Weddings at the Library

Weddings are usually joyous occasions, a chance for family and friends to get together to support and congratulate the happy couple who have chosen to make this commitment to one another. It’s fair to say however that they can also be responsible for creating quite a bit of stress in the lives of those most closely involved. Here at the library we have books and magazines to help with most aspects of planning a wedding which will help the day run smoothly, and hopefully avoid the creation of any Bridezillas. And men don’t think you’re getting off easy as the book The Groom’s Speech & Duties outlines, there’s plenty for you to do too.



To start with we have a selection of general wedding books such as Weddings: the essential Guide to Organising Your Perfect Day by Alison Price and The Everything Wedding Checklist Book: All You Need to Remember for a Day You’ll Never Forget by Holly Lefevre. We have a book for those looking to minimise the costs of the big day, 1,001 Ways to Save Money – and Still Have a Dazzling Wedding by Sharon Naylor, and even a book for those wanting to stage an environmentally friendly wedding, Eco-Chic Weddings by Emily Anderson.


New Etiquette for Today’s Bride published by Bridal Guide magazine offers advice on many modern matrimonial dilemmas including chapters on pre-wedding parties, destination weddings, second weddings, and the renewing of vows. We also subscribe to several wedding themed magazines including New Zealand Weddings, Bride to Be, and NZ Bride & Groom. These lavishly illustrated magazines are great for providing inspiration for all aspects of weddings, but can also be very expensive to purchase. Being able to borrow them from the library is one way of keeping costs down.


Decorations are usually an important part of the wedding, with a lot of effort going into creating the right look. We have many books to support this including Beaded Weddings: 75+ Fabulous Ideas for Jewellery, Invitations, Reception Decor, Gifts & More by Jean Campbell, and The New Book of Wedding Flowers: Simple & Stylish Arrangements for the Creative Bride by Joanne O’Sullivan. Of course the look of the dress is probably the biggest concern for most brides-to-be, and to help with this we have The Wedding Gown Book by Elizabeth Shimmer.


Speeches are a major part of the big day and given that many people find public speaking a fairly daunting prospect, advice can be very welcome. We have many titles to help in this area including The Big Book of Wedding Readings: a Huge Collection of Timeless Poetry and Prose for Church and Civil Ceremonies, Heart Songs: Readings for Weddings collected by Pinky Agnew, and Speeches: What to Say at Weddings and When to Say It. Finally no wedding would be complete without a cake and again we have books to help in the form of Cakes for Romantic Occasions by May Clee-Cadman, and Romantic Wedding Cakes by Kerry Vincent.


Unfortunately we can’t do much about the weather, but pretty much all the other aspects of your day should go smoothly with information and inspiration found from our books and magazines. You may not be able to match the pomp and ceremony of the upcoming Royal Wedding of Prince William and Kate Middleton, but you will still be able to achieve a memorable and happy day. And for those of you who can’t get enough of the romance and drama of weddings, they do of course provide the inspiration for many of our fiction books, and a few DVDs as well. The Italian Wedding by Nicky Pellegrino, Wedding Season by Katie Fforde, and Happy Ever After by Nora Roberts are just a few examples, though if the title of Sasha Wagstaff’s Changing Grooms is anything to go by, this should possibly be avoided by any prospective brides.

Jon Adams
Community Outreach Librarian
Masterton District Library