Just F**king Say It: 5 Controversial Opinions for an Unforgettable Wedding Speech

Guest Contributor

Mary Costa

May 22, 2025

If your wedding speech sounds like it was written by ChatGPT on a caffeine crash, you’re doing it wrong. This isn’t the time for safe, sweet, and forgettable. It’s your one chance to light up the room, speak from your heart, and maybe even make your grandmother blush a little. If you’re going to speak at your wedding (and I think you absolutely should), now’s your time to just f**king say it. Here are five controversial (but genius) techniques from speech coach Susie Ashfield on how to ditch the fluff and deliver a wedding speech people will actually remember.

Alternative Lingerie Options for the Unconventional Nearlywed

Guest Contributor

The Sugarcoated Company

May 21, 2025

When you think of "bridal lingerie", what comes to mind? Ivory lace? Strapless bras? Shapewear that flattens more than it flatters? Yeah… same. But if you're here, reading Rock n Roll Bride, chances are you’re not looking for “tradition” wrapped in tissue paper. You’re planning a wedding that’s unapologetically you. Which means your lingerie shouldn't be some beige afterthought, it should be part of the fantasy.

Feminism, Equality & The Meaning of Your Wedding Flowers

Rachel Darwin

Erica Whiting

May 20, 2025

Do you ever play the people-watching game in big train stations? As somebody who first met my now-husband under the clock at Waterloo, I love giving back-stories to strangers as I wait. My favourite time to do it is when I spot somebody carrying a bunch of flowers. I wonder if those ranunculi mean “congrats on the new job”, or if those red roses mean “I’m sorry for being a prick”. Whatever the meaning, when it comes to flowers, there is always a message being sent. And, sometimes, there is even a whole secret language in bloom. So, why not use your flowers to help send the messages you want to on your wedding day?

Ask an Expert: Flower Power   

Guest Contributor

Dale Weeks

May 14, 2025

Welcome to "Ask an Expert" - your chance to have your wedding planning questions answered by our crack team of wedding pros! Each issue of the magazine will spotlight a different wedding expert, so whatever help you need, email us with the subject line “Ask an Expert,” and your question might be featured in a future edition

How to Shake Up Your Wedding Timeline

Jon Carpenter

The Costa Sisters

May 6, 2025

There’s an age-old playbook for a wedding day: a list of ye olde commandments that must be followed. At Rock n Roll Bride magazine, we are all about throwing the wedding rulebook out the window. Here’s how to do it!

The Rise of the Second Wedding Dress: Why Modern Brides Are Saying Yes to the Mini

Guest Contributor

Katie Rogers

April 16, 2025

Once upon a time, a bride chose the dress. One gown, worn for the whole wedding day. But times are changing. More and more nearlyweds are picking not just one, but two wedding dresses. Swapping their traditional gowns for something fun, flirty, and way easier to dance in as the night goes on. Enter the mini wedding dress.

I Never Knew I Was a Feminist Until I Started Planning a Wedding: Smashing the Patriarchy While Saying ‘I Do’

Guest Contributor

Mattalynn Mason

March 28, 2025

Even after working in the wedding industry for over fifteen years, I never truly considered myself a feminist until I started planning my own wedding. And now? I’m shouting it from the rooftops. I’m a proud, modern feminist, and I’m bringing that energy into my own big day.

Ask An Expert: The “Fuck It” Bucket

Guest Contributor

March 19, 2025

We really want to do our own thing for our wedding and not follow pointless traditions. However, we have some very conservative relatives who will expect certain elements. How do we tread that fine line between doing our wedding our way and not alienating everyone we love?

Styling Your Wedding: Making a Big Impact on a Small Budget

Kat

Alex Mari

March 13, 2025

There are several things you need to consider when deciding what you want your wedding to look and feel like: your budget, your guest count, your venue, your priorities, and your vision. This is especially true if you’re working with a smaller or limited budget.

Every Rose Has Its Thorn: Alternative Wedding Flower Ideas

Kat

March 12, 2025

We've been bombarded with images of the ‘traditional’ wedding our whole lives, it’s part of our culture, so when it comes to planning your own, it's very natural to feel a bit torn between wanting to stick to tradition while also wanting your own personality to shine through.

Don’t Do It Yourself: Why Some Wedding Tasks are Best Left to the Pros

Rachel Darwin

Juliana Noelle Jumper

March 4, 2025

There is nothing I love more than getting together with a friend or two for a crafternoon of sewing, making and creating. When I got married, I spent a weekend with one of my bridesmaids, who (major friend flex) just happens to be a set sculptor for Hollywood films. We made 12 gorgeous little hobbit houses for the tables, a postbox for the cards, and I designed all the invitations, stationery and signage. For anyone with a penchant for making, the idea of a DIY wedding can be a dream. - a great way to add your own unique identity to your day - but that’s not the sort of DIY I want to focus on in this article. Instead, I’m going to look at those moments of wedding planning when perhaps you shouldn’t be doing it all yourself. When actually it might be better to ask for help or even to employ a professional!

Ask An Expert: Becoming a DIY Queen

Guest Contributor

Chloe Lee

February 18, 2025

Welcome to our new-look "Ask an Expert" feature! In each issue, we'll be inviting different wedding experts to weigh in on your burning wedding planning questions. So, whatever you need help with, send us an email with the subject line “Ask an Expert” and your question may be used in a future edition.

Gender Fluid Wedding Fashion

Alexandra Merri

February 11, 2025

The wedding industry is undergoing a much-needed transformation as Gen Z dismisses outdated traditional wedding norms. Say goodbye to awkward first dances and traditional cake cutting—today's couples are writing their own rules. This also includes breaking free from conventional bride and groom dress codes.

How to Give the Best Ever Wedding Speech

Jon Carpenter

Rebecca Carpenter

February 4, 2025

This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity you have here. I mean, seriously, when will you ever get to do this again?! To get up in front of all your friends and family, and talk about anything you like – uninterrupted – for 5 minutes straight. Oh, the possibilities!

Breaking Free From Pinterest Perfection: How to Plan a Wedding That Feels Authentically You

Kat

The Shukans

January 30, 2025

Scrolling through a sea of lookalike weddings or feeling overwhelmed by watching too many TikToks about the latest ‘must-have trend’ is very normal. But, just how do you ensure your wedding feels like YOU and isn’t just a culmination of the 500 videos you watched this week?

How to Ignore the Naysayers & Make Your Wedding Feel like YOU

Rachel Darwin

Nick Maciarz

January 23, 2025

When you’re planning your wedding, it’s a wonderful opportunity to bring your friends and family together to celebrate all the different layers that make the two of you… you! All those hobbies, interests and passions you share can be whisked up to make a sweet, unique, you-flavoured cake, with all the sprinkles and decorations you might fancy. Unfortunately, however, a wedding day is often viewed by others as an opportunity to throw their own ingredients into the mix. When this happens… how can you express yourself and stand up for what you want… so that you can get the sweet result you dreamed of

Why Rock n Roll Bride?

Rachel Darwin

Devlin Photos

January 2, 2025

I always love writing for Rock n Roll Bride in January. I love picturing all the new readers, who got engaged over the holidays, giddily unwrapping their first issue and settling down with a hot chocolate by the fire. I love thinking about some of our more seasoned readers, who can now start saying that their wedding is “this year” instead of “next year” … (Eeee! So exciting!) And I love having a chance to remind every Rock n Roll Bride reader out there exactly WHY they have chosen this wonderful magazine as their sparkly little helper on their wedding-planning journey.

New to Rock n Roll Bride? Start Here!

Kat

December 29, 2024

Hello and welcome to Rock n Roll Bride—the rule breaking wedding planning platform! Trust us, you're going to be so happy you found us. If you are newly engaged, tired of all the traditional, cookie cutter wedding stuff you're seeing, or you're just in the midst of it all and losing your goddamn mind then fret not, we are here to help.

My Boudoir Shoot was the Confidence Boost I Needed Before Stepping into Marriage

Guest Contributor

Hannah Lunn

December 16, 2024

The wedding boudoir photo shoot is in vogue again—and what a fantastic trend! It encourages people to step into their most sensual selves, adorned with lingerie, and take control of their sexiness in celebration of entering a new era of their lives. However, the idea of posing in my underwear in front of a camera and a stranger (the photographer) would have filled me with dread only a few years ago.

Ask Alysia: Be a Nonbinary Baddie

Alysia Cole

Lucy Holland Photo

December 13, 2024

This is Alysia’s final column for Rock n Roll Bride magazine (sobs, cries) and although we are so sad to see her go, we’re going to be opening this page up to different wedding experts going forward. If you have any wedding planning woes that you’d love to get an expert’s opinion or advice on, email magazine@rocknrollbride.com with the subject line ASK AN EXPERT and we may use your question in a future edition!