Category Archive

overcoming adversity

Wedding planning isn’t all wine and roses. Sometimes you’re dealing with the loss of a loved one or a job, illness, or even a terminal diagnosis. This is our archive of posts about working with wedding planning hardships that go above and beyond the usual concerns.

Getting back on the (literal) horse: the unexpected can be what makes a wedding a success

I got bucked off a horse at my own wedding!

When I recently got married, I thought that I would be brave and try something a bit different at my wedding. Given that I am a celebrant, it made sense to take a small risk and do something a bit wild. So, I asked a friend with a beautiful horse if I could come in on the horse to the ceremony. But then, what happened next shocked everyone. I was BUCKED OFF THE HORSE! Here’s how I handled it and how it made the wedding a success…

How a last-minute wedding dress disaster made me remember what really matters

How a last-minute wedding dress disaster made me remember what really matters

I had an amazing process getting my first dress custom-made. But an incident with my curious kitties made my dress unwearable. In swooped my amazing fiance and bridesmaids who rallied to my aid to find a new dress just one day before my wedding! Here’s how the situation managed to make me realize what really matters when it comes to weddings…

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Dress designer Alfred Angelo closing down! Are you losing your dress? Here’s help…

The big news is that wedding dress behemoth Alfred Angelo is shutting down, taking along with it thousands of dresses already on order by brides. Are you one of them? Are you now dress-less? Don’t panic, there are some things you can do to snag a last-minute wedding dress…

Even wildfires couldn't ruin this redwoods wedding (with the best "cake cutting" EVER!)

Even wildfires couldn’t ruin this redwoods wedding of two filmmakers (with the best “cake cutting” EVER!)

This wedding comes with an unbelievable backstory that involves having to move the entire wedding due to the largest California wildfires ever. But on top of that, there’s the fact that this wedding is FILLED with amazingness all over: the most epic wedding invitation video, the funniest “cake cutting” you’ll see, a T-Rex entrance, and some of the funniest wedding party photos. You’ve just got to see this one, folks…

One cancer survivor's 3 non-wig ways to rock being a bald bride

Beauty from pain: A cancer survivor’s non-wig ways to rock being a bald bride

“Will you postpone the wedding until after your cancer is gone?” asked my friend the week I was re-diagnosed with lymphoma. My response was so feral it surprised even me. “Honey, come hell or high water, I am motherloving having this wedding, and you better motherloving be there because I don’t know how long I’ve got left.”

My cancer came back a few months before my wedding, and I wanted to use my baldness as an opportunity to recognize cancer’s presence while living through it with beauty and joy. Here’s my story…

Can an emergency hospital visit still end up as a fabulous wedding day? Hell yes it can.

Can an emergency hospital visit still end up as a fabulous wedding day? Hell yes it can.

You may remember Hannah from this post about being a fat bride. Seeing her wedding confirmed that she rocked it. But when a wedding ends up being completed in a hospital, you KNOW it’ll be a wild ride. But this pair managed to look amazing, make it to the reception, and keep a killer attitude all at the same time. Come for the story, stay for the ruby red dress, autumn colors, and amazing comic book-inspired headpiece.