Weddingbee

Lately, if you happened to bump into me at one of the local Barnes and Noble bookstores in the East Bay Area, chances are you’d find me browsing through the ¢¢â€š¬…”Bridal/Etiquette¢¢â€š¬? section. They have a pretty large selection of all books wedding-related, from cake and flower photo books, to numerous publications by The Knot, to countless different wedding planner/journal-type books. While I opted to buy a roomy expandable file box to organize my wedding notes, instead of invest in a planner, I still have made a few book purchases that I felt were really worth the money.

First pick- Bridal Bargains, by Denise and Alan Fields

[Image from http://www.bridalbargainsbook.com/]

This book, now newly released in its 8th edition, is one-of-a-kind! Its helpful hints aided me in making choices for several vendors. The easy-to-read, straightforward style is sometimes humorous and always honest in expressing the authors’ opinions. (Try not to be too hurt when they point out the negative things about your dress manufacturer. Sigh.) Speaking of dresses, one of the most interesting parts about this book is the comprehensive list of bridal and bridesmaid gown manufacturers, with comparison charts and comments on each in regards to service, fabric and make quality, price, etc ¢¢â€š¬” covering the top designers, Ebay sellers from China, and all of the ones in between as well! (In the latest edition, the list is on their website, but is locked with a password obtained in the book; I assume because it got too large to actually be printed inside the book.) They also have lists of reputable online vendors for all things wedding related, which I appreciated deeply. I highly recommend this book for anyone who, like myself, is finding the premium on ¢¢â€š¬…”bridal¢¢â€š¬? stuff a little hard to swallow.

Second pick- Makeup Makevovers: Weddings: Stunning Looks for the Entire Bridal Party, by Robert Jones

[Image from http://www.walmart.com/]

I got this recently after seeing it at Barnes and thumbing through it a couple of times in fascination before I caved and bought it. This is especially for my fellow brides out there who are planning to do their own makeup. In terms of instruction, this book has it all, from basic primer and foundation application, to putting on false eyelashes and using well-blended makeup to ¢¢â€š¬…”contour¢¢â€š¬? your face to best enhance its shape. The book is full of large, crisp photos, including an inspiration gallery. Besides how-to’s, the author makes suggestions based on time of day, type of wedding, etc. that I found very helpful in narrowing down my choices for wedding makeup ¢¢â€š¬…”looks.¢¢â€š¬? The book is cheaper online than at Barnes, but even at the highest price (~$25), it’s still cheaper than hiring a makeup artist, and will definitely make any slightly nervous bride-to-be feel a lot more comfortable with the process.

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