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!

fire a bridesmaid alternative wedding ideas from Offbeat Wed (formerly Offbeat Bride)

How to fire a bridesmaid

Yes, firing a bridesmaid sounds shitty. Honestly, it usually feels pretty shitty. There are lots of different reasons that a bridesmaid just might not work out — some that are high drama (like a fight or a friendship ending) and some that aren’t quite as emotional (life situation changes, unexpected illness or injury). Regardless, it still sucks. Here’s how to make it suck less…

Henna and Halo alternative wedding ideas from Offbeat Wed (formerly Offbeat Bride)

Combine traditions and interests with a Henna & Halo party

The night before our interfaith wedding, we had a big party. My partner Shreyas’ mom wanted to have a henna party, where all the women get mehendi, but she wanted to have the guys come, too. Shreyas objected, saying mehendi was a “girl thing” and didn’t want to do it. We compromised by having a manly activity too, and thus the Henna & Halo party was born.

8661692260 0145244c2a c alternative wedding ideas from Offbeat Wed (formerly Offbeat Bride)

Use Minglo to get wedding guests of all types to know each other

When we shared Ariel’s awesome Minglo party idea (mingling + bingo) over on Offbeat Home, Homie Marina told us she used this idea with great success at one of her wedding parties…

14193703552 8c9ef32afd c alternative wedding ideas from Offbeat Wed (formerly Offbeat Bride)

Friends as wedding vendors pros and cons: What I learned from getting our photos for free

Shortly after my husband and I were engaged, we ran into an old family friend who I hadn’t seen in probably over a decade. We chatted for a bit, during which she enthusiastically offered to photograph our wedding for us free as a gift. I had to restrain myself from jumping down her throat with my “yes.” Photography is important to me and my family, but we had a relatively small total budget, and there was almost nothing in there for photos, so I figured this was perfect. It is now almost four months since my wedding, and I’m having some issues with my choice.

Here’s what I’ve learned from my experience with using friends as wedding vendors…