Category Archive

industry insiders

The Offbeat Wed community includes hundreds of inclusive wedding industry pros who are all working to change the cynical, exploitative nature of the mainstream Wedding Industrial Complex. We invite our awesome offbeat vendor friends to share their industry insider tips with us and our readers — together we can change the wedding industry to be more inclusive, more offbeat, and more awesome! (If you’re an offbeat vendor, let’s get you in here!)

it crowd alternative wedding ideas from Offbeat Wed (formerly Offbeat Bride)

5 tips for acting natural in front of a camera (from a photo pro!)

The biggest hesitation people have about engagement sessions or their wedding day is how they’ll look in photos. Cameras have the magical ability to either make us love or hate how we look. Angles, positioning, lighting, and facial expressions all contribute to how you will appear in a photo. Not to worry, though — you […]

Mirth Bohemian Luxe Antique Gold Silk Wedding Dress by GibsonBespoke alternative wedding ideas from Offbeat Wed (formerly Offbeat Bride)

Why a dress seamstress might not work on your wedding dress

I am a costumer and have to deal with wedding dresses on a fairly regular basis. Typically, I am the only one in the shop who will go near them — the “scary mess it up” factor exists even long after the dress has been worn and donated to my organization. Many private seamstresses who I have spoken with refuse to do wedding attire because brides (and other members of their party, like Mom) have a reputation for being crazy over their dresses. Most of us are not willing to deal with that sort of drama.

10 amazing wedding trends for 2017

10 amazing wedding trends that are changing the face of weddings

Weddings have changed quite a bit since I started out as a wedding photographer in 2006. Photographing offbeat, LGBT, and tattooed weddings I’ve seen about every imaginable theme, trend, ceremony, and style. Some of my favorites include three weddings I photographed in prisons, several circus themed weddings complete with sideshows, and my fire-breathing groom with the fire-whipping bride. These are some of the biggest changes I’ve noticed in the last few years…

How to win at rockin' an empowering and intimate couple's session

Life hack for bonding with your partner: an intimate couple’s session (and how to rock it!)

The goal of an intimate couple’s session is to capture your connection and love you feel for your partner. Intimate sessions can be for newlyweds, anniversaries, or a way to take re-connect with your partner. The point is to capture beautiful photos of you being yourselves in your place or a location where you fill comfortable with the surroundings. Here are some ways to rock your intimate couple’s session and make it a serious bonding experience for you and your partner.

Philadelphia Allebach Offbeat 1 3 alternative wedding ideas from Offbeat Wed (formerly Offbeat Bride)

Chemistry, price, and a “bait & switch” scheme: real talk tips for how to choose a wedding photographer

Mike Allebach has photographed hundreds of weddings over the past nine years, and he’s picked up a few fool-proof tips for choosing a wedding photographer along the way. Here are the six most important factors to consider when choosing a wedding photographer (and one word of warning you can’t afford to ignore!).

alternative wedding ideas from Offbeat Wed (formerly Offbeat Bride)

Weddings and body image: get past needing to look “good” and start getting real

I’ve been photographing people in love for over a decade now, and the number one question I get asked as a photographer (by far!) is actually the wrong question to ask…

“Can you make me look good?” The only way to answer this question, is to bring it all the way around to body image. When the question, “Can you make me look good?” is asked, I learned that that’s not really what they’re asking…