From the #1 wedding brand comes this indispensable resource, completely revised and updated, to help you choose the perfect words, music, and traditions for your ceremony and reception The ceremony is the cornerstone of your wedding celebration. There are countless ways to make it your own, from meaningful poetry readings to the music that plays as you walk down the aisle. The Knot Guide to Wedding Vows and Traditions is an important resource for brides and grooms. New and expanded topics in this edition include: -Interfaith ceremonies and blending spiritual traditions -Ways to use technology to enhance your ceremony -New online resources for finding the perfect words for your vows, program, and more -Gay marriages and civil unions -Popular song choices that are already considered classics Throughout, you’ll also find a rich and inspiring selection of both classic and original ideas for: -Religious or secular vows and readings -Traditions and symbolic rituals -Speeches and toasts -Music for the processional, recessional, and the special dances at the reception

Your vows are the most important and sacred part of your wedding day so it is vital that you feel comfortable with everything you are saying to your partner. What better way to achieve this than to create the vows yourself and make your special day even more meaningful. Personalized vows can be full of intent and meaning, or can even serve to add a touch of humor to your wedding ceremony. Through original words and extracts from poems and literature both traditional, unconventional, and inspirational, Wedding Vows and Traditions will incite you to write words from the heart and create a truly memorable day for you and your partner. Above us are the stars; below us are the stones As time does pass, remember; Like a star should our love be constant, Like a stone should our love be firm. Adapted from a Native American Blessing Two lives already richly lived, one road still to travel. Let's not regret what might have been, but enjoy what may unravel. Cathy Howes

The wedding is planned, but are you spiritually prepared for your wedding day? Trusted relationship author Gary Thomas coaches engaged couples on how to grow closer to the Lord in the days leading up to the wedding as a means of preparing them for all the days after the wedding. Engagement is bursting with promise, hope, joy, and anticipation of all kinds. It can also be one of the busiest times your life. For some, planning a wedding, with all the decisions involved, can feel less like the exciting onset of marriage and more like a tedious to-do list. Amidst the busyness, this devotional is designed to encourage and guide you through the spiritual priorities and challenges that lie ahead in order to grow a joy-filled marriage filled with love, grace, and God's blessing. In addition to helping you celebrate the joys of marriage and become radically connected as you create an even deeper passionate relationship, this lovely book also provides encouraging entries that will help you deal with common issues such as: Building physical and emotional intimacy Repairing trust Celebrating differences Being a team player Managing finances With a special section on the marriage vows and thoughtful meditations for the bride and groom, Preparing Your Heart for Marriage will help you grow in your relationship as a couple on your journey from “me” to “we.”

Unenthused by a white wedding gown and bored by the hoopla of the Hollywood-style reception, Ariel Meadow Stallings found herself absolutely exhausted with the nuances of traditional nuptials . . . so she chose to take a walk off the beaten aisle. In this 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 also includes a chapter on budget weddings in today's weak economy, along with sidebars, tips, tricks, and planner encouragement to help you figure out your special day. What results is a combination of hilarious wedding stories and tons of helpful how-tos-a perfect mash-up of memoir and handbook. At once 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 their 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, and with Offbeat Bride, she brings you a book that serves both as an encouragement and celebration of aisles less traveled.

Many engaged couples, no matter what their personal style, find themselves turning back to tradition for their wedding ceremony. Is there a way to follow tradition and still carve your own wedding path? Yes, there is - with this unique book in hand. Michael Foley presents meaningful wedding traditions so old that they're practically new again. Roman Catholic, Protestant, Orthodox, and Jewish wedding traditions fill this comprehensive guidebook, the only one of its kind. From music and flowers to vows and ceremonies to blessings, Foley's Wedding Rites contains a vast assortment of rich traditions very usable in weddings today. Best of all, it's easy to reference and easy to use! Wedding Rites includes concrete suggestions for each facet of your wedding, from engagement to reception; guidelines for designing your own distinctive wedding program; practical advice for interfaith weddings; forgotten wedding customs - carecloths, loving cups, coin blessings, and others.

For the first time wedding resource brand The Knot's famous timelines, tools, and checklists have been compiled in one easy-to-carry book that will travel with you from florist to baker and everywhere in between. The Knot Book of Wedding Lists distills all the great information from The Knot and crafts it into useful, organized lists that will eliminate the stress and make planning a wedding as simple as checking off boxes. Whether you’re planning for twenty or two hundred, a wedding on the beach or in a balloon, this compact guide covers all your planning details for the big day in an easy, organized format, including: • Planning timelines • Contract checklists • Vendor to-do lists • New wedding ideas • Questions to ask the site manager, photographer, florist, and others • Bridesmaid duties • Details about your ceremony • Shopping lists • Wedding-day to-do lists • Reception schedules and much, much more. With the most essential to-do lists in one easily accessible and portable spot, The Knot Book of Wedding Lists is the ultimate organizing tool you’ll turn to at every step of the wedding-planning process—right up to your walk down the aisle.