Great Resource for Brides - Colin Cowie's Wedding Chic Book

A couple of weeks ago, I got an interesting email from the PR company who represents Colin Cowie. Yes, "the" Colin Cowie. I was pretty shocked. They asked me if I had seen his new book and if I would be willing to share my thoughts with my blog readers and clients what I thought about the book and if it would be something I would recommend to brides as a valuable resource. My first thought was, "Why would Colin Cowie's PR team think anyone reads my blog and why would they care what little ol' me thinks?" LOL.


I asked my industry friends if they received such an email and they said, "no." I feel very honored that they asked me to give my honest review of the book and that they cared if I felt it was something worth buying for the bride-to-be. Honestly, I did buy the book as soon as my friend Evonne at Events by Evonne blogged about it (note that this was well before I got the email from Colin's PR team), I quickly flipped through noting the beautiful photos, but didn't really get a chance to read any of it with my busy schedule. After I received their email, I decided if I was going to tell brides (objectively of course) that this was a great book for wedding ideas and inspiration for them to buy, I better read it to make sure I would recommend it.

I read through the first 20 pages or so and this is my honest, objective opinion about the book. It is VERY well written. As soon as I read the introduction, I felt like I was sitting next to an old friend who has a vast amount of event planning & design experience who was guiding me through all the different aspects of my wedding. I guess I wouldn't expect it from a high-society event and lifestyle designer, but Colin Cowie does just that, he talks to you like he is your friend. He doesn't try push ideas on you and he even says that maybe some of the inspiration photos won't appeal to you, but that he hopes the photos will give you a sense of what you do want and figure out ways of how to make your event uniquely your own. Even if you don't have an extravagant budget, there are ways you can create a beautiful and stylish, and most importantly a memorable wedding. His whole point is for the wedding couple and the wedding guests to walk away from the wedding with the comment,
"That was the most beautiful, most memorable wedding I've ever been to."


So honestly, this is a great resource for brides-to-be. The reason I buy books like Wedding Chic is because it gives me inspiration on what I can create in clay, invitation ideas, and the latest trends or color palettes. Lots of beautiful photos. These types of books definitely inspire me in what I do, so I hope that for the brides-to-be this book will help you to create your own CHIC wedding! :)


Here's a summary of what the book entails. For $40, it's definitely a great price as I've paid more for other beautiful books by other well-known wedding professionals. Who knows maybe one day Colin Cowie might say something about clay flowers... LOL... If that were to miraculously happen, I would be speechless.. One can always dream. :)

Colin Cowie Wedding Chic

1,001 Ideas for Every Moment of Your Celebration

When a bride imagines her wedding, she sees something very particular.
Her color scheme is bold and rich or soft and ethereal. She pictures nuptials taken in her mother’s garden or on an exotic beach with the ocean crashing in the background. She envisions an elegant sit-down dinner or a fabulous cocktail party with a great DJ who keeps the party going late into the night.

Regardless of personal taste, every bride can practically see herself at the altar, taste the cuisine, and feel the music playing when she enters the reception. But before the wedding comes together with all the romance and glamour, she needs to make decisions about the details.

With so many choices, it’s not hard to decide where to begin—you have the help of wedding designer extraordinaire, Colin Cowie. In Colin Cowie Wedding Chic (Clarkson Potter; $40.00), he inspires and instructs the bride with thoughtful introductions followed by magnificent photographs. Colin’s practical advice also demonstrates how to weave a thread of style throughout the celebration.

Lavishly photographed, WEDDING CHIC showcases 1,001 of Colin’s most spectacular ideas in full vibrant color and presents a comprehensive resource for creating a wedding that is unparalleled, memorable, and–above all–personal. Organized by the individual components that require thought and design, chapters include:

· Bouquets and Other Ceremony Flowers: 38 photos of bouquet options just for the bride exploring a variety of colors and shapes; bouquet photos for the bridesmaid and mother of the bride; hair wreathes and baskets for the flower girl; ring boxes with flower accents; and boutonnières for the men.
· Ceremony Décor: Whether on a beach, in a garden, under a tent, or in a church, Colin’s ideas cover every ceremony detail including the arrangement of the chairs, personalizing the aisle, decorating the arbor and, incorporating the natural design of the location.
· Centerpieces: Bring a sense of drama to your evening with a gorgeous seasonal centerpiece—but don’t rely strictly on flowers. Colin will show you how to incorporate fruit, greens, and other non-floral elements.
· Cakes: An icon that should bring in the elements of the ceremony and reception, Colin will demonstrate how to design a cake that reflects your colors, style, flowers, and dress. He will also go step-by-step through the cake logistics of delivery, refrigeration, moving, tasting, serving, and storage for your first anniversary.
· Ritual and Ceremony: Learn how to visually incorporate your ethnicity and family traditions with rituals from your background.

Full of the sophistication and elegance that only Colin could have envisioned, WEDDING CHIC takes the bride step by step, through all of the sumptuous details, describing choices and how to work her personal vision, family traditions and story of courtship into one incredible event.

About The Author
Colin Cowie’s renowned parties have made him a favorite of Oprah Winfrey, Jerry Seinfeld, John Travolta, heads of state and royalty, and many others–and secured his place as one of the most sought-after wedding planners in the world. He appears regularly on the Ellen DeGeneres Show, Oprah Winfrey Show and The Early Show and is a frequent contributor to O Magazine, Brides, and People. Born in Zambia and raised in South Africa, he now resides in New York. Colin Cowie Lifestyle, his event-planning, interior design, and lifestyle company, is based in Los Angeles and New York.

www.colincowie.com