My daughter Elizabeth and I knew planning her wedding would be a time filled with laughter,
tears, joy and love . . . but we never dreamed it would be a book. I mean, who wants to read about
that?
As it turns out, a huge segment of the blogosphere, as Elizabeth discovered when she started writing about all the funny things that happened to her on the way to the altar. (Her adorable blog can be found at www.iamthebeholder.com.) As she published posts about getting engaged, getting in shape, hair trials, cupcake tastings, color schemes, secret vows and the quest for the dress, she garnered an eager following of prospective brides, dreamers and romantics from all over the world. She also made a fan out of me, her mom.
Don't get me wrong, I've been the kid's #1 fan ever since she was an invisible cluster of cells causing me to upchuck my breakfast. But reading her blog made me a fan of Elizabeth Wiggs, the writer. Sometimes I would comment on her blog posts, and it would turn into a very public back-and-forth mom/daughter dialogue.
Ultimately, the insanity begged to be organized into book form. The result is going to be published in 2011 by--who else?--my beloved longtime publisher, Mira Books. HOW I PLANNED YOUR WEDDING: The All-True Story of a Mother and Daughter Surviving the Best Day of Their Lives is part guidebook, part memoir, and wholly entertaining. It's the (sometimes painfully) true story of a mother and daughter collaborating on life's ultimate celebration--a dream wedding. Our story is honest and real, with lots of nod-along moments. Readers will laugh and cry through this wild ride, filled with funny anecdotes, touching memories, practical tips and moments of friggin' emotional truth. In alternating and distinctive voices, Elizabeth and I have created something fresh, saucy, tender, hilarious, and wholly original.
EXCERPT: "As Mother of the Bride (let's shorten it to the oddly appropriate "MOB"), you get to be like the bride's best friend, except with bigger hips and more money. You get to go dress shopping, knowing it's not you who will have to fit into that teensy boned bodice. You will simply kick back, sip your latte and page through style magazines while your daughter agonizes over every little decision. The baton has been passed. And that's not a bad thing." ~Susan Wiggs, co-author of How I Planned Your Wedding
"...Thus began my 16-month wedding planning journey, an experience that would be defined by my constant attempt to balance my own desires with those of my future husband...and my romance-writing mother. Looking back, the experience was pretty friggin' awesome in general, but I'm not going to sugarcoat the fact that there were a few moments of eating-icing-straight-from-the-can stress and Lizzie-Borden-took-an-axe rage." ~Elizabeth Wiggs Maas, co-author of How I Planned Your Wedding
For an exclusive peek into the actual wedding, you can check out this short version of the wedding video:
We are dying to hear from readers! Tell us your wedding dreams, nightmares and funny stories.