Customer Reviews

The Knot Guide to Wedding Vows and Traditions: Readings, Rituals, Music, Dances, and Toasts

5 star:		(14)
4 star:		(8)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(3)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

My fiance and I wanted to write our own vows, pick somewhat original music, have some good toasts, get some good quotes, etc. We stood in the bookstore one day PLOWING through book after book on toasts, another stack of books on vows, another stack of books on quotes, yet another stack of books on music recommendations...

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

I'm not the kind of person who has planned her wedding since she was six years old. My family is not religious, we do not have our own traditions, and I really had no idea what I wanted to do for my ceremony.

I liked this book because it provided a lot of options. It showed vows for a handful of different religious, from the traditional Protestant vows, to ethical humanists, to Buddhists. I especially liked that it had a wide selection of readings that were not from the Bible, including some really beautiful Native American prayers, and some of Shakespeare's sonnets. Selections for music were good as well, although not quite as helpful to me since they are so many good lists available for free online.

There were some places I wish the book was a little more descriptive, though. For example, the description of how the Unity candle is used within the ceremony could not have been more vague. I would have liked more information on how things like this are actually staged. Still, a very useful starting point.

I ordered this book as a supplement to bridge the gap between my fiance's very Baptist family, my Catholic father, my reformed (yet "just" protestant)mother, and my Christian beliefs. In addition to the fact that my fiance and I are not members of a church, we are getting married in an Emmanuel Reformed church--- and they believe what???

I love this book! Being in three weddings in the last month, I have experienced numerous different readings, and music, plus heard about a lot of traditions. Not only did this book give me ideas, but it explained traditions to me... Like the something old, something new, etc. I now have to choose from ten different readings, four quotes for my program, and whether I want to borrow vows from the book or use their ideas as spinoff for my own.

If you want some variety, guidance, and ideas definitely buy this book. It leaves no religion or culture untouched. And the suggestions are wonderful. They even touch on multi-faith and non-denominational... Good luck!

This is one of the best vow books I used for creating a memorable exchange on my wedding day. I highly recommend it! I also highly recommend the book that's helping us KEEP our vows: "Loving Vows: Inspiring Promises For Building and Renewing Your Marriage" by Eklof. It takes our wedding vow's to the next level--the day-to-day reality of marriage!

I've learned that it's one thing to express marital promises ceremonially, and a whole different ballgame when we try to keep them. Both books help couples win at enduring love!

It's great to see a book that focuses on what's clearly the most important part of a wedding - the ceremony itself. Ironically this is the part of wedding planning that's often missing from wedding magazines so a book like this can be useful. It takes you back to basics with a look at how you can personalise the pivotal part of your day with readings, vows and rituals to make your wedding as unique as your relationship.

Loved this book -- it was very helpful, especially to couples who are writing their own vows. There were many suggested passages that are inspirational, and the book is loaded with interesting ceremony ideas.