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!

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I DON’T WANT YOUR STUPID MONEY, MOM: How to turn down financial help

My parents offered to pay for most of our wedding next summer, which seemed great at first. But within four days of being engaged, my mom had already used the phrase “If i’m paying for it i will have X” and is being very very pushy about choosing a venue…”

momzilla shirt on offbeatbride alternative wedding ideas from Offbeat Wed (formerly Offbeat Bride)

Momzilla and wedding budgeting

Everyone warns you about Bridezilla, but no one tells you about how your mom will morph into Momzilla! My simple rule: If mom’s payin’, you need to listen to what she’s sayin’.

For the longer answer, keep reading.

Calligraphy by InspiredCalligraphy on Etsy alternative wedding ideas from Offbeat Wed (formerly Offbeat Bride)

Skip the drama when addressing wedding invitations

I can’t handle addressing these wedding invitations.

Everyone says I should address it to “Mr. & Mrs. Man’s-First-Name Man’s-Last-Name” but it pisses me off — addresses like this completely blow past the female component of a relationship.

Any ideas for how to be true-to-self without trying to make an in-your-face statement?

purse alternative wedding ideas from Offbeat Wed (formerly Offbeat Bride)

Wedding party gifts that don’t suck

or the Offbeat Bride, you’re looking for something meaningful, not just easy to purchase in a set of 6. The gifts you list don’t ring true because they have nothing to do with the relationships between you and your bridal party. You’ve asked these people to stand with you as your closest community; a great way to dream up authentic gifts is to think with care about how you or your affianced knows each person — a funny joke you’ve shared, an interest that brought you together, a memory only your siblings know — and go from there. (If we learned anything from Lloyd Dobler, you don’t give someone a pen!)

Amanda Brooks 3 alternative wedding ideas from Offbeat Wed (formerly Offbeat Bride)

Groom’s girls and Best women

Here’s another great example of how to deal with cross-gender wedding parties. Check out the fabulous groom’s girls/best women in this shot from Jessicka & Christian’s fabulous wedding. (Thanks to Amanda Brooks Photography for the shot!)

Dealing with guest list drama

It’s another episode of Offbeat Bride video advice! Woohoo! Apologies for the delay on this one — this vid is actually a few weeks old (my hair is now six inches shorter), but I was having issues with my camera’s memory card. Bla bla bla, technical difficulties whatever — here we go! Offbeat Bride Advice: […]