Gerin Carolyn - Anti-bride etiquette guide : the Rules, And How to Bend Them

For Laurentbest friend, soul mate, and surf instructor. For my late mother. For my grandmother, Dorothy, my inspiration and benchmark for courage and guts. For my father, Barrythe other best guy in my life. For Kathleen, for your perseverance and eagle eye. To Sean, my adored nephew. To Beth, Donnie, Iris, Wyndiemy heart. To Dave and Erin, Don and Jenny, Niall and Jeannie, Rob and Colleen, Iris and John, Darin and Kimmy tribe. To Mikyla Bruder, the girl who turned fantasy into reality and Lisa Campbell for making it happen. To Ithinand Tubkam, my creative soul mate. To Michaela Brockstedt for your nonstop genius and being in my corner. To Alex Rooney, Michael Burns, Michael Thompson, Ashley Fothergill, Gina Catanzaro (fellow gunslinger), Masanori Christianson, Persephone St. Charles, Pete Gowdy, Lisa Mackey, David Lilienstein, David Braun, David Macaione, Jill and Ben Hill and Mary Zencirci, dear friends. To my adored French family, the Gerinsje vous aime! To everyone who contributed to this book: Crys Stewart and Litsa Rorris, Wedding Bells magazine; Larissa Thompson, In Style magazine; Elizabeth Mayhew, Real Simple magazine; Peri Wolfman, Williams-Sonoma; Syndie Seid, Advanced Etiquette; Lisa Mackey, Lisa Mackey Design; Lori Leibovitch, Indiebride.com; Wyndie Carter, Bouffant Brides; Peg Devlin Catering; Bridget Brown, Bella Bridesmaids; TwoBrides.com; Rain bowWeddingNetwork.com, PrideBride.com; Lisa Holt; Milliken Creek; Lynne Rutter; Lisa Zayas-Chien; Rachel Minard; Danielle MacKinnon; Nickie Amatour; Erin Bell; Michelle Alainiz; Julie Slinger; Stephie Stewart; the Metreon brand goddesses: Eva Miranda, Archie Elwell, Stacey Piket, Heather Hawkins, Rachel Campos, and Judith Klein. To Anti-Brides everywhere who have the guts to challenge the Wedding Industrial Complex.
Carolyn Gerin

Thanks to Nick, my fianc, who after 7 years, is making an honest woman out of me. I now have the perfect wedding planner to guide me. For Sean, our 5-month old son, who is a complete joy every day of the week. To my family, for always being a huge support network. For Jules, Liz, Dori, Tina, Deena, Katy, and Lizzettethanks for being my constant sounding board and for being such great friends. And finally, thanks to all of the wedding consultants, caterers, musicians, and, most importantly, brides, who readily gave up their time to talk to us about their experiences.
Kathleen Hughes

Romance! Drama! The wind in your hair, the crash of the ocean, and the ring on your finger! Everything youve ever dreamed of is happening to youa dress by Vera Wang, catering by Jamie Oliver (who secretly lusts after you), and decorations by Colin Cowie. Your bridesmaids are sleek and chic, smiling in their designer dresses (which are already earmarked for New Years Eve duty). In your figure-worshiping, custom-designed gown, youve never looked more ravishing. In his Savile Row tux, hes never looked so tall, so handsome. You gaze out at the crowd of your adoring fans: crushed ex-boyfriends, a loving family who get along famously, murderously wealthy in-laws who adore you, and successful and talented friends who are always there for you, no questions asked. You are at the peak of your beauty and this is one of lifes most bountiful experiences.

The phone rings. Its your mom, and your fathers just told her that you dont want him to walk you down the aisleyoud rather walk yourself. Hes stoic, and shes tearful. Its time for you to snap out of your bridal reverie and back to reality.

The road to your perfect wedding is paved with good intentions. Sometimes that road seems long and winding, and some of the stops you make along the way may leave you feeling awkward and insecure. Did you say the right thing? Did you handle that interaction properly? Why do parents, friends, and even vendors seem to be so sensitive these days? At the root of your uncertainty, youll often find questions about etiquette. Your wedding, like many hallowed social traditions, comes complete with expectations, rules of conduct, procedures, and prescriptions for behavior. But youre an Anti-Bride, you say, and you dont want that kind of wedding. Well, brava! This is the etiquette book for you.

Your wedding can be the romantic, memorable, and utterly unique event you desire. But first you have to plan it, and planning it will likely get you into more than a few sticky situations. Whether youre choosing your bridesmaids, editing your guest list to fit your smaller-than-expected venue, or taking money from your parents while cringing at their demand that you hire Uncle Bobs polka band, you cant avoid all expectations, traditions, and rules of etiquette. Being an Anti-Bride is about having your wedding your way, without getting bogged down by rules and regulations. But its also about not offending your loved ones or handling situations in any way thats less than forthright and sensitive. This book will help you identify the rules, understand where other people are coming from, ultimately make the rules work for you, and invent a few rules of your own along the way.

Each chapter, from Chapter 1, The Buck Stops Here, to Chapter 10, The Receiving EndGifts, starts you off with the Golden Rules, giving you the lowdown on tradition. From there, youll get guidance on twisting tradition without trauma. Real-life Sticky Situations and stellar solutions help you work out the practical kinks, and useful Stress Savers and Hip Tips keep you sane and stylish. Whether youre worried about navigating the murky waters of announcing your engagement, paring down the guest list, wording your invitation, or selecting friends for your wedding party, the Anti-Bride Etiquette Guide will give you the confidence and savvy you need to get it all done with nary a feather ruffled.

At the end of your special day, youll be filled with the joy of knowing that your wedding brought together the people you love to share in the most amazing event of your life. This book will help you pull it off with style and grace, so that you can have the wedding of your dreams! Read on!