4.5 (out of 5) stars

The old joke (or crossword puzzle clue) goes: “A bachelor's last words.” The answer is “I do.” Such is the fate of the newly married man.

Craig Michaels seeks to warn other soon-to-be husbands about those final days leading up to the wedding ceremony. The author takes the last, final month of bachelorhood and counts down to that fateful day. This explains the title: [Day] Thirty to Wife. Each chapter features different groups of days in the countdown.

The book steers the lovestruck groom-to-be through the bridal maze of duties, chores, errands, what needs to be done and what must be done, and handy excuses for when a chore was neglected or ignored because of more pressing concerns (like the Sunday afternoon football game).

Yes, the book is humorous, often tongue-in-cheek humor. It seeks to bring levity to a time of great stress (and why anyone would want to go through a second or third wedding is beyond me). Each day begins with a wedding or marriage-oriented quote by famous people past and present (“A wedding is just like a funeral except that you get to smell your own flowers” Grace Hanson). Various lists offer helpful advice throughout the tumultuous and emotional final month.

This book is a laugh riot. Anyone about to embark down that aisle that ends in “I do” needs to read this book. In fact, make a couple pans of pigs in blankets and snack on them while reading this book. And, no, Cashews are not children from a Catholic-Jewish marriage.

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