Here Comes the Drama with Christa Innis

48: Wedding Tornado, DIY Confessions, and Raw Photo Dilemma with Mackenna Hillis

Here Comes the Drama with Christa Innis

Show Notes

Ever had your perfect wedding day ruined by Mother Nature? This week’s story submission had it all: a forecast for a sunny, dreamy outdoor ceremony, completely upended by flash flooding, thunder, and lightning while the bride and her bridesmaids were still at the salon. From soggy dresses to late groomsmen, a misnamed officiant, and a brother-in-law signing the marriage license incorrectly, total chaos. Yet the bride’s attitude remained unshakable. Mackenna and Christa dive into surviving unpredictable weather with backup plans, navigating multi-wedding venues and unexpected guest drama, and why little disasters, muddy dresses, eaten dinners, and wild relatives, don’t have to ruin the day. They also explore jaw-dropping DIY wedding confessions, from postpartum moms breaking their bodies for receptions that flopped to well-meaning family members being treated like unpaid staff. By the end, the storm passed, the photos were stunning, and the memories? Truly unforgettable. JOIN ME IN GREECE OCTOBER 2026!

My new book Here Comes the Drama: A Ferris and Sloan Story is live! Get the book!

Must-Hear Insights and Key Moments

Wedding Weather Chaos – A bride’s perfect sunny forecast turned into torrential rain, flash floods, and even a near tornado, proving that Mother Nature always keeps weddings interesting.

Timing Troubles – Despite major delays getting to the venue and groomsmen running late, the ceremony only started five minutes behind schedule, showing quick thinking and adaptability saves the day.

Vendor and Guest Mishaps – From officiants mixing up names to siblings eating the bride’s dinner, unexpected hiccups kept everyone on their toes—but didn’t ruin the celebration.

DIY Wedding Insights – Mackenna and Christa discuss the joys and stress of DIY weddings, emphasizing knowing your limits, enjoying the process, and having supportive friends and family.

Postpartum Supermom Moment – One bride cooked all the food just 19 days after a C-section, only to have guests not show up—a testament to dedication (and the chaos that can come with DIY weddings).

Respecting Helpers – Stories of friends and family being treated like staff instead of loved ones highlighted the importance of gratitude and kindness at weddings.

Memorable Family Styles – From hideous DIY dresses to motorcycle-riding grandparents arriving in leather and denim, the hosts celebrate letting family members own their style and quirks for authentic memories.

Photography Perspective – Mackenna shares how professional photographers navigate wedding chaos, from unexpected weather to ensuring the couple gets the photos they deserve.

Words of Wisdom: Standout Quotes from This Episode

“There’s DIY for fun… and then there’s DIY for emotional damage.” - Christa Innis

“Who is asking a postpartum mom to cook a whole wedding meal? Be serious.” - Christa Innis

“The minute you treat people like staff instead of family, I’m side-eyeing you.” - Christa Innis

“If it doesn’t bring you joy, it’s not a cute craft — it’s a stressor.” - Christa Innis

“That’s not just a wedding drama… that’s a boundary violation.” - Christa Innis

“Nineteen days postpartum and cooking? I could barely imagine standing.” - Mackenna

“If someone’s helping, you don’t get to boss them around.” - Mackenna

“That would make me mad as the bride AND as the friend.” - Mackenna

“You have to know your relationship before calling out that dress.” - Mackenna

“Some people just have their own style… even if it hurts a little to look at.” - Mackenna

About Mackenna

Mackenna is a Middle Tennessee photographer specializing in weddings, maternity, Fresh48, branding, lifestyle, and senior sessions. Known for her steady presence and calm, grounded energy, she’s captured every kind of wedding day—messy, emotional, beautiful, and everything in between. With an eye for real moments and a heart for her couples, Mackenna brings warmth, adaptability, and storytelling to every gallery she delivers. Follow Mackenna

Face

More from Here Comes the Drama with Christa Innis

Oct 8, 2026

Christa gets a little emotional as she talks about putting the podcast on pause and what she wants to focus on next. Before she signs off, she dives into some absolutely wild listener stories, including one bride whose wedding takes a very unfortunate turn and another relationship that ends in the strangest way. She also gets into a wedding where family boundaries are basically nonexistent, which has Christa especially heated. She wraps things up with some of your latest family confessions. Buckle up. It’s one last round of drama… for now. I’m pressing pause on the podcast to make room for book number two, more skits, YouTube, speaking gigs, and the projects that are currently stealing my heart (in the best way). Before I sign off, we’ll listen to some truly unhinged stories. There’s a bride who turns her white wedding dress into a crime scene, a boyfriend who uses September 11th footage to announce he needs a “break,” and a wedding that gets completely hijacked by the parents and in-laws. Plus, I read the latest family confessions. One last dose of drama before the podcast takes its pause. My new book Here Comes the Drama: A Ferris and Sloan Story is live! Get the book!

Oct 1, 2026

Episode 89 of Here Comes the Drama features Kath Jones, whose groom called off their wedding SEVEN DAYS before the big day. Instead of canceling, Kath went ahead with the celebration in Tuscany, leaned on her village, and took her power back. Then, she and Christa unpack a WILD family drama involving a fourth and fifth wedding, an “evil stepmom,” financial drama, TEN uninvited Mormon missionaries, bridesmaid chaos, bachelorette expectations, and the kid-free wedding debate. Your fiancé calls off your wedding SEVEN DAYS before the big day. What do you do?! If you’re Kath Jones, you put on your white outfit, call your people, go to Tuscany, and HAVE THE PARTY ANYWAY. In this episode, we talked about the moment her six-and-a-half-year relationship came crashing down, how she leaned on her family and friends, and why she refused to let one person’s decision ruin an entire week she had been looking forward to. Then we spiral into one of the WILDEST family wedding stories involving an “evil stepmom,” multiple marriages, excluded children, financial drama, and TEN uninvited Mormon missionaries. Plus: bachelorette costs, bridesmaid expectations, kid-free weddings, and why your girlfriends might actually be your soulmates. My new book Here Comes the Drama: A Ferris and Sloan Story is live! Get the book!

Sep 24, 2026

Christa tackles some of the wedding rules and expectations that come up again and again, then takes on a guest list dilemma involving a bride’s family and her fiancé’s coworkers' guest invitations. She also reacts to a story about a maid of honor who wants to get married on the exact same date as her best friend. Christa then shares strong opinions about the friend’s request and the decision to end the friendship. How far would you go to protect your wedding date? Listen in as I take on rapid-fire wedding hot takes, from “shedding for the wedding” and the no-ring-no-bring rule to the expectations couples put on their wedding parties. Then into this week’s wedding dilemma: a bride whose fiancé wants to invite several coworkers she has never met, even though their guest list is already over budget and her family makes up most of it. The real drama starts in this week’s story submission, when a maid of honor decides she wants the exact same wedding date as her best friend and expects her to move her wedding back a year. I break down what happened between the two friends and why she thinks there may be more to the story than just a wedding date. Because apparently, there are only 365 days in the year. My new book Here Comes the Drama: A Ferris and Sloan Story is live! Get the book!

Sep 17, 2026

A highlight episode featuring past guests Salma, Ivette, Shawna the Mom, and Lauren Lowder of Burnt Out Teachers. Alongside these, the conversation dives into a fresh listener dilemma: a pagan wedding planned for 2028 with unity circle seating, complicated by whether to make the ceremony child‑free. The heart of the episode explores family dynamics, parenting struggles, and how to set boundaries without alienating loved ones. When family drama collides with wedding plans, the child‑free debate takes center stage. In this week’s episode, after a whirlwind August, it is the perfect time to revisit some of my favorite conversations. You will hear episode highlights with Salma, Ivette, Shawna the Mom, and Lauren Lowder of Burnt Out Teachers. But the real conversation of this episode is a new listener dilemma. Planning a pagan wedding in 2028 with unity circle seating, only to face the question of whether the ceremony should be child free. The twist? Concerns about a sibling’s kids who have a history of disrupting family gatherings. I dive into the messy tension between wanting everyone included and protecting the meaning of the day, sharing perspective on boundaries, communication, and how to celebrate without letting family drama steal the spotlight. Is wedding planning bringing out the worst in people, or simply revealing who they really are? My new book Here Comes the Drama: A Ferris and Sloan Story is live! Get the book!

Sep 10, 2026

Episode 86 of Here Comes the Drama is a REPLAY featuring pop culture creator Saron Olkaba, and this one is PACKED with wedding hot takes, toxic in-laws, family drama, relationship red flags, and confessions that will have you screaming, “STOP THE TRAIN!” From boundary battles to a mother-in-law who takes things way too far, this episode is messy, unfiltered, and VERY dramatic. This is a REPLAY of one of our favorite episodes! What happens when a mother-in-law hijacks your wedding and makes it all about her? Absolute mayhem. This week on Here Comes the Drama, we dive into one of the most outrageous MIL meltdowns ever. From insisting on a 500-guest wedding to uninviting the bride from a wedding dinner, this story is a rollercoaster of entitlement, manipulation, and jaw-dropping audacity. Saron Olkaba, a pop culture commentator, reality TV aficionado, and queen of hot takes joins Christa for a brutally honest take on wedding chaos, pop culture madness, and why cash bars should be banned. They’re spilling all the drama—from surprise proposals gone horribly wrong to the great debate on whether kids should even be at weddings. Trust us, you don’t want to miss this one. If you love wedding scandals, unfiltered opinions, and stories that will make you gasp, this episode is for you! My new book Here Comes the Drama: A Ferris and Sloan Story is live! Get the book!

See all episodes →