I gave this to my boyfriend (hint, hint) and it has excellent advice. I know he's going to propose and do everything right now that he's read this book. It helps that it's written by a guy, too. I think groomsmen will be more receptive to the advice.

This is everything you wished your fiance already knew about weddings! Do yourself and your fiance a favor and get him this book. In Colin's special way, he shares with grooms the things brides may not even know about manners and etiquette and style. If your fiance follows even one of Colin's suggestions - you will be elated!

Elegance without effort is what we need nowadays.

This book is beautiful to look at. The recipes are excellent as well. There are a broad range of dishes for a variety of occassions. I turn to this book for ideas every time I entertain. Even if I don't use a recipe from this book, I often find ideas that make special occassions that much more special. I highly recommend this book to anyone who likes to entertain. One word of caution, all the recipes are for a large number of guests. The recipes are not for an intimate dinner party for four. I have successfully scaled some back though.

I've poured through this book over and over again. Although I love seeing the photos of Colin's presentations and decor, I find the recipes incredibly different and easy to prepare. I use Effortless Elegance as a cookbook, perusing the index for dishes I'm considering. I'm especially wild about his recipe for Grilled Shrimp on Lemongrass Skewers. I now keep a permanent stash of frozen lemongrass in my freezer to use for any BBQ skewers.

I have to be upfront and say that basically, I don't like this guy. More's the pity for me because he has style in spades. The menus are at times great, at times bs, but it is the setting in which he casts them that sets him apart.
There is much to admire in how the entire look of this book comes off. I'm in the catering business and so I recognize why it is important to light and display the dishes as he does. I also know that, at least in Philadelphia, there are maybe 4 people who can afford this stuff.
Still, it's fun to dream. I fully expect that some self-satisfied gourmand of an SUV-driven horse farm owning young republican wag will be waving this tome in front of me insisting I recreate the magic herein for $30 a head.
But I'll try my best not to blame Cowie. I still can't tell if he actually does perform these parties (note I did not say 'cater'), or whether it is all MS photo shoots. They might be real, not everyone in these photos looks that great. Or maybe they just don't stand a chance next to the food, the linens, the candles, the china, etc......

I was delightfully enchanted with Colin's newest book. Having read his previous publications, I was very pleased with Colin's creativity and design style. I am always pleased with the calibre of design in all his books, but I find I am always left wanting more. Everyone has a favourite, some old hat, some new and hip to contemporary fads, but Colin is timeless, creative, and mindful of your budget. He's a Creative genius and I truly enjoyed this book. It sits on my desk at work where people come by to borrow it and have a hard time returning it!

Colin Cowie is a rising star and this book will cement his place in the world of entertaining. I've watched his show, Everyday Elegance with Colin Cowie on WE: Women's Entertainment for the past four seasons and read his previous books and this is his best ever! I got it the day it came out and I love it! It's a gorgeous collection of photographs, recipes, decorating ideas, anecdotes and hints for making any party into a success. Colin has style to spare and this book is a must-have for anyone who wants to make their parties memorable.

I purchased this book for myself, and know that I will be buying it again to give as a gift. This book is my reminder to enjoy being engaged and gives great tips to make the most of your engagement time. "For the Bride" contains invaluable information for the engaged woman that I haven't seen anywhere else. Cowie's writing is thoughtful, refined and relaxing. It can be read as a whole, in chapters, or in the small "question & answer" sections. For those of you who think that this book is for people with lots of money... this is meant to be a jumping off point. Cowie gives many suggestions of how things can be done, and stresses that anything can be done differently and altered to your own personal style. (Not everything has to be expensive!) This book is THE tool to develop the style for your wedding and your marriage. I plan on purchasing "For the Groom" for my fiance as soon as possible.

This book is as much guidance on how tobe an elegant lady as it is a wedding planner. His advice ranges from subtle to downright blatant, so there's very little the open-minded bride will miss. Even if you already have every wedding book in the entire world, I feel this one is necessary.

Regarding the etiquette advice, I like Cowie's book the best. Many books for "fabulous girls" and "what no one tells you" etc tend to deal with things the bride has already left behind her: dating, shacking-up (how else to put that?), and how to manage breakups easily. The Cowie book has much more class, and is really about how to personify graciousness and elegance. It's an important lesson to learn as you are getting married, for as Cowie says, you are showing the world who you are now, in these all-important moments.

I would not recommend getting the companion to this "For the Groom" unless you are sure he will want to read it. I bought the two books together and my fiance has yet to do anything but sneer at it. However, I am reading the groom book as well, and find it amusing, as different topics are covered in each book, and it wouldn't hurt to have the bride read the groom book and vice versa.

This would make a wonderful engagement gift, and though Cowie is text-heavy in the book and does not show picture after picture, I appreciated that, as I did want to read a book about planning and etiquette, rather than look at yet another picture book. One tiny annoying thing, there's a lot of name-dropped from celebs, but sometimes it's warranted. He tells you great ideas from celeb weddings, which do serve to make you think creatively.

This book stands out from the crowd in great ways.

I am a wedding consultant and was fortunate enough to get an autographed copy. "For the Bride" is beautifully written and a must for all brides that are interested in socially accepted and gracious living. I found it very inspiring and practical. I highly recommend it to all my clients. It is a book you want to run out and buy the minute the ring is on the finger. It is the top of the line in wedding reading.

"Weddings" is definitly the most brilliant and breathtaking book on the subject. The pictures and ideas that Colin Cowie encorporates are something every bride-to-be can use. He is the epitome of style and grace- if only I could afford him to plan my wedding!

I am still in awe of Colin Cowie's sense of style - whether it be a wedding or small cocktail party he is organizing, he always does it with that extra special flair that no one can come near. Being a real "90's" bride, a generation X'er, I found this book breathtaking. A great fantasy book (since it highlights a lot of people that I'm sure that the average bride can't match in wedding budget), but it does still show how you can incorporate classy, stylish motifs into your own wedding. It encourages you to put your own sense of style into every aspect of your wedding. Also, I loved the cake pictures. On another note, I liked Beverly Clark's book, Weddings: A Celebration - it's not as up-to-date as Cowie's, but still very useful and visually stunning. Martha Stewart's book, in comparison to Cowie's is not even close. She wrote it in the 80's - and you can tell.

I have been waiting for Colin Cowie's book on Weddings for nearly a year. It was worth the wait. While the weddings he has organized for celebs are beyond most brides, the ideas he offers for finding your style, what makes a great wedding and how to organize a wedding are the same no matter who you are and what your budget. For sheer versatility, it certainly puts those other mavens of matrimonial style to shame - namely Martha Stewart and Beverly Clark. Move over girls, there's a new stylemaker in town.