Although we’re not immune to the occasional Anastasia-esque turn of fudging the truth of our origins, as Bridezillas we endeavor to make our well-bred beginnings completely unquestionable. While name-dropping the countesses in our ancestry is usually enough to quiet any naysayers, we find the best way to be deemed aristocratic is not to pretend it, but rather to become it. And short of marrying into royalty, the best way to do this is with fine manners.
Since most of us weren’t born and bred to be the perfectly polite ladies we’ve grown into, it’s been necessary to get a little help along the way. Thus we present the three best etiquette books for every stage of life: teenager, grown woman, and Bridezilla.
Tiffany’s Table Manners for Teenagers: As it turns out, that divine shade of blue really does belong anywhere – even your bookshelf. If you fear an early life of eating dinner in front of the television has foiled any chance of you having a proper idea of how to best conduct yourself at dinner out, pick up this slim volume for tips on which cutlery to use, whether to converse with the guest on your left or right, and the etiquette on asking for (or declining) seconds.
Manners, by Kate Spade: She’s responsible for your favorite handbag, best pair of kitten heels, and even your cake plate, and now you can turn to her for etiquette, too. Kate Spade’s slim guide to manners covers modern quibbles like cell phone etiquette and how best to behave at sample sales (hint: fistfights, even over the last pair of Marc Jacobs jeans in your size, are discouraged), so you’ll have a quick reference for how to behave wherever you go. (We like Occasions, too.)
Emily Post’s Wedding Etiquette, 5th Edition: Although Bridezillas are well-known for looking out for number one, we all still must remember that the people we step over on our way to wedding bliss may well eventually get back up for revenge. Now, we’re not saying you should compromise your vision of a tropical wedding even though pale Aunt Lucy hates the sun and travel, but this book will help you deal with her histrionics with the kind of tact that means you won’t be struck from the will. Have any other questions? Emily has the answer to everything.
