Offbeat Bride | Events

Offbeat Bride in the flesh! Get in touch If you’d like to host an author event in your hometown. I promise to not only haul my ass to your city, but also to bring hula hoops, a tiara, and abounding hugs (if you like hugging — otherwise I promise not to touch you).

I spent all afternoon yesterday at Vain, where I co-hosted an Offbeat Bridal Shower thang. Dozens of nontrad bridal types came, got their hair played with and make-up done, ate cupcakes and drank fizzy beverages. It was awesome, and thanks to the ladies at Vain for hosting the event.

… And thanks to each of you who came and provided so much gorgeousness! My voice is hoarse from doing so much talking with brides and other awesome women — I even got to meet the bride I've been web-stalking all week.

I took hundreds of pictures yesterday … sadly, many of them turned out fuzzy, but you can still get some great hair inspiration over here. If you were at the event and don't see yourself in the pictures, email me and I'll send you the shots I have of you. They may be out of focus (bah!), but if you wannem, I gottem!

Oh and PS: Totally unrelated to Vain, but I love this hairstyle.

This weekend I'm co-hosting an awesome event at Seattle's VAIN, the salon that gave me my pink braids. If you're in Seattle you must come. Seriously: there will be cupcakes and non-stupid hair styling. How could you not come? Here's all the info:

VAIN’s Offbeat Bridal Wedding Shower
May 19th 2007, 2-6pm FREE
VAIN: 2018 1st Avenue, Seattle WA

As engaged couples across Seattle know, wedding season is almost upon us — and for the Northwest’s growing numbers of non-traditional brides, the looming season means something slightly different. With these nontraditional brides in mind, Seattle’s VAIN Salon has joined forces with local writer Ariel Meadow Stallings, author of OFFBEAT BRIDE: TAFFETA-FREE ALTERNATIVES FOR INDEPENDENT BRIDES, to host a free afternoon of nontraditional primping, wedding planning advice, sweets and prizes for local brides. The free event will take place between 2 and 6pm on Saturday, May 19th at VAIN’s Belltown salon at 2018 1st Avenue in Seattle.

UPDATE: Check out the Offbeat up-do gallery from the event!

I'll be making a run for the border later this week to do a reading at Sophia Books Friday evening. It's going to be more than just a reading though — there will be hula hoops, music, an offbeat bridal fashion show, veils, and god knows what else. More info over here.

Totally wedding unrelated, but if you're in Vancouver I'll be reading some horrific poetry from the late '80s at Teen Angst Poetry night on Thursday. The comedy event starts 8pm at The Annex (307 W. Cordova). More info over here.

I've booked a bunch of offbeat events for the next couple months, including a fashion show/reading in Vancouver BC (May 4th), a reading in San Francisco (May 11th), a reading/reception with stand-up wedding advice in LA (June 2nd), ~~a reading at Powell's in Portland (June 11th)~~ and even an Offbeat Bridal Shower with insane anti-bride up-dos at Vain here in Seattle (May 19th). Hopefully I'll see some of you soon … check the calendar for more info!

Oh, and I'm at Village Books in Bellingham next Saturday!

Last weekend I have the honor of getting to attend the inaugural meeting of the Offbeat Bride DC Wedding Co-op. For those of you who have read the book, you probably remember the wedding co-op idea — Susan Beal's brilliant concept for sharing information and resources with other brides. A reader in Washington DC named Jamie (a lovely type-A after my own heart) decided that she was taking the idea and running with it, so she recruited some brides and set up a live journal community to compare notes, share resources, and commiserate with other DC-area brides.