Nataliya Cole is a brilliant photographer based out of Los Angeles. I say "based out of" because she's willing to work anywhere.

"I LOVE to travel (especially to Northern California, Portland, Ann Arbor, New York and Connecticut), so if you are having your wedding in a cool location but budget is tight, I'm totally willing to work something out — either a discount rate or I might be willing to travel on my dime. And my passport's current."

Along with her passport, she can also bring her experience as a fashion and advertising photographer. And who doesn't love a photographer that can make a bride look like a model? I mean hellooooo…

How Vogue-alicious is this photo!?

I'm just itchin' to tell you about her discount for OBBs and show you some of her recent offbeat wedding porn. Like zees…

Continue reading "Fantastical wedding photography from Nataliya Cole" →

Photo Pink is a duo of NYC-based wedding photographers who live to capture the honest and authentic moments of a wedding — not the "you stand here, they stand here" stiff portraits. As they say, "You want to spend your wedding day with your friends and family, not with your photographers (no matter how cool we may be."

And oh, they are cool. Since both Liesl and Randy are vegetarian, they specialize in animal-friendly wedding albums — including gorgeous linen, metal, pleather, and hardcover books. If you want a leather wedding album, they can get you in touch with someone … but I really appreciate how they've integrated their values into their business.

To see more of Photo Pink work (and read all about the special offer they've got for Offbeat Brides) keep reading! Oh and clicky the photos to learn more…

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Known for his rock 'n' roll work, Jeremy Harris is New York-based wedding photographer who's been featured in magazines such as Rolling Stone, SPIN, and the UK mag Kerrang.

So wait, why does a guy who photographs rock stars for Rolling Stone want to shoot your wedding? "Unlike the editorial and ad shoots which only satisfy the art director for a moment," Jeremy told me, "The weddings I shoot make people happy for a lifetime … I enjoy creating something that will be truly cherished!"

The advantage of working with a photographer accustomed to shooting musicians for magazines is that you get an editorial and photojournalistic style … and BONUS: you get treated like a rock star.

Oh and don't let the fact that Jeremy's based in New York fool you! He works frequently in the Bay Area and Los Angeles and, he says with a wicked little smile, "…I have a valid passport."

To feast your eyes on more of Jeremy's work, head to his website, or his blog.

If you're looking to skip all the wedding planning drama and elope in New York City, you can make your life easy by getting in touch with Judie and Liam from Elope NYC.

"When I married my life-long partner, I was stunned by the low quality of writing in standard wedding ceremonies, so I created a bunch of ceremonies for us. Yes, a bunch. I enjoyed the writing so much, I became a New York marriage officiant myself."

Judie's partner, Liam, is a NYC wedding photographer, and together they offer wedding and photography elopement packages starting at $350. Yes, you can get married in NYC for $350.

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Last year, Angela from New York's Milestone Images was just another offbeat bride planning her Chocolate-Themed Amusement Park Jewish-Pagan Handfasting. She recounts, "OBT members helped me brainstorm ideas, and we were this close to playing 'Red Rover, Red Rover' with the wedding party in lieu of a traditional first dance on August 9th, 2008."

And now here she is, back to show off her goods as a New York wedding photographer who travels up and down the East Coast. Here's a quick Q&A between me and Angela…

As a wedding photographer, how do you deal with the potential body image issues brides sometimes have?
There so much weight-related emotional fuckwittage surrounding wedding culture. Forget the images of emaciated cookie-cutter clone brides plastered across wedding magazines everywhere. I want to give a shout-out to my curvaceous, zaftig, Spanx-wearing sexy sistas. As the owner of a double chin myself, I pride myself on knowing the most flattering angles and stealth retouching skills for real women of every size. Real beauty, real people, really gorgeous photography.

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