Library Journal Review of the New American Wedding
Monday, August 01, 2005
In this stylish guide, New York marketing agency owner Delaney chronicles changing American wedding traditions through the lens of her own nuptials to BBC broadcaster and writer Frank Delaney. With its emphasis on the word new, this thoughtful handbook breaks new ground and old rules in suggesting options for brides and grooms to invest the age-old rite with greater personal meaning and authenticity. Take the issue of attire, for example: one bride who didn't want to wear the traditional wedding "meringue" chose instead to wear red cashmere pajamas for the ceremony; another decked herself and her attendants in gowns and masks appropriate for a masquerade ball.
Following one's own drummer may carry a hefty price tag, however, if the bride chooses to commission hand-made shoes for her special day or to hire a watercolor artist to sketch vignettes of the ceremony and reception, as Delaney suggests. First-time brides needing concrete advice on completing the thousands of requisite wedding details should look to more hands-on guides rather than this elegant treatise geared for well-heeled September brides or those comfortable with making a break from tradition. Recommended for larger collections.