Kamy Wicoff has been there. She’s been through getting engaged, planning a wedding, and carrying through the
nuptials. In I Do but I Don't, she combines memoir with an analysis of why this all matters so much to us - and gets to the heart of wedding planning and all of the details involved.
According to I Do but I Don't, weddings are a $125 billion dollar industry, and the traditions and expectations for the big day have changed very little since the 1950s. Although Wicoff tries to say that all of the expensive trappings surrounding weddings are just excess, it didn’t seem to stop her from having an elaborate wedding herself. This part of the book rings a bit false. Either embrace your own choices or criticize them—don’t say that they are unnecessary and then turn around and do them yourself. It makes the book less meaningful because of this.
But overall, if you are planning a wedding, or have an interest in weddings, I Do but I Don't is fun and captivating. Wicoff has a wonderful sense of humor, and the book is fast-paced and easy to read. The anecdotes she offers to make her points are right on with what she is trying to say.
I have been a wedding coordinator for over ten years, and I will certainly recommend I Do but I Don't to many brides. Especially
for those feeling a great deal of pressure from others around them, this book will help brides to clarify their feelings and views and decide what is really important.