A companion to the popular website APracticalWedding.com and A Practical Wedding Planner, A Practical Wedding helps you sort through the basics to create the wedding you want -- without going broke or crazy in the process. After all, what really matters on your wedding day is not so much how it looked as how it felt. In this refreshing guide, expert Meg Keene shares her secrets to planning a beautiful celebration that reflects your taste and your relationship. You'll discover: The real purpose of engagement (hint: it's not just about the planning) How to pinpoint what matters most to you and your partner DIY-ing your wedding: brilliant or crazy? How to communicate decisions to your family Why that color-coded spreadsheet is actually worth it Wedding Zen can be yours. Meg walks you through everything from choosing a venue to writing vows, complete with stories and advice from women who have been in the trenches: the Team Practical brides. So here's to the joyful wedding, the sensible wedding, the unbelievably fun wedding! A Practical Wedding is your complete guide to getting married with grace.

Take control of the food at your wedding, and with it you'll take control of the cost, quality, and beauty of presentation of a vitally important part of your special day. This unique and totally new book, written by an experienced cookbook author and professional caterer, is the perfect aid to catering your own wedding. From calculating quantities of food and drink, to detailed tips on preparation and presentation, this book covers everything. Take the worry out of your wedding, with The Wedding Catering Cookbook! Of course, this book is also very suitable for catering other large parties and celebrations.

This New York Times bestselling book is filled with hundreds of fun, deceptively simple, budget-friendly ideas for sprucing up your home. With two home renovations under their (tool) belts and millions of hits per month on their blog YoungHouseLove.com, Sherry and John Petersik are home-improvement enthusiasts primed to pass on a slew of projects, tricks, and techniques to do-it-yourselfers of all levels. Packed with 243 tips and ideas—both classic and unexpected—and more than 400 photographs and illustrations, this is a book that readers will return to again and again for the creative projects and easy-to-follow instructions in the relatable voice the Petersiks are known for. Learn to trick out a thrift-store mirror, spice up plain old roller shades, "hack" your Ikea table to create three distinct looks, and so much more.

Someone’s shot an arrow at the bride, and it isn’t Cupid…A mystery filled with “clever dialogue and an eccentric supporting cast” (Publishers Weekly). Bernadette and Libby Simmons have been working twelve-hour days, and between whipping up sweet treats and catering high school graduation parties, the sisters have to fit one more event into their busy schedule: catering a high-society wedding that takes a very low turn… Leeza Sharp is getting ready to have the wedding of her dreams. She’s got a $25,000 dress (gorgeous and made to order), a rich Estonian fiancé (head of a multimillion-dollar caviar empire) and a four-star menu (planned by none other than Bernie and Libby). Never mind that she's not really in love with her boring, bland groom-to-be. But the dream wedding turns into a nightmare. Hours before she’s scheduled to walk down the aisle, Leeza takes an arrow to the chest. Now Libby and Bernadette have more on their minds than pouring Cristal and cutting up wedding cake: they’ve got an archery-inclined killer to find… Includes 6 delectable recipes for you to try! “The sisters’ playful rivalry, clever dialogue and an eccentric supporting cast make for plenty of cozy fun.”—Publishers Weekly “Frequent humor, a couple of little-old-lady Marxists, and several delicious recipes complete the cozy picture. Recommended for culinary mystery fans.”—Library Journal

When Bernie and Libby Simmons, sisters and co-owners of A Little Taste of Heaven, are hired to cater a doggie wedding for a pair of posh golden retrievers, they wind up stepping into a fresh murder investigation!

Newly updated for a new audience of independent, out-of-the-bridal-box thinkers, Offbeat Bride is today's go-to source of support for couples who dare to walk off the beaten aisle Unenthused by a white wedding gown and bored by the hoopla of the Hollywood-style reception, Ariel Meadow Stallings found herself absolutely exhausted by -- and horribly distanced from -- the nuances of traditional nuptials. So, she chose the aisle less-traveled for her own wedding day. In this newly updated edition of Offbeat Bride, Stallings humorously recounts the story of the original offbeat wedding -- hers -- and shares anecdotes and advice from dozens of other nontraditional couples. She provides plenty of insider tips for avoiding extra costs and cumbersome obligations, along with a clever planner to help you create your own special day. Both practical and enjoyable, Offbeat Bride validates choosing the funky, different, and offbeat over the traditional, and leads couples through the planning process--from unique ideas on how to announce the engagement all the way to answering the question, "So, how's married life?" Stallings is the ultimate guide to the alternative wedding of your dreams, encouraging every bride and groom to create their own distinctive celebrations of partnership and love.

Previous ed. entitled: Offbeat bride: taffeta-free alternatives for independent brides, 2007.

When Libby and her sister Bernie cater a vampire-themed high school reunion in honor of best-selling author Laird Wrenn, they find themselves knee-deep in murder when Wrenn drops dead after dinner and Libby stands accused of the crime, forcing the dynamic duo to whip up the truth. 10,000 first printing.

A man is found hanging at a Halloween party, and two sleuthing sisters must unmask a killer: “Charming.”—Publishers Weekly When sisters Bernie and Libby Simmons agree to cater an extravagant Halloween party in their little town of Longely, New York, they figured a ghost or two and a bloodcurdling scream might be part of the menu, but they never expected to be haunted by the specter of murder. Darius Witherspoon isn’t giving up on his plan for a catered costume party—despite the recent disappearance of his wife, Penelope. He may be heartbroken, but perhaps throwing a big shindig in her honor will boost his spirits. He hires Bernie and Libby to provide the treats. They’d prefer to avoid the festivities altogether, but as always, there are bills to be paid. And in the midst of the celebration, Darius is discovered hanging from a noose outside one of the ballroom’s French doors—with a note left behind that suggests this was not suicide. It’s up to Bernie and Libby to find out whodunit… Includes original recipes for you to try! “Recurring characters, especially the sisters’ widowed father, retired police chief Sean, add depth and humor.”—Publishers Weekly Includes Original Recipes for You to Try!

Bring your big day to life without breaking the bank Congratulations! Getting married is a thrilling time and a major milestone—but you might be overwhelmed at how much there is to do and how much it’s going to cost. Here’s the secret: You don’t need to spend a year’s salary on your wedding day for it to be unique and memorable. This complete wedding planning book shows you how. YOUR ULTIMATE WEDDING ORGANIZER: Worksheets, lists, and tips from an expert wedding planner to help you prioritize the things you want most and create a wedding that’s affordable, stress-free, and totally yours. FLEXIBLE BUDGET ADVICE: Learn how to save money and avoid common industry traps, so you can throw a beautiful wedding whether your budget is $1,500 or $50,000. THE CEREMONY & BEYOND: Find chapters that cover every aspect of your wedding, from your initial vision, to the venue, photography, food, music, and even the honeymoon. Pick up The Budget-Savvy Wedding Planner & Organizer today and start planning an affordable wedding you’ll never forget.