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.

I’ve decided that letting my folks foot the bill would mean that we are going to have to have my mom’s wedding and not our wedding. My fiance and i talked about it and decided that we can afford to save up and throw the wedding we want with out my parents financial help. How can i tell my mom Thanks but no thanks on the offer to pay without completely alienating her? -Lisa

I think the best way to frame the discussion is to make this clear that you’re doing this out of respect for your relationship with her and because you respect her too much to cause friction with wedding planning. Emphasize that you’re doing this to reduce her anxiety — perhaps if you can point to a few examples of times when you’ve had disagreements over wedding planning, and let her know that you love her too much to cause her that kind of frustration. Accept full responsibilities for any and all disagreements. Apologize.

And then …

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I am FREAKING OUT over the photos from this wedding, which took place in a theater and featured a rockin’ bride named Megan in the cutest polka-dot dress with hot pink crinoline.

Thanks to Melissa and Becca for pointing this one out to me. *faints* One more pic of the bride, her amazing up-do and her button bouquet below…

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The offbeat bride: Quinn (artist, writer, musician all around crafty lady, Celebrant)

Her offbeat partner: Michael (woodworker, clever fellow)

Location & date of wedding: Yachats Inn, Teahouse Pavilion, Yachats, Oregon. 03/01/08

What made our wedding offbeat: Our wedding was SOOOO made by our own hands that you could see the callouses a mile away! (really.) From making my own dress, to the lanterns and lantern stands, the tablecloths, the namecards, seed packet favors, cupcake stand, programs, invitations, tea light stands, thank you gifts (and bags, and boxes for them), alter table… and i am sure i am forgetting something.

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Thanks to Porceline in the OBT for bringing this amazing purple-dressed bride to my attention:

One more photo and a link to the bride’s myspace below…

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Remember that Nearlyweds-sponsored contest I posted about last fall? Well, here’s the happy result — Sara’s save the date postcards, done on shimmery paper and designed by Carciofi Designs. Love ‘em, and congrats again to Sara & Josh!

(Thanks to SaraLaff for the photo!)

So, here’s the deal: you’ve been together for years. You’ve got all the towels and plates and silverware you could ever need. You don’t want any more vases, and you’re not interested in candlesticks. But you are planning a three week adventure honeymoon across Argentina, and you have no idea how you’re going to pay for it after putting on the wedding.

Enter buy-our-honeymoon.com and their honeymoon gift registries …

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The offbeat bride: karen, gamer

Her offbeat partner: PJ, video game journalist

Location & date of wedding: san francisco zoo, april 19, 2008

What made our wedding offbeat: Hoo boy. The tender union between two child-at-heart game industry kids is, of course, *unnormal* to say the least. We’re both avid gamers who love animals. The venue really hit the nail on the wall. PJ proposed at the Monterey Bay Aquarium, and how fitting it was to have the actual wedding at the San Francisco Zoo!?

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