By: Revanche

[Giveaway] Vows with Sanity and Style: A Practical Wedding

January 13, 2012

A little over a year ago, I got engaged and promptly shut down the news cycle on my side of the family beyond my parents lest the wedding juggernaut roll over my intended and me and leave just two imprints in the cement.  The tradition, it is that strong.

With plenty of angst and worry over defying my cultural tradition, depriving my parents of the last rites of parenthood, I fled to Meg’s domain (literally), A Practical Wedding, to discover that other brides, to be, had been, years past, had shared the same need for a simpler? quieter? less “but everyone says” wedding.  There I found that so many similar issues were being discussed and debated in a warm and welcoming forum that the wedding thing seemed just a little less daunting. Bridal parties, stage fright, budgets, families, oh families.

Not less so that I didn’t end up running off to fauxlope. I’m still me, after all. And to date, that’s been the toughest decision to live with. I remember being so happy but the memory of the day is layered with so much sadness now that it’s defined as the last time I ever saw my mom. That’s always going to be part of that day. And whether she was fully there for that day, well, that’s another thing.

Reading A Practical Wedding the website as a survival guide up until I actually got married, and now reading the book as a survival guide until we celebrate the marriage has been nothing short of a lifeline.

I was sure it would be, so I bought five copies.  Selfishly, I’m keeping one for myself.  The other four? I can bring myself to share some of them with you good people.

Enter using the Rafflecopter submission form below for each type of entry. Javascript is required to see it, I’m sure, but it’s dead useful for organization.

Note: Please don’t use the Facebook login – I don’t use Facebook and won’t be able to contact you via FB if you do, but didn’t have any way of removing that option.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Terms and Conditions
~ This promotion is self sponsored.
~ I will ship up to 2 books to international winners, if drawn.
~ Winner(s) will be contacted by email 48 hours after the giveaway ends January 31st midnight (EST) and must respond with mailing information within 5 calendar days or a new winner will be drawn.

16 Responses to “[Giveaway] Vows with Sanity and Style: A Practical Wedding”

  1. Shelley says:

    My Mom went into hospital two days before my 34th birthday. She died the day after my BD. For years – maybe a decade – I associated my birthday with her death. I expected I always would, but I don’t now. In fact, I tend to miss her more at Christmas than around my BD, strangely. Your case may be different, but I think it is reasonable to hope that one day your memories of your wedding will be more about your wedding than about your mom. But it’s wonderful that you’ve found a book – a lifeline – to help you in the meantime. However, I’ll leave it to someone else – I don’t want another wedding!!!

  2. I don’t need the book either–but thank heavens, someone has written it. So hard to go against the commercial forces that have taken over every occasion.

  3. While I’m just beginning to think about our future wedding, I know I will struggle with the same issues you talk about. This book would be a great guide in reducing some of that stress!

  4. One of us might be interested in such a book…

  5. I think this book (and the blog) seem useful. Right now, we’re still bf/gf, but we’ve talked a bit about marriage. He said he wouldn’t be opposed to it, but doesn’t like all the fancy expensive stuff. Which I don’t either. But I do want it to be Catholic, which is freaking him out…other than that one point, I’m fine with a tiny wedding (like your faux-lopement). I just need my family there.

  6. This is an amazingly kind giveaway for you to complete with this information. I’ve been reading your blog for a while and have been paying close attention to your blogs about your wedding. I haven’t set the date for mine yet, but we got engaged in August 2011 and have one coming up. I’m looking to have a fun wedding on a small budget and the book you are giving away will go a long way to show me what details I can complete on my own, and bring innovative ideas to our little celebration.

  7. Jenn W. says:

    My boy and I talk occasionally about getting married and one of the big things stopping us is figuring out how to make it “our” wedding instead of everyone else’s. I read A Practical Wedding occasionally for ideas and would love to read the book too.

  8. Serendipity says:

    I would love a copy of this book! I’m getting ready to be planning my wedding ( this year is has been dedicated to travel on my part but now I’m seeing how it’s also going to be house) and next year will be wedding and some more travel. I’m hoping I don’t lose my mind.

  9. wedding planning is already stressing me out. i need this book!

  10. Geekymath says:

    Wow. I can’t believe that I actually entered a giveaway for WEDDING STUFF!! What is wrong with me? I’m changing.

  11. I LOVE A Practical Wedding. LOVE IT. It’s the only “wedding” blog I still read because it’s so much more than that. I would devour this book and then pass it on to a friend.

  12. kevntazz says:

    im hvg a hard time explaining about my upcoming wedding to coworkers, which will be what my fiance and i are like – simple, no fuss people. Bits of the customs are gonna be omitted, and we are having a relaxed, different sort of wedding than what is usually done here. Some are disappointed and said i am already forgetting who i am even before moving overseas but that is not the case. I know I shouldnt lose sight of what is important, which is to celebrate the love we have for each other and with those whom we love and love us.

    I hope the book will help guide us in choosing what works best for us instead of for others. having conflicts doesn’t help, especially since I have yet to finalise the final details of the wedding and all these angst are making me antsy!

    Tazz

  13. Bonnie says:

    I just got engaged in December and am paralyzed by fear about planning anything. I’m leaning toward a ‘fauxlopement’ of some sort myself. 🙂 I too have guilt about leaving some family/friends out no matter what I do. I would love and very much appreciate the guidance that A Practical Wedding would provide!

  14. Cait says:

    My BFF could really use this book. And I’m sure she’d give it back to me, whenever I get engaged. Or, you know, get a boyfriend. 😉

  15. Kristy McB says:

    I have been fairly overwhelmed with so many of the same issues and decisions in planning my own wedding for this summer. Balancing a simple affair with the pressures of what is culturally expected or familially expected has left me in tears many nights and I have only begin the planning. Add to the frustration the immense financial burden on my fiance and I, and the guilt I know my parents feel when we look at bargain solutions for the nuptials, as my dad was forced into an early retirement for health reasons. There is a certain peace in reading your story and knowing there are those who have been through it and survived.

  16. […] right now is A Practical Wedding, written by Meg Keene, the woman behind apractialwedding.com.  I first heard about the book/website from Revanche (A Gai Shan Life)  awhile back.  And so right after I got engaged, I bought myself a copy of the book.  And apparently the book […]

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