It's my wedding, I'll wear Keds if I want to.

This will come as a huge surprise to all you when I tell you this: most wedding blogs/websites cater to people having quote-unquote traditional weddings.

It will also be surprising when I tell you this: Our wedding will not fit into that box.

I KNOW! Take a moment to digest this information. I am becoming more and more grateful for the advice that wavers from that well beaten path. On my Google Reader, I have 3 or 4 wedding websites that I read and a couple of them are proving to be wonderful sources of inspiration and support that we can do what we want-it's our wedding. I can't tell you how frustrating it is to read over and over again that you need to lose weight, grow out your hair, consider getting extensions, dye shoes for the bridesmaids, dance with your father to Butterfly Kisses, have a ring bearer, as well as not count on your groom to do anything except show up. In no way am I saying that any of these things are bad ideas--I've been to plenty of weddings with any/all of these decisions made and they've obviously been lovely. But I don't like being told that these are necessary. DON'T PUT THEM ON MY CHECKLIST, K.

One source for great ideas is this book: Anti-Bride Etiquette Guide. This book covers everything from engagement to receiving gifts. It describes 'the golden rules' of many aspects of the engagement and wedding as well as reasons for these traditions. Then it offers unique ways to break these rules, as well as suggestions for how to get out of sticky situations. Right now my absolute favorite source is Offbeat Bride. My friend Kerry introduced the site to me and I am in LOVE with it. The brides featured here really run the spectrum of women and have some of most creative weddings I've ever seen, including but not limited to a Peep centerpiece, a puppet wedding party, 29 year old male flower girl, and a ceremony on a pirate ship. I mean c'mon! How awesome is that?