Wedding Cake for Breakfast: Essays on the Unforgettable First Year of Marriage

I am a guy first off, and bought this mainly because it had a contribution from the delightful Susan Jane Gilman (Hypocrite in a Pouffy White Dress). What I received was a wonderful series of first-person accounts of the changes (yes, there are life altering changes in that first year) encountered after the "I do's". I found laughter and pure silliness as well as touching, moving stories of pain, loss, of separations and of reunions. After reading these accounts, I feel this book should be mandatory (kidding!) for those women about to be married, not because of a rose-colored view that a lot of people expect, but of the heartwarming and uplifting messages that says that true love will almost always see you through the rough patches. Highly recommended, and I had a copy sent to my good friend C as a pre-wedding gift!

I read this book over and over and over when I was engaged--and then again after my first year of marriage. In turns heartwarming and heartbreaking, encouraging and realistic, this collection of essays is a must-read for anyone who is married or about to be. This book is my go-to present for newly engaged friends.

I read a review online, checked Amazon for further info about the book to see if I might like to read it - someday. I usually put a book in my cart to think about it, and then forget about it. I ordered the Kindle version, started reading it after dinner, by 11:30 PM I ordered Kindle copies for our daughter and a one year wed granddaughter. I'm fifty plus years past that first year, and ten years widowed, and I laughed at some of the stories but soon found what could have been my stories in these essays. I said the same things, I did that too, but we survived, It would be a great gift for any woman who wants to be or is or has been married.

This is a decent book for anyone who has just gotten married or is a military wife. I identified with a few of the essays, but found that some of it was repeated over and over. There are quite a few essays on being a military wife. I also wish there had been an essay on difficult inlaws or maybe a little less of a sugar coating. Some of the essays were funny, but most seemed a bit forced and not totally truthful. It got boring after the first few stories.

This book was recommended to me by a co-worker who had also read it right after being married. You find yourself really connecting with those who wrote the essays. You find yourself comparing your relationship to those couples in the essays and I have noted several tips or words of advice to use as I navigate not only through my first year of marriage but really for the remainder of our lives together.Great read!

For anyone who has navigated that tricky first twelve months of marriage, this is a MUST read. The contributing authors are diverse, their stories varied, and their individual takes on marriage are easy to relate to. The essays range from laugh-out-loud funny to poignant and thought-provoking. Sophie Littlefield's wistful remembrances are every bit as engaging as Jenna McCarthy's humorous rant. There is truly something for everyone, and each story captivates. I could not put this book down until I reached the last page. And for those women who are considering marriage or on the brink of making a lifelong commitment--put down your bridal magazines and read Wedding Cake for Breakfast. There is no better preparation for saying "I do."

I heard about this book on NPR and had to get a copy. I wish I knew about it when I first got married, but it's only been a couple of years so we're still figuring things out. Glad I'm not alone trying to understand this thing called marriage.

I am lending my copy to my friends because I loved the book and I want share memories of weddings.