Wedding planning is a very special kind of stressful, with all these big important decisions, financial obligations, prying questions from family, etc… So it is totally natural to feel a bit overwhelmed by the task and by the societal pressure to be over the moon with happiness and enjoy planning your “perfect day.” Today I want…
I spend a lot of time reading about marketing for small business, I am a bit of a business education junkie. There is a lot of talk about “finding your tribe” in the world of creative entrepreneurship. This idea that if you speak authentically, build a personality-based brand, and target a narrow niche of customers, you will…
What kind of wedding planning blog would we be without ceremony reading suggestions? No one should have to suffer through 1 Corinthians ever again. Readings are a great way to personalize your ceremony or include important family members in the wedding. We have compiled a list of 15 of our favorite non-religious wedding readings quotes, poems,…
Opening up to your parents about personal religious choices can be difficult. If your family is very religious and you are having doubts, or have fully left the church, this can be a point of contention and put significant strain on your relationship. Many people simply choose to not talk about religion with their family. That…
You are getting married (yay!) and you are non-religious (rock on, free-thinker!). You probably want to have secular wedding officiant, but how do you find one? Where do you look? How can you be sure that they can legally marry you? There is a lot of misinformation, legal gray areas, and societal expectations that can complicate your search for…
In our very first Real Wedding Feature, we interview Signe about how she and her husband, Tom, planned their classic, elegant Upstate NY Wedding at The Appel Inn. We wanted to share their wedding because they did a fantastic job planning a wedding that felt authentic and aligned with their values, before there was much talk of what that looks…
Something I realized when I was getting started as a wedding planner was that quite a few wedding vendors actively participate in Christian witness through their business. Witness is the practice of sharing the gospel and word of God with all people and the purpose is to bring new people to Christianity. This can be as…
Wedding planning can be a ton of fun but it can also be bonkers stressful. It is not every day that you plan a huge party for all of your friends and family. Add in the traditions, social politics, and money stuff and it’s no wonder most folks end up in a puddle of their…
A few months back, I put together a survey through my event planning business in conjunction with The Bridechilla Podcast. The responses to that survey formed the foundation of what became Secularly Wed. As a wedding planner, I have met many secular couples who feel pressured to include religious elements in their weddings that do not…