"How to plan a wedding from afar: part 2"… GO!!! Here are even more tips and tricks to planning a wedding from a location far far away (and not freaking out in the process)! If you missed it last week, here's Part 1!

3) Venue!
Your venue should be among the first things you consider. Planning our Texas wedding from Seattle definitely had it's challenges venue-wise. I had to be dogged about internet research and on the ball with my organizational tools (see "Tools!" section) in order to keep my sanity. I did have to fly to Texas for the venue search, but before I left I scoured the Internet, contacted venues (including rock clubs, outdoor gardens, parks, theatres, sports stadiums, museums, private farms etc.) and started a spreadsheet with possible options broken down into categories.

Because I was only going to be viewing the venues once before choosing the right one, it was imperative to start a list of questions about each venue: capacity, rehearsal times, cleanup rules, parking situation, decorating stipulations, extra costs, kitchen availability…

Continue reading "How to plan a wedding from afar: part 2 (by Shrie)" →

I'm by no means a wedding planner. I had never even planned a large event before I got engaged… but in planning our wedding from over 2,000 miles away I found that there ain't jack shit for resources on this topic.

So here it is, "Shrie's Humble Guide to Planning A Wedding from Afar: Or How to Get Hitched Without Pulling Your Hair Out." I hope my teeny tidbits of advice will help at least one crazed, "I don't know where to start!" bride-to-be looking for a little relief.

Getting married and putting the whole shebang together can be awesome fun. Getting married and putting the whole shebang together at a location 2,100 miles away from where you live can be awesome fun AND a little stressful. Lucky for you, I've been through all that and will graciously divulge all my time-saving, stress-free secrets…

Continue reading "How to plan a wedding from afar: part I (by Shrie)" →

The Offbeat Bride: Rachael, Neurobiology grad student and researcher (and hard-workingOBT mod)

My Offbeat Partner: Dustin, Writer and English major

Location & date of the wedding: Wyndham St. Anthony Hotel, San Antonio, TX — 06/07/2008

What made our wedding offbeat: Those that know us personally, really got it. Allow me to explain: Dustin is the very essence of a hippie writer, but taken in the tradition of Hunter S. Thompson, and I have always been the crazy Asian goth (I play with brains all day — it doesn't get any more gothic-mad-scientist-y than that!).

Continue reading "Rachael & Dustin's Goth Buddhist Wedding" →

The offbeat bride: Lynn, Customer Service Rep

My offbeat partner: Adam, Customer Service Rep

Location & date of wedding: Arlington Museum of Art, Arlington, Texas

What made our wedding offbeat: We totally bucked tradition. We chose a non religious setting by having our wedding in an art museum. We also had our entire wedding party perform our ceremony!

The bride wore a pirate garter and had tiny skulls added to almost everything. There was a picture of Batman and Superman on the wedding cake. The groom wore bright red socks. The maid of honor was the bride's daughter and she was given away by her 16 year old son.

Continue reading "Lynn & Adam's Arlington Museum Wedding" →

Here's another "offbeat bride to offbeat photographer" story — this time, it's Brandi Thompson who's a Dallas/Forth Worth wedding photographer.

Brandi loves to capture anything wacky, explaining, "I would love to shoot in a grocery store, a bowling alley — I am totally 100% up for adventure at all times!"

That much is evident from her bad-ass wedding photography blog, which lives at rockstarphotographyblog.com.

Brandi's amazing photography is going to make y'all lose your minds — couples with their hearse! Brides and grooms groping each other! A bride in a kitty hat! Brandi's also offering a discount to Offbeat Brides, so keep reading to see all …

Continue reading "Texas wedding photography from Brandi Thompson" →