Why it’s totally okay to plan a wedding your way… even when you’re told otherwise
When I asked Brian to marry me, tranquil and quiet energy swirled around us. In all the perfection that this was for us, I didn’t expect the whirlwind that would come — the questions, assumptions, unsolicited advice, and all the “good things” that go along with an engagement in two large and loving families. Our quiet serenity on that beach on Toronto island slipped away from me so fast, I went looking for it in all the wrong places.
Bridal “best selves”: when is too far?
As with many Offbeat Bride readers, this blog was a welcome antidote to the bridal mags and blogs that represent all brides as being white, thin, tanned, and perfect. Not that there’s anything wrong with those things, but when you don’t fit into that round hole, the bridal industry can make you feel a bit like Square Peggy. Aiming for perfection in any aspect of a wedding, whether it’s your letter-pressed invites or sun-dappled forest grove location, is asking for tears before bedtime.
Things I learned when I ended up in a traditional wedding dress. Or: How I stopped caring and learned to love the white dress
I thought I would wear pink, blue, or red, certainly never white — and there was no other way I could be true to myself. Well, I bought my pink dress, and then a week later I hated it. I then returned the dress for store credit a month and a half later (thank god for a lucky return policy in a non-traditional wedding shop), and bought one I loved — a white wedding dress. Since I spent a lot of time fretting over not being “different enough,” I figured I’d share how I stopped caring and learned to love my traditional wedding dress…
My name isn’t “Mrs”: On changing my mind about changing my last name
Changing my mind about changing my last name was undoubtedly really confusing for my husband, because I had clearly stated my intention to take his name once we were married. But when people started calling me “Mrs. HisLastName” I didn’t like it!