Rating: 
Summary: Not much different than all the other bridal books
Review: Anti-bride because your gown might show a tattoo or piercing? whatever. If you are in the female role in a wedding ceremony, you are a bride. You may not do your wedding Blair Warner-style, but you are a bride. End of story.The book is geared to make brides feel like they are not sell-outs to the massive wedding industry that threatens to consume them but the fact that the book is selling for a profit in the "Wedding Planning" section of major bookstores makes it part of that same industry. The so-called Anti-Bride is supposed to not listen to her family about planning her wedding (ooooh -- original!) She is a hip chica who happens to be getting married. It is no different than anything else out there -- if anything, it's more annoying.
Rating:
Summary: Not much different than all the other bridal books
Review: I bought a slew of books when trying to plan my wedding in 8 weeks. This is the one I referred to the least. It is thin on any REAL information- how much can I expect to spend on flowers or a band? What are some wordings for vows, invitations? Look elsewhere for specifics. This book has some very general suggestions...none of which went much beyond what any creative gal could come up with on her own.
Rating: 
Summary: A refreshing twist!
Review: I LOVE this book, I make wedding decorations for friends and family, and this book gave me such a wealth of inspiration and fun ideas. I wish there were books like this around when I got married 13 years ago. A glue gun and beads - you bet! I would love to see a follow up book with even more ideas. Yes, weddings are joy-filled days of happy tears and hugs, but they are also days of fun and frolic and playfullness (at least in my eyes they are). This book relays that angle for people like me who aren't into the same old tried and true thing.
Rating:
Summary: Definitely NOT anti-bride
Review: I thought this might offer me some unique ideas, but this is really a fairly traditional bridal book dressed up in hip clothing. There are better sources out there.
Rating: 
Summary: Some tidbits...but decidedly not for the anti-bride
Review: I was very disappointed with this book. As a traditional wedding guide, it's not bad - filled with the basics of wedding planning: cutting down your guest list, gown shopping, reception options, etc all wrapped up in a fun little guide. However, as an anti-bride wedding resource? Not so much. While the book toted the mantra of "it's ok to be different," it didn't offer much of substance. Other than explaining that not all bridesmaids are wearing the same dress these days (*gasp!), that brides...sometimes wear dresses other than traditional white (*holy cow*!), and you can get married...in a park (*Crazy talk!*). The wedding planning section was thrown in as an afterthought (assuming you'd spend the big bucks for its sister book, called the Anti-bride planner).
If you're looking for off-the-beaten-path ideas for your wedding, move along. There's nothing to see here.
Rating:
Summary: Nothing new to see here.
Review: Meh. The other negative reviews were right. This book was about as "out of the box" as the wedding sections in Cosmo or Glamour and seemed geared towards women with lots of money, time, and inclination to plan a wedding.
The format of the book is like this:
Veils: Who says you have to wear a veil? You totally don't. But if you want one, here is the same advice on veils that you get in any bridal magazine of wedding planning book.
Bouquet: Who says you have to carry a bouquet? You don't have to! But if you want to here is some completely unoriginal crap that the authors copied and pasted out of a tepid and shallow bridal article...
The book actually listed alternative colors for wedding gowns, such as green, brown, orange, silver, and ruby. You mean, if i don't want to wear white, I can wear another color??? How utterly original! I never would have thought of that one on my own!
You get the idea.
There's some serious product placement going on here, too. So the author is "friends" with someone at Benefit Cosmetics who then gives advice on wedding make-up. (First tip: Use Benefit Cosmetics!) Surprise, Benefit Cosmetics is the first listing in the Make-up section of the Resource Guide. Give me a break.
I was irritated by the author's constant reference to her own wedding but in the third person, as if she had collected testimonials from other brides. Gerin's wedding stories are about how she had to have a wedding on each coast and a party in France and offered such innovative and fresh advice like "Drink lots of water on the plane."
The practical advice is okay, but was covered with more accuracy and completeness in the other books I bought.
I did get a couple solid slices of advice from this book which is how it earned one star. I honestly appreciate the "Anti-Bride Timeline" on page 128, the Beauty Countdown on page 122 (get waxed two days before your wedding... check!), and the Day-of Checklist on page 135. I am hard pressed to imagine that I will use much else from this book, however.
If you find this used for less than $1, go for it. The checklists are worth it. But if you already have any other bridal guide, there's no point in getting this one. Putting a retro-graphics cover on the same, tired old crap doesn't make it interesting. It just makes it another bridal industry rip-off.
Rating:
Summary: A beacon in a world of foofaraw
Review: Okay, I'm a recently engaged girl who is a bit tired of the traditional (read: tired) wedding and the marshmallow dress. While painfully browsing through the fluff at my local bookseller, I came across "The Anti-Bride." I was saved. I opened this book to find a validation of every feeling I have about weddings - not that they're generally bad, but that I want my wedding to REALLY reflect my relationship with my fiance, my committment to my friends and family, and last but not least, be a rockin' party! "The Anti-Bride" gives examples of fun, eclectic weddings as raging parties, spiritual rites, intimate communions, and everything in between. The questionnaires are very helpful in nailing down exactly what I want, and the organization is fantastic. One other thing I'm loving - the prevailing emphasis in the wedding industry - buybuybuystuffstuffstuff - is absent in this book. Sure, there's a whole chapter about your dress and tiaras, but I never have to take a reading break to sweat about my budget! I'd recommend this book to anyone who is planning a wedding, and just can't get inspired by "Modern Bride" or Emily Post. It's a fun, creative, and most importantly, personal look at what should be a fun, creative and MOST IMPORTANTLY personal event.
Rating: 
Summary: Terrific Book for the Unique Bride
Review: The title is the key. Anti-Bride doesn't mean you are against marriage. However, it means you aren't looking to do everything in a traditional style. It gives ideas on ways to approach the wedding that are unique. It discusses different couples approaches to their wedding ranging from theme weddings to casual settings. It is all about making your wedding meaningful to you. I believe the book could use to be longer and more indepth. And note, this isn't a how-to book. It is about creating the wedding you want.
Rating:
Summary: Not for the average bride
Review: This book, written by the owner of a web design firm and a professional writer, is clearly slanted toward the older bride who lives in or near a metropolitan area and who has a large wedding budget. If you live in a mid-sized city or a small town, you won't find most of the ideas of much value. As an event planner located in a mid-sized city, my clients provide more down-to-earth and affordable ideas than those found in this book. Save your money and purchase a more practical book.
Rating:
Summary: Anti-bride, but not anti-beautiful wedding of your dreams
Review: This is a great choice for the bride to be who is concerned less with matching flowers to bridesmaid's dresses and more of having a beautiful and wonderful day to remember as you start your new life together. It is full of quirky and just plain wonderful ideas on creating the wedding of your dreams without sacrificing your own sense of style. Like the best tradional wedding planners, it has pockets to keep vital paper slips in, and the last chapter of the book is complete with just enough lists to keep vital info in one place, but not so many as to stress you out. The best part of this book by far is that it assumes that you are not going to stop living the rest of your life just to plan a wedding and that you would love the input of the groom to be because duh, he's getting married here too. The authors keep the tone lighthearted, take into account all the different kinds of couples and situations out there, and don't belittle you if your dream wedding is to go the whole Martha route. They focus less on how to cut corners, and more on making sure that you remember to incorporate the aspects of the ceremony that are the most important to you (even if that is only that you will wear a tiara). Everything else is just icing. Definitely worth it if only to destress after reading the other bridal books.
| 
