So, you your family/friends are freaking about about your plans for a tiny simple wedding in your backyard. Or about how your sweety wants to carry a pirate sword for the ceremony. Or about how you're wearing a black dress instead of a white one. Whatever: you told 'em something, and they've freaked out.

While every situation is different, I decide to write up a few copy 'n' paste responses that y'all could use in your conversations with your family & friends. Obviously, these would need tweaking depending on your particular conflict, but hopefully the respectful but firm tone will help you hold your ground while also keeping the peace:

Continue reading "Copy 'n' paste conflict resolution (aka How to say "fuck off" and "I love you" and "this conversation is over" all at the same time)" →

We've featured this sexy couple on OBB before, but couldn't get enough of their flamed/boobfested hotness! OBT members can check out George's blog post of the whole shebang!

The offbeat bride: George, Retail Owner

Her offbeat partner: Sebastian, Art Entrepreneur

Location & date of wedding: back courtyard of The Duke of Edinburgh Hotel on August 2nd, 2008

What made our wedding offbeat: What we wanted most for our wedding was for it to be us. We are fairly relaxed people, but with a very definite sense of our own style; and we wanted that reflected in the event.The most important thing for us was the public affirmation of our commitment to each other, and a party with those we care about most.

Continue reading "George & Sebastian's Gothic Latex Boobfest Pub Wedding" →

The offbeat bride: Molly, business owner and teacher

Her offbeat partner: Laurie, business owner/dog adventure guide/writer

Location & date of wedding: Guemes Island, WA overlooking the water and mountains on October 25th, 2008

What made our wedding offbeat: Some details of that made it ours….

Rather than sending STD cards or standard invitations…we put together a CD (I love music) and sent it to our guests. We sent the CDs 10 months ahead of time (and even with no Save The Date) it worked out great – people loved the CD and still talk about it. The CD had our website on it, which was all people needed. It set the tone for fun and expecting the unexpected. (In hindsight, it also served as the ‘favor’).

Guests were asked to participate in many ways. During the ceremony we had a Community Support section where guests were asked to publicly declare their support to our commitment. We also had a Ring Warming during the ceremony where the rings were passed around and guests were asked to take a moment to hold them, infuse them with their physical, emotional, and spiritual warmth. And we had a wedding certificate made that our guests signed with us after the ceremony. We got a lot of response at how much people enjoyed being a part of it all.

Continue reading "Molly & Laurie's Island Outdoor Lesbian Yes-We-Can Wedding" →

Welcome to another installation of OMGOBT!, the series where I share some of my favorite content from the OBT. This post comes to you from OBT member Rodrigues.

I have been pondering ways to keep my family involved in my wedding yet respectful of our wishes. I almost feel like it is harder to plan a “mostly traditional with some personal twists” style wedding than a totally off-the-wall affair, mostly because if you are having the latter, it seems friends and family will eventually resign themselves to the fact that you are unequivocally NOT going to have the wedding they want.

Because our wedding appears fairly traditional on the surface, the changes we’re making are confusing the hell out of my parents, making them think that we are only changing certain things to spite them.

Continue reading "How to keep family off your back, by Rodrigues" →

The offbeat bride: Kelly, Writer and TESL Teacher
Her offbeat partner: Francis, Web Designer

Location & date of wedding: Stone Mansion in Rome, NY – May 24th, 2008

What made our wedding offbeat: Both of our families are super Catholic and we are not, so we decided on a outdoor handfasting. The ceremony was presided over by a Catholic woman who was excommunicated for belonging to a church that ordains women and marries same sex couples.

Continue reading "Kelly & Francis' 1920's Old Hollywood Wedding!" →