Legendary Brides: From the Most Romantic Weddings Ever, Inspired Ideas for Today's Brides

by Letitia Baldrige

Let the "something borrowed" for your own special day be inspired by the most celebrated weddings ever Jacqueline Bouvier, Lady Diana Spencer, Grace Kelly, Wallis Simpson, Carolyn Bessette ... Each name evokes an individual style that still fascinates the world and continues to influence fashion. Now, the unforgettable weddings of these legendary women -- along with other famous brides of the past century -- are chronicled for the first time in a single, highly illustrated volume that is sure to provide inspiration and ideas for a new generation of brides. From Queen Victoria's lavish court wedding in 1840 to Carolyn Bessette's intimate and understated ceremony on Cumberland Island in 1996, each of the weddings featured in this charming and informative book set the stage for the bridal and entertaining styles of the day. And each of them contributed, in a unique way, to the wedding traditions that young brides still follow. But Legendary Brides is much more than just a lovely look back at the past. Author Letitia Baldrige -- with the same grace, humor, and command of etiquette that marked her tenure as social secretary for the Kennedy White House -- offers authoritative, practical, and often amusing, advice on every aspect of planning a wedding today. And with skill and insight, she "borrows" unique touches from a century of memorable weddings and reinterprets them eloquently for a new generation of brides. Lavishly illustrated contemporary features provide timeless ideas for gowns, flowers, cakes, music, invitations, table settings, and more. And a highly readable text with rarely seen photographs and illustrations recreates the atmosphere of each legendary wedding in fascinating detail, making this a delightful book to read and enjoy as well as an indispensable sourcebook for anyone planning a wedding. As Letitia Baldrige says in her Introduction, now that we have entered a new century, "young and old alike are hungry for beauty, tradition, and old-fashioned values." Legendary Brides offers today's brides something old, something new -- and something borrowed, too.

Genres: Nonfiction, Fashion

176 pages, Hardcover

Published November 1, 2000

Reviews

[Allison Burris · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fun book if you're interested in famous brides and weddings of the (mostly) twentieth century including Jackie Kennedy and Grace Kelly. The author actually knew many of the brides in the book and offers a sort of insider perspective. Also great if you're considering including very traditional wedding elements, but many of the suggestions/styles in the book that show "modern" weddings are no longer useful.

[Marie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Though many of the marriages of the weddings covered in this book were unsuccessful (a point in which the author acknowledges) it was still interesting and enjoyable to read about the history, traditions and pomp and circumstance of the weddings.