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.

How life and a terminal illness inspired us to elope

How life and a terminal illness inspired us to elope

The topic of elopement came and went several times, but we both decided that a big, beautiful wedding was the way to go for us. Then life decided to get involved. I was diagnosed with a terminal illness. Neither of us could ignore the incessant ticking of the clock the doctors had set for me, though. So the topic came again: to elope or not to elope?

sdfdgg alternative wedding ideas from Offbeat Wed (formerly Offbeat Bride)

Faith & Aaron’s steamy Muppet wedding with a touch of Stephen Colbert

This combination of themes may seem a little odd at first, but once you see it, you love it! We’ve got Stephen Colbert-inspired cue cards, spin drums, steamy Western/sci-fi garb (complete with ray guns), flame-powered centerpieces, and some sweet children’s vows. You might also be inspired by their half public/half private vows, too. Oh, and wait until you see the faux “ink bleeder” pen made by the groom for the signing of the marriage certificate! Totally bad-ass.

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Moving forward with wedding planning after losing a parent

After experiencing an amazingly beautiful moment when my dearest asked me to be his wife, I am now trying to cope with the unexpected loss of my mom, and the deep need to move forward with my wedding. The question I have been asked constantly since the passing of my mom has been, “are you still getting married this year?” My answer has been emphatically “yes.”

pregnant bride wedding 2 alternative wedding ideas from Offbeat Wed (formerly Offbeat Bride)

Reality check: wedding planning isn’t SO bad

We have a tag archive here on Offbeat Bride called overcoming adversity, and it’s all about couples who’ve dealt with significant, serious challenges on the path to the altar. Now, I don’t mean challenges like, “My divorced parents don’t get along; how will I do the seating chart?” or “What if it rains?” Not to diminish the reality of these challenges, but they’re just on a different level than, say, “My mother is dying so we threw the wedding together in a month” or “my partner was attacked by a shark.”

In the name of perspective shifting and reality checks, let’s take a wander through some of our overcoming adversity posts… because there’s nothing like cancer, premature babies, peg legs, and tornadoes to help you get your seating chart woes in perspective.