Down the Aisle: Beautiful Weddings on a Budget; How to Produce a Dream Wedding

How to Produce a Dream Wedding celebrates conspicuous spending and makes no apologies for it; after all, it IS your wedding day, the one day (hopefully) in your life that you are either a princess or prince. Hostess Darian Mathias leads us on a Robin Leach-worthy tour of gorgeous locations (available for rental, of course) and exclusive shops and services that will make your wedding day the bomb and make the poor father of the bride weep. We learn from experts about hair and makeup do's and don'ts, and check out expensive hand-made, imported wedding gowns, along with accessories such as shoes, tiaras, hats, and veils. The program also underscores the absolute necessity of a wedding coordinator, and outlines what you should expect from your caterer, photographer, and florist (you WILL want fresh imported flowers that morning.) Everything looks just beautiful and, of course, discussion of the tacky subject of price is kept to a minimum. While there's good information to be found here, most of it is California-centric, so this is primarily recommended for 90210 libraries. Aud: P.If you're closer to Hooterville than Beverly Hills, then Down the Aisle: Beautiful Weddings on a Budget takes a more realistic view of planning the big event than How To Produce a Wedding Dream. Our folksy, Arkansas-based hostess Stephanie Dixon takes us shopping for a gown, but also offers alternatives--why not rent or use a hand-me-down instead? In fact, rent everything! Where Wedding Dream avoided talking money, this one is very specific: you shouldn't pay more than 15 cents per fork or $2 for a mint tray. Scour garage sales for anything else. When booking the wedding reception, think weekday not weekend and aim for off-season months (not May through September). Viewers will also learn they can make their own decorations with silk flowers, that cheese and crackers for hors d'oeuvres and a cash bar will do just fine at the reception, and that it's a good idea to ask friends and relatives to take turns acting as servers and photographers. I liked some of the ideas, but was bothered by a long segment about a local restaurant called Mulberry Inn and Dixon's strong recommendation that you don't skimp on the videographer (which, of course, is Dixon's trade). Otherwise, this tape is recommended for its down to earth approach, especially for those libraries that don't already own Do Your Own Wedding (VL-12/91), How to Survive Your Wedding (VL-10/92) or Dream Wedding (VL-3/95). Aud: P. (E. Druda)