Wedding Zen: Calming Wisdom for the Bride

I'm rather an anti-bride myself, so this book suits me just fine. It was actually written by a friend of a pen pal, and I bought it on the pal's recommendation. It's filled with simple, sensible advice and tips on how to be Zen about your wedding instead of driving yourself and everyone else crazy. Any would-be Bridezillas should read every word of this and take it to heart.

Honestly, I think I would have been a mess had I not read this little gem. Two concepts from the book are forever a part of my life: 1) Be present 2) Hold lightly to materials things/plans The second concept was put to the test only a few months after I bought this book. We had already signed the contract with the museum where we were married when we had our first meeting with their exclusive caterer. The facilities director/event manager at the museum had failed to tell us about the caterer's $8,000 minimum order policy (we had budgeted $4000 for a 90 guest, light hors d'oeuvre reception), which we wouldn't have chosen this place had we known up front. Instead of falling apart (as I'm very prone to do!), I remembered I had promised to 'hold lightly' my plans and was able to focus on having fun with the whole process. Note: the references to specific spiritual principals are few; it is very inclusive in nature. It is truly a diamond in the rough - a must have gift for a bride-to-be! (btw - we ended up negotiating the catering for $4000 and we could never have planned a more perfect day!)

This is not a wedding planner ... it doesn't have lists of questions to ask a caterer or other logistical details. But it's the perfect complement to any wedding planning approach. It helped me focus on what was truly important about my wedding, and let go of a lot of things that weren't important. It's a very small book, so I put it in my purse and carried it with me everywhere during the last few weeks before my wedding. I read bits of it on the bus, waiting in lines, whenever I had a few moments to spare. It reminded me to breathe and savor the joy of whatever I was doing, which helped keep me sane, calm and grounded. I highly recommend this book to anyone getting married. With quotes from Sesame Street alongside zen traditions, there's something for everyone!

Incredibly insightful! I was originally "put off" by the title because I'm not a student or practicer of Zen philosophy, and in fact, am not particularly "spiritual." However, I picked up this book out of curiousity, and I am SO glad I did! This book is for any bride experiencing the occasional, or persistent, feelings of anxiety or stress while planning. Not only is it filled with incredibly helpful practical advice to find some calmness in your wedding planning whirlwind, it's also very humorous and entertaining! Completely different from any other wedding book out there, this will definitely compliment any books you may already have. And it's small enough to toss in your handbag for ready access any time stress strikes! It's not a big or long volume, but it's all about quality over quantity here. Get this book and kiss your days of being a frantic, stressed-out bride goodbye!