One of my favorite things about running this website is exposure to fabulous freaks I might otherwise not encounter. I mean, I know all about my brand of weird (left coast second gen hippie/retired raver/etc) but it’s such a treat to see other delicious flavors of non-traditional.

Case in point: Siouxzi Rodeman and Alan Donnelly’s Steampunk wedding in Chicago. (Some of you may remember Siouxzi — she’s the one who had that nightmare run-in at Macy’s a few months ago.)

I was aware of Steampunk as a literary genre, but only just barely and not as a full-blown lifestyle/fashion thang. Consider me now educated and inspired.

I completely fell in love with neo-victorian aesthetic once I started poking around in Siouxzi’s wedding photos — her wedding hat! The custom ties for the bridesmaids and groomsmen! The cakes! The minister’s monoggle! All the brass and the corsetry and the gears and springs! What an awesome visual treat.

The fact that Souxzi was able to organize this stunning, stylish wedding in three months (while also grieving her mother’s recent passing) is totally mind-boggling and is a sharp ruler on the knuckles of anyone who says you can’t plan a wedding in less than six months. Congratulations, Souxzi!

But oh, there’s more. So much more …

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Really, you must check out the entire set of photos from Sam and Julia’s wedding. Thanks to Closed Circle Photography for the shot!

I love feathery weddings, and that includes the groom’s lapels.

(photo from NYTimes)

Thanks to Brooklyn Bride for bringing this New York Times style feature to my attention.

Related: this feather bouquet, and this discussion of peacock-themed weddings.

I have short hair and have no interest in growing it out for the wedding. When I do searches for short hairstyles, you would not believe the psychotic blowout do’s that come up. Where can I find a good selection of cool short hairstyles online? -Nicole

Nicole, look no further than offbeatbride.com. I’m not sure how short you mean by short (inch-long pixie cut or chin-length bob?) or whether you’re curly or straight or wavy, but regardless short hair means you can go high drama with your style. I went and scoured the archives and a few of my favorite shots from the photo pool, and here’s what I came up with for you …

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The offbeat bride: Elly, student

My offbeat groom: Justin, art guy

Location & date of wedding: May 5 2007 at a family ranch in Ellensburg, WA (middle of nowhere, just about)

What made our wedding offbeat: Ways we were odd: wrote our own very naturalistic vows, made and/or altered a lot of the small details, bought the dress (and many other bits) on ebay, did a ‘formal’ ceremony in barefeet. Yes, I think we scared the crap out of some people, including the neighbors. We each had three rings. That was probably the most expensive part beyond the Canadian photographer!

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