The focus of this book is on that brief but terrifying prospect: the Best Man's speech. The book includes techniques for using stories, jokes and quotations that will lift your speech well above the bare necessities, helping you not only to make the speech, but also to enjoy it. More than just a guide to the Best Man's speech, this book is a one-stop guide to being a really effective, all round, Best Man. Above all its purpose is to help you enjoy your role as Best Man and to make it an occasion that honours the groom and his chosen bride. Contents: 1. Your complete guide to being best man 2. Myths and legends 3. Duties of the best man 4. Planning your speech 5. Preparation 6. Writing the speech in eight steps 7. Things to avoid 8. The big day 9. Delivery 10. Anecdotes 11. Jokes and quotes 12. Traditional and celebrity sayings 13. Sample toasts - beginnings, middles and endings 14. Mixed marriages Sample speeches

Discover the brand new instalment in Lizzie Lane's bestselling Tobacco Girls series! War is fleeting, but true love last forever...May 1944 Hope and excitement is in the air when news breaks of the allied forces landing in Normandy. D Day has arrived. However, the day-to-day struggles for the Tobacco Girls continue. Carole Thomas wants her old life back. She is burdened with the guilt of being a young single mother and considers having baby Paula adopted, but Maisie Miles will do anything to stop her. Phyllis Mason having found the love of her life is getting married in Malta to Mick Fairbrother, but will the dangerous legacies of war plague her happy day? Bridget O'Neill finds herself posted to one of the hospitals receiving the injured from the D-Day landing beaches. Her most fervent hope is that her husband, Lyndon, does not become one of them. Peace is on the horizon, but will their wishes and dreams win through and bring them a happy ever after? Praise for Lizzie Lane: 'A gripping saga and a storyline that will keep you hooked' Rosie Goodwin 'The Tobacco Girls is another heartwarming tale of love and friendship and a must-read for all saga fans.' Jean Fullerton 'Lizzie Lane opens the door to a past of factory girls, redolent with life-affirming friendship, drama, and choices that are as relevant today as they were then.' Catrin Collier 'If you want an exciting, authentic historical saga then look no further than Lizzie Lane.' Fenella J Miller

Wedding planner Madeleine lives in a picture-perfect thatched cottage, in a picture-perfect English country village. There's only one problem - dream cottages take a lot of work, and with a leaking roof, and not enough money to pay for it, what Maddie needs now is a big wedding to plan. So she's delighted when she takes on the wedding of Californian heiress Peyton, to all-round good guy Patrick. She's less delighted to find out that she's going to have help - from the admittedly gorgeous, but equally maddening, tall, dark and handsome best man Lorcan. The wedding is set to take place in a castle in rural Ireland, and so, in no time, Maddie and Lorcan are on their way to Ballalee. Life hasn't always been easy for Maddie, and work has become her refuge. But soon the warmth and humour of Lorcan's Irish family and friends start to chip away at Maddie's walls. And as the big day approaches, it might be time for Maddie to focus less on her clients' love life and more on her own... 'Read yourself happy' with Maxine Morrey's latest feel-good and utterly uplifting love story, guaranteed to make you smile. Perfect for fans of Mhairi McFarlane and Sophie Kinsella. Praise for Maxine Morrey: 'An uplifting read that stops you in your tracks and makes you wonder "....but what if?" Absorbing, funny and oh-so-romantic, I loved every page!' Rachel Burton 'A super sweet read, guaranteed to warm any winter evening' Samantha Tonge 'A lovely story that kept me turning the pages' Jules Wake 'A stunning, perfect novel - it literally took my breath away.' The Writing Garnet, 5 stars 'A warm hug of a book.' Rachel's Random Reads, 5 stars

A visual journey through 100 years of wedding styles and dresses, Vintage Weddings takes a close look at the key periods, diverse styles, iconoclastic designers, significant ceremonies and cultural influences in wedding fashions. Organized chronologically, this book shows the reader how to recognize the silhouette that will best suit their body shape, identify luxurious fabrics, contrast various styles, and to source appropriate accessories, from gloves and shoes to flowers, veils, jewellery and table decorations. Throughout the book, individual pieces that epitomize the defining characteristic of each designer or decade are analysed in detail. This book is for those interested in collecting and acquiring all aspects of authentic vintage pieces relating to the wedding ceremony, and also for prospective brides who are buying new, but are looking for sources of inspiration.