Kelly Bare

What a beautiful little book. This is the only wedding book I've purchased -- the rest I've borrowed from my local library -- and I have no regrets about the purchase. Granted, I got it for something like 80% off at Borders during its final weeks, but I think I might have sprung for it at full price if I'd had to. For my purposes, this is the most useful wedding book I've seen yet.

Unfortunately, I picked it up too late in the game to apply a lot of the advice to my own plans, but pieces of show more it were still quite useful to me. The generally positive, encouraging attitude of the book is definitely my favorite part of it. That's kept me from freaking out (much) and helped me stay focused on how much FUN I'm having with my planning/crafting/sewing/baking bonanza.

I do want to point out that this is not really a craft book. There are some roughly presented craft ideas here and there, some pretty underwhelming (like putting an eyelet on your invitations... what?), others very useful (the flower chapter was ALL new to me, and great).

Part of what's kept me from buying wedding books is the thought that they wouldn't be useful to me post-wedding, but I think there are quite a few party-planning ideas in this one that could be applied more generally. I think I'll hold onto this one. show less

this book rocked. it gives so many ideas on how to do things yourself in a fun and creative manner. it by no means suggest that you should or could do everything yourself. but it does help you narrow your focus and determine what your priorities are, what you want to do yourself and what you want to leave to the professionals. it helps you prioritize and encourages you to enlist the help of friends and family and put their talents to use. each chapter is devoted to one area of the planning show more process from attire to invitations to food and music to photography and videography to rings and favors. this book is chock full of all kinds of creative ideas. each chapter gives you a complete overview of all your different options. the dress: do you want vintage? it gives you ideas of all the different places to look and how to spot a find and a dud. you want to design your own dress and have it made? it gives you a list of questions to ask the dressmaker. the book is sprinkled with "we did, advice from real couples" and with instructions for various projects such as making your own veil or embellishing a pair of shoes to go with your dress. each chapter gives various alternatives, ideas and project instructions. i think i liked this book the best out of all of them. i have found it the most useful and has spurred many ideas that i have written down in a little journal i am keeping to record all our thoughts and ideas. show less

After looking at wedding planning books, including other ones on "making the day your own" I liked this book the best. I am not sure why, but maybe because it gives you a plan, what realistically can you do, it also doesn't make assumptions about what a wedding "should" be. Most of the other books felt like they were just giving you permission to do what you want.