Creating a Positive Community

The main thing that I love about PW is that this is a place where I can share ideas and inspiration with other brides and brides-to-be. Most of the time the feedback that I see is positive and supportive. We are all different people with different tastes, cultures and ideas, and we should celebrate this. It is wonderful to be able to see how people from other regions, countries, ethnicities and cultures celebrate love and marriage.

We generally post about our own wedding and our own ideas. But it is not rare to see non-PW weddings highlights and hear stories about successes and failures at non-PW weddings. Whether the poster is commenting on her own wedding or a wedding she attended or a completely random wedding found through google images, the same courtesies should apply.

Words can be very hurtful. Please be conscientious of the words you choose and how you choose to express yourself. It is much 'easier' to make a snarky comment online than it is in person, but I think a general courtesy should be this- if you wouldn't say it out loud to someone, don't type it either.

There are many things that I see that would not be right for me or my wedding, but that does not make them a 'bad' idea. For example, a pig roast would be a waste of money for my wedding, as neither FI nor I (nor the majority of our guests) eat pork. However, if someone else wants to have it, I think it is a great idea- it seems like a ton of fun!

There is no standard for the perfect wedding. We each have our own dreams and our own budgets. In my opinion, the perfect wedding is the wedding that ends with a husband and wife. A happy bride and groom is a lot more important than a dress or a centerpiece or a cake.

I am not saying that we should be fake in what we post. I am only asking that we remember these ideas that we are commenting on are a real person's ideas. These weddings are real. These feelings are real. Constructive criticism is great, but harsh words are not.

Please be mindful of what you post. We want everyone to feel welcome in our community, no matter how traditional or off-the-wall her ideas are.