Think a Dia de los Muertos theme would sort of dark and gothic because it’s all about death? THINK AGAIN! I’m totally in love with Julie Cupcake’s psychedelically colorful Dia de los Muertos-themed wedding reception.

The table-settings are so happy they’re almost rainbow-bright. Julie’s floral dress with the cheetah shrug makes me want to go dancing. The five-tier wedding cake has zebra stripes, a singing Elvis, and skulls. Oh, and Julie’s hair is pretty much to die for.

This is NOT a wedding for the modern minimalists, but if you love kitschy retro fabulousness, you must check out the full set.

(Thanks to Julie Cupcake for the photo!)

You’ve seen Fancy Pony Land on offbeatbride.com before — now here’s the story on Lorna’s own wedding!

The offbeat bride: Lorna Leedy, fashion designer and creator of Fancy Pony Land

Her offbeat partner: Peter Maggio, Park Ranger

Location & date of wedding: 7/8/6, The Gould Community Center in Gould, CO (North-Central Colorado)

What made our wedding offbeat: We had a Frontier Pioneer themed wedding in the North Park area of North-Central Colorado, where my family has a fly-fishing ranch. It’s one of the most gorgeous places on earth.
The wedding was supposed to be at my family’s cabin on the Ginger Quill Ranch, overlooking the North Platte River, but torrential rain forced us to have the wedding in the reception hall, the Gould Community Center. It’s an old wooden building with exposed beams and a giant fireplace. We had 175 people packed in there and the crowdedness made it really intimate and wonderful. We couldn’t have planned it better.

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Check out the photos from this October wedding — I love the bride’s striped dress, black manicure, and the masquerade theme. (Thanks for the tip, Morgan!)

If you’re a fellow fan of Black Phoenix Alchemy Lab (it’s an underground perfumery in LA), you’ll be as excited as I was to see photos from the founder’s recent pirate-themed wedding in Vegas. Hopefully I can track down more, but for now these will have to do. Click the pix to see ‘em big! (Thanks for the tip, Laurel — and for the permission to post the shots, Beth!)

The offbeat bride: Tina, Makeup artist for 7 Floors of Hell (haunted houses)

Her offbeat groom: Rob, Haunted house architect

Location & date of wedding: October 24th 2007 at The Cemetery of 7 Floors of Hell in Berea, Ohio

What made our wedding offbeat: It was love made in heaven, but a marriage made in Hell. What didn’t make this happy day offbeat? The theme of the wedding was “Love Never Dies” It was full moon, which we did not plan. The location was one of the big things — we were married in front of the Cemetery of a haunted house. We chose that location not only because we both work there, but because we fell in love there and it has become a huge part of our lives.

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The offbeat bride: Kate Davies, Barmaid

My offbeat groom: Lee Davies, Delivery Driver

Location & date of wedding: September 3rd, 2005 in Ammanford, South Wales

What made our wedding offbeat: After 10 years together, we decided to throw a big fat funky retro wedding. We had a tight budget so I made everything: invitations, wedding cake, favors, order of service, seven bridesmaid dresses — not to mention my own dress. And I did it all in keeping with our pink and green theme.

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The offbeat bride: Deana Weibel, assistant professor of anthropology (and Offbeat Bride lab rat!)

My offbeat groom: Glen, historian (independent scholar) and self-employed bookseller

Location & date of wedding: The Alumni House, Grand Valley State University, Allendale, Michigan. October 6, 2006.

What made our wedding offbeat: We had a subtle, spacey, moon-and-stars theme because my husband Glen is a cold war historian with expertise in the space race (and because we’re both space geeks). We walked each other up the aisle, our only attendants were our two brothers (his was Best Man, mine was Man of Honor).

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