If you're searching for a truly unique wedding band for both you and your partner, definitely check out the Fabuluster rings on Etsy. You might remember them from their first time on OBB — they were the fingerprint rings that got picked up all over the blogosphere. I loved Gizmodo's take on them.

And just how DO they do it? Allow the designer to explain…

I send you my Impression Kit in the mail. Once you receive it, imprint the entire length of your finger and/or your fiancés finger separately. Then you mail that back to me. Once I receive it here in my studio in beautiful coastal Maine, I make a wax form from the impression material. Then utilizing the ancient lost wax casting process, I turn that impression into a metal ring utilizing gold or silver.
- Brent Williams Designs

(And for you privacy hounds, YES: they destroy the original impression kit after the rings are made. NO: they aren't interested in stealing your identity for clandestine international espionage.)

Clearly, the fingerprint rings are a really cool alternative to plain bands, but even cooler… they can fit into any budget — ranging from $45 to $550. So head over to their Etsy shop and start customizing your own rings!

Despite having a lesbian mother AND lesbian mother-in-law, one of the things I love about my work with Offbeat Bride is that I'm always learning about the nuances of labeling, culture, and gender identification. Anyone remember when I got corrected for identifying a gender-queer couple as lesbians? That was an awesome lesson. When I launched the reader survey a couple weeks ago, I got an email from someone expressing concern that I only had two gender boxes for people to check — male and female? DOH! Oversight! I quickly added a "neither/both" category.

In this same vein, over the last couple months we've gotten comments from well-intentioned readers concerned about how we title and label the Real Offbeat Weddings on Offbeat Bride. Here's one example: It's too bad we still feel the need to point out that this was a lesbian wedding (I mean, I can't imagine there are too many people who would say "straight wedding")

Continue reading "Let's talk about labels and self-identifying" →

The offbeat bride: Monica

Her offbeat partner: Paul

Location & date of wedding: Rochester United Methodist Church, Rochester, IL — 07/07/07

What made our wedding offbeat: The first thing everyone notices is my green and black dress. I designed it and my friend Rachel made it, as well as all the bridesmaids' dresses. Also coordinated to my dress was my cast I had on my left hand/arm that covered my left ring & pinky fingers! I fell and broke my hand exactly two weeks before the wedding! The designs on it were a coordinated effort from my dressmaker and a haunted house airbrush artist, with a matching "bracelet" made by yours truly.

Continue reading "Monica & Paul's traditional wedding with a twist or two" →

You KNOW when the bride and groom are posing in front of Star Wars action figures that it's gonna be a wedding we'll love:

We'll be bringing you the full meal on this delicious Mexican wedding next week!

Everyone, let's us all fucking bow down Eden (pictured above) who found one of the coolest accessories for a winter wedding that I've ever seen — the wool pom pom hat with dotted black lace veil by Agneta Persson. As Eden put it, "Is it not the most tongue-in-cheek winter accessory you have ever laid eyes on or what?"

It came from a store in Manhattan called Off Broadway, but the rest of us non-New Yorkers are in luck because they're available online!

Winter brides, you are welcome.

The offbeat bride: Marie-Gael, disabled (and OBT member "gaelgirl")

Her offbeat partner: Michael, student English Literature Education

Location & date of wedding: Ash Cave, Hocking Hills, OH — 14 November 2009

What made our wedding offbeat: What wasn't offbeat???

• It was in the middle of the forest, in a cave, at sunrise.
• The actual wedding and reception (not counting clothes) was under $100.
• Most of the decorations and what we wore were vintage. So, I really didn't need to spend much because I used lots of inherited depression glass and jewelry.

Continue reading "Marie-Gael & Michael's $100 wedding at sunrise, in a cave, in the middle of nowhere" →

I'm kind of a stationary nerd, so I had WAY too much fun looking through all wedding invitations from the aptly named Modern Girl Invitations.

We've profiled Modern Girl before and now they're back with more designs (using the same environmentally friendly paper and printing, of course), even more budget friendly AND a special OBB discount. Also, lookit all the pritty colors!

The current pricing for 100 super colorful wedding invitations and response cards is just $269, which includes free shipping! And you guys can get up to 10% off when you add items to the invite & response card package. And that's not even including the special OBB discount listed below…

Continue reading "Colorful and modern wedding invitations from Modern Girl Invitations" →

So, this might be creepy. Prepare yourself. When you buy shoes through my wedding shoe posts, I can see what you buy.

…I KNOW, RIGHT!?

I can't see who buys what (your purchasing secrets are safe with me!) but I can see what shoes are the most popular with Offbeat Brides. Once you get over the 1984 implications, it's kind of awesome because it means that rather than just inflict my taste on you, I can show off a few of the shoes that y'all love best. So, let's take a look at the shoes Offbeat Brides have been loving this month…

Continue reading "The shoes of choice for Offbeat Brides" →