Rating: 
Summary: Best wedding resource I've found
Review: I received this book as an engagement gift and it has dramatically reduced my stress level. Instead of feeling overwhelmed with everything I have to do, this book helped me focus on one thing at a time. In the 2 weeks that I've owned this book, I have learned more about wedding gowns and invitations than I ever thought I would know. I can speak authoritatively with any vendor, and I can assess whether an item is overpriced or within my budget. I know this book will provide the same level of detail and insight in all the other categories it covers.
Rating:
Summary: Guide for Real Brides in the Real World
Review: This book, as they state in the intro, is not for a cheap wedding, but for a REALISTIC wedding and it has to be the most helpful, honest and detailed guide out there! The best tips I have ever heard from purchasing a wedding dress to finding the flower girls hairpieces are listed in the book. The book makes great suggestions on where your money will ACTUALLY go for everything and tells you what to expect as far as sales tactics. While browsing through magazines and expensive guides is helpful for creative suggestions, this book is a must have when it comes to making your real decisions.
The only thing I recommend being weary of is that the book is pretty pessimistic about salespeople in general. While the book is honest, I would take some of the comments with a grain of salt... not everyone is out to get you!
Rating: 
Summary: Great place to start
Review: I am currently using this book to plan my upcoming wedding. I don't know if I am saving a considerable amount of money yet but it sure is helping a lot with the list of questions they have for each vendor. It also provides a great basis for what things should really cost. Although, it differes from city to city, this book is helpful in giving you that extra bit of knowledge and confidence to meet the vendor and ask the right questions. I will probably be sending this book to all my friends who get engaged.
Rating:
Summary: The wedding planning bible!
Review: Ok ladies. Getting married? This is pretty much the ONLY book you'll be needing. I happened upon this book at a book store one evening, and I bought it right away... one of the best wedding-related purchases I made. This book covers just about everything you'll need to know to plan a fabulous wedding that costs you a lot less. It is well laid out and easy to follow. These guys know ALL the tricks of the trade, providing insightful information regarding ways to save money, pitfalls to avoid, wedding dress directory, useful websites and much, much more! Being from Canada, I also appreciated the Canadian section that was included. My wedding turned out wonderfully, and I have to say this book saved me a TON of money!!
This book is small and compact, easily fitting inside your purse or pocketbook. Ladies, don't get caught up in the hype! You don't need to purchase dozens of planning books. In my opinion, this is all you'll really need!
Rating:
Summary: don't know what that other person was talking about
Review: for those of you that have read the scathing review about the book, keep in mind that one of the things the book says is that "couture" is used in the wedding industry for anything from cotton underwear on up. It, like Italian Silk, usually doesn't mean anything except that you are paying more. Having said that, I just picked up the book. I have been working as a caterer to fund my higher education, and I won't be depending on someone else to foot the bill for my wedding. I found lots of the advice to be practical and straightforward. I agree with Denise Richards that you SHOULD be able to shop around for a gown like you would for a pair of jeans. And I have tasted many a wedding cake, purchased from upscale or otherwise bakeries, that seriously tasted like crap. She isn't saying "don't spend money," she's saying make sure you get what you pay for. And she's obviously done her homework. Also gives you lots of websites and practical experience and advice, not to mention things to watch out for when dealing with various vendors. Not a wedding info book for the weak at heart, but if you want to get some tough advice on a vicious industry (and, make no mistake, it is) this is a great book.
Rating:
Summary: A breath of hope...
Review: After spending a couple hours at the book store deciding on Bridal Bargains was a great decision. I read through the entire book in a few days and felt such great relief that there are realistic ways to cut costs and still have a nice wedding. My fiancee and I are getting married 10mths from now and we will be paying for our own wedding which is a daunting task. This book shed light on a great variety of topics and vendors that I can't wait to check into and share with my groom.
Thank you to the authors & keep digging up great deals in this overwhelming & sketchy industry!
Rating:
Summary: You Need This Book If You Are Planning Any Size Wedding
Review: Don't plan a wedding without it! The writers have done all the research for you. It is truly how to have a $20,000 wedding for $10,000 or less depending on how much time you have to shop. I found my dress for 1/2 price at one of the places they mention and it doesn't even need alterations. There are so many cost saving ideas in here you can't afford to plan without this book. I bought several books and this is the only one that I have really used and benefited from.
Rating:
Summary: BEYOND 5 STARS!!
Review: This is a MUST-BUY for any bride2be that wants to be smart about her wedding planning and expenses.... Reading it gives alot of insight into cutting costs and looking out for wedding industry scams. I feel alot more comfortable going into my wedding planning.ON A SIDE NOTE:
As for one reveiwer who had a fit because Bridal Bargains suggested "recording MP3s for reception music instead of a live band to cut costs" being immoral & illegal, to them I say :RELAX!!!!! If you are uneasy about finding internet music on the internet, you don't have to; simply gather up a bunch of your favorite love song Cds and burn them for Cds you've already purchased-- the personal home recordings act protects your right to do that as long as you have already paid for the music and you are not selling the Cds for profit. That's the route I'd prefer because it gives for a cleaner beginning and end to the songs anyway.
Rating:
Summary: I'm only 50 pages in, and I'm more informed already!
Review: This book isn't just about how to cut costs or get discounts on your wedding needs. It gives you advice on how not to get scammed or ripped off. The authors point out early that the wedding industry is unlike any other in that they do not have to rely on repeat customers. They can scam you without worrying about whether or not you're going to come back - they know you're not coming back anyway. So the real value of this book is that it helps you to be a smarter consumer. It tells you what the typical scams are and how to avoid them. And I like the fact that it reviews online vendors. I wanted to look online for some wedding things, but I wasn't sure what sites were reputable - this book will be a big help. I really feel like a smarter bride-to-be and I'm only 50 pages into the book. I can't wait to finish it! I will definitely be getting this as a gift for other newly engaged couples!
Rating: 
Summary: This book was terrible!
Review: I am really disappointed in this book. It was a total waste of money! After reading Bridal Bargains, it became apparent who the real scam artists are: Denise and Alan Fields. Every time they have an event in their life, they write a book about it. They then pass themselves off as "experts" to get a few bucks out of unsuspecting brides. SHAME ON THEM. So, I have decided that every time I have a new life event, I will proclaim myself an "instant expert" and I'll write a book. It worked for the Fields'- Denise Fields was obviously a former bride who felt "jilted" by the industry. Sorry, Ms. Fields, but in our self-indulgent age, we don't have the time nor care for your decades-old complaints about how you feel you were mistreated by the bridal industry. Please choose a new platform to voice your grievances (that no one cares about anyway). Thank you very much, but I will purchase my COUTURE (ie not a cheap knockoff) gown at a REAL bridal salon, I will order a DELICIOUS (not Grocery store) cake, and I will spring for a REAL DJ/BAND (not rip off the true artist by playing downloaded mp3's on my boom-box). The Fields' should be ASHAMED of themselves. Of course, they never will be- not as long as they are busy counting the money rolling in from unsuspecting people buying this useless book. Coming Soon to a BookStore Near You: "How to score the deal of a lifetime on some used toilet paper."- By Denise Fields
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