Whose Wedding Is It Anyway

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Sequel to It’s All Relative It’s been eleven years since Michael Knapp introduced his lover Dan Biggs and came out to his family over dinner. During that time, the two men have grown closer despite Dan’s military career, which has taken him into war zones overseas. Their relationship has survived each deployment, and with the repeal of “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell,” their relationship is out in the open and stronger than ever. Dan was in Afghanistan when the Supreme Court made same-sex marriage legal in all fifty states, but the moment he’s back from his year-long assignment, he pops the question. Michael can’t wait to share the news, though it spreads a bit too quickly on social media for his liking -- the moment he posts a picture of their rings, his sister tells their mother, who insists on helping plan the wedding. Suddenly Michael finds the townhome he shares with Dan overrun with his family, who might mean well but who want to take over what should be his special day. He only just got engaged and they’re already talking about where to host the reception! Whose wedding is it anyway?

Middle-aged Myra and Mavis return home for their mother's second marriage to a young waiter Ricardo, insisting on a low-key register office ceremony. But Mother is having none of this and makes her own arrangements helped by the charlady and they both have the last laugh.-5 women

First in The Stuck in Middle Series of short humorous romances featuring a group of friends who grew up together in small-town Middle, Ohio.

Eloise Manfred just sold her soul to the wedding devil. In exchange for a free $100,000 dream wedding, she'll be featured in a trendy magazine as "Today's Modern Bride." So what if the advertisers dictate what she wears, eats and registers for? From the gown (it has yellow feathers) to the reception hall (vampire chic) to the rings (what metal is that?) to the prime rib (tofu!), Eloise knows that what really matters is the groom (cold feet?). All she has to do is keep a wedding-planning diary (heavily edited) and have her friends and family ooh and aah over her leather veil in photo shoots. Friends, Eloise has: bridesmaids Jane, Natasha, Amanda and oddball co-worker Philippa, the magazine's "Traditional (ha!) Bride." Family, she doesn't have. Eloise's mother passed away, her father took off years ago, her too-cool-for-words brother is either climbing Mount Everest or scamming a rich older woman in Beverly Hills and her fiancé's family is certifiable. So between choosing rubber bridesmaid dresses and worrying about the photo shoots, Eloise finally asks the question: Hey—whose wedding is it anyway?

It's no wonder I love weddings so much, and no accident that I became a wedding and event designer. I grew up surrounded by them. My father was a Baptist minister, so he officiated at many weddings. Mother was a caterer, so she would bake the cake, make the punch and mints, and open a can of nuts. That was all that anyone served back in the day. No one in our neck of the woods had ever heard of a sit-down dinner, much less been to one. We often had weddings in our home. We were a one-stop wedding shop! We would arrange chairs in the living room, and Mother would decorate the brass candelabra with ivy. I helped, along with my sisters, Donna, Jeaneane, and Suzanne. Donna and Jeaneane would play the piano and organ, and Suzanne and I would light the candles. Mother would sing. I loved to hear Mother's beautiful, melodic, soprano voice as she sang songs like "O Promise Me" and "The Lord's Prayer." Her voice was so clear that she sounded like an angel. One of my favourite memories is hearing her sing around the house. She was always singing while she worked. I learned a whole repertoire of songs from her housework concerts. "Wedding Bells Are Breaking up That Old Gang of Mine" was one of her favourites. Mostly, she sang hymns and songs about how much God loves us.

For anyone who cares about civility and manners, this entertaining guide features essays from top writers about grace and behavior in the modern world.