Every bride can use a little help planning her wedding. They are so full of customs and traditions that getting all of the wedding etiquette right can be a bit intimidating. Most brides will turn to an etiquette book at some point to help figure it all out, but there are so many on the bookstore shelf that even picking the right book is a challenge! This is a concise guide to wedding etiquette books to help you find that one volume that will be perfect to help get your wedding planning off to a great start.

Just as every bride is different, so is every wedding book. The book that will be the best for you will be the one that fits in with your general style and personality. For instance, if you are the kind of bride who likes everything to be "just so", with your sets cultured pearl bridal bracelets, matching earrings, and necklaces, you will enjoy the style of "Miss Manners on Weddings", which happens to be my personal favorite wedding etiquette primer. It is a short book, and by no means comprehensive, but it hits the high points, and does so in the usual amusing style of the doynenne of etiquette, Miss Manners. The witty anecdotes are a very amusing distraction from the stress of planning a wedding, and should you ever need to know the polite way to respond when someone asks to bring a monkey to your wedding ceremony, this book will have all the answers. This is one of my favorite engagement gifts to give a newly engaged friend.

If you are looking for a basic wedding etiquette book that will cover every conceivable detail from the bridal shower through the end of the reception, then "Emily Post's Wedding Etiquette" is for you. I must confess that at times I have found her advice to be a bit too relaxed, but for most brides this will prove to be an indispensable volume. It is a hefty book, and at over 400 pages, you might not end up reading the entire tome from start to finish, but it makes a very handy reference tool for all of those sticky situations that crop up during the course of planning a wedding. The Emily Post book also covers quite a few contemporary etiquette situations, such as multicultural weddings and blended families.

For brides who spend hours on the internet checking out all of the latest tips and ideas or who buy every wedding magazine at the store, there are a couple of wedding etiquette books out now from the top wedding magazine/website editors. The countless fans of The Knot, will enjoy delving into "The Knot Complete Guide to Weddings in the Real World". Another fan favorite is "Brides Book of Etiquette" from the same people who write the popular magazine "Brides".

There are also more specialized wedding etiquette books available. Are you a budget bride looking to cut costs on everything from your flowers to the music to cultured pearl bridal bracelets for your bridesmaid gifts? Then check out "Bridal Bargains, 9th edition: Secrets to Throwing a Fantastic Wedding on a Realistic Budget". Or perhaps you need help fine tuning your wedding invitation wording. "Crane's Wedding Blue Book" is there to help. There are also etiquette books on topics ranging from military weddings to gay weddings to weddings for blended families. Whatever your situation, whatever your style, there is an etiquette book available to help you plan your dream wedding.