Planning a wedding without a wedding planner feels a little daunting at times, especially because I live hundreds of miles from my wedding location. Lucky for me, my mother and my sister (the maid of honor) are taking the reigns and doing lots of research and legwork. But since I am a type-A personality (no snarky remarks Mr. Fiance!), I was beginning to feel a little nervous... not because I doubt their diligence but simply because I am a details person. So I went down to my local bookstore and picked up a copy of The Wedding Book: The Big Book for Your Big Day. And at 485 pages, boy is it BIG. The book is by Mindy Weiss, a celebrity wedding planner that I heard interviewed on the Wedding Podcast Network (a fabulous resource, more on that later).
As expected from a book this size, every major and minor topic associated with engagement and wedding planning is covered in exhaustive detail. Yet despite its heft, the book is not at all daunting for a couple of reasons. One, the book is written a very conversation style so that you feel like a real person is sharing their experience with you. Two, the recommendations are never presented with the expectation of making everything "perfect." And let's face it, it's easy to feel that pressure at times, especially for a big wedding. Normally I gravitate towards books with lots of pictures. This one has no pictures, just sketches. I'm ok with this because there are plenty of other resources on the Internet to help with visuals.
The information is presented in short easy-to-grasp "chunks" so you don't get overwhelmed at any one sitting. It's chock full of useful ideas and options to help you personalize your wedding. So far, I have just been randomly flipping through it and stopping on whatever catches my eye. Every once in a while something pops in my head and sure enough, the topic is covered. For the modest price, it's more than worth the peace of mind. I highly recommend checking it out.
