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Featured Posts

4 Invitation DIY Invitation DIY

How to propose to your "wedding crew" with pirate-themed booze-y gifts

Instead of bridesmaids or groomsmen we're having a Wedding Crew. Which, seeing as how 90% of us met via our Pirate Kickball League (underground/rebel pirate more than "yaaar!" Pirate) we thought it was...

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Featured Posts

12 Real Weddings: Western US Real Weddings: Western US

Allison & Sage's Buddhist gothic gluten-free wedding

With 90 days to plan their wedding, these two pulled off a fusion of Victorian Gothic and Traditional Taiwanese that will blow your mind. Her beyond-gorgeous kimono and his dapper top hat and cane make for fabulous...

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Featured Posts

36 Ceremony Advice Ceremony Advice

Wedding vows for blended families: Kids say, "We do, too!"

Over the years, we've seen lots of really lovely ways to include children in blended family weddings, but we've never featured the vows that were spoken. I've enlisted the help of a few of our favorite...

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Featured Posts

38 Favor Porn Favor Porn

Geeky wedding favors for every genre of geekdom

So far on my quest to help you find the perfect wedding favors I've profiled edible favors and rock 'n roll favors and in this episode I'm bringing you my speciality… GEEKY WEDDING FAVORS!...

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Featured Posts

107 Offbeat grooms Offbeat grooms

Advice for dudes changing their last names

I know a couple men who've taken their wives' last names in two different ways (one got rid of his last name, the other hyphenated), so I pestered them for some name-changing advice.

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Featured Posts

63 Budget & Career (Offbeat Home)

One-lowsmanship, money anxieties, and being a work in progress

There is a great article that John Cheese wrote about what growing up poor does to your brain. It's pretty dead-on. One of the things is that when you have extra money, the desire is to spend it RIGHT NOW before...

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Featured Posts

3 Families in the media (Offbeat Families)

World's largest study of LGBT families finds that children are thriving

The Australian Study of Child Health in Same-Sex Families is the world's largest attempt to study how children raised by LGBT couples compare to children raised by heterosexual couples. After studying 500 children...

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Featured Posts

123 Advertising, Community Management (Offbeat Empire)

Why Tribesmaids forget about the Offbeat Bride blog (and what it means for Offbeat Home's forum)

Six months ago, I promised Offbeat Home & Life readers a forum, and a few readers have been asking what's going on with that. Here's the deal…

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Most Recent Posts
0
Floral Porn Floral Porn

Add a different Avenger to each of your comic-themed boutonnieres

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0
Real Weddings: Midwest US Real Weddings: Midwest US

Amanda & Eric's breakfast-for-dinner fun and games wedding

By Offbeat Editors on June 19th, 2013

Breakfast-for-dinner is a concept we can totally get behind. Especially when it's backed up by DC comics Converse, Mad Libs, handmade pinwheels, an awesome poem written by the bride's brother, …oh, and donuts instead of cake! Just watch out for the little heartbreaker in the suspenders on the dance floor. He's irresistible.

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7
Sponsors Sponsors

Adventures in Seattle wedding planning with Blush Celebrations

By Megan Finley on June 18th, 2013

Rebecca, from Blush Celebrations, is the Seattle-based wedding planner who would literally give you the shirt off her back if you needed it. Or throw you a bachelor party… or geek out with you… In fact, she has so many awesome adventures in wedding planning stories, I thought I'd do a Q&A-style interview with her…

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37
Friends & Family Advice Friends & Family Advice

I don't know if someone got us a wedding gift… should I send a thank you card?

By Megan Finley on June 18th, 2013

Now that the wedding is over, we have a list of 10 couples who came to the wedding, and did not give anything. It concerns me, because I am hoping that nothing got lost. I just don't want to mess something up (etiquette wise). And I don't want to ASK these people if they gave something, in case they didn't. But the WORST would be not thanking them if they did give something but we just didn't receive it. What do I do?

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8
Budgeting Advice Budgeting Advice, Reception Advice

Save money on catering: ask about kid food!

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5
Real Weddings: Midwest US Real Weddings: Midwest US

Karen & Frank's elven fairytale wedding

By Offbeat Editors on June 18th, 2013

A little D&D, a little Lord of the Rings, and a whole lot of fairytale flourishes make this wedding a dream for any fantasy lover. We've also got sword arches, a sweet and teary first look, an element ceremony, a choreographed first dance, and a challenging custom-made dress (that was TOTALLY worth it!). Get out your Lembas bread and settle in for this one.

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21
Friends & Family Advice Friends & Family Advice

How to get bridesmaids to help (and not hate you afterwards)

By Ariel on June 17th, 2013

We've talked many times about the challenges that can arise when your wedding attendants are helping you organize your wedding, but I'm not sure we've ever addressed how you can get help from your bridesmaids or other wedding party members. It's a delicate dance, to be sure… you want help with your wedding, and ideally you want the people helping you not to hate you after it's all done. You can totally do it. Here's how.

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18
Fashion Porn Fashion Porn

Electric, pink, octopus-themed, Burner wedding fashions to blow your tentacles away

By Megan Finley on June 17th, 2013

The Empire ladies lost their collective minds upon first look at the wedding photos of Tribesmaid MizAnna and her "husfriend" C.A.L. from their Chapel Arts wedding in Vancouver, BC. Just wait until you see her whole outfit and peep his black suit with the surprise design on the back…

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11
Real Weddings: Southern US Real Weddings: Southern US

Luci & Josh's relaxing backyard wedding

By Offbeat Editors on June 17th, 2013

Some weddings just lull you into a safe and happy place where things work out and smiles abound. This wedding is your respite from a rough day: a sunny and warm afternoon in Tennessee, comfort food (Southern-style, natch), dried wildflower bouquets, and hand-written vows. The only thing that would make it better would be a pooch in a tux. Oh wait, they had him, too!

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8
Sponsors Sponsors

Arizona's Mike Olbinski Photography: chasing storms and capturing hearts

By Megan Finley on June 14th, 2013

You might remember our Arizona-based sponsor Mike Olbinski as the storm chasing wedding photographer. But we've already talked about how he's a total badass adventurer who's willing to take chances to get amazing wedding photos. Let's talk about the more romantic side to Mike Olbinski's photography. Because Mike may know how to chase storms, but he sure knows how to capture emotions. From cheers to tears, these latest wedding photos of absolutely tug at my cold dead heart strings.

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12
Wedding Shoes Wedding Shoes

Glittery shoes: the summer 2013 edition (with Oxfords for the dapper-footed!)

By Ariel on June 14th, 2013

This certainly isn't my first day stomping down the glittering, campy road of sparkly-ass wedding shoes. Sequins! Rhinestones! Glitter! I've been down this path before.

Today, however, it's not just about sky-high sparkly drag queen shoes. (Although yes, I have included a pair from RuPaul's shoe line.) Today, in addition to my usual heels and pumps, I'm making a point to include a ton of glittering oxfords and boots for the dapper-footed among us. Because who says the femmes and drag queens should have all the mirror-ball fun?!

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Keep Reading 1 2 3 … 370 › »

Hey, I'm Ariel, Seattle-based author of a book called Offbeat Bride: Creative Alternatives for Independent Brides.
This blog is the ongoing celebration of couples who dare to walk off the beaten aisle.

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Today’s hot posts

Recent Blog Posts

  • Real Weddings: Midwest USAmanda & Eric's breakfast-for-dinner fun and games wedding
  • SponsorsAdventures in Seattle wedding planning with Blush Celebrations
  • Friends & Family AdviceI don't know if someone got us a wedding gift… should I send a thank you card?
  • Budgeting AdviceSave money on catering: ask about kid food!
  • Real Weddings: Midwest USKaren & Frank's elven fairytale wedding
  • Friends & Family AdviceHow to get bridesmaids to help (and not hate you afterwards)
  • Fashion PornElectric, pink, octopus-themed, Burner wedding fashions to blow your tentacles away
  • Real Weddings: Southern USLuci & Josh's relaxing backyard wedding
  • SponsorsArizona's Mike Olbinski Photography: chasing storms and capturing hearts
  • Wedding ShoesGlittery shoes: the summer 2013 edition (with Oxfords for the dapper-footed!)

Top Posts of All Time

  • Reception AdviceFirst dance songs that haven't been done to death
  • WTF!?The F word
  • Ceremony Advice"Here Comes the Bride" alternatives for ALL kinds of processionals
  • Reception AdviceNon-sappy father/daughter dance songs
  • Wedding trendsThe unplugged wedding: couples tell guests to put down their devices
  • WTF!?No, he doesn't wear a ring
  • DIYDuplicate It Yourself: the dark side of DIY
  • FeaturesThe best decision I made in my marriage? Keeping my name.
  • WTF!?This is your last chance to run: why commitment comedy falls flat for me
  • Reception AdviceNon-floral wedding centerpieces

Recent Comments

  • At 7:52 AM on Teeny tiny shoes that don't make you feel like a child, Keri Trehearne said:
    Ta, will do!

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  • At 7:52 AM on I don't know if someone got us a wedding gift… should I send a thank you card?, Vivi said:
    My MIL and I had already started addressing the thank you cards before the wedding- because we sent...

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  • At 7:52 AM on Delicious wedding or engagement gifts for your favorite foodie couple, Aquitenonnymouse said:
    I sincerely hope that our comments do not make you feel bad! I really love (schadenfreude...

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About

We launched on January 1st, 2007 to support the release of Seattle author Ariel Meadow Stallings' book, Offbeat Bride: Creative Alternatives for Independent Brides.

We update every weekday with tons of inspiration & advice for couples trying to build weddings full of intention and personality.

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