Customer Reviews

Sacred Threshold: Rituals and Readings for a Wedding with Spirit

5 star:		(11)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

The authors bring the meaning back into the wedding planning process. After you read a few wedding books, you think that all weddings are A, B or C and "everyone" has X, Y, or Z. You and everyone else in the country are all doing the same thing because you're getting the same advice! And that advice has nothing to do with why you're getting married and who you are and everything to do with one day, which just has to be the biggest, the best, the most elegant, according to every bridal planner. Out of all the many wedding books out there, very few are actually useful and almost none deal with the reality of planning a wedding. This one is and does. I read it, my fiance read it, our mothers read it- our moms had to have their own copies because they kept referring to it! It goes way beyond the typical advice on sit-down versus buffet receptions and picking a photographer. The authors explain different ceremonies, vows and traditions. They discuss children at and in the wedding, how your reception should be viewed as what it truly is, a party for your guests, not an overblown affair to impress people, and they give examples of real weddings they've been to. Also, this book is for both the bride and groom and their families. It helped us pick our readings and vows, and gave us some great ideas. But most of, it was a book I could relate to. The authors make it clear that no matter how religious or non religious, how formal or informal, your wedding can be a reflection of your relationship and personalities without sacrificing tradition or having to adhere strictly to customs that are meaningless to you. They show how a wedding can be the wonderful celebration it should be. I highly recommend this book to all engaged couples, and I am giving it to all my engaged friends!

This is a book for "weddings with spirit", but more from a traditional Christian rather than Unitarian perspective. I think Into the Garden incorporates more from other faiths.

The entire book is wonderful for planning your own creative and spritual wedding. Book details the reasons behind a lot of wedding "traditions" and explains ways to make the wedding YOURS. Great read for brides and grooms alike!

We received this book as a shower/engagement gift about ten months before the wedding. The book takes the wedding novice through the ceremony, and describes the various traditions behind the different aspects of the ceremony. It blends multiple religions, and offers an excellent selection of readings from the New Jerusalem translation. We relied heavily on this book when planning the wedding ceremony, and picking our readings. It's truly a beautiful book, designed to help incorporate the spiritual aspect of a wedding --- without too much reference to any specific God or diety. An excellent gift for any newly engaged couple!

After having looked at dozens of books, this one has become one of my best finds. It's been borrowed by my mother and the bride's mother, and it's been asked-for by numerous friends and relatives. The book covers the wedding from the spiritual-side, focusing on the ceremony more than the reception. It's a welcome change from the rest of the "buying guides" and "how-tos" that are more concerned with the party and not the actual wedding. I highly recommend it.

This well-written guide is a must for all prospective brides and grooms and for their families as well. The authors take a refreshing and decidedly spiritual, yet nonsectarian, approach to the institution of marriage. While generally Christian in their viewpoint, they are careful to include attitudes, traditions, and writings from other religions and from the secular world as well. The reader is lovingly taken through each of the events that surround the wedding ceremony and step by step through the ceremony itself, and the meaning of each portion is given clearly and concisely. The authors emphasize the inclusive nature of the wedding ceremony. Like a good mystery novel, the book is difficult to put down once it is started. The one risk is that the reader, once having absorbed the authors' lessons and values, may decide to jettison some of the supposedly traditional, yet superfluous, outdated, and costly, trappings that seem to have accreted onto many present day weddings. The result, however, will be a marriage ceremony, pared of nonessentials, which will be both more meaningful and moving for all who are present. My wife and I found this book invaluable as we, our daughter, and her fiancé prepared for their wedding, and I truly wish that it had been available for our own.

This book was an increadible relief to read before diving head first into the chaos of planning a wedding. It had many excellent perspectives on how to personalize your wedding and ceremony so that your wedding day really has meaning for you and your future spouse without having to spend a lot of money. Also, there are several sections that descrbe the origins of some of todays typical wedding customs, which was helpful for my spouse and I to decide wich traditions to include. It is a clear and wonderfully written book. I highly recommend reading it to anyone who is planning a wedding.

The text on the back flap of the book implies that this book is perfect for people of all faiths who want to have acknowledge the spiritual importance of a wedding. What I didn't realize when I bought it was how Christian it is! There are many beautiful passages, and I may find some of it useful, but there's a heavy bias that is ignored on the summary!

By the way, I'm not actually a 12-year old reader! .........

As I prepared to preside over a friend's marriage, I was looking for a guide to help me create a service that was special and really took into account the couple getting married. This was a perfect resource for me. It was recommended to me and I'm happy that I took the advice. Ideal for non-traditional weddings, but equally effective for traditional weddings.

This book is based on Christian traditions (which is what I wanted, so if you are looking for that viewpoint this is perfect for you). What I love about it is that it tells where wedding traditions came from and possible alternatives if you decided you did not want a completely traditional wedding. It gives a lot of different reading options if you are tired of hearing the same thing at every wedding you go to. I am not engaged, but I buy this book for every couple I know that gets engaged and I hope someone will pass it on to me when it is my turn. :)