InStyle Weddings

I loved the Instyle Weddings Edition. It was very thorough and nice hard cover quality. I would definately recommend this to all bride and grooms to be!

If you are planning a monster wedding (you know who you are, Bridezilla) this is the manual of choice. "In Style: Weddings" uses their format of large, beautiful photographs and snappy sections on everything from what the best man does in the wedding to how to do your makeup for the big day. The sections are lavishly photographed. The cake chapter has pictures of fondant-iced fantasy cakes--but it also has an idea for a tower-of-cupcakes that might suit a budget affair (more on this later.) In Style doesn't fail to include a lot of dishing about what this and that celebrity did for their wedding, which will add to any bride-to-be's dreaming about her big day. There are sections on hair, with very pretty ideas for how to make an up-do with ornaments. A section on makeup and one IMPORTANT section on dress selection. Hint: tall and big brides should stay away from those Cinderella ballgowns with the huge chiffon skirts, lest they look like a battleship being launched. Likewise, it was rather enlightening about how many celebrities these days choose to be married in what to me looks like their slip or nightie. There are hints as well for the dresses of the attendants. And a nice selection of items that could be used as wedding favors and groom's gifts. There was less devoted to menus than I'd like to see, but plenty on the types of venues (outdoors and indoors.) There were lists for planning. And a wonderful section on flowers with photos that would make anyone drool. While I give this book a top five star rating, I'd like to point out to the star-struck bride that weddings these days average about twenty-seven THOUSAND dollars. That's a lotta scratch, my matrimonially-inclined readers. Consider than this amount, invested and earning a modest six percent would double in about twelve years. So consider that perhaps the ideal wedding might be a pigroast under a tent with a local bluegrass band. Costing a lot less than the average. Think about how much a big wedding is worth to you before you get in over your head.

This book is a pure treat and is possibly the best wedding book I've had the pleasure of reading EVER. Maybe it's because there are so many beautiful pictures, and I'm such a visual person. I like to see the mood and ambience of weddings, see facial expressions of brides and their wedding parties. Photos of extravagant as well as simple (not simple as in boring, but simple as in chic classic beauty) weddings that just make you want to stare at the page for a long time. Topics range from types of dresses (A-line dresses are to die for!) to types of floral arrangements and what kind of mood they set, to wedding cakes -- but the pictures. Pictures speak louder than words. There are several wonderful articles and extremely valuable information in this book that come in handy, but the pictures are worth buying themselves. My favorite parts of the book included: * Celebrity weddings: Cindy crawford, Jenny McCarthy, Tori Spelling, Toni Braxton, and others - they know how to throw luxurious weddings that make you feel like you're "in" the fairytale... that even though it looks unobtainable - they describe ways to make it a part of your wedding so that you can have everything you ever dreamed. * Hair styles and hair accessories: the section on this is short but effective. The photos are breathtaking and if I can ever get my hair to look like that, I would be a very happy girl. So beautiful. The hair accessories shown were mostly silver and pearl, which is universally flattering anywhere. They were so intricate. My only complaint is that this section wasn't longer. But there were 9 or 10 photos of hair (on a two-page spread) and that was the whole hair styling section. The hair accessories were on a two-page spread as well. However even though they didn't designate a very large section to hair, keep in mind that the rest of the book has AMAZING pictures of brides' hair on other pages. * Treating yourself before the wedding. I love how this book went into great detail on what to do for yourself. So many women forget that in the midst of all the stress and frustration, they need to make time for themselves. Whether it's setting up time to get your teeth whitened, getting spa facials, or even setting up an exercise routine to get your body in shape before the wedding. * Flowers. This book has a HUGE section on flowers. And they didn't just pile a bunch of pictures of bouquet together and call it quits. They did something really amazing! They showed how the flowers could be used in the wedding such as placing a flower in your hair, on the runner, on place settings, on the cake, on the going-away-car, etc. So many beautiful and creative pictures with gorgeous floral arrangements, bouquets, and even simplistic ones with a single flower. I highly recommend this book for ANYONE wanting to get married!

Though married for 25 years (and still honeymooning) I can still recall the major effort that went into planning my wedding day. I read stacks of bridal magazines, met with florists, spent hours looking at dresses and invitations etc. I wasn't sure what I wanted and didn't have a wedding planner to simplify things. If only Instyle: Weddings had been published back then. Instyle: Weddings is a lush, lavish, and comprehensive look that will help you plan your ideal wedding. Generously sized at 12x11, this 248 page book is packed with information, it will be your wonderful wedding companion and planner. As you read through the book and gaze at the photographs you will be inspired and learn so much to help you create your perfect day. And you will save hours of time. Everything you need to know for your special day (except if Uncle Al will get a little tipsy)is in this book. The book covers all aspects of the wedding; The Ring, The Invitation, The Dress, Beauty, The Flowers, The Cake, The Photography, The Wedding Party, The Ceremony, The Reception and The Registry. Each section covers the topic indepth. And gives information to save you time. The ring section for example, describes the 4 C's to look for when purchasing a ring - color, cut, clarity and carat. It includes detailed photographs of different styles ranging from classic cuts to antique and contemporary. Types of wedding bands are also described. After studying the photos and reading the information, you will have an idea of where to start when you go ring shopping. The flower section alone will save you hours of time. The book describes what types of flowers you may wish to consider depending on the type of wedding you are having. There are gorgeous photos of different types of flowers, ideas for bouquets, how to use the arrangements to decorate and more. You won't need to visit a lot of different florists to get a feel for what you want. There are tons of ideas in each chapter. And in addition to the basics like choosing a dress the nitty gritty details are included also. You will learn everything from how to select a gift for the attendants to hiring an officiant to selecting wedding favors. I saw a show some years ago where a couple was spending thousands of dollars on their wedding despite having just a few hundred dollars in the bank. I felt sorry for the couple who would start married life with a pile of credit card debt. Instyle: Weddings will give you ideas on how to save to help you stay on budget. If you like a certain type of flower that is pricey, they suggest a less expensive look alike alternative. If you want a big diamond but don't have the dollars,read the advise on how to get your flash for the cash you have. Lots of ideas on how to save here. Instyle is generally about celebrities. This book does include some celebrity photos. But the majority of photos are of cakes and rings and invitations and flowers and so much more ....photos of love. This is not a book abo

I consider myself the wedding magazine/book guru. I love looking through them and picking out things for myself and friends. I have recently purchased this book and am in love with it. It provided information on not only wedding details but engagement rings, photography suggestions, reception ideas, Scheduling of wedding events and floral arrangements,etc. It is incredibly convenient to have one book that has such an expansive overview. My co-worker is going to be married in a couple of months and she was stumped on several wedding etiquette details. I lent her my book which has a whole section on the duties of each person in the wedding party; from the best man to the head usher. I would also like to mention that because all the information is so beautifully packaged that it makes a great coffee table piece. I couldn't have purchased a better wedding book. Kudos to InStyle.