Virginia & Lars' Snow White & the Red Rose Wedding

The Offbeat Bride: Virginia

Her Offbeat Partner: Lars

Location & date of wedding: Meridian Hills Country Club, Indianapolis, IN — June 2, 2007

What made our wedding offbeat: I tied in my favorite Grimm fairy tale "Snow White and Rose Red" into our Venetian Carnevale theme, to keep guests wondering what was coming next. I wanted to wear a red wedding gown for our entire wedding, but thought it might be too shocking for some of the older guests, as we had a church ceremony before the reception. So, I wore a white traditional gown for the ceremony, then changed into a red silk ballgown for the reception. Both gowns were by Demetrios Couture.

The bride in her white dress daydreaming about her red dress.

I had a diamond white veil with crystals and red piping on the edge, and a clear and red crystal tiara by Ansonia. My shoes were red satin with red bows on them, and I even had a red garter. I purchased a red rose necklace and earring set from the tiarastore online and used red paper bobby pins in my hair next to my veil comb.

I loved the fact that I added a real element of surprise to the wedding for our guests. It just made it all the more fun. If I had it to do all over again, though, I wear only the red gown all the way from start to finish! I hated to take that gown off — I felt like a real princess in it! The color was so rich, and the fabric exquisite. The photos came out so great. If you are a bride considering color — DO IT, and don't look back!

Our biggest challenge: My biggest challenge was changing quickly between ceremony and reception without the guests catching wind of my wardrobe change before we entered the reception! Also, I was really worried about people's reaction to the red gown, but most people, including the older guests, loved it.

My favorite moment: Our videographer grabbed two of the elaborately decorated red masks that had been incorporated into the table centerpieces, and at the end of the evening, she shot a segment of us holding the masks up to our faces, then kissing.

My advice for other offbeat brides: Try color — it's so beautiful and makes the photos really pop more than neutral colors. Don't be afraid to go vivid!

Enough talk — here's the wedding porn: