Collins Gem: Weddings (published by Collins)

One of the main selling points of this book is its handy size - it's just right for most pockets (literally as well as figuratively thanks to its reasonable price). And somehow this dinkiness is reassuring, suggesting that planning your wedding need not be so complicated and stressful that it requires a million-page manual!

There's a lot of extremely useful information in here, and one noteworthy point is the fact that, as well as the main index to the whole book, there's also a dedicated index of the handy checklists - great for easy reference. For example, a quick glance tells me which page to go to for a tick-list of what to ask prospective caterers; another will reveal the steps to take if I'm planning to change my name. There are also seven time-based lists, suggesting what a couple should be thinking about doing six months, three months, two months, one month, two weeks, one week and one day before the big event!

Many weddings are planned primarily by the bride-to-be. Without wanting to generalise too much, I would suggest that this would be a great book for grooms-to-be who are looking for a no-nonsense volume that gives the lowdown on the organisational aspects of the wedding. Don't expect glossy images; there are no pictures at all - and in my opinion the book is none the worse for it. This, after all, is the way they've managed to cram such a lot of excellent content into such a neat little package. It calls itself 'an indispensable and practical guide', and I think that's a more than fair claim.

Buy it here