etiquette

This book has been so helpful in planning my ceremony. I wanted to tell other brides why.

1. This is a "how to" manual that is not just another wedding planner, but rather a "word planner". It makes you give some thought to what should be the most important part of your ceremony--the words that are spoken. (Plus, you know what's going to be said so there are no surprises.) 2. It's concise and complete. It gives you just enough choices without overwhelming you. It offers more than vows and readings like so many other books. You can create your entire ceremony or choose one "as is". 3. It's easy to use because it's laid out so simply (including the personalized ceremony worksheets).

Thank you, Mr. Younkin, for allowing us brides to have a choice in what we want said during our ceremony. (Mine is all put together just the way I want it.)

A Thankful Bride

In writing my own wedding ceremony, I've borrowed countless books from the library and have done extensive internet research. Whereas many of the available resources focus solely on words used for the vows, readings, and ring exchange, this workbook covers the entire ceremony from start to finish, including the sometimes overlooked parts of the ceremony such as welcome and introduction, declaration of intent/consent, the meaning of the rings, and wedding blessings. The author provides entire ceremony scripts for seven different types of situations: both traditional and contemporary religious ceremonies, a civil ceremony, a "short and sweet" service, and finally, ceremonies for both second marriages and marriages with children involved. If you would prefer to create your own ceremony by mixing and matching, there are chapters on readings, wedding vows, ring exchange vows, and prayers and blessings; another chapter offers descriptions of several wedding traditions as well as other special touches to make your wedding unique.

One note of caution about this book: the author states that he has written this book using "the best of the best" words for weddings, but this means that the selection of choices is somewhat limited. Unlike some other ceremony planning books (such as The Knot Guide to Vows), you will not find page after page of suggestions for readings, vows, etc. In addition, the book does not address the topic of music, and it fails to include explanations of cultural traditions such as breaking the glass and jumping the broom. Despite these cautions, however, this is a useful book, particularly for those just beginning to determine the format for their wedding.

This book provides clear options for your ceremony, from traditional to contemporary. My fiance and I are having a really enjoyable time going through it and planning just the right words for our vows. Excellent resource!