And in case you missed my two part series, here 'tis! "Planning A Wedding from Afar Part I and Part II". Tips and tricks galore.. now dive into our wedding!

The offbeat bride: Shrie, Sign Designer/Music Writer

Her offbeat partner: Brett, Senior System Engineer

Location & date of wedding: YWCA in downtown Fort Worth, TX on Friday March 13th, 2009

What made our wedding offbeat: I didn't wear a white dress… or a wedding dress! We had a close female friend become ordained to marry us (much to the chagrin of my family) and our dog was our ring bearer!

Continue reading "Shrie & Brett's Vintage 50's Mexican Fiesta Hitchin'!" →

The Offbeat Bride: Virginia

Her Offbeat Partner: Lars

Location & date of wedding: Meridian Hills Country Club, Indianapolis, IN — June 2, 2007

What made our wedding offbeat: I tied in my favorite Grimm fairy tale "Snow White and Rose Red" into our Venetian Carnevale theme, to keep guests wondering what was coming next. I wanted to wear a red wedding gown for our entire wedding, but thought it might be too shocking for some of the older guests, as we had a church ceremony before the reception. So, I wore a white traditional gown for the ceremony, then changed into a red silk ballgown for the reception. Both gowns were by Demetrios Couture.

Continue reading "Virginia & Lars' Snow White & the Red Rose Wedding" →

"How to plan a wedding from afar: part 2"… GO!!! Here are even more tips and tricks to planning a wedding from a location far far away (and not freaking out in the process)! If you missed it last week, here's Part 1!

3) Venue!
Your venue should be among the first things you consider. Planning our Texas wedding from Seattle definitely had it's challenges venue-wise. I had to be dogged about internet research and on the ball with my organizational tools (see "Tools!" section) in order to keep my sanity. I did have to fly to Texas for the venue search, but before I left I scoured the Internet, contacted venues (including rock clubs, outdoor gardens, parks, theatres, sports stadiums, museums, private farms etc.) and started a spreadsheet with possible options broken down into categories.

Because I was only going to be viewing the venues once before choosing the right one, it was imperative to start a list of questions about each venue: capacity, rehearsal times, cleanup rules, parking situation, decorating stipulations, extra costs, kitchen availability…

Continue reading "How to plan a wedding from afar: part 2 (by Shrie)" →

I'm by no means a wedding planner. I had never even planned a large event before I got engaged… but in planning our wedding from over 2,000 miles away I found that there ain't jack shit for resources on this topic.

So here it is, "Shrie's Humble Guide to Planning A Wedding from Afar: Or How to Get Hitched Without Pulling Your Hair Out." I hope my teeny tidbits of advice will help at least one crazed, "I don't know where to start!" bride-to-be looking for a little relief.

Getting married and putting the whole shebang together can be awesome fun. Getting married and putting the whole shebang together at a location 2,100 miles away from where you live can be awesome fun AND a little stressful. Lucky for you, I've been through all that and will graciously divulge all my time-saving, stress-free secrets…

Continue reading "How to plan a wedding from afar: part I (by Shrie)" →

Whilst I can't wait to marry my fiance, I can't stand his family. The idea of his parents being at our wedding makes me feels sick, and I haven't got a clue how I should be involving them. Any ideas how we can include them in the wedding without making it seem contrived or forced? I understand they're his family, and he loves them, but does that really mean I have to? -Anonymous

In a word: yes. When you marry your partner, you are marrying their family — even if you don't like them. These are the people who made the person you love, even if that just meant they gave your partner something to rebel against. Like it or not, these people are a part of the person you love, and they're going to be a part of your life.

So, that's the short answer: yes. You have to include them in the wedding, and bigger still: you have to learn how to include them in your life.

Find ways to include your in-laws in a few simple but meaningful ceremonial responsibilities. I asked my father-in-law to ring in our wedding ceremony with a large Tibetan bowl. I asked my mother-in-law to act as our "ring boy" and bring up our rings.

Not knowing much more about your wedding, it's hard to make suggestions … Could they pass out programs? Present the guestbook? Read a poem you selected? Be in charge of tossing some dried lavender as you exit the ceremony? Look for small but visible ways to feature them in your wedding day — it's important. Your wedding is a metaphor … and these people are going to be a part of your family, so think of finding loving, simple, but meaningful ways to involve them in your wedding as the first steps toward finding loving, simple, but meaningful ways to involve them in your life.