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Wedding Etiquette Hell: The Bride's Bible to Avoiding Everlasting Damnation
Covering such wedding staples as attendants, invitations, registries, showers, the ceremony, the reception, and thank yous, Etiquette guru Jeanne Hamilton will give numerous examples of bad etiquette that should be avoided at all costs, such
-No bride owns the calendar. Insisting that everyone within your acquaintance had not dare schedule their wedding anywhere within a six month time period labels you as a classic Bridezilla.
-Sponsored wedding, at which vendors who donate their services are offered the opportunity to put their logos on various wedding related paper products.
-It is never wise to make bridesmaid offers while in the grip of fluttery, just-engaged emotions. You may have to rescind those offers later when you realize you were just a bit too hasty. Once having made the offer, it is extraordinarily ungracious to rescind it, unless you want a seething friend or sister using your engagement photo as a dartboard.
-Enclosing a blank deposit form for a bank account bearing the names of the bride and the groom with the invitation.
And much more! This is a hilarious exploration of how weddings can literally drive people mad.
-No bride owns the calendar. Insisting that everyone within your acquaintance had not dare schedule their wedding anywhere within a six month time period labels you as a classic Bridezilla.
-Sponsored wedding, at which vendors who donate their services are offered the opportunity to put their logos on various wedding related paper products.
-It is never wise to make bridesmaid offers while in the grip of fluttery, just-engaged emotions. You may have to rescind those offers later when you realize you were just a bit too hasty. Once having made the offer, it is extraordinarily ungracious to rescind it, unless you want a seething friend or sister using your engagement photo as a dartboard.
-Enclosing a blank deposit form for a bank account bearing the names of the bride and the groom with the invitation.
And much more! This is a hilarious exploration of how weddings can literally drive people mad.
240 pages, Paperback
First published June 1, 2005
2 people are currently reading
19 people want to read
About the author
Jeanne Hamilton
4 books10 followersJeanine has a B.A. in Psychology from Towson University, and has served as a policy analyst and lobbyist on Capitol Hill.
She had numerous life experiences including being a soccer mom, serving in local civic organizations, as well as a professional wedding planner.
Jeanne currently lives in North Carolina with her husband and their 3 children.
She had numerous life experiences including being a soccer mom, serving in local civic organizations, as well as a professional wedding planner.
Jeanne currently lives in North Carolina with her husband and their 3 children.
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Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews
February 10, 2015
I wouldn't say this is a great etiquette book; however, I'd recommend reading it. I am already worried about planning my wedding, but after I read this, I realized anything I do will be infinitely better than the crazy ass shit other people have done! Lol. Seriously, who acts like the people in these true stories?!? I hope I never meet anyone like these people.
February 19, 2012
Book was okay. A lot of the tips to me seemed to be common knowledge. Pretty much, don't be a "b" and you'll be good.
I did like the stories though.
I did like the stories though.
July 28, 2015
The tl;dr: don't be a tacky, horrible person, and everything should be fine. Worth reading for the sheer audacity, pettiness, and lack of decency described in these letters, though. Just... wow.
July 25, 2021
I’ve been extremely stressed out about wedding planning, but I realize after reading this book that regardless of what happens, I’m not as bat-sh&! crazy as some of the people in these stories. I guess it always could be worse! Not much of an etiquette book, though.
April 30, 2008
This had some amusing stories, like the guy who told all his coworkers that he was only getting married for the money and the amount he planned to get, only to find that it turned off lots of people. It also made me feel bad about my upcoming wedding because the author went on and on about how people who had potlucks for their wedding were tacky. Then she said that "self-catering" was great, which I think is a little confusing. Our wedding will be catered by friends who are bringing food for a potluck so I don't know if that qualifies for "self-catering" or tacky potluck.
Also, she calls religious wedding ceremonies in which the couple is already married "sham weddings". She obviously doens't know Unitarian Universalists. All the UU ministers I know refuse to sign wedding licenses because of wedding inequality. They do perform ceremonies, however. I'm getting legally married the week before my wedding, which will be performed by a Unitarian Universalist.
When I told my fiance the author's views on these things, he said she sounded like a "judgmental bitch." Sexist I know. Judgmental asshole is more like it.
Also, she calls religious wedding ceremonies in which the couple is already married "sham weddings". She obviously doens't know Unitarian Universalists. All the UU ministers I know refuse to sign wedding licenses because of wedding inequality. They do perform ceremonies, however. I'm getting legally married the week before my wedding, which will be performed by a Unitarian Universalist.
When I told my fiance the author's views on these things, he said she sounded like a "judgmental bitch." Sexist I know. Judgmental asshole is more like it.
October 26, 2007
This book was the most entertaining etiquette book I read while planning my wedding, while still being useful. It is essentially written as a series of stories about unreasonable choices people made while planning weddings.
I laughed out loud repeatedly while reading this. It gave me several good ideas about what not to do, and for the most part offered excellent reasons as to why seemingly innocent requests may not go over well with others. Obviously, a large component of wedding planning is cultural, and not every idea the author pans would be unacceptable for every audience. However, a lot of the ideas she touched on made a lot of sense, and I appreciated the candor.
Mostly, it provided a good way to relax and relieve some tension during a very busy and potentially stressful period of my life. It is the only book I encountered during my engagement that I would seriously consider giving to a friend planning a wedding.
I laughed out loud repeatedly while reading this. It gave me several good ideas about what not to do, and for the most part offered excellent reasons as to why seemingly innocent requests may not go over well with others. Obviously, a large component of wedding planning is cultural, and not every idea the author pans would be unacceptable for every audience. However, a lot of the ideas she touched on made a lot of sense, and I appreciated the candor.
Mostly, it provided a good way to relax and relieve some tension during a very busy and potentially stressful period of my life. It is the only book I encountered during my engagement that I would seriously consider giving to a friend planning a wedding.
January 19, 2009
I love ettiquettehell.com, so I knew I would enjoy this book. It is a collection of terrible behavior and decisions told in complaint letters to the author--always entertaining.
The author drives home a point I haven't come across much in other wedding books: think about how your decisions are going to affect your relationships with your family and friends. Is the price of a steak dinner worth more than your friend? Are you so anal about everything being perfect that you'll ruin a friendship? Most important, the author would like you to ask yourself if you're acting like a tacky, greedy hog.
The author drives home a point I haven't come across much in other wedding books: think about how your decisions are going to affect your relationships with your family and friends. Is the price of a steak dinner worth more than your friend? Are you so anal about everything being perfect that you'll ruin a friendship? Most important, the author would like you to ask yourself if you're acting like a tacky, greedy hog.
January 4, 2011
The humor is several places made me laugh out loud and read the passage to family members. However, I did notice that the wedding coordinator/author seems to condemn anything that is going to save a bride money as "tacky". If a girl went by this book word for word, she'd be broke as a joke. It is a good starting guide, though.
February 16, 2009
This is a very informative, sometimes cheeky, guide to wedding etiquette. A few things really hit home, though much of the advice was pretty self-evident. A quick little read, worth a look for budding brides. Definitely more fun than Emily Post.
March 28, 2008
Fun to read! Although the stories are exaggerated, you hope you aren't among them, too.
July 27, 2014
A fun entertaining book when planning a wedding.
June 20, 2007
Ugh...weddings This was helpful and funny. I would reccommend getting it from the library.
Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews