It's been 3 years since I blogged. I'll catch you up.

​The Husband and I have celebrated 3 wedding anniversaries and bought a house (it turns 100 next year, and I'm seriously contemplating throwing it a birthday party to commemorate).

​We also had a baby (and though I'm dubious that I'll ever enjoy another full night of sleep, raising him is the most winding, memorable, and special chapter I've ever written).

​We both also have changed careers (I'm now a content marketer and a freelance journalist, plus
a speaker on brand storytelling), and I actually did what young Michelle dreamed someday of doing: I've published a book! I remember, the night when I wrote the final sentence of "Stuff Every Bride Should Know," turning to Steven and asking, "So. How does it feel to be married to a published author?" I can still picture his proud, yet teasing, eye roll.

This is the book (see top left) I wish I'd had when I planned our wedding. (While this recommendation is obviously my own, this post contains an affiliate link, which means I receive a small commission if you buy this book using the above link.) It shares the questions any bride should ask of vendors. It's chock full of tried-and-true ways to save on costs, it addresses how the betrothed can handle delicate situations such as divorced and unfriendly parental units, and it touches on every detail I worked so hard to report and cover in this here blog, from writing vows to selecting a gown to choosing a wedding registry.

When I was interviewed about the book, I told them: The crown jewel of the book to me is its checklist. I dare say it's the most comprehensive one I've encountered, and I organized it not by specific timeframes, for example, eight months out or two weeks away, but by general timeframes such as "Early Choices," "About Halfway There," and "Last Weeks." I don't know if the brides who buy this book are getting married in two years or two months, I told my editor, so I felt this better served those in the throes of wedding planning.

​Happy reading, brides and grooms! If (when?!) you buy the book, I want to know what you think.



Leave a Reply.