Category Archive

wedding industry

I didn't bother to get offbeat vendors and now I regret it

I didn’t bother to hire offbeat vendors and now I regret it

As I get deeper into planning the wedding, I’m weirdly worried about living up to my photographers (and others) expectations and I worry about not being a “hot” enough bride with a “pretty” enough wedding. How do I keep the wedding day focused on what my fiance and I want, even though some of the people around us have different expectations?

Is my wedding photographer hiding us from her portfolio?

Is my wedding photographer hiding us from her portfolio?

I was married last year. We were happy with our photographer, and pre-booked an upcoming summer time family shoot with her. Now, six months after the wedding, I’ve realized that she hasn’t posted any of our engagement, bridal or wedding photos to her website or social media.

I have noticed that I’m not nearly as thin or stereotypically pretty as many of her other brides and I can’t help but be a little offended. Now I’m wondering if I should find a new photographer for our family photos — one who maybe appreciates our personal style a little more?

Are we "desperate" or just ready? The guilt of wanting to get married

Are we “desperate” or just ready? The guilt of wanting to get married

Lately I’ve been feeling guilty. Then I’ve been feeling guilty about feeling guilty because I should know that I don’t need to feel guilty. I’ve been feeling this way because I happen to be a woman who wants to get married someday. This in itself isn’t a new development, but now I actively WANT it. Now “quirky engagement rings” keeps finding itself in my Pinterest search history and Offbeat Bride is gradually making its way up my most visited sites. It’s literally proposal guilt.

Insider bridal salon tips from a stealth Offbeat Bride working in the field

Insider bridal salon tips from a stealth Offbeat Bride working in the field

I work at a bridal salon. As an Offbeat Bride myself, I’d like to say that I work in one of the cool, mom-and-pop boutiques that specifically cater to offbeat weddings, but no. I work in a bastion of Wedding Industrial Complex influence. But I do work with Offbeat Brides every day and I have picked up some traditional bridal salon tips to help you navigate them. Here’s how you can survive (and maybe even thrive)…

Ring shopping regret: I went window shopping for rings and now regret it

I went window shopping for rings and now regret it

I had a modest ring that I could afford bookmarked and budgeted. Then my fiancé convinced me that we HAD to go try on rings at a big box jewelry store. The men’s band and wedding set we found and fell in love with costs $8,000! And my reasonable little ring looks shabby and drab by comparison. I thought I could walk away, and I can. I just did not anticipate the other cascade of feelings…

10 amazing wedding trends for 2017

10 amazing wedding trends that are changing the face of weddings

Weddings have changed quite a bit since I started out as a wedding photographer in 2006. Photographing offbeat, LGBT, and tattooed weddings I’ve seen about every imaginable theme, trend, ceremony, and style. Some of my favorites include three weddings I photographed in prisons, several circus themed weddings complete with sideshows, and my fire-breathing groom with the fire-whipping bride. These are some of the biggest changes I’ve noticed in the last few years…