1.9k
  Mar. 21, 2018

I didn't bother to hire offbeat vendors and now I regret it

As time as gone by, my priorities have changed (I loved the post on how it's totally fine to have a cookie cutter wedding) and I am having a fairly traditional wedding in about two months. For this reason (and also budget limitations), I ignored the wise advise on this site to seek out vendors whose wedding style fits my vision. But what I am finding as I get deeper into planning the wedding, is that I weirdly am worried about living up to my photographers (and others) expectations and I worry about not being a "hot" enough bride with a "pretty" enough wedding. How do I keep the wedding day focused on what my fiance and I want, even though some of the people around us have different expectations?

2.5k
  12 Comments Jan. 12, 2017

I went window shopping for rings and now regret it

I had a modest ring that I could afford bookmarked and budgeted. Then my fiancé convinced me that we HAD to go try on rings at a big box jewelry store. The men's band and wedding set we found and fell in love with costs $8,000! And my reasonable little ring looks shabby and drab by comparison. I thought I could walk away, and I can. I just did not anticipate the other cascade of feelings…

1.7k
  Dec. 28, 2016

Wedding pirates: making peace when a friend steals your wedding ideas

Wedding planning is hard, you guys. This we know. You're inundated with ideas, traditions, must-haves, how-tos, and a general sense of "whatthefuckdidigetinto." So you start to panic. You search Pinterest or Offbeat Bride or wherever to figure out how to plan this hugh jass party you've never planned before. But wait, you know something. You've been to weddings. You've been to friends' weddings. And that's where kernals of ideas start to happen. Is it a slippery slope to "stealing" ideas from friends? Yep. And if you're the friend with the ideas, you may not like it. Not when you've carefully crafted your aesthetic and DIY projects and authentic-to-you ideas. Here's how to deal when you feel that a friend has stolen your wedding ideas…

3.4k
  17 Comments Jul. 27, 2016

Surviving as offbeat in mainstream online communities

Is it just me, or is it difficult being an Offbeat Bride on more traditional websites? While I love to talk about planning weddings, why are the communities on these websites as a whole so judgmental? Is it just me that's met with this…hostility, if I even dare to ask about something that seems too offbeat, taboo, and "rude?" We're just surviving as offbeat in mainstream online communities…

10k
  14 Comments Apr. 20, 2016

How we're making peace with our no bells and whistles wedding in the WIC pressure cooker

Planning a budget-friendly, streamlined wedding that doesn't feature all the "bells and whistles" of traditional weddings is not without its judgments and that's where my recent stress has been coming in. Wedding planning forums can make you question if your wedding is going to be remembered as the "worst wedding ever," your ideas suck, and it's all going to be tacky, especially if you are cutting some corners, budget-wise. Here's how we're handling the pressure.