It’s definitely not a secret that I LOOOOOOOVE creative, fun weddings that really allow the personality of the couple to shine through. I love that wedding trends are moving towards each celebration being a one-of-a-kind event without the bride and groom feeling that they have to follow the “cookie-cutter” mold of a traditional wedding.
A few weeks ago, I was asked to do a book review for the book “Offbeat Bride“. And, knowing my weakness for all things wedding-related and quirky, I jumped on the opportunity! In the interests of market research, I took the book along on my trip to the WPPI Photography Conference in Vegas AND along to Erica and Dave’s wedding in Baltimore. This month I’ve had a LOT of time sitting in airports! So, editors of Offbeat Bride, here are my thoughts!
First of all, let me say that I never really considered myself an “offbeat bride”. Yes, I tried to personalize my wedding and am happy with all the unique things that Ben and I incorporated into our day, but I felt like we needed to do things a certain way to follow typical wedding “etiquette”. Now I wish I had read this book three years ago! Looking back now, I would have probably skipped the dance part of the evening, and had a jazz band rather than a DJ. I would have worn more comfortable shoes and let Ben have a little more fun with his outfit. Even though my family isn’t as unique as the author’s, I still took away a lot of advice that made me wish I’d done things slightly differently.
One thing I loved is that the author, Ariel, didn’t feel the need to follow tradition if it didn’t work for them. For example, she didn’t want to make her single female friends feel embarassed about the bouquet toss. So she skipped it! Because they felt passionately about sticking to their budget and also being eco-friendly, their outdoor wedding seemed perfect for “muglies”, an ugly mug picked up at a thrift store for .25. These Muglies served as beverage holders for all of their guests for the entire evening, and were a fun conversation starter. The Muglies also served as wedding favors… the uglier, the better. Michele and Jason, one of my couples from 2008 asked family members to make homemade jam to use as placecards and favors… I love that idea!
They found ways to incorporate both of their values into the event: he was a vegan, and she was wasn’t. Solution? Vegan dinner and both vegan and non-vegan dessert. She wanted a non-traditional dress and he was uncomfortable in a tux. Solution? Corset top with wedding skirt made of lime green organza over ivory satin. Classy, huh? The groom wore a suit with the sleeves ripped off. That wouldn’t have worked for my wedding, but for them, it was the perfect choice… and I love that! One trend that I’ve loved lately is allowing the girls to pick their own dress in a certain shade, and giving them a choice for shoes, and allowing the guys to wear a suit:
One thing I loved about Ariel’s views on weddings was that she knew where to splurge and where to cut back. For them, they spent little money on decorations and invitations, but splurged on her shoes and wedding photography. As a photographer, I was worried she’d say that they did without photos (gasp!), but as Ariel stated “Paying an experienced wedding photographer was one of the wedding budget items that I refused to scrimp on.” They ignored the typical wedding magazine photos lists that include things like “Mom helping bride with veil” and “Dad whispering last minute advice to groom”. Instead, their photographer caught real moments with the day’s events. Yes, they did formal pictures. But they were quick, painless family groupings and with the wedding party that flew by, and saved more time for moments for just the two of them and the photographer… so they could enjoy the day with the rest of their guests. But above all, they kept things casual, such as this fun, relaxed portrait from Renee and Justin’s wedding:
My overall impression of the book was that it really kept things in perspective. While many couples won’t have to deal with some of the very different family situations mentioned in the book, almost any bride or groom could benefit from reminders of why you are actually getting married in the first place (and help you figure out if you REALLY need to have a traditional wedding cake or adhere to the all-women bridesmaid suggestion).
Idea from Michele and Jason’s wedding that I adore: asking family members to make special family-favorites for dessert, and forgoing the cake altogether. Then they included recipes for each dessert in their wedding program booklet:
Idea from Liz and Ed’s wedding: all the flowers came from Ed’s mother’s garden, and they just asked a florist friend to assemble the bouquets and boutonnieres.
Who says weddings can’t have an element of playfulness?
Lisa and Rick shared a love of all things medieval. So they decided their day should reflect it. No traditional white programs for this ceremony!
Similarly, Lisa didn’t want a white wedding dress. So she wore orange. Love love love it!
Shoes. Enough said:
So. Are you interested in being unique? Does the thought of breaking out of the traditional-wedding mold sound like fun to you? If so, leave a comment below with something you want to do for your wedding that really signified YOU as a couple, or a fun detail you are excited about! I’ll be choosing two people randomly from the comments left, and the editor of Offbeat Bride will be sending you a free copy of the book!
They are getting married this June and wanted some pictures taken on Kevin’s family farm. It was such a neat place: right across the road from the Wisconsin River, great views, cool buildings, and of course, it had cows. 
