Weddings have come a long way since the first etiquette books were written. Today families come in such variety that more and more couples are sensibly throwing etiquette to the wind and relying instead on their own common sense. So where does the father of the bride fit into all of this? There are so many ways you can help, both emotionally and practically. You'll find that one of your responsibilities - apart from walking your daughter down the aisle and making a speech - is ensuring that the chaos of wedding details, and any family feuds or financial stress, don't ultimately get in the way of making your daughter's wedding day the happiest time in her life. This will be a big day for you, too, with the speech playing an important part in the proceedings. You'll want to get it just right so that you speak from the heart but enliven sentiment with humour, and your speech is remembered for years to come - for all the right reasons. This book is packed with valuable tips and advice about: - Conveying just the right messages to your daughter and her husband-to-be - Understanding what is traditionally expected of you - Keeping everyone calm and defusing any pre-wedding tensions and conflicts - Making a memorable speech - Helping everyone have a great time!

If you're the best man or good friend of the groom, "Words of Wisdom for the Bachelor is the perfect wedding present. Bryan J. Bohnert asks five basic questions about the secrets of marital success-and your job is to gather answers and advice from friends, family, or even acquaintances during a bachelor party, wedding rehearsal dinner, or any other wedding-related activity. When completed, this collection will offer diverse advice for the groom throughout his marriage.

Whether you are in a room full of longtime friends or a club full of total strangers, "Words of Wisdom for the Bachelor" quickly breaks the ice as you compile real-life wisdom into an essential survival guide for the husband-to-be

It's hate at first sight for the wedding planners...It's down to maid of honour Beth and best man Matt to plan a dream wedding for the absent bride and groom. Not only do they have to handle the bride's sky-high expectations and their respective dysfunctional families, they also have to deal with each other - and so far, it's not going well. Fire-fighter Matt is far too laid-back for Beth's liking, and Beth's need to arrive half an hour early for everything is driving Matt crazy. But over the weeks, the arguing and animosity morphs into something else that feels fun and flirty... With Beth's father parading his new, half-his-age girlfriend around, her mother set on revenge, Matt's family refusing to engage in the celebrations, and an addled grandmother thrown in the mix, is there any way Beth and Matt can make the wedding a success? A funny and heartwarming romantic comedy for fans of Jo Watson and Sophie Ranald. "Such an utterly charming story with loveable characters and written in Tracy's own unique and witty style." Rosanna Ley

Fresh, artistic and cheeky designs for a new generation of creative florists.

Bold, modern and more than a little bit cheeky, Flower Porn ditches the traditional floral bouquets for designer arrangements that you can recreate at home. Kai Kaimins, founder of East London florist My Lady Garden, shows you how to fill your home or office with eye-catching, Instagram-worthy arrangements. By following her flower recipes, you'll unlock the secrets of colour theory and get up close and personal with a huge array of blooms, season by season.

Complete with an essential chapter on floristry techniques, this book will show you how to choose the best flowers for each arrangement, and prepare each stem to make sure that your bold creations will last.

Float into the pages of this flirty flower book to explore:

• Four chapters of flower arrangements are arranged by season, with each project presented as a recipe, complete with a food-related heading
• A preliminary chapter will cover the key techniques and processes readers will need to create each flower recipe
• vivid photography and modern layouts that capture Kai's style and the My Lady Garden aesthetic.

There's nothing quite like a bouquet of flowers, and there is absolutely nothing at all like the bouquets, arrangements and stunning displays in Flower Porn to bring beauty to a room. A must-have addition to the library of every flower-arranger - whether you're discovering the art form for the first time, or already a professional florist looking for new ideas for the business, Flower Porn has something for everyone to love.

Planning your wedding is all about the details, and this book will help make one detail much easier, understandable, and fun - the wedding cake. Through 346 images, a delicious variety of cakes will whet your appetite and spark your creativity, as well as help you decide on the type, style, and design for your big day. Do you prefer the splendor of an all-white cake or one with modern simplicity? White buttercream roses and lilies or fondant flowers and leaves? Maybe you'd like icing lace to match your wedding dress? The choices are made much easier by using this wedding cake guide. Details of the beautiful cake designs accompany the images while the text explores the history and traditions involved with wedding cakes. With a glossary of cake decoration terms and tips on choosing a cake designer, this is a great resource for any bride (and groom)-to-be, wedding planner, and bakery owner.

Stop working on yourself as an individual and start working on your relationship as a couple, with the help of the renowned family therapist and author of The New Rules of Marriage.

Not much is harder than figuring out how to love your partner in all their messy humanness—and there’s also not much that’s more important.

At a time when toxic individualism is rending our society at every level, bestselling author and renowned marriage counselor Terrence Real sees how it poisons intimate relationships in his therapy practice, where he works with couples on the brink of disaster. The good news: Warmer, closer, more passionate relationships are possible if you have the right tools.

In his transformative new book Us, Real brilliantly observes how our winner-takes-all culture infiltrates families with devastating results: repetitive fights that go nowhere, or a distant relationship in which partners end up living “alone together.” With deft insight, humor, and charm, Real guides you to transform your relationship into one that’s based on compassion, collaboration, and closeness.

Us is a groundbreaking guide to a new science-backed skillset—one that will allow you to get past your knee-jerk reactions and tap into your wiser, more collaborative self. With a novelist’s flair, Real shares the stories of couples whose relationships have been saved by these skills and pans out to the culture that reinforces our dysfunction. If you and your partner are backed into separate corners of “you” and “me,” this book will show the way back to “us.” With Us, your true relationship can begin.

Ditch the long guest list and enjoy a more intimate and meaningful wedding with this guide to accomplishing your grand wedding dreams on a smaller, more affordable scale. As more couples find that smaller weddings are more affordable, intimate, and meaningful, they're ditching the huge blowout receptions and opting for nontraditional nuptials with fewer than fifty guests. Whether it be the budget, the stress, or something else altogether, more and more couples are turning to micro weddings to tie the knot. With a smaller crowd, the focus shifts from "Is everyone having a good time?" to "This is the best day of my life!" Whether you want people to attend in person or will live stream the event, The Everything Guide to Micro Weddings covers everything from decor hacks, venue hunting, and tips from how to cut costs to how to gracefully tell the second cousin they're not invited. So skip the large affair and say 'I do' to The Everything Guide to Micro Weddings-a perfect match for those looking to make their big day, well, small.

For readers who want to become part of the thriving wedding video industry, Wedding Video Handbook explains everything a wedding videographer needs to know. Each chapter explores a different part of either the business or the production ends, and covers topics including secrets for getting clients, selecting the proper equipment, and tips on capturing special wedding moments despite difficult filming conditions. The book includes handy primers on marketing and advertising, handling phone calls and appointments, pre-production preparations, what to shoot on the wedding day, interacting with other vendors, editing and packaging the DVD or video, and generating referrals. Fully up-to-date with information on the newest tools and equipment used in this rapidly-evolving market as well as the cutting-edge trends in wedding video products, Wedding Video Handbook is packed with practical advice from a pro who has spent years in the field.

A contemporary guide for today's mother of the bride! Congratulations! Your daughter is engaged! Now it's time to start planning the big event. The Mother of the Bride Guide will help you get your daughter down the aisle in style. With expert guidance every step of the way, wedding planner Katie Martin explains all you need to know about: Getting the most out of Pinterest and wedding-planning sites Meeting the future in-laws Navigating sticky situations, like ex-spouses and former family members Mastering social media etiquette Knowing when to speak up--and when to keep quiet! This practical guide covers everything you need to make sure your daughter has the perfect--and stress-free--day of her dreams.

Falling in love is easy. Staying in love - that's the challenge! How can you keep your relationship fresh and growing amid the demands and conflicts and just plain boredom of everyday life?

In the #1 New York Times bestselling book The 5 Love Languages, you'll discover the secret that has transformed millions of relationships worldwide. Whether your relationship is flourishing or failing, Dr. Gary Chapman's proven approach to showing and receiving love will help you experience deeper and richer levels of intimacy with your partner - starting today.

Updated to reflect the complexities of relationships in today's world, this new edition reveals intrinsic truths and applies relevant, actionable wisdom in ways that work. Practice the simple steps outlined in each chapter and you'll be on your way to a healthier, mutually beneficial relationship.

Many engaged couples want their invitations to reflect top-quality artisan style rather than a mass-produced design. This thorough guide covers all you need to know to ensure your invitations are creatively perfect. It will also prove invaluable for specialty artisan printers who produce work for nuptials. All the elements of wedding stationery are covered here, including the invitation, envelopes, reception cards, ceremony cards, reply cards, and more. Guidance on wording, envelope addresses, design, and printing allows you to confidently make correct choices. Examples include wording for every type of observance, whether it be a traditional, blended, or same-sex marriage, or a nonreligious or commitment ceremony. This is a key reference for anyone planning their union, as well as small letterpress printers, calligraphers, and others who offer similar handmade invitations.

Following the success of Don'ts for Husbands and Don'ts for Wives a brand new old collection of advice for couples from courtship to the honeymoon. On looking for a partner in life: "Don't single out a girl if you do not intend to propose to her, for the way in which your conduct is regarded will be greatly influenced by your banking account." On The Question: "Don't rush but chose an auspicious moment, A man who tries to propose when a servant is expected to arrive with a scuttle of coals is not likely to meet with much favour." On the Engagement: "Don't allow awkward pauses to break the conversation because your thoughts and eyes are hungrily trying to follow your lover, who is manfully assisting the hostess." On Planning The Event: "Don't forget that elderly bridesmaids in youthful frocks and girlish hats are ridiculous to the unthinking, and pathetic to those who look below the surface." On Gifts: "Don't be thoughtless - Good silver is always a joy, but remember the young wife with only one servant will have to rub up her own silver backed brushes and sweetmeat dishes if she wants them to look nice." The Honeymoon: "Don't indulge in a long honeymoon. Undisturbed possession soon palls, and man was made for something more virile than perpetual billing and cooing."

Let Dummies be your wedding planner and get hitched without a hitch Planning A Wedding For Dummies covers everything you need to know to pull off the perfect celebration on your big day. This book even makes it fun! We take the stress out of wedding planning, simplifying the whole process and giving you the tools you need to plan and execute a memorable day. Send out those save-the-dates, manage any crisis that might arise on the day of, and everything in between. Dummies has your back. This friendly For Dummies book is your guide on the exciting journey of planning all the events leading up to the wedding, as well as post-wedding activities. Planning A Wedding For Dummies includes tips and checklists to keep you organized, whether you'll have 10 guests or 1,000 guests. Break down the wedding planning process into simple steps, so you can stay on track Laugh along as you read stories about real-life couples who have gone before you and gain insight into wedding day outcomes and scenarios Keep everything in perspective to keep your wedding stress-free Find worksheets and checklists to help you through budgeting and beyond With this perfect guide, you can plan a perfect wedding--and say "I do" on the best day of your life!

Beautifully photographed and exhaustively researched, this romantic journey through fifteen decades of bridal fashion offers a comprehensive, yet intimate, look at wedding costume c.1860 to the present day. Using original wedding portraits and hundreds of full color photographs, this enchanting book chronicles the changing image of brides, from petticoats and parasols associated with Victorian bustle gowns, to late 1990s bustiers and pashminas, with emphasis on the supporting garments and accessories that add finishing touches to each unique and timeless style. It is a look over our shoulder at those brides of the past, a tribute to the skills of their seamstresses and designers, and a sentimental torch passed to the brides and fashion designers of the future.\nAccessorizing the Bride is a must have reference for fashion collectors, costumers, vintage clothing dealers, dress designers, and historians. The gowns and accessories within these pages are set in historical context, with notations on design, fabrication, embellishment, provenance (where known), and estimated current value.

A companion to the popular website APracticalWedding.com and A Practical Wedding Planner, A Practical Wedding helps you sort through the basics to create the wedding you want - without going broke or crazy in the process. After all, what really matters on your wedding day is not so much how it looked as how it felt. In this refreshing guide, expert Meg Keene shares her secrets to planning a beautiful celebration that reflects your taste and your relationship. You'll discover: The real purpose of engagement (hint: it's not just about the planning)How to pinpoint what matters most to you and your partnerDIY-ing your wedding: brilliant or crazy?How to communicate decisions to your familyWhy that colour-coded spreadsheet is actually worth itWedding Zen can be yours. Meg walks you through everything from choosing a venue to writing vows, complete with stories and advice from women who have been in the trenches: the Team Practical brides. So here's to the joyful wedding, the sensible wedding, the unbelievably fun wedding! A Practical Wedding is your complete guide to getting married with grace.

Modern culture would have you believe that everyone has a soul mate; that romance is the most important part of a successful marriage; that marriage does not mean 'til death do us part, but merely for as long as my needs are being met; and that when serious differences arise, divorce is the best solution.

According to the Bible, all of these modern-day assumptions miss what marriage is all about. In The Meaning of Marriage — a six-session Bible study — Timothy Keller, along with Kathy, his wife of forty years, draws a profound portrait of marriage from the pages of Scripture that neither idealizes nor rejects the institution but points us back to the relationship between God and man. The result is a vision for marriage that is refreshingly frank and unsentimental, yet hopeful and beautiful.

This six-session Bible study is for anyone from singles to couples considering marriage to those who have been married recently or for a long time.

The six sessions are:

• Service: Marriage Isn't about You
• Covenant: Created to Make Promises
• Roles: Loving through Mutual Submission
• Singleness: Strengthening the Spiritual Family
• Sex: The Act of Covenant Renewal
• Hope: Seeing the Great Horizon

Flowers are the crowning glory of a wedding event, symbolizing romance, tradition, and celebration. Here is the largest portfolio of bridal bouquets available on the market today. More than 400 gorgeous color photos illustrate a wealth of fresh ideas to inspire brides, floral designers, and wedding planners. Many of todays most talented floral designers and top wedding photographers present stunning bouquet designs, from minimalist chic, to luxurious, to traditional, all capturing the magic of the wedding day. \nDivided into chapters by color, this enchanting guide also offers helpful advice on identifying individual flowers for your bouquet, choosing colors, bouquet styles, and even wedding flower etiquette. The foreword, written by Richard Markel ??????\nThis stunning resource is a must have for the modern bride to be, professional floral designer, photographer, and wedding consultant.

For readers who want to become part of the thriving wedding video industry, Wedding Video Handbook explains everything a wedding videographer needs to know. Each chapter explores a different part of either the business or the production ends, and covers topics including secrets for getting clients, selecting the proper equipment, and tips on capturing special wedding moments despite difficult filming conditions. The book includes handy primers on marketing and advertising, handling phone calls and appointments, pre-production preparations, what to shoot on the wedding day, interacting with other vendors, editing and packaging the DVD or video, and generating referrals. Fully up-to-date with information on the newest tools and equipment used in this rapidly-evolving market as well as the cutting-edge trends in wedding video products, Wedding Video Handbook is packed with practical advice from a pro who has spent years in the field.

The first guide to posing and sensitively capturing same-sex couples on their big day, "The New Art of Capturing Love" equips semi-pro and professional wedding photographers to enter the exciting new LGBT wedding photography market.
These are exciting times for marriage equality--but capturing memorable LGBTQ portraits requires a novel approach to posing, which until now has been nearly exclusively oriented toward pairing a taller man in black with a smaller woman in white. What works for Jack and Jill won't necessarily work for Jack and Michael, let alone Jill and Louise. "The New Art of Capturing Love" shatters the "old standards" of wedding and engagement photography by showing how inappropriate they can be for today's diverse couples, then shares easy-to-implement poses and techniques that can be applied to any couple (and wedding party), no matter their orientations, to create lasting memories.
Featuring a collection of more than 180 same-sex portraits from 46 photographers, this guide is proudly the first--and most comprehensive--of its kind. Whether you are a wedding photographer looking to enter this burgeoning market, or a gay or lesbian couple looking
for visual inspiration, these gorgeous images will both instruct and inspire.

An outline for a new kind of wedding ceremony free from theology, with new rituals designed to prepare us for modern marriage. Many of us are attracted to the idea of marriage and yet feel a bit uncomfortable with some of the rituals that are traditionally associated with the big day. Perhaps the old ceremonies place too much emphasis on religion or else seem out of step with some of the complex realities of contemporary relationships. In response to this dilemma, The School of Life has rethought what the ideal wedding day would consist of and redesigned the process for modern couples. The book proposes new ways of getting prepared for a wedding at a psychological level, suggesting how couples should ready themselves for the often tricky journey ahead. It presents an entirely practical and thoughtfully redesigned wedding ceremony, from picking out a suitable venue to suggested vows and readings. Finally, it offers some ideas for how to approach the start of married life.

With this book you really can have a fabulous wedding that you'll remember forever - and still save hundreds, if not thousands of pounds. In this short, easy-to-read guide, an experienced professional wedding planner gives you the benefit of her advice. With the practical help of useful checklists you will find out how to plan and manage the perfect day, including: - Planning and managing the hen and stag parties. - Choosing and booking the venue. - Planning and organising the drinks and catering, cars and drivers, photographs, flowers, DJs, invitations, etc. - Choosing the bride's and bridesmaids' dresses. This book will make sure you keep all the romance in your special day without the stress of costs spiralling out of control.

Many semi-pro and professional wedding photographers are looking to "wake up" their style, stay current, and stimulate business. And today, that means lifestyle photography, also referred to as "fine art wedding photography." Fine art wedding photography isn't just a catchy phrase; it's a modern approach in which design is paramount. Fine art wedding images are more graphic and stylized than traditional wedding photojournalism, as if they were pulled from the pages of a glossy wedding or lifestyle magazine.
Acclaimed wedding photographer Jose Villa was a pioneer in fine art wedding photography before it became a trendy buzzword. Here, he shares his secrets for bringing a stylized sense of composition, lighting, posing, and most important, design, to your images, while still keeping them organic and narrative. You'll learn Jose's trademark technique of capturing the more natural moment "after" a pose, and tips for getting images right in-camera to avoid the need for heavy postproduction. Final chapters show you how to integrate design through the delivered product, whether an album or slideshow, and continue nurturing clients after the wedding by expanding to baby and family portraiture.
Packed with real-life examples, solid techniques, and stunning images from one of the wedding industry's brightest stars, this book will both educate and inspire photographers seeking to update their work and satisfy a new generation of brides.

The choices you make each and every day determine not only your relationship with God but also the quality of your marriage. The decisions you make today will determine the marriage you will have tomorrow.In From This Day Forward, you will discover five commitments that will absolutely fail-proof your marriage:Seek God.Fight fair.Have fun.Stay pure, andNever give up.If you and your spouse will earnestly commit to do all five of these things, you'll discover a richer, deeper, more authentic relationship and a more rewarding, more passionate love life.Don't be a statistic. Don't be average. Let's get you the marriage you've always wanted.Starting right now-from this day forward.