The Bride Did What?!: Etiquette for the Wedding Impaired [Hardcover]

Martha A. Woodham (Author), Walter Cumming (Illustrator)

Book Description

Publication Date: April 1995

For every future bride who needs to know what's proper and what's not. This book is guaranteed to make any wedding titter-proof.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 137 pages
• Publisher: Longstreet Pr (April 1995)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1563521989
• ISBN-13: 978-1563521980
• Product Dimensions: 8.1 x 5.1 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 3.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (12 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,098,558 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

15 of 16 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Rude and Stress inducing!, March 30, 2006

By 

Kat Briggs - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Bride Did What?!: Etiquette for the Wedding Impaired (Hardcover)

The purpose of this book doesn't seem to be to give helpful hints to make guests feel more at ease, which I thought was the whole point of etiquette, it seems to be to ridicule and belittle anyone whos taste isn 't the same as the author. Apparently it's OK to have your mother as your maid of honor, but heaven forbid anyone wear a tuxedo to a 4 PM wedding.
And apparently "The Way you look tonight" (my wedding song) is so bad that it made the list of tacky songs "actually played at real weddings".
Obviously the author is from the south and traditions are a bit differnt down there, but that doesn't mean her opinions are the be all end all of weddings.
Some of the things she calls tacky (like the tuxedo thing, the songs, a cash bar, asking your guests whether they want roast beef or chicken ahead of time, having a wedding later after eloping for monetary reasons earlier [I'm sorry, but not everyone can afford a nice wedding at first, and a woman needn't be denied this once she can afford it, even if it's five years later, thanks to books like this and other media we women dream of our weddings our entire lives], or specifying adults for the recpetion (who can pay an extra $50 for unexpected kids?]), are sometimes necissary depending on individual family situations.
Etiquette is supposed to be about making people feel comfortable, and all the author does throughout the book is ridicule brides in tough situations, giving them little advice besides "tough luck". Etiquette be damned then I say. The feelings of your family and enjoying your own wedding without fussing over every little detail is far more important than fitting into some rich Southern Belle's idea of what a wedding should be. This book is good for nothing more than to see how ridicous these "etiquette books really are. If you want a good wedding book, try "How to have the wedding you want (not the one everyone else wants you to have". Contrary ro Ms. Woodham's advice it IS "your day" and that doens't mean it has to be perfect or that you can't make acceptions to accomodate others, but you shouldn't add anymore stress to your day trying to please everyone, because we all know what happens when we try to do that.

6 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars The politics of wedding planning, February 4, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: The Bride Did What?!: Etiquette for the Wedding Impaired (Hardcover)

Am planning my own wedding, and was relieved to know that 98 percent of my wedding will not be "tacky" (or tasteless). Some of these stories are an absolute hoot, others are a little disturbing (mother of the bride hounding groomsmen for presents), but it was a fun read, for the most part. Wasn't it Dorothy Parker who said, "If you can't say something nice, sit next to me"? Still, I think the author sometimes comes down a little too heavily on some of the "etiquette impaired". I think they are to be pitied more than chastised. And frankly, the practicality of response cards is too good to pass up, so etiquette be darned on this refrain in the book, in my gauche opinion. But she does say a lot of things others at weddings wish would be said. And I really appreciate her pointing out how tasteless it is for guests to make snide comments about the wedding and reception while the ceremony is taking place or they're stuffing their mouths with food paid for by the happy couple and/or their parents. Come to think of it, maybe I'll elope.

5 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A MUST for all Brides!, July 18, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: The Bride Did What?!: Etiquette for the Wedding Impaired (Hardcover)

Ms. Woodham has taken the stuffiness out of what's "proper" to explain *why* something is proper - or tacky. With an economy of words and a marvelous wit, Ms. Woodham's do's and don'ts are beautifully laid out in this slim volume. With expert advice for the completely-in-the-dark bride to the multi-married bride, ANY bride is sure to avoid embarrassing gaffes if they will read this little gem.

So when your friend says "Guess what... I'm getting married!", order this book. Not only will it relieve some pre-wedding stress, but it will be an absolute godsend for which she will owe you eternal thanks (on proper stationery, please).