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I managed to get through my heavy bridesmaid duty years unscathed.   My brides were very laid back, chose gowns that flattered my figure, and one of them even asked me not to plan a bridal shower because she found them annoying.  I was lucky.

For those who aren’t or weren’t quite as fortunate as me, Liz Razin’s book, She’s Gone Bridal, comes to the rescue.  There are many challenges faced by bridesmaids today, some of which most traditional bridesmaid books wouldn’t necessarily cover in their various chapters on etiquette, party planning, and how to give a toast.  Liz’s book meets the needs of the modern bridesmaid and also entertains with great examples as well.

First time author Liz does a great job of helping the bridesmaid assess each facet of her duties and, having diagnosed the situation, gives sound advice for how to best get through the situation.  An example of this comes in the chapter entitled Stage II: Diagnosis.  She asks the reader to choose a classification for the bride to determine the best way to help and support her.  Since I’ve been a bride myself, I couldn’t help but wonder into which category I would fall.  My best guess was that I was an “I’m-So-in-Love Bride”, about which Liz writes, “Her response to being asked if she’s excited about the wedding is, ‘I just can’t wait to marry the love of my life.’  Try not to vomit.”

The I’m-So-in-Love Bride:  Her response to being asked if she’s excited about the wedding is, “I just can’t wait to marry the love of my life.”  Try not to vomit.

The overall tone of this book is one that had me chuckling out loud as I pictured a good friend sitting down with me over Cosmos and giving me the low down on what being a bridesmaid is all about.  What I particularly admired about the book was that it covered topics that are near and dear to many bridesmaids’ hearts even though they may not know it.  A good example of this is her chapter on overcoming Wedding Withdrawal (WW for short).  She addresses the feelings that result when the wedding invitations stop coming and the whirlwind is over.  After giving sage advice to throw away the old wedding invites (or lock them away if you are sentimental), she encourages the reader to, “Reclaim Your Most Important Asset - You”.

Just released today and definitely worth the read even if you aren’t the bridesmaid to a bridezilla, She’s Gone Bridal is a smart and sassy journey along a 9-step program that helps ensure a successful bridesmaiding experience while still maintaining one’s sanity and friendship with the bride.

Posted by Elia in Arts: Books, Music & Movies, Book Talk |

This entry was posted on Wednesday, April 1st, 2009 at 8:00 pm and is filed under Arts: Books, Music & Movies, Book Talk. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.