pocket just a bit. There were several of the sections that I didn't need to use since we had friends helping out with things like music and flowers.

Overall, this planner helped keep me on track with my planning. It gave me quite a few ideas and in the end I had a beautiful, low stress wedding.

Review: A Must For EVERY Bride
This book was essential to planning my wedding. It's easy to use and wonderfully organized. The book is clearly written and helps the person responsible for planning attend to all details (and their are so many) All brides to be should have a copy. A friend gave one to me when I got engaged. Now when I hear a friend is engaged, I immediately purchase this book as a gift for them.

Review: Outstanding! Lots of Information in easy to read fun style
I found this book to be very informative. The checklists were especially helpful in organizing myself and is making planning my wedding a less hectic experience . It is set-up in a way that I could easily find the topics that I was interested in. I found myself enjoying the book a lot, it was not only filled with lots of information but it made me smile and laugh, and I wanted to read more. I am recommending this planner as the ONE to all my friends.

Review: Can't live without it!
I was at a loss on how to arrange my first marriage till I came across this little piece of genius, Ive been to many a wedding, but the only one anyone else remembers is uncle terrys where he was caught touching up the bridesmaid. hopefully with this book, they may remember mine instead.

The Complete Outdoor Wedding Planner: From Rustic Settings to Elegant Garden Parties, Everything You Need to Know to Make Your Day Special (Paperback)

Review
"Sharon Naylor's book is the most comprehensive guide yet for those planning an outdoor wedding. She covers every detail and offers lots of smart advice so brides and grooms can enjoy a beautiful, worry-free celebration."
—DIANE FORDEN, editor in chief, Bridal Guide magazine

Review
"Sharon Naylor's book is the most comprehensive guide yet for those planning an outdoor wedding. She covers every detail and offers lots of smart advice so brides and grooms can enjoy a beautiful, worry-free celebration."
?DIANE FORDEN, editor in chief, Bridal Guide magazine

Book Description

Let Nature Be Your Wedding Chapel
Whether you're thinking about exchanging vows on a sandy beach, a majestic mountaintop, or simply the friendly confines of your own backyard, you can enjoy the elegant, breathtaking wedding you've always envisioned.

Inside, wedding expert Sharon Naylor takes you step-by-step through planning the perfect outdoor wedding day—from special and important considerations for outdoor locations to creating a fabulous reception under the stars. You'll discover an array of tips, hints, resources, and answers to vital questions, including:
·The best choices for location, time of year, and hour of day
·Practical considerations, such as space, privacy, and weather
·Suggestions for choosing outdoor-friendly wedding attire
·Information on regulations, permits, and other requirements
·And much, much more!

"Sharon Naylor's book is the most comprehensive guide yet for those planning an outdoor wedding. She covers every detail and offers lots of smart advice so brodes and grooms can enjoy a beautiful, worry-free celebration."
Deane Forden, editor in chief, Bridal Guide magazine

Inside Flap Copy
Let Nature Be Your Wedding Chapel
Whether you're thinking about exchanging vows on a sandy beach, a majestic mountaintop, or simply the friendly confines of your own backyard, you can enjoy the elegant, breathtaking wedding you've always envisioned.

Inside, wedding expert Sharon Naylor takes you step-by-step through planning the perfect outdoor wedding day?from special and important considerations for outdoor locations to creating a fabulous reception under the stars. You'll discover an array of tips, hints, resources, and answers to vital questions, including:
·The best choices for location, time of year, and hour of day
·Practical considerations, such as space, privacy, and weather
·Suggestions for choosing outdoor-friendly wedding attire
·Information on regulations, permits, and other requirements
·And much, much more!

"Sharon Naylor's book is the most comprehensive guide yet for those planning an outdoor wedding. She covers every detail and offers lots of smart advice so brodes and grooms can enjoy a beautiful, worry-free celebration."

Deane Forden, editor in chief, Bridal Guide magazine

From the Back Cover
"Sharon Naylor's book is the most comprehensive guide yet for those planning an outdoor wedding. She covers every detail and offers lots of smart advice so brides and grooms can enjoy a beautiful, worry-free celebration."
—DIANE FORDEN, editor in chief, Bridal Guide magazine

About the Author
Sharon Naylor, a wedding expert and an accomplished author in the wedding industry, has written six books and also had her articles published in Bride's, Woman's Day, Better Homes & Gardens, and Good Housekeeping. Sharon lives in East Hanover, New Jersey.

The Ultimate Wedding Planning Guide (Paperback)

Book Description
This handy book includes expert wedding advice, a handy zip lock pouch, a 12-month calendar, tabbed dividers, and over 150 beautiful full color photographs from some of the top wedding photographers nationwide.


The collaborative effort of Elizabeth Lluch & Alex Lluch, The Ultimate Wedding Planning Guide is a superbly organized and handily accessible wedding planner. Subject tabs, no-nonsense instructions and recommendations, color photographs, practical advice, enduring traditions, and more fill the pages of this useful and highly recommended guide which is specially crafted with a spiral binding to lay flat for easy reference. If there is a wedding in your future, then get yourself a personal copy of The Ultimate Wedding Planning Guide!



Intimate Weddings: Planning a Small Wedding that Fits Your Budget and Style (Paperback)

Library Journal
Friedrichsen's guide helps couples create realistic budgets, intimate ceremonies and memorable receptions. [This book will] surely be in demand. Recommended.

Book Description
This is the only book on the market dedicated to couples who want to plan a small wedding--a growing trend in the industry. With stories and wisdom from real-life couples, Intimate Weddings offers:

* Advice on getting family and friends more involved in the big day, from decorating to the actual ceremony.

* Inspiring suggestions for personalizing a wedding with themes and traditions that have special meaning for the bride and groom.

* Creative ideas for venues--both traditional and non-traditional--and how to decorate them.

* Unique cost-saving tips and tricks for getting married on a budget.

Perfect for anyone planning a wedding with 75 guests or less, this book walks the bride-to-be through every step she needs to make her big day a success. There's no better resource for creating an event that's memorable and meaningful.

About the Author
Christina Friedrichsen's work has been featured in a wide variety of publications, including The Globe and Mail, Canadian Health and Fitness and PETS Magazine. Friedrichsen lives in Amherstburg in Ontario, Canada.

Review: An excellent guide for brides who want an intimate wedding
Intimate Weddings is beautifully designed, has been painstakingly researched, and is written with style and elegance. The book explains the rationale for having a small wedding, how to go about planning your wedding, setting a budget, creating an intimate ceremony, organizing a reception, planning indoor vs. outdoor receptions, choosing a theme, planning your honeymoon, second weddings, and preserving your wedding memories. Christina Friedrichsen challenges couples to question wedding traditions that may or may not work for them as they plan an intimate and memorable wedding: e.g. do you really want a receiving line? If you want to plan a simple but tasteful wedding, the resource directory at the back of this book will be invaluable to you in your research.

Review: Great resource for having a small wedding,
I especially liked reading about the experiences of others' "real-life" weddings - getting ideas from what they did, seeing the breakdown of their budget - it really helped set realistic goals for my own budget. Well worth the time and money to read this book.

Review: An Excellent Resource, Great Ideas, Inspiring
If you are holding off getting married due to financial concerns, hold off no longer. I found enough advice in this one book to take our own wedding plans off the "hold" button. Intimate, small and personal is in. Intimate Weddings is like having your own wedding planner, whose mission is to save you time and money while helping you find that personal edge to make your day as individual as you are. You CAN have a wedding without racking up new debt and without spending the better part of a year working toward that one special day. Read the book: along with cost and time-saving tips, you'll learn how to get the best deals, including destination weddings, indoor and outdoor ceremonies, and more. Thanks Christina for showing us how to go against the grain. Smaller is definitely better.

Review: Intimate Weddings is an execellent resource
Intimate Weddings, planning a small wedding that fits your budget and style, is a must read for anyone planning a wedding, or anyone who knows someone who is planning a wedding. Filled with great ideas and inspirational stories from couples who made their special day truly memorable, Christina's entertaining and lively writing style keeps the reader reading from beginning to end.

Review: an absolute wedding encyclopedia,
Intimate Weddings is an absolute encyclopedia for anyone planning a more reasonable, less extravagant wedding day. Answers to questions you may have relating to a small wedding will most likely be answered in this well written book. Author Christina Friedrichsen establishes excellent ideas to balance her views of what constitutes an "intimate wedding". Reality reading at its best for brides and grooms wanting a unique day suited for themselves and their budget. Actual couples weddings, including the authors, are outlined for readers to view and compare.

Review: A great book!
I came across the book AFTER I got married unfortunately. While we had a small and "intimate" wedding it wasn't a particularly inspired one. The ideas, suggestions and examples Christina presents in "Intimate Weddings" will put a bounce in your pre-wedding step and get you motivated to have an amazing (and intimate) wedding. You'll have an event that people will truly remember and that you will cherish, not just because it was the day you joined with the love of your life but because it was a truely unique and wonderful event for everyone present.

I Highly recommend this book!

Review: Intimate Weddings a Great Find!
What a great book! It is full of lots of different ideas on how to make a smaller (or any sized) wedding special.
I liked the variety of styles of weddings from fancy to simple, indoor or out, modern or traditional. The actual couples who shared their stories added a nice personal touch, along with the author's own wedding details. I would never have thought of all of the different details a couple could consider to personalize their wedding day. The suggestions are timeless and could be incorporated into any variety of weddings.
The book is written in a warm, friendly tone, sure to calm nervous couples-to-be.The lists of wedding related web sites is very useful.

What a treasure.

Review: An excellent guide for brides who want an intimate wedding
Intimate Weddings is beautifully designed, has been painstakingly researched, and is written with style and elegance. The book explains the rationale for having a small wedding, how to go about planning your wedding, setting a budget, creating an intimate ceremony, organizing a reception, planning indoor vs. outdoor receptions, choosing a theme, planning your honeymoon, second weddings, and preserving your wedding memories. Christina Friedrichsen challenges couples to question wedding traditions that may or may not work for them as they plan an intimate and memorable wedding: e.g. do you really want a receiving line? If you want to plan a simple but tasteful wedding, the resource directory at the back of this book will be invaluable to you in your research.




Easy Wedding Planning Plus, 5th Edition : The Most Comprehensive and Easy to Use Wedding Planner (Plastic Comb)

Review: Fantastic!
I absolutely adore this book! I would be nowhere in my wedding planning without it. To make things a bit easier, though, I took out the comb, three-hole punched it and put it into a 3-ring binder. I also bought some folders and some stick-on tabs, hole punched the folders and organized it all in the binder. Now? Now I carry this thing EVERYWHERE! The lists for inputting information about vendors and receptions sites and everything are a GODSEND, and I have tons of photocopies of each of them in the binder. I've ended up with a few other crappy wedding planners, and none of them even compare to this one. I haven't even so much as looked at the other ones since I got this one! HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!!

Review: Great book with lots of pictures for ideas!
This book was very helpful in helping me plan for my wedding. Although it doesn't have any tabs for each area of a wedding, it would have been a big help so that I wouldn't have to thumb through the book to search for specifics. Has great outlines to follow and good for self planned weddings. It has a lot of great deocrating ideas and money saving tips as well.:

Review: good to keep you organized
This book is pretty comprehensive. It has pages for budgeting and to write down different possibilities to compare each one to the others. It also is very helpful in giving approximate priceranges for different wedding items. Further it states which wedding items usually consume how much % of the wedding budget. The book even offers advice in the kind of dress that should be picked depending on when the wedding is and how formal it is and some stationary examples for what can be written on the invitation. It even goes into detail on some flowers. All in all I think it is a good comprehensive guide to plan a wedding, but I would supplemented with decoration ideas, that can be found online.

As one reviewer mentioned, even most of the things that are in this book can be found online. I think I have to agree with this, I found webpages, such as the knot, quite informative regarding weddings.

Review: For Regular Users...
I am planning this wedding full-time. I am always web-surfing for ideas. The budget and especially the price range is helpful but it's really nothing I haven't found on the web for free. The ideas in the book are dated (rose petal toss and no websites offered). As a planner for busy people who are very budget-oriented, it's not too bad. I am returning the book.

Review: Excellent Resource
This book is an excellent resource. It contains almost everything you would need to plan and prepare for a wedding, except for the bride and groom!!

Review: Couldn't have done without it
I used all the workbook pages to stay within my budget. The only draw back, the boxes on pages a little small. I just xeroxed them to make them bigger. Suggest leaving a space for guest list. Wonderful book.

Review: Best Wedding Planner
This book was my bible for planning my wedding. Gave good ideas for keeping the costs down and the price lists were what one should expect. The checklist and budget planner were the most helpful.

Review: Very user friendly
This is a really nice wedding planner that tries to include everything. One of the things I liked most about this book was that it included price ranges for all the different wedding services and accessories. I also really liked the fact that it included color photos of popular wedding flowers. This book includes worksheets for your invitations, vendors, and budget. I would recommend this to a bride to be, or as a gift from her maid of honor or bridesmaids. Good luck!

Review: A MUST HAVE when planning your wedding.
I have always dreamed of my perfect wedding. Of course, not ever planning one, I had no idea where to begin. I bought this book to help me plan every detail that I needed. The book has done more than that. I was able to stay within my budget, plan each detail in plenty of time and get some great ideas of how we want certain details done. My parents do not live close to me so it was very helpful for them to see what we were getting accomplished so that they know when to pay each bill. I would just send them a copy of each page I completed. They were amazed by how organized I became! Now, my brother is engaged, and I am sending a copy of the book to his fiance so that she too can plan her wedding just as easily as I have. My wedding is in June and I know everything will me perfect, becuase of this book.

Other Invitation Ideas:
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------