Open expectations: stop wanting the perfect wedding
Since I got engaged, I’ve been saying that I have “open expectations,” a phrase I learned here on Offbeat Bride. (Correct use of the term “open expectations” could be something like, “My expectations are not low, they are open.”) At thirty-three days to go until my wedding, I’ve learned that the best thing about open expectations is this…
“It’s your day” as a myth, in the anthropological sense
As an anthropologist, Shrubby observes patterns of behavior for a living. So, of course she couldn’t help herself from using this finely-honed skill as she explores the wilds of wedding culture. In this guest post, Shrubby breaks down the idea of the “it’s your day” mythology and its implications and uses during wedding planning.
Let’s re-write our notions about what defines a wedding!
The wedding ceremony and the following reception seem to be the last social events in our country to change even in the slightest. If you dare to ask what the big deal is about a white dress, people will ask you why you’d want to look like a harlot. If you suggest having canolis for dessert and skipping the cake-cutting ceremony, people will balk as if you’ve just asked your guests to eat their own toenails. You don’t want a bridal party either? Well apparently you have no friends and no respect for tradition. It’s clear that when you deviate from the preordained structure of a “classic” wedding, you’re a rebel, a renegade, an outlaw.
Juggling wedding planning and grief
Stressful as wedding planning can be, doing so after the loss of loved ones brings up so many more painful questions and emotions. Melissa, who lost both of her parents before her wedding, dives into this, sadly, universal issue. Begging the question: how DOES one juggle grief and wedding planning?