The otherworldly weirdness of wearing a wedding gown and veil. The multi-generational "getting ready" ritual shared with female friends and family members. Seeing herself in the mirror before the processional music starts. Unanticipated snags and mishaps. The bittersweet realization that marriage means saying good-bye to an old way of life and welcoming a new one. Feeling so sexy on her wedding night! That one bit of wedding-day advice, taken to heart.
The Bride Revealed illuminates and celebrates all these aspects of the bridal mystique in striking black-and-white photographs and quotes from contemporary brides.
"With both a push-up bra and a body shaper, I was wrapped up tighter than a bull's ass at fly time," is one woman's irreverent observation. Another remembers her brother's poignant advice to take it slow. "Make sure you look at everybody. And let them look at you. When will you ever gather so many people who love you so much? It can go by so fast."
The Bride Revealed is an ideal shower gift that will become a bride's treasured keepsake.
Leslie Barton is a photographer who has shot more than 500 weddings across the country. Her work has been featured in InStyle, Elegant Bride, and Town and Country. She lives with her husband and son in Hollywood Hills, Calif. Sheri Leigh Myers is a screenwriter and activist. She lives in Mar Vista, Calif., with her husband and daughter.