Author: Christina Peterson

12 years and 3 kids later, Christina still counts her wedding day as the best day of her life. Maybe that’s why she loves connecting with brides, mothers of the bride and groom, and bridesmaids: she wants everyone to love their wedding season! Over the past year, Christina has cultivated an active, helpful Instagram community called @askarealbride, filled with daily etiquette Q+A’s, planning tips, and some occasional humor. Though planning can be stressful, Christina enjoys helping brides find the joy and face etiquette dilemmas with kindness, clarity, and grace.

Ask a Real Bride: The Etiquette of Plus Ones

Last month, the “Ask a Real Bride” got its very own Instagram account! If you love quick tips on wedding planning and etiquette, and short, sometimes funny, videos in your social media feed, come join the party! I’d love to get your feedback and interact with you there! By far, the most popular topic on… Continue reading Ask a Real Bride: The Etiquette of Plus Ones

What to Write in a Baby Shower Card

Simple and sweet messages to share with parents-to-be! We all love celebrating the arrival of a new baby. Shopping for tiny outfits, cute gear, and cuddly toys is always fun, but there’s still an important element to baby gift-giving: writing the card! If you’re facing some writer’s block, you’ve come to the right blog post.… Continue reading What to Write in a Baby Shower Card

Ask a Real Bride: What to do When Wedding Guests Behave Badly

While most of your wedding is under your control, there’s a large element of the day you can’t always plan for: the behavior of your guests. Among any large gathering, there is bound to be some less-than-ideal behavior. And with the added emotions of a wedding and the sky-high expectations of the bride and groom,… Continue reading Ask a Real Bride: What to do When Wedding Guests Behave Badly

Ask a Real Bride: How Involved Should I be in My Bridal Shower?

Your wedding year can feel like a crash course in event planning: suddenly, your to-do list is filled with finding vendors, building your budget, and creating your guest list. With endless event inspiration and ideas filling your social media feed, many brides are left wondering: where exactly do the planning responsibilities end? I’ve got some… Continue reading Ask a Real Bride: How Involved Should I be in My Bridal Shower?

Ask a Real Bride: How to Plan a Bachelorette Weekend, Not a Guilt Trip

If you’re a bride currently planning her bachelorette weekend, this is your sign to step back, take a deep breath, and honestly ask yourself: am I planning a girls’ trip or a guilt trip? Since I’ve been writing about weddings for nearly 8 years, people love to tell me their wedding stories–and I love hearing… Continue reading Ask a Real Bride: How to Plan a Bachelorette Weekend, Not a Guilt Trip

Ask a Real Mom: When Your Mom Wants to Help with the New Baby

Portrait of a beautiful mother, with her nursing baby. High quality photo.

Labor and delivery are some of the most intense experiences of your life, and those first few days of motherhood are both physically grueling and emotionally draining. Naturally, moms and mothers-in-law want to swoop in and offer their support and help, and of course, enjoy their new grandbaby. But too many times, those good intentions… Continue reading Ask a Real Mom: When Your Mom Wants to Help with the New Baby

Finding the Perfect Mother-of-the-Bride (or Groom) Dress

Every mother dreams of the day her son or daughter will say, “I do.” We moms imagine every detail of our child’s wedding day, from the flowers to the wedding dress, but our imaginations don’t always include a vision of ourselves (moms are kind of used to putting ourselves last, aren’t we?) And while no… Continue reading Finding the Perfect Mother-of-the-Bride (or Groom) Dress

Ask a Real Bride: Are Wedding Programs Worth It, or a Waste?

Is a wedding program worth the time and cost, or should couples save by skipping them? Our real brides help you decide! Wedding blogs, Instagram accounts, and Pinterest pages are filled with “must have” items to achieve the perfect wedding, but all of those great ideas can quickly become overwhelming for brides-to-be. It’s a challenge… Continue reading Ask a Real Bride: Are Wedding Programs Worth It, or a Waste?

Ask a Real Bride: Should We Give a Speech at our Wedding?

When you think through your reception timeline, you’re probably carving out time for speeches by the father of the bride, the best man, and maid of honor. But recently, I’ve noticed that more and more couples seem to be hopping on the mic themselves! Is the bride and groom speech something you should consider for… Continue reading Ask a Real Bride: Should We Give a Speech at our Wedding?

A Guide to Thank-You Notes

One of the most popular complaints I hear from brides and mothers-to-be following their weddings or baby showers is the looming task of writing thank-you notes. And while I can see how sitting down to write hundreds of hand-written notes seems daunting, I’m here to tell you that expressing gratitude for a gift is really… Continue reading A Guide to Thank-You Notes

Ask a Real Bride: Where’s The Wedding Gift?

We all know the saying, “tis better to give than to receive.” But both givers and receivers have run into the awkward situation of what I call “the missing gift:” for brides, that means not receiving a gift, and for givers, not receiving an acknowledgement of a gift they’ve given, leaving them wondering if the… Continue reading Ask a Real Bride: Where’s The Wedding Gift?

Ask a Real Bride: How Should I Choose My Bridesmaids?

My bridesmaids and I almost ten years ago! I had my sister, future sister-in-law, cousin, and college roommates. Image from Kallima Photography

My 7-year-old daughter recently looked lost in thought. When I asked her what she was thinking about, she said, with a great deal of concern, “Mom. Who do you think my bridesmaids will be?” Even the littlest girls understand that choosing your bridal party is like solidifying your inner circle: whether we admit it or… Continue reading Ask a Real Bride: How Should I Choose My Bridesmaids?

Ask a Real Bride: How to Avoid a Wedding Rehearsal Meltdown

The wedding countdown is down to one: your out-of-town guests have begun to arrive, you’ve finished the last-minute errands and pickups, and there’s just one thing left to do: rehearse! The wedding rehearsal is meant to ensure that your ceremony runs smoothly. But this practice session has become a notorious venue for meltdowns, misunderstandings, and… Continue reading Ask a Real Bride: How to Avoid a Wedding Rehearsal Meltdown

Ask a Real Bride: What Your Wedding Guests Wish You Knew

When the big day is over, what will your guests remember? Kallima Photography

Each month, we ask real brides for their opinions on everything from wedding budgets to wedding blunders, but today, we’re turning the tables: a more appropriate title for this month’s edition might be “Tell a Real Bride,” because we’re gathering intel from guests! While there is no doubt the day belongs to the bride and… Continue reading Ask a Real Bride: What Your Wedding Guests Wish You Knew

Ask a Real Bride: Should I Do a First Look?

Photo Credit: Jenna Luna Photo

Is it just me, or have you noticed that weddings have recently tended to be less traditional? I don’t mean that negatively: I love how couples are personalizing their weddings to suit their style in everything from the ceremony to the dress code, resulting in unique, one-of-a-kind weddings! One of the most popular tradition-breakers I’ve… Continue reading Ask a Real Bride: Should I Do a First Look?

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