Bridal Bookworm: My Fair Wedding

You know that I LOVE me some David Tutera. Not only is he ridiculously handsome, he is a brilliant wedding planner and his reality series My Fair Wedding on WETV is a fabulous show full of touching moments and fabulous events.

I DVR all of his episodes, but his new book helps me literally read into the magic behind… well, the magic. Tutera’s book chooses 10 of the most memorable weddings from the first three seasons of the show and allows readers an intimate look behind the scenes, detailing the challenges that were conquered, and it includes testimonials from the brides themselves, some of which will bring tears to your eyes. Along with the profiles, Tutera offers practical advice on fashion, decor, transportation, the ceremony and many other aspects of wedding planning.

Oh, and needless to say, the book is filled with gorgeous photographs.

Definitely a must-read for brides looking for inspiration-both with wedding details and a positive outlook on wedding planning.

Click here to buy on Amazon.com

 

Bridal Bookworm: Fête: The Wedding Experience

It has been quite awhile since my last post on books for brides in the planning process-and, admittedly, this book isn’t exactly fresh from the presses. Even so, I finally got a chance to read it and I am more than pleased with this finding.

Fête: The Wedding Experience is written by Jung Lee, one half of the planning duo that runs Fête, the New York event planning company that, once upon a time, had its own show on TLC. While the book has mountains of photographs of breathtakingly beautiful weddings of ten different couples, it is more than just a pretty picture book. Each wedding featured tackles an aspect of wedding planning from creating a vision to the minute details without the run-of-the-mill checklists and charts that are often featured in wedding planning books. I admire how Lee offers such practical advice with a more organic approach, as her wisdom can be adapted to any wedding, regardless of style or budget. Oh, and did I mention that the weddings featured are absolutely gorgeous?

Click here to purchase on Amazon.com

 

Bridal Bookworm: 101 Ways to Save Money on Your Wedding

There are never too many books that deal with the subject of saving a few hundred (or thousand) dollars on your wedding . For those who want a simple, no-fuss guide to cutting your budget down to size, then 101 Ways to Save Money on Your Wedding by Barbara Cameron is your guide. The book is divided into topics that range from finding your ceremony site to planning your honeymoon and every subject in between. Each section contains clear, concise ideas that could cut your costs in half (literally) in the areas of focus. Although void of photographs or illustrations, 101 Ways is fully stocked with helpful information and resources to help you save big on your big day especially with the “Bridal Bonus” and “Watch Out” text breaks found in each chapter. This little book will be a huge help when it comes to planning your wedding.

Click here to purchase!

Style Your Dream Wedding Quiz

Normlly, I’m not one to take online quizzes too serously; I normally view them as harmless fun or superficial insight at best. But, even I have to admit that the quiz I just took could help you get the ball rolling on your wedding , especially if you’re stumped on your style.

Lifestyle diva Susie Coelho has a book entitled Style Your Dream Wedding, which includes a quiz to help narrow down your wedding day style. However, there is no need to buy the cow-er, book. Coelho was gracious enough to make the quiz available online for free. After taking it myself, I must say that the results were more than accurate; they provided some concrete insight as to what type of decor, dress, and reception site  to go towards, among other seeds of wisdom. Take it for yourself, and I hope this simplifies your wedding day endeavors.

Click here to take the quiz.

Click here to buy the book.

Bridal Bookworm: InStyle Weddings

Bridal magazines are often used by brides and wedding planners alike as a source of inspiration and information regarding trends in attire, decor, flowers, and other subjects related to weddings. But, what happens when a highly recognized fashion and bridal magazine gathers all of the timeless bits of information into a book and offers it as a classic guide for every bride? The answer can be found in the book InStyle Weddings.

InStyle Weddings is a 500+ page masterpiece full of photographs and advice regarding the planning of an elegant, glamorous, over-the-top affair. The striking images are often accompanied by helpful information and comprehensive break-downs regarding subjects that include the difference between letterpress and thermography, what embellishments will drive up the cost of a wedding dress, and the budding seasons of the most popular flowers used in weddings. Bonus-each section ends by featuring the nuptials of some of Tinseltown’s heavy hitters (Jenny McCarthy and Mariska Hargitay to name a few). Besides, once the honeymoon is over, this book will look terribly chic on your coffee table for years to come.

Click here to purchase from Amazon.com

Bridal Bookworm: Wedding Chic by Nina Willdorf

Although weddings are where most people tend to shell out the most money, I would say that the vast majority of us would like to avoid falling deeply into debt over an ice luge. On the other hand, cheap doesn’t equal chic-or, does it? The book Wedding Chicby Nina Willdorf takes the penny-pinching savvy from her previous book City Chicand applies it to weddings by opening up a world of wallet-friendly alternatives for your nuptials that will save you money, but will still look timeless, classy, and beautiful. The book, divided into three sections, covers how to maximize the almighty dollar in choosing the dress, the venue, the cake, the honeymoon, and every other aspect in between. Furthermore, the quotes from various wedding professionals (such as David Tutera and Sylvia Weinstock) and other fashionably frugal brides gives you a manual on the triumphs (and mistakes) that brides make when it comes to dollars and sense so you may reap the rewards.

Oh, did I mention that Willdorf is charmingly witty throughout the book?

If your looking for tips on planning a fabulous wedding on a modest budget, then Wedding Chic will most definitely help you achieve your big dreams for the big day-even if you lack the big bucks.

Click here to see some additional professional reviews and to purchase.

Bridal Bookworm: Offbeat Bride

Is tradition your forté?

If you answer “no” to this question and cringe at the thought of ballgowns, wedding pomp, and the other “usual” (read: boring, irritating, annoying, etc.) traditions, then the book Offbeat Bride: Taffeta-Free Alternatives for Independent Bridesis a perfect read for you.

The Author Ariel Meadow Stallings takes you through the hilarious account of her own wedding and the planning behind it and offers advice to make your nuptials anything but boring. Topics include engagement rings without diamonds, incorporating bridesboys and groomsgirls, wedsites, conflict mediation techniques, and nixing the trip down the aisle with Dad (if you so choose, of course). Interjections from other offbeat brides (and grooms) also allow for insight as to what traditions you may want to keep and what traditions you’d rather toss. This witty but intelligently written read is a must-read for those brides who want to shake things up-or, simply remain true to themselves.

Purchase a copy on Amazon if you’re interested. Until your book arrives, take a look at the Offbeat Bride blog to get your fix.