After being married going on 8 years it seems like forever since I was submerged into the world of weddings. This book was a bit about stirring up emotion and memories of my own wedding planning experience. The author strings together several stories of brides coming to a famous small town bridal salon to find their perfect dress. We get to look back at what has brought them to this point, love stories intermingled with personal tragedies and loss. We grieve for some and cheer on others. Woven throughout is the story of the Becker Bridal salon itself, a thriving family owned business passed down generation to generation. Overall, I enjoyed the book. I appreciated the author's honest look at how our culture has changed and pressured young women over the last several years. The women of Becker's have seen this first hand in the shift in clientele and family dynamics. Entitled and self-centered brides have replaced gracious and respectful daughters. Self-sufficient women buying their own gowns come in with a train of bridesmaids instead of younger girls seeking just to please their mothers. There's something to be said for this perspective given shows like Bridezillas and Say Yes to the Dress on TV now. Some women are fooled into thinking this is the way we want our brides now. It's a one woman show instead of a family event. Of course, there are exceptions and it was really sweet to read such stories in this book. I was touched by the four sisters who took vows of purity despite their parents worry. Not an easy task in this world. My husband and I were abstinent until marriage, so naturally I connected with their 'old-fashioned' notions about romance and honoring God this way.
Pitfalls in the book were with pacing, it felt slow and repetitious at times. I think it could have been about 50 pages shorter and said the same things. Also, the author seemed to shy away from any bold statements he wanted to make. It felt a little like he built cases for a belief, but stopped just short of standing behind them in the end. This left me feeling like the stories lacked some punch and he lacked some conclusions personally.
All in all, a slow, but enjoyable read. It was nice to get back inside the head of a bride and revisit such a special time in my life.
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