The Wedding Machine

by Beth Webb Hart

Welcome to Jasper, South Carolina. A place where Southern hospitality thrives. Where social occasions are done right. And where, for generations, the four most upstanding ladies of this community ensure that the daughters of Jasper are married in the proper manner.

Friends from school days, "the gals" have long pooled their silver, china, and know-how to pull off beautiful events. They're a force of nature, a well-oiled machine. But the wedding machine's gears start to stick during the summer their own daughters line up to tie the knot. In the lowcountry heat and humidity, tempers flare, old secrets leak out . . . and both love and gardenias bloom in unlikely places.

Genres: Christian Fiction, Fiction, Southern, Christian, Contemporary, Chick Lit, Inspirational

296 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2008

About the author

Beth Webb Hart holds a B.A. in English Literature from Hollins College and an M.F.A. in Creative Writing from Sarah Lawrence College. Her first novel, Grace at Low Tide, was one of three finalists for the 2006 Christy Awards in the general/contemporary fiction category. She lectures on a variety of topics and has taught creative writing on the college and high school level. She serves as a writer-in-residence at Ashley Hall in Charleston, SC.

Reviews

[Dona · Rating 1 out of 5]

This book was a big disappointment. I read a lot of Christian fiction and this was an awful example. I was shocked that it made this list. I read a novel a day and I really thought this book was poorly written and should be listed as just fiction. It was like the author wants to make the book a Christian story but has to put worldly junk it to please another group. It just doesn't fit.

[Angie · Rating 3 out of 5]

I really would like to give this book 2.5 stars. This book is endorsed by Women of Faith. As such, I expected a stronger inspirational, perhaps even evangelistic, component to this novel. I was greatly disappointed in that respect. The book is largely a several-months look into the lives of four middle-aged Southern women who have been friends since high school and who have significant unresolved life issues. It is quite accurate to describe this book as a coming-of-age novel for the middle-aged. The main character, Ray, experiences two epiphanies at the end of the book, and I appreciated them. Both are messages society needs to hear. However, as I said, I had expected much greater things - in terms of spirituality and humor - from this book. I don't plan to keep it for re-reading later.

[Lacy Lovett]

Working my way through this-- I'm currently stuck on the idea that the author has that gardenias are still in bloom in deer season, which they're not. I live in South Carolina and have lots of gardenias. Maybe they're a different variety, since apparently the ones in the book are less fragrant than jasmine? When mine are in bloom, they're ALL you smell. Maybe she has loads and loads of jasmine. But that still doesn't explain having them blooming in the wrong season.

Even though I understand why she did it (to differentiate between flashback and current story), I'm finding the constant shifting in tenses (from past to present to past) jarring. The story would flow better if she kept it all past tense, the way most books are written. The flashbacks flow better because the reader doesn't have to fight that present tense oddness that only crops up part of the time. It's hard enough to read in present tense and stay there, but it's even more difficult to not be able to settle into it.

Still searching for a story line and something that seems genuine. I've gone looking for definitions of a couple of her "southern" terms she uses, and can't find them. Did she make them up? Or spell them oddly? The internet's a big place...

[Elizabeth Allen · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love books like this. Felt like I knew the characters. There is a southern gentility that is almost lost now and I appreciate the way the book "understands" those women who try to keep it alive. The title is deceiving and makes the book sound light, but the real struggles of the characters were anything but that and often moved me to tears.

[Melissa (Semi Hiatus Until After the Holidays) · Rating 3 out of 5]

Four southern women coordinate the weddings of their daughters in a small town.

[Christy · Rating 1 out of 5]

I really don't know how I made it to the end of this book other than to say that I finished it. There were TOO. MANY. CHARACTERS. Once I made it about halfway through, I finally started to get a handle on who was who. But then there are flashbacks all over the place, some that are notated with a date, others that have no other indication other than there was a page break.

I guess some might say I'm a prude, but I really didn't care for several things in the story. And after later discovering it was a novel endorsed by Women of Faith, it doesn't lead to me to give much credence to that organization either. There were mentions of homosexuals, wine drinking, beer drinking, smoking, bad language, stealing property, assaulting another person...all like it was no big deal to people that were supposed to be professing Christians. Believe me, I'm not naive to think that actual Christians don't struggle with those things, but most individuals read Christian fiction because they want to read something wholesome and about people with values. These characters were more preoccupied with their self-imposed Southern etiquette rules and what was socially acceptable of themselves and their families. Church was barely mentioned until the last chapter, and I would consider most of the characters lukewarm Christians at best.

All in all, it just wasn't my cup of tea. I will start to be more selective with books I read published by Thomas Nelson.

[Kw · Rating 3 out of 5]

There is much to like in this book - the characters, the customs, the essentials and the no-nos of their lives, plus the events as they unfold.
However, I am very disappointed that this was endorsed by Women of Faith. I know we don't all have the same convictions, but this is a book I'd be ashamed to see in my church's huge library of Christian Fiction.
Add to that the fact that while some of the writing is lovely, some of it seems to have popped out of a blender - phrase by phrase, arranged in the most peculiar ways. Commas would have helped some of these sentences, but others simply needed to be rearranged. I decided the author was European and English her second language, until I looked her up on the internet.
So do people in SC really call patios "piazzas?" That seems so odd, but whatever . . .

[Cathy Bickerstaff · Rating 2 out of 5]

I had no idea that there were so many flashbacks, to explain characters motivations. Some were annotated, but rarely was it indicated when you came back to the present.
I was expecting lighthearted small town adventures of close friends. For a while, I thought it was going to be life-is-hard-and-then-you-die, but not at the end. Not at all what I expected from the title or the blurb.

[Melissa Campbell · Rating 4 out of 5]

If I've said it once this year, I've said it a million times. Don't judge a book by it's cover! This one looked like a fun read ~ perfect since Leah's wedding is coming up in just one week! - and it even sounded cute too.
But alas .... not a BAD book, just not as silly and funny as I thought it would be. Much deeper than I imagined.

[Lisa · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved The Wedding Machine! Friendship and southern hospitality at its best! Friends that stick with each other through thick and thin, except each other in the good, bad, and the ugly and never give up on one another. Terrific novel!!!

[Terri · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book makes southern women with good backgrounds and "family" to be a bunch of snobs...outside their own group, of course.

[Karen · Rating 5 out of 5]

The women in this story reminded me of Steel Magnolias. A group of strong, southern women that know the right way to do things and they go all out to make sure it happens.

[Pam · Rating 3 out of 5]

Study of life-long friendship.

[Jessica Geraci · Rating 1 out of 5]

This book was not written for me, but it’s been on my shelf for a decade so I had to read it before I got rid of it. Was not invested in a single character and the writing was boring.

[Michelle Reynaert · Rating 2 out of 5]

Ugh. Wanted to love it but had to make myself even finish it.

[Christa · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a touching and poignant book. It is about friendship and other relationships. The Wedding Machine is the story of four friends, Ray, Hilda, Kitty B., and Sis, who have been together since high school and have had great influence on one another. They have stood by each other through all of the various joys and heartaches of life, and together they are "The Wedding Machine," as they plan and oversee the weddings of their southern community. This book is the story of both happy times and the trials of life. The book is told in the third person, and each chapter is named for one of the characters and focuses on her. The primary part of the story is carried out as the women are in their mid-fifties, but the story has many flashbacks to other times in their lives. The book is filled with many characters including spouses and children of the four friends. The book shows how the four friends have very different lives from one another, most of which they could not have imagined when they were together in high school. The characters were not always likeable, but it made them all the more human. This book was a fast and interesting read, and the time spent on it was enjoyable.

[Beth Dean · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a very sweet book. I'm a sucker for books centered around a group of girlfriends just living their lives. I like to think about someone writing a book about my group of girlfriends.

There were an awful lot of characters to take in at the beginning. It was a little hard to remember which husband belonged to whom and which kids belonged to which woman. Took me several chapters to get it all sorted out.
It made me want to get married again, or at least plan a wedding! My sister needs to get to work on this!! And the food!!! I think I should have been born in the South, let me just say that!

[Megan · Rating 4 out of 5]

I totally didn't notice that this is a "Women of Faith" book until I got home from the library. Since I just went to this conference with my Mom, I figure it is meant to be!

Okay, so this is a good one. I liked everything about the book with one exception. All of the characters (except one) were good and relatable. All of the stories lines worked nicely (except one). It all wrapped up the way I wanted it to (except one). I guess that "one" is fairly realistic, but I wasn't reading this for a dose of realism.

[~mad · Rating 5 out of 5]

I've read other books by Beth Webb Hart an this is equally as good!

Set in a small town near Charleston - group of middle aged women who grew up there since junior high. Now their own daughters are getting married and they are still planning weddings, just like they have planned weddings, funerals, parties all these past years - pooled their chin and silver andknow-how to pull off beautiful events.

The Weeding Macine is a celebration of lifelong friendships - something "we girls" from Lanier H.S. know something abut - don't we Hens?

A thoroughly enjoyable book!

I highly recommend!

[Ashley Abbott · Rating 3 out of 5]

The beginning of the book was hard to get thru as it took me a while to really connect with the characters. But midway thru it started to pick up and I found myself wanting to know what happened next. Surprised it was a Women of Faith book but in a way I am kinda glad as it (as well as Adelaide Piper) is not conventional christian fiction. It's not sugary sweet like some Chic-lit and has a few "rough" edges to it.

[Lindsey (Books for Christian Girls) · Rating 1 out of 5]

Yeah, uh, no. Not for teens. I picked this book up over a year ago and set it right back down since the Prologue was so confusing. This time I made it to the first chapter (okay, technically I skimmed to get there, but still). The prologue has mentions and gifts for a soon-to-be-married women (lingerie and uh, other things) and the first chapter starts off with talking about menopause and things . So, not for teens.

[Bridget Bailey · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the first book by Beth Webb Hart that i have read and I truly enjoyed it. There is something about the south and how they do things that is so intriguing. This book was easy to read and great to follow the 4 women in their lives. This was not as predictable as many other chick lit books can be which made it refreshing. The one thing I didn't like is that it felt like it was rushed. Things happened rather quickly in the book when more time should have past.

[Katie Browning · Rating 3 out of 5]

I preferred Hart's Love, Charleston to The Wedding Machine. This book had some of the same flavor as Love, Charleston but seemed geared for middle aged women. It did, however, give me a new perspective of the challenges that middle aged women go through. I found the bonds of friendship weaker in this one, as friends didn't know the basic backgrounds of each other, which seemed to defeat some of the purpose of the story.

[Lisa · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'm not sure what to say about this book. The first half was very tedious. By the end of the book, I became more interested to discover how some of the internal conflicts were resolved, but I probably won't recommend this to others. It is a "Women of Faith" selection and is better than most Christian fiction, but not a classic.

[Jen · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really liked this book!

Hart tells the story of 4 women (Hilda, Ray, Sis * Katie Rae); the story follows these women from when they were teens through adulthood.

The story follows them as they get married, have kids of thier own, and then prepare for the weddings of their kids.

It is a quick read, enjoyable read.

[Nikki · Rating 3 out of 5]

I always enjoy books about female friendships. Being set in the South is a bonus. I liked this book, but felt at times it was a little slow moving. I also had a hard time keeping the characters straight. I was getting confused on who was whose children, and whose spouse was whose. There certainly have been other books in this genre that I have liked more. That being said it was still pretty good.

[Tamara · Rating 3 out of 5]

It was a nice read...took me a little longer than normal because I was trying to keep up with the details that she included for every wedding...by the end I wasnt paying as much attention to those. It wasnt one I just thought I had to pass on though, usually I try to pass my books on to my friends but I am not sure they would enjoy it.

[Betsy · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was cute enough. I liked the descriptions of all of the weddings, but didn't feel that the characters were fully developed. But it was a fun read, with a light faith touch, and that's what I was looking for, so I think it serves its purpose.

[Sally Pratt · Rating 4 out of 5]

I kept waiting for some sort of plot. Three-fourths of the way through I finally gave up and decided it just wasn't meant to be. It was about that time that I finally decided I liked the four ladies who formed "the wedding machine."

[Tonya · Rating 3 out of 5]

In general I like Beth Hart, but I had a really hard time following this story. I really wanted to like it, but it was hards to stick with loved the ending, not expected. Glad I stuck with it, but definitely not a favorite.