Some Light Wedding Reading

Did anyone think I would approach marriage and wedding planning  with anything other than intense research? Besides a few blogs (that I've been following for longer than the four months I've been engaged), I also searched out and was gifted (thanks MOH!) a few books that grounded me in the wedding planning process and reminded me that I'm neither the first nor last bride to need some guidance.

A Practical Wedding

A Practical Wedding: Creative Ideas for Planning a Beautiful, Affordable, and Meaningful Celebration by Meg Keene
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Having been a fan of the blog that inspired this book for a few years now (they're more of a wedding & lifestyle & fun things blog than strictly a wedding blog), I was excited to read what Meg Keene had to say about the practical approach to wedding planning. I wasn't disappointed - it was a quick read and this book is definitely one I can see myself referencing throughout the planning process (if the post-it bookmarks are to be trusted, that is).

First & Final Thoughts: Filled with lots of good information, yes, but more importantly this book is filled with reminders that it's going to all work out, a wedding will happen, and the only thing that really truly matters is I'm getting married to my person.

The Perfect Day

One Perfect Day: The Selling of the American Wedding by Rebecca Mead
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

The subtitle says it all: "The Selling of the American Wedding." From the moment Jesus and I announced our engagement, there was always someone ready to sell us something. Any advertising I see online is now for wedding bands, honeymoons, dresses, photography, or any number of "things" one needs to get married. They all have the same message - buy these things to set your wedding apart, buy these things to make sure you have a traditional wedding, buy these things to show your guests how much you care about them.

First Thoughts: This book was both depressing (the wedding industry is scary, y'all) and empowering (THERE IS NO SUCH THING AS A TRADITIONAL BRIDE).

Favorite quotes:

"All traditions are invented." -p58

"It is, in many ways, harder to invent yourself than to have your course mapped out for you." -p73

"What if every wedding was a cherished victory won?" -p230 (I feel like mine will be, not only because of the life partner I'm winning, but because our marriage wouldn't have been possible even 50 years ago. It's a personal and cultural victory.

Final thoughts: I got the feeling Mead herself was one of the "bad brides" that the wedding industry fears because she doesn't buy into it, and I'm with her, to a point. I do want my wedding to feel both unique and classy, to reflect mine and Jesus's tastes while also being familiar enough as a wedding to not make people uncomfortable. Knowing what goes on behind the scenes helps to navigate the needs/wants/unneccessaries of wedding planning, and to put the whole thing in context.


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