June is Bridal Season

June is traditionally thought of as the month of brides and all things bridal. In fact, in the U.S. it is the busiest month for the wedding industry. I thought I would showcase a few books to help you with your bridal needs. One is specifically about weddings; two feature entertaining tips and tricks; and the last one helps you to let go if things in the marriage go south.

Weddiculous: An Unfiltered Guide to Being a Bride by Jamie Lee (with Jacqueline Novak) is a fresh, funny look at all things bridal. The author--a stand-up comedian, TV writer, and actress—talks about her experience planning her own wedding and gives practical and hilarious tips to other brides on how to not run yourself (and others) crazy during this stressful process. Jamie opens each chapter with a snippet of the kind of advice that big bridal business gives to potential brides; she then blows that advice out of the water! This book is worth the read even if you’re not planning a wedding.

Looking for ideas on entertaining in general? Why not check out Modern Hospitality: Simple Recipes with Southern Charm by Whitney Miller or How to Celebrate Everything by Jenny Rosenstrach?

Whitney Miller was the Season 1 winner of MasterChef hosted by Gordon Ramsay. This young woman hales from Poplarville, Mississippi and is a graduate of the University of Southern Mississippi. Her book contains more than 75 original southern-style recipes, ideas for entertaining, and stories from her own family and traditions.

Jenny Rosenstrach includes more than 100 recipes in her book; each one designed to celebrate those days most special to your family. She includes complete menus for Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year’s Eve as well as ideas for Mother’s Day, Father’s Day, and Super Bowl Sunday. She also includes notes on her own family rituals for holidays and birthdays and why it is important for families to celebrate together.

If your wedding doesn’t pan out into eternal wedded bliss, then, The Optimist’s Guide to Divorce by Suzanne Riss and Jill Sockwell may be worth reading. When their own marriages began falling apart, the authors looked and looked for advice to help them through their tough times. They both realized that they needed the support of other women who understood what they were going through. In this book they bring together that practical advice on everything from deciding to divorce, custody battles, and moving house to making a plan, budgeting for your new life, and jumping back in the dating pool. Most importantly, they teach women that it’s okay to hurt, but there is hope and healing on the horizon.