Meg Keene

I'm likely going to revisit this over the next two years, especially as I have a fiance who dreads wedding planning. A Practical Wedding (both the blog and the book) is like a very reassuring friend who wants to make sure you know 1) it's about the two of you, not necessarily the bells and whistles and ding dongs your friends/family/boss/TLC want you to do and 2) if it does not bring you joy, you can ditch it/don't have to care as much about it (darn straight I'm going to konmari this process).

APW is fairly short, but those are the main points to get across, with examples from real-life married people about their planning process/actual day. A budget breakdown in various cities/scales was helpful, and each chapter concludes with a bulleted summary of main points/takeaways. Beyond *wedding* planning, APW also addresses things to consider in your wedded life planning- have you and your intended discussed long term goals? Finances? # of kids? Faith traditions? And if the partnership just isn't working, it's absolutely okay to call off the wedding- I think they said it like "It's far easier to cancel a wedding than a marriage". And if you are getting married but something goes awry whether it be weather, missing centerpieces, etc.? Chances are it won't ruin your day and will become a colorful story about the wedding in your memories.

Like I said, this book feels like the friend patting you on the back saying, "It's fiiiiiine. You're going to be amazing."… (more)

The cover looks like every other wedding book, with a thin white bride princess (c'mon, publisher!), so I'm kind of embarrassed to have it on my coffee table. But the insides are not like that at all. It is practical, sensible, and scrupulously addresses itself to "the couple" without making any assumptions about gender. It never tells you you need anything (except chairs), but talks you through setting your own priorities without judging them. It's full of lists of questions you should ask prospective photographers and venues, which is super helpful because when the hell have most people had occasion to do this kind of event planning? We referred to it constantly while making the big decisions at the beginning of planning, and I imagine we'll go back to it in the month before the wedding, too.

Somebody should hire Meg Keene to do a Netflix show, like Marie Kondo's except for weddings. It would be a soothing, uplifting hit.… (more)

Basically a book of advice on how to get the wedding you want without losing your mind. I may have found this more useful before I chose my wedding planner, but I can definitely recommend it to people with a more DIY/DIT (do it together-one of the more interesting recommendations in the book; I did like the emphasis placed on including the groom) spirit than I and my fiance. I would have liked more info on choosing an officiant, as that appears to be what we're stuck on, but overall I really enjoyed the book.… (more)