Category Archive

Features

When we want to get more thoughtful, this is the spot for our feature articles. Sometimes we talk big-picture philosophies, other times we discuss wedding trends, and every once and a while we just go ape-shit over a wedding WTF?!

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Am I still offbeat if I love white chair covers? (Hint: YES.)

Not long after I joined the Offbeat Bride Tribe, another member posted her feelings about the more traditional elements of her wedding. Ariel posted a reply stating that this issue comes up every year or so and she finds it’s best to let Tribe members figure it out for themselves.

Wise words, Ariel. I didn’t get it at the time, but the last six months have been a journey for me, a journey of discovery about myself, about my future husband and about the US we have created. If I could sum it up in one line, it would be:

I LIKE WHITE CHAIR COVERS AND I CANNOT LIE.

camiasdesignsmain alternative wedding ideas from Offbeat Wed (formerly Offbeat Bride)

Camias Jewelry Designs: bridal accessories right out of Renaissance, Celtic lore, and fairytale epics

If you’re having an Elvish, Celtic, or whimsical wedding theme (like Lord of the Rings!), Camias Jewelry Designs would be the PERFECT addition to your outfit. And if you’re thinking “there’s something vaguely familiar about Camias Designs” that’s because there is!

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Why do couples borrow cultural elements for their wedding, and how can you do so respectfully?

Many Anglo-Americans have such a mishmash of culture that they have few or no traditions that hold significant meaning for them. Perhaps people are inclined to like culture, symbolism, rituals, and traditions. Maybe they seek these out in other cultures because they don’t have any of their own. Perhaps people seek to set themselves apart from a family or culture that they don’t wish to be a part of or celebrate.

Bridzillas sucks alternative wedding ideas from Offbeat Wed (formerly Offbeat Bride)

Why reality tv is missing the boat with non-traditional weddings

Television wants Offbeat Brides. They know you’re out there, all gorgeous and colorful and smelling yummy. They covet you and see you as deliciously untouched virgin territory. The problem is, like virgins themselves, once they’re anywhere near you — they’re completely unsure of what to do with you!

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Open expectations: stop wanting the perfect wedding

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…

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Why the mason jar trend isn’t ruining the wedding industry

In the latest chapter of the on-going online discussion about hating trends and trashing wedding blogs, came this piece entitled, The Mason jar manifesto, wherein a photographer scolds couples, photographers, and wedding planners alike for putting effort into wedding details and trends like Mason jars and twinkly fairy lights. It’s been pretty well received by other photographers as well as wedding industry people, but I wasn’t a fan.

Maybe y’all will hate me and ride me out of the alternative wedding blogging biz on a rail when I say — details are the shit! Details make my day. Give me a great photo of some unexpected detail and I’m “dayum Ariel, did you check this out!? Let’s feature this asap.” You know why?