The text was simple that portentous Tuesday morning: “Please pray for us, we’ve been hit by a truck.” It came from my daughter Kristi as I was entering the Wal-Mart there in Canon City, Colorado, where I was waiting for Rachel to arrive. We had planned to help Asher and Teresa and her family prepare for their wedding in just four days. But, out of nowhere, a hulking Dodge Ram pickup came crashing through the driver’s door, right into the delicate body of my wife. It was 10:40, the morning of November 6, 2012. Nothing could have prepared me for what lay ahead. Rachel and I had seldom talked about what it would be like to lose each other. We had filed an official will with the Griffith Law Office in International Falls, Minnesota, many years before. We had both outlined basic funeral plans as well, and she had updated hers just the year before in 2011. But to actually try to imagine what such a scenario would be like... it just wasn’t something we wanted to do.

Small-town girl Katie Fisher is planning her wedding. Sure, her boyfriend hasn't managed to pop the question just yet, but that doesn't mean she shouldn't enter a contest in Texas Bride magazine to win the dress of her dreams, right? But when her boyfriend breaks up with her and takes a job in another town--the very same day Katie wins her dream dress--her world is turned upside down. Should she claim her prize? And will the hunky former pro-basketball player who runs the swanky Dallas bridal shop--yeah, you read that right--catch on to her humiliation if she does? Janice Thompson designs a romance sure to delight, with plenty of fish-out-of-water moments, a hilarious supporting cast, and more of the wedding biz world her readers adore.

Everything you need to make the wedding of your dreams come true, no matter what your vision, taste, or budget. Written by Mindy Weiss, the “megastar wedding planner” (People), The Wedding Book is the most comprehensive wedding guide published, and is now revised and updated for a new generation of brides- and grooms-to-be. . The Wedding Book is your fashion consultant, etiquette expert, menu planner, floral designer, and shoulder to lean on with advice if sticky family issues turn up. It’s an insider source for contract negotiation and budget-stretching tips. It explains how to get the most out of Etsy, Pinterest, Instagram, and other social apps and websites—including how to use Uber for guest transportation. Whatever the subject—cakes, stationery, video (including drones!), lingerie, tents, insurance, port-a-potties, party favors, the toasts, looking great in photos, tipping, thank-you notes—The Wedding Book has the answer.

A New York Times Bestseller From #1 New York Times bestselling author Julia Quinn comes the story of Gregory Bridgerton, in the final installment of her beloved Regency-set novels featuring the charming, powerful Bridgerton family, now a series created by Shondaland for Netflix. GREGORY’S STORY Unlike most men of his acquaintance, Gregory Bridgerton believes in true love. And he is convinced that when he finds the woman of his dreams, he will know in an instant that she is the one. And that is exactly what happened. Except ... She wasn’t the one. In fact, the ravishing Miss Hermione Watson is in love with another. But her best friend, the ever-practical Lady Lucinda Abernathy, wants to save Hermione from a disastrous alliance, so she offers to help Gregory win her over. But in the process, Lucy falls in love. With Gregory! Except ... Lucy is engaged. And her uncle is not inclined to let her back out of the betrothal, even once Gregory comes to his senses and realizes that it is Lucy, with her sharp wit and sunny smile, who makes his heart sing. And now, on the way to the wedding, Gregory must risk everything to ensure that when it comes time to kiss the bride, he is the only man standing at the altar …

Runner-up for 2015 Russian Booker Prize. From one of the most exciting voices in modern Russian literature, Alisa Ganieva, comes Bride and Groom, the tumultuous love story of two young city-dwellers who meet when they return home to their families in rural Dagestan. When traditional family expectations and increasing religious and cultural tension threaten to shatter their bond, Marat and Patya struggle to overcome obstacles determined to keep them apart, while fate seems destined to keep them together—until the very end. Alisa Ganieva (b. 1985) grew up in Makhachkala, Dagestan. Her literary debut, the novella Salam, Dalgat!, published under a male pseudonym, won the prestigious Debut Prize in 2009. Her debut novel, The Mountain and the Wall (Deep Vellum, 2015) was shortlisted for all of Russia's major literary awards and has been translated into seven languages. Bride and Groom is her second novel, and was shortlisted for the 2015 Russian Booker Prize upon its publication in Russia. Ganieva currently lives in Moscow, where she works as a journalist and literary critic. Dr. Carol Apollonio is Professor of the Practice of Russian at Duke University. Her most recent literary translations include Alisa Ganieva's debut novel, The Mountain and the Wall (Deep Vellum, 2015). She was awarded the Russian Ministry of Culture's Chekhov Medal in 2010, and she currently serves as President of the North American Dostoevsky Society.

Unenthused by a white wedding gown and bored by the hoopla of the Hollywood-style reception, Ariel Meadow Stallings found herself absolutely exhausted with the nuances of traditional nuptials . . . so she chose to take a walk off the beaten aisle. In this updated edition of Offbeat Bride, Stallings humorously recounts the story of the original offbeat wedding-hers-and shares anecdotes and advice from dozens of other nontraditional couples. She also includes a chapter on budget weddings in today's weak economy, along with sidebars, tips, tricks, and planner encouragement to help you figure out your special day. What results is a combination of hilarious wedding stories and tons of helpful how-tos-a perfect mash-up of memoir and handbook. At once practical and enjoyable, Offbeat Bride validates choosing the funky, different, and offbeat over the traditional, and leads couples through the planning process-from unique ideas on how to announce their engagement all the way to answering the question, "So, how's married life?" Stallings is the ultimate guide to the alternative wedding of your dreams, and with Offbeat Bride, she brings you a book that serves both as an encouragement and celebration of aisles less traveled.

From timing the engagement to enjoying the honeymoon, this is the groom's ticket to a hassle-free wedding.