Category Archive

industry insiders

The Offbeat Wed community includes hundreds of inclusive wedding industry pros who are all working to change the cynical, exploitative nature of the mainstream Wedding Industrial Complex. We invite our awesome offbeat vendor friends to share their industry insider tips with us and our readers — together we can change the wedding industry to be more inclusive, more offbeat, and more awesome! (If you’re an offbeat vendor, let’s get you in here!)

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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…

Shane Macomber Kelli washing dishes alternative wedding ideas from Offbeat Wed (formerly Offbeat Bride)

Is it fair to ask for advice from wedding vendors you’re not going to hire?

Can vendors you aren’t hiring still help you with your wedding plans? Should you even reach out and ask if you know you aren’t going to hire them? Based on one Offbeat Bride readers’ experience we took this question to wedding planner Kelli from Shindig Events. And the answer just might help make your wedding planning a lot easier.

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Booking a block of rooms: 5 helpful tips from the hotel front desk

There can be so. many. things to worry about when planning and executing a wedding/commitment ceremony. If yours happens to include setting up a block of rooms at a hotel, then I have some tips for you! I work at the front desk of a big hotel in a major city, and have seen a lot of frantic brides come blazing through our doors. Here are some of my TOP TIPS for making your important day run just a little smoother.

The most useful post ever written on writing your wedding ceremony!

Wedding Ceremony 101: How to write a wedding ceremony from scratch

We’ve got expert advice on all the parts of a wedding, and how structure your wedding ceremony from start to finish, complete with a sample outline.