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Sponsors: Jewelry Sponsors: Jewelry

Texting Otter sez: "Mark Poulin's new pendants are the sweetest gifts EVAR"

By on Oct. 17th

Texting Otter sez: "I love mah bridesmaidz!"

If you're not keeping up with our sister site Offbeat Home & Life, then you missed the first time we introduced you to our sponsor Mark Poulin. Which means you may have been living in a world in which you were completely unaware of the cutest jewelry for nerds and animal-lovers.

Don't worry, all shall be corrected now! Offbeat Bride readers, meet Mark Poulin and his new line of sterling silver charm necklaces. These quirky pendants — featuring the cutest texting otters, skateboarding goats, and boating cats — are perfect for your bridal party gifts.

Each freaking-adorable necklace is reversible, and has either a witty or heartfelt saying on the back, or a different design. Which means there's a total "two necklaces in one" bonus!

Check out some of our favorite designs…

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Wedding Shoes Wedding Shoes

Vintage-ish shoes for your 1920s-styled wedding

By on Oct. 17th

If you're going for a wedding feel that's like a cross between "dusty" and "glitter," this is totally the shoe post for you.

This week, I'm going to nose around in that delicious aesthetic sweet-spot between vintage and glam, between rustic and chic, between glitz and hay bales. Most of these are in the 1920s flavor of vintage. (If Great Gastsby-era is your jam, be sure to check our 1920s archive!)

We can start with these shoes to the left. One reviewer on ModCloth said: "I wore these shoes on my wedding day, and they were perfect! We had a 1920s/1930s theme going on and the shoes fit into it pretty well. They are definitely a unique shoe for a wedding, but I would definitely recommend them because they're SO comfortable! I didn't feel the need to take them off for the reception!" All that for $40? Yes.

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Real Weddings: Northeast US Real Weddings: Northeast US

Kim & Chris' science and superheroes wedding

By on Oct. 17th

This week we're celebrating the tea-length, the mini, and the cocktail — that's right, it's short dress week! We're showcasing brides who dare to bare their gams in shorter dresses.

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Photos by Photos by Carlotta

The Offbeat Bride: Kim, biologist (and Offbeat Bride Member)

Her offbeat partner: Chris, math nerd

Date and location of wedding: Bel Air, MD — October 20, 2013

Our offbeat wedding at a glance: We took many traditions and put our own twist on them. I tried on a few long dresses, but that only helped reinforce that I wanted a tea-length/short gown. I had gazed at one too many on Offbeat Bride and really liked the more vintage styled dresses, especially with a pop of color under it with bright shoes! And it was a wonderful thing to not need assistance when I had to go to the bathroom.

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Advice Advice

6 excuses to break out your wedding finery for a post-wedding portrait session

Guestpost by Emma Gavelis on Oct. 16th

My husband and I got married a little over a month ago now, and I have realized that one of the best decisions that we made was to have a second portrait session after we returned home from our honeymoon. Since I'm a photographer myself, getting good wedding photos was important to me, and I was stressed that perhaps the short timeframe in which we needed to get all of our "perfect wedding portraits" wasn't going to be long enough, was going to be too stressful, or was going to be too hot.

So I decided that having more photos of us taken when we didn't have those stresses or constraints sounded like a much better idea, and man were there a lot of benefits to that choice…

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Invitation Porn Invitation Porn

Jane Austen-themed wedding invitations with personalized library catalog RSVP cards

Guestpost by rae1184 on Oct. 16th

Jane Austen wedding invitations

When it came to invitations, ordering them never crossed my mind. I knew that what I wanted was unique, and making them myself was my best option.

Bask in the glory that is teary-eyed, Fall-colored, Art Nouveau wedding romance

What pulls on the heartstrings more than a groom who gets all choked up seeing his bride for the first time? The answer is nothing.... [more]

I found these Wilton Wedding Toile Invitations that I fell in love with. I loved all the details, and knew they were perfect for what I wanted to do. I also found the perfect font that I have used for almost everything — escort cards, table names, etc. — Becarria.

When it came time to design the invitations, I wanted to keep my literary/Jane Austen/vintage theme going (future librarian here). I found several awesome ideas for literary invitations and RSVP cards and combined them all together…

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Real Weddings: Global Real Weddings: Global

Caroline & Dave's sunrise beach wedding

By on Oct. 16th

This week we're celebrating the tea-length, the mini, and the cocktail — that's right, it's short dress week! We're showcasing brides who dare to bare their gams in shorter dresses.

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Photos by Robyn Brown (bride's aunty) and Sally Frith (bridesmaid)

The Offbeat Bride: Caroline, Policy Writer

Her offbeat partner: Dave, Remuneration Manager

Date and location of wedding: Shoreham Beach and Merricks General Wine Store, Victoria, Australia — February 15, 2013

Our offbeat wedding at a glance: Despite not being morning people, for some reason we thought a ceremony at 7:15 a.m. on the beach would be a good idea. It was — we just had to convince everyone else! Besides, breakfast is the most important meal of the day, right?

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Philosophizing Philosophizing

How "all about the bride" is not about the bride at all

Guestpost by EMedKC on Oct. 15th
ashleymatt024

Photo by Wild About You Photography

I first noticed it when my best friend got married.

She was super-invested in the wedding, the gathering of friends, the party, the fun — but not the details, and really not the planning. It's not her style. And yet, at her rehearsal, the chaplain said, "We will all stay here until we get things right and, most importantly, the bride is happy."

"The Bride" shrugged as if to say "I'm not the one you need to please," and the chaplain looked almost offended.

Later that evening, I referred to her as "the bride." She sighed and said "I can't wait until next week when I can just be me again." I never called her "the bride" again, but I didn't really get it.

Now I'm "the bride." Now I get it.

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Wedding Porn Wedding Porn

Two geologists bury their vows in an Iceland glacier

By on Oct. 15th
Hugs on a glacier

Photos by Photos by Miss Ann

When two Canadian geologists elope to Iceland, you may rest assured that the photographs will be mind-blowing. BUT. Photographer Ann Peters had so much cool info to share on the details, that Imma sprinkle a few more words than usual in between the pics.

Tara and Landon began their wedding day at a geothermal hotel in the hot springs town of Hveragerði in southern Iceland. Getting to their ceremony site on the Mýrdalsjökull Glacier involved a base camp, a Super JEEP, an hours-long drive, and a 40-minute climb. Side note: apparently the glacier is near a volcano that's overdue for eruption. Marriage is an adventure, y'all.

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Real Weddings: Western US Real Weddings: Western US

Wendy & Colin's bookish school house wedding

By on Oct. 15th

This week we're celebrating the tea-length, the mini, and the cocktail — that's right, it's short dress week! We're showcasing brides who dare to bare their gams in shorter dresses.

"Scenic Embrace Wedding Photography"

Photos by Jason Kohut, Scenic Embrace Photography

The Offbeat Bride: Wendy, Offbeat Bride Member

Her offbeat partner: Colin, Associate Team Leader at Whole Foods Market

Date and location of wedding: The Country School at the Lakewood Heritage Center, Lakewood, CO — July 6, 2014

Our offbeat wedding at a glance: When Colin and I got engaged, I knew immediately we weren't going the traditional route. We set the date before we chose a venue so that my best friend could fly in from New Zealand, where she is living. We picked venues on their availability for that date, not the other way around. I also knew that I wanted a dress that was re-wearable and inexpensive. I found a dress on ModCloth that worked really well, and then changed my mind about six months into the planning process because ModCloth restocked a dress in that I had loved when I was dress shopping, but had initially been unavailable in my size. The second dress was much more flattering, although I am keeping both dresses for future use.

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Sponsors: Photographers Sponsors: Photographers

Yes there's whisky, and 4 more reasons you should to elope to Edinburgh

Guestpost by Lauren McGlynn on Oct. 14th

You guys might remember Edinburgh-based wedding photographer Lauren McGlynnThey ♥ OBB; we ♥ them from her amazing work and our copious love for her. It's her FIVE-YEAR anniversary of advertising with us and she's back with some reasons to elope to Edinburgh, Scotland.

I love elopements because they are an adventure and an intimate wedding rolled into one. I can think of no better destination for your elopement than Scotland's capital city of Edinburgh, and here are a few reasons why:

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Reception Advice Reception Advice

Non-cheesy songs for the mother/groom dance

By on Oct. 14th
Mother and Son

Mother and son dance, by makelessnoise – CC BY 2.0

We have a post about non-sappy father/daughter dance songs, but we don't have one about mother/son dances. Let's rectify this!

I'll start: