Mary & John's creepy Halloween barbecue barn wedding

Photos by Brian Treffeisen

The offbeat bride: Mary, Assistant and Do-it-all at Granite Ridge Aquatic Services (my Dad's business!) (and Tribe member)

Her offbeat partner: John, Geek Squad Agent

Location & date of wedding: Van Wyck, SC, on my parent's farm — October 30, 2010

What made our wedding offbeat: We absolutely didn't want the wedding to be strictly about us. John and I have been together for eight years, so for all intents and purposes, we were already married. This event was just to quickly seal the deal, and most of all, give our friends and family the chance to meet each other and have tons of fun. Our parents supported us completely from day one of the planning process.

While some family members were iffy about our choice to do a religion-free ceremony and to have it Halloween-themed at that, everyone came together happily in the end. Halloween is my favorite holiday, so we couldn't think of a more perfect date!

We wanted amazing food that fit our southern heritage, alongside a delicious and fun array of desserts. We served food in stations, one for southern style barbecue, one for shrimp and grits, one for beef sliders (made out of organic local beef), and a black bean slider for our vegetarian guests.

The desserts were all French pastries like creme puffs, macarons, mini tarts, and petit fours, along with a number of full-sized cakes.

Our music was a little bit of everything — oldies, hip hop, jazz, rock, pop, and folksy mountain music! We wanted everyone to have something to dance to, just like we wanted everyone to have something to eat.

We entered the ceremony to Earth, Wind and Fire's "September" since it's such an upbeat song.

John wanted to wear something steampunk and I wanted to be in a cheerful, bright rainbow ensemble. So that's what we did. Our bridesmaids and groomsmen were told to wear something fun that made them feel awesome.

When we sent the invitations out with the suggestion to wear costumes, we weren't sure how many people would participate. Our guests really got into it, and that was such a great surprise for us.

Tell us about the ceremony: We wanted something short and sweet, but still meaningful. So we went with a handfasting that was performed by a close family friend and legalized with words by another friend who is a public notary.

We made the handfasting rope out of hand-spun rainbow wool and added objects that had a lot of meaning for us. This included a pearl necklace from one of my best friends who had passed away that summer, our promise rings, and my dad's dog tag. We were so happy with how it turned out.

Our biggest challenge: The time constraints! We began construction of the barn where the wedding would be held three weeks before the date. It was a lot of rushing, but we were able to get everything completed in time. The team that built the barn was incredible. They worked hard from morning to night to finish it.

My favorite moment: The one time I got to dance with my boy to Alison Krauss' "Baby, Now That I Found You." I loved dancing with my daddy to "I am a Man of Constant Sorrow." My sister and I danced to old-school Spice Girls as well!

And lastly, I loved listening to the hilarious speeches that John's groomsmen gave and the beautiful speeches by my sister, mom, and grandmother.

My funniest moment: There were so many funny moments, but watching our relatives really get down and dance was probably the best. My future brother-in-law went crazy with a close family friend to Warrant's "Cherry Pie." It was hilarious.

My advice for offbeat brides: Don't make it about you and your groom alone. Make it about your family and friends and focus on what would make other people have fun and enjoy themselves.

Also, if you see an idea you love but you want to make it your own, grab the base items and just start playing. I wanted both branches and terrariums as centerpieces, so I combined the two. I ended up with a graveyard terrarium with thorny branches that I spray painted black and then glittered.

Care to share a few vendor/shopping links?

• Creepy decorations: Six Feet Under
• Photographer: Brian Treffeisen
• Desserts: Amelie's French Bakery
• Caterer: Something Classic
• DJ: Audio to Go
• Dress (base): Reign Fine Apparel
• Jacket: Etsy seller Countessa
• Jewelry: Alex Speer
• Groom's Suit: Clockwork Couture

Enough talk — show me the wedding porn!