Gather ideas from books on others' weddings

BY MARY BETH CASPER
Special to Newsday

September 14, 2007, 4:08 PM EDT

Brides Behaving Badly: Wild Wedding Photos You Were Never Meant to See, by Bev West and Jason Bergund. Hachette Book Group U.S.A., 2007, $12.99.

This is the type of "joke" gift someone might give you at one of your bridal showers.

Some women may find it amusing. If you aren't one of them, just say, "Thanks. You shouldn't have," and leave it at that.

West and Bergund solicited some of the most embarrassing, candid shots that were taken at weddings and compiled them into a photo album. They also penned funny captions to go with each picture.

Pity the poor bride whose breasts were exposed during one paparazzi moment. As she and her groom released some wedding balloons into the air at their outdoor reception, the bodice of her gown came down. "When you're reaching for the sky, it's best NOT to go strapless," the caption reads.

The lesson here? If you decide to place disposable cameras on your guest tables, make sure guests sign statements saying they won't send any photos to publishing houses or post them on the Internet.

Tie the Knot on a Shoestring, by Leah Ingram. Alpha Books, 2007, $14.95.

Calling all budget-conscious brides!

If the sound of cash registers ringing up your wedding day purchases is keeping you awake at night, you may want to turn to "Tie the Knot on a Shoestring," a no-frills guide to wedding planning.

Author Leah Ingram takes you through every stage of wedding planning, offering cost-busting tips that could save you a bundle. Just be prepared. Many of the tips won't appeal to the more high-maintenance brides.

Some of the suggestions are fairly obvious. (A Sunday brunch wedding is cheaper than a Saturday night one.) Others sound good on paper, but not so good in practice. (Pick your own wedding bouquet from a friend's beautiful garden? OK, but what if it pours on your wedding day?)

Many of the ideas in this book come across as a bit chintzy. Others are clever, such as Ingram's suggestion to forgo the expense of a wedding limo and rent a favorite car. Her preference? A white VW Beetle convertible. Sounds like fun!

Altared: Bridezillas, Bewilderments, Big Loves, Breakups, and What Women Really Think About Contemporary Weddings, edited by Colleen Curran. Vintage Books, 2007, $13.95.

Looking for the perfect stressbuster as you plan your wedding?

This wonderful collection of wedding essays serves as a reminder that you are not alone with the fears and confusion surrounding the Big Day.

Writer Colleen Curran asked 27 of her favorite female writers to share their wedding experiences with her when she was struggling with her own wedding plans. The result is a collection of often funny, always poignant, real-life stories guaranteed to soothe any frazzled bride's nerves.

Elizabeth Crane writes compellingly of her struggle to have a Martha Stewart wedding on a dollar-store budget, while also finding a way to incorporate her late mother's memory into her nuptials.

And then there is Janelle Brown's engagement to the ultimate, non-materialistic guy, which survived her registering at not one, not two, but five different upscale stores for wedding gifts.

There are brides trying to placate divorced parents, brides getting married for the third time, pregnant brides and lesbian brides. Each shares her hopes, dreams and challenges in uplifting prose.

Best of all, this book does not totally dismiss the time and effort that go into orchestrating a dream wedding. Instead, the wedding ritual is celebrated, as are the marriages that were launched as a result of these fine women's individual leaps of faith.

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