And then I ordered this book- Thank goodness, because it is covers the gamut. I had bought several love poetry books in search of the right words, but this is really the best collection for weddings specifically (many of those love books had "lost love" themes like that "Lost Lenore" poem by E.A. Poe- a little depressing for a wedding.) The quotes are fantastic, the toasts are short and sweet and the vows range from religious, to romantic, to personal. And if you don't like anything that's in the book, they tell you how to write your own toasts, construct your own vows, and find your own quotes.

The book has the feel of a workbook that accompanies a text book in college, with places for notes throughout, and a price that wouldn't make you uncomfortable to scrawl in the book or fold some corners to mark pages.

I highly recommend STARTING with this book. If it doesn't completely fill your needs, you may want to get another one, but at least you won't screw up and spend all kinds of money on all kinds of books first. This books will fill many of your needs off the bat.

26 of 27 found the following review helpful:


A Great Guide to Weddings!  Dec 28, 2000 By Brenda "MYSHELFDOTCOM"
Are you planning a big wedding but don't know what to do or what to expect? Are you aware that there are different vows for different religions or that there is more to a reception than toasting and dancing? Well let me...excuse me... let Carley Roney from Knot.com tell you about the vows, the rings, the readings, giving thanks, unifying rituals, the symbolic rituals, the programming notes with quotes, the music, the dancing, the speeches, and the toasts. It's all in this larger size paperback.

Weddings are a wonderful experience and getting them right is soooo important, because a couple can't go back and do it again. Even if they retake their vows, it will not be the same as the first. Carley Roney tells everyone how to get it right the first time. She also lets us in on the different religions and what is traditional in their weddings. It's beautifully written with a few pictures. I don't think it's a women only book. It's very practical for those who perform or put together weddings as well.

22 of 23 found the following review helpful:


A good resource if you don't know where to start.  Feb 24, 2003 By Beth Cholette "doctor_beth"
Although much of the information contained in this book is available through other sources--The Knot's own web site, for example--it is likely to be useful for someone in the beginning stages of planning their wedding and reception. In particular, there are plenty of examples of vows from various religious backgrounds as well as nice descriptions of various ethnic traditions (eg, the Afrocentric "Jumping the Broom"). There are a lot of ideas for those who wish to take a more non-traditional approach as well, as the book makes suggestions for incorporating songs, poetry, and the like into your celebration. The music section breaks the songs down into categories (eg, "first dance," "parents dances") and then further subdivides the categories based on type of music; the section on speeches and toasts is similarly divided based on who is doing the toast. One note of caution: there is less content in the book than its large size would suggest, as a significant number of pages are taken up by examples (eg, page after page of song titles) as well as a resource and bibliography list, both of which I viewed as unnecessary. However, if what you are looking for is plenty of examples so that you can make preliminary decisions about your wedding day, this book would work well.

11 of 12 found the following review helpful:


Not Impressed  Dec 03, 2002
I was hoping since "The Knot" had it's name tied to this book it would be exceptional. I found it to be marginal - reiterating a lot of the same information found in every other book about weddings. There were a few ideas for toasts that were really nice - and some of the vows were interesting, but overall - not what I was expecting at all considering the good review some of the other readers gave it.

5 of 5 found the following review helpful:


WEDDING GIFT  Feb 17, 2006 By Fun In The Sun "CR"
I bought this for my daughter, but ended up wanting to read it first. Well organized and useful tips. There were alot of helpful suggestions and sometimes you just need the thought and then you can run with an idea. This book was helpful. Everything from arrangements to vows.

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