The partners: April & Dennis

Date and location of wedding: Rockwell House, London, England — August 16, 2014

Our offbeat wedding at a glance: We have been together for 10 years and never saw ourselves doing the traditional wedding thing. We really just wanted a big party and to get as many of our friends and family as possible together in one place. Being from New Zealand and America respectively, and having lived together in both Amsterdam and now London, this is a big ask. I also felt pretty strongly about leaving behind all of the patriarchal traditions usually associated with mainstream weddings.

Jennifer Langridge - Wedding Photography
Jennifer Langridge - Wedding Photography
Jennifer Langridge - Wedding Photography
Jennifer Langridge - Wedding Photography

Dennis wore a sea-foam green '70s vintage leisure suit with patterned silk shirt and I wore an Issa spring 2014 colourful jumpsuit. We didn't have bridesmaids or groomsmen. We saved a ton of money by renting the venue as-is and bringing in all of our own food and drink. We planned it all ourselves and even made the majority of the food. We had self-serve kegs of craft beer, wine, and Prosecco in personalized colourful metal cups.

Jennifer Langridge - Wedding Photography
Jennifer Langridge - Wedding Photography

We also had a cigar and whiskey table, and a take-your-own Polaroid “guest book” on a cork board. A few friends played some live music, and there was foosball and a giant chess set for those who weren't up for dancing. Then everyone sat around fire pits on furniture made of old wood pallets as the sun went down over north London.

Jennifer Langridge - Wedding Photography
Jennifer Langridge - Wedding Photography
Jennifer Langridge - Wedding Photography

Tell us about the ceremony:
A few friends played guitar and sang “Way Tight” by Ani DiFranco to start. My grandfather was Native American, and the vase ceremony I learned from him was very important to me.

It included a double-spouted vase filled with wine, and we each drank from our own sides and each others', then try to drink from each spout together at the same time. We both really liked what it symbolised: two individual lives, different strengths and different Nations, and the handle symbolises the union of the two lives in marriage.

Jennifer Langridge - Wedding Photography
Jennifer Langridge - Wedding Photography
Jennifer Langridge - Wedding Photography

Our biggest challenge:
The boys had packed up the van on the day to bring everything to the venue while I was getting my hair done, and they forgot the corkboard for the guest book. Dennis had to leave and go back across town to get it, leaving me as the only one there setting up the whole thing who knew what it was supposed to look like. But everyone that was there pitched in and we got it done!

Jennifer Langridge - Wedding Photography
Jennifer Langridge - Wedding Photography

My favorite moment:
Neither of us liked the vows you have to say at city hall, so we decided to do that on our own, just us and our witnesses to make it legal a few weeks prior. So on the day, we were able to say what we really meant: “Will you always be on my team? Until death. Will you always be by my side? Until death.” This also goes with our tattoos (in lieu of rings). We had two halves of a tattoo, making one: a sugar skull with the words “hasta la muerte” (until death) beneath.

Jennifer Langridge - Wedding Photography
Jennifer Langridge - Wedding Photography

My funniest moment:
Dennis gave a speech and it was touching at times, hysterical at others. Also I forgot to wear my glass wolf engagement ring and our officiant, Yuri, was supposed to talk about what it symbolises in Native American culture (the transition from a lone wolf to a pack member), so I showed everyone my empty finger and he made a joke about it.

Jennifer Langridge - Wedding Photography

Care to share a few vendor/shopping links?

Enough talk — show me the wedding inspo!

Offbeat Wed Vendor

This page features vendors from our curated Offbeat Wed Vendor Directory. They're awesome and we love them. If you're a vendor let's get you in here!

Meet our fave wedding vendors

Comments on Our glam ’70s festival meets London street food wedding

  1. This is so beautiful and original. Looks like great day.

    Amazing photography as well!

    Congratulations x

  2. Beautiful!
    The wine ceremony is such nice touch and the symbolism is awesome.
    I love the way it all shows Tuy had a day full of love.

  3. Just beautiful!!! Love all our unique ideas you included! Pretty jealous right now that I didn’t think of some of them! ????

  4. Wow! Such a great personal wedding! It’s like going back in time! A 70’s wedding is definitely on the bucket list!

Comments are closed.