It is the season of weddings. Churches and parks are booked solid for the ceremonies and local caterers are scrambling to keep up with the demand. Whether you are needing some last minute wedding advice or the wedding season has inspired your significant other to pop the question and you want to get a jump on next year, we have the books to help you plan all aspects of your big day.
Your first stop should be our Wedding Section located in the nonfiction room on the low bookshelves across from Self Help. Titles such as Signature Wedding by Michelle Rago and The Portable Wedding Consultant by Leah Ingram give a good overview of how to plan the details of your own special day from start to finish. If you are interested in something a little different and over the top, check out Southern Weddings by Tara Guerard. For those nervous grooms out there, The Everything Groom Book by Shelly Hagen will give some much appreciated guidance. And especially helpful for us living in a remote setting, is Cyber Bride by Denise and Alan Fields. Great advice on how to plan your wedding to start to finish with just a click of a mouse.
At the wedding, without a doubt, all eyes are going to be focused on the bride, and although we think you are FINE just the way you are, here are some great books to help you look and feel your best on the big day. Pick up a copy of 911 Beauty Secrets by Diane Irons for a quick fix or check out Ageless Beauty by Steven Victor. For slightly older bride, you might want to peruse Age Erasers for Women from the editors of Prevention Magazine. The Beauty Section is conveniently located adjacent to the Wedding Section.
Some brides (and grooms and mothers-of-the-brides and bride maids) like to shed a few pounds before the big day. Again, we think you look GREAT, but if interested, diet books are located directly above the Beauty Section. You can find a range of weight loss tomes including the sensible Eat More, Weigh Less by Dr. Dean Ornish, 30 day Revitalization Plan edited by Miriam Atkins, Make the Connection by Bob Greene and Oprah Winfred, and for a quick fix the Carbohydrate Addict 7-Day Plan by Drs. Rachel and Richard Hellers.
Speaking of eating, don’t forget to plan some goodies for your hordes of hungry guests after you have tied the knot. Whether you are looking for some simple finger food to serve with champagne, an afternoon buffet, or a full sit down dinner, we have a whole Entertaining Cooking Section that is bursting with fresh and innovative ideas. Even if you aren’t planning on creating the dishes yourself, books like the excellent The Minimalist Entertains by Mark Bittman or Great Good Food by Julie Rosso are a great resource for recipes to present to a caterer. We also have books by Martha Stewart, the queen of entertaining and presentation.
After the hustle and bustle of putting on a wedding, how wonderful to escape on your honeymoon to get some much needed time with your new spouse. In our Travel section you will fine travel books on far flung destination such as West Africa, Bolivia, Yugoslavia, London, and the Caribbean. If you are planning a more local trip, we have guides on all parts of California as well as the rest of the United States.
But marriage isn’t really all about the wedding. After the bouquets have dried, thank you notes written, and the souvenirs have been handed out, the real work begins. If you are finding you need a little help with your relationship or just want to be prepared, stop by our Self-Help Section and look for titles in the Relationship subcategory. Some excellent titles to begin with are The First Year by Monia Parker and 10 Things I wish I knew When I Got Married by Linda and Charlie Bloom. Also helpful are the classics of relationships self-help Men Are From Mars, Women Are From Venus by John Gray and Keeping the Love You Find by Harville Hendrix. Next to our Relationship section we even have a books on S-E-X. Hard to pass up a book entitled 101 Nights of Great Sex by Laura Corn.
As always, please don’t hesitate to ask one of our friendly staff members for help if you need assistance. We’d love to help you plan your big day!