Category Archive

Friends & Family Advice

Whether it’s your mom pressuring you to lose weight or not inviting family to your wedding or how to fire a bridesmaid… this is our archive of how to handle wedding planning drama with friends and family. Be sure to check out our archive of copy ‘n’ paste conflict resolution posts, too!

my best friend wont be in my wedding alternative wedding ideas from Offbeat Wed (formerly Offbeat Bride)

5 things to do when your best friend said no to being in the wedding

About three days after getting engaged, I texted my best friend to quickly confirm that he would, indeed, be in my wedding party. His response was… not what I was expecting. Here’s how I dealt with it.

In a sadness tailspin, I reached out to my future husband, who was in the midst of a two hour work meeting. So I reached out to my ex-husband (who knows our relationship the best of anyone) and he had some awesome advice for anyone who has a best friend that said no to being in your wedding party…

In-laws name alternatives as seen on @offbeatbride

OPEN THREAD: are there in-laws name alternatives instead of just “the in-laws?”

Monster in-laws, the evil in-laws… it’s absolutely true that society has demonized the term in-laws into something that isn’t exactly reflective of reality. I’m all for embracing terms with formerly negative connotation and reforming them with positivity, but sometimes it’s just not practical for daily use. Do any of you call your partner’s family by something other than the in-laws?

How can we explain our "zero argument" drama-free wedding as seen on @offbeatbride #wedding #drama

Kicking ’em out: how can we word our “zero argument” drama-free wedding rule?

We are no strangers to family and guest drama at weddings. Hell, we’ve got whole archives for family advice, family drama, and conflict resolution. People are people and people can bring the dramaz. You’re totally on the right path by nipping it in the bud early and diplomatically addressing the issue on your wedding website. Wedding websites are the best place to explain anything you want explained: dress codes, ceremony rituals, accommodations, and of course, any specific drama rules that you’ll be putting in place. Let’s talk about how to word it.

Deciding which events your bridesman should attend? as seen on @offbeatbride

How do you decide which events your bridesman should attend?

With more and more wedding parties going the way of the coed, it’s becoming pretty common and no big deal, especially around these parts. Sometimes couples even have a shared wedding party, especially if they have a ton of shared friends. The point is, there are no set rules for gender-blind wedding parties as long as you’re honoring the feelings of your friends. Let’s talk about asking dudes to join you at your pre-wedding parties and planning events.

Bilingual wedding ceremony tips from @offbeatbride #bilingual #wedding

¡Felicitaciones! Crafting a bilingual wedding ceremony without repeating everything

We’ve definitely got some advice for crafting a bilingual wedding ceremony that isn’t just repeating everything verbatim. We’re going to harness the power of the program, the signage, your wedding website, your wedding schedule, and your wedding party to make sure everyone knows what’s going on while not getting bored listening to one language the whole time. Let’s get to the bilingual wedding ceremony tricks.

getting body shamed by anti body shamers alternative wedding ideas from Offbeat Wed (formerly Offbeat Bride)

OPEN THREAD: I’m getting body shamed by anti-body shamers

I am getting married this year and, while I love my curves, I want to feel comfortable in my strapless dress — having never showed that much skin in my life. So I made the personal choice to join a gym and eat better. Now I now find myself the recipient of passive aggressive comments from self-proclaimed anti-shamers. I don’t feel like I’m getting support for my choices from the people I need it the most: my fellow curvy brides. How do I express to them that I feel like they are actually shaming me?