Book Review – “The Coach’s Guide To Wedding Planning”

The Coach's Guide To Wedding Planning

I’m always intrigued by new books that come out about weddings, especially wedding planning. I’m sometimes amused that too often the authors of many, so called, self-help wedding planning books have a.) never planned a wedding themselves, b.) haven’t planned a wedding in years or c.) have only worked with couples that have exorbitant wedding budgets that most Brides and Grooms could never consider.  

 So, a few weeks back, while surfing the web, I stumbled across a new book titled “The Coach’s Guide to Wedding Planning” written by Lisa L Spahr.  There were 2 things about this particular book that caught my interest.

 First, Ms. Spahr is a newlywed living in Pittsburgh, PA, having married this past May, 2009. So, her book is written from the perspective of someone that has recently “lived” the wedding planning process. Second, she is a Master’s level psychologist and life coach, which means she helps individuals who want to live a better life. I was curious how the latter would translate into helpful information that Brides could use as they plan for their special day.

According to Ms. Spahr, “I loved the (wedding planning) experience! It was enjoyable, stress free and a dream come true. My skills as a coach helped to make the planning and wedding overall so enjoyable and rich.”

 When “The Coach’s Guide to Wedding Planning” arrived at my office (autographed, no less), I was pleasantly surprised to find that it was not the size of an epic novel, filled with a ton of “they done me wrong” horror stories about Wedding Professionals or a typical, ”because I did it this way, it must be the only way” approach to enjoying the ideal wedding celebration. 

In fact, Ms. Spahr has put together a very concise, 41 page, 14 easy step, outline that any Bride can use to aid them in enjoying the wedding planning process. And, even as a guy, I noticed that it is written in a very calming “voice,” as if she planted subliminal messages throughout that say “It’s OK. Everything is going to be fine. Really.”

From establishing priorities, selecting your vendors, who to invite and who not to invite (one of my favorite sections) to delegating responsibilities, taking time to relax and avoiding drama, Ms. Spahr has captured the realities that every REAL Bride experiences. And, she’s done it in a way that is easy to read and follow. She’s even sprinkled in a few suggestions and anecdotes from other newlyweds that can also be quite helpful to anyone planning a wedding, especially Brides with a limited budget or those that just don’t want to break the bank before they say “I do!”.    

 ”The Coach’s Guide to Wedding Planning” can be read in one sitting, so even Grooms will like it…especially if it is strategically placed in one particular room in the house. And, you might be able to fool him into thinking it’s a book about bowling since the cover photo (the only choice that the author made that I question) depicts Ms. Spahr bowling  in a wedding dress.  

In the end, I think the author’s note on the back cover sums up my review quite eloquently: “The process can be stress-filled or blissful–it’s your choice. If you opt for blissful, ‘The Coach’s Guide to Wedding Planning’ is for you.”   For what it’s worth, I’d have to agree!

 To learn more about the book, visit  ”The Coach’s Guide to Wedding Planning” blog.

To purchase “The Coach’s Guide to Wedding Planning”  ($10.95 + shipping), visit the Spahr Consulting bookstore.