Sunday, October 12, 2008

Book Review: The Pocket Idiot's Guide to Wedding Etiquette


When I decided to start reviewing books, one of my coworkers (hi again, Tammy!) suggested I hit up the people at The Pocket Idiot's Guide to. The nice people there let me pick from an assortment of their newest books, and I settled on the Wedding Etiquette one.

Although I was never that girl who fantasized about her wedding, I have had a lot of questions lately about the "rules" of planning a wedding. Maybe it's all those wedding shows Gilmore, Ter and I watch, or maybe it's because I know I'll be going to a couple of my friends' weddings next year. I mean, I was already one of the best bridesmaids ever about two years ago (see pic). So I should know some stuff about weddings, right???

I did already know some of the things in the book, but a lot of my questions were answered. A chapter that was very informative (especially for any brides to be!) was the first one, which covered who traditionally pays for what... a tricky subject at times! For example, I didn't know the bride pays for the blood test for the marriage license (I didn't even know you had to get a blood test) and lodging for the bride's out-of-town attendants.

I learned a lot of random facts about the bridal party: for instance, it's appropriate for the father of the groom to be the best man, but not for the mother of the bride to be the matron of honor. Also, according to the book, bridesmaids and groomsmen should be asked to be in the wedding within the first few weeks after you get engaged. In the past, it was discouraged to have an uneven number of attendants, but now it is more accepted.

The book pretty much covers anything you've ever had questions about: food, place, flowers, pictures, music, dresses, invitations, presents, etc. There's also a chapter on pre-wedding events, such as the bridal shower and bachelor/bachelorette parties. Another helpful chapter talks about cultural differences at weddings, same-sex ceremonies and military weddings. Topics that I thought would be especially helpful for those planning a wedding include how to figure out a guest list and who to tip and how much they should get.

This book is helpful and a quick read for anyone planning or participating in a wedding. The information you want is easy to find, and the fun facts inside make it entertaining. For more information about the book, click here.

No comments: