Whirlingturban has long been one of our favorite resources for custom-made wedding dresses. You've already seen some of their amazing pin-up couture creations in action yesterday on both the bride and her bridesmaids. And another custom-made Whirlingturban dress in this elegant Rock 'n Roll wedding, where the bride's only advice for other offbeat brides was to… "Check out Whirlingturban. They make custom vintage style dresses that are actually affordable and one of a kind." 

That's why Offbeat Bride is pleased to announce the opening of the Whirlingturban Wedding Boutique! With the opening of the boutique, Whirlingturban is now offering ready-made versions of their most popular wedding dress styles and fabrics.

And attention budget brides: The prices start at $350! All the style and unique-ness of Whirlingturban's famous  custom–fit dresses, without the price of customizing and the extensive figure analysis of a custom fitting.

Exclusive OBB discount:
Mention Offbeat Bride and get a 20% discount when you buy a Whirlinturban wedding boutique dress and make your deposit by September 25, 2009!

Whirlingturban is a perfect place for offbeat brides to shop in particular — they offer many of their dresses with just basic features and allow you to pay only for the bells and whistles you want to add, like one of their boleros, or use it as a blank canvas to add your own DIY additions like our beloved colored crinoline!

So, if you're looking for either a fabulous custom-fit or an affordable ready-made dress click on over to Whirlingturban's Wedding Boutique. Or if are just love to shop for vintage style clothes that will absolutely knock your socks off, check out their amazing selection as well and just try not to drool on your keyboard!

The whole wedding planning bonanza is a bit like thrusting your head in a cannon and waiting for it to blow… there is just SO much anticipation and worry. To DIY or not? Should you go all out or pinch pennies? What about decorations and favors?

If your head is swimming with possibilities and your palms start sweating at the mere thought of diving into the planning, take a look at these tutorials. They might just save your wedding — and your sanity!

Continue reading "Tutorials that could save your wedding" →

Uncommon wedding dresses may be a little more common than you think. A Chinese designer showcased a flowing wedding dress sewn almost entirely out of peacock feathers in Nanjing, China this spring and a Hollywood couple had a duct tape wedding at Universal Studios, complete with a duct tape suit for the groom, a duct tape cake and duct tape flowers… it was even sponsored by Manco (Duck Products) of Avon, Ohio!

This saavy bride definitely wore white… white wool that is. FROM HER OWN FLOCK! Talk about DIY!

Louise Fairburn designed the dress, which cost £1,500, and had a spinner and a dressmaker spend 67 hours constructing it with wool from her rare Lincoln Longwool sheep, Olivia.

The award-winning sheep-breeder and English "Little Bo Peep" wanted her dress to make a statement about wool, and that it's not necessarily only meant for home-knitted beanies. The smashing handmade wedding dress purportedly stunned her husband (who was also outfitted in a wool waistcoat as well) when he first saw his future wife walking down the aisle.

Want more zany DIY dress ideas?!? I though so. Check out this elegant and classy gown made out of condoms, or this fresh and stunning little prom number made out of coffee filters!

Oh and PS: Thanks to everyone who emailed us about the wool dress! There were lots of you.

The Offbeat Bride: Sharla, newspaper production designer (and OBT member "Firecracker")

Her Offbeat Partner: Kris, engineer

Location & date of wedding: Moab, Utah — April 25, 2009

What made our wedding offbeat: We love Moab for its scenery and fantastic trails, so we chose to get married there. We had about 23 guests, no attendants, and very little of the traditional trappings. I made my own gown in blue silk, and I had orange crinoline, orange shoes, orange fishnets, flowers, etc.

Our table decorations featured local rock arrangements, handmade tablecloths & runners, thrift store bowls with miniature Jeeps and chocolate rocks. And we served gourmet sandwiches and cheesecake to our guests. I walked down the aisle to Funtwo's electric guitar rendition of the Canon in D, and our ceremony was brief and nonreligious. The town mayor performed the ceremony, which included a Native American wedding blessing as well as just the right touch of humor.

Continue reading "Sharla & Kris' Moab, Utah Motorhead Wedding" →

Hopefully I'll have more photos and the full story from the Zimtrix California forest wedding soon, but for now I must share this photo of the wedding dress, which was designed and constructed by Jessica Hinel, a costume designer and seamstress based in the Bay Area:

If you want to know more about the dress and see the amazing Wai-Ching-inspired split train, go read the designer's blog post about her design and construction process. Jessica also did the groom's styling, which she's promised to blog about soon. I'll be waiting.