I'm sorry, but some of the stuff on Offbeat Bride is just too weird. Some of the wedding shoes? Ugly. Some of the real offbeat weddings? Kinda tacky. I love Offbeat Bride, but sometimes I just don't get you guys. -Anonymous.
We all like different things. AND THAT'S FUCKING AWESOME! Photo courtesy of lovedart. as submitted to the Offbeat Bride photo pool.
This website isn't about dictating one vision of taste or aesthetics upon my readers. Sure, we feature wedding trends when we start to notice Offbeat Brides getting obsessed with a particular vision. But part of why I continue to run Offbeat Bride is because it's an excuse to get exposed to a whole big wide range of cultures and styles and people and design outside my daily experience.
If everything on Offbeat Bride was just a reflection of my personal tastes, we'd never see any rockabillies or goths or steampunks or church weddings. OBB would be all West Coast neo-tribal forest weddings like these ones. (Love 'em — but yawn!)
If Offbeat Bride was all about Megan's personal preferences, it'd be all beach weddings, star wars couples, and gamer geeks.
So I say: bring on the "too weird"! Bring on the ugly-to-some-people! Bring on the kinda-tacky-to-some-people! Because our tastes are all different, and when some bride halfway across the globe dares to share her vision with the world and I get exposed to something new and beautiful and amazing and magical … we all win.
Comments on "Why you're not supposed to like everything you see on Offbeat Bride"
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@awesomebrandi
November 17th, 2009 · 6:16 PM · #
Damn skippy! That's what I try and tell people about offbeat-ness. It can be ANYTHING. It's really about showing your personality and doing what you like. Who cares what others think? Keep on rocking Ariel!
Katie
November 17th, 2009 · 7:01 PM · #
personally, i've never seen a wedding on obb that i don't like. why? because every bride says, "it's just what i wanted." and that's exactly what a wedding should be. it may not be my personal taste, it may not make me say, "OMG! i want that for my OWN wedding." but if it's what the couple wanted, dreamed of, and were ultimately H-A-P-P-Y with, then i love it. i love it for the personal touches and love that went into dreaming it up. i love every obb wedding featured on this site because, while you do see certain trends (trends that i often love, too), none of them are cookie cutter weddings.
Anna
November 17th, 2009 · 7:12 PM · #
Katie you are singing my song – I've actually never seen a wedding on this site that I didn't love. They all make me happy. I have my own issues though – people like "anonymous" are head scratchers to me – but I dig that the world is so varied that there are people who manage to present in ways that even I can't 'get'.
Kristina
November 17th, 2009 · 7:44 PM · #
Wow, what a generous, good-natured, and optimistic response to a mean-spirited, pointless, and obnoxious email. Who died and made "Anonymous" the Royal Arbiter of Taste? This is why Ariel is my hero — she can take something like that email and make it a "teaching moment" for diversity of tastes and inclusion. I'm with the commenters above. I love all the weddings here, because they show people at their best — personal, different, and totally happy and in love. You get beauty from the smiles on the blissful, fun-loving couples here that can't always be found in so-called "perfection."
hinakuu
November 17th, 2009 · 7:46 PM · #
Totally agreed, I don't share everyone's personal tastes, but what I do appreciate is that they're getting the wedding of their dreams and a wonderful beginning to a new life with their partner. That's what makes me smile when I see new wedding photos. And that's why I come back, even though I already have my own wedding vision worked out.
Melli
November 17th, 2009 · 7:55 PM · #
She "doesn't get" us, guys! Oh well. I get us! Yay happy weddings!!
Sarah TX
November 17th, 2009 · 8:03 PM · #
Katie is sooo right. I don't think I've ever seen a wedding on OB that didn't feature a radiantly happy couple, and that's what makes a kick-ass wedding.
Kismetcrow
November 17th, 2009 · 8:09 PM · #
I love Ariel's statement on the original "You're wedding is not a contest!" She said, "ALL WEDDINGS ARE TACKY."
So true.
Renee
November 17th, 2009 · 8:30 PM · #
I've got to tell you, Ariel – you handled that so much more tactfully than I would have (for me, it would have turned into a rant about breaking traditions, and society dictating what's "normal" that would have only come off as pretentious by the end). I am so impressed. Seriously, this website keeps me so grounded, whenever I get wound up by people who tell me what's "acceptable" and what's "not." I can't wait until my woobie pops the question so I can become a member
Evita
November 17th, 2009 · 9:15 PM · #
This x 1,000,000
amerwitch
November 17th, 2009 · 9:16 PM · #
without OBB i would have never gotten to know about steam punk or see how rockabilly can be done in so many ways. with all the weddings posted, there are things that i would like to have and some things i don’t want to have.
and i know when my wedding gets posted there will be many people thinking the same thing.
when i found this site, i found salvation! all i had found in the world of “non-tradition” wedding was a white dress with a colored sash. THIS is the place to see how many million ways one can turn a wedding out!
coco
November 17th, 2009 · 9:35 PM · #
& that is what makes this website so great. there is something for everyone on this blog. no matter how "offbeat," ugly, or tacky something may seem offbeat bride welcomes it, which is what makes it so great. no one should ever feel out of place or "too weird."
Nelle
November 17th, 2009 · 9:43 PM · #
Until I found Offbeat bride, I had NO interest in having a wedding. I just wanted to run to the courthouse with my life partner and not tell anyone. The idea of planning a wedding used to make me break out into a cold sweat.
But OBB has shown me that weddings don't have to be the nightmare train wrecks I've imagined and that a beautiful wedding can be achieved on a very small budget. But MOST importantly, OBB has shown me that a wedding can be nothing else but a beautiful declaration and celebration of love, shared with family and friends. Now THAT is something I am definitely interested in. For some strange reason, I never thought of it that way before.
Rachel
November 17th, 2009 · 10:44 PM · #
This is an important teaching moment – so glad we have Ariel to post this! Ariel's post also makes me think about the OBT's policy of being supportive, which I think some people have criticized as being "wrong" because it means we can only say that we like each other's wedding things and ideas. I don't think that's what being supportive is at all – you can not like someone's wedding thing for yourself but still be supportive that they have found what they like for them! You can even offer constructive criticism and still be supportive! You just can't be a jerk and unhelpful and say someone's stuff is "tacky" or "ugly," because that is both un-supportive and useless!
offbeat_shrie
November 17th, 2009 · 10:53 PM · #
Right on A! Way to clear up some misconceptions about the awesomeness of OBB.
Melanie
November 17th, 2009 · 11:08 PM · #
AMEN! Diversity is a beautiful thing.
Cassie
November 17th, 2009 · 11:26 PM · #
Did someone actually take the time to write in and ask you this question, or did you pull it from a comment on a post somewhere? This isn't the first time I've seen a "question" like this before on OBT, and frankly I don't get it. It's inherently rude. Plus, I don't understand why it's even being asked….isn't it obvious this site is here to celebrate our own unique weddings that are authentic to us, so by definition they will be very different and likely not to everyone's taste?
Sorry, I guess I'm cranky today, I just don't get it. Questions like this remind me of the snotty guest at the wedding who turns her nose up at the whole thing because it's not WIC-friendly…and that is exactly what this site is not about!
spot
November 17th, 2009 · 11:42 PM · #
OBB is like Punk Music. Just stick with me for a second…I love punk music and the whole point of following punk is that you do whatever you want. For a while punks dressed in dickies and that was 'punk' but when you get to the bottom of it, I can go to my favorite punk show in jeans and a t shirt (no dickies) and still be punk because, frankly, punk is whatever you want and not caring what everyone else thinks of you.
That's OBB to me.
laura
November 17th, 2009 · 11:58 PM · #
Anonymous has totally missed the point of offbeat bride! srsly!
this is how i explain OBB to people–yes you might look at a featured wedding and go "what the…." but who the hell cares—you'll ALWAYS see the groom and bride beaming. that's all that matters
christine
November 18th, 2009 · 1:44 AM · #
Hear, hear! The point of obb is to give a voice to the niche, to the folks making different choices that suit themselves because they're throwing their own wedding, not the wedding dictated by tradition. I don't look at "traditional" weddings and agree with all their choices (matching jcrew bridesmaid dresses? eegads! Canon in D, again?) so why would I do that with the offbeat ones?
Jen Cywinski
November 18th, 2009 · 2:47 AM · #
Well said, Ariel! Now if only our families and friends would get it.
Meg
November 18th, 2009 · 3:05 AM · #
Well said, Ariel!
That's why I love OBB so much… it celebrates how different people are and how that diversity extends to the way we celebrate/mark an important event in our lives. How boring if we thought we had to toe the line of someone else's tastes, or if we all strove to have identical weddings… it'd be just like… oh, yeah, the rest of the WIC that tells us certain things are aren't "done."
Which is why I enjoy every wedding on OBB, even if I don't personally care for the decor or cake or whatever – what I love is the thought and heart each person puts into their wedding, and how the celebrations always seem to be filled with such joy, whether that's a courthouse elopement or a bride in an uber-traditional white ballgown and veil. For me, what seems to be missing from so many "traditional" wedding websites is authenticity.
rebeccalynn75
November 17th, 2009 · 7:10 PM · #
I agree. One of my fave sayings is "there's an ass for every seat." I don't dig it all, but I am certain folks look at some of the things I want to do for my wedding and wonder if I've recently survived some major head trauma. I like that the site shows people doing what makes them happy, what makes that couple themselves, not what -insert whatever or whomever here-expects them to do. I've opted for an ivory dress (gasp! ) and will have my kids in the wedding, because it makes me happy, and makes my family (all 8 of us) happy:) I love that I see things that make other couples happy on their day.
lavenderraiyne
November 17th, 2009 · 8:51 PM · #
This is how I feel exactly! I do get some damn good inspiration, but seeing a couple so happy with their big day is what I love about OBB.
Jessica Rose
November 17th, 2009 · 9:27 PM · #
I feel sorry for Anonymous. They obviously don't understand the point of Offbeat Bride.
Toni
November 18th, 2009 · 9:36 AM · #
Thanks to OBB I have realise that my wedding ideas are actually ok and that no wedding should be the same as everyone else's as we are all different.
I work in a printers and I meet alot of brides who are rail-roaded by their family and friends into picking stationery thay dont really like, so I tell the bride to be about this website and it amazing how many of them come back to me and say how great everything is on here. Currently I have a bride with a medieval theme wedding who has asked me for wedding stationery ideas – which is great as I am so fed up with doing chocolate and cream or claret and cream wedding stationery.
Without the input from Anonymous we wouldn't have had this debate and I think we have all raised some valid points.
I love Off Beat Bride and I thank Ariel for here wonderfully unique website.
Abi
November 18th, 2009 · 10:30 AM · #
Imagine how boring the world would be if we all liked the same things.
LeAnna
November 18th, 2009 · 11:15 AM · #
Awesome response! I have often been pleasantly surprised by the inspiration I've found from weddings or other features on here that didn't immediately strike me as something I'd be into. If it wasn't for this site I don't think we'd have half the ideas we do for our wedding, not to mention how lovely it is seeing all the different ways people choose to express themselves and their love.
chibride
November 18th, 2009 · 12:54 PM · #
I love this site. I have to confess our wedding was considered really offbeat by almost everyone who attended, but after looking at the weddings featured here, I would probably be classified as "offbeat-lite" maybe even extra-lite.
Anyway, there are some things and wedding I just don't get or remotely like, but like most people have commented…those peeps are just beaming from ear to ear. That's awesome! Thanks for sharing the wide variety of porn that we've all come to expect and enjoy.
Nikki
November 18th, 2009 · 3:16 PM · #
As many people have said in these comments, the reason I LOVE Offbeat Bride is that the weddings are AUTHENTIC!!! Whether it's an almost completely traditional wedding in a church, or a couple white-water rafting down the "aisle," every wedding on here is about the couple being united in THEIR OWN STYLE, and IN LOVE. Love of friends, of family, and each other.
And THAT'S what a wedding SHOULD be about, no matter how "tacky" or "weird" it is!
AshlinnK
November 18th, 2009 · 3:59 PM · #
Now if only people would realize that saying "oh no your wedding is TOO WEIRD" is just as bad as saying "OMGZ your wedding is so not 'Offbeat'": I thought the whole point was NOT judging people at all and celebrating their free-spiritedness personal choices, church or no church, gay or straight, white dress or red dress etc…
princess lasertron
November 18th, 2009 · 11:38 AM · #
amen gurrrrl
Andrea
November 18th, 2009 · 9:38 PM · #
We are all different, and our weddings will all be different. That's why we're all Offbeat!
Rebecca Prichard
November 18th, 2009 · 9:41 PM · #
If "anonymous" doesn't like what is on the site, then she shouldn't read it. What was the point of that comment?
Rachel
November 18th, 2009 · 11:13 PM · #
MOST of the weddings you show are not my personal taste. I'm planning an intimate family wedding a restaurant. A lot of women are just flabbergasted. 'No bridesmaids?!' 'COLORED shoes with your white wedding dress?' 'If you don't get married in church, then are you really married?!?! '
That's why I like coming here. I can do exactly what I want to do. Y'all think its great that I wear my full-on bridal regalia – veil, train, AND gloves, even though I'm having the reception in my living room. My civil ceremony doesn't send you into a tizzy. And I need you for that, when the closed minds that surround me to convince me that my wedding isn't good enough.
I want to be that support for you too. Bring on your ceremonial wedding nose piercings, underwater handfasting, and ugly ass shoes. Your wedding is perfect just the way it is.
@majorlady
November 18th, 2009 · 11:27 PM · #
To me, this site is all about supporting each other in our unique choices and providing a safe place for sharing weddings that don't fit the mold. Who gives a rats hinder region if your taste isn't mine? I'm just thrilled you're going for it and having a blast on your day!
I can't tell you how important OBB has been to my own wedding planning process and how many times the WIC had me in tears before I found you, because I'm not thin enough, or crafty enough, or rich enough to have the "PERFECT WEDDING (TM)" that all these other websites endlessly try to convince me I want. Now this is the only wedding site I allow myself to look at, and I am totally cool with all our delightful and individual decisions, that maybe some other people would hate. This site has given me the courage to have the wedding I really want and I can't wait to share it!
AshlinnK
November 18th, 2009 · 4:04 PM · #
But what if that bride found her all-white dress on Craigslist for 10$, or her best friend's teenage-sister fashion designer wannabe made it, or she found it in a dumpster behind a punk-rock club? I don't think White automatically means not-OffBeat!
Kate
November 19th, 2009 · 12:56 AM · #
This site was such a HUGE help when I was planning my wedding, specifically because it was so open and encouraging and awesome. My wedding was more typical-white dress, church, 120 person reception- but it's because that's what we wanted. I was however so inspired by what I saw here that I added some fun "odd" details, and they still make me giddy. I will reccomend this site to every friend who gets engaged foe that same reason. Rock on, fantastically awesome brides.
Samantha
November 19th, 2009 · 4:32 AM · #
I agree with A LOT of what has been said.
When I was planning my wedding and I'd see something on Offbeat bride that was maybe TOO offbeat for my taste I would breathe a sigh of relief and say "If SHE can get her granny to deal with the skulls and black dress then I can get my grandmother to deal with my wearing short hair and serving pizza."
I was bolstered a great deal by the brave, trail-blazing brides here and even if I didn't want to have their wedding I had total respect for them and hoped my wedding would be as "me" as hers was "hers".
So I hope everyone keeps sharing their events knowing that rather than judgment I was much more interested in the spirit of sharing and celebration that abounds here.
Dixie
November 20th, 2009 · 4:41 PM · #
I like them all because it always looks like people are having so much fun.
Now, they are not all to my *taste,* certainly, but . . . so what? They're not my weddings. It's none of my business.
Alise
November 23rd, 2009 · 4:34 PM · #
What was interesting to me was that our August wedding looked VERY offbeat to some (no church! You wrote your own ceremony! Different bridesmaids dresses!) and VERY traditional to others (three-tier buttercream cake! Big white dress!). Guess you can't worry about how different, or not, your wedding is…just do what you and your partner like!
PS – If anyone is curious, or wants to see a picture, I blogged about the bridesmaid dress thing here: http://vaselinetangerine.blogspot.com/2009/11/fol...
PSS – It's just a personal blog, not a business by any means
Hopium
November 27th, 2009 · 1:04 AM · #
Absolutely!!
Thanks to OBB I've fallen in love with Steampunk & 50s style. I also would never have found wai-ching or had the guts to wear converse. I love all the weddings on OBB.
I am holing on to the book for my little sis when her time rolls around…