The Smart Couple's Guide to the Wedding of Your Dreams - Judith Sherven & James Sniechowski

Product Description

Each year, millions of couples wed, and millions of relationships - involving brides, grooms, families, and friends-are undermined by power struggles, fights, and stress before the big event arrives. Often overrun by others' demands, couples may be too exhausted to experience the outpouring of love meant for them. Now savvy brides and grooms can turn to The Smart Couple's Guide to the Wedding of Your Dreams for a new and personally empowering perspective.

Written specifically for the couple, this book encourages and supports both the bride and groom in exploring their deepest dreams for what they want throughout their entire wedding journey--from engagement through the honeymoon.

Illustrated by nearly 150 real-life wedding stories contributed by brides, grooms, and couples--some that took place in small backyards, some on mountain tops; one at $600, another at more than a million--each chapter walks you through easy, practical steps that help you make your special wedding vision come true, whether you want a traditional ceremony or one that is quirky and offbeat.

Co-written by nationally acclaimed relationship experts who designed their entire wedding nearly eighteen years ago and are still happily married, the book helps the two of you focus on the romance, meaning, and joy of the occasion while saving you from stress and frustration by showing you how to make informed choices together. Rather than a wedding planner, each chapter shows the two of you how to express your style, so that you can define and design your wedding on your own terms. As a bonus, your partnered planning process and mutually developed decision-making skills also help the two of you establish a precedent for a long and happy marriage.

Product Details
* Amazon Sales Rank: #46999 in Books
* Published on: 2005-11-04
* Original language: English
* Number of items: 1
* Binding: Paperback
* 224 pages

Editorial Reviews

From the Inside Flap
"This is the perfect pre-wedding gift for a couple planning an event that should be a source of joy and excitement, but is often a source of stress, anxiety, frustration, and even rage. Filled with practical and inspiring suggestions for creating a wedding celebration that joyfully expresses the souls of the two participants, this guide infuses its subject with psychological realism and a subtle tone of unsentimental spirituality." - Nathaniel Branden, PhD, author of The Art of Living Consciously

"From 'Popping the Questions' to 'The Honeymoon' and everything in between, this book covers it all! It arrived just in time for our son and future daughter-in-law to plan the wedding of their dreams!" - Charlie Bloom, co-author of 101 Things I Wish I Knew When I Got Married

"I read the book in one sitting. When I finished, I jumped in my car to take it to my son's house, so he and his fiancée wouldn't go one more day of their wedding planning without this heart-felt, practical guide." - Linda Bloom, co-author of 101 Things I Wish I Knew When I Got Married

"This book is a joy to read from cover to cover. Every bride AND groom needs to read it so they can enjoy planning their wedding while also building the basis for the success of their future marriage." - Susan Jeffers, PhD, author of Feel the Fear and Do It Anyway and The Feel the Fear Guide to Lasting Love

"This is a beautiful and sensible book. Drs. Judith and Jim have outlined a remarkable blueprint that will save couples a lot of time and money. The spiritual principles will help them to create deeper intimacy as they transition from 'twoness' to 'oneness.'" - Dr. Grace Cornish, bestselling author of The Sacred Bond: 7 Spiritual Truths to Recognize and Marry Your Very Own Soul Mate, Drcornish.com

"This practical, helpful book guides couples through perhaps the most important event of their lives to date, and makes the experience more joyful then imagined." - Brian Tracy, author of Your Own Future

"This absolutely great book is a fascinating, readable, and wise blend of romance and practicality! Judith and Jim give just the right guidance and support for couples planning a marriage - or for that matter - planning a life together. From the earliest considerations of engagement to the end of the honeymoon, this book is an amazing gift to those couples who want to make their marriage and their lives reflect their souls." - Sidra Stone, PhD, and Hal Stone, PhD, co-creators of Voice Dialogue and authors of Partnering: A New Kind of Relationship and Embracing Our Selves

"Practical, prescient, precious. Judith and Jim have created a wedding masterpiece!" - Pat Love, EdD, author, The Truth about Love

"Utilizing real couples' stories and their own rich experiences, Judith and Jim brilliantly lead you through the rocky terrain of getting married; from pre-engagement considerations to the wedding day and beyond. Throughout, they act as the little voice in your head gently urging you to be true to yourself by planning a ceremony that will genuily reflect the bond between you and your beloved. I will, without hesitation, recommend this book to all my nervous brides-to-be." Farah Husain, bridal makeup artist

"The wedding market is flooded with 'how to' books - planners that all say essentially the same thing. Finally, here is a new, different, and interesting approach. This is a book for the modern couple, reflecting a growing trend for the groom's involvement. It recognizes that wedding planning today can be - should be - the beginning of a life together." - Gerard J. Monaghan, president, Association of Bridal Consultants

"Too often, men are encouraged to leave the wedding planning to their fiancées - with the result that their weddings and their marriages suffer. From a refreshing and very inspiring point of view, Judith and Jim reveal why it's essential for the bride and groom to plan their wedding together. This book establishes the template for weddings of the future." - Melissa Wilt, public policy analyst, Men's Health Network, Washington, DC

"As a wedding gown designer whose main concern is that the bride receive maximum value, I applaud Judith and Jim's practical, enthusiastic guide showing the wedding couple how to maximize the value and meaning of every aspect of their journey into marriage. This is a must read for every bride and groom and all the people who love them." - Madeline Gardner, designer of bridal gowns, Mori Lee LLC

"In my nineteen years as a wedding photographer, I've seen too many brides miss out on the spiritual and romantic magic that a wedding should be about. So I am thrilled to recommend this book because it can rescue all future brides from making the same mistake. This book is destined to become the bible for creating truly fabulous and deeply meaningful weddings." - Wilson Pinilla, president and CEO, Pinilla Photography and Video Inc.

"This book is hard to put down! Filled with invaluable information, it's everything a couple needs to plan their wedding and their life together." -Richard Markel, president, Association for Wedding Professionals International and founder, Bridal Show Producers International

"If only one person makes all of the decisions about the wedding, it stands to reason that that person will be burdened with making most of the decisions in the marriage. Judith and Jim give couples the tools to discover what matters most to them for their ceremony and its various celebrations opening the door to rich communication, which is the basis for a strong marriage." - Julia Markel, vice-president, Association for Wedding Professionals International