Ariel Meadow Stallings

This is basically the story of Ariel Meadow Stallings' unconventional wedding (she's the creator of the Offbeat Bride website). There's a little bit of advice thrown in on how to handle family members who don't "get" your unconventional choices, or on how to involve friends and family in your wedding in ways that make it both more unique and less expensive. On the whole, though, this isn't really a how-to or a book filled with ideas you can copy for your wedding -- it's really just her story, and she tells it well. I laughed, I learned a few things (like that sawdust is good for covering waste when you're outdoors -- say, because your reception is in the middle of a forest -- because it absorbs all the smell), and all in all enjoyed reading about another bride's struggle with planning an incredibly important event in a way that was meaningful to her and her fiance. I might even say I was moderately inspired. :)… (més)