Wedding Planning Bliss

How-tos for the big “I Do” 

 

Story by Shana Raley-Lusk

Whether it’s symbolic similaritiesor the lush natural backdrop that put the warm-weather months at the top of your list for the ideal wedding day, there is no shortage of resources for making it fit your personal style perfectly. Check out these top picks for wedding guides that are sure to put the perfect spin on your big day with as little stress as possible along the way. 

 

 

The Rustic Wedding Handbook by Maggie Lord

If you are looking for a unique style for your wedding day that allows for ultimate creativity and inclusion of the nature all around you, an element of the rustic may be just what you need to add that perfect touch. Author Maggie Lord implores her readers to consider the many possibilities as they dream big for their wedding day. “A rustic wedding,” she writes, “…is the peace of putting your personal touch on this momentous event. It’s the thrill of beautiful details that you’ll never forget. It’s the joy of marrying your best friend, surrounded by love, in a place that captivates your spirit.” If that sounds like a tall order, never fear. Lord includes all of the details on how to bring these big, beautiful, abstract ideas to reality. One chapter of the book is dedicated to “Style Inspiration” where Lord encourages readers to get down to the nuts and bolts of what is important to them for their wedding day. She explores venues, favor ideas, DIY plans, and more leaving no detail unattended. This is the ultimate guide for brides looking to do a lot of the wedding work themselves. Lord is also the founder and editor of the popular wedding blog RusticWeddingChic.com. 

 

 

The Knot Outdoor Weddings by Carley Roney

Perhaps there is no more appropriate setting for a wedding than the great open outdoors. In The Knot Outdoor Weddings, author Carley Roney gives readers all the best tips and tricks for creating their dream wedding in just about any outdoor space imaginable. “Few places in the world are more inspiring for a wedding than nature itself,” she writes. With that said, there is plenty of preparation and decision-making  that any well-planned wedding requires and Roney gives brides-to-be all the specifics on how to bring it to life. Real life weddings included throughout the pages of the book help readers visualize how to make the details become a reality in any outdoor setting they may choose. Examples include a Southern estate wedding at a plantation in Charleston, an elegant waterside affair in Jamaica, a lake house backyard wedding on Suttons Bay, and many others. Location-specific planning advice takes the guess work out of planning for a wedding that goes off without a hitch easier than ever. She also discusses stationary and menu advice, color and attire planning, and many other creative ideas from the front cover to the back. Roney founded The Knot and is a well-respected wedding expert nation-wide. She is also the author of more than a dozen unique and helpful wedding books. 

 

 

Emily Post’s Wedding Etiquette by Anna Post and Lizzie Post

We all know that Emily Post’s wedding etiquette advice is indispensable to any bride, but with new traditions and customs constantly evolving there may be more questions than ever about how to maintain perfect decorum in every wedding-related situation. Look no further than the most recent edition of Emily Post’s Wedding Etiquette for everything you need to know to create a perfectly-poised wedding day. This book address many potentially-stressful scenarios including awkward family situations, blending family traditions, who makes the cut for the guest list, and how to use today’s all-important technology to your advantage. The handy guidelines outlined in the book make it simple to take unneeded pressure and stress out of the wedding-planning process. Anna and Emily Post are the great-great-granddaughters of Emily Post.