OneWed.com Expert Tips and Advice - Theme & Ideas

In July 2009 we held an amazing contest. We gave away platinum wedding rings worth $4,500. To be entered in this contest, women had to tell us their stories of how THEY would (or did, or might) propose if they had been the ones to ask the question. The winner was chosen randomly, but we received so many amazing entries we just had to find a way to share some of them with you. To read all... (more)

Poor, abused table linens. As though wiping your face with them weren't bad enough, making fun of their unimportance is a wedding planning cliché. “Two days after your wedding, will anyone remember what color the napkins were?” I say it all the time, it's shorthand for, focus on what’s important. It’s even one of OneWed’s truths: “Truth #3: You can ask for his opinion, but your... (more)

It seems like everywhere you turn there’s another article about how to have a wedding on a tight budget. My problem with these articles is that they either tell me things I already know (ice sculptures are an unnecessary expense, a big guest list will be more expensive than a small one, who knew?) or they make suggestions that unless you quit your job and take classes in baking, calligraphy,... (more)

Princesses, I need to take a moment to create a safe space here. Please excuse me. Ahem. Greetings, DIY brides, indie brides, offbeat brides, and the generally low-key. I welcome you to our site with open arms and deep fondness. But I regret to say that this article is probably not for you. It is about to get seriously girly in here. It will be pink, it will be frilly, and tiaras will... (more)

Outdoor weddings are a treat because they are beautiful and inspirational almost by default. Ocean? Trees? Meadow? Mountains? Fjords? Ma Nature didn’t do too shabby a job on any of them. On the other hand, Ms. Nature isn’t exactly known for being cooperative on demand, so a little extra planning is in order. If you’re planning a destination wedding, check on the local weather... (more)

Most people are into spring weddings, but I think a fall wedding can be the bomb. For one thing, you’re way less likely to have to jockey for space in your first-choice venue. And you also avoid stacking up in a wedding rush among your pals. Given the choice between being the only wedding in October or one of six in June, I’ll take competing with Halloween goblins any day. Location If... (more)

If you’re a visitor to OneWed.com planning a ceremony with twice the bride or a heaping extra helping of groom, welcome! We’ve got plenty of general wedding planning advice around the site, but here are a few topics that are of special interest for same-sex couples. No, not why that one season of The L Word was so awful. But come to my wedding and we can totally talk about that at the... (more)

I know it. You know it. Just about everyone except maybe your mom knows it. Outdoor weddings are the bomb. They automatically keep everything from getting too formal and stuffy because, hey, you’re outside. Anything too nice is gonna get scuffed. And if your beliefs fall into that spiritual-but-not-religious category, outdoor weddings are perfect. Nature’s beauty is something... (more)

Manny* was, I think, the second of my college friends to get married. It was definitely while everyone was still in the “Never mind my financial situation. It is a friend! It is a wedding! We GO!” phase. He and Lola got married in a charming rural resort area – rural enough to be well away from major airports. Going to the wedding thus involved plane tickets, a car rental, a more than... (more)

I know that destination weddings are all the rage, not to mention a great excuse to treat yourself to a vacation. But I prefer the opposite. A backyard ceremony is a great way to emphasize the family aspect of your wedding. It’s fun, it’s intimate, everybody is already comfortable there, and any kids can run themselves ragged. Plus yards are pretty much inherently pretty, even before you... (more)