Above image: Ilaria Petrucci Photography via B.Loved Hive
It goes without saying that blogs and magazines are great sources of wedding inspiration – but sometimes, there’s nothing quite like a good, sturdy book in which to bury yourself for a few sweet hours, or read in little digestible chunks before bed.
We often hear how stressful planning a wedding can be, and that can certainly be true, but it’s also a joy. It’s the one time in your life that you get to be a bride or groom, caught up in all the excitement of planning one incredible day to celebrate your future together.
So, by that logic, we believe everyone who is planning a wedding should have at least one beautiful, informative and helpful coffee table book, or a wonderful story or collection of poetry, that takes pride of place during the whole process.
We, of course, have a few of our own well-thumbed wedding books:
Rock My Wedding: Your Day Your Way by our dear friend and absolutely inspirational fellow wedding blogger, Charlotte O’Shea.
We also adore A Practical Wedding
But what else might you find inspiring? We asked our Recommended Vendors which books they would recommend to serve this very noble purpose – and here’s what they said:
Mandee from Mandee Johnson Photography said: “I would recommend Jamie Lee’s Weddiculous
Isabel from Wickham House said: “For our couples, I would recommend either the Debrett’s Wedding Handbook
My favourite book, however, is The Wedding Planner & Organizer
Like Isabel above, Laura from Reviva Weddings said: “By far, my favourite wedding book is a beautifully presented book by Sarah Haywood called the Wedding Bible.
Adriana from Ink With Intent said: “The only wedding book I read while gearing up for my big day was A Practical Wedding
It was so refreshing to read that there were no right or wrong answers when planning this type of event, and that instead all your decisions just come down to your priorities. I now give this book to my friends as soon as I hear they’re engaged. I think it’s definitely a must read for every bride and groom!”
Jayne of Venice Events said: “I would have to say, as a non-Jewish wedding planner, I wouldn’t be without The New Jewish Wedding by Anita Diamant.
It was originally published in 1986, then revised. It offers step-by-step guidance to planning the ceremony and the reception, from hiring a rabbi and wording the invites, to hiring a caterer.
It has certainly helped me to understand many parts of the Jewish wedding day, and the intricacies and importance of many rituals that go on during the wedding. It’s easy and simple to follow, and I wouldn’t be without it as my reference book.”
Liesl from Lamare London said: “I don’t tend to recommend any specific wedding books to my clients per se, but I definitely recommend buying a beautiful wedding notebook or file that they’ll love to use throughout the wedding planning journey.
Get a wedding book or ring binder that’s a filofax size so it will fit in your handbag, so it’s easy to keep with you on the go. Use it to jot down all of your supplier appointments and ideas with images of wedding inspiration. This book not only keeps all your plans in one place, but will be a beautiful keepsake afterwards too.
Here are some of my personal favourite organisers, which can also be personalised with your initials, name(s) or wedding date:
– Tying The Knot Wedding Planner by Smythson
– Wedding Organiser by Oh So Cherished
– The Wedding File”
Debbie from Qube Events & Productions said: “My favourite books are Preston Bailey‘s fabulous floral books. I love all the vibrant colours, designs and opulence.”
Stefania and Valentina from Italian Wedding Company said: “We would recommend some wedding fiction in the form of The Father Of The Bride . We really do think that every bride to be should read it!
Most people will remember the movie. An American comedy from the ’50s golden age of cinema, taken from the book, with Spencer Tracy (the father of the bride) and Liz Taylor (the bride to be), directed by Vincente Minelli – what a great time for Hollywood! You might also remember the ’90s remake, starring Steve Martin, a great actor too! But the book is much more fun!”
Claudine from Claudine Hartzel Photography said: “I have lots of favourites, but I love any book written by Raymond Carver – especially his poems – What We Talk About When We Talk About Love
I also loved The Corrections
Christine from Peboryon said: “My recommendation is Getting The Love You Want
Dom from York Place Studios said: “I love The Suffering of Light
Italian Event Planners said: “We generally don’t recommend any specific wedding books to our brides, instead, we advise them to have a look at blogs or Facebook pages where they can have a keep up with the latest trends and inspiration.
Ben from Kelmer Wedding Photography said: “my favorite book is It’s What I Do: A Photographer’s Life of Love and War
Will you be picking up any of the recommended reading material? Do you have a favourite wedding book? Let’s chat literature in the comments below!
