Real Weddings: Midwest US

This is Offbeat Bride's archive of Real Weddings: Midwest US posts.

There are some people who think offbeat weddings don't happen in the fly-over states. These people are delusional. Behold a few of our favorite weddings from the midwest…

Most Recent Posts About Real Weddings: Midwest US

Photos by family and friends

The offbeat bride: Sarah, dog groomer/nightclub security (and Tribe member)

Her offbeat partner: Eddie, motorcycle mechanic

Location & date of wedding: Genesee Theatre, Waukegan, IL — October 10, 2010

Our offbeat wedding at a glance: We planned a brunch wedding, which cut the costs down by about 50%. And brunch is just tasty. I think the best part of our wedding was the role our communtity took in it. We never would have been able to afford a wedding like ours if we didn't have the help of our wonderful friends and family. They did hair and makeup, played live music, DJed, sang, cooked, took photos and video, made invites, paper goods, and centerpieces. People would say that they were doing something, and like magic it was there.

I actually showed up on the day of the wedding and saw a videographer rig being set up and said "huh, I didn't know I had one of those coming." It turns out that one of Eddie's long time friends did that for a living and decided to make that part of his gift to us. (See the video here!)

Oh yeah, and we had a meatloaf wedding cake.

Another year closes and lucky for us, some of our couples choose to have their wedding on New Year's Eve! With winter decor, festive hats, noise makers, and lots of DIY details, this pair made the official transition from best friends to married couple in grand style. Happy new year!

Though the weather was predicted to snow everyone in, they got a reprieve from the blizzard and were able to celebrate their December in Minnesota wedding in style. The Michael Jackson-dancing ring bearers and bowling alley photos sealed the deal on this snowy party.

This wedding takes its direction from a desire to leave a small carbon footprint and to locally-source as much as possible. Having it in the state's first Platinum LEED-certified building was definitely apropos. The homemade hula hoops, butternut squash soup, and folk music were icing on this Star Trek-topped cake.

The snowy Upper Peninsula of Michigan isn't exactly known for Tiki culture, but that didn't stop this pair from celebrating their love of it in their wedding — from mini Tiki favors to hula dancing and Tiki centerpieces. Shake your booty on in to see the Tiki-tastic fun!

These two were made to get married in the bar where they work and watch their favorite bands play. But they didn't expect a cameo appearance from the lead singer of Soul Asylum. I don't blame him for party crashing since they had awesome cupcakes, a fried noms "cake," and a kick-ass rocker ceremony.

A photo studio isn't an obvious choice for a venue, but when you see it, you'll love it. Add in a vegan menu, DIY invites, and even a little dress snafu, and you've got a start. And don't forget to check out their engagement announcement! It is adorbs.

After 11 years of being together, the timing was perfect for their dream wedding: simple and gorgeous in the country. A few touches of beer toasts, beets, and library chic, the pair crafted a really personal experience for their nearest and dearest.