Kell & Jason's "The Crow" Inspired Halloween Elopement

The Offbeat Bride: Kell – Customer service (and OBT member Kell)

Her Offbeat Partner: Jason – Warehouse manager

Location & date of wedding: In the grounds of Chandeliers on Abbey in Yallingup, south Western Australia — Friday 31st October 2008 at 5:45pm

What made our wedding offbeat: There was only the two of us, our celebrant and our photographers on the wedding day. Our wedding was so personal and so important to us. To cement the friendship we'd always had and to vow what we already knew, that even when there was nobody else we could relate to, we would always have each other.

We had our first kiss whilst watching "The Crow" so that was one reason we picked the Halloween date. I also really love Tim Burton movies so they inspired elements into the day such as the aisle runner and Corpse Bride vows during the ring ceremony.

My favourite colour is purple and I really wanted a purple dress. I ended up spending twice what I had intended, but I have a dress I love heaps, is very unique and I will wear again.

My husband was just as excited about his outfit and he managed to track down an awesome 3 piece Italian wool suit which is black with red pinstripes. He found himself a skull print tie and custom made shirts to complete the look. We also both bought new Doc Marten dress shoes.

We spent the morning together, went out to a local winery and had lunch together then my Husband went out to town and bought us some gourmet things for our dinner and a huge bunch of red roses for me whilst I got my hair and makeup done. Then we helped each other get ready.

Luckily for us we had some great people working with us on our wedding day. Early on we found a wonderful celebrant, Adrienna, who was very enthusiastic about our Halloween wedding (Halloween isn't widely celebrated in Australia so it was hard to win people over to the idea) and did a great job conducting the ceremony we wrote. We also had the best and most awarded photographers in the area (Envy) who made us feel very comfortable and really ran with our themes to create images even I (in all my meticulous planning) hadn't thought of.

It was hard organizing so much long distance by myself but luckily I had my wonderful Husband to listen to me rant and rave, clean the house, feed me and remind me to go to bed. After 6 months of this he still agreed to marry me. I'm the luckiest girl in the world!

The ceremony with their awesome Burton-inspired runner.

Our biggest challenge: There were a few wars waged with the bank and a service provider which I've ranted about on our wedding blog, thankfully neither problem spilled over onto the big day.

I think my biggest challenge was trying to organise everything (including talking to the bank in another time zone) during working hours in a call centre which meant I had no access to my mobile or the internet during big chunks of the day.

I think my Husband's biggest challenge was getting his mum used to the idea she wouldn't be at the wedding.

My favorite moment: There weren't many surprises on the day, I'd already shared everything with him in the planning stages. I did however get a friend of mine in the UK to send me over a Liverpool Football Club garter. Jas is a huge fan and follows them very closely as his late Dad is from Liverpool (his ashes are scattered at the gates to Anfield) and when I showed the garter to him when it was time to get me dressed, he got all teary and walked off for a bit.

Jas says his favourite bit was waiting for me whilst Golgotha Tenement Blues from The Crow soundtrack played, and then me bounding out giggling and singing away to Powderfinger.

My advice for other offbeat brides: Give your Groom creative licence too. It was so great watching Jas get excited about planning his outfit, growing out his hair and choosing his jewellery. He had lots of say in how I looked on the day too and I guess it paid off. =)

Don't get so caught up in all the hype to forget why you're doing all this. I missed so many nights I could've been snuggled up spending time with my man and just being engaged because I was stressing and procrastinating over some little element, or trawling the internet for 'inspiration' when all I needed was sitting alone in another room waiting for me to pay attention to him!

Enough talk — show me the elopement porn!