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Diary of a Mad Bride

3.43 of 5 stars 3.43 · rating details · 2,821 ratings · 200 reviews

Once I was a sane, levelheaded professional woman. Then I said “yes.” Now I am the lunatic bride I always made fun of!

What is it about getting married that turns normal people into total freaks?

A savvy, riotously funny novel, Diary of a Mad Bride is for anyone who has ever been a bride, is about to become a bride, yearned to be a bride, or suffered the sheer indignity of a...more

Paperback, 294 pages

Published January 2nd 2002 by Delta (first published January 1st 2002)

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Feb 25, 2012 rachel marked it as to-read

Shelves: i-can-t-believe-i-m-reading-this, own, abandoned, get-away-from-me-forever

Every once in a while, I get this strong urge to read something that is the absolute opposite of everything I think is worthy and tolerable. It's the same impulse that drives me to want to watch The Glam Fairy once in a while, even though I don't wear makeup, don't own a single skirt or dress, and only comb my hair out of utility rather than style. I have less than zero interest in fashion, glamour, celebrity, or wealth, which is to say that I place far more importance on the quality of the inte...more Every once in a while, I get this strong urge to read something that is the absolute opposite of everything I think is worthy and tolerable. It's the same impulse that drives me to want to watch The Glam Fairy once in a while, even though I don't wear makeup, don't own a single skirt or dress, and only comb my hair out of utility rather than style. I have less than zero interest in fashion, glamour, celebrity, or wealth, which is to say that I place far more importance on the quality of the internal person rather than the external. Of course, I know that not everyone who loves fashion or cares about "personal style" is shallow -- god, no. There is a big difference between smart, creative, feelings-intuitive people who love fashion as an extension of art and, y'know...A2.

There is also a big difference between insightful books about women, geared towards women, and this.

These characters and their concerns are so foreign to me that reading this truly feels like anthropology. Who cares if your wedding dress is white or off white? Who cares that your wedding has to be in your parents backyard so you don't go friggin broke, or that they "only" gave you $5000 to spend on the occasion in the first place? Who cares if you were proposed to in the concession stand line of a movie theater? Do we really need to read your to do list printed over and over ten bazillion times? I mean, I know that the book is really just wedding planning porn with a side of "OMG everyone is not giving me the love and congratulations I want" characterization (lovely), but it is so boring. The main character lives in New York (of course), and her fiance is this generic hot guy (of course), and it's just the most uninteresting thing I have read in recent memory that I couldn't even make it through 290 pages of large font and diary format, at least 30 pages of which are the aforementioned "to do" list reprints.

Why is it this hilarious cultural meme to think that women (and only the women, of course) are expected to become raging masses of consumption and selfishness over their weddings? (less)

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Sep 21, 2007 Indhira Adam rated it 5 of 5 stars Recommends it for: semua cewe terutama yang mau menikah,,

Yippie buku ini bener2 seru..
Have you ever wondered gimana rasanya jadi calon mempelai wanita.. iya how you will prepare your wedding.. what the colour that you will choose for the wedding for your gown, for the decoration.. even bunga jenis apa yang bakalan dipakai..

dan gimana rasanya jadi sahabat baik orang yang mau menikah hahaha.. harus denger segala curhatan dan tetek bengek masalah persiapan pernikahan dll, dsb.. bahkan sampe di telp lebih dari 10 kali per-hari dan harus pasang kuping buat...more

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Jan 11, 2012 Mila rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: chick-lit, fiksi

Wedding day is the most important day of women life. Just admit it girl, we do secretly plan our wedding day since we're still a little girl :) This book describes in very detail how stressful plan a wedding is.

The story begin with non-marrying material woman, Amy, who actually had been proposed by her recent boyfriend, Stephen. She had to plan a wedding for just 9 months by herself (because she hate wedding planner). In this book, we can see Amy's transformation from a normal single woman into...more

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Aug 17, 2011 Tania Brzovic rated it 4 of 5 stars

I should note that I'm not married or engaged and I still thought this book was hilarious. I think the thing that made it work for me is that I have known brides like Amy. I've been a bridesmaid in a couple weddings like this. I know how a woman can, despite the best of intentions, let her wedding plans take over her life. The character of Amy worked for me because even as she got more and more consumed with wedding madness, she did try to keep up with her friendships and her work. She had a bit...more I should note that I'm not married or engaged and I still thought this book was hilarious. I think the thing that made it work for me is that I have known brides like Amy. I've been a bridesmaid in a couple weddings like this. I know how a woman can, despite the best of intentions, let her wedding plans take over her life. The character of Amy worked for me because even as she got more and more consumed with wedding madness, she did try to keep up with her friendships and her work. She had a bit of self-awareness, at least at times, even if it didn't keep her from getting out of control. So many of the scenes in the book were things I've heard of happening, if on a smaller scale. I really liked her two friends Mandy and Anita. They were a good balance. I loved the bits with their two families.

Admittedly, in a book like this, character development is secondary to creating humorous situations. All the characters were essentially riffs on certain stereotypes - but that's part of the fun, and the satire, if you let yourself be open to it. I do wish the groom had been given a bit more depth - it would've made a key event in the novel have greater resonance. I loved the bits with their two families.

If you go into this book expecting a really serious novel, you will be sorely disappointed. It's a comedy; you're supposed to be able to read it quickly, have a good laugh and move on. I could definitely see myself reading this book again - I found I laughed more often, and more heartily, than I did reading Bridget Jones' Diary. I did think the diary format was a good way to go for a novel like this, and I liked that she had bits of actual dialogue set out in script format. It got my attention. I thought the footnotes were a good touch, too. I got bored of the periodic 'to do' list. I do also wish the satire had been a bit more biting and insightful at times. The author clearly has some skill and potential.

Overall, I generally loved this book. It's not a profound work of literature, but it was fun. Definitely a worthy first effort by an author I'd like to read more from in the future. Until then, I'll just have to re-read some of my favorite parts of "Diary" when I need a laugh!!!!

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Jul 16, 2011 Carole rated it 4 of 5 stars

This was definitely chick lit at its fluffiest. Don't get me wrong. I did enjoy reading it, but it isn't a book I'll likely read again. Keep in mind that I've never had a full-fledged wedding, so I don't have first-hand knowledge of the subject. I have, however, seen the show Bridezillas and I've been involved in the weddings of a few close friends, none of whom have been anywhere near that insane, thank goodness!

When Amy goes from making fun of the Mandys of the world, her way of mocking her b...more

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Oct 06, 2009 Drebbles rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2006

Told in diary form by Amy and spread out over the course of a year, "Diary of A Mad Bride" is an occasionally amusing novel about the events leading up to the marriage of Amy Thomas and Stephen Stewart. As the book opens, Amy's friend Mandy is in a dither about getting married and Amy swears that she'll never get married. Of course, she quickly changes her mind when Stephen proposes but she then swears that she won't be as uptight about her wedding as Mandy was. Naturally that too changes, as Am...more Told in diary form by Amy and spread out over the course of a year, "Diary of A Mad Bride" is an occasionally amusing novel about the events leading up to the marriage of Amy Thomas and Stephen Stewart. As the book opens, Amy's friend Mandy is in a dither about getting married and Amy swears that she'll never get married. Of course, she quickly changes her mind when Stephen proposes but she then swears that she won't be as uptight about her wedding as Mandy was. Naturally that too changes, as Amy encounters all kinds of calamities leading up and including her wedding day.

This is a light and at times funny novel. Anyone who's been married, is about to be married, or been a bridesmaid will recognize some of the problems Amy goes through while planning her wedding. Amy's mood swings are particularly funny and there's a lot of reality in her attempts to juggle planning the wedding and working full time. But she too often seems almost disconnected from her own wedding. Although she makes incredibly long lists of things to do for the wedding, she never makes much progress on them. Far too many scenes seem to be written just for the humor - it can't be that difficult to find the perfect wedding gown in all of New York City and I find it hard to believe that Amy would agree to wear her mother's wedding gown sight unseen. And, I realize the book was written this way for the humor, but the wedding felt rushed, especially due to the lack of money Amy and Stephen had. Other scenes that potentially could be mined for humor like trying to figure out place settings, a headache for any bride are left untouched. And what bride would not be involved in picking out the Maid of Honor and Bridesmaid dresses? Or just go to the hairdresser the day of the wedding and let the hairdresser do what they want?

In the end, "Diary of A Mad Bride" seems to have been written in much the same rush as Amy and Stephen's wedding was planned. It's an okay read, but with a little more preparation it could have been great reading.
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Dec 06, 2008 Melissa rated it 4 of 5 stars

Marriages are made in heaven, but weddings are made in hell. What is it about getting married that can turn a sophisticated, level-headed woman into an obsessed wreck? That's what our feisty and so-self-aware heroine Amy wonders as her friends plan to tie the knot. In her opinion, these soon-to-be brides drop 100 points in IQ, lose all fashion sense, and dramatically increase their ability to cry. The whole thing sends shivers down Amy's spine. She vows that it will never happen to her!

But oh, h...more

1 like · like · see review

Feb 11, 2011 Melissa rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: books-i-own, books-i-adored

This book has got to be one of my most favorite humorous books ever. I can't remember when or how I even got this book but this one is truly a keeper. Anytime I need a pick-me-up, I just pick up this book and my day doesn't seem so bad anymore.

What really made me enjoy the book is Amy's narrative. The book is written diary-style, spanning almost a year, from Amy's boyfriend proposing to the day they get married. Her interactions, the dialogue is so funny and witty; it's a real gem.

The character...more

1 like · like · see review

Apr 24, 2009 PurplyCookie rated it 1 of 5 stars

Shelves: chick-lit

Another (very) light summer read, this time about Amy Thomas who's content being single, happily dating Stephen, and wondering what has come over her friend Mandy, who's getting married and spends all her time planning and talking about her wedding.

Then, in the concession line at a movie theater, Stephen asks Amy to marry him (what an awful way to stage one's proposal!), and suddenly she has her own wedding to plan, and it's overwhelming.

Her wedding to-do list grows from a modest 20 items to a...more

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Jan 21, 2008 Kelli rated it 5 of 5 stars

I have never laughed to hard out loud than with this book. I should not be reading this in public, but I was reading it while I traveled and the people in the airport must have thought I was nuts, they just kept staring at me, but I couldn't stop laughing, i was crying it was so funny.

2 likes · like · see review

Sep 14, 2012 Dika Nadya larasari marked it as to-read

What your thinks if you hear "Married"?? Menikah? Kami kan punya karir untuk apa menikah? Itulah pandangan Amy sebelum dia dilamar oleh Stephen saat mengantri untuk membeli snack di bioskop. Amy tidak sanggup menolak.
Dari situ, mulailah semua kegilaan mempersiapkan pernikahan. Buku panduan calon pengantin Beautiful Bride yang terlalu sempurna, anggaran pernikahan yang terlalu sedikit, tempat resepsi dan katering yang terlalu mahal, gaun pengantin yang jelek ala pedesaan, dan yang terpenting......more

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Feb 02, 2010 Alison rated it 5 of 5 stars

I absolutely loved this book! It was just what I needed during the midst of wedding planning. I could relate because I am not a person who has planned her wedding since she was a child but do want to throw a nice, small party that is meaningful. The parts about fixating on small details and trying to deal with all the different personalities in a family were hilarious! That being said, I don't know that I would have enjoyed this book as much if I were not coming to the end of my own wedding plan...more

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Jul 21, 2009 Indah Widianto rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: chicklits

Ada satu cerita yang gua inget bangets *tumben* dari nih buku.

Yaitu pas si cewek dilamar ama pacarnya.

Awalnya dia senaaaanggg..

Tapii.. setelah rasa senangnya berlaluu.. dia jadi bete karena pacarnya ngga melamarnya dengan romantis, wakakakakaak :p

Ada satu lagii..

Jadi ceritanya mereka khan udah tinggal bersama sebelon menikah.

Naahh.. awalnya itu ceweknya sih ngga mempermasalahkan apa2 ketika mereka tinggal serumah tapii ketika mulai membayangkan akan hidup sebagai suami istri, tiba2 dia ngerasa t...more

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Jun 03, 2011 Rebecca added it

Shelves: chicklit

this book made me never want to have a wedding. i mean, i never really did, but this just cemented it. my new plan is to just get married the same weekend i get proposed too. and i already know what i want to wear, my favourite outfit: black turtleneck, whatever my favourite pair of jeans is at the moment and my boots. maybe i'll get my hair did and a manicure cause i really like doing that. oh, and i'll call my sister and she has to come, but that's it. stressing about parties and guests and wh...more

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May 20, 2011 Gina rated it 2 of 5 stars

This is my first chick lit book, and I don't anticipate reading a lot more. It is certainly a fast easy read, but it's annoying. I do tend to be annoyed by modern East Coast authors, as they tend to be more neurotic and image-conscious than I relate to, so maybe it is just my prejudice.

My sisters wanted me to read this because they related to it, and are sure they would be the same way planning a wedding. I am sure I would have a meltdown at some point, and I totally get why they liked it, but n...more

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Jul 25, 2011 Katie rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: library-loans

I was in the mood for a funny chick wedding read when I came across this book. The title runs very true, "Diary of a Mad Bride," as It is pretty much a diary or a mad bride. It is written in diary format and it starts off with a normal woman who doesn't think marriage is for her, then all of a sudden she is engaged and planning this big wedding. This book made me laugh, as the writing is sarcastic and the main character is very blunt as she writes about all the sudden crazy problems with plannin...more

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Feb 14, 2011 Kiran rated it 2 of 5 stars

This book was given to me by a dear friend when I was in the midst of planning my wedding years ago. I'm finally getting around to reading it and if GR would let me I would give Diary of a Mad Bride another half-star for effort. No surprises really, an easy light read with over-the-top characters with over-the-top dysfunctional relationships, families and problems that magically resolve themselves by the end of book. Remembering how time-consuming and overwhelming wedding planning was this novel...more

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Dec 26, 2008 Kittiya rated it 1 of 5 stars Recommends it for: ummm, not sure....

Recommended to Kittiya by: my sis

It wasn't a horrible book, I just personally had to push my way through to finish this. One of my sisters suggested this as a wonderful read before you get married. Ummmm... I wouldn't give that same review. It seems to make weddings seem so crazy & not worth all the work and money that goes into them. My wedding being very small & inexpensive, this book just wasn't for me. I don't think I was a bridezillia.(friends said I wasn't anyway! LOL) If anything my ankle just hurt because I was...more

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Oct 03, 2012 Stacey rated it 3 of 5 stars

I chose to read this book because I am engaged and currently planning my wedding for next summer. I thought it would be fun and interesting to read a book about brides and weddings. And this book fit the bill. I could relate to some things already - freaking out about small things. And at the same time, I don't seem myself as a total bridezilla going crazy over other things. It's funny how brides-to-be can stress over flowers, colors, and lists. It was a funny book and I like the way it was writ...more

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Jul 19, 2010 Blingey123 rated it 4 of 5 stars Recommends it for: Adults and Teens

Recommended to Blingey123 by: My Sister's Bookshelf

This book was hilarious, although there were parts I could have lived without and language that wasn't neccassary...but that's life!

Miss Amy Thomas is not the marrying type...until her boyfriend proposes to her...

And then her life turns upside down, what-with an attention-jealous grandmother, hostile family members, and the fact that she JUST CAN'T FIND wedding shoes, this book will have you laughing and shaking your head at the ridiculousness of it all.

But it's a tad inappropriate...so maybe yo...more

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Jul 26, 2012 Debbie rated it 2 of 5 stars

I had high hopes for this book, but came away feeling a bit disappointed. It was occasionally witty and kind of cute, but both the beginning and the end fell flat for me.

Ms. Wolf's writing style was hard to get used to, and I found the first 50 or so pages to be silly and not very interesting. I nearly gave up on it, but forced myself to go further and it did become more fun and interesting. Her use of footnotes annoyed me from the start - Even though some were humorous, most were not. I thought...more

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Apr 25, 2012 Iris rated it 5 of 5 stars

I first read this book in 2001, I'd been engaged for a little over a year at the time, so I instantly connected with the heroine and the time period. A the time I was planning a my wedding and alternately anxious for the big day and wanting to say "screw it, let's just head to Vegas and get married by Elvis!" That being said this book hit the spot. Reading it I felt as if the author were telling my story. Except in my story you'd have to add the drunken sorority sister who was so glad I didn't s...more

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Jun 19, 2008 Candy Boisvert rated it 1 of 5 stars Recommends it for: No one

Recommended to Candy by: No one

Title: Diary of a mad bride
Author: Laura Wolf
Copyright date: 2001
Publisher: Delta
How many pages: 294 pgs
How long it took me to read: 10 days
Category: Fiction
I learned about this book from: reading the second one first

This book was purchased at: G books
This book is: too aggravating to read
Other books by these authors: Diary of a mad mom to be
Favorite characters: Anita
When and Where the story takes place: New York
Plot in a nutshell: Amy is about to married and between wedding plans and work, she'l...more

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Jan 23, 2008 Robert Beveridge rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: finished, owned-and-still-own

Laura Wolf, Diary of a Mad Bride (Delta, 2001)

How much can I possibly say about this book that doesn't boil down to "my god, you women are REALLY like this?" It's the fictional diary of a thirtysomething woman who is absolutely against the idea of marriage...until she is proposed to. After that, she sinks into exactly the emotional mess for which she criticized friends earlier. Murphy's Law reigns throughout. Hilarity ensues.

The main good thing about the book: it's a fast, easy read. Excellent b...more

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May 14, 2011 Christy rated it 3 of 5 stars

I certainly got a kick out of this book while in my early 20s when my friends first starting getting engaged and planning their weddings. However, now that I've been married a few years and several of my friends/family members are married, I can no longer relate to the insane situations that the main character puts herself into - too many bigger things in life to be worried about than a bride obsessed with a children's tiara that she's trying to buy for her wedding, or who shamelessly uses her a...more

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Apr 21, 2011 Mattie rated it 4 of 5 stars

"The funny thing is that although we place so much energy and importance on our wedding day, it isn't the biggest day of our life. The biggest day of your life is every day thereafter. Because it's not the pledge to love someone that matters, but the act of fulfilling that pledge that is most important. In other words, it's only just begun."

I really liked this book. I probably would have liked it much more if I hadn't read Diary of a Mad Mom-to-Be first--this took away some of the surprise at pa...more

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Jan 03, 2009 Shauna rated it 4 of 5 stars Recommends it for: newly engaged women

This was a laugh out loud book for me. I picked it up while I was in Colorado at a used book store. It is written in diary format of a recently engaged woman trying to plan her wedding on a fixed budget.... sounds oddly familiar. Her new fiance pretty much leaves all the planning to her and it just about drives her nutso.

I read this book in less than a day. It was such an easy and fun read and I felt like it is going to be me here coming up! I loved it!

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Jun 12, 2009 Michel rated it 3 of 5 stars

Great chick lit for a married girl. Quick read, laughed out a few times, smiled through most of the rest. Not sure I would have enjoyed it if I was a single girl other than the opening several pages, which might have been my favorite. So much truth!! So much needless drama with weddings, yet as a bride it's so hard not to freak out over the little details.
Cute read, I definitely recommend for some light beach reading.

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May 19, 2012 Kristin (Kritters Ramblings) rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: kritter-reviewed-2012

What a perfect read for a bride to be and any of her friends who may experience the crazy! Formatted in a diary fashion the book chronicles the months and plans leading up to a wedding. I love that our main character from the beginning put out the front that she was trying to avoid any bridezilla moments, but they can sneak up on you when you least expect them.

With a groom that is very busy at work and a rough times with both families, I loved reading this story in the middle of my planning. The...more

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Nov 11, 2012 Kalisha rated it 4 of 5 stars

This book is hysterical and soooo relatable to my cousin and her friend when they were getting married. Funny is I sent it to my cousin because she was interested in what I was reading. she called me after and asked if I was hinting at something. Not really, just a really funny book. Totally awesome and the follow-up even better on the neurosis scale.
Prequel to Kinsella.

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“The funny thing is that although we place so much energy and importance on our wedding day, it isn't the biggest day of our life. The biggest day of your life is every day thereafter. Because it's not the pledge to love someone that matters, but the act of fulfilling that pledge that is most important. In other words, it's only just begun.” — 23 people liked it

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