The offbeat bride: Monika A, Fluevog Asst Manager, Professional Tarot Reader and part time vegan baker

Her offbeat partner: Carter , build and release computer engineer

Location & date of wedding: Hakone Gardens, Saratoga , CA — September 20, 2009

What made our wedding offbeat: When a Pagan, tarot reading, Fluevog Pimpette decides to marry a Floridian, blond/blue eyed, computer geek, atheist, your wedding has to be offbeat! We found our middle ground in having the wedding in an amazing Japanese Garden, which was alive with nature and her beauty. We did almost everything ourselves and don't regret any part of the year of collecting cutlery, making cherry blossom center pieces, and searching Craigslist for the perfect table cloths.

Continue reading "Monika & Carter's Neo-Victorian, Pagan-Atheist, Japanese, Peacock, Love Fest" →

To celebrate the season, we're featuring a Halloween wedding every week for the month of October!

The Offbeat Bride: Misty, CNA

Her Offbeat Partner: Dell, Repo Man

Location & date of wedding: Meditation Garden at the A.R.E. in Virginia Beach, VA — October 31, 2008

What made our wedding offbeat: We definitely bucked tradition by having a handfasting in the ceremony, having wine in a dragon goblet (the last of which was offered to Mother Earth) and invoking the Lord and Lady to bless our union! Add to that a multi-faith Reverend who is a female, and the Witchy-Gothy wedding was complete!

Continue reading "Misty & Dell's Wiccan/Pagan, Corseted Boob-Fest, Halloween Wedding" →

The Offbeat Bride: Bandora Fox, White Collar Hippie (and OBT member "Bandora")

Her Offbeat Partner: Michael Fox, Licensed Massage Therapist

Location & date of wedding: Palm Island, Savannas Recreation Area, Ft Pierce, Florida — August 29th, 2009

What made our wedding offbeat: We had a Pagan handfasting during our own weekend camping festival. The groom wore a kilt, we both had foxtails and the groomsmen (aka. torchbearers) wore sarongs and carried symbols of a nature element. The only one that wore a tux was the dog that carried our rings inside a mini Chinese food takeout box hanging from its collar. And I carried a bouquet made out of swarovsky crystals.

Continue reading "Bandora & Michael's Foxtailed Pagan Handfasting" →

This OMG OBT post brings us a tutorial from OBT member lepapillonvert on how she and her husband made their beautiful handfasting cords.

There is no right or wrong way to make handfasting cords, and they can be as elaborate or simple as you want them to be. It really comes down to what you want to represent yourselves, or what is easiest for you.

The only time the cords are to be dismantled/unknotted is in the case of a hand parting, so please remember that anything you use to decorate your cord is to remain with it for as long as you are bound to each other.

Your cord should be long enough to loop over both wrists as well as being able to make the knots.

We've read that if you are using a single cord, that a generic rule of length is ideally no less than 6 feet.

Again, it's up to you.

Continue reading "How to make Handfasting Cords, by Lepapillonvert" →

The Offbeat Bride: Gaia, Solar Energy Designer

Her Offbeat Partner: Parker, Gourmet vegetarian chef

Location & date of wedding: Under our geodesic dome at our home in rural Michigan — April 20, 2009

What made our wedding offbeat: Our ceremony was about equality and expressing our unique personalities. She's a buddhist, he's a pagan, so we chose very egalitarian vows representing both traditions.

We took all the typical sexist language out of the ceremony, questioned the origin of every tradition and sought out ideas and symbology from many cultures.

Continue reading "Gaia & Parker's Buddhist Pagan Geodesic Hippie Handfasting" →