Wedding party gifts that don’t suck
or the Offbeat Bride, you’re looking for something meaningful, not just easy to purchase in a set of 6. The gifts you list don’t ring true because they have nothing to do with the relationships between you and your bridal party. You’ve asked these people to stand with you as your closest community; a great way to dream up authentic gifts is to think with care about how you or your affianced knows each person — a funny joke you’ve shared, an interest that brought you together, a memory only your siblings know — and go from there. (If we learned anything from Lloyd Dobler, you don’t give someone a pen!)
Advice for dudes changing their last names
I know a couple men who’ve taken their wives’ last names in two different ways (one got rid of his last name, the other hyphenated), so I pestered them for some name-changing advice.
Walking down the aisle without flowers
I’m getting married in September and am thinking about not carrying anything (flowers, etc.) when walking down the aisle. I love flowers, but I don’t really feel like having something that I will only hold for about 10 minutes. What are your thoughts?
Offbeat-er than thou
I belong to a community of brides on another site. One of the brides prides herself on her uniqueness and originality. No one has a problem with that. But she really puts down a lot of the other brides who are more traditional. She calls their weddings ‘cookie cutter’ — which really hurts some people’s feelings! How can I tell someone to chill with their “I’m so original and different” superiority trip?