Tales from a Makeshift Bride
As my first wedding anniversary quickly approaches in the middle of this month, I figured it time I share this review! Lucy Knisley has been a favorite author of mine for the past two years and I love how she chronicles what is going on in her life. And lucky for me, this book came out right when I was in the thick of wedding planning and was a major source of stress relief. I’ve recommended it to so many brides and their friends (to give to the bride when she is stressed) in the past year since it’s release in May 2016.
Synopsis
In 2010, Lucy and her long-term boyfriend John broke up. Three long, lonely years later, John returned to New York, walked into Lucy’s apartment and proposed. This is not that story. It is the story of what came after: The Wedding.
DIY maven Lucy Knisley was fascinated by American wedding culture… but also sort of horrified by it. So she set out to plan and execute the adorable DIY wedding to end all adorable DIY weddings. And she succeeded. This graphic novel, Something New, is the story of how Lucy built a barn, invented a whole new kind of photo booth, and managed to turn an outdoor wedding on a rainy day into a joyous (though muddy) triumph.
Review
Lucy Knisley is my spirit animal. I will read anything and everything that she publishes. And when in the midst of the hellish ordeal that most people refer to as wedding planning, Something New was the most welcome breath of fresh air. I was that weird kind of bride that, instead of firing her mom, said “Here Mom, take it – you plan it and I’ll do whatever you want.” And for Lucy’s somewhat similar mentality, I was extremely thankful to find someone I could relate to in that stressful time.
A week before my wedding, my grandfather passed away and it was Lucy’s writings, both Something New and Displacement (review to come soon!) that helped me realize that he would want me to be happy and to celebrate instead of being sad. It was Lucy’s words that reminded me that a wedding is a special occasion, not just because you’re getting married, but because it is an amazing change to spend time with the people you truly care about and who care the most about you.
Rating: 10 out of 10 stars
Celebration of Books 
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