November 2011 | Offbeat Bride

Sometimes you plan an intimate NOLA elopement, and sometimes life gets in the way. So when life prevented this couple from doing just that, they decided to plan an elegant hometown wedding with friends and family instead. And this beach-side family party with stone warming ceremony is just perfect for our Simple Weddings week.

Since I got engaged, I've been saying that I have "open expectations," a phrase I learned here on Offbeat Bride. (Correct use of the term "open expectations" could be something like, "My expectations are not low, they are open.") At thirty-three days to go until my wedding, I've learned that the best thing about open expectations is this…

Hey Seattlites: Tell your fiance to put down the bridal magazines and take your eyes off the latest Star Wars news and listen up!

If you're looking for a photographer who is more like a friend who can also take jaw-dropping images, then you should know that offbeat sponsor Jenny GG Photography is just that! Jenny's got old school offbeat bride cred — she's been a friend of ours for years. Now she's about to be your best friend on your wedding day, what with her special offer and fabulous pics!

When your mother's blue dress looks amazing on you, you wear it come hell or high water. And that's what Jenna did at her backyard, eco-friendly party. It's simple weddings week, and this event was nothing if not two days of simply enjoying family, love, and homemade food on a budget.

Andrea and Alice celebrated their (awesomely legal) marriage at the Old Stone House in the Park Slope neighborhood of Brooklyn, New York. they had elegant DIY decor and a focus on all things love and family. Erica Camille met these two at the New York Pride Parade, and has become great friends with them in addition to photographing their wedding. Erica shared these photos with us and they are fan-flipping-tastic.

When I think about what I want from a marriage, from Mr Squirrel as a husband, and the kind of wife I want to be for him, I think naturally of the marriage I have observed the most — my parents. They had a short courtship and a long marriage, it has not always been easy but they have stuck together for over thirty years. The best things they have taught me about marriage are these…

These two know the value of a little leg work in getting a deal for a budget wedding. And when you're trying to keep family, friends, and especially vegetarians fed and happy, it's no mean feat. But thankfully, they found a restaurant willing to make a deal and crafted a small wedding with emphasis on being together and sharing in the day. It's just one of those awesome weddings we are loving for simple weddings week.

We got a special surprise in our email the other day, not only was it a sweet reader mail, but it include a link to, quite possibly, the cutest emailed wedding invitations I've ever seen. Seriously, at one point there's an adorable T-rex who photo bombs a picture of a New York city sky line.