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…
Play a “stand up/sit down” game at your wedding reception
Jamie and Evan had planned a big outdoor game-fest, but some nasty, rainy weather pushed them indoors. The good thing was that they had an indoor elimination game planned with a really special prize.
So I canceled my wedding…
I was nearly there, you know. I’d bought a second hand dress and Irregular Choice shoes. I had booked my venue and I was organising my independent honeymoon to India. I had invited just eight people to my little ceremony. I had made 500 paper cranes for my Senbazuru decoration. I had chosen music and a menu and started to stockpile little bits and pieces for my small but no less special day. And then my relationship ceased to make sense. It was a very hard, very sad time. And I really remember feeling very alone when it all happens — plenty of people talk about divorce, about second marriages, about boyfriend breakups… I couldn’t find other people who had cancelled their wedding. So, without further ado, here is my guide to canceling your offbeat wedding. These are just some of the things I wish I’d heard last year.
Wedding backlash and being accountable for your choices
Wedding planning is all about making a crapload of choices. Even those couples who do their utmost to avoid making every single decision still have to face some choices. Dudes, some of those choices are tough ones. And we can talk forever about etiquette, or rules, or best practices, but real life comes with choices that don’t always fit into nice boxes. The thing is, when you make a big decision, especially about an event like a wedding, people have major feels about it. MAJOR FEELS. And when it comes to weddings, we often want to seek advice but we also often get unsolicited advice. In the face of that, you need to be prepared to be accountable.