Weddings

The Best of Martha Stewart Living

by Martha Stewart

Nothing is more thrilling and romantic than a beautiful wedding. Here, in a simply spectacular book, Martha Stewart takes us behind the scenes of some of the most lovely weddings ever. Over 40 weddings and receptions, from small, intimate celebrations for 18 to lavish parties for 400, are documented in more than 700 full-color photographs. The settings are as varied as an idyllic country farm in New Jersey, a gracious mansion on eastern Long Island, an elegant townhouse in New York City, a private island in New Hampshire, a ranch in Texas, and the oldest and most beautiful cathedral in Montreal. We see the choices the brides, grooms, and their families made and how they planned every detail of their special day.

All the essential elements of a wedding are discussed in depth in chapters filled with information and Style, Organization, Invitations, Wedding Dresses, Bridal Bouquets, Ceremony, Music, Decoration, and, of course, Wedding Menus and Cakes. More than 120 recipes are included for varied wedding receptions, from cocktails and hors d'oeuvres to buffets, sit-down lunches and dinners, and even barbecues. Twelve different recipes for traditional as well as nontraditional wedding cakes (including carrot, lemon, and even a cheesecake) are included along with step-by-step instructions for assembling and decorating them.

Weddings are back in style, and anyone who is getting married or is involved in some way with a wedding will want to read and use this wonderfully inspiring book.

Genres: Cookbooks, Nonfiction, Cooking, Reference

370 pages, Hardcover

First published July 11, 1987

About the author

Martha Helen Stewart is an American retail businesswoman, writer, and television personality. As the founder of Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia, focusing on home and hospitality, she gained success through a variety of business ventures, encompassing publishing, broadcasting, merchandising and e-commerce. She has written numerous bestselling books, was the publisher of Martha Stewart Living magazine and hosted two syndicated television programs: Martha Stewart Living, which ran from 1993 to 2004, and The Martha Stewart Show, which ran from 2005 to 2012.
In 2004, Stewart was convicted of felony charges related to the ImClone stock trading case; she served five months in federal prison for fraud and was released in March 2005. There was speculation that the incident would effectively end her media empire, but in 2005 Stewart began a comeback campaign and her company returned to profitability in 2006. Stewart rejoined the board of directors of Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia in 2011 and became chairwoman of her namesake company again in 2012. The company was acquired by Sequential Brands in 2015. Sequential Brands Group agreed in April 2019 to sell Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia, including the Emeril brand, to Marquee Brands for $175 million with benchmarked additional payments.

Reviews

[Liz · Rating 3 out of 5]

Everyone who planned a wedding in the late 80’s had this book as a roadmap… Reading it now, 35 years later, I am surprised by the poor photography, the name dropping, the piles of fabric, the overkill. I don’t know about the recipes… I’ll have to try some.

[Suzanne · Rating 3 out of 5]

As always Martha was ahead of her time. This came out before the internet and all the resources we have now in wedding planning. This was a borrowed book and I used it as a reference. It is dated but there are good ideas in it. There are better books available now.

[A.M. Geever · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book when I was planning my wedding. So much of it is timeless and it's just pretty to look at.

[Helen Pugsley · Rating 3 out of 5]

Too expensive. Learned the best weddings are when the bride and groom actually like eachother, and everyone there loves them.

[Karyn · Rating 4 out of 5]

The original version of this book (you can tell because the dedication is to her former husband Andy...other editions of the book have that removed) has my favorite recipe for frittata. And as much as American Culture has blown up the American wedding, it is nice to see that there are ways to have a simple, home wedding that is still nice and elegant.

[Groovy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Gathered great info for both my sister's wedding and mine - My mom purchased this book in order to orchestrate 2 weddings with in 9 months of each other. Have used this book over and over again ....not just for wedding planning.

[Athena · Rating 1 out of 5]

Ms. Martha has come a long way since this book was published. Not enough pictures for my taste, and most of the info is dated. So, unless you want an 80's themed wedding, stay away from this one.