Let’s get self-referential here for a minute or two.
My esteemed colleague, Never teh Bride, has recently had her book, iDo: Planning Your Wedding With Nothing But ‘Net, published. She was kind enough to send along a copy to me. Of course we all know that free copies of new books to the media are meant to be review copies…okay, she seemed both surprised and amused when I broached the concept to her, but you don’t send a copy of your latest novel to the New York Times Book Review in hopes that they won’t write it up, and, well, I do write about weddings and wedding planning and wedding goodies for sale. It seemed only reasonable to me that our readers should get the skinny on this volume if not precisely from the horse’s mouth, then from the mule next door.
So what did I think? Click the link and find out. Yes, I’m a tease. What? This surprises you?
I’ve had a bit of a fetish for reading wedding planning books since I was old enough to start dreaming about my own wedding day, so as you can imagine, I’ve read more than one or two in my day. This is, frankly, one of the best I’ve read. (Okay, NtB, I said it! Now give me back my…you know…safe and unharmed. Please.)
Actually, my arm remains untwisted and I stand by my previous statement. For readability, organization, imagination, and a bracing refusal to let either unicorn dreams or random panic overtake the reader, this is a hands down fabulous book.
From finding inspiration without spending a bundle on bridal magazines, to serious tips for sticking to your budget, to great resources of vendors and DIY instructions, to practical ways of circumventing the Wedding Industrial Complex, iDo will help you have the wedding you truly want to have without losing your mind.
Do I agree with every piece of advice in the book? No. Actually, I don’t. For instance, I would never put a deceased parent’s name on a wedding invitation for the simple reason that the dead cannot host temporal celebrations. Oh, and yes, it does make a difference whether you choose to ask for ‘the honour of your presence’ vs. ‘the pleasure of your company’ on the invitation. ‘Honour of your presence’ indicates that the ceremony will be held in a house of worship while ‘pleasure of your company’ is used for all other sorts of venues from backyards to hotel ballrooms. I also take a much harder line against registering for cash. Not only is it rude, it’s also a bit of a rip off since most of them charge a fee for the priveledge where simply adding cash and checks to your established account will not cost either you or the giver for their generosity. NtB doesn’t come out in their favor, but where she’s not wild about them, I break out the flame thrower.
Still, these are small quibbles. Keep a copy of Miss Manners at your side along with iDo and you’ll have no problem planning a your perfect wedding in a perfectly correct manner.
But the single best thing in the book, for my money, is the chapter Get Married, Not Harried. In it you’ll find great advice about how to minimize and handle wedding stress. It’s got advice on everything from finding time for yourself in the process to blowing off steam (including advice on whether it’s better to bitch about your future in-laws on Ihatemyinlaws.com or Inlawssuck2.wordpress.com), and how to prepare yourself reasonably for day of disasters. Honestly, this chapter alone is worth the (very reasonable) price of admission.
As I said, I’ve read a lot of wedding planning books over the years. This one made me laugh out loud, play with interactive tools on the net, and generally wish I had my wedding to plan again simply so I could have an excuse to use this book a lot. If you’re still a future bride, I highly recommend this book…and if you’re not, then it’s just a darn good read.
*blush*
I should say that I decided that in some cases obeying etiquette was less important than helping people do the things they were going to do anyway with a little grace, style, and tact.
You know me. I’m more of a stickler for etiquette…but as I said, my quibbles were few, small, and hardly earth-shattering. The question is mentioned more in the interests of making sure that it’s clear I actually read it and that this isn’t pure soft soap.
Mostly I think this is a hell of an addition to bridal literature. Kudos to you, NtB!
The “I wish I’d known this!” quality of iDo is exactly why I acquired the book for Simon Spotlight Entertainment…right after coming back from my honeymoon! I don’t plan to get remarried anytime soon, so I content myself with giving the book to every bride-to-be I know. Glad you liked it too, Twistie!