Wedding Invitations (Hardcover)
by Jennifer Cegielski

Editorial Reviews

Book Description
A wedding invitation heralds the good news of two people making a commitment and also reveals the style and tone of that highly anticipated day. Gone are the days when a couple's major decision about their invitations was choosing between white or ecru paper-today's invitations come in an incredible array of materials, colors, textures, sizes, and shapes. And the often complex structure of modern families makes wording invitations a challenge. The first book to fully address these topics, Wedding Invitations takes couples from original idea to finished product, no matter how simple or extravagant their vision.

The book presents both traditional and modern designs, details the many different types of inks, papers, and printing methods available, and discusses how to deal with ceremony cards, response cards, maps, and other enclosures. The text covers all aspects of invitation etiquette, from acknowledging various family members in the most appropriate way, to properly wording inner and outer envelopes. Wedding Invitations offers advice on desktop publishing, working with a designer or calligrapher, papermaking, and doing your own letterpress printing. Since many guests cherish the invitation as a memento long after the ceremony has passed, this is a must-have for the newly engaged.

Amazon Reviews

A wealth of information--even beyond the wedding
I have to admit, while planning my wedding I was hesitant at first to purchase a book that seemed to be on only one wedding topic. But being into stationery and typography, I'm glad I took a chance on this one. I wanted our wedding invitation to be really special (we have been together a long time and already have a child), and this book helped us achieve that goal. All the bases are covered, so you really understand what all your options are in a simple, non-overload way. This book is like a "master class", and is great for anybody who is interested in printing, stationery or invitations in general.

Review: A lot of useful information
I'm not sure what the reviewer below was reading because this book contains everything you could ever hope to know about wedding invitations. It's definitely visually attractive, but it's the useful information (even gives you a timeline for you invites to make sure you're on track which I am often not!) that make this a must-have item for anyone about to get married.

Review: Very comprehensive and informative Invitations book!
A must have for the "Bride-to-be" or anyone planning an event. This creative Invitations book covers everything you'll need to know when planning a wedding. It is layed out in an easy to read format w/ stunning visuals of invitations, etc. in a compact book that can be used for a referrence manual year after year.
I highly recommend it!

Review: Gorgeous, useful and a time saver!
This will help you through making all sort of invitation decisions (believe me there are a lot to make, I had no idea before I started) like paper and ink colors and also tell you all sorts of stuff about how to word your own invite to suit your wedding formality level. My invitations are going to be on blue paper letterpressed with brown ink, very elegant yet modern. I never would have thought of that combination had I not picked up this book! I can't wait to get the invitations up from the printer.

Emily Post's Wedding Etiquette: Cherished Traditions and
Contemporary Ideas for a Joyous Celebration (4th Edition) (Hardcover)

Amazon.com
What makes a perfect wedding? "[The bride] and the groom both look as though there were sunlight behind their eyes, as though their mouths irresistibly turned to smiles," wrote Emily Post in 1922's Etiquette. Great-granddaughter-in-law Peggy Post, author of the fourth edition of Emily Post's Wedding Etiquette, absolutely agrees with Miss Emily. To ensure those bright eyes and smiles, she imparts thoughtful and commonsensical advice on how to plan for not just your wedding, but for all the social and familial obligations and traditions that a wedding entails.

Unlike many wedding manuals, Post includes advice for the "encore" bride as well as for the new bride. In this day of remarriages and blended families, tact and strategy are often needed to make sure feelings aren't hurt and everything runs as smoothly as possible. A chapter on multicultural and interfaith marriages addresses differing world traditions and how they can be incorporated into a touching ceremony that makes both the couple and their families happy. If you are unsure of who is supposed to do what, Post gives you clear instruction, often including a flow chart that delineates the responsibilities of all people involved in the wedding party (bride's parents throw the engagement party, best man returns the tuxes, flower girl's family pays for her outfit).

Throughout Emily Post's Wedding Etiquette are sidebars with questions asked of Post regarding an amazing array of wedding-related conundrums ("My daughter's fiancé wants to follow his family's tradition of having a money tree at the wedding. I personally find this distasteful; can I say so?"). This is a great book to find the answers for all those sticky questions. All involved in the wedding process should leaf through, get their bearings, smile, and then forge ahead. --Dana Van Nest

Book Description
Peggy Post, America's etiquette authority, presents an indispensable, comprehensive guide to planning and personalizing your wedding. Today's weddings are more complex than ever before, with new traditions and new family relationships to consider. This thoroughly revised fourth edition of the classic Emily Post's Wedding Etiquette addresses countless wedding questions both old and new. With the famous Post blend of sensitivity and practicality, Peggy Post shows how to handle the big decisions and the little details that will make your wedding beautiful to behold and uniquely yours -- and how to carry it off with minimum stress and maximum style.

Three new chapters offer advice on the latest realities of today's weddings, including multicultural ceremonies, encore weddings, and postwedding duties. Expanded sections give guidance on financial matters, working smoothly with wedding consultants and others on your "wedding team," and planning theme and destination weddings. Dozens of at-a-glance lists, boxes, and charts on everything from most-asked questions to creative ideas for personalizing the day are perfect guides for busy brides and grooms.

With this book in hand, a couple can confidently blend the best of classic tradition with contemporary style, making this wondrous event a celebration to be remembered and treasured by all.

Review: Excellent Purchase!
I am studying to be a Wedding/Event Planner and this book is a part of my course study. I loved the material and featured Q&A. The book is very modern yet contemporary at the same time. An excellent buy for anyone planning their wedding or joining the wedding industry.

Review: Panic in the wedding aisle!
Yikes! I am newly engaged, and this book scared the bejebbers out of me! My fiance and I were looking at a simple wedding. This book intends to scare you into looking at more and more elaborate proceedings. Finally, you are at the point where you believe no one but a diety called a "wedding planner" can actually pull off a wedding.

Perhaps it is where I live and my social-economic class, but this book view of etiquette is manners that quickly translates into cash. I literally woke up in the middle of the night when I considered how much everything would cost and how far behind the wedding planning was.

My friends who are married knew what sort of wedding I had in mind and did not hestitate to tell me to send the book BACK.

Review: This massive guide is all-inclusive and brilliant
Not just for Etiquette! This book is an impressive wealth of knowledge and information, and is just loaded with useful information that I've never found in other wedding books, and I've bought and browsed my share of them. You need not worry this book will just repeat information you may already have in other books, this book will complement your collection and give you lots of details you probably won't find anywhere else. It's the wedding Bible. And, although Post is the authority on Etiquette, not only is this guide the only Etiquette helper you'll ever need, it also is a huge help in planning and ideas. You won't find any glossy full color photos in here but this book offers so much those other more "glossy" books don't have. This is a MUST for any engaged couple.

Review: Great wedding resource, more than etiquette.
This is a great book for any bride to be. It includes not only etiquette, but it also has tips. It was especially useful for wording on invitations, and also for the envelopes. A classic!

Review: The only wedding book you'll need!
This books takes the place of so many other books out there, like guides to writing thank yous, guides about religious traditions, what to wear. This book has it all. You're getting about 15 books for the price of one. Emily Post's Wedding Etuiquette guides you from announcing your engagement to friends and family all the way through writing Thank you's and everything in between. It's an invaluable guide for the bride, the groom, the bridal party and even the guests at a wedding! Have you ever wondered how much to give for a wedding? What to wear for a daytime formal wedding? What order to use for the processional? How do you write out an invitation for a same sex couple? What is the appropriate way to write out Thank yous? All of these questions and many more are answered in this thorough, sensible book. It's a great read and very well organized so you will be able to find anything you need. It is a great gift for the bride and groom because its timelines can also be used as a planner. It's also a great gift for the bridal party or parents of the bride because it outlines all of those responsibilities as well. This may very well be the only wedding book you'll ever need, whether you're the bride, the groom, the father of the bride, the maid of honor, or just a guest!

Review: Excellent bridal resource
Read Miss Manners or Emily Post for advice before you throw any major event and you can't possibly go wrong. In this day of Bridezillas and tacky "traditions" such as family-hosted showers, money dances, and registry info in wedding invitations, the astute bride will consult real experts rather than The Knot or Dear Prudence!

Review: A fairly good book
This book is marvelous help in preparing for your wedding day, laying out all the physical aspects of the wedding from A to Z. Sadly, this book doesn't have much discussion on preparing your heart for the day. It is said that a woman looks forward to her wedding day, a man looks forward to the wedding night - both are important, but men often tend to downplay the day's events as they focus on the evening.

Review: Invaluable
An invaluable book to avoid potential wedding/social faux pas. Has guidance from invitations to thank you letters and everything in between. If you're wanting more value for the money, I would suggest "Emily Post's Etiquette (16th Edition or latest)" as it covers wedding (albeit not as detailed), social and business etiquette areas.

Review: Very helpful and incredibly detailed
I decided to get this book because I was struggling with how to make wedding decisions that would potentially upset some people, like not having kids be invited. I was surprised when the book arrived at how thick it is, there is really a wealth of information in it. I like that she gives both a traditional and contemporary view on certain topics, and the sections are clearly marked so its not as though you have to read it from beginning to end to find what you are looking for. I think this book can be helpful even if you're not facing and etiquette dilemma, it makes you think of things you hadn't even thought of. Its also really clearly written.

Review: Excellent Single-Source Wedding Book,
If you only plan on buying *one* wedding guide book, this should be it.
Peggy Post addresses almost every aspect of wedding etiquette in this hefty book. Although you can find most of this information on Internet sites, Peggy Post does a fantastic job of compiling wedding information in one easy-to-use volume.

Book highlights include:

- Exhaustively Thorough Invitation Section
(Example: Outlines specific language you should use if the bride's divorced/remarried parents are jointly hosting the wedding.)

- Engagement Outline
(Example: Gives recommendations for who the happy couple should tell, when, & how.)

- Guest Information
(Example: Discusses gift giving, response cards, etc.)

Peggy Post does an excellent job of conveying information without sounding preachy. She offers recommendations instead of barking standards.

In addition to being a great planning tool, this book is also quite lovely! As such, it would make a beautiful engagement gift.

Highly recommended.




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.
good ideas

Reviewer: Desiree
There were some good ideas in this book. Unlike the invitation book, they didn't seem to be as origional. There were also favor ideas that wouldn't really be useful for most weddings. However, there were some cute ideas, I liked the tags they used for place settings. There were some tips that I wasn't aware of before reading the book. I do have to admit there are a couple of things that we might consider for our reception. I am looking forward to getting the other artful bride book.

Review: Martha's employee makes a book.
Following from the previous review where I commented that the projects in this book could have been from 'Martha Stewarts weddings' imagine my amusement when I saw on the back of the book that the Author IS from Martha Stewart's living! Trust me, this book is truly banal.

Review: I sadly missed McFadden in this artful bride book.
Compared to the wonderfully creative and unique original 'Artful Bride' I found `wedding favours', the third book of the artful bride series to be a real let down. I was terribly disappointed so I checked and saw it was only written by one of the two authors of the first book, sadly Graphic Designer Laura Mc Fadden is absent. I found all of the projects in the third book to be rather obvious and lacking in enthusiasm, and especially lacking the edgy well designed feel of the first book, which is a bible for the crafty anti-bride.

Only two of this books projects appealed, but they are no stretch of the imagination for bridal favours either: home made chocolates & bonsai trees, please, I think they lifted those ideas from Martha Stewarts weddings! Overall the feel of the book was of icky bridal triteness, with a lot of pink, heart shapes and a flower on nearly every page. I am waiting for the second book in the series, Invitations, which, unlike `wedding favours' was co-written by Laura Mc Fadden and I hope it will be better.

Hosting Wedding Parties (Hardcover)

Book Description
From showers to receptions to bridal teas, you'll find everything you need to toast the happy couple in style. HOSTING WEDDING PARTIES offers the inspiration and the how-to instructions for planning and hosting unique wedding-related theme parties that will be remembered for years to come. Each party is beautifully photographed to show every detail, from handcrafted invitations to exquisite centerpieces to thoughtful and unique party favors. Decorations and specially crafted accents are explained in step-by-step instructions, yet all party elements are easy and affordable! Also included are complete party menus with easy but delicious recipes, along with suggested table settings and beverages. A special section on entertaining help includes etiquette tips, floral arranging ideas, and more. Whether you're the maid of honor, the mother of the groom, or the bride herself, this book has the details you need to plan the perfect party.

Just look what makes this book a must for your collection:

** Covers a wide range of parties, not just showers! Includes parties for rehearsals, engagements, and receptions.

** Perfect for anyone involved in a wedding - the maid of honor, mother, father, grandparent, bridesmaid, groomsman, uncle, or aunt.

** Contains complete menus and recipes for each party.

** Features easy and affordable party plans that don't require weeks of preparation.

** Includes a special section on etiquette tips, floral-arranging ideas, table setting, and more.

** It's the best book you'll find on the subject. Most "shower" books are one color, and don't have recipes. This one is full of full-color photos that help you make your wedding party a smash.

The Everything Wedding Vows Book: Anything and Everything You Could Possibly Say at the Altar - And Then Some (Everything Series) (Paperback)

Book Description
Packed with ideas, insights, and most importantly, expressions of love and devotion, The Everything Wedding Vows Book will help you create the perfect statement for your new life together.

Review: Very, very easy to read and has something for everyone!
This book has ideas for religious ceremonies, non religious, traditional or contemporary and even ideas for a second marriage, renewal of vows or marriages of people with Children. The book is very easy to read and it has vows that you can read word for word or ideas and guidelines to build your own vows upon. This gives a lot of ideas for alternative and original vows. Also, just because it mentions "THE ALTAR" in the title, doesn't mean the readings wouldn't be appropriate for a contemporary non religious ceremony. I would definatly recommend this to anyone who doesn't want the traditional "Love, honor and OBEY" vows.

Review: This book has everything you need!
If you are writing your own vows, or trying to come up with a toast, or need a reading for the ceremony...or just feel like telling your significant other how much you love him/her, this book is for you: tons and tons of sample vows, everything from poetry excerpts to "cookie cutter" vows where all you have to do is fill in the blank with the right name. It has vows for every occasion, quotes and sayings about love and marriage, and a whole lot more. This book is a great buy and should be passed on to friends!

Review: great book
I like the format, Ilile the way it flows great job , easy to understand and to follow.

Review: Serves Its Purpose Well
This little book accomplishes its purpose very well, i.e., guiding couples through various possibilities for making their wedding unique and meaningful to them. As a wedding "officiant" I particularly appreciated the inclusion of a format to be used by the couple in defining what various terms, e.g., love, trust, commitment, etc., mean to them. This, when shared with the person performing the ceremony, will help them better structure the message which will accompany the vows -- and make it more meaningful and personal to the couple being married. True, there is nothing in this brief volume which could not be obtained from other sources -- but at this price and convenience, why bother to look elsewhere! The poem: The Worn Wedding Ring, is super appropriate for persons renewing their vows -- "Your wedding ring wears thin, dear wife. Ah, summers not a few, Since I put it on your finger first, have passed o're me and you; And, Love, what changes we have seen, what cares and pleasures, too, Since you became my own dear wife, when this old ring was new!" etc., etc.

Review: Nothing here you can't get for free
I didn't find this book to be anything special. There wasn't anything in the book that I couldn't find for free over the net. We found that the person who marries you will already have a wide selection of things to choose from.

Review: Not Quite What I wanted
This book, while deviating from most of the traditional vows, still did not have what I was looking for. I am a single mom who is going to marry a man who has never been married. There are so many different situations, that one small book could never really do justice to all the possibilities. For people who want a still fairly traditional ceremony, this book would be fine. Keep looking if you want something totally unique.

Disney's Fairy Tale Weddings [ENHANCED] CD

Songs include:
1. Beauty and the Beast - Beauty and the Beast
2. Some Day My Prince Will Come - Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs
3. If I Never Knew You - Pocahontas
4. So This Is Love - Cinderella
5. Bella Notte - Lady and the Tramp
6. Love Is a Song - Bambi
7. Can You Feel the Love Tonight - The Lion King
8. A Dream Is a Wish Your Heart Makes - Cinderella
9. A Whole New World - Aladdin
10. Endless Night - The Lion King: Original Broadway Cast Recording
11. Part of Your World - The Little Mermaid
12. Something There - Beauty and the Beast
13. Lavender Blue - So Dear to My Heart
14. When You Wish Upon a Star - Pinocchio

Reviews:

Review: So romantic!
My husband and I met in Disneyland in 1999. When we began planning our wedding, we wanted to put a subtle Disney spin to it, since it means so much to our relationship (we even went to WDW for our honeymoon!) This CD inspired a number of songs - I walked down the aisle to So This Is Love, but played live by a classical guitarist, and we had the DJ play this entire disc during the dinner part of our reception. I truly felt like a princess, and it really made the evening so special. I HIGHLY recommend it :)

Review: Great CD old music with a new cover.
If you have the Disney Instrmental that is what this cd is. If you never had it then you really need to get this cd. I love it. Sometimes it's nice to have a calm cd, that I love to play if I have a romantic dinner with my husband (We honeymooned in Disney) Love this cd!! :D

Review: It's a oldie
Great CD nothing wrong with that but i'ts the same as Disney's Instrumental Impression. Just for the record.

Review: Superb!
Disney's Fairy Tale Weddings CD holds fourteen very well orchestrated love songs from favorite movies like Cinderella, Pocahontas, The Little Mermaid, and many others. Listening to these majestic selections will make your heart swell with delight. Fall in love with this romantic instrumental collection.

Review: One of the best!
I love this cd! I am getting married this November and am having sort of a Disney themed wedding and this fits PERFECT!

Review: The Classics!
This CD contains so many classic Disney songs. If you are a die hard fan like me, then you have most or all of them already, but if not, this is an excellent piece to start your collection.

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.

About the Author
Maria McBride-Mellinger is leading expert on weddings. She was fashion editor for Bride's magazine for five years. She is the author of The Wedding Dress (Random House 1993) and Bridal Flowers (Bulfinch Press 1992). She is contributing editor to Bride's and a frequent contributor to other national magazines.

Great ideas and details for across the seasons!
Review: Reviewer: A. Maxham "Just trying to help..."

I wanted to get some sort of book for ideas because all that the brick-thick bridal magazines do is show you wedding gown after wedding gown with the occasional bridesmaids gown thrown in for variety. I wanted ideas for place settings, place cards, flower arrangements, cakes, favors, and even menus and was getting frustrated.

When I ordered this book, I was a little concerned because it is advertised as a reception for each of the four seasons. I'm having a winter wedding, so I was thinking "Oh Great- I'm only going to be able to use a fourth of this book." I was WRONG! Generally speaking this book manages to give you ideas for how to give your wedding (or any formal event) the *feel* of the season, but also gives you detailed ideas that may generalize throughout the year. For example: The spring bouquet with some modification would be beautiful for my December bouquet.

In addition to the seasonal advice, there are sections called "Fine points" dealing with general details such as "confections" (desserts), table accents (for formal, semi-formal and informal occasions), flowers, etc. The ideas that seem to be lacking in the literally foot-tall stack of bridal magazines are here in this book.

Yes, some of the ideas in the book are sorta pricey, but some are less pricey and very do-it-yourself (e.g. Juniper shrubs in galvanized tin buckets, covering the topsoil with moss and tying a silver mesh ribbon around the trunk- VERY cute, and highly do-able).

I highly recommend this book! I do wish there were a book for each of the seasons, but until then, don't be afraid of this one!

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: 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.

Weddings from the Heart: Contemporary and Traditional Ceremonies for an Unforgettable Wedding (Paperback)

Midwest Book Review
With its combination of contemporary and traditional ceremonies, as well as suggestions for vows, readings and extra special touches, Weddings From the Heart will help any couple understand the meaning behind the wedding ceremony and create the most exquisite ceremony possible. Movingly written in Daphne Kingma's warm and intimate style, Weddings From the Heart offers five complete ceremonies: one that emphasizes the psychological dimensions of love; one for the previously married; one that celebrates the joy of finding soul mate; a ceremony for people in recovery; and a ceremony that focuses on the spiritual commitment of marriage, as well as the texts of traditional Christian and civil ceremonies and hundreds of vows, consecrations, and blessings of the rings from traditions around the world. Weddings From the Heart also contains more than fifty heartwarming, philosophical and poetic readings on love from a wide range of writers and poets, including Pablo Neruda, E. E. Cummings, Rainer Maria Rilke, Shakespeare, Shelley, and Elizabeth Barret Browning. Also included are step-by-step suggestions on how to put together your own ceremony and a multitude of ideas on how to deepen the experience both for the couple and the guests. --This text refers to the Paperback edition.

Book Description
Weddings can be traumatic or transporting, depending on many factors, some of which are beyond the control of the bride and bridegroom. But one area which they can control is the ceremony itself. This newly designed bestselling guide offers hundreds of suggested texts, vows, poems, consecrations, readings, and more to help couples create a wedding that is personal and meaningful. It even offers five complete ceremonies, including one for the previously married, one celebrating the joy of finding a soul mate, and one focusing on spiritual commitment. With selections from Pablo Neruda, Shakespeare, e. e. cummings, Rainer Maria Rilke, and Elizabeth Barrett Browning, Weddings from the Heart offers a reassuring array of possibilities for making that special day truly special.

Review: More than words can say ... Kingma is king of vows!

I plan to elope and have never wanted to say the standard religious vows from my Roman Catholic childhood. Kingma is a master of words. Capturing love is not easy. Saying the most with the least is the magic. Bring illumination into your personal ceremony with Daphne's wisdom. Better yet, consider having her as your marriage officiant.

Review: Okay, depending on what you want
Most of this book was irrelevant for what I wanted. I was looking for a source for religiously-oriented vows, prayers, and blessings which I could use to create an ecumenical wedding service. This book DOES have a section of such things --and I did find it useful for comparison purposes-- but the main emphasis is on contemporary vows, addresses, etc., most of which seemed just too fluffy for me. If you do want very emotionally-laden, "unique to you" and non-traditional wedding, go for this. If you seriously want to compare weddings from different Judeo-Christian traditions, I highly recommend _Weddings: A Complete Guide to All Religious and Interfaith Marriage Services_ instead.

Review: A great tool for getting ideas for your ceremony
My partner and I combed through this book learning the history and meaning of different kinds of ceremonies which really helped us as we wrote our own. I am not a specifically religious person so it was helpful learning the background behind the different parts of traditional ceremonies (invocation, vows, etc) as well as seeing how different folks (pagan, recovery) have created their own ceremonies. I actually found these sections a bit cheesy, but it was still a useful book in all.

Review: Looking hard for a Unique wedding? THIS BOOK might help
This book is not a workbook on what kind of linen to use at your reception or how to get bridesmaids to wear ugly dresses...

For someone (me!) who's trying to put together a spiritual, unique, open-minded wedding this book helps. It's been really hard finding books that are for people like me that don't want to have a Church wedding with a lot of pomp and circumstance that doesn't keep in mind those of other sexualities and partner relationships.
Though this book doesn't scream alternative..it's a good reading and offers a lot for you to think about!

Review: Weddings from the heart
This book was a great place for my fiance and I to start some dialoge about what we want. Both of us have been married previously and it was an excellent way for us to compare what we had before, and design a ceremony that is unique to us as a couple. We took a pen and circled parts we liked from several ceremonies and hope to compile them into one. This book came recomended to me and now I see why.

Review: A must if you are writing your own wedding ceremony!
My fiance and I decided early on in the stages of planning our wedding that we wanted to write our own ceremony. We were getting married in a garden setting and wanted a ceremony that reflected our personalities, feelings and the joy we felt at being together and committed for the rest of our lives.
This book gave us so many great ideas on how first, to structure the ceremony, and then some of the wording we could use. We didn't copy any ceremony exactly, but the ideas that this book provides are great! I can't tell you how many people came up to us afterward and said it was the best wedding ceremony they had ever attended!

Review: Comments from a Marriage Celebrant
I have found this book a great resource in preparing for Wedding Ceremonies. I have conducted over three hundred weddings in South Australia and this book is one that I recommend to couples who are searching for inspirational material. The book is practical, down to earth and encourages couples to explore, discuss and develop their own thoughts from a wide range of example material. Worth a read!

Review: Weddings from the Heart : Contemporary and Traditional Ceremonies
An excellent book for those planning a nondenominational wedding. With a keen interest in spirituality and creativity, hours of searching at libraries and bookstores lead us to this book. Kingma recognizes that every wedding ceremony is unique and offers the food for thought that many need to formulate a meaningful event. She defines "types" of marriages the first section. As one might expect of any relationship, we found that while none applied exclusively, there was some meaning in each. This exercise helped us engage our officiant in a thought and discovery process about our vision for a ceremony. The descriptions of traditions from various cultures stimulated our creativity; the outline of traditional western wedding components offered structure; and a list of readings included one of our final choice readings (adapted from the Christian Bible in an amazingly polically correct manner).

Review: Nice readings
I thought there were a nice collection of readings that I didn't see in other compilations. I found the ceremonies in Into the Garden much more to my liking.