February 15, 2019 The trick to getting authentically YOU wedding photos? This stellar NY/NJ-based photographer I love it when a photographer makes me feel like I'm worthy of photographing no matter what I look like, if I'm awkward as hell, or if I deviate from the norms that dictate what we think is "right" or "pretty," or "traditional." That's why the ethos of one of our most rad partners, New York and New Jersey-based Adena at Studio A Images, resonates so much with us. Obviously we do our best to make sure all of our vendors are top notch AND totally inclusive, but sometimes they just fit so comfortably into our mindset that I've just go to introduce you. Read More February 15, 2019 Sci-fi meets romance at this Chicago artist loft wedding Leah and Amanda planned their wedding in just a few short months, but you'd never know it by it's loveliness. They love sci-fi movies and have sci-fi posters all over their house which inspired the reception decor — from table numbers, guestbook, and florals in science beakers as bud vases. Leah likes crafting and designed all the personalized signage for the wedding. The food at reception was fall festive and included a s'mores bar! Read More February 14, 2019 The sexiest lace boots ever inspired this Valentine elopement shoot Sometimes a pair of the sexiest red boots can spawn a whole theme. This was definitely the case with this Valentine elopement shoot covered in red, lace, hearts, and rosé. Don't miss the killer crop top red wedding dress, the large gold mirror covered in song lyrics, the intricately die-cut invitations, the pear shaped ring, and the elaborate ombre cake(!) that took our breath away. Even if you hate Valentine's Day, it's easy to love these heart candies, red touches, and loving looks of this couple. Let's take Valentine's Day from kitschy to glam… Read More February 13, 2019 How to plan a more ethical wedding (including an edible bouquet!) When I was preparing for my own wedding I started thinking: how could we do this more ethically? The very nature of a wedding being a one day event, and….. Read More February 13, 2019 "It's the Super Moon, bruh" at this Spaceship Earth forest rave wedding We met at a Full Moon Gathering campout, Moontribe's 20th anniversary. It was a fantastic weekend and we heard echoed throughout the party, "It's the Super Moon, bruh" as the explanation for the awesomeness everywhere. Five years later, still following cosmic novelties and electronic music, we trekked to Oregon for the Solar Eclipse festival Symbiosis. Josh proposed during the eclipse with the solar ring as my engagement ring! We carried this theme through our engagement shoot and wedding. Read More More Recent Posts > Recent Wedding Porn February 14, 2019 The sexiest lace boots ever inspired this Valentine elopement shoot Sometimes a pair of the sexiest red boots can spawn a whole theme. This was definitely the case with this Valentine elopement shoot covered in red, lace, hearts, and rosé. Don't miss the killer crop top red wedding dress, the large gold mirror covered in song lyrics, the intricately die-cut invitations, the pear shaped ring, and the elaborate ombre cake(!) that took our breath away. Even if you hate Valentine's Day, it's easy to love these heart candies, red touches, and loving looks of this couple. Let's take Valentine's Day from kitschy to glam… Read More February 13, 2019 How to plan a more ethical wedding (including an edible bouquet!) When I was preparing for my own wedding I started thinking: how could we do this more ethically? The very nature of a wedding being a one day event, and….. Read More February 7, 2019 Love is in the air with these hella romantic & quirky save-the-dates (that are 30% off right now!) The early engagement and save-the-date phase is one of the most fun and ripe for the pickings in terms of save-the-date design. Speaking of… one of our favorite paperie vendors, Minted, is having a huge wedding sale with 15% off all wedding products (like invites, menus, programs, placecards, etc.!) and a whopping 30% off save-the-dates. A big ol' discount like that deserved a bit of a look-see… Read More February 5, 2019 This viking elopement inspiration is all about untamed beauty on the coast We love a good viking wedding and this viking wedding inspiration was more wild and untamed than we'd ever seen. It's adventurous, romantic, and seriously inspiring if you're planning one of your own. Set on the beautiful Oregon coast and inspired by Nordic traditions, they rocked bold blues, silvers, and greens to match the atmosphere. There are two different looks to see, both separate love stories in themselves. Don't miss the era-inspired weaponry, the gorgeous geode cake, the cave-dotted landscape, the custom-made gowns, and the chill-inducing florals. I can almost hear the battle cries now… Read More 1.7k January 21, 2019 Vivid colors meet goth chic at this moody & quirky wedding inspiration One of my favorite combinations of styles is vivid color meets dark goth glam. And this dark & moody wedding inspiration has both in abundance. With florals ranging from purple scabiosa to black willows, a sweets table full of candy apples and a tower of macarons, and two brides rocking gold antlers, turquoise hair, and coordinating (but not matchy-matchy!) whie and gray gowns, it's a gorgeous display with an eerie and chic vibe. Read More More Wedding Porn > Recent Real Weddings February 15, 2019 Sci-fi meets romance at this Chicago artist loft wedding Leah and Amanda planned their wedding in just a few short months, but you'd never know it by it's loveliness. They love sci-fi movies and have sci-fi posters all over their house which inspired the reception decor — from table numbers, guestbook, and florals in science beakers as bud vases. Leah likes crafting and designed all the personalized signage for the wedding. The food at reception was fall festive and included a s'mores bar! Read More February 13, 2019 "It's the Super Moon, bruh" at this Spaceship Earth forest rave wedding We met at a Full Moon Gathering campout, Moontribe's 20th anniversary. It was a fantastic weekend and we heard echoed throughout the party, "It's the Super Moon, bruh" as the explanation for the awesomeness everywhere. Five years later, still following cosmic novelties and electronic music, we trekked to Oregon for the Solar Eclipse festival Symbiosis. Josh proposed during the eclipse with the solar ring as my engagement ring! We carried this theme through our engagement shoot and wedding. Read More February 12, 2019 Jaws will drop at the style of this Jamaican meets English garden wedding Alex and Toyan flew back from Qatar all the way to Yorkshire, UK to get married at Alex’s family home surrounded by their loved ones. This pair, a DJ and an artist, has major style and it shows in the groom's red suit, suuuper slick wedding party outfits, and the bride's modern meets classic short gown. Just try to look at these party photos and try to imagine anything more fun. You can't, right? We all got FOMO looking at that epic party. Read More February 11, 2019 This fall elopement in Tennessee was surrounded by foliage, leather jackets, & intimate vows Picture it: an intimate ceremony among the turning fall leaves of a woodland backdrop. A gray dress, dapper groom, and a little edge with leather jackets. You don't have to imagine it, because I've got just such a wedding. Marcella and Jimmy chose a gorgeous fall day for their Seymour, TN elopement. Read More 1.0k February 8, 2019 Our big gay pagan rainbow woodland festival wedding We had guests from as far apart as Japan, California, and Germany. We tried to invoke all the things we loved in our wedding day — geeky nods to Harry Potter, His Dark Materials, Jonathan Coulton, and the Lord of the Rings; the Obergefell v Hodges ruling for Jess's career and theatrical touches for mine. We asked our guests to wear 'whatever makes you feel pretty.' We then celebrated with ice cream, lawn games, and street food, and ended the evening with a ceilidh and session. Oh, and there was an owl, and llamas. Read More More Real Weddings > Recent Advice February 13, 2019 How to plan a more ethical wedding (including an edible bouquet!) When I was preparing for my own wedding I started thinking: how could we do this more ethically? The very nature of a wedding being a one day event, and….. Read More January 23, 2019 6 tips for making your wedding website useful AND stylish Are you engaged? YAY! I have a feeling that a lot of you are thinking about wedding hashtags and websites and social media, oh my. Weddings are way more high tech these days and a wedding website is pretty standard fare now. When I got engaged in 2018, I went on a hunt for a really slick wedding website and have a few quick hit tips to share to make your wedding website both ultra useful and seriously captivating. Read More October 17, 2018 How to avoid your email save-the-date going to spam My partner and I decided to send out email save-the-dates instead of a physical card. I do, however, have a warning for you if you are planning on going the green route with your save-the-date by sending out electronic ones. If you send an email with an image, you may hit your guests' spam folders. Here are some pros and cons of going green with your save-the-dates and how you can avoid your save-the-date going to spam… Read More October 3, 2018 Our delicious unity beer ceremony was… hopping (plus our ceremony wording!) Craft beer has been such a huge part of our relationship that when we were planning our wedding (featured here!), we wanted to include it somehow. I suggested a unity beer ceremony, but we couldn't find any wording online that we liked. We ended up creating our own from scratch, complete with our own unique brand of humor. Read More September 17, 2018 7 fur-tastic ways to include your pet in the wedding day Like all of us who follow famous animals on Instagram, I love seeing your ring dogs, cat save-the-dates, and guinea pig cake toppers. But are there MORE ways to include your pet in the wedding day? I decided to see what was new in the realm of wedding pets. And there was! I saw so many adorable ways to add some pet fur to your day (without wigging them out, of course). Let's get to the honorable wedding puppers and kittehs (and whatever other animals y'all love!)… Read More More Advice > Recent DIY September 18, 2018 Eat 'em or take 'em: these s'mores wedding favors are a gooey gift guests will devour S'mores are a staple of outdoor weddings in any season, but especially in the fall when the weather gets chilly and a bonfire is apropos. You're cooking them up over a bonfire, adding them to your sweets table, and even making them into cakes! But a perfect way to provide a dessert AND a takeaway gift is an easy-to-make s'mores wedding favor. Here's how to make them super easily with a few staples from Michael's Weddings™… Read More 1.4k July 11, 2018 A seriously easy way to make a cathedral veil from your favorite fabric About a month before my wedding, I became fascinated with a colorful floral veil in this post on my favorite wedding blog. I looked around for similar veils online, but couldn't find anything for a price I was willing to pay. So I decided to DIY my veil and it was surprisingly easy! Here's how I did it… Read More June 11, 2018 Supersize your wedding flora with this big crepe paper flower tutorial We know HUGE bouquets are super popular right now, but what if we mega-size the actual flowers instead of just the bouquet size? We love a good huge flower bouquet, headpiece, centerpiece, or ceremony backdrop. The best part? You can totally make these yourself. Read More May 30, 2018 Lush florals go ring-shaped with this DIY floral hoop backdrop I love a good hoop bouquet, but those handy floral hoops can be used for more than just a great alternative bouquet. I've created a series of hoops flowing with greenery and flora that can be used a wedding ceremony backdrop, reception decor, or even a place card holder. With this DIY floral hoop backdrop, you can add as many floral picks as you like to make it as lush as you can imagine. Artificial flowers let you create a backdrop that can go from wedding to living room permanently. It's the beauty of realistic artificial flowers! Here are the steps to go from a simple hoop to intricate backdrop in no time… Read More April 5, 2018 In case of dementor attack, you'll need this Harry Potter wedding favor If you're a Potterphile, you know that chocolate bars have their own powers of soothing you after a dementor attack. So at a wedding with Harry Potter details (where a dementor could prey, naturally!), why not offer up some DIY Harry Potter wedding favors that will do the job nicely. Plus, it only takes some inexpensive chocolate bars, some printer paper, and a printable chocolate bar wrapper. Read More More DIY > Recent Stuff we love February 15, 2019 The trick to getting authentically YOU wedding photos? This stellar NY/NJ-based photographer I love it when a photographer makes me feel like I'm worthy of photographing no matter what I look like, if I'm awkward as hell, or if I deviate from the norms that dictate what we think is "right" or "pretty," or "traditional." That's why the ethos of one of our most rad partners, New York and New Jersey-based Adena at Studio A Images, resonates so much with us. Obviously we do our best to make sure all of our vendors are top notch AND totally inclusive, but sometimes they just fit so comfortably into our mindset that I've just go to introduce you. Read More February 12, 2019 6 handcrafted engagement rings that are truly works of art You know we spend way too much time delving into the oceans of engagement ring bling at Brilliant Earth. There's just so much to see and to inspire your own ring selections. In a recent trip down the ring rabbit hole, I spied a fair few engagement rings that stood out among others as true works of art. In particular, their vintage collection has been hand-curated for exceptional quality and originality. They know that jewelry design isn't just artistry, but also architecture and engineering played out on minute scale. Read More February 5, 2019 On the hunt for an industry-busting & inclusive photographer and coordinator? We've got the ultimate… Sometimes when you partner up with a wedding vendor who so totally embodies everything we hold dear about weddings and especially about our own readers, we have to introduce you. This was very much the case with Seattle/Tacoma-based photography-meets-coordination company Fuck Yeah, Weddings. Owner Kendall has endless enthusiasm for offbeat weddings of all flavors, but also provides both photography AND coordination for a super streamlined process of capturing and planning your wedding. Read More 3.4k February 1, 2019 Are these alternatives to earth-mined diamonds ethical & budget-friendly? Let's find out… We may tout a lot of colored gemstones around these parts, but we know a lot of you are totally down for that classic diamond look. And these days, you really don't have to feel guilty about snagging a real diamond from ring designers who source ethical and conflict-free diamonds. But there are other options you might want to know about which are created without any impact to the earth AND are more budget-friendly. We reached out to our custom-ring wizard partners at Joseph Jewelry to get the scoop on diamond alternatives such as lab created diamonds and moissanite engagement rings. Read More January 29, 2019 From sweet & romantic to grand & theatrical, these wedding headpieces are dropping jaws From retro fascinators to lovely flower crowns to masterpieces of intricate design, these wedding headpieces function as formal accessory but also as re-wearable art for parties, holidays, theater, and more. Jezebel, the artist behind all of these creations, described them as "fun and fabulous frippery" which I think describes what most of us would love for our outfits to be on our wedding day. If you can't have a little frippery, what can you have? Read More More Stuff we love > Recent Wedding 101 January 23, 2019 6 tips for making your wedding website useful AND stylish Are you engaged? YAY! I have a feeling that a lot of you are thinking about wedding hashtags and websites and social media, oh my. Weddings are way more high tech these days and a wedding website is pretty standard fare now. When I got engaged in 2018, I went on a hunt for a really slick wedding website and have a few quick hit tips to share to make your wedding website both ultra useful and seriously captivating. Read More July 12, 2018 Planning tools 101: hotel block comparison chart We launched a comprehensive and totally customizable document of wedding planning spreadsheets in Google Drive if you're the type to get down with spreadsheets like I am. Now we're sharing a chart that will help you compare hotel blocks if you're planning to provide that option to your guests. Hotel blocks allow you to block out some rooms and room rates to help guests grab a good deal on a hotel room. Read More June 27, 2018 Avoiding wedding fights: how to plan your wedding planning Your engagement should be a joyful time. You have a lifetime ahead of you with the person you love. What could be better than to celebrate that love surrounded by friends and family? And yet, somehow things go awry. Conflicts flare. And the time that should be so happy — the build-up to your wedding — is fraught with possibilities for strife. The good news is you can avoid most of the problems by planning your wedding planning. That's right. Plan how you're going to plan. Read More 2.6k April 18, 2018 I bought a colored wedding dress and now everyone's mad! What should I do? I come from a family of strict traditionalists when it comes to everything, especially weddings. I recently bought a peach wedding dress with no sleeves and expressed I wanted light blue hair and Converse to go with it. As you can imagine, things didn't go over well. When I try to stand up for my wedding choices, I'm shamed for it. Please help! Read More 4.3k March 5, 2018 Wedding dates to avoid in 2018, 2019, and beyond I'm compiling this list of wedding dates to avoid in 2018, 2019, and 2020 in case you want to avoid holidays where family and friends might have conflicting events, holidays where vendors might be especially busy and/or expensive (think Valentine's Day for florists), or religious holidays where places might be closed or guests might have other plans. Does this mean you CAN'T book your wedding for one of these days? Hell no! Read More More Wedding 101 > Offbeat Bride: your source for wedding ideas and inclusive wedding planning We've got bajillions of creative wedding ideas, DIY projects, and wedding advice to make your wedding plans easier — and even fun! What do you need to do today? I have no idea. I need Wedding Planning 101! I need a wedding planning checklist (now in an interactive version, too!) Hook me up with free wedding fonts & printables I need offbeat wedding registry ideas I'm curious about offbeat wedding themes (geeky! boho! so many!) Reporter Name * Reporter Email * Original text Enter the original text here. Edited text* Enter your suggested copyedit here. Notes You can add a note for the editor here. * Required information. Fix Typo What wedding planning advice & inspiration do you need today? Dress Eloping Engagement Ring Feminism Floral Print Geeky Harry Potter Invitation Wording Readings Ceremony Advice Fashion Wedding 101 Super cute offbeat wedding invitations @offbeatbride on Insta Newly engaged? Slushies, food trucks, and brunch: 10 delicious ways to make your wedding food fun Your cheatsheet for what to include on wedding invitation Bar talk with Mint & Mirth: Licensing, insurance, and when to hire professional bartenders Going postal: Don't make these 5 mistakes when addressing your wedding invitations What logistics should I consider for a seated bridal party? 6 vital things you need to know when working with a wedding florist 9 wedding website tips to inform, reassure, and give warm fuzzies to your guests Wedding dates to avoid in 2018, 2019, and beyond Read More > A few of our fave wedding vendors DJ Doug Read More Laffler Photography Read More CustomMade Read More Leise Jones Photography Read More Browse our vendor guide > Our infamous spreadsheets & checklists Planning tools 101: wedding budget calculator Impress their asses off: 5 tips for hosting out-of-town wedding guests in your home Planning tools 101: Your wedding guest list planner Our GIANT list of important questions to ask wedding venues Planning tools 101: Your wedding timeline spreadsheet The electronic wedding hacks: Choosing your online wedding planning tools Marriage legal changes you NEED to know about (in plain English, we promise!) Playlists, requests, and backup plans: What to ask your wedding DJ Get planning > We're everywhere! Follow us on social media. Get creative, offbeat wedding ideas delivered daily to your inbox! Join our newsletter SUBSCRIBE Copyright © 2003 - 2019 Offbeat Empire. All rights reserved. Unauthorized reproduction in part or in whole is prohibited. Contact us Terms of Service | Privacy Policy | Monetized by SkimLinks
February 15, 2019 Sci-fi meets romance at this Chicago artist loft wedding Leah and Amanda planned their wedding in just a few short months, but you'd never know it by it's loveliness. They love sci-fi movies and have sci-fi posters all over their house which inspired the reception decor — from table numbers, guestbook, and florals in science beakers as bud vases. Leah likes crafting and designed all the personalized signage for the wedding. The food at reception was fall festive and included a s'mores bar! Read More February 14, 2019 The sexiest lace boots ever inspired this Valentine elopement shoot Sometimes a pair of the sexiest red boots can spawn a whole theme. This was definitely the case with this Valentine elopement shoot covered in red, lace, hearts, and rosé. Don't miss the killer crop top red wedding dress, the large gold mirror covered in song lyrics, the intricately die-cut invitations, the pear shaped ring, and the elaborate ombre cake(!) that took our breath away. Even if you hate Valentine's Day, it's easy to love these heart candies, red touches, and loving looks of this couple. Let's take Valentine's Day from kitschy to glam… Read More February 13, 2019 How to plan a more ethical wedding (including an edible bouquet!) When I was preparing for my own wedding I started thinking: how could we do this more ethically? The very nature of a wedding being a one day event, and….. Read More February 13, 2019 "It's the Super Moon, bruh" at this Spaceship Earth forest rave wedding We met at a Full Moon Gathering campout, Moontribe's 20th anniversary. It was a fantastic weekend and we heard echoed throughout the party, "It's the Super Moon, bruh" as the explanation for the awesomeness everywhere. Five years later, still following cosmic novelties and electronic music, we trekked to Oregon for the Solar Eclipse festival Symbiosis. Josh proposed during the eclipse with the solar ring as my engagement ring! We carried this theme through our engagement shoot and wedding. Read More More Recent Posts > Recent Wedding Porn February 14, 2019 The sexiest lace boots ever inspired this Valentine elopement shoot Sometimes a pair of the sexiest red boots can spawn a whole theme. This was definitely the case with this Valentine elopement shoot covered in red, lace, hearts, and rosé. Don't miss the killer crop top red wedding dress, the large gold mirror covered in song lyrics, the intricately die-cut invitations, the pear shaped ring, and the elaborate ombre cake(!) that took our breath away. Even if you hate Valentine's Day, it's easy to love these heart candies, red touches, and loving looks of this couple. Let's take Valentine's Day from kitschy to glam… Read More February 13, 2019 How to plan a more ethical wedding (including an edible bouquet!) When I was preparing for my own wedding I started thinking: how could we do this more ethically? The very nature of a wedding being a one day event, and….. Read More February 7, 2019 Love is in the air with these hella romantic & quirky save-the-dates (that are 30% off right now!) The early engagement and save-the-date phase is one of the most fun and ripe for the pickings in terms of save-the-date design. Speaking of… one of our favorite paperie vendors, Minted, is having a huge wedding sale with 15% off all wedding products (like invites, menus, programs, placecards, etc.!) and a whopping 30% off save-the-dates. A big ol' discount like that deserved a bit of a look-see… Read More February 5, 2019 This viking elopement inspiration is all about untamed beauty on the coast We love a good viking wedding and this viking wedding inspiration was more wild and untamed than we'd ever seen. It's adventurous, romantic, and seriously inspiring if you're planning one of your own. Set on the beautiful Oregon coast and inspired by Nordic traditions, they rocked bold blues, silvers, and greens to match the atmosphere. There are two different looks to see, both separate love stories in themselves. Don't miss the era-inspired weaponry, the gorgeous geode cake, the cave-dotted landscape, the custom-made gowns, and the chill-inducing florals. I can almost hear the battle cries now… Read More 1.7k January 21, 2019 Vivid colors meet goth chic at this moody & quirky wedding inspiration One of my favorite combinations of styles is vivid color meets dark goth glam. And this dark & moody wedding inspiration has both in abundance. With florals ranging from purple scabiosa to black willows, a sweets table full of candy apples and a tower of macarons, and two brides rocking gold antlers, turquoise hair, and coordinating (but not matchy-matchy!) whie and gray gowns, it's a gorgeous display with an eerie and chic vibe. Read More More Wedding Porn > Recent Real Weddings February 15, 2019 Sci-fi meets romance at this Chicago artist loft wedding Leah and Amanda planned their wedding in just a few short months, but you'd never know it by it's loveliness. They love sci-fi movies and have sci-fi posters all over their house which inspired the reception decor — from table numbers, guestbook, and florals in science beakers as bud vases. Leah likes crafting and designed all the personalized signage for the wedding. The food at reception was fall festive and included a s'mores bar! Read More February 13, 2019 "It's the Super Moon, bruh" at this Spaceship Earth forest rave wedding We met at a Full Moon Gathering campout, Moontribe's 20th anniversary. It was a fantastic weekend and we heard echoed throughout the party, "It's the Super Moon, bruh" as the explanation for the awesomeness everywhere. Five years later, still following cosmic novelties and electronic music, we trekked to Oregon for the Solar Eclipse festival Symbiosis. Josh proposed during the eclipse with the solar ring as my engagement ring! We carried this theme through our engagement shoot and wedding. Read More February 12, 2019 Jaws will drop at the style of this Jamaican meets English garden wedding Alex and Toyan flew back from Qatar all the way to Yorkshire, UK to get married at Alex’s family home surrounded by their loved ones. This pair, a DJ and an artist, has major style and it shows in the groom's red suit, suuuper slick wedding party outfits, and the bride's modern meets classic short gown. Just try to look at these party photos and try to imagine anything more fun. You can't, right? We all got FOMO looking at that epic party. Read More February 11, 2019 This fall elopement in Tennessee was surrounded by foliage, leather jackets, & intimate vows Picture it: an intimate ceremony among the turning fall leaves of a woodland backdrop. A gray dress, dapper groom, and a little edge with leather jackets. You don't have to imagine it, because I've got just such a wedding. Marcella and Jimmy chose a gorgeous fall day for their Seymour, TN elopement. Read More 1.0k February 8, 2019 Our big gay pagan rainbow woodland festival wedding We had guests from as far apart as Japan, California, and Germany. We tried to invoke all the things we loved in our wedding day — geeky nods to Harry Potter, His Dark Materials, Jonathan Coulton, and the Lord of the Rings; the Obergefell v Hodges ruling for Jess's career and theatrical touches for mine. We asked our guests to wear 'whatever makes you feel pretty.' We then celebrated with ice cream, lawn games, and street food, and ended the evening with a ceilidh and session. Oh, and there was an owl, and llamas. Read More More Real Weddings > Recent Advice February 13, 2019 How to plan a more ethical wedding (including an edible bouquet!) When I was preparing for my own wedding I started thinking: how could we do this more ethically? The very nature of a wedding being a one day event, and….. Read More January 23, 2019 6 tips for making your wedding website useful AND stylish Are you engaged? YAY! I have a feeling that a lot of you are thinking about wedding hashtags and websites and social media, oh my. Weddings are way more high tech these days and a wedding website is pretty standard fare now. When I got engaged in 2018, I went on a hunt for a really slick wedding website and have a few quick hit tips to share to make your wedding website both ultra useful and seriously captivating. Read More October 17, 2018 How to avoid your email save-the-date going to spam My partner and I decided to send out email save-the-dates instead of a physical card. I do, however, have a warning for you if you are planning on going the green route with your save-the-date by sending out electronic ones. If you send an email with an image, you may hit your guests' spam folders. Here are some pros and cons of going green with your save-the-dates and how you can avoid your save-the-date going to spam… Read More October 3, 2018 Our delicious unity beer ceremony was… hopping (plus our ceremony wording!) Craft beer has been such a huge part of our relationship that when we were planning our wedding (featured here!), we wanted to include it somehow. I suggested a unity beer ceremony, but we couldn't find any wording online that we liked. We ended up creating our own from scratch, complete with our own unique brand of humor. Read More September 17, 2018 7 fur-tastic ways to include your pet in the wedding day Like all of us who follow famous animals on Instagram, I love seeing your ring dogs, cat save-the-dates, and guinea pig cake toppers. But are there MORE ways to include your pet in the wedding day? I decided to see what was new in the realm of wedding pets. And there was! I saw so many adorable ways to add some pet fur to your day (without wigging them out, of course). Let's get to the honorable wedding puppers and kittehs (and whatever other animals y'all love!)… Read More More Advice > Recent DIY September 18, 2018 Eat 'em or take 'em: these s'mores wedding favors are a gooey gift guests will devour S'mores are a staple of outdoor weddings in any season, but especially in the fall when the weather gets chilly and a bonfire is apropos. You're cooking them up over a bonfire, adding them to your sweets table, and even making them into cakes! But a perfect way to provide a dessert AND a takeaway gift is an easy-to-make s'mores wedding favor. Here's how to make them super easily with a few staples from Michael's Weddings™… Read More 1.4k July 11, 2018 A seriously easy way to make a cathedral veil from your favorite fabric About a month before my wedding, I became fascinated with a colorful floral veil in this post on my favorite wedding blog. I looked around for similar veils online, but couldn't find anything for a price I was willing to pay. So I decided to DIY my veil and it was surprisingly easy! Here's how I did it… Read More June 11, 2018 Supersize your wedding flora with this big crepe paper flower tutorial We know HUGE bouquets are super popular right now, but what if we mega-size the actual flowers instead of just the bouquet size? We love a good huge flower bouquet, headpiece, centerpiece, or ceremony backdrop. The best part? You can totally make these yourself. Read More May 30, 2018 Lush florals go ring-shaped with this DIY floral hoop backdrop I love a good hoop bouquet, but those handy floral hoops can be used for more than just a great alternative bouquet. I've created a series of hoops flowing with greenery and flora that can be used a wedding ceremony backdrop, reception decor, or even a place card holder. With this DIY floral hoop backdrop, you can add as many floral picks as you like to make it as lush as you can imagine. Artificial flowers let you create a backdrop that can go from wedding to living room permanently. It's the beauty of realistic artificial flowers! Here are the steps to go from a simple hoop to intricate backdrop in no time… Read More April 5, 2018 In case of dementor attack, you'll need this Harry Potter wedding favor If you're a Potterphile, you know that chocolate bars have their own powers of soothing you after a dementor attack. So at a wedding with Harry Potter details (where a dementor could prey, naturally!), why not offer up some DIY Harry Potter wedding favors that will do the job nicely. Plus, it only takes some inexpensive chocolate bars, some printer paper, and a printable chocolate bar wrapper. Read More More DIY > Recent Stuff we love February 15, 2019 The trick to getting authentically YOU wedding photos? This stellar NY/NJ-based photographer I love it when a photographer makes me feel like I'm worthy of photographing no matter what I look like, if I'm awkward as hell, or if I deviate from the norms that dictate what we think is "right" or "pretty," or "traditional." That's why the ethos of one of our most rad partners, New York and New Jersey-based Adena at Studio A Images, resonates so much with us. Obviously we do our best to make sure all of our vendors are top notch AND totally inclusive, but sometimes they just fit so comfortably into our mindset that I've just go to introduce you. Read More February 12, 2019 6 handcrafted engagement rings that are truly works of art You know we spend way too much time delving into the oceans of engagement ring bling at Brilliant Earth. There's just so much to see and to inspire your own ring selections. In a recent trip down the ring rabbit hole, I spied a fair few engagement rings that stood out among others as true works of art. In particular, their vintage collection has been hand-curated for exceptional quality and originality. They know that jewelry design isn't just artistry, but also architecture and engineering played out on minute scale. Read More February 5, 2019 On the hunt for an industry-busting & inclusive photographer and coordinator? We've got the ultimate… Sometimes when you partner up with a wedding vendor who so totally embodies everything we hold dear about weddings and especially about our own readers, we have to introduce you. This was very much the case with Seattle/Tacoma-based photography-meets-coordination company Fuck Yeah, Weddings. Owner Kendall has endless enthusiasm for offbeat weddings of all flavors, but also provides both photography AND coordination for a super streamlined process of capturing and planning your wedding. Read More 3.4k February 1, 2019 Are these alternatives to earth-mined diamonds ethical & budget-friendly? Let's find out… We may tout a lot of colored gemstones around these parts, but we know a lot of you are totally down for that classic diamond look. And these days, you really don't have to feel guilty about snagging a real diamond from ring designers who source ethical and conflict-free diamonds. But there are other options you might want to know about which are created without any impact to the earth AND are more budget-friendly. We reached out to our custom-ring wizard partners at Joseph Jewelry to get the scoop on diamond alternatives such as lab created diamonds and moissanite engagement rings. Read More January 29, 2019 From sweet & romantic to grand & theatrical, these wedding headpieces are dropping jaws From retro fascinators to lovely flower crowns to masterpieces of intricate design, these wedding headpieces function as formal accessory but also as re-wearable art for parties, holidays, theater, and more. Jezebel, the artist behind all of these creations, described them as "fun and fabulous frippery" which I think describes what most of us would love for our outfits to be on our wedding day. If you can't have a little frippery, what can you have? Read More More Stuff we love > Recent Wedding 101 January 23, 2019 6 tips for making your wedding website useful AND stylish Are you engaged? YAY! I have a feeling that a lot of you are thinking about wedding hashtags and websites and social media, oh my. Weddings are way more high tech these days and a wedding website is pretty standard fare now. When I got engaged in 2018, I went on a hunt for a really slick wedding website and have a few quick hit tips to share to make your wedding website both ultra useful and seriously captivating. Read More July 12, 2018 Planning tools 101: hotel block comparison chart We launched a comprehensive and totally customizable document of wedding planning spreadsheets in Google Drive if you're the type to get down with spreadsheets like I am. Now we're sharing a chart that will help you compare hotel blocks if you're planning to provide that option to your guests. Hotel blocks allow you to block out some rooms and room rates to help guests grab a good deal on a hotel room. Read More June 27, 2018 Avoiding wedding fights: how to plan your wedding planning Your engagement should be a joyful time. You have a lifetime ahead of you with the person you love. What could be better than to celebrate that love surrounded by friends and family? And yet, somehow things go awry. Conflicts flare. And the time that should be so happy — the build-up to your wedding — is fraught with possibilities for strife. The good news is you can avoid most of the problems by planning your wedding planning. That's right. Plan how you're going to plan. Read More 2.6k April 18, 2018 I bought a colored wedding dress and now everyone's mad! What should I do? I come from a family of strict traditionalists when it comes to everything, especially weddings. I recently bought a peach wedding dress with no sleeves and expressed I wanted light blue hair and Converse to go with it. As you can imagine, things didn't go over well. When I try to stand up for my wedding choices, I'm shamed for it. Please help! Read More 4.3k March 5, 2018 Wedding dates to avoid in 2018, 2019, and beyond I'm compiling this list of wedding dates to avoid in 2018, 2019, and 2020 in case you want to avoid holidays where family and friends might have conflicting events, holidays where vendors might be especially busy and/or expensive (think Valentine's Day for florists), or religious holidays where places might be closed or guests might have other plans. Does this mean you CAN'T book your wedding for one of these days? Hell no! Read More More Wedding 101 > Offbeat Bride: your source for wedding ideas and inclusive wedding planning We've got bajillions of creative wedding ideas, DIY projects, and wedding advice to make your wedding plans easier — and even fun! What do you need to do today? I have no idea. I need Wedding Planning 101! I need a wedding planning checklist (now in an interactive version, too!) Hook me up with free wedding fonts & printables I need offbeat wedding registry ideas I'm curious about offbeat wedding themes (geeky! boho! so many!) Reporter Name * Reporter Email * Original text Enter the original text here. Edited text* Enter your suggested copyedit here. Notes You can add a note for the editor here. * Required information. Fix Typo What wedding planning advice & inspiration do you need today? Dress Eloping Engagement Ring Feminism Floral Print Geeky Harry Potter Invitation Wording Readings Ceremony Advice Fashion Wedding 101 Super cute offbeat wedding invitations @offbeatbride on Insta Newly engaged? Slushies, food trucks, and brunch: 10 delicious ways to make your wedding food fun Your cheatsheet for what to include on wedding invitation Bar talk with Mint & Mirth: Licensing, insurance, and when to hire professional bartenders Going postal: Don't make these 5 mistakes when addressing your wedding invitations What logistics should I consider for a seated bridal party? 6 vital things you need to know when working with a wedding florist 9 wedding website tips to inform, reassure, and give warm fuzzies to your guests Wedding dates to avoid in 2018, 2019, and beyond Read More > A few of our fave wedding vendors DJ Doug Read More Laffler Photography Read More CustomMade Read More Leise Jones Photography Read More Browse our vendor guide > Our infamous spreadsheets & checklists Planning tools 101: wedding budget calculator Impress their asses off: 5 tips for hosting out-of-town wedding guests in your home Planning tools 101: Your wedding guest list planner Our GIANT list of important questions to ask wedding venues Planning tools 101: Your wedding timeline spreadsheet The electronic wedding hacks: Choosing your online wedding planning tools Marriage legal changes you NEED to know about (in plain English, we promise!) Playlists, requests, and backup plans: What to ask your wedding DJ Get planning > We're everywhere! Follow us on social media. Get creative, offbeat wedding ideas delivered daily to your inbox! Join our newsletter SUBSCRIBE Copyright © 2003 - 2019 Offbeat Empire. All rights reserved. Unauthorized reproduction in part or in whole is prohibited. Contact us Terms of Service | Privacy Policy | Monetized by SkimLinks
February 14, 2019 The sexiest lace boots ever inspired this Valentine elopement shoot Sometimes a pair of the sexiest red boots can spawn a whole theme. This was definitely the case with this Valentine elopement shoot covered in red, lace, hearts, and rosé. Don't miss the killer crop top red wedding dress, the large gold mirror covered in song lyrics, the intricately die-cut invitations, the pear shaped ring, and the elaborate ombre cake(!) that took our breath away. Even if you hate Valentine's Day, it's easy to love these heart candies, red touches, and loving looks of this couple. Let's take Valentine's Day from kitschy to glam… Read More February 13, 2019 How to plan a more ethical wedding (including an edible bouquet!) When I was preparing for my own wedding I started thinking: how could we do this more ethically? The very nature of a wedding being a one day event, and….. Read More February 13, 2019 "It's the Super Moon, bruh" at this Spaceship Earth forest rave wedding We met at a Full Moon Gathering campout, Moontribe's 20th anniversary. It was a fantastic weekend and we heard echoed throughout the party, "It's the Super Moon, bruh" as the explanation for the awesomeness everywhere. Five years later, still following cosmic novelties and electronic music, we trekked to Oregon for the Solar Eclipse festival Symbiosis. Josh proposed during the eclipse with the solar ring as my engagement ring! We carried this theme through our engagement shoot and wedding. Read More More Recent Posts > Recent Wedding Porn February 14, 2019 The sexiest lace boots ever inspired this Valentine elopement shoot Sometimes a pair of the sexiest red boots can spawn a whole theme. This was definitely the case with this Valentine elopement shoot covered in red, lace, hearts, and rosé. Don't miss the killer crop top red wedding dress, the large gold mirror covered in song lyrics, the intricately die-cut invitations, the pear shaped ring, and the elaborate ombre cake(!) that took our breath away. Even if you hate Valentine's Day, it's easy to love these heart candies, red touches, and loving looks of this couple. Let's take Valentine's Day from kitschy to glam… Read More February 13, 2019 How to plan a more ethical wedding (including an edible bouquet!) When I was preparing for my own wedding I started thinking: how could we do this more ethically? The very nature of a wedding being a one day event, and….. Read More February 7, 2019 Love is in the air with these hella romantic & quirky save-the-dates (that are 30% off right now!) The early engagement and save-the-date phase is one of the most fun and ripe for the pickings in terms of save-the-date design. Speaking of… one of our favorite paperie vendors, Minted, is having a huge wedding sale with 15% off all wedding products (like invites, menus, programs, placecards, etc.!) and a whopping 30% off save-the-dates. A big ol' discount like that deserved a bit of a look-see… Read More February 5, 2019 This viking elopement inspiration is all about untamed beauty on the coast We love a good viking wedding and this viking wedding inspiration was more wild and untamed than we'd ever seen. It's adventurous, romantic, and seriously inspiring if you're planning one of your own. Set on the beautiful Oregon coast and inspired by Nordic traditions, they rocked bold blues, silvers, and greens to match the atmosphere. There are two different looks to see, both separate love stories in themselves. Don't miss the era-inspired weaponry, the gorgeous geode cake, the cave-dotted landscape, the custom-made gowns, and the chill-inducing florals. I can almost hear the battle cries now… Read More 1.7k January 21, 2019 Vivid colors meet goth chic at this moody & quirky wedding inspiration One of my favorite combinations of styles is vivid color meets dark goth glam. And this dark & moody wedding inspiration has both in abundance. With florals ranging from purple scabiosa to black willows, a sweets table full of candy apples and a tower of macarons, and two brides rocking gold antlers, turquoise hair, and coordinating (but not matchy-matchy!) whie and gray gowns, it's a gorgeous display with an eerie and chic vibe. Read More More Wedding Porn > Recent Real Weddings February 15, 2019 Sci-fi meets romance at this Chicago artist loft wedding Leah and Amanda planned their wedding in just a few short months, but you'd never know it by it's loveliness. They love sci-fi movies and have sci-fi posters all over their house which inspired the reception decor — from table numbers, guestbook, and florals in science beakers as bud vases. Leah likes crafting and designed all the personalized signage for the wedding. The food at reception was fall festive and included a s'mores bar! Read More February 13, 2019 "It's the Super Moon, bruh" at this Spaceship Earth forest rave wedding We met at a Full Moon Gathering campout, Moontribe's 20th anniversary. It was a fantastic weekend and we heard echoed throughout the party, "It's the Super Moon, bruh" as the explanation for the awesomeness everywhere. Five years later, still following cosmic novelties and electronic music, we trekked to Oregon for the Solar Eclipse festival Symbiosis. Josh proposed during the eclipse with the solar ring as my engagement ring! We carried this theme through our engagement shoot and wedding. Read More February 12, 2019 Jaws will drop at the style of this Jamaican meets English garden wedding Alex and Toyan flew back from Qatar all the way to Yorkshire, UK to get married at Alex’s family home surrounded by their loved ones. This pair, a DJ and an artist, has major style and it shows in the groom's red suit, suuuper slick wedding party outfits, and the bride's modern meets classic short gown. Just try to look at these party photos and try to imagine anything more fun. You can't, right? We all got FOMO looking at that epic party. Read More February 11, 2019 This fall elopement in Tennessee was surrounded by foliage, leather jackets, & intimate vows Picture it: an intimate ceremony among the turning fall leaves of a woodland backdrop. A gray dress, dapper groom, and a little edge with leather jackets. You don't have to imagine it, because I've got just such a wedding. Marcella and Jimmy chose a gorgeous fall day for their Seymour, TN elopement. Read More 1.0k February 8, 2019 Our big gay pagan rainbow woodland festival wedding We had guests from as far apart as Japan, California, and Germany. We tried to invoke all the things we loved in our wedding day — geeky nods to Harry Potter, His Dark Materials, Jonathan Coulton, and the Lord of the Rings; the Obergefell v Hodges ruling for Jess's career and theatrical touches for mine. We asked our guests to wear 'whatever makes you feel pretty.' We then celebrated with ice cream, lawn games, and street food, and ended the evening with a ceilidh and session. Oh, and there was an owl, and llamas. Read More More Real Weddings > Recent Advice February 13, 2019 How to plan a more ethical wedding (including an edible bouquet!) When I was preparing for my own wedding I started thinking: how could we do this more ethically? The very nature of a wedding being a one day event, and….. Read More January 23, 2019 6 tips for making your wedding website useful AND stylish Are you engaged? YAY! I have a feeling that a lot of you are thinking about wedding hashtags and websites and social media, oh my. Weddings are way more high tech these days and a wedding website is pretty standard fare now. When I got engaged in 2018, I went on a hunt for a really slick wedding website and have a few quick hit tips to share to make your wedding website both ultra useful and seriously captivating. Read More October 17, 2018 How to avoid your email save-the-date going to spam My partner and I decided to send out email save-the-dates instead of a physical card. I do, however, have a warning for you if you are planning on going the green route with your save-the-date by sending out electronic ones. If you send an email with an image, you may hit your guests' spam folders. Here are some pros and cons of going green with your save-the-dates and how you can avoid your save-the-date going to spam… Read More October 3, 2018 Our delicious unity beer ceremony was… hopping (plus our ceremony wording!) Craft beer has been such a huge part of our relationship that when we were planning our wedding (featured here!), we wanted to include it somehow. I suggested a unity beer ceremony, but we couldn't find any wording online that we liked. We ended up creating our own from scratch, complete with our own unique brand of humor. Read More September 17, 2018 7 fur-tastic ways to include your pet in the wedding day Like all of us who follow famous animals on Instagram, I love seeing your ring dogs, cat save-the-dates, and guinea pig cake toppers. But are there MORE ways to include your pet in the wedding day? I decided to see what was new in the realm of wedding pets. And there was! I saw so many adorable ways to add some pet fur to your day (without wigging them out, of course). Let's get to the honorable wedding puppers and kittehs (and whatever other animals y'all love!)… Read More More Advice > Recent DIY September 18, 2018 Eat 'em or take 'em: these s'mores wedding favors are a gooey gift guests will devour S'mores are a staple of outdoor weddings in any season, but especially in the fall when the weather gets chilly and a bonfire is apropos. You're cooking them up over a bonfire, adding them to your sweets table, and even making them into cakes! But a perfect way to provide a dessert AND a takeaway gift is an easy-to-make s'mores wedding favor. Here's how to make them super easily with a few staples from Michael's Weddings™… Read More 1.4k July 11, 2018 A seriously easy way to make a cathedral veil from your favorite fabric About a month before my wedding, I became fascinated with a colorful floral veil in this post on my favorite wedding blog. I looked around for similar veils online, but couldn't find anything for a price I was willing to pay. So I decided to DIY my veil and it was surprisingly easy! Here's how I did it… Read More June 11, 2018 Supersize your wedding flora with this big crepe paper flower tutorial We know HUGE bouquets are super popular right now, but what if we mega-size the actual flowers instead of just the bouquet size? We love a good huge flower bouquet, headpiece, centerpiece, or ceremony backdrop. The best part? You can totally make these yourself. Read More May 30, 2018 Lush florals go ring-shaped with this DIY floral hoop backdrop I love a good hoop bouquet, but those handy floral hoops can be used for more than just a great alternative bouquet. I've created a series of hoops flowing with greenery and flora that can be used a wedding ceremony backdrop, reception decor, or even a place card holder. With this DIY floral hoop backdrop, you can add as many floral picks as you like to make it as lush as you can imagine. Artificial flowers let you create a backdrop that can go from wedding to living room permanently. It's the beauty of realistic artificial flowers! Here are the steps to go from a simple hoop to intricate backdrop in no time… Read More April 5, 2018 In case of dementor attack, you'll need this Harry Potter wedding favor If you're a Potterphile, you know that chocolate bars have their own powers of soothing you after a dementor attack. So at a wedding with Harry Potter details (where a dementor could prey, naturally!), why not offer up some DIY Harry Potter wedding favors that will do the job nicely. Plus, it only takes some inexpensive chocolate bars, some printer paper, and a printable chocolate bar wrapper. Read More More DIY > Recent Stuff we love February 15, 2019 The trick to getting authentically YOU wedding photos? This stellar NY/NJ-based photographer I love it when a photographer makes me feel like I'm worthy of photographing no matter what I look like, if I'm awkward as hell, or if I deviate from the norms that dictate what we think is "right" or "pretty," or "traditional." That's why the ethos of one of our most rad partners, New York and New Jersey-based Adena at Studio A Images, resonates so much with us. Obviously we do our best to make sure all of our vendors are top notch AND totally inclusive, but sometimes they just fit so comfortably into our mindset that I've just go to introduce you. Read More February 12, 2019 6 handcrafted engagement rings that are truly works of art You know we spend way too much time delving into the oceans of engagement ring bling at Brilliant Earth. There's just so much to see and to inspire your own ring selections. In a recent trip down the ring rabbit hole, I spied a fair few engagement rings that stood out among others as true works of art. In particular, their vintage collection has been hand-curated for exceptional quality and originality. They know that jewelry design isn't just artistry, but also architecture and engineering played out on minute scale. Read More February 5, 2019 On the hunt for an industry-busting & inclusive photographer and coordinator? We've got the ultimate… Sometimes when you partner up with a wedding vendor who so totally embodies everything we hold dear about weddings and especially about our own readers, we have to introduce you. This was very much the case with Seattle/Tacoma-based photography-meets-coordination company Fuck Yeah, Weddings. Owner Kendall has endless enthusiasm for offbeat weddings of all flavors, but also provides both photography AND coordination for a super streamlined process of capturing and planning your wedding. Read More 3.4k February 1, 2019 Are these alternatives to earth-mined diamonds ethical & budget-friendly? Let's find out… We may tout a lot of colored gemstones around these parts, but we know a lot of you are totally down for that classic diamond look. And these days, you really don't have to feel guilty about snagging a real diamond from ring designers who source ethical and conflict-free diamonds. But there are other options you might want to know about which are created without any impact to the earth AND are more budget-friendly. We reached out to our custom-ring wizard partners at Joseph Jewelry to get the scoop on diamond alternatives such as lab created diamonds and moissanite engagement rings. Read More January 29, 2019 From sweet & romantic to grand & theatrical, these wedding headpieces are dropping jaws From retro fascinators to lovely flower crowns to masterpieces of intricate design, these wedding headpieces function as formal accessory but also as re-wearable art for parties, holidays, theater, and more. Jezebel, the artist behind all of these creations, described them as "fun and fabulous frippery" which I think describes what most of us would love for our outfits to be on our wedding day. If you can't have a little frippery, what can you have? Read More More Stuff we love > Recent Wedding 101 January 23, 2019 6 tips for making your wedding website useful AND stylish Are you engaged? YAY! I have a feeling that a lot of you are thinking about wedding hashtags and websites and social media, oh my. Weddings are way more high tech these days and a wedding website is pretty standard fare now. When I got engaged in 2018, I went on a hunt for a really slick wedding website and have a few quick hit tips to share to make your wedding website both ultra useful and seriously captivating. Read More July 12, 2018 Planning tools 101: hotel block comparison chart We launched a comprehensive and totally customizable document of wedding planning spreadsheets in Google Drive if you're the type to get down with spreadsheets like I am. Now we're sharing a chart that will help you compare hotel blocks if you're planning to provide that option to your guests. Hotel blocks allow you to block out some rooms and room rates to help guests grab a good deal on a hotel room. Read More June 27, 2018 Avoiding wedding fights: how to plan your wedding planning Your engagement should be a joyful time. You have a lifetime ahead of you with the person you love. What could be better than to celebrate that love surrounded by friends and family? And yet, somehow things go awry. Conflicts flare. And the time that should be so happy — the build-up to your wedding — is fraught with possibilities for strife. The good news is you can avoid most of the problems by planning your wedding planning. That's right. Plan how you're going to plan. Read More 2.6k April 18, 2018 I bought a colored wedding dress and now everyone's mad! What should I do? I come from a family of strict traditionalists when it comes to everything, especially weddings. I recently bought a peach wedding dress with no sleeves and expressed I wanted light blue hair and Converse to go with it. As you can imagine, things didn't go over well. When I try to stand up for my wedding choices, I'm shamed for it. Please help! Read More 4.3k March 5, 2018 Wedding dates to avoid in 2018, 2019, and beyond I'm compiling this list of wedding dates to avoid in 2018, 2019, and 2020 in case you want to avoid holidays where family and friends might have conflicting events, holidays where vendors might be especially busy and/or expensive (think Valentine's Day for florists), or religious holidays where places might be closed or guests might have other plans. Does this mean you CAN'T book your wedding for one of these days? Hell no! Read More More Wedding 101 > Offbeat Bride: your source for wedding ideas and inclusive wedding planning We've got bajillions of creative wedding ideas, DIY projects, and wedding advice to make your wedding plans easier — and even fun! What do you need to do today? I have no idea. I need Wedding Planning 101! I need a wedding planning checklist (now in an interactive version, too!) Hook me up with free wedding fonts & printables I need offbeat wedding registry ideas I'm curious about offbeat wedding themes (geeky! boho! so many!) Reporter Name * Reporter Email * Original text Enter the original text here. Edited text* Enter your suggested copyedit here. Notes You can add a note for the editor here. * Required information. Fix Typo What wedding planning advice & inspiration do you need today? Dress Eloping Engagement Ring Feminism Floral Print Geeky Harry Potter Invitation Wording Readings Ceremony Advice Fashion Wedding 101 Super cute offbeat wedding invitations @offbeatbride on Insta Newly engaged? Slushies, food trucks, and brunch: 10 delicious ways to make your wedding food fun Your cheatsheet for what to include on wedding invitation Bar talk with Mint & Mirth: Licensing, insurance, and when to hire professional bartenders Going postal: Don't make these 5 mistakes when addressing your wedding invitations What logistics should I consider for a seated bridal party? 6 vital things you need to know when working with a wedding florist 9 wedding website tips to inform, reassure, and give warm fuzzies to your guests Wedding dates to avoid in 2018, 2019, and beyond Read More > A few of our fave wedding vendors DJ Doug Read More Laffler Photography Read More CustomMade Read More Leise Jones Photography Read More Browse our vendor guide > Our infamous spreadsheets & checklists Planning tools 101: wedding budget calculator Impress their asses off: 5 tips for hosting out-of-town wedding guests in your home Planning tools 101: Your wedding guest list planner Our GIANT list of important questions to ask wedding venues Planning tools 101: Your wedding timeline spreadsheet The electronic wedding hacks: Choosing your online wedding planning tools Marriage legal changes you NEED to know about (in plain English, we promise!) Playlists, requests, and backup plans: What to ask your wedding DJ Get planning > We're everywhere! Follow us on social media. Get creative, offbeat wedding ideas delivered daily to your inbox! Join our newsletter SUBSCRIBE Copyright © 2003 - 2019 Offbeat Empire. All rights reserved. Unauthorized reproduction in part or in whole is prohibited. Contact us Terms of Service | Privacy Policy | Monetized by SkimLinks
February 13, 2019 How to plan a more ethical wedding (including an edible bouquet!) When I was preparing for my own wedding I started thinking: how could we do this more ethically? The very nature of a wedding being a one day event, and….. Read More February 13, 2019 "It's the Super Moon, bruh" at this Spaceship Earth forest rave wedding We met at a Full Moon Gathering campout, Moontribe's 20th anniversary. It was a fantastic weekend and we heard echoed throughout the party, "It's the Super Moon, bruh" as the explanation for the awesomeness everywhere. Five years later, still following cosmic novelties and electronic music, we trekked to Oregon for the Solar Eclipse festival Symbiosis. Josh proposed during the eclipse with the solar ring as my engagement ring! We carried this theme through our engagement shoot and wedding. Read More More Recent Posts > Recent Wedding Porn February 14, 2019 The sexiest lace boots ever inspired this Valentine elopement shoot Sometimes a pair of the sexiest red boots can spawn a whole theme. This was definitely the case with this Valentine elopement shoot covered in red, lace, hearts, and rosé. Don't miss the killer crop top red wedding dress, the large gold mirror covered in song lyrics, the intricately die-cut invitations, the pear shaped ring, and the elaborate ombre cake(!) that took our breath away. Even if you hate Valentine's Day, it's easy to love these heart candies, red touches, and loving looks of this couple. Let's take Valentine's Day from kitschy to glam… Read More February 13, 2019 How to plan a more ethical wedding (including an edible bouquet!) When I was preparing for my own wedding I started thinking: how could we do this more ethically? The very nature of a wedding being a one day event, and….. Read More February 7, 2019 Love is in the air with these hella romantic & quirky save-the-dates (that are 30% off right now!) The early engagement and save-the-date phase is one of the most fun and ripe for the pickings in terms of save-the-date design. Speaking of… one of our favorite paperie vendors, Minted, is having a huge wedding sale with 15% off all wedding products (like invites, menus, programs, placecards, etc.!) and a whopping 30% off save-the-dates. A big ol' discount like that deserved a bit of a look-see… Read More February 5, 2019 This viking elopement inspiration is all about untamed beauty on the coast We love a good viking wedding and this viking wedding inspiration was more wild and untamed than we'd ever seen. It's adventurous, romantic, and seriously inspiring if you're planning one of your own. Set on the beautiful Oregon coast and inspired by Nordic traditions, they rocked bold blues, silvers, and greens to match the atmosphere. There are two different looks to see, both separate love stories in themselves. Don't miss the era-inspired weaponry, the gorgeous geode cake, the cave-dotted landscape, the custom-made gowns, and the chill-inducing florals. I can almost hear the battle cries now… Read More 1.7k January 21, 2019 Vivid colors meet goth chic at this moody & quirky wedding inspiration One of my favorite combinations of styles is vivid color meets dark goth glam. And this dark & moody wedding inspiration has both in abundance. With florals ranging from purple scabiosa to black willows, a sweets table full of candy apples and a tower of macarons, and two brides rocking gold antlers, turquoise hair, and coordinating (but not matchy-matchy!) whie and gray gowns, it's a gorgeous display with an eerie and chic vibe. Read More More Wedding Porn > Recent Real Weddings February 15, 2019 Sci-fi meets romance at this Chicago artist loft wedding Leah and Amanda planned their wedding in just a few short months, but you'd never know it by it's loveliness. They love sci-fi movies and have sci-fi posters all over their house which inspired the reception decor — from table numbers, guestbook, and florals in science beakers as bud vases. Leah likes crafting and designed all the personalized signage for the wedding. The food at reception was fall festive and included a s'mores bar! Read More February 13, 2019 "It's the Super Moon, bruh" at this Spaceship Earth forest rave wedding We met at a Full Moon Gathering campout, Moontribe's 20th anniversary. It was a fantastic weekend and we heard echoed throughout the party, "It's the Super Moon, bruh" as the explanation for the awesomeness everywhere. Five years later, still following cosmic novelties and electronic music, we trekked to Oregon for the Solar Eclipse festival Symbiosis. Josh proposed during the eclipse with the solar ring as my engagement ring! We carried this theme through our engagement shoot and wedding. Read More February 12, 2019 Jaws will drop at the style of this Jamaican meets English garden wedding Alex and Toyan flew back from Qatar all the way to Yorkshire, UK to get married at Alex’s family home surrounded by their loved ones. This pair, a DJ and an artist, has major style and it shows in the groom's red suit, suuuper slick wedding party outfits, and the bride's modern meets classic short gown. Just try to look at these party photos and try to imagine anything more fun. You can't, right? We all got FOMO looking at that epic party. Read More February 11, 2019 This fall elopement in Tennessee was surrounded by foliage, leather jackets, & intimate vows Picture it: an intimate ceremony among the turning fall leaves of a woodland backdrop. A gray dress, dapper groom, and a little edge with leather jackets. You don't have to imagine it, because I've got just such a wedding. Marcella and Jimmy chose a gorgeous fall day for their Seymour, TN elopement. Read More 1.0k February 8, 2019 Our big gay pagan rainbow woodland festival wedding We had guests from as far apart as Japan, California, and Germany. We tried to invoke all the things we loved in our wedding day — geeky nods to Harry Potter, His Dark Materials, Jonathan Coulton, and the Lord of the Rings; the Obergefell v Hodges ruling for Jess's career and theatrical touches for mine. We asked our guests to wear 'whatever makes you feel pretty.' We then celebrated with ice cream, lawn games, and street food, and ended the evening with a ceilidh and session. Oh, and there was an owl, and llamas. Read More More Real Weddings > Recent Advice February 13, 2019 How to plan a more ethical wedding (including an edible bouquet!) When I was preparing for my own wedding I started thinking: how could we do this more ethically? The very nature of a wedding being a one day event, and….. Read More January 23, 2019 6 tips for making your wedding website useful AND stylish Are you engaged? YAY! I have a feeling that a lot of you are thinking about wedding hashtags and websites and social media, oh my. Weddings are way more high tech these days and a wedding website is pretty standard fare now. When I got engaged in 2018, I went on a hunt for a really slick wedding website and have a few quick hit tips to share to make your wedding website both ultra useful and seriously captivating. Read More October 17, 2018 How to avoid your email save-the-date going to spam My partner and I decided to send out email save-the-dates instead of a physical card. I do, however, have a warning for you if you are planning on going the green route with your save-the-date by sending out electronic ones. If you send an email with an image, you may hit your guests' spam folders. Here are some pros and cons of going green with your save-the-dates and how you can avoid your save-the-date going to spam… Read More October 3, 2018 Our delicious unity beer ceremony was… hopping (plus our ceremony wording!) Craft beer has been such a huge part of our relationship that when we were planning our wedding (featured here!), we wanted to include it somehow. I suggested a unity beer ceremony, but we couldn't find any wording online that we liked. We ended up creating our own from scratch, complete with our own unique brand of humor. Read More September 17, 2018 7 fur-tastic ways to include your pet in the wedding day Like all of us who follow famous animals on Instagram, I love seeing your ring dogs, cat save-the-dates, and guinea pig cake toppers. But are there MORE ways to include your pet in the wedding day? I decided to see what was new in the realm of wedding pets. And there was! I saw so many adorable ways to add some pet fur to your day (without wigging them out, of course). Let's get to the honorable wedding puppers and kittehs (and whatever other animals y'all love!)… Read More More Advice > Recent DIY September 18, 2018 Eat 'em or take 'em: these s'mores wedding favors are a gooey gift guests will devour S'mores are a staple of outdoor weddings in any season, but especially in the fall when the weather gets chilly and a bonfire is apropos. You're cooking them up over a bonfire, adding them to your sweets table, and even making them into cakes! But a perfect way to provide a dessert AND a takeaway gift is an easy-to-make s'mores wedding favor. Here's how to make them super easily with a few staples from Michael's Weddings™… Read More 1.4k July 11, 2018 A seriously easy way to make a cathedral veil from your favorite fabric About a month before my wedding, I became fascinated with a colorful floral veil in this post on my favorite wedding blog. I looked around for similar veils online, but couldn't find anything for a price I was willing to pay. So I decided to DIY my veil and it was surprisingly easy! Here's how I did it… Read More June 11, 2018 Supersize your wedding flora with this big crepe paper flower tutorial We know HUGE bouquets are super popular right now, but what if we mega-size the actual flowers instead of just the bouquet size? We love a good huge flower bouquet, headpiece, centerpiece, or ceremony backdrop. The best part? You can totally make these yourself. Read More May 30, 2018 Lush florals go ring-shaped with this DIY floral hoop backdrop I love a good hoop bouquet, but those handy floral hoops can be used for more than just a great alternative bouquet. I've created a series of hoops flowing with greenery and flora that can be used a wedding ceremony backdrop, reception decor, or even a place card holder. With this DIY floral hoop backdrop, you can add as many floral picks as you like to make it as lush as you can imagine. Artificial flowers let you create a backdrop that can go from wedding to living room permanently. It's the beauty of realistic artificial flowers! Here are the steps to go from a simple hoop to intricate backdrop in no time… Read More April 5, 2018 In case of dementor attack, you'll need this Harry Potter wedding favor If you're a Potterphile, you know that chocolate bars have their own powers of soothing you after a dementor attack. So at a wedding with Harry Potter details (where a dementor could prey, naturally!), why not offer up some DIY Harry Potter wedding favors that will do the job nicely. Plus, it only takes some inexpensive chocolate bars, some printer paper, and a printable chocolate bar wrapper. Read More More DIY > Recent Stuff we love February 15, 2019 The trick to getting authentically YOU wedding photos? This stellar NY/NJ-based photographer I love it when a photographer makes me feel like I'm worthy of photographing no matter what I look like, if I'm awkward as hell, or if I deviate from the norms that dictate what we think is "right" or "pretty," or "traditional." That's why the ethos of one of our most rad partners, New York and New Jersey-based Adena at Studio A Images, resonates so much with us. Obviously we do our best to make sure all of our vendors are top notch AND totally inclusive, but sometimes they just fit so comfortably into our mindset that I've just go to introduce you. Read More February 12, 2019 6 handcrafted engagement rings that are truly works of art You know we spend way too much time delving into the oceans of engagement ring bling at Brilliant Earth. There's just so much to see and to inspire your own ring selections. In a recent trip down the ring rabbit hole, I spied a fair few engagement rings that stood out among others as true works of art. In particular, their vintage collection has been hand-curated for exceptional quality and originality. They know that jewelry design isn't just artistry, but also architecture and engineering played out on minute scale. Read More February 5, 2019 On the hunt for an industry-busting & inclusive photographer and coordinator? We've got the ultimate… Sometimes when you partner up with a wedding vendor who so totally embodies everything we hold dear about weddings and especially about our own readers, we have to introduce you. This was very much the case with Seattle/Tacoma-based photography-meets-coordination company Fuck Yeah, Weddings. Owner Kendall has endless enthusiasm for offbeat weddings of all flavors, but also provides both photography AND coordination for a super streamlined process of capturing and planning your wedding. Read More 3.4k February 1, 2019 Are these alternatives to earth-mined diamonds ethical & budget-friendly? Let's find out… We may tout a lot of colored gemstones around these parts, but we know a lot of you are totally down for that classic diamond look. And these days, you really don't have to feel guilty about snagging a real diamond from ring designers who source ethical and conflict-free diamonds. But there are other options you might want to know about which are created without any impact to the earth AND are more budget-friendly. We reached out to our custom-ring wizard partners at Joseph Jewelry to get the scoop on diamond alternatives such as lab created diamonds and moissanite engagement rings. Read More January 29, 2019 From sweet & romantic to grand & theatrical, these wedding headpieces are dropping jaws From retro fascinators to lovely flower crowns to masterpieces of intricate design, these wedding headpieces function as formal accessory but also as re-wearable art for parties, holidays, theater, and more. Jezebel, the artist behind all of these creations, described them as "fun and fabulous frippery" which I think describes what most of us would love for our outfits to be on our wedding day. If you can't have a little frippery, what can you have? Read More More Stuff we love > Recent Wedding 101 January 23, 2019 6 tips for making your wedding website useful AND stylish Are you engaged? YAY! I have a feeling that a lot of you are thinking about wedding hashtags and websites and social media, oh my. Weddings are way more high tech these days and a wedding website is pretty standard fare now. When I got engaged in 2018, I went on a hunt for a really slick wedding website and have a few quick hit tips to share to make your wedding website both ultra useful and seriously captivating. Read More July 12, 2018 Planning tools 101: hotel block comparison chart We launched a comprehensive and totally customizable document of wedding planning spreadsheets in Google Drive if you're the type to get down with spreadsheets like I am. Now we're sharing a chart that will help you compare hotel blocks if you're planning to provide that option to your guests. Hotel blocks allow you to block out some rooms and room rates to help guests grab a good deal on a hotel room. Read More June 27, 2018 Avoiding wedding fights: how to plan your wedding planning Your engagement should be a joyful time. You have a lifetime ahead of you with the person you love. What could be better than to celebrate that love surrounded by friends and family? And yet, somehow things go awry. Conflicts flare. And the time that should be so happy — the build-up to your wedding — is fraught with possibilities for strife. The good news is you can avoid most of the problems by planning your wedding planning. That's right. Plan how you're going to plan. Read More 2.6k April 18, 2018 I bought a colored wedding dress and now everyone's mad! What should I do? I come from a family of strict traditionalists when it comes to everything, especially weddings. I recently bought a peach wedding dress with no sleeves and expressed I wanted light blue hair and Converse to go with it. As you can imagine, things didn't go over well. When I try to stand up for my wedding choices, I'm shamed for it. Please help! Read More 4.3k March 5, 2018 Wedding dates to avoid in 2018, 2019, and beyond I'm compiling this list of wedding dates to avoid in 2018, 2019, and 2020 in case you want to avoid holidays where family and friends might have conflicting events, holidays where vendors might be especially busy and/or expensive (think Valentine's Day for florists), or religious holidays where places might be closed or guests might have other plans. Does this mean you CAN'T book your wedding for one of these days? Hell no! Read More More Wedding 101 > Offbeat Bride: your source for wedding ideas and inclusive wedding planning We've got bajillions of creative wedding ideas, DIY projects, and wedding advice to make your wedding plans easier — and even fun! What do you need to do today? I have no idea. I need Wedding Planning 101! I need a wedding planning checklist (now in an interactive version, too!) Hook me up with free wedding fonts & printables I need offbeat wedding registry ideas I'm curious about offbeat wedding themes (geeky! boho! so many!) Reporter Name * Reporter Email * Original text Enter the original text here. Edited text* Enter your suggested copyedit here. Notes You can add a note for the editor here. * Required information. Fix Typo What wedding planning advice & inspiration do you need today? Dress Eloping Engagement Ring Feminism Floral Print Geeky Harry Potter Invitation Wording Readings Ceremony Advice Fashion Wedding 101 Super cute offbeat wedding invitations @offbeatbride on Insta Newly engaged? Slushies, food trucks, and brunch: 10 delicious ways to make your wedding food fun Your cheatsheet for what to include on wedding invitation Bar talk with Mint & Mirth: Licensing, insurance, and when to hire professional bartenders Going postal: Don't make these 5 mistakes when addressing your wedding invitations What logistics should I consider for a seated bridal party? 6 vital things you need to know when working with a wedding florist 9 wedding website tips to inform, reassure, and give warm fuzzies to your guests Wedding dates to avoid in 2018, 2019, and beyond Read More > A few of our fave wedding vendors DJ Doug Read More Laffler Photography Read More CustomMade Read More Leise Jones Photography Read More Browse our vendor guide > Our infamous spreadsheets & checklists Planning tools 101: wedding budget calculator Impress their asses off: 5 tips for hosting out-of-town wedding guests in your home Planning tools 101: Your wedding guest list planner Our GIANT list of important questions to ask wedding venues Planning tools 101: Your wedding timeline spreadsheet The electronic wedding hacks: Choosing your online wedding planning tools Marriage legal changes you NEED to know about (in plain English, we promise!) Playlists, requests, and backup plans: What to ask your wedding DJ Get planning > We're everywhere! Follow us on social media. Get creative, offbeat wedding ideas delivered daily to your inbox! Join our newsletter SUBSCRIBE Copyright © 2003 - 2019 Offbeat Empire. All rights reserved. Unauthorized reproduction in part or in whole is prohibited. Contact us Terms of Service | Privacy Policy | Monetized by SkimLinks
February 13, 2019 "It's the Super Moon, bruh" at this Spaceship Earth forest rave wedding We met at a Full Moon Gathering campout, Moontribe's 20th anniversary. It was a fantastic weekend and we heard echoed throughout the party, "It's the Super Moon, bruh" as the explanation for the awesomeness everywhere. Five years later, still following cosmic novelties and electronic music, we trekked to Oregon for the Solar Eclipse festival Symbiosis. Josh proposed during the eclipse with the solar ring as my engagement ring! We carried this theme through our engagement shoot and wedding. Read More More Recent Posts > Recent Wedding Porn February 14, 2019 The sexiest lace boots ever inspired this Valentine elopement shoot Sometimes a pair of the sexiest red boots can spawn a whole theme. This was definitely the case with this Valentine elopement shoot covered in red, lace, hearts, and rosé. Don't miss the killer crop top red wedding dress, the large gold mirror covered in song lyrics, the intricately die-cut invitations, the pear shaped ring, and the elaborate ombre cake(!) that took our breath away. Even if you hate Valentine's Day, it's easy to love these heart candies, red touches, and loving looks of this couple. Let's take Valentine's Day from kitschy to glam… Read More February 13, 2019 How to plan a more ethical wedding (including an edible bouquet!) When I was preparing for my own wedding I started thinking: how could we do this more ethically? The very nature of a wedding being a one day event, and….. Read More February 7, 2019 Love is in the air with these hella romantic & quirky save-the-dates (that are 30% off right now!) The early engagement and save-the-date phase is one of the most fun and ripe for the pickings in terms of save-the-date design. Speaking of… one of our favorite paperie vendors, Minted, is having a huge wedding sale with 15% off all wedding products (like invites, menus, programs, placecards, etc.!) and a whopping 30% off save-the-dates. A big ol' discount like that deserved a bit of a look-see… Read More February 5, 2019 This viking elopement inspiration is all about untamed beauty on the coast We love a good viking wedding and this viking wedding inspiration was more wild and untamed than we'd ever seen. It's adventurous, romantic, and seriously inspiring if you're planning one of your own. Set on the beautiful Oregon coast and inspired by Nordic traditions, they rocked bold blues, silvers, and greens to match the atmosphere. There are two different looks to see, both separate love stories in themselves. Don't miss the era-inspired weaponry, the gorgeous geode cake, the cave-dotted landscape, the custom-made gowns, and the chill-inducing florals. I can almost hear the battle cries now… Read More 1.7k January 21, 2019 Vivid colors meet goth chic at this moody & quirky wedding inspiration One of my favorite combinations of styles is vivid color meets dark goth glam. And this dark & moody wedding inspiration has both in abundance. With florals ranging from purple scabiosa to black willows, a sweets table full of candy apples and a tower of macarons, and two brides rocking gold antlers, turquoise hair, and coordinating (but not matchy-matchy!) whie and gray gowns, it's a gorgeous display with an eerie and chic vibe. Read More More Wedding Porn > Recent Real Weddings February 15, 2019 Sci-fi meets romance at this Chicago artist loft wedding Leah and Amanda planned their wedding in just a few short months, but you'd never know it by it's loveliness. They love sci-fi movies and have sci-fi posters all over their house which inspired the reception decor — from table numbers, guestbook, and florals in science beakers as bud vases. Leah likes crafting and designed all the personalized signage for the wedding. The food at reception was fall festive and included a s'mores bar! Read More February 13, 2019 "It's the Super Moon, bruh" at this Spaceship Earth forest rave wedding We met at a Full Moon Gathering campout, Moontribe's 20th anniversary. It was a fantastic weekend and we heard echoed throughout the party, "It's the Super Moon, bruh" as the explanation for the awesomeness everywhere. Five years later, still following cosmic novelties and electronic music, we trekked to Oregon for the Solar Eclipse festival Symbiosis. Josh proposed during the eclipse with the solar ring as my engagement ring! We carried this theme through our engagement shoot and wedding. Read More February 12, 2019 Jaws will drop at the style of this Jamaican meets English garden wedding Alex and Toyan flew back from Qatar all the way to Yorkshire, UK to get married at Alex’s family home surrounded by their loved ones. This pair, a DJ and an artist, has major style and it shows in the groom's red suit, suuuper slick wedding party outfits, and the bride's modern meets classic short gown. Just try to look at these party photos and try to imagine anything more fun. You can't, right? We all got FOMO looking at that epic party. Read More February 11, 2019 This fall elopement in Tennessee was surrounded by foliage, leather jackets, & intimate vows Picture it: an intimate ceremony among the turning fall leaves of a woodland backdrop. A gray dress, dapper groom, and a little edge with leather jackets. You don't have to imagine it, because I've got just such a wedding. Marcella and Jimmy chose a gorgeous fall day for their Seymour, TN elopement. Read More 1.0k February 8, 2019 Our big gay pagan rainbow woodland festival wedding We had guests from as far apart as Japan, California, and Germany. We tried to invoke all the things we loved in our wedding day — geeky nods to Harry Potter, His Dark Materials, Jonathan Coulton, and the Lord of the Rings; the Obergefell v Hodges ruling for Jess's career and theatrical touches for mine. We asked our guests to wear 'whatever makes you feel pretty.' We then celebrated with ice cream, lawn games, and street food, and ended the evening with a ceilidh and session. Oh, and there was an owl, and llamas. Read More More Real Weddings > Recent Advice February 13, 2019 How to plan a more ethical wedding (including an edible bouquet!) When I was preparing for my own wedding I started thinking: how could we do this more ethically? The very nature of a wedding being a one day event, and….. Read More January 23, 2019 6 tips for making your wedding website useful AND stylish Are you engaged? YAY! I have a feeling that a lot of you are thinking about wedding hashtags and websites and social media, oh my. Weddings are way more high tech these days and a wedding website is pretty standard fare now. When I got engaged in 2018, I went on a hunt for a really slick wedding website and have a few quick hit tips to share to make your wedding website both ultra useful and seriously captivating. Read More October 17, 2018 How to avoid your email save-the-date going to spam My partner and I decided to send out email save-the-dates instead of a physical card. I do, however, have a warning for you if you are planning on going the green route with your save-the-date by sending out electronic ones. If you send an email with an image, you may hit your guests' spam folders. Here are some pros and cons of going green with your save-the-dates and how you can avoid your save-the-date going to spam… Read More October 3, 2018 Our delicious unity beer ceremony was… hopping (plus our ceremony wording!) Craft beer has been such a huge part of our relationship that when we were planning our wedding (featured here!), we wanted to include it somehow. I suggested a unity beer ceremony, but we couldn't find any wording online that we liked. We ended up creating our own from scratch, complete with our own unique brand of humor. Read More September 17, 2018 7 fur-tastic ways to include your pet in the wedding day Like all of us who follow famous animals on Instagram, I love seeing your ring dogs, cat save-the-dates, and guinea pig cake toppers. But are there MORE ways to include your pet in the wedding day? I decided to see what was new in the realm of wedding pets. And there was! I saw so many adorable ways to add some pet fur to your day (without wigging them out, of course). Let's get to the honorable wedding puppers and kittehs (and whatever other animals y'all love!)… Read More More Advice > Recent DIY September 18, 2018 Eat 'em or take 'em: these s'mores wedding favors are a gooey gift guests will devour S'mores are a staple of outdoor weddings in any season, but especially in the fall when the weather gets chilly and a bonfire is apropos. You're cooking them up over a bonfire, adding them to your sweets table, and even making them into cakes! But a perfect way to provide a dessert AND a takeaway gift is an easy-to-make s'mores wedding favor. Here's how to make them super easily with a few staples from Michael's Weddings™… Read More 1.4k July 11, 2018 A seriously easy way to make a cathedral veil from your favorite fabric About a month before my wedding, I became fascinated with a colorful floral veil in this post on my favorite wedding blog. I looked around for similar veils online, but couldn't find anything for a price I was willing to pay. So I decided to DIY my veil and it was surprisingly easy! Here's how I did it… Read More June 11, 2018 Supersize your wedding flora with this big crepe paper flower tutorial We know HUGE bouquets are super popular right now, but what if we mega-size the actual flowers instead of just the bouquet size? We love a good huge flower bouquet, headpiece, centerpiece, or ceremony backdrop. The best part? You can totally make these yourself. Read More May 30, 2018 Lush florals go ring-shaped with this DIY floral hoop backdrop I love a good hoop bouquet, but those handy floral hoops can be used for more than just a great alternative bouquet. I've created a series of hoops flowing with greenery and flora that can be used a wedding ceremony backdrop, reception decor, or even a place card holder. With this DIY floral hoop backdrop, you can add as many floral picks as you like to make it as lush as you can imagine. Artificial flowers let you create a backdrop that can go from wedding to living room permanently. It's the beauty of realistic artificial flowers! Here are the steps to go from a simple hoop to intricate backdrop in no time… Read More April 5, 2018 In case of dementor attack, you'll need this Harry Potter wedding favor If you're a Potterphile, you know that chocolate bars have their own powers of soothing you after a dementor attack. So at a wedding with Harry Potter details (where a dementor could prey, naturally!), why not offer up some DIY Harry Potter wedding favors that will do the job nicely. Plus, it only takes some inexpensive chocolate bars, some printer paper, and a printable chocolate bar wrapper. Read More More DIY > Recent Stuff we love February 15, 2019 The trick to getting authentically YOU wedding photos? This stellar NY/NJ-based photographer I love it when a photographer makes me feel like I'm worthy of photographing no matter what I look like, if I'm awkward as hell, or if I deviate from the norms that dictate what we think is "right" or "pretty," or "traditional." That's why the ethos of one of our most rad partners, New York and New Jersey-based Adena at Studio A Images, resonates so much with us. Obviously we do our best to make sure all of our vendors are top notch AND totally inclusive, but sometimes they just fit so comfortably into our mindset that I've just go to introduce you. Read More February 12, 2019 6 handcrafted engagement rings that are truly works of art You know we spend way too much time delving into the oceans of engagement ring bling at Brilliant Earth. There's just so much to see and to inspire your own ring selections. In a recent trip down the ring rabbit hole, I spied a fair few engagement rings that stood out among others as true works of art. In particular, their vintage collection has been hand-curated for exceptional quality and originality. They know that jewelry design isn't just artistry, but also architecture and engineering played out on minute scale. Read More February 5, 2019 On the hunt for an industry-busting & inclusive photographer and coordinator? We've got the ultimate… Sometimes when you partner up with a wedding vendor who so totally embodies everything we hold dear about weddings and especially about our own readers, we have to introduce you. This was very much the case with Seattle/Tacoma-based photography-meets-coordination company Fuck Yeah, Weddings. Owner Kendall has endless enthusiasm for offbeat weddings of all flavors, but also provides both photography AND coordination for a super streamlined process of capturing and planning your wedding. Read More 3.4k February 1, 2019 Are these alternatives to earth-mined diamonds ethical & budget-friendly? Let's find out… We may tout a lot of colored gemstones around these parts, but we know a lot of you are totally down for that classic diamond look. And these days, you really don't have to feel guilty about snagging a real diamond from ring designers who source ethical and conflict-free diamonds. But there are other options you might want to know about which are created without any impact to the earth AND are more budget-friendly. We reached out to our custom-ring wizard partners at Joseph Jewelry to get the scoop on diamond alternatives such as lab created diamonds and moissanite engagement rings. Read More January 29, 2019 From sweet & romantic to grand & theatrical, these wedding headpieces are dropping jaws From retro fascinators to lovely flower crowns to masterpieces of intricate design, these wedding headpieces function as formal accessory but also as re-wearable art for parties, holidays, theater, and more. Jezebel, the artist behind all of these creations, described them as "fun and fabulous frippery" which I think describes what most of us would love for our outfits to be on our wedding day. If you can't have a little frippery, what can you have? Read More More Stuff we love > Recent Wedding 101 January 23, 2019 6 tips for making your wedding website useful AND stylish Are you engaged? YAY! I have a feeling that a lot of you are thinking about wedding hashtags and websites and social media, oh my. Weddings are way more high tech these days and a wedding website is pretty standard fare now. When I got engaged in 2018, I went on a hunt for a really slick wedding website and have a few quick hit tips to share to make your wedding website both ultra useful and seriously captivating. Read More July 12, 2018 Planning tools 101: hotel block comparison chart We launched a comprehensive and totally customizable document of wedding planning spreadsheets in Google Drive if you're the type to get down with spreadsheets like I am. Now we're sharing a chart that will help you compare hotel blocks if you're planning to provide that option to your guests. Hotel blocks allow you to block out some rooms and room rates to help guests grab a good deal on a hotel room. Read More June 27, 2018 Avoiding wedding fights: how to plan your wedding planning Your engagement should be a joyful time. You have a lifetime ahead of you with the person you love. What could be better than to celebrate that love surrounded by friends and family? And yet, somehow things go awry. Conflicts flare. And the time that should be so happy — the build-up to your wedding — is fraught with possibilities for strife. The good news is you can avoid most of the problems by planning your wedding planning. That's right. Plan how you're going to plan. Read More 2.6k April 18, 2018 I bought a colored wedding dress and now everyone's mad! What should I do? I come from a family of strict traditionalists when it comes to everything, especially weddings. I recently bought a peach wedding dress with no sleeves and expressed I wanted light blue hair and Converse to go with it. As you can imagine, things didn't go over well. When I try to stand up for my wedding choices, I'm shamed for it. Please help! Read More 4.3k March 5, 2018 Wedding dates to avoid in 2018, 2019, and beyond I'm compiling this list of wedding dates to avoid in 2018, 2019, and 2020 in case you want to avoid holidays where family and friends might have conflicting events, holidays where vendors might be especially busy and/or expensive (think Valentine's Day for florists), or religious holidays where places might be closed or guests might have other plans. Does this mean you CAN'T book your wedding for one of these days? Hell no! Read More More Wedding 101 > Offbeat Bride: your source for wedding ideas and inclusive wedding planning We've got bajillions of creative wedding ideas, DIY projects, and wedding advice to make your wedding plans easier — and even fun! What do you need to do today? I have no idea. I need Wedding Planning 101! I need a wedding planning checklist (now in an interactive version, too!) Hook me up with free wedding fonts & printables I need offbeat wedding registry ideas I'm curious about offbeat wedding themes (geeky! boho! so many!) Reporter Name * Reporter Email * Original text Enter the original text here. Edited text* Enter your suggested copyedit here. Notes You can add a note for the editor here. * Required information. Fix Typo What wedding planning advice & inspiration do you need today? Dress Eloping Engagement Ring Feminism Floral Print Geeky Harry Potter Invitation Wording Readings Ceremony Advice Fashion Wedding 101 Super cute offbeat wedding invitations @offbeatbride on Insta Newly engaged? Slushies, food trucks, and brunch: 10 delicious ways to make your wedding food fun Your cheatsheet for what to include on wedding invitation Bar talk with Mint & Mirth: Licensing, insurance, and when to hire professional bartenders Going postal: Don't make these 5 mistakes when addressing your wedding invitations What logistics should I consider for a seated bridal party? 6 vital things you need to know when working with a wedding florist 9 wedding website tips to inform, reassure, and give warm fuzzies to your guests Wedding dates to avoid in 2018, 2019, and beyond Read More > A few of our fave wedding vendors DJ Doug Read More Laffler Photography Read More CustomMade Read More Leise Jones Photography Read More Browse our vendor guide > Our infamous spreadsheets & checklists Planning tools 101: wedding budget calculator Impress their asses off: 5 tips for hosting out-of-town wedding guests in your home Planning tools 101: Your wedding guest list planner Our GIANT list of important questions to ask wedding venues Planning tools 101: Your wedding timeline spreadsheet The electronic wedding hacks: Choosing your online wedding planning tools Marriage legal changes you NEED to know about (in plain English, we promise!) Playlists, requests, and backup plans: What to ask your wedding DJ Get planning > We're everywhere! Follow us on social media. Get creative, offbeat wedding ideas delivered daily to your inbox! Join our newsletter SUBSCRIBE Copyright © 2003 - 2019 Offbeat Empire. All rights reserved. Unauthorized reproduction in part or in whole is prohibited. Contact us Terms of Service | Privacy Policy | Monetized by SkimLinks
February 14, 2019 The sexiest lace boots ever inspired this Valentine elopement shoot Sometimes a pair of the sexiest red boots can spawn a whole theme. This was definitely the case with this Valentine elopement shoot covered in red, lace, hearts, and rosé. Don't miss the killer crop top red wedding dress, the large gold mirror covered in song lyrics, the intricately die-cut invitations, the pear shaped ring, and the elaborate ombre cake(!) that took our breath away. Even if you hate Valentine's Day, it's easy to love these heart candies, red touches, and loving looks of this couple. Let's take Valentine's Day from kitschy to glam… Read More February 13, 2019 How to plan a more ethical wedding (including an edible bouquet!) When I was preparing for my own wedding I started thinking: how could we do this more ethically? The very nature of a wedding being a one day event, and….. Read More February 7, 2019 Love is in the air with these hella romantic & quirky save-the-dates (that are 30% off right now!) The early engagement and save-the-date phase is one of the most fun and ripe for the pickings in terms of save-the-date design. Speaking of… one of our favorite paperie vendors, Minted, is having a huge wedding sale with 15% off all wedding products (like invites, menus, programs, placecards, etc.!) and a whopping 30% off save-the-dates. A big ol' discount like that deserved a bit of a look-see… Read More February 5, 2019 This viking elopement inspiration is all about untamed beauty on the coast We love a good viking wedding and this viking wedding inspiration was more wild and untamed than we'd ever seen. It's adventurous, romantic, and seriously inspiring if you're planning one of your own. Set on the beautiful Oregon coast and inspired by Nordic traditions, they rocked bold blues, silvers, and greens to match the atmosphere. There are two different looks to see, both separate love stories in themselves. Don't miss the era-inspired weaponry, the gorgeous geode cake, the cave-dotted landscape, the custom-made gowns, and the chill-inducing florals. I can almost hear the battle cries now… Read More 1.7k January 21, 2019 Vivid colors meet goth chic at this moody & quirky wedding inspiration One of my favorite combinations of styles is vivid color meets dark goth glam. And this dark & moody wedding inspiration has both in abundance. With florals ranging from purple scabiosa to black willows, a sweets table full of candy apples and a tower of macarons, and two brides rocking gold antlers, turquoise hair, and coordinating (but not matchy-matchy!) whie and gray gowns, it's a gorgeous display with an eerie and chic vibe. Read More More Wedding Porn > Recent Real Weddings February 15, 2019 Sci-fi meets romance at this Chicago artist loft wedding Leah and Amanda planned their wedding in just a few short months, but you'd never know it by it's loveliness. They love sci-fi movies and have sci-fi posters all over their house which inspired the reception decor — from table numbers, guestbook, and florals in science beakers as bud vases. Leah likes crafting and designed all the personalized signage for the wedding. The food at reception was fall festive and included a s'mores bar! Read More February 13, 2019 "It's the Super Moon, bruh" at this Spaceship Earth forest rave wedding We met at a Full Moon Gathering campout, Moontribe's 20th anniversary. It was a fantastic weekend and we heard echoed throughout the party, "It's the Super Moon, bruh" as the explanation for the awesomeness everywhere. Five years later, still following cosmic novelties and electronic music, we trekked to Oregon for the Solar Eclipse festival Symbiosis. Josh proposed during the eclipse with the solar ring as my engagement ring! We carried this theme through our engagement shoot and wedding. Read More February 12, 2019 Jaws will drop at the style of this Jamaican meets English garden wedding Alex and Toyan flew back from Qatar all the way to Yorkshire, UK to get married at Alex’s family home surrounded by their loved ones. This pair, a DJ and an artist, has major style and it shows in the groom's red suit, suuuper slick wedding party outfits, and the bride's modern meets classic short gown. Just try to look at these party photos and try to imagine anything more fun. You can't, right? We all got FOMO looking at that epic party. Read More February 11, 2019 This fall elopement in Tennessee was surrounded by foliage, leather jackets, & intimate vows Picture it: an intimate ceremony among the turning fall leaves of a woodland backdrop. A gray dress, dapper groom, and a little edge with leather jackets. You don't have to imagine it, because I've got just such a wedding. Marcella and Jimmy chose a gorgeous fall day for their Seymour, TN elopement. Read More 1.0k February 8, 2019 Our big gay pagan rainbow woodland festival wedding We had guests from as far apart as Japan, California, and Germany. We tried to invoke all the things we loved in our wedding day — geeky nods to Harry Potter, His Dark Materials, Jonathan Coulton, and the Lord of the Rings; the Obergefell v Hodges ruling for Jess's career and theatrical touches for mine. We asked our guests to wear 'whatever makes you feel pretty.' We then celebrated with ice cream, lawn games, and street food, and ended the evening with a ceilidh and session. Oh, and there was an owl, and llamas. Read More More Real Weddings > Recent Advice February 13, 2019 How to plan a more ethical wedding (including an edible bouquet!) When I was preparing for my own wedding I started thinking: how could we do this more ethically? The very nature of a wedding being a one day event, and….. Read More January 23, 2019 6 tips for making your wedding website useful AND stylish Are you engaged? YAY! I have a feeling that a lot of you are thinking about wedding hashtags and websites and social media, oh my. Weddings are way more high tech these days and a wedding website is pretty standard fare now. When I got engaged in 2018, I went on a hunt for a really slick wedding website and have a few quick hit tips to share to make your wedding website both ultra useful and seriously captivating. Read More October 17, 2018 How to avoid your email save-the-date going to spam My partner and I decided to send out email save-the-dates instead of a physical card. I do, however, have a warning for you if you are planning on going the green route with your save-the-date by sending out electronic ones. If you send an email with an image, you may hit your guests' spam folders. Here are some pros and cons of going green with your save-the-dates and how you can avoid your save-the-date going to spam… Read More October 3, 2018 Our delicious unity beer ceremony was… hopping (plus our ceremony wording!) Craft beer has been such a huge part of our relationship that when we were planning our wedding (featured here!), we wanted to include it somehow. I suggested a unity beer ceremony, but we couldn't find any wording online that we liked. We ended up creating our own from scratch, complete with our own unique brand of humor. Read More September 17, 2018 7 fur-tastic ways to include your pet in the wedding day Like all of us who follow famous animals on Instagram, I love seeing your ring dogs, cat save-the-dates, and guinea pig cake toppers. But are there MORE ways to include your pet in the wedding day? I decided to see what was new in the realm of wedding pets. And there was! I saw so many adorable ways to add some pet fur to your day (without wigging them out, of course). Let's get to the honorable wedding puppers and kittehs (and whatever other animals y'all love!)… Read More More Advice > Recent DIY September 18, 2018 Eat 'em or take 'em: these s'mores wedding favors are a gooey gift guests will devour S'mores are a staple of outdoor weddings in any season, but especially in the fall when the weather gets chilly and a bonfire is apropos. You're cooking them up over a bonfire, adding them to your sweets table, and even making them into cakes! But a perfect way to provide a dessert AND a takeaway gift is an easy-to-make s'mores wedding favor. Here's how to make them super easily with a few staples from Michael's Weddings™… Read More 1.4k July 11, 2018 A seriously easy way to make a cathedral veil from your favorite fabric About a month before my wedding, I became fascinated with a colorful floral veil in this post on my favorite wedding blog. I looked around for similar veils online, but couldn't find anything for a price I was willing to pay. So I decided to DIY my veil and it was surprisingly easy! Here's how I did it… Read More June 11, 2018 Supersize your wedding flora with this big crepe paper flower tutorial We know HUGE bouquets are super popular right now, but what if we mega-size the actual flowers instead of just the bouquet size? We love a good huge flower bouquet, headpiece, centerpiece, or ceremony backdrop. The best part? You can totally make these yourself. Read More May 30, 2018 Lush florals go ring-shaped with this DIY floral hoop backdrop I love a good hoop bouquet, but those handy floral hoops can be used for more than just a great alternative bouquet. I've created a series of hoops flowing with greenery and flora that can be used a wedding ceremony backdrop, reception decor, or even a place card holder. With this DIY floral hoop backdrop, you can add as many floral picks as you like to make it as lush as you can imagine. Artificial flowers let you create a backdrop that can go from wedding to living room permanently. It's the beauty of realistic artificial flowers! Here are the steps to go from a simple hoop to intricate backdrop in no time… Read More April 5, 2018 In case of dementor attack, you'll need this Harry Potter wedding favor If you're a Potterphile, you know that chocolate bars have their own powers of soothing you after a dementor attack. So at a wedding with Harry Potter details (where a dementor could prey, naturally!), why not offer up some DIY Harry Potter wedding favors that will do the job nicely. Plus, it only takes some inexpensive chocolate bars, some printer paper, and a printable chocolate bar wrapper. Read More More DIY > Recent Stuff we love February 15, 2019 The trick to getting authentically YOU wedding photos? This stellar NY/NJ-based photographer I love it when a photographer makes me feel like I'm worthy of photographing no matter what I look like, if I'm awkward as hell, or if I deviate from the norms that dictate what we think is "right" or "pretty," or "traditional." That's why the ethos of one of our most rad partners, New York and New Jersey-based Adena at Studio A Images, resonates so much with us. Obviously we do our best to make sure all of our vendors are top notch AND totally inclusive, but sometimes they just fit so comfortably into our mindset that I've just go to introduce you. Read More February 12, 2019 6 handcrafted engagement rings that are truly works of art You know we spend way too much time delving into the oceans of engagement ring bling at Brilliant Earth. There's just so much to see and to inspire your own ring selections. In a recent trip down the ring rabbit hole, I spied a fair few engagement rings that stood out among others as true works of art. In particular, their vintage collection has been hand-curated for exceptional quality and originality. They know that jewelry design isn't just artistry, but also architecture and engineering played out on minute scale. Read More February 5, 2019 On the hunt for an industry-busting & inclusive photographer and coordinator? We've got the ultimate… Sometimes when you partner up with a wedding vendor who so totally embodies everything we hold dear about weddings and especially about our own readers, we have to introduce you. This was very much the case with Seattle/Tacoma-based photography-meets-coordination company Fuck Yeah, Weddings. Owner Kendall has endless enthusiasm for offbeat weddings of all flavors, but also provides both photography AND coordination for a super streamlined process of capturing and planning your wedding. Read More 3.4k February 1, 2019 Are these alternatives to earth-mined diamonds ethical & budget-friendly? Let's find out… We may tout a lot of colored gemstones around these parts, but we know a lot of you are totally down for that classic diamond look. And these days, you really don't have to feel guilty about snagging a real diamond from ring designers who source ethical and conflict-free diamonds. But there are other options you might want to know about which are created without any impact to the earth AND are more budget-friendly. We reached out to our custom-ring wizard partners at Joseph Jewelry to get the scoop on diamond alternatives such as lab created diamonds and moissanite engagement rings. Read More January 29, 2019 From sweet & romantic to grand & theatrical, these wedding headpieces are dropping jaws From retro fascinators to lovely flower crowns to masterpieces of intricate design, these wedding headpieces function as formal accessory but also as re-wearable art for parties, holidays, theater, and more. Jezebel, the artist behind all of these creations, described them as "fun and fabulous frippery" which I think describes what most of us would love for our outfits to be on our wedding day. If you can't have a little frippery, what can you have? Read More More Stuff we love > Recent Wedding 101 January 23, 2019 6 tips for making your wedding website useful AND stylish Are you engaged? YAY! I have a feeling that a lot of you are thinking about wedding hashtags and websites and social media, oh my. Weddings are way more high tech these days and a wedding website is pretty standard fare now. When I got engaged in 2018, I went on a hunt for a really slick wedding website and have a few quick hit tips to share to make your wedding website both ultra useful and seriously captivating. Read More July 12, 2018 Planning tools 101: hotel block comparison chart We launched a comprehensive and totally customizable document of wedding planning spreadsheets in Google Drive if you're the type to get down with spreadsheets like I am. Now we're sharing a chart that will help you compare hotel blocks if you're planning to provide that option to your guests. Hotel blocks allow you to block out some rooms and room rates to help guests grab a good deal on a hotel room. Read More June 27, 2018 Avoiding wedding fights: how to plan your wedding planning Your engagement should be a joyful time. You have a lifetime ahead of you with the person you love. What could be better than to celebrate that love surrounded by friends and family? And yet, somehow things go awry. Conflicts flare. And the time that should be so happy — the build-up to your wedding — is fraught with possibilities for strife. The good news is you can avoid most of the problems by planning your wedding planning. That's right. Plan how you're going to plan. Read More 2.6k April 18, 2018 I bought a colored wedding dress and now everyone's mad! What should I do? I come from a family of strict traditionalists when it comes to everything, especially weddings. I recently bought a peach wedding dress with no sleeves and expressed I wanted light blue hair and Converse to go with it. As you can imagine, things didn't go over well. When I try to stand up for my wedding choices, I'm shamed for it. Please help! Read More 4.3k March 5, 2018 Wedding dates to avoid in 2018, 2019, and beyond I'm compiling this list of wedding dates to avoid in 2018, 2019, and 2020 in case you want to avoid holidays where family and friends might have conflicting events, holidays where vendors might be especially busy and/or expensive (think Valentine's Day for florists), or religious holidays where places might be closed or guests might have other plans. Does this mean you CAN'T book your wedding for one of these days? Hell no! Read More More Wedding 101 > Offbeat Bride: your source for wedding ideas and inclusive wedding planning We've got bajillions of creative wedding ideas, DIY projects, and wedding advice to make your wedding plans easier — and even fun! What do you need to do today? I have no idea. I need Wedding Planning 101! I need a wedding planning checklist (now in an interactive version, too!) Hook me up with free wedding fonts & printables I need offbeat wedding registry ideas I'm curious about offbeat wedding themes (geeky! boho! so many!) Reporter Name * Reporter Email * Original text Enter the original text here. Edited text* Enter your suggested copyedit here. Notes You can add a note for the editor here. * Required information. Fix Typo What wedding planning advice & inspiration do you need today? Dress Eloping Engagement Ring Feminism Floral Print Geeky Harry Potter Invitation Wording Readings Ceremony Advice Fashion Wedding 101 Super cute offbeat wedding invitations @offbeatbride on Insta Newly engaged? Slushies, food trucks, and brunch: 10 delicious ways to make your wedding food fun Your cheatsheet for what to include on wedding invitation Bar talk with Mint & Mirth: Licensing, insurance, and when to hire professional bartenders Going postal: Don't make these 5 mistakes when addressing your wedding invitations What logistics should I consider for a seated bridal party? 6 vital things you need to know when working with a wedding florist 9 wedding website tips to inform, reassure, and give warm fuzzies to your guests Wedding dates to avoid in 2018, 2019, and beyond Read More > A few of our fave wedding vendors DJ Doug Read More Laffler Photography Read More CustomMade Read More Leise Jones Photography Read More Browse our vendor guide > Our infamous spreadsheets & checklists Planning tools 101: wedding budget calculator Impress their asses off: 5 tips for hosting out-of-town wedding guests in your home Planning tools 101: Your wedding guest list planner Our GIANT list of important questions to ask wedding venues Planning tools 101: Your wedding timeline spreadsheet The electronic wedding hacks: Choosing your online wedding planning tools Marriage legal changes you NEED to know about (in plain English, we promise!) Playlists, requests, and backup plans: What to ask your wedding DJ Get planning > We're everywhere! Follow us on social media. Get creative, offbeat wedding ideas delivered daily to your inbox! Join our newsletter SUBSCRIBE Copyright © 2003 - 2019 Offbeat Empire. All rights reserved. Unauthorized reproduction in part or in whole is prohibited. Contact us Terms of Service | Privacy Policy | Monetized by SkimLinks
February 13, 2019 How to plan a more ethical wedding (including an edible bouquet!) When I was preparing for my own wedding I started thinking: how could we do this more ethically? The very nature of a wedding being a one day event, and….. Read More February 7, 2019 Love is in the air with these hella romantic & quirky save-the-dates (that are 30% off right now!) The early engagement and save-the-date phase is one of the most fun and ripe for the pickings in terms of save-the-date design. Speaking of… one of our favorite paperie vendors, Minted, is having a huge wedding sale with 15% off all wedding products (like invites, menus, programs, placecards, etc.!) and a whopping 30% off save-the-dates. A big ol' discount like that deserved a bit of a look-see… Read More February 5, 2019 This viking elopement inspiration is all about untamed beauty on the coast We love a good viking wedding and this viking wedding inspiration was more wild and untamed than we'd ever seen. It's adventurous, romantic, and seriously inspiring if you're planning one of your own. Set on the beautiful Oregon coast and inspired by Nordic traditions, they rocked bold blues, silvers, and greens to match the atmosphere. There are two different looks to see, both separate love stories in themselves. Don't miss the era-inspired weaponry, the gorgeous geode cake, the cave-dotted landscape, the custom-made gowns, and the chill-inducing florals. I can almost hear the battle cries now… Read More 1.7k January 21, 2019 Vivid colors meet goth chic at this moody & quirky wedding inspiration One of my favorite combinations of styles is vivid color meets dark goth glam. And this dark & moody wedding inspiration has both in abundance. With florals ranging from purple scabiosa to black willows, a sweets table full of candy apples and a tower of macarons, and two brides rocking gold antlers, turquoise hair, and coordinating (but not matchy-matchy!) whie and gray gowns, it's a gorgeous display with an eerie and chic vibe. Read More More Wedding Porn > Recent Real Weddings February 15, 2019 Sci-fi meets romance at this Chicago artist loft wedding Leah and Amanda planned their wedding in just a few short months, but you'd never know it by it's loveliness. They love sci-fi movies and have sci-fi posters all over their house which inspired the reception decor — from table numbers, guestbook, and florals in science beakers as bud vases. Leah likes crafting and designed all the personalized signage for the wedding. The food at reception was fall festive and included a s'mores bar! Read More February 13, 2019 "It's the Super Moon, bruh" at this Spaceship Earth forest rave wedding We met at a Full Moon Gathering campout, Moontribe's 20th anniversary. It was a fantastic weekend and we heard echoed throughout the party, "It's the Super Moon, bruh" as the explanation for the awesomeness everywhere. Five years later, still following cosmic novelties and electronic music, we trekked to Oregon for the Solar Eclipse festival Symbiosis. Josh proposed during the eclipse with the solar ring as my engagement ring! We carried this theme through our engagement shoot and wedding. Read More February 12, 2019 Jaws will drop at the style of this Jamaican meets English garden wedding Alex and Toyan flew back from Qatar all the way to Yorkshire, UK to get married at Alex’s family home surrounded by their loved ones. This pair, a DJ and an artist, has major style and it shows in the groom's red suit, suuuper slick wedding party outfits, and the bride's modern meets classic short gown. Just try to look at these party photos and try to imagine anything more fun. You can't, right? We all got FOMO looking at that epic party. Read More February 11, 2019 This fall elopement in Tennessee was surrounded by foliage, leather jackets, & intimate vows Picture it: an intimate ceremony among the turning fall leaves of a woodland backdrop. A gray dress, dapper groom, and a little edge with leather jackets. You don't have to imagine it, because I've got just such a wedding. Marcella and Jimmy chose a gorgeous fall day for their Seymour, TN elopement. Read More 1.0k February 8, 2019 Our big gay pagan rainbow woodland festival wedding We had guests from as far apart as Japan, California, and Germany. We tried to invoke all the things we loved in our wedding day — geeky nods to Harry Potter, His Dark Materials, Jonathan Coulton, and the Lord of the Rings; the Obergefell v Hodges ruling for Jess's career and theatrical touches for mine. We asked our guests to wear 'whatever makes you feel pretty.' We then celebrated with ice cream, lawn games, and street food, and ended the evening with a ceilidh and session. Oh, and there was an owl, and llamas. Read More More Real Weddings > Recent Advice February 13, 2019 How to plan a more ethical wedding (including an edible bouquet!) When I was preparing for my own wedding I started thinking: how could we do this more ethically? The very nature of a wedding being a one day event, and….. Read More January 23, 2019 6 tips for making your wedding website useful AND stylish Are you engaged? YAY! I have a feeling that a lot of you are thinking about wedding hashtags and websites and social media, oh my. Weddings are way more high tech these days and a wedding website is pretty standard fare now. When I got engaged in 2018, I went on a hunt for a really slick wedding website and have a few quick hit tips to share to make your wedding website both ultra useful and seriously captivating. Read More October 17, 2018 How to avoid your email save-the-date going to spam My partner and I decided to send out email save-the-dates instead of a physical card. I do, however, have a warning for you if you are planning on going the green route with your save-the-date by sending out electronic ones. If you send an email with an image, you may hit your guests' spam folders. Here are some pros and cons of going green with your save-the-dates and how you can avoid your save-the-date going to spam… Read More October 3, 2018 Our delicious unity beer ceremony was… hopping (plus our ceremony wording!) Craft beer has been such a huge part of our relationship that when we were planning our wedding (featured here!), we wanted to include it somehow. I suggested a unity beer ceremony, but we couldn't find any wording online that we liked. We ended up creating our own from scratch, complete with our own unique brand of humor. Read More September 17, 2018 7 fur-tastic ways to include your pet in the wedding day Like all of us who follow famous animals on Instagram, I love seeing your ring dogs, cat save-the-dates, and guinea pig cake toppers. But are there MORE ways to include your pet in the wedding day? I decided to see what was new in the realm of wedding pets. And there was! I saw so many adorable ways to add some pet fur to your day (without wigging them out, of course). Let's get to the honorable wedding puppers and kittehs (and whatever other animals y'all love!)… Read More More Advice > Recent DIY September 18, 2018 Eat 'em or take 'em: these s'mores wedding favors are a gooey gift guests will devour S'mores are a staple of outdoor weddings in any season, but especially in the fall when the weather gets chilly and a bonfire is apropos. You're cooking them up over a bonfire, adding them to your sweets table, and even making them into cakes! But a perfect way to provide a dessert AND a takeaway gift is an easy-to-make s'mores wedding favor. Here's how to make them super easily with a few staples from Michael's Weddings™… Read More 1.4k July 11, 2018 A seriously easy way to make a cathedral veil from your favorite fabric About a month before my wedding, I became fascinated with a colorful floral veil in this post on my favorite wedding blog. I looked around for similar veils online, but couldn't find anything for a price I was willing to pay. So I decided to DIY my veil and it was surprisingly easy! Here's how I did it… Read More June 11, 2018 Supersize your wedding flora with this big crepe paper flower tutorial We know HUGE bouquets are super popular right now, but what if we mega-size the actual flowers instead of just the bouquet size? We love a good huge flower bouquet, headpiece, centerpiece, or ceremony backdrop. The best part? You can totally make these yourself. Read More May 30, 2018 Lush florals go ring-shaped with this DIY floral hoop backdrop I love a good hoop bouquet, but those handy floral hoops can be used for more than just a great alternative bouquet. I've created a series of hoops flowing with greenery and flora that can be used a wedding ceremony backdrop, reception decor, or even a place card holder. With this DIY floral hoop backdrop, you can add as many floral picks as you like to make it as lush as you can imagine. Artificial flowers let you create a backdrop that can go from wedding to living room permanently. It's the beauty of realistic artificial flowers! Here are the steps to go from a simple hoop to intricate backdrop in no time… Read More April 5, 2018 In case of dementor attack, you'll need this Harry Potter wedding favor If you're a Potterphile, you know that chocolate bars have their own powers of soothing you after a dementor attack. So at a wedding with Harry Potter details (where a dementor could prey, naturally!), why not offer up some DIY Harry Potter wedding favors that will do the job nicely. Plus, it only takes some inexpensive chocolate bars, some printer paper, and a printable chocolate bar wrapper. Read More More DIY > Recent Stuff we love February 15, 2019 The trick to getting authentically YOU wedding photos? This stellar NY/NJ-based photographer I love it when a photographer makes me feel like I'm worthy of photographing no matter what I look like, if I'm awkward as hell, or if I deviate from the norms that dictate what we think is "right" or "pretty," or "traditional." That's why the ethos of one of our most rad partners, New York and New Jersey-based Adena at Studio A Images, resonates so much with us. Obviously we do our best to make sure all of our vendors are top notch AND totally inclusive, but sometimes they just fit so comfortably into our mindset that I've just go to introduce you. Read More February 12, 2019 6 handcrafted engagement rings that are truly works of art You know we spend way too much time delving into the oceans of engagement ring bling at Brilliant Earth. There's just so much to see and to inspire your own ring selections. In a recent trip down the ring rabbit hole, I spied a fair few engagement rings that stood out among others as true works of art. In particular, their vintage collection has been hand-curated for exceptional quality and originality. They know that jewelry design isn't just artistry, but also architecture and engineering played out on minute scale. Read More February 5, 2019 On the hunt for an industry-busting & inclusive photographer and coordinator? We've got the ultimate… Sometimes when you partner up with a wedding vendor who so totally embodies everything we hold dear about weddings and especially about our own readers, we have to introduce you. This was very much the case with Seattle/Tacoma-based photography-meets-coordination company Fuck Yeah, Weddings. Owner Kendall has endless enthusiasm for offbeat weddings of all flavors, but also provides both photography AND coordination for a super streamlined process of capturing and planning your wedding. Read More 3.4k February 1, 2019 Are these alternatives to earth-mined diamonds ethical & budget-friendly? Let's find out… We may tout a lot of colored gemstones around these parts, but we know a lot of you are totally down for that classic diamond look. And these days, you really don't have to feel guilty about snagging a real diamond from ring designers who source ethical and conflict-free diamonds. But there are other options you might want to know about which are created without any impact to the earth AND are more budget-friendly. We reached out to our custom-ring wizard partners at Joseph Jewelry to get the scoop on diamond alternatives such as lab created diamonds and moissanite engagement rings. Read More January 29, 2019 From sweet & romantic to grand & theatrical, these wedding headpieces are dropping jaws From retro fascinators to lovely flower crowns to masterpieces of intricate design, these wedding headpieces function as formal accessory but also as re-wearable art for parties, holidays, theater, and more. Jezebel, the artist behind all of these creations, described them as "fun and fabulous frippery" which I think describes what most of us would love for our outfits to be on our wedding day. If you can't have a little frippery, what can you have? Read More More Stuff we love > Recent Wedding 101 January 23, 2019 6 tips for making your wedding website useful AND stylish Are you engaged? YAY! I have a feeling that a lot of you are thinking about wedding hashtags and websites and social media, oh my. Weddings are way more high tech these days and a wedding website is pretty standard fare now. When I got engaged in 2018, I went on a hunt for a really slick wedding website and have a few quick hit tips to share to make your wedding website both ultra useful and seriously captivating. Read More July 12, 2018 Planning tools 101: hotel block comparison chart We launched a comprehensive and totally customizable document of wedding planning spreadsheets in Google Drive if you're the type to get down with spreadsheets like I am. Now we're sharing a chart that will help you compare hotel blocks if you're planning to provide that option to your guests. Hotel blocks allow you to block out some rooms and room rates to help guests grab a good deal on a hotel room. Read More June 27, 2018 Avoiding wedding fights: how to plan your wedding planning Your engagement should be a joyful time. You have a lifetime ahead of you with the person you love. What could be better than to celebrate that love surrounded by friends and family? And yet, somehow things go awry. Conflicts flare. And the time that should be so happy — the build-up to your wedding — is fraught with possibilities for strife. The good news is you can avoid most of the problems by planning your wedding planning. That's right. Plan how you're going to plan. Read More 2.6k April 18, 2018 I bought a colored wedding dress and now everyone's mad! What should I do? I come from a family of strict traditionalists when it comes to everything, especially weddings. I recently bought a peach wedding dress with no sleeves and expressed I wanted light blue hair and Converse to go with it. As you can imagine, things didn't go over well. When I try to stand up for my wedding choices, I'm shamed for it. Please help! Read More 4.3k March 5, 2018 Wedding dates to avoid in 2018, 2019, and beyond I'm compiling this list of wedding dates to avoid in 2018, 2019, and 2020 in case you want to avoid holidays where family and friends might have conflicting events, holidays where vendors might be especially busy and/or expensive (think Valentine's Day for florists), or religious holidays where places might be closed or guests might have other plans. Does this mean you CAN'T book your wedding for one of these days? Hell no! Read More More Wedding 101 > Offbeat Bride: your source for wedding ideas and inclusive wedding planning We've got bajillions of creative wedding ideas, DIY projects, and wedding advice to make your wedding plans easier — and even fun! What do you need to do today? I have no idea. I need Wedding Planning 101! I need a wedding planning checklist (now in an interactive version, too!) Hook me up with free wedding fonts & printables I need offbeat wedding registry ideas I'm curious about offbeat wedding themes (geeky! boho! so many!) Reporter Name * Reporter Email * Original text Enter the original text here. Edited text* Enter your suggested copyedit here. Notes You can add a note for the editor here. * Required information. Fix Typo What wedding planning advice & inspiration do you need today? Dress Eloping Engagement Ring Feminism Floral Print Geeky Harry Potter Invitation Wording Readings Ceremony Advice Fashion Wedding 101 Super cute offbeat wedding invitations @offbeatbride on Insta Newly engaged? Slushies, food trucks, and brunch: 10 delicious ways to make your wedding food fun Your cheatsheet for what to include on wedding invitation Bar talk with Mint & Mirth: Licensing, insurance, and when to hire professional bartenders Going postal: Don't make these 5 mistakes when addressing your wedding invitations What logistics should I consider for a seated bridal party? 6 vital things you need to know when working with a wedding florist 9 wedding website tips to inform, reassure, and give warm fuzzies to your guests Wedding dates to avoid in 2018, 2019, and beyond Read More > A few of our fave wedding vendors DJ Doug Read More Laffler Photography Read More CustomMade Read More Leise Jones Photography Read More Browse our vendor guide > Our infamous spreadsheets & checklists Planning tools 101: wedding budget calculator Impress their asses off: 5 tips for hosting out-of-town wedding guests in your home Planning tools 101: Your wedding guest list planner Our GIANT list of important questions to ask wedding venues Planning tools 101: Your wedding timeline spreadsheet The electronic wedding hacks: Choosing your online wedding planning tools Marriage legal changes you NEED to know about (in plain English, we promise!) Playlists, requests, and backup plans: What to ask your wedding DJ Get planning > We're everywhere! Follow us on social media. Get creative, offbeat wedding ideas delivered daily to your inbox! Join our newsletter SUBSCRIBE Copyright © 2003 - 2019 Offbeat Empire. All rights reserved. Unauthorized reproduction in part or in whole is prohibited. Contact us Terms of Service | Privacy Policy | Monetized by SkimLinks
February 7, 2019 Love is in the air with these hella romantic & quirky save-the-dates (that are 30% off right now!) The early engagement and save-the-date phase is one of the most fun and ripe for the pickings in terms of save-the-date design. Speaking of… one of our favorite paperie vendors, Minted, is having a huge wedding sale with 15% off all wedding products (like invites, menus, programs, placecards, etc.!) and a whopping 30% off save-the-dates. A big ol' discount like that deserved a bit of a look-see… Read More February 5, 2019 This viking elopement inspiration is all about untamed beauty on the coast We love a good viking wedding and this viking wedding inspiration was more wild and untamed than we'd ever seen. It's adventurous, romantic, and seriously inspiring if you're planning one of your own. Set on the beautiful Oregon coast and inspired by Nordic traditions, they rocked bold blues, silvers, and greens to match the atmosphere. There are two different looks to see, both separate love stories in themselves. Don't miss the era-inspired weaponry, the gorgeous geode cake, the cave-dotted landscape, the custom-made gowns, and the chill-inducing florals. I can almost hear the battle cries now… Read More 1.7k January 21, 2019 Vivid colors meet goth chic at this moody & quirky wedding inspiration One of my favorite combinations of styles is vivid color meets dark goth glam. And this dark & moody wedding inspiration has both in abundance. With florals ranging from purple scabiosa to black willows, a sweets table full of candy apples and a tower of macarons, and two brides rocking gold antlers, turquoise hair, and coordinating (but not matchy-matchy!) whie and gray gowns, it's a gorgeous display with an eerie and chic vibe. Read More More Wedding Porn > Recent Real Weddings February 15, 2019 Sci-fi meets romance at this Chicago artist loft wedding Leah and Amanda planned their wedding in just a few short months, but you'd never know it by it's loveliness. They love sci-fi movies and have sci-fi posters all over their house which inspired the reception decor — from table numbers, guestbook, and florals in science beakers as bud vases. Leah likes crafting and designed all the personalized signage for the wedding. The food at reception was fall festive and included a s'mores bar! Read More February 13, 2019 "It's the Super Moon, bruh" at this Spaceship Earth forest rave wedding We met at a Full Moon Gathering campout, Moontribe's 20th anniversary. It was a fantastic weekend and we heard echoed throughout the party, "It's the Super Moon, bruh" as the explanation for the awesomeness everywhere. Five years later, still following cosmic novelties and electronic music, we trekked to Oregon for the Solar Eclipse festival Symbiosis. Josh proposed during the eclipse with the solar ring as my engagement ring! We carried this theme through our engagement shoot and wedding. Read More February 12, 2019 Jaws will drop at the style of this Jamaican meets English garden wedding Alex and Toyan flew back from Qatar all the way to Yorkshire, UK to get married at Alex’s family home surrounded by their loved ones. This pair, a DJ and an artist, has major style and it shows in the groom's red suit, suuuper slick wedding party outfits, and the bride's modern meets classic short gown. Just try to look at these party photos and try to imagine anything more fun. You can't, right? We all got FOMO looking at that epic party. Read More February 11, 2019 This fall elopement in Tennessee was surrounded by foliage, leather jackets, & intimate vows Picture it: an intimate ceremony among the turning fall leaves of a woodland backdrop. A gray dress, dapper groom, and a little edge with leather jackets. You don't have to imagine it, because I've got just such a wedding. Marcella and Jimmy chose a gorgeous fall day for their Seymour, TN elopement. Read More 1.0k February 8, 2019 Our big gay pagan rainbow woodland festival wedding We had guests from as far apart as Japan, California, and Germany. We tried to invoke all the things we loved in our wedding day — geeky nods to Harry Potter, His Dark Materials, Jonathan Coulton, and the Lord of the Rings; the Obergefell v Hodges ruling for Jess's career and theatrical touches for mine. We asked our guests to wear 'whatever makes you feel pretty.' We then celebrated with ice cream, lawn games, and street food, and ended the evening with a ceilidh and session. Oh, and there was an owl, and llamas. Read More More Real Weddings > Recent Advice February 13, 2019 How to plan a more ethical wedding (including an edible bouquet!) When I was preparing for my own wedding I started thinking: how could we do this more ethically? The very nature of a wedding being a one day event, and….. Read More January 23, 2019 6 tips for making your wedding website useful AND stylish Are you engaged? YAY! I have a feeling that a lot of you are thinking about wedding hashtags and websites and social media, oh my. Weddings are way more high tech these days and a wedding website is pretty standard fare now. When I got engaged in 2018, I went on a hunt for a really slick wedding website and have a few quick hit tips to share to make your wedding website both ultra useful and seriously captivating. Read More October 17, 2018 How to avoid your email save-the-date going to spam My partner and I decided to send out email save-the-dates instead of a physical card. I do, however, have a warning for you if you are planning on going the green route with your save-the-date by sending out electronic ones. If you send an email with an image, you may hit your guests' spam folders. Here are some pros and cons of going green with your save-the-dates and how you can avoid your save-the-date going to spam… Read More October 3, 2018 Our delicious unity beer ceremony was… hopping (plus our ceremony wording!) Craft beer has been such a huge part of our relationship that when we were planning our wedding (featured here!), we wanted to include it somehow. I suggested a unity beer ceremony, but we couldn't find any wording online that we liked. We ended up creating our own from scratch, complete with our own unique brand of humor. Read More September 17, 2018 7 fur-tastic ways to include your pet in the wedding day Like all of us who follow famous animals on Instagram, I love seeing your ring dogs, cat save-the-dates, and guinea pig cake toppers. But are there MORE ways to include your pet in the wedding day? I decided to see what was new in the realm of wedding pets. And there was! I saw so many adorable ways to add some pet fur to your day (without wigging them out, of course). Let's get to the honorable wedding puppers and kittehs (and whatever other animals y'all love!)… Read More More Advice > Recent DIY September 18, 2018 Eat 'em or take 'em: these s'mores wedding favors are a gooey gift guests will devour S'mores are a staple of outdoor weddings in any season, but especially in the fall when the weather gets chilly and a bonfire is apropos. You're cooking them up over a bonfire, adding them to your sweets table, and even making them into cakes! But a perfect way to provide a dessert AND a takeaway gift is an easy-to-make s'mores wedding favor. Here's how to make them super easily with a few staples from Michael's Weddings™… Read More 1.4k July 11, 2018 A seriously easy way to make a cathedral veil from your favorite fabric About a month before my wedding, I became fascinated with a colorful floral veil in this post on my favorite wedding blog. I looked around for similar veils online, but couldn't find anything for a price I was willing to pay. So I decided to DIY my veil and it was surprisingly easy! Here's how I did it… Read More June 11, 2018 Supersize your wedding flora with this big crepe paper flower tutorial We know HUGE bouquets are super popular right now, but what if we mega-size the actual flowers instead of just the bouquet size? We love a good huge flower bouquet, headpiece, centerpiece, or ceremony backdrop. The best part? You can totally make these yourself. Read More May 30, 2018 Lush florals go ring-shaped with this DIY floral hoop backdrop I love a good hoop bouquet, but those handy floral hoops can be used for more than just a great alternative bouquet. I've created a series of hoops flowing with greenery and flora that can be used a wedding ceremony backdrop, reception decor, or even a place card holder. With this DIY floral hoop backdrop, you can add as many floral picks as you like to make it as lush as you can imagine. Artificial flowers let you create a backdrop that can go from wedding to living room permanently. It's the beauty of realistic artificial flowers! Here are the steps to go from a simple hoop to intricate backdrop in no time… Read More April 5, 2018 In case of dementor attack, you'll need this Harry Potter wedding favor If you're a Potterphile, you know that chocolate bars have their own powers of soothing you after a dementor attack. So at a wedding with Harry Potter details (where a dementor could prey, naturally!), why not offer up some DIY Harry Potter wedding favors that will do the job nicely. Plus, it only takes some inexpensive chocolate bars, some printer paper, and a printable chocolate bar wrapper. Read More More DIY > Recent Stuff we love February 15, 2019 The trick to getting authentically YOU wedding photos? This stellar NY/NJ-based photographer I love it when a photographer makes me feel like I'm worthy of photographing no matter what I look like, if I'm awkward as hell, or if I deviate from the norms that dictate what we think is "right" or "pretty," or "traditional." That's why the ethos of one of our most rad partners, New York and New Jersey-based Adena at Studio A Images, resonates so much with us. Obviously we do our best to make sure all of our vendors are top notch AND totally inclusive, but sometimes they just fit so comfortably into our mindset that I've just go to introduce you. Read More February 12, 2019 6 handcrafted engagement rings that are truly works of art You know we spend way too much time delving into the oceans of engagement ring bling at Brilliant Earth. There's just so much to see and to inspire your own ring selections. In a recent trip down the ring rabbit hole, I spied a fair few engagement rings that stood out among others as true works of art. In particular, their vintage collection has been hand-curated for exceptional quality and originality. They know that jewelry design isn't just artistry, but also architecture and engineering played out on minute scale. Read More February 5, 2019 On the hunt for an industry-busting & inclusive photographer and coordinator? We've got the ultimate… Sometimes when you partner up with a wedding vendor who so totally embodies everything we hold dear about weddings and especially about our own readers, we have to introduce you. This was very much the case with Seattle/Tacoma-based photography-meets-coordination company Fuck Yeah, Weddings. Owner Kendall has endless enthusiasm for offbeat weddings of all flavors, but also provides both photography AND coordination for a super streamlined process of capturing and planning your wedding. Read More 3.4k February 1, 2019 Are these alternatives to earth-mined diamonds ethical & budget-friendly? Let's find out… We may tout a lot of colored gemstones around these parts, but we know a lot of you are totally down for that classic diamond look. And these days, you really don't have to feel guilty about snagging a real diamond from ring designers who source ethical and conflict-free diamonds. But there are other options you might want to know about which are created without any impact to the earth AND are more budget-friendly. We reached out to our custom-ring wizard partners at Joseph Jewelry to get the scoop on diamond alternatives such as lab created diamonds and moissanite engagement rings. Read More January 29, 2019 From sweet & romantic to grand & theatrical, these wedding headpieces are dropping jaws From retro fascinators to lovely flower crowns to masterpieces of intricate design, these wedding headpieces function as formal accessory but also as re-wearable art for parties, holidays, theater, and more. Jezebel, the artist behind all of these creations, described them as "fun and fabulous frippery" which I think describes what most of us would love for our outfits to be on our wedding day. If you can't have a little frippery, what can you have? Read More More Stuff we love > Recent Wedding 101 January 23, 2019 6 tips for making your wedding website useful AND stylish Are you engaged? YAY! I have a feeling that a lot of you are thinking about wedding hashtags and websites and social media, oh my. Weddings are way more high tech these days and a wedding website is pretty standard fare now. When I got engaged in 2018, I went on a hunt for a really slick wedding website and have a few quick hit tips to share to make your wedding website both ultra useful and seriously captivating. Read More July 12, 2018 Planning tools 101: hotel block comparison chart We launched a comprehensive and totally customizable document of wedding planning spreadsheets in Google Drive if you're the type to get down with spreadsheets like I am. Now we're sharing a chart that will help you compare hotel blocks if you're planning to provide that option to your guests. Hotel blocks allow you to block out some rooms and room rates to help guests grab a good deal on a hotel room. Read More June 27, 2018 Avoiding wedding fights: how to plan your wedding planning Your engagement should be a joyful time. You have a lifetime ahead of you with the person you love. What could be better than to celebrate that love surrounded by friends and family? And yet, somehow things go awry. Conflicts flare. And the time that should be so happy — the build-up to your wedding — is fraught with possibilities for strife. The good news is you can avoid most of the problems by planning your wedding planning. That's right. Plan how you're going to plan. Read More 2.6k April 18, 2018 I bought a colored wedding dress and now everyone's mad! What should I do? I come from a family of strict traditionalists when it comes to everything, especially weddings. I recently bought a peach wedding dress with no sleeves and expressed I wanted light blue hair and Converse to go with it. As you can imagine, things didn't go over well. When I try to stand up for my wedding choices, I'm shamed for it. Please help! Read More 4.3k March 5, 2018 Wedding dates to avoid in 2018, 2019, and beyond I'm compiling this list of wedding dates to avoid in 2018, 2019, and 2020 in case you want to avoid holidays where family and friends might have conflicting events, holidays where vendors might be especially busy and/or expensive (think Valentine's Day for florists), or religious holidays where places might be closed or guests might have other plans. Does this mean you CAN'T book your wedding for one of these days? Hell no! Read More More Wedding 101 > Offbeat Bride: your source for wedding ideas and inclusive wedding planning We've got bajillions of creative wedding ideas, DIY projects, and wedding advice to make your wedding plans easier — and even fun! What do you need to do today? I have no idea. I need Wedding Planning 101! I need a wedding planning checklist (now in an interactive version, too!) Hook me up with free wedding fonts & printables I need offbeat wedding registry ideas I'm curious about offbeat wedding themes (geeky! boho! so many!) Reporter Name * Reporter Email * Original text Enter the original text here. Edited text* Enter your suggested copyedit here. Notes You can add a note for the editor here. * Required information. Fix Typo What wedding planning advice & inspiration do you need today? Dress Eloping Engagement Ring Feminism Floral Print Geeky Harry Potter Invitation Wording Readings Ceremony Advice Fashion Wedding 101 Super cute offbeat wedding invitations @offbeatbride on Insta Newly engaged? Slushies, food trucks, and brunch: 10 delicious ways to make your wedding food fun Your cheatsheet for what to include on wedding invitation Bar talk with Mint & Mirth: Licensing, insurance, and when to hire professional bartenders Going postal: Don't make these 5 mistakes when addressing your wedding invitations What logistics should I consider for a seated bridal party? 6 vital things you need to know when working with a wedding florist 9 wedding website tips to inform, reassure, and give warm fuzzies to your guests Wedding dates to avoid in 2018, 2019, and beyond Read More > A few of our fave wedding vendors DJ Doug Read More Laffler Photography Read More CustomMade Read More Leise Jones Photography Read More Browse our vendor guide > Our infamous spreadsheets & checklists Planning tools 101: wedding budget calculator Impress their asses off: 5 tips for hosting out-of-town wedding guests in your home Planning tools 101: Your wedding guest list planner Our GIANT list of important questions to ask wedding venues Planning tools 101: Your wedding timeline spreadsheet The electronic wedding hacks: Choosing your online wedding planning tools Marriage legal changes you NEED to know about (in plain English, we promise!) Playlists, requests, and backup plans: What to ask your wedding DJ Get planning > We're everywhere! Follow us on social media. Get creative, offbeat wedding ideas delivered daily to your inbox! Join our newsletter SUBSCRIBE Copyright © 2003 - 2019 Offbeat Empire. All rights reserved. Unauthorized reproduction in part or in whole is prohibited. Contact us Terms of Service | Privacy Policy | Monetized by SkimLinks
February 5, 2019 This viking elopement inspiration is all about untamed beauty on the coast We love a good viking wedding and this viking wedding inspiration was more wild and untamed than we'd ever seen. It's adventurous, romantic, and seriously inspiring if you're planning one of your own. Set on the beautiful Oregon coast and inspired by Nordic traditions, they rocked bold blues, silvers, and greens to match the atmosphere. There are two different looks to see, both separate love stories in themselves. Don't miss the era-inspired weaponry, the gorgeous geode cake, the cave-dotted landscape, the custom-made gowns, and the chill-inducing florals. I can almost hear the battle cries now… Read More 1.7k January 21, 2019 Vivid colors meet goth chic at this moody & quirky wedding inspiration One of my favorite combinations of styles is vivid color meets dark goth glam. And this dark & moody wedding inspiration has both in abundance. With florals ranging from purple scabiosa to black willows, a sweets table full of candy apples and a tower of macarons, and two brides rocking gold antlers, turquoise hair, and coordinating (but not matchy-matchy!) whie and gray gowns, it's a gorgeous display with an eerie and chic vibe. Read More More Wedding Porn > Recent Real Weddings February 15, 2019 Sci-fi meets romance at this Chicago artist loft wedding Leah and Amanda planned their wedding in just a few short months, but you'd never know it by it's loveliness. They love sci-fi movies and have sci-fi posters all over their house which inspired the reception decor — from table numbers, guestbook, and florals in science beakers as bud vases. Leah likes crafting and designed all the personalized signage for the wedding. The food at reception was fall festive and included a s'mores bar! Read More February 13, 2019 "It's the Super Moon, bruh" at this Spaceship Earth forest rave wedding We met at a Full Moon Gathering campout, Moontribe's 20th anniversary. It was a fantastic weekend and we heard echoed throughout the party, "It's the Super Moon, bruh" as the explanation for the awesomeness everywhere. Five years later, still following cosmic novelties and electronic music, we trekked to Oregon for the Solar Eclipse festival Symbiosis. Josh proposed during the eclipse with the solar ring as my engagement ring! We carried this theme through our engagement shoot and wedding. Read More February 12, 2019 Jaws will drop at the style of this Jamaican meets English garden wedding Alex and Toyan flew back from Qatar all the way to Yorkshire, UK to get married at Alex’s family home surrounded by their loved ones. This pair, a DJ and an artist, has major style and it shows in the groom's red suit, suuuper slick wedding party outfits, and the bride's modern meets classic short gown. Just try to look at these party photos and try to imagine anything more fun. You can't, right? We all got FOMO looking at that epic party. Read More February 11, 2019 This fall elopement in Tennessee was surrounded by foliage, leather jackets, & intimate vows Picture it: an intimate ceremony among the turning fall leaves of a woodland backdrop. A gray dress, dapper groom, and a little edge with leather jackets. You don't have to imagine it, because I've got just such a wedding. Marcella and Jimmy chose a gorgeous fall day for their Seymour, TN elopement. Read More 1.0k February 8, 2019 Our big gay pagan rainbow woodland festival wedding We had guests from as far apart as Japan, California, and Germany. We tried to invoke all the things we loved in our wedding day — geeky nods to Harry Potter, His Dark Materials, Jonathan Coulton, and the Lord of the Rings; the Obergefell v Hodges ruling for Jess's career and theatrical touches for mine. We asked our guests to wear 'whatever makes you feel pretty.' We then celebrated with ice cream, lawn games, and street food, and ended the evening with a ceilidh and session. Oh, and there was an owl, and llamas. Read More More Real Weddings > Recent Advice February 13, 2019 How to plan a more ethical wedding (including an edible bouquet!) When I was preparing for my own wedding I started thinking: how could we do this more ethically? The very nature of a wedding being a one day event, and….. Read More January 23, 2019 6 tips for making your wedding website useful AND stylish Are you engaged? YAY! I have a feeling that a lot of you are thinking about wedding hashtags and websites and social media, oh my. Weddings are way more high tech these days and a wedding website is pretty standard fare now. When I got engaged in 2018, I went on a hunt for a really slick wedding website and have a few quick hit tips to share to make your wedding website both ultra useful and seriously captivating. Read More October 17, 2018 How to avoid your email save-the-date going to spam My partner and I decided to send out email save-the-dates instead of a physical card. I do, however, have a warning for you if you are planning on going the green route with your save-the-date by sending out electronic ones. If you send an email with an image, you may hit your guests' spam folders. Here are some pros and cons of going green with your save-the-dates and how you can avoid your save-the-date going to spam… Read More October 3, 2018 Our delicious unity beer ceremony was… hopping (plus our ceremony wording!) Craft beer has been such a huge part of our relationship that when we were planning our wedding (featured here!), we wanted to include it somehow. I suggested a unity beer ceremony, but we couldn't find any wording online that we liked. We ended up creating our own from scratch, complete with our own unique brand of humor. Read More September 17, 2018 7 fur-tastic ways to include your pet in the wedding day Like all of us who follow famous animals on Instagram, I love seeing your ring dogs, cat save-the-dates, and guinea pig cake toppers. But are there MORE ways to include your pet in the wedding day? I decided to see what was new in the realm of wedding pets. And there was! I saw so many adorable ways to add some pet fur to your day (without wigging them out, of course). Let's get to the honorable wedding puppers and kittehs (and whatever other animals y'all love!)… Read More More Advice > Recent DIY September 18, 2018 Eat 'em or take 'em: these s'mores wedding favors are a gooey gift guests will devour S'mores are a staple of outdoor weddings in any season, but especially in the fall when the weather gets chilly and a bonfire is apropos. You're cooking them up over a bonfire, adding them to your sweets table, and even making them into cakes! But a perfect way to provide a dessert AND a takeaway gift is an easy-to-make s'mores wedding favor. Here's how to make them super easily with a few staples from Michael's Weddings™… Read More 1.4k July 11, 2018 A seriously easy way to make a cathedral veil from your favorite fabric About a month before my wedding, I became fascinated with a colorful floral veil in this post on my favorite wedding blog. I looked around for similar veils online, but couldn't find anything for a price I was willing to pay. So I decided to DIY my veil and it was surprisingly easy! Here's how I did it… Read More June 11, 2018 Supersize your wedding flora with this big crepe paper flower tutorial We know HUGE bouquets are super popular right now, but what if we mega-size the actual flowers instead of just the bouquet size? We love a good huge flower bouquet, headpiece, centerpiece, or ceremony backdrop. The best part? You can totally make these yourself. Read More May 30, 2018 Lush florals go ring-shaped with this DIY floral hoop backdrop I love a good hoop bouquet, but those handy floral hoops can be used for more than just a great alternative bouquet. I've created a series of hoops flowing with greenery and flora that can be used a wedding ceremony backdrop, reception decor, or even a place card holder. With this DIY floral hoop backdrop, you can add as many floral picks as you like to make it as lush as you can imagine. Artificial flowers let you create a backdrop that can go from wedding to living room permanently. It's the beauty of realistic artificial flowers! Here are the steps to go from a simple hoop to intricate backdrop in no time… Read More April 5, 2018 In case of dementor attack, you'll need this Harry Potter wedding favor If you're a Potterphile, you know that chocolate bars have their own powers of soothing you after a dementor attack. So at a wedding with Harry Potter details (where a dementor could prey, naturally!), why not offer up some DIY Harry Potter wedding favors that will do the job nicely. Plus, it only takes some inexpensive chocolate bars, some printer paper, and a printable chocolate bar wrapper. Read More More DIY > Recent Stuff we love February 15, 2019 The trick to getting authentically YOU wedding photos? This stellar NY/NJ-based photographer I love it when a photographer makes me feel like I'm worthy of photographing no matter what I look like, if I'm awkward as hell, or if I deviate from the norms that dictate what we think is "right" or "pretty," or "traditional." That's why the ethos of one of our most rad partners, New York and New Jersey-based Adena at Studio A Images, resonates so much with us. Obviously we do our best to make sure all of our vendors are top notch AND totally inclusive, but sometimes they just fit so comfortably into our mindset that I've just go to introduce you. Read More February 12, 2019 6 handcrafted engagement rings that are truly works of art You know we spend way too much time delving into the oceans of engagement ring bling at Brilliant Earth. There's just so much to see and to inspire your own ring selections. In a recent trip down the ring rabbit hole, I spied a fair few engagement rings that stood out among others as true works of art. In particular, their vintage collection has been hand-curated for exceptional quality and originality. They know that jewelry design isn't just artistry, but also architecture and engineering played out on minute scale. Read More February 5, 2019 On the hunt for an industry-busting & inclusive photographer and coordinator? We've got the ultimate… Sometimes when you partner up with a wedding vendor who so totally embodies everything we hold dear about weddings and especially about our own readers, we have to introduce you. This was very much the case with Seattle/Tacoma-based photography-meets-coordination company Fuck Yeah, Weddings. Owner Kendall has endless enthusiasm for offbeat weddings of all flavors, but also provides both photography AND coordination for a super streamlined process of capturing and planning your wedding. Read More 3.4k February 1, 2019 Are these alternatives to earth-mined diamonds ethical & budget-friendly? Let's find out… We may tout a lot of colored gemstones around these parts, but we know a lot of you are totally down for that classic diamond look. And these days, you really don't have to feel guilty about snagging a real diamond from ring designers who source ethical and conflict-free diamonds. But there are other options you might want to know about which are created without any impact to the earth AND are more budget-friendly. We reached out to our custom-ring wizard partners at Joseph Jewelry to get the scoop on diamond alternatives such as lab created diamonds and moissanite engagement rings. Read More January 29, 2019 From sweet & romantic to grand & theatrical, these wedding headpieces are dropping jaws From retro fascinators to lovely flower crowns to masterpieces of intricate design, these wedding headpieces function as formal accessory but also as re-wearable art for parties, holidays, theater, and more. Jezebel, the artist behind all of these creations, described them as "fun and fabulous frippery" which I think describes what most of us would love for our outfits to be on our wedding day. If you can't have a little frippery, what can you have? Read More More Stuff we love > Recent Wedding 101 January 23, 2019 6 tips for making your wedding website useful AND stylish Are you engaged? YAY! I have a feeling that a lot of you are thinking about wedding hashtags and websites and social media, oh my. Weddings are way more high tech these days and a wedding website is pretty standard fare now. When I got engaged in 2018, I went on a hunt for a really slick wedding website and have a few quick hit tips to share to make your wedding website both ultra useful and seriously captivating. Read More July 12, 2018 Planning tools 101: hotel block comparison chart We launched a comprehensive and totally customizable document of wedding planning spreadsheets in Google Drive if you're the type to get down with spreadsheets like I am. Now we're sharing a chart that will help you compare hotel blocks if you're planning to provide that option to your guests. Hotel blocks allow you to block out some rooms and room rates to help guests grab a good deal on a hotel room. Read More June 27, 2018 Avoiding wedding fights: how to plan your wedding planning Your engagement should be a joyful time. You have a lifetime ahead of you with the person you love. What could be better than to celebrate that love surrounded by friends and family? And yet, somehow things go awry. Conflicts flare. And the time that should be so happy — the build-up to your wedding — is fraught with possibilities for strife. The good news is you can avoid most of the problems by planning your wedding planning. That's right. Plan how you're going to plan. Read More 2.6k April 18, 2018 I bought a colored wedding dress and now everyone's mad! What should I do? I come from a family of strict traditionalists when it comes to everything, especially weddings. I recently bought a peach wedding dress with no sleeves and expressed I wanted light blue hair and Converse to go with it. As you can imagine, things didn't go over well. When I try to stand up for my wedding choices, I'm shamed for it. Please help! Read More 4.3k March 5, 2018 Wedding dates to avoid in 2018, 2019, and beyond I'm compiling this list of wedding dates to avoid in 2018, 2019, and 2020 in case you want to avoid holidays where family and friends might have conflicting events, holidays where vendors might be especially busy and/or expensive (think Valentine's Day for florists), or religious holidays where places might be closed or guests might have other plans. Does this mean you CAN'T book your wedding for one of these days? Hell no! Read More More Wedding 101 > Offbeat Bride: your source for wedding ideas and inclusive wedding planning We've got bajillions of creative wedding ideas, DIY projects, and wedding advice to make your wedding plans easier — and even fun! What do you need to do today? I have no idea. I need Wedding Planning 101! I need a wedding planning checklist (now in an interactive version, too!) Hook me up with free wedding fonts & printables I need offbeat wedding registry ideas I'm curious about offbeat wedding themes (geeky! boho! so many!) Reporter Name * Reporter Email * Original text Enter the original text here. Edited text* Enter your suggested copyedit here. Notes You can add a note for the editor here. * Required information. Fix Typo What wedding planning advice & inspiration do you need today? Dress Eloping Engagement Ring Feminism Floral Print Geeky Harry Potter Invitation Wording Readings Ceremony Advice Fashion Wedding 101 Super cute offbeat wedding invitations @offbeatbride on Insta Newly engaged? Slushies, food trucks, and brunch: 10 delicious ways to make your wedding food fun Your cheatsheet for what to include on wedding invitation Bar talk with Mint & Mirth: Licensing, insurance, and when to hire professional bartenders Going postal: Don't make these 5 mistakes when addressing your wedding invitations What logistics should I consider for a seated bridal party? 6 vital things you need to know when working with a wedding florist 9 wedding website tips to inform, reassure, and give warm fuzzies to your guests Wedding dates to avoid in 2018, 2019, and beyond Read More > A few of our fave wedding vendors DJ Doug Read More Laffler Photography Read More CustomMade Read More Leise Jones Photography Read More Browse our vendor guide > Our infamous spreadsheets & checklists Planning tools 101: wedding budget calculator Impress their asses off: 5 tips for hosting out-of-town wedding guests in your home Planning tools 101: Your wedding guest list planner Our GIANT list of important questions to ask wedding venues Planning tools 101: Your wedding timeline spreadsheet The electronic wedding hacks: Choosing your online wedding planning tools Marriage legal changes you NEED to know about (in plain English, we promise!) Playlists, requests, and backup plans: What to ask your wedding DJ Get planning > We're everywhere! Follow us on social media. Get creative, offbeat wedding ideas delivered daily to your inbox! Join our newsletter SUBSCRIBE Copyright © 2003 - 2019 Offbeat Empire. All rights reserved. Unauthorized reproduction in part or in whole is prohibited. Contact us Terms of Service | Privacy Policy | Monetized by SkimLinks
1.7k January 21, 2019 Vivid colors meet goth chic at this moody & quirky wedding inspiration One of my favorite combinations of styles is vivid color meets dark goth glam. And this dark & moody wedding inspiration has both in abundance. With florals ranging from purple scabiosa to black willows, a sweets table full of candy apples and a tower of macarons, and two brides rocking gold antlers, turquoise hair, and coordinating (but not matchy-matchy!) whie and gray gowns, it's a gorgeous display with an eerie and chic vibe. Read More More Wedding Porn > Recent Real Weddings February 15, 2019 Sci-fi meets romance at this Chicago artist loft wedding Leah and Amanda planned their wedding in just a few short months, but you'd never know it by it's loveliness. They love sci-fi movies and have sci-fi posters all over their house which inspired the reception decor — from table numbers, guestbook, and florals in science beakers as bud vases. Leah likes crafting and designed all the personalized signage for the wedding. The food at reception was fall festive and included a s'mores bar! Read More February 13, 2019 "It's the Super Moon, bruh" at this Spaceship Earth forest rave wedding We met at a Full Moon Gathering campout, Moontribe's 20th anniversary. It was a fantastic weekend and we heard echoed throughout the party, "It's the Super Moon, bruh" as the explanation for the awesomeness everywhere. Five years later, still following cosmic novelties and electronic music, we trekked to Oregon for the Solar Eclipse festival Symbiosis. Josh proposed during the eclipse with the solar ring as my engagement ring! We carried this theme through our engagement shoot and wedding. Read More February 12, 2019 Jaws will drop at the style of this Jamaican meets English garden wedding Alex and Toyan flew back from Qatar all the way to Yorkshire, UK to get married at Alex’s family home surrounded by their loved ones. This pair, a DJ and an artist, has major style and it shows in the groom's red suit, suuuper slick wedding party outfits, and the bride's modern meets classic short gown. Just try to look at these party photos and try to imagine anything more fun. You can't, right? We all got FOMO looking at that epic party. Read More February 11, 2019 This fall elopement in Tennessee was surrounded by foliage, leather jackets, & intimate vows Picture it: an intimate ceremony among the turning fall leaves of a woodland backdrop. A gray dress, dapper groom, and a little edge with leather jackets. You don't have to imagine it, because I've got just such a wedding. Marcella and Jimmy chose a gorgeous fall day for their Seymour, TN elopement. Read More 1.0k February 8, 2019 Our big gay pagan rainbow woodland festival wedding We had guests from as far apart as Japan, California, and Germany. We tried to invoke all the things we loved in our wedding day — geeky nods to Harry Potter, His Dark Materials, Jonathan Coulton, and the Lord of the Rings; the Obergefell v Hodges ruling for Jess's career and theatrical touches for mine. We asked our guests to wear 'whatever makes you feel pretty.' We then celebrated with ice cream, lawn games, and street food, and ended the evening with a ceilidh and session. Oh, and there was an owl, and llamas. Read More More Real Weddings > Recent Advice February 13, 2019 How to plan a more ethical wedding (including an edible bouquet!) When I was preparing for my own wedding I started thinking: how could we do this more ethically? The very nature of a wedding being a one day event, and….. Read More January 23, 2019 6 tips for making your wedding website useful AND stylish Are you engaged? YAY! I have a feeling that a lot of you are thinking about wedding hashtags and websites and social media, oh my. Weddings are way more high tech these days and a wedding website is pretty standard fare now. When I got engaged in 2018, I went on a hunt for a really slick wedding website and have a few quick hit tips to share to make your wedding website both ultra useful and seriously captivating. Read More October 17, 2018 How to avoid your email save-the-date going to spam My partner and I decided to send out email save-the-dates instead of a physical card. I do, however, have a warning for you if you are planning on going the green route with your save-the-date by sending out electronic ones. If you send an email with an image, you may hit your guests' spam folders. Here are some pros and cons of going green with your save-the-dates and how you can avoid your save-the-date going to spam… Read More October 3, 2018 Our delicious unity beer ceremony was… hopping (plus our ceremony wording!) Craft beer has been such a huge part of our relationship that when we were planning our wedding (featured here!), we wanted to include it somehow. I suggested a unity beer ceremony, but we couldn't find any wording online that we liked. We ended up creating our own from scratch, complete with our own unique brand of humor. Read More September 17, 2018 7 fur-tastic ways to include your pet in the wedding day Like all of us who follow famous animals on Instagram, I love seeing your ring dogs, cat save-the-dates, and guinea pig cake toppers. But are there MORE ways to include your pet in the wedding day? I decided to see what was new in the realm of wedding pets. And there was! I saw so many adorable ways to add some pet fur to your day (without wigging them out, of course). Let's get to the honorable wedding puppers and kittehs (and whatever other animals y'all love!)… Read More More Advice > Recent DIY September 18, 2018 Eat 'em or take 'em: these s'mores wedding favors are a gooey gift guests will devour S'mores are a staple of outdoor weddings in any season, but especially in the fall when the weather gets chilly and a bonfire is apropos. You're cooking them up over a bonfire, adding them to your sweets table, and even making them into cakes! But a perfect way to provide a dessert AND a takeaway gift is an easy-to-make s'mores wedding favor. Here's how to make them super easily with a few staples from Michael's Weddings™… Read More 1.4k July 11, 2018 A seriously easy way to make a cathedral veil from your favorite fabric About a month before my wedding, I became fascinated with a colorful floral veil in this post on my favorite wedding blog. I looked around for similar veils online, but couldn't find anything for a price I was willing to pay. So I decided to DIY my veil and it was surprisingly easy! Here's how I did it… Read More June 11, 2018 Supersize your wedding flora with this big crepe paper flower tutorial We know HUGE bouquets are super popular right now, but what if we mega-size the actual flowers instead of just the bouquet size? We love a good huge flower bouquet, headpiece, centerpiece, or ceremony backdrop. The best part? You can totally make these yourself. Read More May 30, 2018 Lush florals go ring-shaped with this DIY floral hoop backdrop I love a good hoop bouquet, but those handy floral hoops can be used for more than just a great alternative bouquet. I've created a series of hoops flowing with greenery and flora that can be used a wedding ceremony backdrop, reception decor, or even a place card holder. With this DIY floral hoop backdrop, you can add as many floral picks as you like to make it as lush as you can imagine. Artificial flowers let you create a backdrop that can go from wedding to living room permanently. It's the beauty of realistic artificial flowers! Here are the steps to go from a simple hoop to intricate backdrop in no time… Read More April 5, 2018 In case of dementor attack, you'll need this Harry Potter wedding favor If you're a Potterphile, you know that chocolate bars have their own powers of soothing you after a dementor attack. So at a wedding with Harry Potter details (where a dementor could prey, naturally!), why not offer up some DIY Harry Potter wedding favors that will do the job nicely. Plus, it only takes some inexpensive chocolate bars, some printer paper, and a printable chocolate bar wrapper. Read More More DIY > Recent Stuff we love February 15, 2019 The trick to getting authentically YOU wedding photos? This stellar NY/NJ-based photographer I love it when a photographer makes me feel like I'm worthy of photographing no matter what I look like, if I'm awkward as hell, or if I deviate from the norms that dictate what we think is "right" or "pretty," or "traditional." That's why the ethos of one of our most rad partners, New York and New Jersey-based Adena at Studio A Images, resonates so much with us. Obviously we do our best to make sure all of our vendors are top notch AND totally inclusive, but sometimes they just fit so comfortably into our mindset that I've just go to introduce you. Read More February 12, 2019 6 handcrafted engagement rings that are truly works of art You know we spend way too much time delving into the oceans of engagement ring bling at Brilliant Earth. There's just so much to see and to inspire your own ring selections. In a recent trip down the ring rabbit hole, I spied a fair few engagement rings that stood out among others as true works of art. In particular, their vintage collection has been hand-curated for exceptional quality and originality. They know that jewelry design isn't just artistry, but also architecture and engineering played out on minute scale. Read More February 5, 2019 On the hunt for an industry-busting & inclusive photographer and coordinator? We've got the ultimate… Sometimes when you partner up with a wedding vendor who so totally embodies everything we hold dear about weddings and especially about our own readers, we have to introduce you. This was very much the case with Seattle/Tacoma-based photography-meets-coordination company Fuck Yeah, Weddings. Owner Kendall has endless enthusiasm for offbeat weddings of all flavors, but also provides both photography AND coordination for a super streamlined process of capturing and planning your wedding. Read More 3.4k February 1, 2019 Are these alternatives to earth-mined diamonds ethical & budget-friendly? Let's find out… We may tout a lot of colored gemstones around these parts, but we know a lot of you are totally down for that classic diamond look. And these days, you really don't have to feel guilty about snagging a real diamond from ring designers who source ethical and conflict-free diamonds. But there are other options you might want to know about which are created without any impact to the earth AND are more budget-friendly. We reached out to our custom-ring wizard partners at Joseph Jewelry to get the scoop on diamond alternatives such as lab created diamonds and moissanite engagement rings. Read More January 29, 2019 From sweet & romantic to grand & theatrical, these wedding headpieces are dropping jaws From retro fascinators to lovely flower crowns to masterpieces of intricate design, these wedding headpieces function as formal accessory but also as re-wearable art for parties, holidays, theater, and more. Jezebel, the artist behind all of these creations, described them as "fun and fabulous frippery" which I think describes what most of us would love for our outfits to be on our wedding day. If you can't have a little frippery, what can you have? Read More More Stuff we love > Recent Wedding 101 January 23, 2019 6 tips for making your wedding website useful AND stylish Are you engaged? YAY! I have a feeling that a lot of you are thinking about wedding hashtags and websites and social media, oh my. Weddings are way more high tech these days and a wedding website is pretty standard fare now. When I got engaged in 2018, I went on a hunt for a really slick wedding website and have a few quick hit tips to share to make your wedding website both ultra useful and seriously captivating. Read More July 12, 2018 Planning tools 101: hotel block comparison chart We launched a comprehensive and totally customizable document of wedding planning spreadsheets in Google Drive if you're the type to get down with spreadsheets like I am. Now we're sharing a chart that will help you compare hotel blocks if you're planning to provide that option to your guests. Hotel blocks allow you to block out some rooms and room rates to help guests grab a good deal on a hotel room. Read More June 27, 2018 Avoiding wedding fights: how to plan your wedding planning Your engagement should be a joyful time. You have a lifetime ahead of you with the person you love. What could be better than to celebrate that love surrounded by friends and family? And yet, somehow things go awry. Conflicts flare. And the time that should be so happy — the build-up to your wedding — is fraught with possibilities for strife. The good news is you can avoid most of the problems by planning your wedding planning. That's right. Plan how you're going to plan. Read More 2.6k April 18, 2018 I bought a colored wedding dress and now everyone's mad! What should I do? I come from a family of strict traditionalists when it comes to everything, especially weddings. I recently bought a peach wedding dress with no sleeves and expressed I wanted light blue hair and Converse to go with it. As you can imagine, things didn't go over well. When I try to stand up for my wedding choices, I'm shamed for it. Please help! Read More 4.3k March 5, 2018 Wedding dates to avoid in 2018, 2019, and beyond I'm compiling this list of wedding dates to avoid in 2018, 2019, and 2020 in case you want to avoid holidays where family and friends might have conflicting events, holidays where vendors might be especially busy and/or expensive (think Valentine's Day for florists), or religious holidays where places might be closed or guests might have other plans. Does this mean you CAN'T book your wedding for one of these days? Hell no! Read More More Wedding 101 > Offbeat Bride: your source for wedding ideas and inclusive wedding planning We've got bajillions of creative wedding ideas, DIY projects, and wedding advice to make your wedding plans easier — and even fun! What do you need to do today? I have no idea. I need Wedding Planning 101! I need a wedding planning checklist (now in an interactive version, too!) Hook me up with free wedding fonts & printables I need offbeat wedding registry ideas I'm curious about offbeat wedding themes (geeky! boho! so many!) Reporter Name * Reporter Email * Original text Enter the original text here. Edited text* Enter your suggested copyedit here. Notes You can add a note for the editor here. * Required information. Fix Typo What wedding planning advice & inspiration do you need today? Dress Eloping Engagement Ring Feminism Floral Print Geeky Harry Potter Invitation Wording Readings Ceremony Advice Fashion Wedding 101 Super cute offbeat wedding invitations @offbeatbride on Insta Newly engaged? Slushies, food trucks, and brunch: 10 delicious ways to make your wedding food fun Your cheatsheet for what to include on wedding invitation Bar talk with Mint & Mirth: Licensing, insurance, and when to hire professional bartenders Going postal: Don't make these 5 mistakes when addressing your wedding invitations What logistics should I consider for a seated bridal party? 6 vital things you need to know when working with a wedding florist 9 wedding website tips to inform, reassure, and give warm fuzzies to your guests Wedding dates to avoid in 2018, 2019, and beyond Read More > A few of our fave wedding vendors DJ Doug Read More Laffler Photography Read More CustomMade Read More Leise Jones Photography Read More Browse our vendor guide > Our infamous spreadsheets & checklists Planning tools 101: wedding budget calculator Impress their asses off: 5 tips for hosting out-of-town wedding guests in your home Planning tools 101: Your wedding guest list planner Our GIANT list of important questions to ask wedding venues Planning tools 101: Your wedding timeline spreadsheet The electronic wedding hacks: Choosing your online wedding planning tools Marriage legal changes you NEED to know about (in plain English, we promise!) Playlists, requests, and backup plans: What to ask your wedding DJ Get planning > We're everywhere! Follow us on social media. Get creative, offbeat wedding ideas delivered daily to your inbox! Join our newsletter SUBSCRIBE Copyright © 2003 - 2019 Offbeat Empire. All rights reserved. Unauthorized reproduction in part or in whole is prohibited. Contact us Terms of Service | Privacy Policy | Monetized by SkimLinks
February 15, 2019 Sci-fi meets romance at this Chicago artist loft wedding Leah and Amanda planned their wedding in just a few short months, but you'd never know it by it's loveliness. They love sci-fi movies and have sci-fi posters all over their house which inspired the reception decor — from table numbers, guestbook, and florals in science beakers as bud vases. Leah likes crafting and designed all the personalized signage for the wedding. The food at reception was fall festive and included a s'mores bar! Read More February 13, 2019 "It's the Super Moon, bruh" at this Spaceship Earth forest rave wedding We met at a Full Moon Gathering campout, Moontribe's 20th anniversary. It was a fantastic weekend and we heard echoed throughout the party, "It's the Super Moon, bruh" as the explanation for the awesomeness everywhere. Five years later, still following cosmic novelties and electronic music, we trekked to Oregon for the Solar Eclipse festival Symbiosis. Josh proposed during the eclipse with the solar ring as my engagement ring! We carried this theme through our engagement shoot and wedding. Read More February 12, 2019 Jaws will drop at the style of this Jamaican meets English garden wedding Alex and Toyan flew back from Qatar all the way to Yorkshire, UK to get married at Alex’s family home surrounded by their loved ones. This pair, a DJ and an artist, has major style and it shows in the groom's red suit, suuuper slick wedding party outfits, and the bride's modern meets classic short gown. Just try to look at these party photos and try to imagine anything more fun. You can't, right? We all got FOMO looking at that epic party. Read More February 11, 2019 This fall elopement in Tennessee was surrounded by foliage, leather jackets, & intimate vows Picture it: an intimate ceremony among the turning fall leaves of a woodland backdrop. A gray dress, dapper groom, and a little edge with leather jackets. You don't have to imagine it, because I've got just such a wedding. Marcella and Jimmy chose a gorgeous fall day for their Seymour, TN elopement. Read More 1.0k February 8, 2019 Our big gay pagan rainbow woodland festival wedding We had guests from as far apart as Japan, California, and Germany. We tried to invoke all the things we loved in our wedding day — geeky nods to Harry Potter, His Dark Materials, Jonathan Coulton, and the Lord of the Rings; the Obergefell v Hodges ruling for Jess's career and theatrical touches for mine. We asked our guests to wear 'whatever makes you feel pretty.' We then celebrated with ice cream, lawn games, and street food, and ended the evening with a ceilidh and session. Oh, and there was an owl, and llamas. Read More More Real Weddings > Recent Advice February 13, 2019 How to plan a more ethical wedding (including an edible bouquet!) When I was preparing for my own wedding I started thinking: how could we do this more ethically? The very nature of a wedding being a one day event, and….. Read More January 23, 2019 6 tips for making your wedding website useful AND stylish Are you engaged? YAY! I have a feeling that a lot of you are thinking about wedding hashtags and websites and social media, oh my. Weddings are way more high tech these days and a wedding website is pretty standard fare now. When I got engaged in 2018, I went on a hunt for a really slick wedding website and have a few quick hit tips to share to make your wedding website both ultra useful and seriously captivating. Read More October 17, 2018 How to avoid your email save-the-date going to spam My partner and I decided to send out email save-the-dates instead of a physical card. I do, however, have a warning for you if you are planning on going the green route with your save-the-date by sending out electronic ones. If you send an email with an image, you may hit your guests' spam folders. Here are some pros and cons of going green with your save-the-dates and how you can avoid your save-the-date going to spam… Read More October 3, 2018 Our delicious unity beer ceremony was… hopping (plus our ceremony wording!) Craft beer has been such a huge part of our relationship that when we were planning our wedding (featured here!), we wanted to include it somehow. I suggested a unity beer ceremony, but we couldn't find any wording online that we liked. We ended up creating our own from scratch, complete with our own unique brand of humor. Read More September 17, 2018 7 fur-tastic ways to include your pet in the wedding day Like all of us who follow famous animals on Instagram, I love seeing your ring dogs, cat save-the-dates, and guinea pig cake toppers. But are there MORE ways to include your pet in the wedding day? I decided to see what was new in the realm of wedding pets. And there was! I saw so many adorable ways to add some pet fur to your day (without wigging them out, of course). Let's get to the honorable wedding puppers and kittehs (and whatever other animals y'all love!)… Read More More Advice > Recent DIY September 18, 2018 Eat 'em or take 'em: these s'mores wedding favors are a gooey gift guests will devour S'mores are a staple of outdoor weddings in any season, but especially in the fall when the weather gets chilly and a bonfire is apropos. You're cooking them up over a bonfire, adding them to your sweets table, and even making them into cakes! But a perfect way to provide a dessert AND a takeaway gift is an easy-to-make s'mores wedding favor. Here's how to make them super easily with a few staples from Michael's Weddings™… Read More 1.4k July 11, 2018 A seriously easy way to make a cathedral veil from your favorite fabric About a month before my wedding, I became fascinated with a colorful floral veil in this post on my favorite wedding blog. I looked around for similar veils online, but couldn't find anything for a price I was willing to pay. So I decided to DIY my veil and it was surprisingly easy! Here's how I did it… Read More June 11, 2018 Supersize your wedding flora with this big crepe paper flower tutorial We know HUGE bouquets are super popular right now, but what if we mega-size the actual flowers instead of just the bouquet size? We love a good huge flower bouquet, headpiece, centerpiece, or ceremony backdrop. The best part? You can totally make these yourself. Read More May 30, 2018 Lush florals go ring-shaped with this DIY floral hoop backdrop I love a good hoop bouquet, but those handy floral hoops can be used for more than just a great alternative bouquet. I've created a series of hoops flowing with greenery and flora that can be used a wedding ceremony backdrop, reception decor, or even a place card holder. With this DIY floral hoop backdrop, you can add as many floral picks as you like to make it as lush as you can imagine. Artificial flowers let you create a backdrop that can go from wedding to living room permanently. It's the beauty of realistic artificial flowers! Here are the steps to go from a simple hoop to intricate backdrop in no time… Read More April 5, 2018 In case of dementor attack, you'll need this Harry Potter wedding favor If you're a Potterphile, you know that chocolate bars have their own powers of soothing you after a dementor attack. So at a wedding with Harry Potter details (where a dementor could prey, naturally!), why not offer up some DIY Harry Potter wedding favors that will do the job nicely. Plus, it only takes some inexpensive chocolate bars, some printer paper, and a printable chocolate bar wrapper. Read More More DIY > Recent Stuff we love February 15, 2019 The trick to getting authentically YOU wedding photos? This stellar NY/NJ-based photographer I love it when a photographer makes me feel like I'm worthy of photographing no matter what I look like, if I'm awkward as hell, or if I deviate from the norms that dictate what we think is "right" or "pretty," or "traditional." That's why the ethos of one of our most rad partners, New York and New Jersey-based Adena at Studio A Images, resonates so much with us. Obviously we do our best to make sure all of our vendors are top notch AND totally inclusive, but sometimes they just fit so comfortably into our mindset that I've just go to introduce you. Read More February 12, 2019 6 handcrafted engagement rings that are truly works of art You know we spend way too much time delving into the oceans of engagement ring bling at Brilliant Earth. There's just so much to see and to inspire your own ring selections. In a recent trip down the ring rabbit hole, I spied a fair few engagement rings that stood out among others as true works of art. In particular, their vintage collection has been hand-curated for exceptional quality and originality. They know that jewelry design isn't just artistry, but also architecture and engineering played out on minute scale. Read More February 5, 2019 On the hunt for an industry-busting & inclusive photographer and coordinator? We've got the ultimate… Sometimes when you partner up with a wedding vendor who so totally embodies everything we hold dear about weddings and especially about our own readers, we have to introduce you. This was very much the case with Seattle/Tacoma-based photography-meets-coordination company Fuck Yeah, Weddings. Owner Kendall has endless enthusiasm for offbeat weddings of all flavors, but also provides both photography AND coordination for a super streamlined process of capturing and planning your wedding. Read More 3.4k February 1, 2019 Are these alternatives to earth-mined diamonds ethical & budget-friendly? Let's find out… We may tout a lot of colored gemstones around these parts, but we know a lot of you are totally down for that classic diamond look. And these days, you really don't have to feel guilty about snagging a real diamond from ring designers who source ethical and conflict-free diamonds. But there are other options you might want to know about which are created without any impact to the earth AND are more budget-friendly. We reached out to our custom-ring wizard partners at Joseph Jewelry to get the scoop on diamond alternatives such as lab created diamonds and moissanite engagement rings. Read More January 29, 2019 From sweet & romantic to grand & theatrical, these wedding headpieces are dropping jaws From retro fascinators to lovely flower crowns to masterpieces of intricate design, these wedding headpieces function as formal accessory but also as re-wearable art for parties, holidays, theater, and more. Jezebel, the artist behind all of these creations, described them as "fun and fabulous frippery" which I think describes what most of us would love for our outfits to be on our wedding day. If you can't have a little frippery, what can you have? Read More More Stuff we love > Recent Wedding 101 January 23, 2019 6 tips for making your wedding website useful AND stylish Are you engaged? YAY! I have a feeling that a lot of you are thinking about wedding hashtags and websites and social media, oh my. Weddings are way more high tech these days and a wedding website is pretty standard fare now. When I got engaged in 2018, I went on a hunt for a really slick wedding website and have a few quick hit tips to share to make your wedding website both ultra useful and seriously captivating. Read More July 12, 2018 Planning tools 101: hotel block comparison chart We launched a comprehensive and totally customizable document of wedding planning spreadsheets in Google Drive if you're the type to get down with spreadsheets like I am. Now we're sharing a chart that will help you compare hotel blocks if you're planning to provide that option to your guests. Hotel blocks allow you to block out some rooms and room rates to help guests grab a good deal on a hotel room. Read More June 27, 2018 Avoiding wedding fights: how to plan your wedding planning Your engagement should be a joyful time. You have a lifetime ahead of you with the person you love. What could be better than to celebrate that love surrounded by friends and family? And yet, somehow things go awry. Conflicts flare. And the time that should be so happy — the build-up to your wedding — is fraught with possibilities for strife. The good news is you can avoid most of the problems by planning your wedding planning. That's right. Plan how you're going to plan. Read More 2.6k April 18, 2018 I bought a colored wedding dress and now everyone's mad! What should I do? I come from a family of strict traditionalists when it comes to everything, especially weddings. I recently bought a peach wedding dress with no sleeves and expressed I wanted light blue hair and Converse to go with it. As you can imagine, things didn't go over well. When I try to stand up for my wedding choices, I'm shamed for it. Please help! Read More 4.3k March 5, 2018 Wedding dates to avoid in 2018, 2019, and beyond I'm compiling this list of wedding dates to avoid in 2018, 2019, and 2020 in case you want to avoid holidays where family and friends might have conflicting events, holidays where vendors might be especially busy and/or expensive (think Valentine's Day for florists), or religious holidays where places might be closed or guests might have other plans. Does this mean you CAN'T book your wedding for one of these days? Hell no! Read More More Wedding 101 > Offbeat Bride: your source for wedding ideas and inclusive wedding planning We've got bajillions of creative wedding ideas, DIY projects, and wedding advice to make your wedding plans easier — and even fun! What do you need to do today? I have no idea. I need Wedding Planning 101! I need a wedding planning checklist (now in an interactive version, too!) Hook me up with free wedding fonts & printables I need offbeat wedding registry ideas I'm curious about offbeat wedding themes (geeky! boho! so many!) Reporter Name * Reporter Email * Original text Enter the original text here. Edited text* Enter your suggested copyedit here. Notes You can add a note for the editor here. * Required information. Fix Typo What wedding planning advice & inspiration do you need today? Dress Eloping Engagement Ring Feminism Floral Print Geeky Harry Potter Invitation Wording Readings Ceremony Advice Fashion Wedding 101 Super cute offbeat wedding invitations @offbeatbride on Insta Newly engaged? Slushies, food trucks, and brunch: 10 delicious ways to make your wedding food fun Your cheatsheet for what to include on wedding invitation Bar talk with Mint & Mirth: Licensing, insurance, and when to hire professional bartenders Going postal: Don't make these 5 mistakes when addressing your wedding invitations What logistics should I consider for a seated bridal party? 6 vital things you need to know when working with a wedding florist 9 wedding website tips to inform, reassure, and give warm fuzzies to your guests Wedding dates to avoid in 2018, 2019, and beyond Read More > A few of our fave wedding vendors DJ Doug Read More Laffler Photography Read More CustomMade Read More Leise Jones Photography Read More Browse our vendor guide > Our infamous spreadsheets & checklists Planning tools 101: wedding budget calculator Impress their asses off: 5 tips for hosting out-of-town wedding guests in your home Planning tools 101: Your wedding guest list planner Our GIANT list of important questions to ask wedding venues Planning tools 101: Your wedding timeline spreadsheet The electronic wedding hacks: Choosing your online wedding planning tools Marriage legal changes you NEED to know about (in plain English, we promise!) Playlists, requests, and backup plans: What to ask your wedding DJ Get planning > We're everywhere! Follow us on social media. Get creative, offbeat wedding ideas delivered daily to your inbox! Join our newsletter SUBSCRIBE Copyright © 2003 - 2019 Offbeat Empire. All rights reserved. Unauthorized reproduction in part or in whole is prohibited. Contact us Terms of Service | Privacy Policy | Monetized by SkimLinks
February 13, 2019 "It's the Super Moon, bruh" at this Spaceship Earth forest rave wedding We met at a Full Moon Gathering campout, Moontribe's 20th anniversary. It was a fantastic weekend and we heard echoed throughout the party, "It's the Super Moon, bruh" as the explanation for the awesomeness everywhere. Five years later, still following cosmic novelties and electronic music, we trekked to Oregon for the Solar Eclipse festival Symbiosis. Josh proposed during the eclipse with the solar ring as my engagement ring! We carried this theme through our engagement shoot and wedding. Read More February 12, 2019 Jaws will drop at the style of this Jamaican meets English garden wedding Alex and Toyan flew back from Qatar all the way to Yorkshire, UK to get married at Alex’s family home surrounded by their loved ones. This pair, a DJ and an artist, has major style and it shows in the groom's red suit, suuuper slick wedding party outfits, and the bride's modern meets classic short gown. Just try to look at these party photos and try to imagine anything more fun. You can't, right? We all got FOMO looking at that epic party. Read More February 11, 2019 This fall elopement in Tennessee was surrounded by foliage, leather jackets, & intimate vows Picture it: an intimate ceremony among the turning fall leaves of a woodland backdrop. A gray dress, dapper groom, and a little edge with leather jackets. You don't have to imagine it, because I've got just such a wedding. Marcella and Jimmy chose a gorgeous fall day for their Seymour, TN elopement. Read More 1.0k February 8, 2019 Our big gay pagan rainbow woodland festival wedding We had guests from as far apart as Japan, California, and Germany. We tried to invoke all the things we loved in our wedding day — geeky nods to Harry Potter, His Dark Materials, Jonathan Coulton, and the Lord of the Rings; the Obergefell v Hodges ruling for Jess's career and theatrical touches for mine. We asked our guests to wear 'whatever makes you feel pretty.' We then celebrated with ice cream, lawn games, and street food, and ended the evening with a ceilidh and session. Oh, and there was an owl, and llamas. Read More More Real Weddings > Recent Advice February 13, 2019 How to plan a more ethical wedding (including an edible bouquet!) When I was preparing for my own wedding I started thinking: how could we do this more ethically? The very nature of a wedding being a one day event, and….. Read More January 23, 2019 6 tips for making your wedding website useful AND stylish Are you engaged? YAY! I have a feeling that a lot of you are thinking about wedding hashtags and websites and social media, oh my. Weddings are way more high tech these days and a wedding website is pretty standard fare now. When I got engaged in 2018, I went on a hunt for a really slick wedding website and have a few quick hit tips to share to make your wedding website both ultra useful and seriously captivating. Read More October 17, 2018 How to avoid your email save-the-date going to spam My partner and I decided to send out email save-the-dates instead of a physical card. I do, however, have a warning for you if you are planning on going the green route with your save-the-date by sending out electronic ones. If you send an email with an image, you may hit your guests' spam folders. Here are some pros and cons of going green with your save-the-dates and how you can avoid your save-the-date going to spam… Read More October 3, 2018 Our delicious unity beer ceremony was… hopping (plus our ceremony wording!) Craft beer has been such a huge part of our relationship that when we were planning our wedding (featured here!), we wanted to include it somehow. I suggested a unity beer ceremony, but we couldn't find any wording online that we liked. We ended up creating our own from scratch, complete with our own unique brand of humor. Read More September 17, 2018 7 fur-tastic ways to include your pet in the wedding day Like all of us who follow famous animals on Instagram, I love seeing your ring dogs, cat save-the-dates, and guinea pig cake toppers. But are there MORE ways to include your pet in the wedding day? I decided to see what was new in the realm of wedding pets. And there was! I saw so many adorable ways to add some pet fur to your day (without wigging them out, of course). Let's get to the honorable wedding puppers and kittehs (and whatever other animals y'all love!)… Read More More Advice > Recent DIY September 18, 2018 Eat 'em or take 'em: these s'mores wedding favors are a gooey gift guests will devour S'mores are a staple of outdoor weddings in any season, but especially in the fall when the weather gets chilly and a bonfire is apropos. You're cooking them up over a bonfire, adding them to your sweets table, and even making them into cakes! But a perfect way to provide a dessert AND a takeaway gift is an easy-to-make s'mores wedding favor. Here's how to make them super easily with a few staples from Michael's Weddings™… Read More 1.4k July 11, 2018 A seriously easy way to make a cathedral veil from your favorite fabric About a month before my wedding, I became fascinated with a colorful floral veil in this post on my favorite wedding blog. I looked around for similar veils online, but couldn't find anything for a price I was willing to pay. So I decided to DIY my veil and it was surprisingly easy! Here's how I did it… Read More June 11, 2018 Supersize your wedding flora with this big crepe paper flower tutorial We know HUGE bouquets are super popular right now, but what if we mega-size the actual flowers instead of just the bouquet size? We love a good huge flower bouquet, headpiece, centerpiece, or ceremony backdrop. The best part? You can totally make these yourself. Read More May 30, 2018 Lush florals go ring-shaped with this DIY floral hoop backdrop I love a good hoop bouquet, but those handy floral hoops can be used for more than just a great alternative bouquet. I've created a series of hoops flowing with greenery and flora that can be used a wedding ceremony backdrop, reception decor, or even a place card holder. With this DIY floral hoop backdrop, you can add as many floral picks as you like to make it as lush as you can imagine. Artificial flowers let you create a backdrop that can go from wedding to living room permanently. It's the beauty of realistic artificial flowers! Here are the steps to go from a simple hoop to intricate backdrop in no time… Read More April 5, 2018 In case of dementor attack, you'll need this Harry Potter wedding favor If you're a Potterphile, you know that chocolate bars have their own powers of soothing you after a dementor attack. So at a wedding with Harry Potter details (where a dementor could prey, naturally!), why not offer up some DIY Harry Potter wedding favors that will do the job nicely. Plus, it only takes some inexpensive chocolate bars, some printer paper, and a printable chocolate bar wrapper. Read More More DIY > Recent Stuff we love February 15, 2019 The trick to getting authentically YOU wedding photos? This stellar NY/NJ-based photographer I love it when a photographer makes me feel like I'm worthy of photographing no matter what I look like, if I'm awkward as hell, or if I deviate from the norms that dictate what we think is "right" or "pretty," or "traditional." That's why the ethos of one of our most rad partners, New York and New Jersey-based Adena at Studio A Images, resonates so much with us. Obviously we do our best to make sure all of our vendors are top notch AND totally inclusive, but sometimes they just fit so comfortably into our mindset that I've just go to introduce you. Read More February 12, 2019 6 handcrafted engagement rings that are truly works of art You know we spend way too much time delving into the oceans of engagement ring bling at Brilliant Earth. There's just so much to see and to inspire your own ring selections. In a recent trip down the ring rabbit hole, I spied a fair few engagement rings that stood out among others as true works of art. In particular, their vintage collection has been hand-curated for exceptional quality and originality. They know that jewelry design isn't just artistry, but also architecture and engineering played out on minute scale. Read More February 5, 2019 On the hunt for an industry-busting & inclusive photographer and coordinator? We've got the ultimate… Sometimes when you partner up with a wedding vendor who so totally embodies everything we hold dear about weddings and especially about our own readers, we have to introduce you. This was very much the case with Seattle/Tacoma-based photography-meets-coordination company Fuck Yeah, Weddings. Owner Kendall has endless enthusiasm for offbeat weddings of all flavors, but also provides both photography AND coordination for a super streamlined process of capturing and planning your wedding. Read More 3.4k February 1, 2019 Are these alternatives to earth-mined diamonds ethical & budget-friendly? Let's find out… We may tout a lot of colored gemstones around these parts, but we know a lot of you are totally down for that classic diamond look. And these days, you really don't have to feel guilty about snagging a real diamond from ring designers who source ethical and conflict-free diamonds. But there are other options you might want to know about which are created without any impact to the earth AND are more budget-friendly. We reached out to our custom-ring wizard partners at Joseph Jewelry to get the scoop on diamond alternatives such as lab created diamonds and moissanite engagement rings. Read More January 29, 2019 From sweet & romantic to grand & theatrical, these wedding headpieces are dropping jaws From retro fascinators to lovely flower crowns to masterpieces of intricate design, these wedding headpieces function as formal accessory but also as re-wearable art for parties, holidays, theater, and more. Jezebel, the artist behind all of these creations, described them as "fun and fabulous frippery" which I think describes what most of us would love for our outfits to be on our wedding day. If you can't have a little frippery, what can you have? Read More More Stuff we love > Recent Wedding 101 January 23, 2019 6 tips for making your wedding website useful AND stylish Are you engaged? YAY! I have a feeling that a lot of you are thinking about wedding hashtags and websites and social media, oh my. Weddings are way more high tech these days and a wedding website is pretty standard fare now. When I got engaged in 2018, I went on a hunt for a really slick wedding website and have a few quick hit tips to share to make your wedding website both ultra useful and seriously captivating. Read More July 12, 2018 Planning tools 101: hotel block comparison chart We launched a comprehensive and totally customizable document of wedding planning spreadsheets in Google Drive if you're the type to get down with spreadsheets like I am. Now we're sharing a chart that will help you compare hotel blocks if you're planning to provide that option to your guests. Hotel blocks allow you to block out some rooms and room rates to help guests grab a good deal on a hotel room. Read More June 27, 2018 Avoiding wedding fights: how to plan your wedding planning Your engagement should be a joyful time. You have a lifetime ahead of you with the person you love. What could be better than to celebrate that love surrounded by friends and family? And yet, somehow things go awry. Conflicts flare. And the time that should be so happy — the build-up to your wedding — is fraught with possibilities for strife. The good news is you can avoid most of the problems by planning your wedding planning. That's right. Plan how you're going to plan. Read More 2.6k April 18, 2018 I bought a colored wedding dress and now everyone's mad! What should I do? I come from a family of strict traditionalists when it comes to everything, especially weddings. I recently bought a peach wedding dress with no sleeves and expressed I wanted light blue hair and Converse to go with it. As you can imagine, things didn't go over well. When I try to stand up for my wedding choices, I'm shamed for it. Please help! Read More 4.3k March 5, 2018 Wedding dates to avoid in 2018, 2019, and beyond I'm compiling this list of wedding dates to avoid in 2018, 2019, and 2020 in case you want to avoid holidays where family and friends might have conflicting events, holidays where vendors might be especially busy and/or expensive (think Valentine's Day for florists), or religious holidays where places might be closed or guests might have other plans. Does this mean you CAN'T book your wedding for one of these days? Hell no! Read More More Wedding 101 > Offbeat Bride: your source for wedding ideas and inclusive wedding planning We've got bajillions of creative wedding ideas, DIY projects, and wedding advice to make your wedding plans easier — and even fun! What do you need to do today? I have no idea. I need Wedding Planning 101! I need a wedding planning checklist (now in an interactive version, too!) Hook me up with free wedding fonts & printables I need offbeat wedding registry ideas I'm curious about offbeat wedding themes (geeky! boho! so many!) Reporter Name * Reporter Email * Original text Enter the original text here. Edited text* Enter your suggested copyedit here. Notes You can add a note for the editor here. * Required information. Fix Typo What wedding planning advice & inspiration do you need today? Dress Eloping Engagement Ring Feminism Floral Print Geeky Harry Potter Invitation Wording Readings Ceremony Advice Fashion Wedding 101 Super cute offbeat wedding invitations @offbeatbride on Insta Newly engaged? Slushies, food trucks, and brunch: 10 delicious ways to make your wedding food fun Your cheatsheet for what to include on wedding invitation Bar talk with Mint & Mirth: Licensing, insurance, and when to hire professional bartenders Going postal: Don't make these 5 mistakes when addressing your wedding invitations What logistics should I consider for a seated bridal party? 6 vital things you need to know when working with a wedding florist 9 wedding website tips to inform, reassure, and give warm fuzzies to your guests Wedding dates to avoid in 2018, 2019, and beyond Read More > A few of our fave wedding vendors DJ Doug Read More Laffler Photography Read More CustomMade Read More Leise Jones Photography Read More Browse our vendor guide > Our infamous spreadsheets & checklists Planning tools 101: wedding budget calculator Impress their asses off: 5 tips for hosting out-of-town wedding guests in your home Planning tools 101: Your wedding guest list planner Our GIANT list of important questions to ask wedding venues Planning tools 101: Your wedding timeline spreadsheet The electronic wedding hacks: Choosing your online wedding planning tools Marriage legal changes you NEED to know about (in plain English, we promise!) Playlists, requests, and backup plans: What to ask your wedding DJ Get planning > We're everywhere! Follow us on social media. Get creative, offbeat wedding ideas delivered daily to your inbox! Join our newsletter SUBSCRIBE Copyright © 2003 - 2019 Offbeat Empire. All rights reserved. Unauthorized reproduction in part or in whole is prohibited. Contact us Terms of Service | Privacy Policy | Monetized by SkimLinks
February 12, 2019 Jaws will drop at the style of this Jamaican meets English garden wedding Alex and Toyan flew back from Qatar all the way to Yorkshire, UK to get married at Alex’s family home surrounded by their loved ones. This pair, a DJ and an artist, has major style and it shows in the groom's red suit, suuuper slick wedding party outfits, and the bride's modern meets classic short gown. Just try to look at these party photos and try to imagine anything more fun. You can't, right? We all got FOMO looking at that epic party. Read More February 11, 2019 This fall elopement in Tennessee was surrounded by foliage, leather jackets, & intimate vows Picture it: an intimate ceremony among the turning fall leaves of a woodland backdrop. A gray dress, dapper groom, and a little edge with leather jackets. You don't have to imagine it, because I've got just such a wedding. Marcella and Jimmy chose a gorgeous fall day for their Seymour, TN elopement. Read More 1.0k February 8, 2019 Our big gay pagan rainbow woodland festival wedding We had guests from as far apart as Japan, California, and Germany. We tried to invoke all the things we loved in our wedding day — geeky nods to Harry Potter, His Dark Materials, Jonathan Coulton, and the Lord of the Rings; the Obergefell v Hodges ruling for Jess's career and theatrical touches for mine. We asked our guests to wear 'whatever makes you feel pretty.' We then celebrated with ice cream, lawn games, and street food, and ended the evening with a ceilidh and session. Oh, and there was an owl, and llamas. Read More More Real Weddings > Recent Advice February 13, 2019 How to plan a more ethical wedding (including an edible bouquet!) When I was preparing for my own wedding I started thinking: how could we do this more ethically? The very nature of a wedding being a one day event, and….. Read More January 23, 2019 6 tips for making your wedding website useful AND stylish Are you engaged? YAY! I have a feeling that a lot of you are thinking about wedding hashtags and websites and social media, oh my. Weddings are way more high tech these days and a wedding website is pretty standard fare now. When I got engaged in 2018, I went on a hunt for a really slick wedding website and have a few quick hit tips to share to make your wedding website both ultra useful and seriously captivating. Read More October 17, 2018 How to avoid your email save-the-date going to spam My partner and I decided to send out email save-the-dates instead of a physical card. I do, however, have a warning for you if you are planning on going the green route with your save-the-date by sending out electronic ones. If you send an email with an image, you may hit your guests' spam folders. Here are some pros and cons of going green with your save-the-dates and how you can avoid your save-the-date going to spam… Read More October 3, 2018 Our delicious unity beer ceremony was… hopping (plus our ceremony wording!) Craft beer has been such a huge part of our relationship that when we were planning our wedding (featured here!), we wanted to include it somehow. I suggested a unity beer ceremony, but we couldn't find any wording online that we liked. We ended up creating our own from scratch, complete with our own unique brand of humor. Read More September 17, 2018 7 fur-tastic ways to include your pet in the wedding day Like all of us who follow famous animals on Instagram, I love seeing your ring dogs, cat save-the-dates, and guinea pig cake toppers. But are there MORE ways to include your pet in the wedding day? I decided to see what was new in the realm of wedding pets. And there was! I saw so many adorable ways to add some pet fur to your day (without wigging them out, of course). Let's get to the honorable wedding puppers and kittehs (and whatever other animals y'all love!)… Read More More Advice > Recent DIY September 18, 2018 Eat 'em or take 'em: these s'mores wedding favors are a gooey gift guests will devour S'mores are a staple of outdoor weddings in any season, but especially in the fall when the weather gets chilly and a bonfire is apropos. You're cooking them up over a bonfire, adding them to your sweets table, and even making them into cakes! But a perfect way to provide a dessert AND a takeaway gift is an easy-to-make s'mores wedding favor. Here's how to make them super easily with a few staples from Michael's Weddings™… Read More 1.4k July 11, 2018 A seriously easy way to make a cathedral veil from your favorite fabric About a month before my wedding, I became fascinated with a colorful floral veil in this post on my favorite wedding blog. I looked around for similar veils online, but couldn't find anything for a price I was willing to pay. So I decided to DIY my veil and it was surprisingly easy! Here's how I did it… Read More June 11, 2018 Supersize your wedding flora with this big crepe paper flower tutorial We know HUGE bouquets are super popular right now, but what if we mega-size the actual flowers instead of just the bouquet size? We love a good huge flower bouquet, headpiece, centerpiece, or ceremony backdrop. The best part? You can totally make these yourself. Read More May 30, 2018 Lush florals go ring-shaped with this DIY floral hoop backdrop I love a good hoop bouquet, but those handy floral hoops can be used for more than just a great alternative bouquet. I've created a series of hoops flowing with greenery and flora that can be used a wedding ceremony backdrop, reception decor, or even a place card holder. With this DIY floral hoop backdrop, you can add as many floral picks as you like to make it as lush as you can imagine. Artificial flowers let you create a backdrop that can go from wedding to living room permanently. It's the beauty of realistic artificial flowers! Here are the steps to go from a simple hoop to intricate backdrop in no time… Read More April 5, 2018 In case of dementor attack, you'll need this Harry Potter wedding favor If you're a Potterphile, you know that chocolate bars have their own powers of soothing you after a dementor attack. So at a wedding with Harry Potter details (where a dementor could prey, naturally!), why not offer up some DIY Harry Potter wedding favors that will do the job nicely. Plus, it only takes some inexpensive chocolate bars, some printer paper, and a printable chocolate bar wrapper. Read More More DIY > Recent Stuff we love February 15, 2019 The trick to getting authentically YOU wedding photos? This stellar NY/NJ-based photographer I love it when a photographer makes me feel like I'm worthy of photographing no matter what I look like, if I'm awkward as hell, or if I deviate from the norms that dictate what we think is "right" or "pretty," or "traditional." That's why the ethos of one of our most rad partners, New York and New Jersey-based Adena at Studio A Images, resonates so much with us. Obviously we do our best to make sure all of our vendors are top notch AND totally inclusive, but sometimes they just fit so comfortably into our mindset that I've just go to introduce you. Read More February 12, 2019 6 handcrafted engagement rings that are truly works of art You know we spend way too much time delving into the oceans of engagement ring bling at Brilliant Earth. There's just so much to see and to inspire your own ring selections. In a recent trip down the ring rabbit hole, I spied a fair few engagement rings that stood out among others as true works of art. In particular, their vintage collection has been hand-curated for exceptional quality and originality. They know that jewelry design isn't just artistry, but also architecture and engineering played out on minute scale. Read More February 5, 2019 On the hunt for an industry-busting & inclusive photographer and coordinator? We've got the ultimate… Sometimes when you partner up with a wedding vendor who so totally embodies everything we hold dear about weddings and especially about our own readers, we have to introduce you. This was very much the case with Seattle/Tacoma-based photography-meets-coordination company Fuck Yeah, Weddings. Owner Kendall has endless enthusiasm for offbeat weddings of all flavors, but also provides both photography AND coordination for a super streamlined process of capturing and planning your wedding. Read More 3.4k February 1, 2019 Are these alternatives to earth-mined diamonds ethical & budget-friendly? Let's find out… We may tout a lot of colored gemstones around these parts, but we know a lot of you are totally down for that classic diamond look. And these days, you really don't have to feel guilty about snagging a real diamond from ring designers who source ethical and conflict-free diamonds. But there are other options you might want to know about which are created without any impact to the earth AND are more budget-friendly. We reached out to our custom-ring wizard partners at Joseph Jewelry to get the scoop on diamond alternatives such as lab created diamonds and moissanite engagement rings. Read More January 29, 2019 From sweet & romantic to grand & theatrical, these wedding headpieces are dropping jaws From retro fascinators to lovely flower crowns to masterpieces of intricate design, these wedding headpieces function as formal accessory but also as re-wearable art for parties, holidays, theater, and more. Jezebel, the artist behind all of these creations, described them as "fun and fabulous frippery" which I think describes what most of us would love for our outfits to be on our wedding day. If you can't have a little frippery, what can you have? Read More More Stuff we love > Recent Wedding 101 January 23, 2019 6 tips for making your wedding website useful AND stylish Are you engaged? YAY! I have a feeling that a lot of you are thinking about wedding hashtags and websites and social media, oh my. Weddings are way more high tech these days and a wedding website is pretty standard fare now. When I got engaged in 2018, I went on a hunt for a really slick wedding website and have a few quick hit tips to share to make your wedding website both ultra useful and seriously captivating. Read More July 12, 2018 Planning tools 101: hotel block comparison chart We launched a comprehensive and totally customizable document of wedding planning spreadsheets in Google Drive if you're the type to get down with spreadsheets like I am. Now we're sharing a chart that will help you compare hotel blocks if you're planning to provide that option to your guests. Hotel blocks allow you to block out some rooms and room rates to help guests grab a good deal on a hotel room. Read More June 27, 2018 Avoiding wedding fights: how to plan your wedding planning Your engagement should be a joyful time. You have a lifetime ahead of you with the person you love. What could be better than to celebrate that love surrounded by friends and family? And yet, somehow things go awry. Conflicts flare. And the time that should be so happy — the build-up to your wedding — is fraught with possibilities for strife. The good news is you can avoid most of the problems by planning your wedding planning. That's right. Plan how you're going to plan. Read More 2.6k April 18, 2018 I bought a colored wedding dress and now everyone's mad! What should I do? I come from a family of strict traditionalists when it comes to everything, especially weddings. I recently bought a peach wedding dress with no sleeves and expressed I wanted light blue hair and Converse to go with it. As you can imagine, things didn't go over well. When I try to stand up for my wedding choices, I'm shamed for it. Please help! Read More 4.3k March 5, 2018 Wedding dates to avoid in 2018, 2019, and beyond I'm compiling this list of wedding dates to avoid in 2018, 2019, and 2020 in case you want to avoid holidays where family and friends might have conflicting events, holidays where vendors might be especially busy and/or expensive (think Valentine's Day for florists), or religious holidays where places might be closed or guests might have other plans. Does this mean you CAN'T book your wedding for one of these days? Hell no! Read More More Wedding 101 > Offbeat Bride: your source for wedding ideas and inclusive wedding planning We've got bajillions of creative wedding ideas, DIY projects, and wedding advice to make your wedding plans easier — and even fun! What do you need to do today? I have no idea. I need Wedding Planning 101! I need a wedding planning checklist (now in an interactive version, too!) Hook me up with free wedding fonts & printables I need offbeat wedding registry ideas I'm curious about offbeat wedding themes (geeky! boho! so many!) Reporter Name * Reporter Email * Original text Enter the original text here. Edited text* Enter your suggested copyedit here. Notes You can add a note for the editor here. * Required information. Fix Typo What wedding planning advice & inspiration do you need today? Dress Eloping Engagement Ring Feminism Floral Print Geeky Harry Potter Invitation Wording Readings Ceremony Advice Fashion Wedding 101 Super cute offbeat wedding invitations @offbeatbride on Insta Newly engaged? Slushies, food trucks, and brunch: 10 delicious ways to make your wedding food fun Your cheatsheet for what to include on wedding invitation Bar talk with Mint & Mirth: Licensing, insurance, and when to hire professional bartenders Going postal: Don't make these 5 mistakes when addressing your wedding invitations What logistics should I consider for a seated bridal party? 6 vital things you need to know when working with a wedding florist 9 wedding website tips to inform, reassure, and give warm fuzzies to your guests Wedding dates to avoid in 2018, 2019, and beyond Read More > A few of our fave wedding vendors DJ Doug Read More Laffler Photography Read More CustomMade Read More Leise Jones Photography Read More Browse our vendor guide > Our infamous spreadsheets & checklists Planning tools 101: wedding budget calculator Impress their asses off: 5 tips for hosting out-of-town wedding guests in your home Planning tools 101: Your wedding guest list planner Our GIANT list of important questions to ask wedding venues Planning tools 101: Your wedding timeline spreadsheet The electronic wedding hacks: Choosing your online wedding planning tools Marriage legal changes you NEED to know about (in plain English, we promise!) Playlists, requests, and backup plans: What to ask your wedding DJ Get planning > We're everywhere! Follow us on social media. Get creative, offbeat wedding ideas delivered daily to your inbox! Join our newsletter SUBSCRIBE Copyright © 2003 - 2019 Offbeat Empire. All rights reserved. Unauthorized reproduction in part or in whole is prohibited. Contact us Terms of Service | Privacy Policy | Monetized by SkimLinks
February 11, 2019 This fall elopement in Tennessee was surrounded by foliage, leather jackets, & intimate vows Picture it: an intimate ceremony among the turning fall leaves of a woodland backdrop. A gray dress, dapper groom, and a little edge with leather jackets. You don't have to imagine it, because I've got just such a wedding. Marcella and Jimmy chose a gorgeous fall day for their Seymour, TN elopement. Read More 1.0k February 8, 2019 Our big gay pagan rainbow woodland festival wedding We had guests from as far apart as Japan, California, and Germany. We tried to invoke all the things we loved in our wedding day — geeky nods to Harry Potter, His Dark Materials, Jonathan Coulton, and the Lord of the Rings; the Obergefell v Hodges ruling for Jess's career and theatrical touches for mine. We asked our guests to wear 'whatever makes you feel pretty.' We then celebrated with ice cream, lawn games, and street food, and ended the evening with a ceilidh and session. Oh, and there was an owl, and llamas. Read More More Real Weddings > Recent Advice February 13, 2019 How to plan a more ethical wedding (including an edible bouquet!) When I was preparing for my own wedding I started thinking: how could we do this more ethically? The very nature of a wedding being a one day event, and….. Read More January 23, 2019 6 tips for making your wedding website useful AND stylish Are you engaged? YAY! I have a feeling that a lot of you are thinking about wedding hashtags and websites and social media, oh my. Weddings are way more high tech these days and a wedding website is pretty standard fare now. When I got engaged in 2018, I went on a hunt for a really slick wedding website and have a few quick hit tips to share to make your wedding website both ultra useful and seriously captivating. Read More October 17, 2018 How to avoid your email save-the-date going to spam My partner and I decided to send out email save-the-dates instead of a physical card. I do, however, have a warning for you if you are planning on going the green route with your save-the-date by sending out electronic ones. If you send an email with an image, you may hit your guests' spam folders. Here are some pros and cons of going green with your save-the-dates and how you can avoid your save-the-date going to spam… Read More October 3, 2018 Our delicious unity beer ceremony was… hopping (plus our ceremony wording!) Craft beer has been such a huge part of our relationship that when we were planning our wedding (featured here!), we wanted to include it somehow. I suggested a unity beer ceremony, but we couldn't find any wording online that we liked. We ended up creating our own from scratch, complete with our own unique brand of humor. Read More September 17, 2018 7 fur-tastic ways to include your pet in the wedding day Like all of us who follow famous animals on Instagram, I love seeing your ring dogs, cat save-the-dates, and guinea pig cake toppers. But are there MORE ways to include your pet in the wedding day? I decided to see what was new in the realm of wedding pets. And there was! I saw so many adorable ways to add some pet fur to your day (without wigging them out, of course). Let's get to the honorable wedding puppers and kittehs (and whatever other animals y'all love!)… Read More More Advice > Recent DIY September 18, 2018 Eat 'em or take 'em: these s'mores wedding favors are a gooey gift guests will devour S'mores are a staple of outdoor weddings in any season, but especially in the fall when the weather gets chilly and a bonfire is apropos. You're cooking them up over a bonfire, adding them to your sweets table, and even making them into cakes! But a perfect way to provide a dessert AND a takeaway gift is an easy-to-make s'mores wedding favor. Here's how to make them super easily with a few staples from Michael's Weddings™… Read More 1.4k July 11, 2018 A seriously easy way to make a cathedral veil from your favorite fabric About a month before my wedding, I became fascinated with a colorful floral veil in this post on my favorite wedding blog. I looked around for similar veils online, but couldn't find anything for a price I was willing to pay. So I decided to DIY my veil and it was surprisingly easy! Here's how I did it… Read More June 11, 2018 Supersize your wedding flora with this big crepe paper flower tutorial We know HUGE bouquets are super popular right now, but what if we mega-size the actual flowers instead of just the bouquet size? We love a good huge flower bouquet, headpiece, centerpiece, or ceremony backdrop. The best part? You can totally make these yourself. Read More May 30, 2018 Lush florals go ring-shaped with this DIY floral hoop backdrop I love a good hoop bouquet, but those handy floral hoops can be used for more than just a great alternative bouquet. I've created a series of hoops flowing with greenery and flora that can be used a wedding ceremony backdrop, reception decor, or even a place card holder. With this DIY floral hoop backdrop, you can add as many floral picks as you like to make it as lush as you can imagine. Artificial flowers let you create a backdrop that can go from wedding to living room permanently. It's the beauty of realistic artificial flowers! Here are the steps to go from a simple hoop to intricate backdrop in no time… Read More April 5, 2018 In case of dementor attack, you'll need this Harry Potter wedding favor If you're a Potterphile, you know that chocolate bars have their own powers of soothing you after a dementor attack. So at a wedding with Harry Potter details (where a dementor could prey, naturally!), why not offer up some DIY Harry Potter wedding favors that will do the job nicely. Plus, it only takes some inexpensive chocolate bars, some printer paper, and a printable chocolate bar wrapper. Read More More DIY > Recent Stuff we love February 15, 2019 The trick to getting authentically YOU wedding photos? This stellar NY/NJ-based photographer I love it when a photographer makes me feel like I'm worthy of photographing no matter what I look like, if I'm awkward as hell, or if I deviate from the norms that dictate what we think is "right" or "pretty," or "traditional." That's why the ethos of one of our most rad partners, New York and New Jersey-based Adena at Studio A Images, resonates so much with us. Obviously we do our best to make sure all of our vendors are top notch AND totally inclusive, but sometimes they just fit so comfortably into our mindset that I've just go to introduce you. Read More February 12, 2019 6 handcrafted engagement rings that are truly works of art You know we spend way too much time delving into the oceans of engagement ring bling at Brilliant Earth. There's just so much to see and to inspire your own ring selections. In a recent trip down the ring rabbit hole, I spied a fair few engagement rings that stood out among others as true works of art. In particular, their vintage collection has been hand-curated for exceptional quality and originality. They know that jewelry design isn't just artistry, but also architecture and engineering played out on minute scale. Read More February 5, 2019 On the hunt for an industry-busting & inclusive photographer and coordinator? We've got the ultimate… Sometimes when you partner up with a wedding vendor who so totally embodies everything we hold dear about weddings and especially about our own readers, we have to introduce you. This was very much the case with Seattle/Tacoma-based photography-meets-coordination company Fuck Yeah, Weddings. Owner Kendall has endless enthusiasm for offbeat weddings of all flavors, but also provides both photography AND coordination for a super streamlined process of capturing and planning your wedding. Read More 3.4k February 1, 2019 Are these alternatives to earth-mined diamonds ethical & budget-friendly? Let's find out… We may tout a lot of colored gemstones around these parts, but we know a lot of you are totally down for that classic diamond look. And these days, you really don't have to feel guilty about snagging a real diamond from ring designers who source ethical and conflict-free diamonds. But there are other options you might want to know about which are created without any impact to the earth AND are more budget-friendly. We reached out to our custom-ring wizard partners at Joseph Jewelry to get the scoop on diamond alternatives such as lab created diamonds and moissanite engagement rings. Read More January 29, 2019 From sweet & romantic to grand & theatrical, these wedding headpieces are dropping jaws From retro fascinators to lovely flower crowns to masterpieces of intricate design, these wedding headpieces function as formal accessory but also as re-wearable art for parties, holidays, theater, and more. Jezebel, the artist behind all of these creations, described them as "fun and fabulous frippery" which I think describes what most of us would love for our outfits to be on our wedding day. If you can't have a little frippery, what can you have? Read More More Stuff we love > Recent Wedding 101 January 23, 2019 6 tips for making your wedding website useful AND stylish Are you engaged? YAY! I have a feeling that a lot of you are thinking about wedding hashtags and websites and social media, oh my. Weddings are way more high tech these days and a wedding website is pretty standard fare now. When I got engaged in 2018, I went on a hunt for a really slick wedding website and have a few quick hit tips to share to make your wedding website both ultra useful and seriously captivating. Read More July 12, 2018 Planning tools 101: hotel block comparison chart We launched a comprehensive and totally customizable document of wedding planning spreadsheets in Google Drive if you're the type to get down with spreadsheets like I am. Now we're sharing a chart that will help you compare hotel blocks if you're planning to provide that option to your guests. Hotel blocks allow you to block out some rooms and room rates to help guests grab a good deal on a hotel room. Read More June 27, 2018 Avoiding wedding fights: how to plan your wedding planning Your engagement should be a joyful time. You have a lifetime ahead of you with the person you love. What could be better than to celebrate that love surrounded by friends and family? And yet, somehow things go awry. Conflicts flare. And the time that should be so happy — the build-up to your wedding — is fraught with possibilities for strife. The good news is you can avoid most of the problems by planning your wedding planning. That's right. Plan how you're going to plan. Read More 2.6k April 18, 2018 I bought a colored wedding dress and now everyone's mad! What should I do? I come from a family of strict traditionalists when it comes to everything, especially weddings. I recently bought a peach wedding dress with no sleeves and expressed I wanted light blue hair and Converse to go with it. As you can imagine, things didn't go over well. When I try to stand up for my wedding choices, I'm shamed for it. Please help! Read More 4.3k March 5, 2018 Wedding dates to avoid in 2018, 2019, and beyond I'm compiling this list of wedding dates to avoid in 2018, 2019, and 2020 in case you want to avoid holidays where family and friends might have conflicting events, holidays where vendors might be especially busy and/or expensive (think Valentine's Day for florists), or religious holidays where places might be closed or guests might have other plans. Does this mean you CAN'T book your wedding for one of these days? Hell no! Read More More Wedding 101 > Offbeat Bride: your source for wedding ideas and inclusive wedding planning We've got bajillions of creative wedding ideas, DIY projects, and wedding advice to make your wedding plans easier — and even fun! What do you need to do today? I have no idea. I need Wedding Planning 101! I need a wedding planning checklist (now in an interactive version, too!) Hook me up with free wedding fonts & printables I need offbeat wedding registry ideas I'm curious about offbeat wedding themes (geeky! boho! so many!) Reporter Name * Reporter Email * Original text Enter the original text here. Edited text* Enter your suggested copyedit here. Notes You can add a note for the editor here. * Required information. Fix Typo What wedding planning advice & inspiration do you need today? Dress Eloping Engagement Ring Feminism Floral Print Geeky Harry Potter Invitation Wording Readings Ceremony Advice Fashion Wedding 101 Super cute offbeat wedding invitations @offbeatbride on Insta Newly engaged? Slushies, food trucks, and brunch: 10 delicious ways to make your wedding food fun Your cheatsheet for what to include on wedding invitation Bar talk with Mint & Mirth: Licensing, insurance, and when to hire professional bartenders Going postal: Don't make these 5 mistakes when addressing your wedding invitations What logistics should I consider for a seated bridal party? 6 vital things you need to know when working with a wedding florist 9 wedding website tips to inform, reassure, and give warm fuzzies to your guests Wedding dates to avoid in 2018, 2019, and beyond Read More > A few of our fave wedding vendors DJ Doug Read More Laffler Photography Read More CustomMade Read More Leise Jones Photography Read More Browse our vendor guide > Our infamous spreadsheets & checklists Planning tools 101: wedding budget calculator Impress their asses off: 5 tips for hosting out-of-town wedding guests in your home Planning tools 101: Your wedding guest list planner Our GIANT list of important questions to ask wedding venues Planning tools 101: Your wedding timeline spreadsheet The electronic wedding hacks: Choosing your online wedding planning tools Marriage legal changes you NEED to know about (in plain English, we promise!) Playlists, requests, and backup plans: What to ask your wedding DJ Get planning > We're everywhere! Follow us on social media. Get creative, offbeat wedding ideas delivered daily to your inbox! Join our newsletter SUBSCRIBE Copyright © 2003 - 2019 Offbeat Empire. All rights reserved. Unauthorized reproduction in part or in whole is prohibited. Contact us Terms of Service | Privacy Policy | Monetized by SkimLinks
1.0k February 8, 2019 Our big gay pagan rainbow woodland festival wedding We had guests from as far apart as Japan, California, and Germany. We tried to invoke all the things we loved in our wedding day — geeky nods to Harry Potter, His Dark Materials, Jonathan Coulton, and the Lord of the Rings; the Obergefell v Hodges ruling for Jess's career and theatrical touches for mine. We asked our guests to wear 'whatever makes you feel pretty.' We then celebrated with ice cream, lawn games, and street food, and ended the evening with a ceilidh and session. Oh, and there was an owl, and llamas. Read More More Real Weddings > Recent Advice February 13, 2019 How to plan a more ethical wedding (including an edible bouquet!) When I was preparing for my own wedding I started thinking: how could we do this more ethically? The very nature of a wedding being a one day event, and….. Read More January 23, 2019 6 tips for making your wedding website useful AND stylish Are you engaged? YAY! I have a feeling that a lot of you are thinking about wedding hashtags and websites and social media, oh my. Weddings are way more high tech these days and a wedding website is pretty standard fare now. When I got engaged in 2018, I went on a hunt for a really slick wedding website and have a few quick hit tips to share to make your wedding website both ultra useful and seriously captivating. Read More October 17, 2018 How to avoid your email save-the-date going to spam My partner and I decided to send out email save-the-dates instead of a physical card. I do, however, have a warning for you if you are planning on going the green route with your save-the-date by sending out electronic ones. If you send an email with an image, you may hit your guests' spam folders. Here are some pros and cons of going green with your save-the-dates and how you can avoid your save-the-date going to spam… Read More October 3, 2018 Our delicious unity beer ceremony was… hopping (plus our ceremony wording!) Craft beer has been such a huge part of our relationship that when we were planning our wedding (featured here!), we wanted to include it somehow. I suggested a unity beer ceremony, but we couldn't find any wording online that we liked. We ended up creating our own from scratch, complete with our own unique brand of humor. Read More September 17, 2018 7 fur-tastic ways to include your pet in the wedding day Like all of us who follow famous animals on Instagram, I love seeing your ring dogs, cat save-the-dates, and guinea pig cake toppers. But are there MORE ways to include your pet in the wedding day? I decided to see what was new in the realm of wedding pets. And there was! I saw so many adorable ways to add some pet fur to your day (without wigging them out, of course). Let's get to the honorable wedding puppers and kittehs (and whatever other animals y'all love!)… Read More More Advice > Recent DIY September 18, 2018 Eat 'em or take 'em: these s'mores wedding favors are a gooey gift guests will devour S'mores are a staple of outdoor weddings in any season, but especially in the fall when the weather gets chilly and a bonfire is apropos. You're cooking them up over a bonfire, adding them to your sweets table, and even making them into cakes! But a perfect way to provide a dessert AND a takeaway gift is an easy-to-make s'mores wedding favor. Here's how to make them super easily with a few staples from Michael's Weddings™… Read More 1.4k July 11, 2018 A seriously easy way to make a cathedral veil from your favorite fabric About a month before my wedding, I became fascinated with a colorful floral veil in this post on my favorite wedding blog. I looked around for similar veils online, but couldn't find anything for a price I was willing to pay. So I decided to DIY my veil and it was surprisingly easy! Here's how I did it… Read More June 11, 2018 Supersize your wedding flora with this big crepe paper flower tutorial We know HUGE bouquets are super popular right now, but what if we mega-size the actual flowers instead of just the bouquet size? We love a good huge flower bouquet, headpiece, centerpiece, or ceremony backdrop. The best part? You can totally make these yourself. Read More May 30, 2018 Lush florals go ring-shaped with this DIY floral hoop backdrop I love a good hoop bouquet, but those handy floral hoops can be used for more than just a great alternative bouquet. I've created a series of hoops flowing with greenery and flora that can be used a wedding ceremony backdrop, reception decor, or even a place card holder. With this DIY floral hoop backdrop, you can add as many floral picks as you like to make it as lush as you can imagine. Artificial flowers let you create a backdrop that can go from wedding to living room permanently. It's the beauty of realistic artificial flowers! Here are the steps to go from a simple hoop to intricate backdrop in no time… Read More April 5, 2018 In case of dementor attack, you'll need this Harry Potter wedding favor If you're a Potterphile, you know that chocolate bars have their own powers of soothing you after a dementor attack. So at a wedding with Harry Potter details (where a dementor could prey, naturally!), why not offer up some DIY Harry Potter wedding favors that will do the job nicely. Plus, it only takes some inexpensive chocolate bars, some printer paper, and a printable chocolate bar wrapper. Read More More DIY > Recent Stuff we love February 15, 2019 The trick to getting authentically YOU wedding photos? This stellar NY/NJ-based photographer I love it when a photographer makes me feel like I'm worthy of photographing no matter what I look like, if I'm awkward as hell, or if I deviate from the norms that dictate what we think is "right" or "pretty," or "traditional." That's why the ethos of one of our most rad partners, New York and New Jersey-based Adena at Studio A Images, resonates so much with us. Obviously we do our best to make sure all of our vendors are top notch AND totally inclusive, but sometimes they just fit so comfortably into our mindset that I've just go to introduce you. Read More February 12, 2019 6 handcrafted engagement rings that are truly works of art You know we spend way too much time delving into the oceans of engagement ring bling at Brilliant Earth. There's just so much to see and to inspire your own ring selections. In a recent trip down the ring rabbit hole, I spied a fair few engagement rings that stood out among others as true works of art. In particular, their vintage collection has been hand-curated for exceptional quality and originality. They know that jewelry design isn't just artistry, but also architecture and engineering played out on minute scale. Read More February 5, 2019 On the hunt for an industry-busting & inclusive photographer and coordinator? We've got the ultimate… Sometimes when you partner up with a wedding vendor who so totally embodies everything we hold dear about weddings and especially about our own readers, we have to introduce you. This was very much the case with Seattle/Tacoma-based photography-meets-coordination company Fuck Yeah, Weddings. Owner Kendall has endless enthusiasm for offbeat weddings of all flavors, but also provides both photography AND coordination for a super streamlined process of capturing and planning your wedding. Read More 3.4k February 1, 2019 Are these alternatives to earth-mined diamonds ethical & budget-friendly? Let's find out… We may tout a lot of colored gemstones around these parts, but we know a lot of you are totally down for that classic diamond look. And these days, you really don't have to feel guilty about snagging a real diamond from ring designers who source ethical and conflict-free diamonds. But there are other options you might want to know about which are created without any impact to the earth AND are more budget-friendly. We reached out to our custom-ring wizard partners at Joseph Jewelry to get the scoop on diamond alternatives such as lab created diamonds and moissanite engagement rings. Read More January 29, 2019 From sweet & romantic to grand & theatrical, these wedding headpieces are dropping jaws From retro fascinators to lovely flower crowns to masterpieces of intricate design, these wedding headpieces function as formal accessory but also as re-wearable art for parties, holidays, theater, and more. Jezebel, the artist behind all of these creations, described them as "fun and fabulous frippery" which I think describes what most of us would love for our outfits to be on our wedding day. If you can't have a little frippery, what can you have? Read More More Stuff we love > Recent Wedding 101 January 23, 2019 6 tips for making your wedding website useful AND stylish Are you engaged? YAY! I have a feeling that a lot of you are thinking about wedding hashtags and websites and social media, oh my. Weddings are way more high tech these days and a wedding website is pretty standard fare now. When I got engaged in 2018, I went on a hunt for a really slick wedding website and have a few quick hit tips to share to make your wedding website both ultra useful and seriously captivating. Read More July 12, 2018 Planning tools 101: hotel block comparison chart We launched a comprehensive and totally customizable document of wedding planning spreadsheets in Google Drive if you're the type to get down with spreadsheets like I am. Now we're sharing a chart that will help you compare hotel blocks if you're planning to provide that option to your guests. Hotel blocks allow you to block out some rooms and room rates to help guests grab a good deal on a hotel room. Read More June 27, 2018 Avoiding wedding fights: how to plan your wedding planning Your engagement should be a joyful time. You have a lifetime ahead of you with the person you love. What could be better than to celebrate that love surrounded by friends and family? And yet, somehow things go awry. Conflicts flare. And the time that should be so happy — the build-up to your wedding — is fraught with possibilities for strife. The good news is you can avoid most of the problems by planning your wedding planning. That's right. Plan how you're going to plan. Read More 2.6k April 18, 2018 I bought a colored wedding dress and now everyone's mad! What should I do? I come from a family of strict traditionalists when it comes to everything, especially weddings. I recently bought a peach wedding dress with no sleeves and expressed I wanted light blue hair and Converse to go with it. As you can imagine, things didn't go over well. When I try to stand up for my wedding choices, I'm shamed for it. Please help! Read More 4.3k March 5, 2018 Wedding dates to avoid in 2018, 2019, and beyond I'm compiling this list of wedding dates to avoid in 2018, 2019, and 2020 in case you want to avoid holidays where family and friends might have conflicting events, holidays where vendors might be especially busy and/or expensive (think Valentine's Day for florists), or religious holidays where places might be closed or guests might have other plans. Does this mean you CAN'T book your wedding for one of these days? Hell no! Read More More Wedding 101 > Offbeat Bride: your source for wedding ideas and inclusive wedding planning We've got bajillions of creative wedding ideas, DIY projects, and wedding advice to make your wedding plans easier — and even fun! What do you need to do today? I have no idea. I need Wedding Planning 101! I need a wedding planning checklist (now in an interactive version, too!) Hook me up with free wedding fonts & printables I need offbeat wedding registry ideas I'm curious about offbeat wedding themes (geeky! boho! so many!) Reporter Name * Reporter Email * Original text Enter the original text here. Edited text* Enter your suggested copyedit here. Notes You can add a note for the editor here. * Required information. Fix Typo What wedding planning advice & inspiration do you need today? Dress Eloping Engagement Ring Feminism Floral Print Geeky Harry Potter Invitation Wording Readings Ceremony Advice Fashion Wedding 101 Super cute offbeat wedding invitations @offbeatbride on Insta Newly engaged? Slushies, food trucks, and brunch: 10 delicious ways to make your wedding food fun Your cheatsheet for what to include on wedding invitation Bar talk with Mint & Mirth: Licensing, insurance, and when to hire professional bartenders Going postal: Don't make these 5 mistakes when addressing your wedding invitations What logistics should I consider for a seated bridal party? 6 vital things you need to know when working with a wedding florist 9 wedding website tips to inform, reassure, and give warm fuzzies to your guests Wedding dates to avoid in 2018, 2019, and beyond Read More > A few of our fave wedding vendors DJ Doug Read More Laffler Photography Read More CustomMade Read More Leise Jones Photography Read More Browse our vendor guide > Our infamous spreadsheets & checklists Planning tools 101: wedding budget calculator Impress their asses off: 5 tips for hosting out-of-town wedding guests in your home Planning tools 101: Your wedding guest list planner Our GIANT list of important questions to ask wedding venues Planning tools 101: Your wedding timeline spreadsheet The electronic wedding hacks: Choosing your online wedding planning tools Marriage legal changes you NEED to know about (in plain English, we promise!) Playlists, requests, and backup plans: What to ask your wedding DJ Get planning > We're everywhere! Follow us on social media. Get creative, offbeat wedding ideas delivered daily to your inbox! Join our newsletter SUBSCRIBE Copyright © 2003 - 2019 Offbeat Empire. All rights reserved. Unauthorized reproduction in part or in whole is prohibited. Contact us Terms of Service | Privacy Policy | Monetized by SkimLinks
February 13, 2019 How to plan a more ethical wedding (including an edible bouquet!) When I was preparing for my own wedding I started thinking: how could we do this more ethically? The very nature of a wedding being a one day event, and….. Read More January 23, 2019 6 tips for making your wedding website useful AND stylish Are you engaged? YAY! I have a feeling that a lot of you are thinking about wedding hashtags and websites and social media, oh my. Weddings are way more high tech these days and a wedding website is pretty standard fare now. When I got engaged in 2018, I went on a hunt for a really slick wedding website and have a few quick hit tips to share to make your wedding website both ultra useful and seriously captivating. Read More October 17, 2018 How to avoid your email save-the-date going to spam My partner and I decided to send out email save-the-dates instead of a physical card. I do, however, have a warning for you if you are planning on going the green route with your save-the-date by sending out electronic ones. If you send an email with an image, you may hit your guests' spam folders. Here are some pros and cons of going green with your save-the-dates and how you can avoid your save-the-date going to spam… Read More October 3, 2018 Our delicious unity beer ceremony was… hopping (plus our ceremony wording!) Craft beer has been such a huge part of our relationship that when we were planning our wedding (featured here!), we wanted to include it somehow. I suggested a unity beer ceremony, but we couldn't find any wording online that we liked. We ended up creating our own from scratch, complete with our own unique brand of humor. Read More September 17, 2018 7 fur-tastic ways to include your pet in the wedding day Like all of us who follow famous animals on Instagram, I love seeing your ring dogs, cat save-the-dates, and guinea pig cake toppers. But are there MORE ways to include your pet in the wedding day? I decided to see what was new in the realm of wedding pets. And there was! I saw so many adorable ways to add some pet fur to your day (without wigging them out, of course). Let's get to the honorable wedding puppers and kittehs (and whatever other animals y'all love!)… Read More More Advice > Recent DIY September 18, 2018 Eat 'em or take 'em: these s'mores wedding favors are a gooey gift guests will devour S'mores are a staple of outdoor weddings in any season, but especially in the fall when the weather gets chilly and a bonfire is apropos. You're cooking them up over a bonfire, adding them to your sweets table, and even making them into cakes! But a perfect way to provide a dessert AND a takeaway gift is an easy-to-make s'mores wedding favor. Here's how to make them super easily with a few staples from Michael's Weddings™… Read More 1.4k July 11, 2018 A seriously easy way to make a cathedral veil from your favorite fabric About a month before my wedding, I became fascinated with a colorful floral veil in this post on my favorite wedding blog. I looked around for similar veils online, but couldn't find anything for a price I was willing to pay. So I decided to DIY my veil and it was surprisingly easy! Here's how I did it… Read More June 11, 2018 Supersize your wedding flora with this big crepe paper flower tutorial We know HUGE bouquets are super popular right now, but what if we mega-size the actual flowers instead of just the bouquet size? We love a good huge flower bouquet, headpiece, centerpiece, or ceremony backdrop. The best part? You can totally make these yourself. Read More May 30, 2018 Lush florals go ring-shaped with this DIY floral hoop backdrop I love a good hoop bouquet, but those handy floral hoops can be used for more than just a great alternative bouquet. I've created a series of hoops flowing with greenery and flora that can be used a wedding ceremony backdrop, reception decor, or even a place card holder. With this DIY floral hoop backdrop, you can add as many floral picks as you like to make it as lush as you can imagine. Artificial flowers let you create a backdrop that can go from wedding to living room permanently. It's the beauty of realistic artificial flowers! Here are the steps to go from a simple hoop to intricate backdrop in no time… Read More April 5, 2018 In case of dementor attack, you'll need this Harry Potter wedding favor If you're a Potterphile, you know that chocolate bars have their own powers of soothing you after a dementor attack. So at a wedding with Harry Potter details (where a dementor could prey, naturally!), why not offer up some DIY Harry Potter wedding favors that will do the job nicely. Plus, it only takes some inexpensive chocolate bars, some printer paper, and a printable chocolate bar wrapper. Read More More DIY > Recent Stuff we love February 15, 2019 The trick to getting authentically YOU wedding photos? This stellar NY/NJ-based photographer I love it when a photographer makes me feel like I'm worthy of photographing no matter what I look like, if I'm awkward as hell, or if I deviate from the norms that dictate what we think is "right" or "pretty," or "traditional." That's why the ethos of one of our most rad partners, New York and New Jersey-based Adena at Studio A Images, resonates so much with us. Obviously we do our best to make sure all of our vendors are top notch AND totally inclusive, but sometimes they just fit so comfortably into our mindset that I've just go to introduce you. Read More February 12, 2019 6 handcrafted engagement rings that are truly works of art You know we spend way too much time delving into the oceans of engagement ring bling at Brilliant Earth. There's just so much to see and to inspire your own ring selections. In a recent trip down the ring rabbit hole, I spied a fair few engagement rings that stood out among others as true works of art. In particular, their vintage collection has been hand-curated for exceptional quality and originality. They know that jewelry design isn't just artistry, but also architecture and engineering played out on minute scale. Read More February 5, 2019 On the hunt for an industry-busting & inclusive photographer and coordinator? We've got the ultimate… Sometimes when you partner up with a wedding vendor who so totally embodies everything we hold dear about weddings and especially about our own readers, we have to introduce you. This was very much the case with Seattle/Tacoma-based photography-meets-coordination company Fuck Yeah, Weddings. Owner Kendall has endless enthusiasm for offbeat weddings of all flavors, but also provides both photography AND coordination for a super streamlined process of capturing and planning your wedding. Read More 3.4k February 1, 2019 Are these alternatives to earth-mined diamonds ethical & budget-friendly? Let's find out… We may tout a lot of colored gemstones around these parts, but we know a lot of you are totally down for that classic diamond look. And these days, you really don't have to feel guilty about snagging a real diamond from ring designers who source ethical and conflict-free diamonds. But there are other options you might want to know about which are created without any impact to the earth AND are more budget-friendly. We reached out to our custom-ring wizard partners at Joseph Jewelry to get the scoop on diamond alternatives such as lab created diamonds and moissanite engagement rings. Read More January 29, 2019 From sweet & romantic to grand & theatrical, these wedding headpieces are dropping jaws From retro fascinators to lovely flower crowns to masterpieces of intricate design, these wedding headpieces function as formal accessory but also as re-wearable art for parties, holidays, theater, and more. Jezebel, the artist behind all of these creations, described them as "fun and fabulous frippery" which I think describes what most of us would love for our outfits to be on our wedding day. If you can't have a little frippery, what can you have? Read More More Stuff we love > Recent Wedding 101 January 23, 2019 6 tips for making your wedding website useful AND stylish Are you engaged? YAY! I have a feeling that a lot of you are thinking about wedding hashtags and websites and social media, oh my. Weddings are way more high tech these days and a wedding website is pretty standard fare now. When I got engaged in 2018, I went on a hunt for a really slick wedding website and have a few quick hit tips to share to make your wedding website both ultra useful and seriously captivating. Read More July 12, 2018 Planning tools 101: hotel block comparison chart We launched a comprehensive and totally customizable document of wedding planning spreadsheets in Google Drive if you're the type to get down with spreadsheets like I am. Now we're sharing a chart that will help you compare hotel blocks if you're planning to provide that option to your guests. Hotel blocks allow you to block out some rooms and room rates to help guests grab a good deal on a hotel room. Read More June 27, 2018 Avoiding wedding fights: how to plan your wedding planning Your engagement should be a joyful time. You have a lifetime ahead of you with the person you love. What could be better than to celebrate that love surrounded by friends and family? And yet, somehow things go awry. Conflicts flare. And the time that should be so happy — the build-up to your wedding — is fraught with possibilities for strife. The good news is you can avoid most of the problems by planning your wedding planning. That's right. Plan how you're going to plan. Read More 2.6k April 18, 2018 I bought a colored wedding dress and now everyone's mad! What should I do? I come from a family of strict traditionalists when it comes to everything, especially weddings. I recently bought a peach wedding dress with no sleeves and expressed I wanted light blue hair and Converse to go with it. As you can imagine, things didn't go over well. When I try to stand up for my wedding choices, I'm shamed for it. Please help! Read More 4.3k March 5, 2018 Wedding dates to avoid in 2018, 2019, and beyond I'm compiling this list of wedding dates to avoid in 2018, 2019, and 2020 in case you want to avoid holidays where family and friends might have conflicting events, holidays where vendors might be especially busy and/or expensive (think Valentine's Day for florists), or religious holidays where places might be closed or guests might have other plans. Does this mean you CAN'T book your wedding for one of these days? Hell no! Read More More Wedding 101 > Offbeat Bride: your source for wedding ideas and inclusive wedding planning We've got bajillions of creative wedding ideas, DIY projects, and wedding advice to make your wedding plans easier — and even fun! What do you need to do today? I have no idea. I need Wedding Planning 101! I need a wedding planning checklist (now in an interactive version, too!) Hook me up with free wedding fonts & printables I need offbeat wedding registry ideas I'm curious about offbeat wedding themes (geeky! boho! so many!) Reporter Name * Reporter Email * Original text Enter the original text here. Edited text* Enter your suggested copyedit here. Notes You can add a note for the editor here. * Required information. Fix Typo What wedding planning advice & inspiration do you need today? Dress Eloping Engagement Ring Feminism Floral Print Geeky Harry Potter Invitation Wording Readings Ceremony Advice Fashion Wedding 101 Super cute offbeat wedding invitations @offbeatbride on Insta Newly engaged? Slushies, food trucks, and brunch: 10 delicious ways to make your wedding food fun Your cheatsheet for what to include on wedding invitation Bar talk with Mint & Mirth: Licensing, insurance, and when to hire professional bartenders Going postal: Don't make these 5 mistakes when addressing your wedding invitations What logistics should I consider for a seated bridal party? 6 vital things you need to know when working with a wedding florist 9 wedding website tips to inform, reassure, and give warm fuzzies to your guests Wedding dates to avoid in 2018, 2019, and beyond Read More > A few of our fave wedding vendors DJ Doug Read More Laffler Photography Read More CustomMade Read More Leise Jones Photography Read More Browse our vendor guide > Our infamous spreadsheets & checklists Planning tools 101: wedding budget calculator Impress their asses off: 5 tips for hosting out-of-town wedding guests in your home Planning tools 101: Your wedding guest list planner Our GIANT list of important questions to ask wedding venues Planning tools 101: Your wedding timeline spreadsheet The electronic wedding hacks: Choosing your online wedding planning tools Marriage legal changes you NEED to know about (in plain English, we promise!) Playlists, requests, and backup plans: What to ask your wedding DJ Get planning > We're everywhere! Follow us on social media. Get creative, offbeat wedding ideas delivered daily to your inbox! Join our newsletter SUBSCRIBE Copyright © 2003 - 2019 Offbeat Empire. All rights reserved. Unauthorized reproduction in part or in whole is prohibited. Contact us Terms of Service | Privacy Policy | Monetized by SkimLinks
January 23, 2019 6 tips for making your wedding website useful AND stylish Are you engaged? YAY! I have a feeling that a lot of you are thinking about wedding hashtags and websites and social media, oh my. Weddings are way more high tech these days and a wedding website is pretty standard fare now. When I got engaged in 2018, I went on a hunt for a really slick wedding website and have a few quick hit tips to share to make your wedding website both ultra useful and seriously captivating. Read More October 17, 2018 How to avoid your email save-the-date going to spam My partner and I decided to send out email save-the-dates instead of a physical card. I do, however, have a warning for you if you are planning on going the green route with your save-the-date by sending out electronic ones. If you send an email with an image, you may hit your guests' spam folders. Here are some pros and cons of going green with your save-the-dates and how you can avoid your save-the-date going to spam… Read More October 3, 2018 Our delicious unity beer ceremony was… hopping (plus our ceremony wording!) Craft beer has been such a huge part of our relationship that when we were planning our wedding (featured here!), we wanted to include it somehow. I suggested a unity beer ceremony, but we couldn't find any wording online that we liked. We ended up creating our own from scratch, complete with our own unique brand of humor. Read More September 17, 2018 7 fur-tastic ways to include your pet in the wedding day Like all of us who follow famous animals on Instagram, I love seeing your ring dogs, cat save-the-dates, and guinea pig cake toppers. But are there MORE ways to include your pet in the wedding day? I decided to see what was new in the realm of wedding pets. And there was! I saw so many adorable ways to add some pet fur to your day (without wigging them out, of course). Let's get to the honorable wedding puppers and kittehs (and whatever other animals y'all love!)… Read More More Advice > Recent DIY September 18, 2018 Eat 'em or take 'em: these s'mores wedding favors are a gooey gift guests will devour S'mores are a staple of outdoor weddings in any season, but especially in the fall when the weather gets chilly and a bonfire is apropos. You're cooking them up over a bonfire, adding them to your sweets table, and even making them into cakes! But a perfect way to provide a dessert AND a takeaway gift is an easy-to-make s'mores wedding favor. Here's how to make them super easily with a few staples from Michael's Weddings™… Read More 1.4k July 11, 2018 A seriously easy way to make a cathedral veil from your favorite fabric About a month before my wedding, I became fascinated with a colorful floral veil in this post on my favorite wedding blog. I looked around for similar veils online, but couldn't find anything for a price I was willing to pay. So I decided to DIY my veil and it was surprisingly easy! Here's how I did it… Read More June 11, 2018 Supersize your wedding flora with this big crepe paper flower tutorial We know HUGE bouquets are super popular right now, but what if we mega-size the actual flowers instead of just the bouquet size? We love a good huge flower bouquet, headpiece, centerpiece, or ceremony backdrop. The best part? You can totally make these yourself. Read More May 30, 2018 Lush florals go ring-shaped with this DIY floral hoop backdrop I love a good hoop bouquet, but those handy floral hoops can be used for more than just a great alternative bouquet. I've created a series of hoops flowing with greenery and flora that can be used a wedding ceremony backdrop, reception decor, or even a place card holder. With this DIY floral hoop backdrop, you can add as many floral picks as you like to make it as lush as you can imagine. Artificial flowers let you create a backdrop that can go from wedding to living room permanently. It's the beauty of realistic artificial flowers! Here are the steps to go from a simple hoop to intricate backdrop in no time… Read More April 5, 2018 In case of dementor attack, you'll need this Harry Potter wedding favor If you're a Potterphile, you know that chocolate bars have their own powers of soothing you after a dementor attack. So at a wedding with Harry Potter details (where a dementor could prey, naturally!), why not offer up some DIY Harry Potter wedding favors that will do the job nicely. Plus, it only takes some inexpensive chocolate bars, some printer paper, and a printable chocolate bar wrapper. Read More More DIY > Recent Stuff we love February 15, 2019 The trick to getting authentically YOU wedding photos? This stellar NY/NJ-based photographer I love it when a photographer makes me feel like I'm worthy of photographing no matter what I look like, if I'm awkward as hell, or if I deviate from the norms that dictate what we think is "right" or "pretty," or "traditional." That's why the ethos of one of our most rad partners, New York and New Jersey-based Adena at Studio A Images, resonates so much with us. Obviously we do our best to make sure all of our vendors are top notch AND totally inclusive, but sometimes they just fit so comfortably into our mindset that I've just go to introduce you. Read More February 12, 2019 6 handcrafted engagement rings that are truly works of art You know we spend way too much time delving into the oceans of engagement ring bling at Brilliant Earth. There's just so much to see and to inspire your own ring selections. In a recent trip down the ring rabbit hole, I spied a fair few engagement rings that stood out among others as true works of art. In particular, their vintage collection has been hand-curated for exceptional quality and originality. They know that jewelry design isn't just artistry, but also architecture and engineering played out on minute scale. Read More February 5, 2019 On the hunt for an industry-busting & inclusive photographer and coordinator? We've got the ultimate… Sometimes when you partner up with a wedding vendor who so totally embodies everything we hold dear about weddings and especially about our own readers, we have to introduce you. This was very much the case with Seattle/Tacoma-based photography-meets-coordination company Fuck Yeah, Weddings. Owner Kendall has endless enthusiasm for offbeat weddings of all flavors, but also provides both photography AND coordination for a super streamlined process of capturing and planning your wedding. Read More 3.4k February 1, 2019 Are these alternatives to earth-mined diamonds ethical & budget-friendly? Let's find out… We may tout a lot of colored gemstones around these parts, but we know a lot of you are totally down for that classic diamond look. And these days, you really don't have to feel guilty about snagging a real diamond from ring designers who source ethical and conflict-free diamonds. But there are other options you might want to know about which are created without any impact to the earth AND are more budget-friendly. We reached out to our custom-ring wizard partners at Joseph Jewelry to get the scoop on diamond alternatives such as lab created diamonds and moissanite engagement rings. Read More January 29, 2019 From sweet & romantic to grand & theatrical, these wedding headpieces are dropping jaws From retro fascinators to lovely flower crowns to masterpieces of intricate design, these wedding headpieces function as formal accessory but also as re-wearable art for parties, holidays, theater, and more. Jezebel, the artist behind all of these creations, described them as "fun and fabulous frippery" which I think describes what most of us would love for our outfits to be on our wedding day. If you can't have a little frippery, what can you have? Read More More Stuff we love > Recent Wedding 101 January 23, 2019 6 tips for making your wedding website useful AND stylish Are you engaged? YAY! I have a feeling that a lot of you are thinking about wedding hashtags and websites and social media, oh my. Weddings are way more high tech these days and a wedding website is pretty standard fare now. When I got engaged in 2018, I went on a hunt for a really slick wedding website and have a few quick hit tips to share to make your wedding website both ultra useful and seriously captivating. Read More July 12, 2018 Planning tools 101: hotel block comparison chart We launched a comprehensive and totally customizable document of wedding planning spreadsheets in Google Drive if you're the type to get down with spreadsheets like I am. Now we're sharing a chart that will help you compare hotel blocks if you're planning to provide that option to your guests. Hotel blocks allow you to block out some rooms and room rates to help guests grab a good deal on a hotel room. Read More June 27, 2018 Avoiding wedding fights: how to plan your wedding planning Your engagement should be a joyful time. You have a lifetime ahead of you with the person you love. What could be better than to celebrate that love surrounded by friends and family? And yet, somehow things go awry. Conflicts flare. And the time that should be so happy — the build-up to your wedding — is fraught with possibilities for strife. The good news is you can avoid most of the problems by planning your wedding planning. That's right. Plan how you're going to plan. Read More 2.6k April 18, 2018 I bought a colored wedding dress and now everyone's mad! What should I do? I come from a family of strict traditionalists when it comes to everything, especially weddings. I recently bought a peach wedding dress with no sleeves and expressed I wanted light blue hair and Converse to go with it. As you can imagine, things didn't go over well. When I try to stand up for my wedding choices, I'm shamed for it. Please help! Read More 4.3k March 5, 2018 Wedding dates to avoid in 2018, 2019, and beyond I'm compiling this list of wedding dates to avoid in 2018, 2019, and 2020 in case you want to avoid holidays where family and friends might have conflicting events, holidays where vendors might be especially busy and/or expensive (think Valentine's Day for florists), or religious holidays where places might be closed or guests might have other plans. Does this mean you CAN'T book your wedding for one of these days? Hell no! Read More More Wedding 101 > Offbeat Bride: your source for wedding ideas and inclusive wedding planning We've got bajillions of creative wedding ideas, DIY projects, and wedding advice to make your wedding plans easier — and even fun! What do you need to do today? I have no idea. I need Wedding Planning 101! I need a wedding planning checklist (now in an interactive version, too!) Hook me up with free wedding fonts & printables I need offbeat wedding registry ideas I'm curious about offbeat wedding themes (geeky! boho! so many!) Reporter Name * Reporter Email * Original text Enter the original text here. Edited text* Enter your suggested copyedit here. Notes You can add a note for the editor here. * Required information. Fix Typo What wedding planning advice & inspiration do you need today? Dress Eloping Engagement Ring Feminism Floral Print Geeky Harry Potter Invitation Wording Readings Ceremony Advice Fashion Wedding 101 Super cute offbeat wedding invitations @offbeatbride on Insta Newly engaged? Slushies, food trucks, and brunch: 10 delicious ways to make your wedding food fun Your cheatsheet for what to include on wedding invitation Bar talk with Mint & Mirth: Licensing, insurance, and when to hire professional bartenders Going postal: Don't make these 5 mistakes when addressing your wedding invitations What logistics should I consider for a seated bridal party? 6 vital things you need to know when working with a wedding florist 9 wedding website tips to inform, reassure, and give warm fuzzies to your guests Wedding dates to avoid in 2018, 2019, and beyond Read More > A few of our fave wedding vendors DJ Doug Read More Laffler Photography Read More CustomMade Read More Leise Jones Photography Read More Browse our vendor guide > Our infamous spreadsheets & checklists Planning tools 101: wedding budget calculator Impress their asses off: 5 tips for hosting out-of-town wedding guests in your home Planning tools 101: Your wedding guest list planner Our GIANT list of important questions to ask wedding venues Planning tools 101: Your wedding timeline spreadsheet The electronic wedding hacks: Choosing your online wedding planning tools Marriage legal changes you NEED to know about (in plain English, we promise!) Playlists, requests, and backup plans: What to ask your wedding DJ Get planning > We're everywhere! Follow us on social media. Get creative, offbeat wedding ideas delivered daily to your inbox! Join our newsletter SUBSCRIBE Copyright © 2003 - 2019 Offbeat Empire. All rights reserved. Unauthorized reproduction in part or in whole is prohibited. Contact us Terms of Service | Privacy Policy | Monetized by SkimLinks
October 17, 2018 How to avoid your email save-the-date going to spam My partner and I decided to send out email save-the-dates instead of a physical card. I do, however, have a warning for you if you are planning on going the green route with your save-the-date by sending out electronic ones. If you send an email with an image, you may hit your guests' spam folders. Here are some pros and cons of going green with your save-the-dates and how you can avoid your save-the-date going to spam… Read More October 3, 2018 Our delicious unity beer ceremony was… hopping (plus our ceremony wording!) Craft beer has been such a huge part of our relationship that when we were planning our wedding (featured here!), we wanted to include it somehow. I suggested a unity beer ceremony, but we couldn't find any wording online that we liked. We ended up creating our own from scratch, complete with our own unique brand of humor. Read More September 17, 2018 7 fur-tastic ways to include your pet in the wedding day Like all of us who follow famous animals on Instagram, I love seeing your ring dogs, cat save-the-dates, and guinea pig cake toppers. But are there MORE ways to include your pet in the wedding day? I decided to see what was new in the realm of wedding pets. And there was! I saw so many adorable ways to add some pet fur to your day (without wigging them out, of course). Let's get to the honorable wedding puppers and kittehs (and whatever other animals y'all love!)… Read More More Advice > Recent DIY September 18, 2018 Eat 'em or take 'em: these s'mores wedding favors are a gooey gift guests will devour S'mores are a staple of outdoor weddings in any season, but especially in the fall when the weather gets chilly and a bonfire is apropos. You're cooking them up over a bonfire, adding them to your sweets table, and even making them into cakes! But a perfect way to provide a dessert AND a takeaway gift is an easy-to-make s'mores wedding favor. Here's how to make them super easily with a few staples from Michael's Weddings™… Read More 1.4k July 11, 2018 A seriously easy way to make a cathedral veil from your favorite fabric About a month before my wedding, I became fascinated with a colorful floral veil in this post on my favorite wedding blog. I looked around for similar veils online, but couldn't find anything for a price I was willing to pay. So I decided to DIY my veil and it was surprisingly easy! Here's how I did it… Read More June 11, 2018 Supersize your wedding flora with this big crepe paper flower tutorial We know HUGE bouquets are super popular right now, but what if we mega-size the actual flowers instead of just the bouquet size? We love a good huge flower bouquet, headpiece, centerpiece, or ceremony backdrop. The best part? You can totally make these yourself. Read More May 30, 2018 Lush florals go ring-shaped with this DIY floral hoop backdrop I love a good hoop bouquet, but those handy floral hoops can be used for more than just a great alternative bouquet. I've created a series of hoops flowing with greenery and flora that can be used a wedding ceremony backdrop, reception decor, or even a place card holder. With this DIY floral hoop backdrop, you can add as many floral picks as you like to make it as lush as you can imagine. Artificial flowers let you create a backdrop that can go from wedding to living room permanently. It's the beauty of realistic artificial flowers! Here are the steps to go from a simple hoop to intricate backdrop in no time… Read More April 5, 2018 In case of dementor attack, you'll need this Harry Potter wedding favor If you're a Potterphile, you know that chocolate bars have their own powers of soothing you after a dementor attack. So at a wedding with Harry Potter details (where a dementor could prey, naturally!), why not offer up some DIY Harry Potter wedding favors that will do the job nicely. Plus, it only takes some inexpensive chocolate bars, some printer paper, and a printable chocolate bar wrapper. Read More More DIY > Recent Stuff we love February 15, 2019 The trick to getting authentically YOU wedding photos? This stellar NY/NJ-based photographer I love it when a photographer makes me feel like I'm worthy of photographing no matter what I look like, if I'm awkward as hell, or if I deviate from the norms that dictate what we think is "right" or "pretty," or "traditional." That's why the ethos of one of our most rad partners, New York and New Jersey-based Adena at Studio A Images, resonates so much with us. Obviously we do our best to make sure all of our vendors are top notch AND totally inclusive, but sometimes they just fit so comfortably into our mindset that I've just go to introduce you. Read More February 12, 2019 6 handcrafted engagement rings that are truly works of art You know we spend way too much time delving into the oceans of engagement ring bling at Brilliant Earth. There's just so much to see and to inspire your own ring selections. In a recent trip down the ring rabbit hole, I spied a fair few engagement rings that stood out among others as true works of art. In particular, their vintage collection has been hand-curated for exceptional quality and originality. They know that jewelry design isn't just artistry, but also architecture and engineering played out on minute scale. Read More February 5, 2019 On the hunt for an industry-busting & inclusive photographer and coordinator? We've got the ultimate… Sometimes when you partner up with a wedding vendor who so totally embodies everything we hold dear about weddings and especially about our own readers, we have to introduce you. This was very much the case with Seattle/Tacoma-based photography-meets-coordination company Fuck Yeah, Weddings. Owner Kendall has endless enthusiasm for offbeat weddings of all flavors, but also provides both photography AND coordination for a super streamlined process of capturing and planning your wedding. Read More 3.4k February 1, 2019 Are these alternatives to earth-mined diamonds ethical & budget-friendly? Let's find out… We may tout a lot of colored gemstones around these parts, but we know a lot of you are totally down for that classic diamond look. And these days, you really don't have to feel guilty about snagging a real diamond from ring designers who source ethical and conflict-free diamonds. But there are other options you might want to know about which are created without any impact to the earth AND are more budget-friendly. We reached out to our custom-ring wizard partners at Joseph Jewelry to get the scoop on diamond alternatives such as lab created diamonds and moissanite engagement rings. Read More January 29, 2019 From sweet & romantic to grand & theatrical, these wedding headpieces are dropping jaws From retro fascinators to lovely flower crowns to masterpieces of intricate design, these wedding headpieces function as formal accessory but also as re-wearable art for parties, holidays, theater, and more. Jezebel, the artist behind all of these creations, described them as "fun and fabulous frippery" which I think describes what most of us would love for our outfits to be on our wedding day. If you can't have a little frippery, what can you have? Read More More Stuff we love > Recent Wedding 101 January 23, 2019 6 tips for making your wedding website useful AND stylish Are you engaged? YAY! I have a feeling that a lot of you are thinking about wedding hashtags and websites and social media, oh my. Weddings are way more high tech these days and a wedding website is pretty standard fare now. When I got engaged in 2018, I went on a hunt for a really slick wedding website and have a few quick hit tips to share to make your wedding website both ultra useful and seriously captivating. Read More July 12, 2018 Planning tools 101: hotel block comparison chart We launched a comprehensive and totally customizable document of wedding planning spreadsheets in Google Drive if you're the type to get down with spreadsheets like I am. Now we're sharing a chart that will help you compare hotel blocks if you're planning to provide that option to your guests. Hotel blocks allow you to block out some rooms and room rates to help guests grab a good deal on a hotel room. Read More June 27, 2018 Avoiding wedding fights: how to plan your wedding planning Your engagement should be a joyful time. You have a lifetime ahead of you with the person you love. What could be better than to celebrate that love surrounded by friends and family? And yet, somehow things go awry. Conflicts flare. And the time that should be so happy — the build-up to your wedding — is fraught with possibilities for strife. The good news is you can avoid most of the problems by planning your wedding planning. That's right. Plan how you're going to plan. Read More 2.6k April 18, 2018 I bought a colored wedding dress and now everyone's mad! What should I do? I come from a family of strict traditionalists when it comes to everything, especially weddings. I recently bought a peach wedding dress with no sleeves and expressed I wanted light blue hair and Converse to go with it. As you can imagine, things didn't go over well. When I try to stand up for my wedding choices, I'm shamed for it. Please help! Read More 4.3k March 5, 2018 Wedding dates to avoid in 2018, 2019, and beyond I'm compiling this list of wedding dates to avoid in 2018, 2019, and 2020 in case you want to avoid holidays where family and friends might have conflicting events, holidays where vendors might be especially busy and/or expensive (think Valentine's Day for florists), or religious holidays where places might be closed or guests might have other plans. Does this mean you CAN'T book your wedding for one of these days? Hell no! Read More More Wedding 101 > Offbeat Bride: your source for wedding ideas and inclusive wedding planning We've got bajillions of creative wedding ideas, DIY projects, and wedding advice to make your wedding plans easier — and even fun! What do you need to do today? I have no idea. I need Wedding Planning 101! I need a wedding planning checklist (now in an interactive version, too!) Hook me up with free wedding fonts & printables I need offbeat wedding registry ideas I'm curious about offbeat wedding themes (geeky! boho! so many!) Reporter Name * Reporter Email * Original text Enter the original text here. Edited text* Enter your suggested copyedit here. Notes You can add a note for the editor here. * Required information. Fix Typo What wedding planning advice & inspiration do you need today? Dress Eloping Engagement Ring Feminism Floral Print Geeky Harry Potter Invitation Wording Readings Ceremony Advice Fashion Wedding 101 Super cute offbeat wedding invitations @offbeatbride on Insta Newly engaged? Slushies, food trucks, and brunch: 10 delicious ways to make your wedding food fun Your cheatsheet for what to include on wedding invitation Bar talk with Mint & Mirth: Licensing, insurance, and when to hire professional bartenders Going postal: Don't make these 5 mistakes when addressing your wedding invitations What logistics should I consider for a seated bridal party? 6 vital things you need to know when working with a wedding florist 9 wedding website tips to inform, reassure, and give warm fuzzies to your guests Wedding dates to avoid in 2018, 2019, and beyond Read More > A few of our fave wedding vendors DJ Doug Read More Laffler Photography Read More CustomMade Read More Leise Jones Photography Read More Browse our vendor guide > Our infamous spreadsheets & checklists Planning tools 101: wedding budget calculator Impress their asses off: 5 tips for hosting out-of-town wedding guests in your home Planning tools 101: Your wedding guest list planner Our GIANT list of important questions to ask wedding venues Planning tools 101: Your wedding timeline spreadsheet The electronic wedding hacks: Choosing your online wedding planning tools Marriage legal changes you NEED to know about (in plain English, we promise!) Playlists, requests, and backup plans: What to ask your wedding DJ Get planning > We're everywhere! Follow us on social media. Get creative, offbeat wedding ideas delivered daily to your inbox! Join our newsletter SUBSCRIBE Copyright © 2003 - 2019 Offbeat Empire. All rights reserved. Unauthorized reproduction in part or in whole is prohibited. Contact us Terms of Service | Privacy Policy | Monetized by SkimLinks
October 3, 2018 Our delicious unity beer ceremony was… hopping (plus our ceremony wording!) Craft beer has been such a huge part of our relationship that when we were planning our wedding (featured here!), we wanted to include it somehow. I suggested a unity beer ceremony, but we couldn't find any wording online that we liked. We ended up creating our own from scratch, complete with our own unique brand of humor. Read More September 17, 2018 7 fur-tastic ways to include your pet in the wedding day Like all of us who follow famous animals on Instagram, I love seeing your ring dogs, cat save-the-dates, and guinea pig cake toppers. But are there MORE ways to include your pet in the wedding day? I decided to see what was new in the realm of wedding pets. And there was! I saw so many adorable ways to add some pet fur to your day (without wigging them out, of course). Let's get to the honorable wedding puppers and kittehs (and whatever other animals y'all love!)… Read More More Advice > Recent DIY September 18, 2018 Eat 'em or take 'em: these s'mores wedding favors are a gooey gift guests will devour S'mores are a staple of outdoor weddings in any season, but especially in the fall when the weather gets chilly and a bonfire is apropos. You're cooking them up over a bonfire, adding them to your sweets table, and even making them into cakes! But a perfect way to provide a dessert AND a takeaway gift is an easy-to-make s'mores wedding favor. Here's how to make them super easily with a few staples from Michael's Weddings™… Read More 1.4k July 11, 2018 A seriously easy way to make a cathedral veil from your favorite fabric About a month before my wedding, I became fascinated with a colorful floral veil in this post on my favorite wedding blog. I looked around for similar veils online, but couldn't find anything for a price I was willing to pay. So I decided to DIY my veil and it was surprisingly easy! Here's how I did it… Read More June 11, 2018 Supersize your wedding flora with this big crepe paper flower tutorial We know HUGE bouquets are super popular right now, but what if we mega-size the actual flowers instead of just the bouquet size? We love a good huge flower bouquet, headpiece, centerpiece, or ceremony backdrop. The best part? You can totally make these yourself. Read More May 30, 2018 Lush florals go ring-shaped with this DIY floral hoop backdrop I love a good hoop bouquet, but those handy floral hoops can be used for more than just a great alternative bouquet. I've created a series of hoops flowing with greenery and flora that can be used a wedding ceremony backdrop, reception decor, or even a place card holder. With this DIY floral hoop backdrop, you can add as many floral picks as you like to make it as lush as you can imagine. Artificial flowers let you create a backdrop that can go from wedding to living room permanently. It's the beauty of realistic artificial flowers! Here are the steps to go from a simple hoop to intricate backdrop in no time… Read More April 5, 2018 In case of dementor attack, you'll need this Harry Potter wedding favor If you're a Potterphile, you know that chocolate bars have their own powers of soothing you after a dementor attack. So at a wedding with Harry Potter details (where a dementor could prey, naturally!), why not offer up some DIY Harry Potter wedding favors that will do the job nicely. Plus, it only takes some inexpensive chocolate bars, some printer paper, and a printable chocolate bar wrapper. Read More More DIY > Recent Stuff we love February 15, 2019 The trick to getting authentically YOU wedding photos? This stellar NY/NJ-based photographer I love it when a photographer makes me feel like I'm worthy of photographing no matter what I look like, if I'm awkward as hell, or if I deviate from the norms that dictate what we think is "right" or "pretty," or "traditional." That's why the ethos of one of our most rad partners, New York and New Jersey-based Adena at Studio A Images, resonates so much with us. Obviously we do our best to make sure all of our vendors are top notch AND totally inclusive, but sometimes they just fit so comfortably into our mindset that I've just go to introduce you. Read More February 12, 2019 6 handcrafted engagement rings that are truly works of art You know we spend way too much time delving into the oceans of engagement ring bling at Brilliant Earth. There's just so much to see and to inspire your own ring selections. In a recent trip down the ring rabbit hole, I spied a fair few engagement rings that stood out among others as true works of art. In particular, their vintage collection has been hand-curated for exceptional quality and originality. They know that jewelry design isn't just artistry, but also architecture and engineering played out on minute scale. Read More February 5, 2019 On the hunt for an industry-busting & inclusive photographer and coordinator? We've got the ultimate… Sometimes when you partner up with a wedding vendor who so totally embodies everything we hold dear about weddings and especially about our own readers, we have to introduce you. This was very much the case with Seattle/Tacoma-based photography-meets-coordination company Fuck Yeah, Weddings. Owner Kendall has endless enthusiasm for offbeat weddings of all flavors, but also provides both photography AND coordination for a super streamlined process of capturing and planning your wedding. Read More 3.4k February 1, 2019 Are these alternatives to earth-mined diamonds ethical & budget-friendly? Let's find out… We may tout a lot of colored gemstones around these parts, but we know a lot of you are totally down for that classic diamond look. And these days, you really don't have to feel guilty about snagging a real diamond from ring designers who source ethical and conflict-free diamonds. But there are other options you might want to know about which are created without any impact to the earth AND are more budget-friendly. We reached out to our custom-ring wizard partners at Joseph Jewelry to get the scoop on diamond alternatives such as lab created diamonds and moissanite engagement rings. Read More January 29, 2019 From sweet & romantic to grand & theatrical, these wedding headpieces are dropping jaws From retro fascinators to lovely flower crowns to masterpieces of intricate design, these wedding headpieces function as formal accessory but also as re-wearable art for parties, holidays, theater, and more. Jezebel, the artist behind all of these creations, described them as "fun and fabulous frippery" which I think describes what most of us would love for our outfits to be on our wedding day. If you can't have a little frippery, what can you have? Read More More Stuff we love > Recent Wedding 101 January 23, 2019 6 tips for making your wedding website useful AND stylish Are you engaged? YAY! I have a feeling that a lot of you are thinking about wedding hashtags and websites and social media, oh my. Weddings are way more high tech these days and a wedding website is pretty standard fare now. When I got engaged in 2018, I went on a hunt for a really slick wedding website and have a few quick hit tips to share to make your wedding website both ultra useful and seriously captivating. Read More July 12, 2018 Planning tools 101: hotel block comparison chart We launched a comprehensive and totally customizable document of wedding planning spreadsheets in Google Drive if you're the type to get down with spreadsheets like I am. Now we're sharing a chart that will help you compare hotel blocks if you're planning to provide that option to your guests. Hotel blocks allow you to block out some rooms and room rates to help guests grab a good deal on a hotel room. Read More June 27, 2018 Avoiding wedding fights: how to plan your wedding planning Your engagement should be a joyful time. You have a lifetime ahead of you with the person you love. What could be better than to celebrate that love surrounded by friends and family? And yet, somehow things go awry. Conflicts flare. And the time that should be so happy — the build-up to your wedding — is fraught with possibilities for strife. The good news is you can avoid most of the problems by planning your wedding planning. That's right. Plan how you're going to plan. Read More 2.6k April 18, 2018 I bought a colored wedding dress and now everyone's mad! What should I do? I come from a family of strict traditionalists when it comes to everything, especially weddings. I recently bought a peach wedding dress with no sleeves and expressed I wanted light blue hair and Converse to go with it. As you can imagine, things didn't go over well. When I try to stand up for my wedding choices, I'm shamed for it. Please help! Read More 4.3k March 5, 2018 Wedding dates to avoid in 2018, 2019, and beyond I'm compiling this list of wedding dates to avoid in 2018, 2019, and 2020 in case you want to avoid holidays where family and friends might have conflicting events, holidays where vendors might be especially busy and/or expensive (think Valentine's Day for florists), or religious holidays where places might be closed or guests might have other plans. Does this mean you CAN'T book your wedding for one of these days? Hell no! Read More More Wedding 101 > Offbeat Bride: your source for wedding ideas and inclusive wedding planning We've got bajillions of creative wedding ideas, DIY projects, and wedding advice to make your wedding plans easier — and even fun! What do you need to do today? I have no idea. I need Wedding Planning 101! I need a wedding planning checklist (now in an interactive version, too!) Hook me up with free wedding fonts & printables I need offbeat wedding registry ideas I'm curious about offbeat wedding themes (geeky! boho! so many!) Reporter Name * Reporter Email * Original text Enter the original text here. Edited text* Enter your suggested copyedit here. Notes You can add a note for the editor here. * Required information. Fix Typo What wedding planning advice & inspiration do you need today? Dress Eloping Engagement Ring Feminism Floral Print Geeky Harry Potter Invitation Wording Readings Ceremony Advice Fashion Wedding 101 Super cute offbeat wedding invitations @offbeatbride on Insta Newly engaged? Slushies, food trucks, and brunch: 10 delicious ways to make your wedding food fun Your cheatsheet for what to include on wedding invitation Bar talk with Mint & Mirth: Licensing, insurance, and when to hire professional bartenders Going postal: Don't make these 5 mistakes when addressing your wedding invitations What logistics should I consider for a seated bridal party? 6 vital things you need to know when working with a wedding florist 9 wedding website tips to inform, reassure, and give warm fuzzies to your guests Wedding dates to avoid in 2018, 2019, and beyond Read More > A few of our fave wedding vendors DJ Doug Read More Laffler Photography Read More CustomMade Read More Leise Jones Photography Read More Browse our vendor guide > Our infamous spreadsheets & checklists Planning tools 101: wedding budget calculator Impress their asses off: 5 tips for hosting out-of-town wedding guests in your home Planning tools 101: Your wedding guest list planner Our GIANT list of important questions to ask wedding venues Planning tools 101: Your wedding timeline spreadsheet The electronic wedding hacks: Choosing your online wedding planning tools Marriage legal changes you NEED to know about (in plain English, we promise!) Playlists, requests, and backup plans: What to ask your wedding DJ Get planning > We're everywhere! Follow us on social media. Get creative, offbeat wedding ideas delivered daily to your inbox! Join our newsletter SUBSCRIBE Copyright © 2003 - 2019 Offbeat Empire. All rights reserved. Unauthorized reproduction in part or in whole is prohibited. Contact us Terms of Service | Privacy Policy | Monetized by SkimLinks
September 17, 2018 7 fur-tastic ways to include your pet in the wedding day Like all of us who follow famous animals on Instagram, I love seeing your ring dogs, cat save-the-dates, and guinea pig cake toppers. But are there MORE ways to include your pet in the wedding day? I decided to see what was new in the realm of wedding pets. And there was! I saw so many adorable ways to add some pet fur to your day (without wigging them out, of course). Let's get to the honorable wedding puppers and kittehs (and whatever other animals y'all love!)… Read More More Advice > Recent DIY September 18, 2018 Eat 'em or take 'em: these s'mores wedding favors are a gooey gift guests will devour S'mores are a staple of outdoor weddings in any season, but especially in the fall when the weather gets chilly and a bonfire is apropos. You're cooking them up over a bonfire, adding them to your sweets table, and even making them into cakes! But a perfect way to provide a dessert AND a takeaway gift is an easy-to-make s'mores wedding favor. Here's how to make them super easily with a few staples from Michael's Weddings™… Read More 1.4k July 11, 2018 A seriously easy way to make a cathedral veil from your favorite fabric About a month before my wedding, I became fascinated with a colorful floral veil in this post on my favorite wedding blog. I looked around for similar veils online, but couldn't find anything for a price I was willing to pay. So I decided to DIY my veil and it was surprisingly easy! Here's how I did it… Read More June 11, 2018 Supersize your wedding flora with this big crepe paper flower tutorial We know HUGE bouquets are super popular right now, but what if we mega-size the actual flowers instead of just the bouquet size? We love a good huge flower bouquet, headpiece, centerpiece, or ceremony backdrop. The best part? You can totally make these yourself. Read More May 30, 2018 Lush florals go ring-shaped with this DIY floral hoop backdrop I love a good hoop bouquet, but those handy floral hoops can be used for more than just a great alternative bouquet. I've created a series of hoops flowing with greenery and flora that can be used a wedding ceremony backdrop, reception decor, or even a place card holder. With this DIY floral hoop backdrop, you can add as many floral picks as you like to make it as lush as you can imagine. Artificial flowers let you create a backdrop that can go from wedding to living room permanently. It's the beauty of realistic artificial flowers! Here are the steps to go from a simple hoop to intricate backdrop in no time… Read More April 5, 2018 In case of dementor attack, you'll need this Harry Potter wedding favor If you're a Potterphile, you know that chocolate bars have their own powers of soothing you after a dementor attack. So at a wedding with Harry Potter details (where a dementor could prey, naturally!), why not offer up some DIY Harry Potter wedding favors that will do the job nicely. Plus, it only takes some inexpensive chocolate bars, some printer paper, and a printable chocolate bar wrapper. Read More More DIY > Recent Stuff we love February 15, 2019 The trick to getting authentically YOU wedding photos? This stellar NY/NJ-based photographer I love it when a photographer makes me feel like I'm worthy of photographing no matter what I look like, if I'm awkward as hell, or if I deviate from the norms that dictate what we think is "right" or "pretty," or "traditional." That's why the ethos of one of our most rad partners, New York and New Jersey-based Adena at Studio A Images, resonates so much with us. Obviously we do our best to make sure all of our vendors are top notch AND totally inclusive, but sometimes they just fit so comfortably into our mindset that I've just go to introduce you. Read More February 12, 2019 6 handcrafted engagement rings that are truly works of art You know we spend way too much time delving into the oceans of engagement ring bling at Brilliant Earth. There's just so much to see and to inspire your own ring selections. In a recent trip down the ring rabbit hole, I spied a fair few engagement rings that stood out among others as true works of art. In particular, their vintage collection has been hand-curated for exceptional quality and originality. They know that jewelry design isn't just artistry, but also architecture and engineering played out on minute scale. Read More February 5, 2019 On the hunt for an industry-busting & inclusive photographer and coordinator? We've got the ultimate… Sometimes when you partner up with a wedding vendor who so totally embodies everything we hold dear about weddings and especially about our own readers, we have to introduce you. This was very much the case with Seattle/Tacoma-based photography-meets-coordination company Fuck Yeah, Weddings. Owner Kendall has endless enthusiasm for offbeat weddings of all flavors, but also provides both photography AND coordination for a super streamlined process of capturing and planning your wedding. Read More 3.4k February 1, 2019 Are these alternatives to earth-mined diamonds ethical & budget-friendly? Let's find out… We may tout a lot of colored gemstones around these parts, but we know a lot of you are totally down for that classic diamond look. And these days, you really don't have to feel guilty about snagging a real diamond from ring designers who source ethical and conflict-free diamonds. But there are other options you might want to know about which are created without any impact to the earth AND are more budget-friendly. We reached out to our custom-ring wizard partners at Joseph Jewelry to get the scoop on diamond alternatives such as lab created diamonds and moissanite engagement rings. Read More January 29, 2019 From sweet & romantic to grand & theatrical, these wedding headpieces are dropping jaws From retro fascinators to lovely flower crowns to masterpieces of intricate design, these wedding headpieces function as formal accessory but also as re-wearable art for parties, holidays, theater, and more. Jezebel, the artist behind all of these creations, described them as "fun and fabulous frippery" which I think describes what most of us would love for our outfits to be on our wedding day. If you can't have a little frippery, what can you have? Read More More Stuff we love > Recent Wedding 101 January 23, 2019 6 tips for making your wedding website useful AND stylish Are you engaged? YAY! I have a feeling that a lot of you are thinking about wedding hashtags and websites and social media, oh my. Weddings are way more high tech these days and a wedding website is pretty standard fare now. When I got engaged in 2018, I went on a hunt for a really slick wedding website and have a few quick hit tips to share to make your wedding website both ultra useful and seriously captivating. Read More July 12, 2018 Planning tools 101: hotel block comparison chart We launched a comprehensive and totally customizable document of wedding planning spreadsheets in Google Drive if you're the type to get down with spreadsheets like I am. Now we're sharing a chart that will help you compare hotel blocks if you're planning to provide that option to your guests. Hotel blocks allow you to block out some rooms and room rates to help guests grab a good deal on a hotel room. Read More June 27, 2018 Avoiding wedding fights: how to plan your wedding planning Your engagement should be a joyful time. You have a lifetime ahead of you with the person you love. What could be better than to celebrate that love surrounded by friends and family? And yet, somehow things go awry. Conflicts flare. And the time that should be so happy — the build-up to your wedding — is fraught with possibilities for strife. The good news is you can avoid most of the problems by planning your wedding planning. That's right. Plan how you're going to plan. Read More 2.6k April 18, 2018 I bought a colored wedding dress and now everyone's mad! What should I do? I come from a family of strict traditionalists when it comes to everything, especially weddings. I recently bought a peach wedding dress with no sleeves and expressed I wanted light blue hair and Converse to go with it. As you can imagine, things didn't go over well. When I try to stand up for my wedding choices, I'm shamed for it. Please help! Read More 4.3k March 5, 2018 Wedding dates to avoid in 2018, 2019, and beyond I'm compiling this list of wedding dates to avoid in 2018, 2019, and 2020 in case you want to avoid holidays where family and friends might have conflicting events, holidays where vendors might be especially busy and/or expensive (think Valentine's Day for florists), or religious holidays where places might be closed or guests might have other plans. Does this mean you CAN'T book your wedding for one of these days? Hell no! Read More More Wedding 101 > Offbeat Bride: your source for wedding ideas and inclusive wedding planning We've got bajillions of creative wedding ideas, DIY projects, and wedding advice to make your wedding plans easier — and even fun! What do you need to do today? I have no idea. I need Wedding Planning 101! I need a wedding planning checklist (now in an interactive version, too!) Hook me up with free wedding fonts & printables I need offbeat wedding registry ideas I'm curious about offbeat wedding themes (geeky! boho! so many!) Reporter Name * Reporter Email * Original text Enter the original text here. Edited text* Enter your suggested copyedit here. Notes You can add a note for the editor here. * Required information. Fix Typo What wedding planning advice & inspiration do you need today? Dress Eloping Engagement Ring Feminism Floral Print Geeky Harry Potter Invitation Wording Readings Ceremony Advice Fashion Wedding 101 Super cute offbeat wedding invitations @offbeatbride on Insta Newly engaged? Slushies, food trucks, and brunch: 10 delicious ways to make your wedding food fun Your cheatsheet for what to include on wedding invitation Bar talk with Mint & Mirth: Licensing, insurance, and when to hire professional bartenders Going postal: Don't make these 5 mistakes when addressing your wedding invitations What logistics should I consider for a seated bridal party? 6 vital things you need to know when working with a wedding florist 9 wedding website tips to inform, reassure, and give warm fuzzies to your guests Wedding dates to avoid in 2018, 2019, and beyond Read More > A few of our fave wedding vendors DJ Doug Read More Laffler Photography Read More CustomMade Read More Leise Jones Photography Read More Browse our vendor guide > Our infamous spreadsheets & checklists Planning tools 101: wedding budget calculator Impress their asses off: 5 tips for hosting out-of-town wedding guests in your home Planning tools 101: Your wedding guest list planner Our GIANT list of important questions to ask wedding venues Planning tools 101: Your wedding timeline spreadsheet The electronic wedding hacks: Choosing your online wedding planning tools Marriage legal changes you NEED to know about (in plain English, we promise!) Playlists, requests, and backup plans: What to ask your wedding DJ Get planning > We're everywhere! Follow us on social media. Get creative, offbeat wedding ideas delivered daily to your inbox! Join our newsletter SUBSCRIBE Copyright © 2003 - 2019 Offbeat Empire. All rights reserved. Unauthorized reproduction in part or in whole is prohibited. Contact us Terms of Service | Privacy Policy | Monetized by SkimLinks
September 18, 2018 Eat 'em or take 'em: these s'mores wedding favors are a gooey gift guests will devour S'mores are a staple of outdoor weddings in any season, but especially in the fall when the weather gets chilly and a bonfire is apropos. You're cooking them up over a bonfire, adding them to your sweets table, and even making them into cakes! But a perfect way to provide a dessert AND a takeaway gift is an easy-to-make s'mores wedding favor. Here's how to make them super easily with a few staples from Michael's Weddings™… Read More 1.4k July 11, 2018 A seriously easy way to make a cathedral veil from your favorite fabric About a month before my wedding, I became fascinated with a colorful floral veil in this post on my favorite wedding blog. I looked around for similar veils online, but couldn't find anything for a price I was willing to pay. So I decided to DIY my veil and it was surprisingly easy! Here's how I did it… Read More June 11, 2018 Supersize your wedding flora with this big crepe paper flower tutorial We know HUGE bouquets are super popular right now, but what if we mega-size the actual flowers instead of just the bouquet size? We love a good huge flower bouquet, headpiece, centerpiece, or ceremony backdrop. The best part? You can totally make these yourself. Read More May 30, 2018 Lush florals go ring-shaped with this DIY floral hoop backdrop I love a good hoop bouquet, but those handy floral hoops can be used for more than just a great alternative bouquet. I've created a series of hoops flowing with greenery and flora that can be used a wedding ceremony backdrop, reception decor, or even a place card holder. With this DIY floral hoop backdrop, you can add as many floral picks as you like to make it as lush as you can imagine. Artificial flowers let you create a backdrop that can go from wedding to living room permanently. It's the beauty of realistic artificial flowers! Here are the steps to go from a simple hoop to intricate backdrop in no time… Read More April 5, 2018 In case of dementor attack, you'll need this Harry Potter wedding favor If you're a Potterphile, you know that chocolate bars have their own powers of soothing you after a dementor attack. So at a wedding with Harry Potter details (where a dementor could prey, naturally!), why not offer up some DIY Harry Potter wedding favors that will do the job nicely. Plus, it only takes some inexpensive chocolate bars, some printer paper, and a printable chocolate bar wrapper. Read More More DIY > Recent Stuff we love February 15, 2019 The trick to getting authentically YOU wedding photos? This stellar NY/NJ-based photographer I love it when a photographer makes me feel like I'm worthy of photographing no matter what I look like, if I'm awkward as hell, or if I deviate from the norms that dictate what we think is "right" or "pretty," or "traditional." That's why the ethos of one of our most rad partners, New York and New Jersey-based Adena at Studio A Images, resonates so much with us. Obviously we do our best to make sure all of our vendors are top notch AND totally inclusive, but sometimes they just fit so comfortably into our mindset that I've just go to introduce you. Read More February 12, 2019 6 handcrafted engagement rings that are truly works of art You know we spend way too much time delving into the oceans of engagement ring bling at Brilliant Earth. There's just so much to see and to inspire your own ring selections. In a recent trip down the ring rabbit hole, I spied a fair few engagement rings that stood out among others as true works of art. In particular, their vintage collection has been hand-curated for exceptional quality and originality. They know that jewelry design isn't just artistry, but also architecture and engineering played out on minute scale. Read More February 5, 2019 On the hunt for an industry-busting & inclusive photographer and coordinator? We've got the ultimate… Sometimes when you partner up with a wedding vendor who so totally embodies everything we hold dear about weddings and especially about our own readers, we have to introduce you. This was very much the case with Seattle/Tacoma-based photography-meets-coordination company Fuck Yeah, Weddings. Owner Kendall has endless enthusiasm for offbeat weddings of all flavors, but also provides both photography AND coordination for a super streamlined process of capturing and planning your wedding. Read More 3.4k February 1, 2019 Are these alternatives to earth-mined diamonds ethical & budget-friendly? Let's find out… We may tout a lot of colored gemstones around these parts, but we know a lot of you are totally down for that classic diamond look. And these days, you really don't have to feel guilty about snagging a real diamond from ring designers who source ethical and conflict-free diamonds. But there are other options you might want to know about which are created without any impact to the earth AND are more budget-friendly. We reached out to our custom-ring wizard partners at Joseph Jewelry to get the scoop on diamond alternatives such as lab created diamonds and moissanite engagement rings. Read More January 29, 2019 From sweet & romantic to grand & theatrical, these wedding headpieces are dropping jaws From retro fascinators to lovely flower crowns to masterpieces of intricate design, these wedding headpieces function as formal accessory but also as re-wearable art for parties, holidays, theater, and more. Jezebel, the artist behind all of these creations, described them as "fun and fabulous frippery" which I think describes what most of us would love for our outfits to be on our wedding day. If you can't have a little frippery, what can you have? Read More More Stuff we love > Recent Wedding 101 January 23, 2019 6 tips for making your wedding website useful AND stylish Are you engaged? YAY! I have a feeling that a lot of you are thinking about wedding hashtags and websites and social media, oh my. Weddings are way more high tech these days and a wedding website is pretty standard fare now. When I got engaged in 2018, I went on a hunt for a really slick wedding website and have a few quick hit tips to share to make your wedding website both ultra useful and seriously captivating. Read More July 12, 2018 Planning tools 101: hotel block comparison chart We launched a comprehensive and totally customizable document of wedding planning spreadsheets in Google Drive if you're the type to get down with spreadsheets like I am. Now we're sharing a chart that will help you compare hotel blocks if you're planning to provide that option to your guests. Hotel blocks allow you to block out some rooms and room rates to help guests grab a good deal on a hotel room. Read More June 27, 2018 Avoiding wedding fights: how to plan your wedding planning Your engagement should be a joyful time. You have a lifetime ahead of you with the person you love. What could be better than to celebrate that love surrounded by friends and family? And yet, somehow things go awry. Conflicts flare. And the time that should be so happy — the build-up to your wedding — is fraught with possibilities for strife. The good news is you can avoid most of the problems by planning your wedding planning. That's right. Plan how you're going to plan. Read More 2.6k April 18, 2018 I bought a colored wedding dress and now everyone's mad! What should I do? I come from a family of strict traditionalists when it comes to everything, especially weddings. I recently bought a peach wedding dress with no sleeves and expressed I wanted light blue hair and Converse to go with it. As you can imagine, things didn't go over well. When I try to stand up for my wedding choices, I'm shamed for it. Please help! Read More 4.3k March 5, 2018 Wedding dates to avoid in 2018, 2019, and beyond I'm compiling this list of wedding dates to avoid in 2018, 2019, and 2020 in case you want to avoid holidays where family and friends might have conflicting events, holidays where vendors might be especially busy and/or expensive (think Valentine's Day for florists), or religious holidays where places might be closed or guests might have other plans. Does this mean you CAN'T book your wedding for one of these days? Hell no! Read More More Wedding 101 > Offbeat Bride: your source for wedding ideas and inclusive wedding planning We've got bajillions of creative wedding ideas, DIY projects, and wedding advice to make your wedding plans easier — and even fun! What do you need to do today? I have no idea. I need Wedding Planning 101! I need a wedding planning checklist (now in an interactive version, too!) Hook me up with free wedding fonts & printables I need offbeat wedding registry ideas I'm curious about offbeat wedding themes (geeky! boho! so many!) Reporter Name * Reporter Email * Original text Enter the original text here. Edited text* Enter your suggested copyedit here. Notes You can add a note for the editor here. * Required information. Fix Typo What wedding planning advice & inspiration do you need today? Dress Eloping Engagement Ring Feminism Floral Print Geeky Harry Potter Invitation Wording Readings Ceremony Advice Fashion Wedding 101 Super cute offbeat wedding invitations @offbeatbride on Insta Newly engaged? Slushies, food trucks, and brunch: 10 delicious ways to make your wedding food fun Your cheatsheet for what to include on wedding invitation Bar talk with Mint & Mirth: Licensing, insurance, and when to hire professional bartenders Going postal: Don't make these 5 mistakes when addressing your wedding invitations What logistics should I consider for a seated bridal party? 6 vital things you need to know when working with a wedding florist 9 wedding website tips to inform, reassure, and give warm fuzzies to your guests Wedding dates to avoid in 2018, 2019, and beyond Read More > A few of our fave wedding vendors DJ Doug Read More Laffler Photography Read More CustomMade Read More Leise Jones Photography Read More Browse our vendor guide > Our infamous spreadsheets & checklists Planning tools 101: wedding budget calculator Impress their asses off: 5 tips for hosting out-of-town wedding guests in your home Planning tools 101: Your wedding guest list planner Our GIANT list of important questions to ask wedding venues Planning tools 101: Your wedding timeline spreadsheet The electronic wedding hacks: Choosing your online wedding planning tools Marriage legal changes you NEED to know about (in plain English, we promise!) Playlists, requests, and backup plans: What to ask your wedding DJ Get planning > We're everywhere! Follow us on social media. Get creative, offbeat wedding ideas delivered daily to your inbox! Join our newsletter SUBSCRIBE Copyright © 2003 - 2019 Offbeat Empire. All rights reserved. Unauthorized reproduction in part or in whole is prohibited. Contact us Terms of Service | Privacy Policy | Monetized by SkimLinks
1.4k July 11, 2018 A seriously easy way to make a cathedral veil from your favorite fabric About a month before my wedding, I became fascinated with a colorful floral veil in this post on my favorite wedding blog. I looked around for similar veils online, but couldn't find anything for a price I was willing to pay. So I decided to DIY my veil and it was surprisingly easy! Here's how I did it… Read More June 11, 2018 Supersize your wedding flora with this big crepe paper flower tutorial We know HUGE bouquets are super popular right now, but what if we mega-size the actual flowers instead of just the bouquet size? We love a good huge flower bouquet, headpiece, centerpiece, or ceremony backdrop. The best part? You can totally make these yourself. Read More May 30, 2018 Lush florals go ring-shaped with this DIY floral hoop backdrop I love a good hoop bouquet, but those handy floral hoops can be used for more than just a great alternative bouquet. I've created a series of hoops flowing with greenery and flora that can be used a wedding ceremony backdrop, reception decor, or even a place card holder. With this DIY floral hoop backdrop, you can add as many floral picks as you like to make it as lush as you can imagine. Artificial flowers let you create a backdrop that can go from wedding to living room permanently. It's the beauty of realistic artificial flowers! Here are the steps to go from a simple hoop to intricate backdrop in no time… Read More April 5, 2018 In case of dementor attack, you'll need this Harry Potter wedding favor If you're a Potterphile, you know that chocolate bars have their own powers of soothing you after a dementor attack. So at a wedding with Harry Potter details (where a dementor could prey, naturally!), why not offer up some DIY Harry Potter wedding favors that will do the job nicely. Plus, it only takes some inexpensive chocolate bars, some printer paper, and a printable chocolate bar wrapper. Read More More DIY > Recent Stuff we love February 15, 2019 The trick to getting authentically YOU wedding photos? This stellar NY/NJ-based photographer I love it when a photographer makes me feel like I'm worthy of photographing no matter what I look like, if I'm awkward as hell, or if I deviate from the norms that dictate what we think is "right" or "pretty," or "traditional." That's why the ethos of one of our most rad partners, New York and New Jersey-based Adena at Studio A Images, resonates so much with us. Obviously we do our best to make sure all of our vendors are top notch AND totally inclusive, but sometimes they just fit so comfortably into our mindset that I've just go to introduce you. Read More February 12, 2019 6 handcrafted engagement rings that are truly works of art You know we spend way too much time delving into the oceans of engagement ring bling at Brilliant Earth. There's just so much to see and to inspire your own ring selections. In a recent trip down the ring rabbit hole, I spied a fair few engagement rings that stood out among others as true works of art. In particular, their vintage collection has been hand-curated for exceptional quality and originality. They know that jewelry design isn't just artistry, but also architecture and engineering played out on minute scale. Read More February 5, 2019 On the hunt for an industry-busting & inclusive photographer and coordinator? We've got the ultimate… Sometimes when you partner up with a wedding vendor who so totally embodies everything we hold dear about weddings and especially about our own readers, we have to introduce you. This was very much the case with Seattle/Tacoma-based photography-meets-coordination company Fuck Yeah, Weddings. Owner Kendall has endless enthusiasm for offbeat weddings of all flavors, but also provides both photography AND coordination for a super streamlined process of capturing and planning your wedding. Read More 3.4k February 1, 2019 Are these alternatives to earth-mined diamonds ethical & budget-friendly? Let's find out… We may tout a lot of colored gemstones around these parts, but we know a lot of you are totally down for that classic diamond look. And these days, you really don't have to feel guilty about snagging a real diamond from ring designers who source ethical and conflict-free diamonds. But there are other options you might want to know about which are created without any impact to the earth AND are more budget-friendly. We reached out to our custom-ring wizard partners at Joseph Jewelry to get the scoop on diamond alternatives such as lab created diamonds and moissanite engagement rings. Read More January 29, 2019 From sweet & romantic to grand & theatrical, these wedding headpieces are dropping jaws From retro fascinators to lovely flower crowns to masterpieces of intricate design, these wedding headpieces function as formal accessory but also as re-wearable art for parties, holidays, theater, and more. Jezebel, the artist behind all of these creations, described them as "fun and fabulous frippery" which I think describes what most of us would love for our outfits to be on our wedding day. If you can't have a little frippery, what can you have? Read More More Stuff we love > Recent Wedding 101 January 23, 2019 6 tips for making your wedding website useful AND stylish Are you engaged? YAY! I have a feeling that a lot of you are thinking about wedding hashtags and websites and social media, oh my. Weddings are way more high tech these days and a wedding website is pretty standard fare now. When I got engaged in 2018, I went on a hunt for a really slick wedding website and have a few quick hit tips to share to make your wedding website both ultra useful and seriously captivating. Read More July 12, 2018 Planning tools 101: hotel block comparison chart We launched a comprehensive and totally customizable document of wedding planning spreadsheets in Google Drive if you're the type to get down with spreadsheets like I am. Now we're sharing a chart that will help you compare hotel blocks if you're planning to provide that option to your guests. Hotel blocks allow you to block out some rooms and room rates to help guests grab a good deal on a hotel room. Read More June 27, 2018 Avoiding wedding fights: how to plan your wedding planning Your engagement should be a joyful time. You have a lifetime ahead of you with the person you love. What could be better than to celebrate that love surrounded by friends and family? And yet, somehow things go awry. Conflicts flare. And the time that should be so happy — the build-up to your wedding — is fraught with possibilities for strife. The good news is you can avoid most of the problems by planning your wedding planning. That's right. Plan how you're going to plan. Read More 2.6k April 18, 2018 I bought a colored wedding dress and now everyone's mad! What should I do? I come from a family of strict traditionalists when it comes to everything, especially weddings. I recently bought a peach wedding dress with no sleeves and expressed I wanted light blue hair and Converse to go with it. As you can imagine, things didn't go over well. When I try to stand up for my wedding choices, I'm shamed for it. Please help! Read More 4.3k March 5, 2018 Wedding dates to avoid in 2018, 2019, and beyond I'm compiling this list of wedding dates to avoid in 2018, 2019, and 2020 in case you want to avoid holidays where family and friends might have conflicting events, holidays where vendors might be especially busy and/or expensive (think Valentine's Day for florists), or religious holidays where places might be closed or guests might have other plans. Does this mean you CAN'T book your wedding for one of these days? Hell no! Read More More Wedding 101 > Offbeat Bride: your source for wedding ideas and inclusive wedding planning We've got bajillions of creative wedding ideas, DIY projects, and wedding advice to make your wedding plans easier — and even fun! What do you need to do today? I have no idea. I need Wedding Planning 101! I need a wedding planning checklist (now in an interactive version, too!) Hook me up with free wedding fonts & printables I need offbeat wedding registry ideas I'm curious about offbeat wedding themes (geeky! boho! so many!) Reporter Name * Reporter Email * Original text Enter the original text here. Edited text* Enter your suggested copyedit here. Notes You can add a note for the editor here. * Required information. Fix Typo What wedding planning advice & inspiration do you need today? Dress Eloping Engagement Ring Feminism Floral Print Geeky Harry Potter Invitation Wording Readings Ceremony Advice Fashion Wedding 101 Super cute offbeat wedding invitations @offbeatbride on Insta Newly engaged? Slushies, food trucks, and brunch: 10 delicious ways to make your wedding food fun Your cheatsheet for what to include on wedding invitation Bar talk with Mint & Mirth: Licensing, insurance, and when to hire professional bartenders Going postal: Don't make these 5 mistakes when addressing your wedding invitations What logistics should I consider for a seated bridal party? 6 vital things you need to know when working with a wedding florist 9 wedding website tips to inform, reassure, and give warm fuzzies to your guests Wedding dates to avoid in 2018, 2019, and beyond Read More > A few of our fave wedding vendors DJ Doug Read More Laffler Photography Read More CustomMade Read More Leise Jones Photography Read More Browse our vendor guide > Our infamous spreadsheets & checklists Planning tools 101: wedding budget calculator Impress their asses off: 5 tips for hosting out-of-town wedding guests in your home Planning tools 101: Your wedding guest list planner Our GIANT list of important questions to ask wedding venues Planning tools 101: Your wedding timeline spreadsheet The electronic wedding hacks: Choosing your online wedding planning tools Marriage legal changes you NEED to know about (in plain English, we promise!) Playlists, requests, and backup plans: What to ask your wedding DJ Get planning > We're everywhere! Follow us on social media. Get creative, offbeat wedding ideas delivered daily to your inbox! Join our newsletter SUBSCRIBE Copyright © 2003 - 2019 Offbeat Empire. All rights reserved. Unauthorized reproduction in part or in whole is prohibited. Contact us Terms of Service | Privacy Policy | Monetized by SkimLinks
June 11, 2018 Supersize your wedding flora with this big crepe paper flower tutorial We know HUGE bouquets are super popular right now, but what if we mega-size the actual flowers instead of just the bouquet size? We love a good huge flower bouquet, headpiece, centerpiece, or ceremony backdrop. The best part? You can totally make these yourself. Read More May 30, 2018 Lush florals go ring-shaped with this DIY floral hoop backdrop I love a good hoop bouquet, but those handy floral hoops can be used for more than just a great alternative bouquet. I've created a series of hoops flowing with greenery and flora that can be used a wedding ceremony backdrop, reception decor, or even a place card holder. With this DIY floral hoop backdrop, you can add as many floral picks as you like to make it as lush as you can imagine. Artificial flowers let you create a backdrop that can go from wedding to living room permanently. It's the beauty of realistic artificial flowers! Here are the steps to go from a simple hoop to intricate backdrop in no time… Read More April 5, 2018 In case of dementor attack, you'll need this Harry Potter wedding favor If you're a Potterphile, you know that chocolate bars have their own powers of soothing you after a dementor attack. So at a wedding with Harry Potter details (where a dementor could prey, naturally!), why not offer up some DIY Harry Potter wedding favors that will do the job nicely. Plus, it only takes some inexpensive chocolate bars, some printer paper, and a printable chocolate bar wrapper. Read More More DIY > Recent Stuff we love February 15, 2019 The trick to getting authentically YOU wedding photos? This stellar NY/NJ-based photographer I love it when a photographer makes me feel like I'm worthy of photographing no matter what I look like, if I'm awkward as hell, or if I deviate from the norms that dictate what we think is "right" or "pretty," or "traditional." That's why the ethos of one of our most rad partners, New York and New Jersey-based Adena at Studio A Images, resonates so much with us. Obviously we do our best to make sure all of our vendors are top notch AND totally inclusive, but sometimes they just fit so comfortably into our mindset that I've just go to introduce you. Read More February 12, 2019 6 handcrafted engagement rings that are truly works of art You know we spend way too much time delving into the oceans of engagement ring bling at Brilliant Earth. There's just so much to see and to inspire your own ring selections. In a recent trip down the ring rabbit hole, I spied a fair few engagement rings that stood out among others as true works of art. In particular, their vintage collection has been hand-curated for exceptional quality and originality. They know that jewelry design isn't just artistry, but also architecture and engineering played out on minute scale. Read More February 5, 2019 On the hunt for an industry-busting & inclusive photographer and coordinator? We've got the ultimate… Sometimes when you partner up with a wedding vendor who so totally embodies everything we hold dear about weddings and especially about our own readers, we have to introduce you. This was very much the case with Seattle/Tacoma-based photography-meets-coordination company Fuck Yeah, Weddings. Owner Kendall has endless enthusiasm for offbeat weddings of all flavors, but also provides both photography AND coordination for a super streamlined process of capturing and planning your wedding. Read More 3.4k February 1, 2019 Are these alternatives to earth-mined diamonds ethical & budget-friendly? Let's find out… We may tout a lot of colored gemstones around these parts, but we know a lot of you are totally down for that classic diamond look. And these days, you really don't have to feel guilty about snagging a real diamond from ring designers who source ethical and conflict-free diamonds. But there are other options you might want to know about which are created without any impact to the earth AND are more budget-friendly. We reached out to our custom-ring wizard partners at Joseph Jewelry to get the scoop on diamond alternatives such as lab created diamonds and moissanite engagement rings. Read More January 29, 2019 From sweet & romantic to grand & theatrical, these wedding headpieces are dropping jaws From retro fascinators to lovely flower crowns to masterpieces of intricate design, these wedding headpieces function as formal accessory but also as re-wearable art for parties, holidays, theater, and more. Jezebel, the artist behind all of these creations, described them as "fun and fabulous frippery" which I think describes what most of us would love for our outfits to be on our wedding day. If you can't have a little frippery, what can you have? Read More More Stuff we love > Recent Wedding 101 January 23, 2019 6 tips for making your wedding website useful AND stylish Are you engaged? YAY! I have a feeling that a lot of you are thinking about wedding hashtags and websites and social media, oh my. Weddings are way more high tech these days and a wedding website is pretty standard fare now. When I got engaged in 2018, I went on a hunt for a really slick wedding website and have a few quick hit tips to share to make your wedding website both ultra useful and seriously captivating. Read More July 12, 2018 Planning tools 101: hotel block comparison chart We launched a comprehensive and totally customizable document of wedding planning spreadsheets in Google Drive if you're the type to get down with spreadsheets like I am. Now we're sharing a chart that will help you compare hotel blocks if you're planning to provide that option to your guests. Hotel blocks allow you to block out some rooms and room rates to help guests grab a good deal on a hotel room. Read More June 27, 2018 Avoiding wedding fights: how to plan your wedding planning Your engagement should be a joyful time. You have a lifetime ahead of you with the person you love. What could be better than to celebrate that love surrounded by friends and family? And yet, somehow things go awry. Conflicts flare. And the time that should be so happy — the build-up to your wedding — is fraught with possibilities for strife. The good news is you can avoid most of the problems by planning your wedding planning. That's right. Plan how you're going to plan. Read More 2.6k April 18, 2018 I bought a colored wedding dress and now everyone's mad! What should I do? I come from a family of strict traditionalists when it comes to everything, especially weddings. I recently bought a peach wedding dress with no sleeves and expressed I wanted light blue hair and Converse to go with it. As you can imagine, things didn't go over well. When I try to stand up for my wedding choices, I'm shamed for it. Please help! Read More 4.3k March 5, 2018 Wedding dates to avoid in 2018, 2019, and beyond I'm compiling this list of wedding dates to avoid in 2018, 2019, and 2020 in case you want to avoid holidays where family and friends might have conflicting events, holidays where vendors might be especially busy and/or expensive (think Valentine's Day for florists), or religious holidays where places might be closed or guests might have other plans. Does this mean you CAN'T book your wedding for one of these days? Hell no! Read More More Wedding 101 > Offbeat Bride: your source for wedding ideas and inclusive wedding planning We've got bajillions of creative wedding ideas, DIY projects, and wedding advice to make your wedding plans easier — and even fun! What do you need to do today? I have no idea. I need Wedding Planning 101! I need a wedding planning checklist (now in an interactive version, too!) Hook me up with free wedding fonts & printables I need offbeat wedding registry ideas I'm curious about offbeat wedding themes (geeky! boho! so many!) Reporter Name * Reporter Email * Original text Enter the original text here. Edited text* Enter your suggested copyedit here. Notes You can add a note for the editor here. * Required information. Fix Typo What wedding planning advice & inspiration do you need today? Dress Eloping Engagement Ring Feminism Floral Print Geeky Harry Potter Invitation Wording Readings Ceremony Advice Fashion Wedding 101 Super cute offbeat wedding invitations @offbeatbride on Insta Newly engaged? Slushies, food trucks, and brunch: 10 delicious ways to make your wedding food fun Your cheatsheet for what to include on wedding invitation Bar talk with Mint & Mirth: Licensing, insurance, and when to hire professional bartenders Going postal: Don't make these 5 mistakes when addressing your wedding invitations What logistics should I consider for a seated bridal party? 6 vital things you need to know when working with a wedding florist 9 wedding website tips to inform, reassure, and give warm fuzzies to your guests Wedding dates to avoid in 2018, 2019, and beyond Read More > A few of our fave wedding vendors DJ Doug Read More Laffler Photography Read More CustomMade Read More Leise Jones Photography Read More Browse our vendor guide > Our infamous spreadsheets & checklists Planning tools 101: wedding budget calculator Impress their asses off: 5 tips for hosting out-of-town wedding guests in your home Planning tools 101: Your wedding guest list planner Our GIANT list of important questions to ask wedding venues Planning tools 101: Your wedding timeline spreadsheet The electronic wedding hacks: Choosing your online wedding planning tools Marriage legal changes you NEED to know about (in plain English, we promise!) Playlists, requests, and backup plans: What to ask your wedding DJ Get planning > We're everywhere! Follow us on social media. Get creative, offbeat wedding ideas delivered daily to your inbox! Join our newsletter SUBSCRIBE Copyright © 2003 - 2019 Offbeat Empire. All rights reserved. Unauthorized reproduction in part or in whole is prohibited. Contact us Terms of Service | Privacy Policy | Monetized by SkimLinks
May 30, 2018 Lush florals go ring-shaped with this DIY floral hoop backdrop I love a good hoop bouquet, but those handy floral hoops can be used for more than just a great alternative bouquet. I've created a series of hoops flowing with greenery and flora that can be used a wedding ceremony backdrop, reception decor, or even a place card holder. With this DIY floral hoop backdrop, you can add as many floral picks as you like to make it as lush as you can imagine. Artificial flowers let you create a backdrop that can go from wedding to living room permanently. It's the beauty of realistic artificial flowers! Here are the steps to go from a simple hoop to intricate backdrop in no time… Read More April 5, 2018 In case of dementor attack, you'll need this Harry Potter wedding favor If you're a Potterphile, you know that chocolate bars have their own powers of soothing you after a dementor attack. So at a wedding with Harry Potter details (where a dementor could prey, naturally!), why not offer up some DIY Harry Potter wedding favors that will do the job nicely. Plus, it only takes some inexpensive chocolate bars, some printer paper, and a printable chocolate bar wrapper. Read More More DIY > Recent Stuff we love February 15, 2019 The trick to getting authentically YOU wedding photos? This stellar NY/NJ-based photographer I love it when a photographer makes me feel like I'm worthy of photographing no matter what I look like, if I'm awkward as hell, or if I deviate from the norms that dictate what we think is "right" or "pretty," or "traditional." That's why the ethos of one of our most rad partners, New York and New Jersey-based Adena at Studio A Images, resonates so much with us. Obviously we do our best to make sure all of our vendors are top notch AND totally inclusive, but sometimes they just fit so comfortably into our mindset that I've just go to introduce you. Read More February 12, 2019 6 handcrafted engagement rings that are truly works of art You know we spend way too much time delving into the oceans of engagement ring bling at Brilliant Earth. There's just so much to see and to inspire your own ring selections. In a recent trip down the ring rabbit hole, I spied a fair few engagement rings that stood out among others as true works of art. In particular, their vintage collection has been hand-curated for exceptional quality and originality. They know that jewelry design isn't just artistry, but also architecture and engineering played out on minute scale. Read More February 5, 2019 On the hunt for an industry-busting & inclusive photographer and coordinator? We've got the ultimate… Sometimes when you partner up with a wedding vendor who so totally embodies everything we hold dear about weddings and especially about our own readers, we have to introduce you. This was very much the case with Seattle/Tacoma-based photography-meets-coordination company Fuck Yeah, Weddings. Owner Kendall has endless enthusiasm for offbeat weddings of all flavors, but also provides both photography AND coordination for a super streamlined process of capturing and planning your wedding. Read More 3.4k February 1, 2019 Are these alternatives to earth-mined diamonds ethical & budget-friendly? Let's find out… We may tout a lot of colored gemstones around these parts, but we know a lot of you are totally down for that classic diamond look. And these days, you really don't have to feel guilty about snagging a real diamond from ring designers who source ethical and conflict-free diamonds. But there are other options you might want to know about which are created without any impact to the earth AND are more budget-friendly. We reached out to our custom-ring wizard partners at Joseph Jewelry to get the scoop on diamond alternatives such as lab created diamonds and moissanite engagement rings. Read More January 29, 2019 From sweet & romantic to grand & theatrical, these wedding headpieces are dropping jaws From retro fascinators to lovely flower crowns to masterpieces of intricate design, these wedding headpieces function as formal accessory but also as re-wearable art for parties, holidays, theater, and more. Jezebel, the artist behind all of these creations, described them as "fun and fabulous frippery" which I think describes what most of us would love for our outfits to be on our wedding day. If you can't have a little frippery, what can you have? Read More More Stuff we love > Recent Wedding 101 January 23, 2019 6 tips for making your wedding website useful AND stylish Are you engaged? YAY! I have a feeling that a lot of you are thinking about wedding hashtags and websites and social media, oh my. Weddings are way more high tech these days and a wedding website is pretty standard fare now. When I got engaged in 2018, I went on a hunt for a really slick wedding website and have a few quick hit tips to share to make your wedding website both ultra useful and seriously captivating. Read More July 12, 2018 Planning tools 101: hotel block comparison chart We launched a comprehensive and totally customizable document of wedding planning spreadsheets in Google Drive if you're the type to get down with spreadsheets like I am. Now we're sharing a chart that will help you compare hotel blocks if you're planning to provide that option to your guests. Hotel blocks allow you to block out some rooms and room rates to help guests grab a good deal on a hotel room. Read More June 27, 2018 Avoiding wedding fights: how to plan your wedding planning Your engagement should be a joyful time. You have a lifetime ahead of you with the person you love. What could be better than to celebrate that love surrounded by friends and family? And yet, somehow things go awry. Conflicts flare. And the time that should be so happy — the build-up to your wedding — is fraught with possibilities for strife. The good news is you can avoid most of the problems by planning your wedding planning. That's right. Plan how you're going to plan. Read More 2.6k April 18, 2018 I bought a colored wedding dress and now everyone's mad! What should I do? I come from a family of strict traditionalists when it comes to everything, especially weddings. I recently bought a peach wedding dress with no sleeves and expressed I wanted light blue hair and Converse to go with it. As you can imagine, things didn't go over well. When I try to stand up for my wedding choices, I'm shamed for it. Please help! Read More 4.3k March 5, 2018 Wedding dates to avoid in 2018, 2019, and beyond I'm compiling this list of wedding dates to avoid in 2018, 2019, and 2020 in case you want to avoid holidays where family and friends might have conflicting events, holidays where vendors might be especially busy and/or expensive (think Valentine's Day for florists), or religious holidays where places might be closed or guests might have other plans. Does this mean you CAN'T book your wedding for one of these days? Hell no! Read More More Wedding 101 > Offbeat Bride: your source for wedding ideas and inclusive wedding planning We've got bajillions of creative wedding ideas, DIY projects, and wedding advice to make your wedding plans easier — and even fun! What do you need to do today? I have no idea. I need Wedding Planning 101! I need a wedding planning checklist (now in an interactive version, too!) Hook me up with free wedding fonts & printables I need offbeat wedding registry ideas I'm curious about offbeat wedding themes (geeky! boho! so many!) Reporter Name * Reporter Email * Original text Enter the original text here. Edited text* Enter your suggested copyedit here. Notes You can add a note for the editor here. * Required information. Fix Typo What wedding planning advice & inspiration do you need today? Dress Eloping Engagement Ring Feminism Floral Print Geeky Harry Potter Invitation Wording Readings Ceremony Advice Fashion Wedding 101 Super cute offbeat wedding invitations @offbeatbride on Insta Newly engaged? Slushies, food trucks, and brunch: 10 delicious ways to make your wedding food fun Your cheatsheet for what to include on wedding invitation Bar talk with Mint & Mirth: Licensing, insurance, and when to hire professional bartenders Going postal: Don't make these 5 mistakes when addressing your wedding invitations What logistics should I consider for a seated bridal party? 6 vital things you need to know when working with a wedding florist 9 wedding website tips to inform, reassure, and give warm fuzzies to your guests Wedding dates to avoid in 2018, 2019, and beyond Read More > A few of our fave wedding vendors DJ Doug Read More Laffler Photography Read More CustomMade Read More Leise Jones Photography Read More Browse our vendor guide > Our infamous spreadsheets & checklists Planning tools 101: wedding budget calculator Impress their asses off: 5 tips for hosting out-of-town wedding guests in your home Planning tools 101: Your wedding guest list planner Our GIANT list of important questions to ask wedding venues Planning tools 101: Your wedding timeline spreadsheet The electronic wedding hacks: Choosing your online wedding planning tools Marriage legal changes you NEED to know about (in plain English, we promise!) Playlists, requests, and backup plans: What to ask your wedding DJ Get planning > We're everywhere! Follow us on social media. Get creative, offbeat wedding ideas delivered daily to your inbox! Join our newsletter SUBSCRIBE Copyright © 2003 - 2019 Offbeat Empire. All rights reserved. Unauthorized reproduction in part or in whole is prohibited. Contact us Terms of Service | Privacy Policy | Monetized by SkimLinks
April 5, 2018 In case of dementor attack, you'll need this Harry Potter wedding favor If you're a Potterphile, you know that chocolate bars have their own powers of soothing you after a dementor attack. So at a wedding with Harry Potter details (where a dementor could prey, naturally!), why not offer up some DIY Harry Potter wedding favors that will do the job nicely. Plus, it only takes some inexpensive chocolate bars, some printer paper, and a printable chocolate bar wrapper. Read More More DIY > Recent Stuff we love February 15, 2019 The trick to getting authentically YOU wedding photos? This stellar NY/NJ-based photographer I love it when a photographer makes me feel like I'm worthy of photographing no matter what I look like, if I'm awkward as hell, or if I deviate from the norms that dictate what we think is "right" or "pretty," or "traditional." That's why the ethos of one of our most rad partners, New York and New Jersey-based Adena at Studio A Images, resonates so much with us. Obviously we do our best to make sure all of our vendors are top notch AND totally inclusive, but sometimes they just fit so comfortably into our mindset that I've just go to introduce you. Read More February 12, 2019 6 handcrafted engagement rings that are truly works of art You know we spend way too much time delving into the oceans of engagement ring bling at Brilliant Earth. There's just so much to see and to inspire your own ring selections. In a recent trip down the ring rabbit hole, I spied a fair few engagement rings that stood out among others as true works of art. In particular, their vintage collection has been hand-curated for exceptional quality and originality. They know that jewelry design isn't just artistry, but also architecture and engineering played out on minute scale. Read More February 5, 2019 On the hunt for an industry-busting & inclusive photographer and coordinator? We've got the ultimate… Sometimes when you partner up with a wedding vendor who so totally embodies everything we hold dear about weddings and especially about our own readers, we have to introduce you. This was very much the case with Seattle/Tacoma-based photography-meets-coordination company Fuck Yeah, Weddings. Owner Kendall has endless enthusiasm for offbeat weddings of all flavors, but also provides both photography AND coordination for a super streamlined process of capturing and planning your wedding. Read More 3.4k February 1, 2019 Are these alternatives to earth-mined diamonds ethical & budget-friendly? Let's find out… We may tout a lot of colored gemstones around these parts, but we know a lot of you are totally down for that classic diamond look. And these days, you really don't have to feel guilty about snagging a real diamond from ring designers who source ethical and conflict-free diamonds. But there are other options you might want to know about which are created without any impact to the earth AND are more budget-friendly. We reached out to our custom-ring wizard partners at Joseph Jewelry to get the scoop on diamond alternatives such as lab created diamonds and moissanite engagement rings. Read More January 29, 2019 From sweet & romantic to grand & theatrical, these wedding headpieces are dropping jaws From retro fascinators to lovely flower crowns to masterpieces of intricate design, these wedding headpieces function as formal accessory but also as re-wearable art for parties, holidays, theater, and more. Jezebel, the artist behind all of these creations, described them as "fun and fabulous frippery" which I think describes what most of us would love for our outfits to be on our wedding day. If you can't have a little frippery, what can you have? Read More More Stuff we love > Recent Wedding 101 January 23, 2019 6 tips for making your wedding website useful AND stylish Are you engaged? YAY! I have a feeling that a lot of you are thinking about wedding hashtags and websites and social media, oh my. Weddings are way more high tech these days and a wedding website is pretty standard fare now. When I got engaged in 2018, I went on a hunt for a really slick wedding website and have a few quick hit tips to share to make your wedding website both ultra useful and seriously captivating. Read More July 12, 2018 Planning tools 101: hotel block comparison chart We launched a comprehensive and totally customizable document of wedding planning spreadsheets in Google Drive if you're the type to get down with spreadsheets like I am. Now we're sharing a chart that will help you compare hotel blocks if you're planning to provide that option to your guests. Hotel blocks allow you to block out some rooms and room rates to help guests grab a good deal on a hotel room. Read More June 27, 2018 Avoiding wedding fights: how to plan your wedding planning Your engagement should be a joyful time. You have a lifetime ahead of you with the person you love. What could be better than to celebrate that love surrounded by friends and family? And yet, somehow things go awry. Conflicts flare. And the time that should be so happy — the build-up to your wedding — is fraught with possibilities for strife. The good news is you can avoid most of the problems by planning your wedding planning. That's right. Plan how you're going to plan. Read More 2.6k April 18, 2018 I bought a colored wedding dress and now everyone's mad! What should I do? I come from a family of strict traditionalists when it comes to everything, especially weddings. I recently bought a peach wedding dress with no sleeves and expressed I wanted light blue hair and Converse to go with it. As you can imagine, things didn't go over well. When I try to stand up for my wedding choices, I'm shamed for it. Please help! Read More 4.3k March 5, 2018 Wedding dates to avoid in 2018, 2019, and beyond I'm compiling this list of wedding dates to avoid in 2018, 2019, and 2020 in case you want to avoid holidays where family and friends might have conflicting events, holidays where vendors might be especially busy and/or expensive (think Valentine's Day for florists), or religious holidays where places might be closed or guests might have other plans. Does this mean you CAN'T book your wedding for one of these days? Hell no! Read More More Wedding 101 > Offbeat Bride: your source for wedding ideas and inclusive wedding planning We've got bajillions of creative wedding ideas, DIY projects, and wedding advice to make your wedding plans easier — and even fun! What do you need to do today? I have no idea. I need Wedding Planning 101! I need a wedding planning checklist (now in an interactive version, too!) Hook me up with free wedding fonts & printables I need offbeat wedding registry ideas I'm curious about offbeat wedding themes (geeky! boho! so many!) Reporter Name * Reporter Email * Original text Enter the original text here. Edited text* Enter your suggested copyedit here. Notes You can add a note for the editor here. * Required information. Fix Typo What wedding planning advice & inspiration do you need today? Dress Eloping Engagement Ring Feminism Floral Print Geeky Harry Potter Invitation Wording Readings Ceremony Advice Fashion Wedding 101 Super cute offbeat wedding invitations @offbeatbride on Insta Newly engaged? Slushies, food trucks, and brunch: 10 delicious ways to make your wedding food fun Your cheatsheet for what to include on wedding invitation Bar talk with Mint & Mirth: Licensing, insurance, and when to hire professional bartenders Going postal: Don't make these 5 mistakes when addressing your wedding invitations What logistics should I consider for a seated bridal party? 6 vital things you need to know when working with a wedding florist 9 wedding website tips to inform, reassure, and give warm fuzzies to your guests Wedding dates to avoid in 2018, 2019, and beyond Read More > A few of our fave wedding vendors DJ Doug Read More Laffler Photography Read More CustomMade Read More Leise Jones Photography Read More Browse our vendor guide > Our infamous spreadsheets & checklists Planning tools 101: wedding budget calculator Impress their asses off: 5 tips for hosting out-of-town wedding guests in your home Planning tools 101: Your wedding guest list planner Our GIANT list of important questions to ask wedding venues Planning tools 101: Your wedding timeline spreadsheet The electronic wedding hacks: Choosing your online wedding planning tools Marriage legal changes you NEED to know about (in plain English, we promise!) Playlists, requests, and backup plans: What to ask your wedding DJ Get planning > We're everywhere! Follow us on social media. Get creative, offbeat wedding ideas delivered daily to your inbox! Join our newsletter SUBSCRIBE Copyright © 2003 - 2019 Offbeat Empire. All rights reserved. Unauthorized reproduction in part or in whole is prohibited. Contact us Terms of Service | Privacy Policy | Monetized by SkimLinks
February 15, 2019 The trick to getting authentically YOU wedding photos? This stellar NY/NJ-based photographer I love it when a photographer makes me feel like I'm worthy of photographing no matter what I look like, if I'm awkward as hell, or if I deviate from the norms that dictate what we think is "right" or "pretty," or "traditional." That's why the ethos of one of our most rad partners, New York and New Jersey-based Adena at Studio A Images, resonates so much with us. Obviously we do our best to make sure all of our vendors are top notch AND totally inclusive, but sometimes they just fit so comfortably into our mindset that I've just go to introduce you. Read More February 12, 2019 6 handcrafted engagement rings that are truly works of art You know we spend way too much time delving into the oceans of engagement ring bling at Brilliant Earth. There's just so much to see and to inspire your own ring selections. In a recent trip down the ring rabbit hole, I spied a fair few engagement rings that stood out among others as true works of art. In particular, their vintage collection has been hand-curated for exceptional quality and originality. They know that jewelry design isn't just artistry, but also architecture and engineering played out on minute scale. Read More February 5, 2019 On the hunt for an industry-busting & inclusive photographer and coordinator? We've got the ultimate… Sometimes when you partner up with a wedding vendor who so totally embodies everything we hold dear about weddings and especially about our own readers, we have to introduce you. This was very much the case with Seattle/Tacoma-based photography-meets-coordination company Fuck Yeah, Weddings. Owner Kendall has endless enthusiasm for offbeat weddings of all flavors, but also provides both photography AND coordination for a super streamlined process of capturing and planning your wedding. Read More 3.4k February 1, 2019 Are these alternatives to earth-mined diamonds ethical & budget-friendly? Let's find out… We may tout a lot of colored gemstones around these parts, but we know a lot of you are totally down for that classic diamond look. And these days, you really don't have to feel guilty about snagging a real diamond from ring designers who source ethical and conflict-free diamonds. But there are other options you might want to know about which are created without any impact to the earth AND are more budget-friendly. We reached out to our custom-ring wizard partners at Joseph Jewelry to get the scoop on diamond alternatives such as lab created diamonds and moissanite engagement rings. Read More January 29, 2019 From sweet & romantic to grand & theatrical, these wedding headpieces are dropping jaws From retro fascinators to lovely flower crowns to masterpieces of intricate design, these wedding headpieces function as formal accessory but also as re-wearable art for parties, holidays, theater, and more. Jezebel, the artist behind all of these creations, described them as "fun and fabulous frippery" which I think describes what most of us would love for our outfits to be on our wedding day. If you can't have a little frippery, what can you have? Read More More Stuff we love > Recent Wedding 101 January 23, 2019 6 tips for making your wedding website useful AND stylish Are you engaged? YAY! I have a feeling that a lot of you are thinking about wedding hashtags and websites and social media, oh my. Weddings are way more high tech these days and a wedding website is pretty standard fare now. When I got engaged in 2018, I went on a hunt for a really slick wedding website and have a few quick hit tips to share to make your wedding website both ultra useful and seriously captivating. Read More July 12, 2018 Planning tools 101: hotel block comparison chart We launched a comprehensive and totally customizable document of wedding planning spreadsheets in Google Drive if you're the type to get down with spreadsheets like I am. Now we're sharing a chart that will help you compare hotel blocks if you're planning to provide that option to your guests. Hotel blocks allow you to block out some rooms and room rates to help guests grab a good deal on a hotel room. Read More June 27, 2018 Avoiding wedding fights: how to plan your wedding planning Your engagement should be a joyful time. You have a lifetime ahead of you with the person you love. What could be better than to celebrate that love surrounded by friends and family? And yet, somehow things go awry. Conflicts flare. And the time that should be so happy — the build-up to your wedding — is fraught with possibilities for strife. The good news is you can avoid most of the problems by planning your wedding planning. That's right. Plan how you're going to plan. Read More 2.6k April 18, 2018 I bought a colored wedding dress and now everyone's mad! What should I do? I come from a family of strict traditionalists when it comes to everything, especially weddings. I recently bought a peach wedding dress with no sleeves and expressed I wanted light blue hair and Converse to go with it. As you can imagine, things didn't go over well. When I try to stand up for my wedding choices, I'm shamed for it. Please help! Read More 4.3k March 5, 2018 Wedding dates to avoid in 2018, 2019, and beyond I'm compiling this list of wedding dates to avoid in 2018, 2019, and 2020 in case you want to avoid holidays where family and friends might have conflicting events, holidays where vendors might be especially busy and/or expensive (think Valentine's Day for florists), or religious holidays where places might be closed or guests might have other plans. Does this mean you CAN'T book your wedding for one of these days? Hell no! Read More More Wedding 101 > Offbeat Bride: your source for wedding ideas and inclusive wedding planning We've got bajillions of creative wedding ideas, DIY projects, and wedding advice to make your wedding plans easier — and even fun! What do you need to do today? I have no idea. I need Wedding Planning 101! I need a wedding planning checklist (now in an interactive version, too!) Hook me up with free wedding fonts & printables I need offbeat wedding registry ideas I'm curious about offbeat wedding themes (geeky! boho! so many!) Reporter Name * Reporter Email * Original text Enter the original text here. Edited text* Enter your suggested copyedit here. Notes You can add a note for the editor here. * Required information. Fix Typo What wedding planning advice & inspiration do you need today? Dress Eloping Engagement Ring Feminism Floral Print Geeky Harry Potter Invitation Wording Readings Ceremony Advice Fashion Wedding 101 Super cute offbeat wedding invitations @offbeatbride on Insta Newly engaged? Slushies, food trucks, and brunch: 10 delicious ways to make your wedding food fun Your cheatsheet for what to include on wedding invitation Bar talk with Mint & Mirth: Licensing, insurance, and when to hire professional bartenders Going postal: Don't make these 5 mistakes when addressing your wedding invitations What logistics should I consider for a seated bridal party? 6 vital things you need to know when working with a wedding florist 9 wedding website tips to inform, reassure, and give warm fuzzies to your guests Wedding dates to avoid in 2018, 2019, and beyond Read More > A few of our fave wedding vendors DJ Doug Read More Laffler Photography Read More CustomMade Read More Leise Jones Photography Read More Browse our vendor guide > Our infamous spreadsheets & checklists Planning tools 101: wedding budget calculator Impress their asses off: 5 tips for hosting out-of-town wedding guests in your home Planning tools 101: Your wedding guest list planner Our GIANT list of important questions to ask wedding venues Planning tools 101: Your wedding timeline spreadsheet The electronic wedding hacks: Choosing your online wedding planning tools Marriage legal changes you NEED to know about (in plain English, we promise!) Playlists, requests, and backup plans: What to ask your wedding DJ Get planning > We're everywhere! Follow us on social media. Get creative, offbeat wedding ideas delivered daily to your inbox! Join our newsletter SUBSCRIBE Copyright © 2003 - 2019 Offbeat Empire. All rights reserved. Unauthorized reproduction in part or in whole is prohibited. Contact us Terms of Service | Privacy Policy | Monetized by SkimLinks
February 12, 2019 6 handcrafted engagement rings that are truly works of art You know we spend way too much time delving into the oceans of engagement ring bling at Brilliant Earth. There's just so much to see and to inspire your own ring selections. In a recent trip down the ring rabbit hole, I spied a fair few engagement rings that stood out among others as true works of art. In particular, their vintage collection has been hand-curated for exceptional quality and originality. They know that jewelry design isn't just artistry, but also architecture and engineering played out on minute scale. Read More February 5, 2019 On the hunt for an industry-busting & inclusive photographer and coordinator? We've got the ultimate… Sometimes when you partner up with a wedding vendor who so totally embodies everything we hold dear about weddings and especially about our own readers, we have to introduce you. This was very much the case with Seattle/Tacoma-based photography-meets-coordination company Fuck Yeah, Weddings. Owner Kendall has endless enthusiasm for offbeat weddings of all flavors, but also provides both photography AND coordination for a super streamlined process of capturing and planning your wedding. Read More 3.4k February 1, 2019 Are these alternatives to earth-mined diamonds ethical & budget-friendly? Let's find out… We may tout a lot of colored gemstones around these parts, but we know a lot of you are totally down for that classic diamond look. And these days, you really don't have to feel guilty about snagging a real diamond from ring designers who source ethical and conflict-free diamonds. But there are other options you might want to know about which are created without any impact to the earth AND are more budget-friendly. We reached out to our custom-ring wizard partners at Joseph Jewelry to get the scoop on diamond alternatives such as lab created diamonds and moissanite engagement rings. Read More January 29, 2019 From sweet & romantic to grand & theatrical, these wedding headpieces are dropping jaws From retro fascinators to lovely flower crowns to masterpieces of intricate design, these wedding headpieces function as formal accessory but also as re-wearable art for parties, holidays, theater, and more. Jezebel, the artist behind all of these creations, described them as "fun and fabulous frippery" which I think describes what most of us would love for our outfits to be on our wedding day. If you can't have a little frippery, what can you have? Read More More Stuff we love > Recent Wedding 101 January 23, 2019 6 tips for making your wedding website useful AND stylish Are you engaged? YAY! I have a feeling that a lot of you are thinking about wedding hashtags and websites and social media, oh my. Weddings are way more high tech these days and a wedding website is pretty standard fare now. When I got engaged in 2018, I went on a hunt for a really slick wedding website and have a few quick hit tips to share to make your wedding website both ultra useful and seriously captivating. Read More July 12, 2018 Planning tools 101: hotel block comparison chart We launched a comprehensive and totally customizable document of wedding planning spreadsheets in Google Drive if you're the type to get down with spreadsheets like I am. Now we're sharing a chart that will help you compare hotel blocks if you're planning to provide that option to your guests. Hotel blocks allow you to block out some rooms and room rates to help guests grab a good deal on a hotel room. Read More June 27, 2018 Avoiding wedding fights: how to plan your wedding planning Your engagement should be a joyful time. You have a lifetime ahead of you with the person you love. What could be better than to celebrate that love surrounded by friends and family? And yet, somehow things go awry. Conflicts flare. And the time that should be so happy — the build-up to your wedding — is fraught with possibilities for strife. The good news is you can avoid most of the problems by planning your wedding planning. That's right. Plan how you're going to plan. Read More 2.6k April 18, 2018 I bought a colored wedding dress and now everyone's mad! What should I do? I come from a family of strict traditionalists when it comes to everything, especially weddings. I recently bought a peach wedding dress with no sleeves and expressed I wanted light blue hair and Converse to go with it. As you can imagine, things didn't go over well. When I try to stand up for my wedding choices, I'm shamed for it. Please help! Read More 4.3k March 5, 2018 Wedding dates to avoid in 2018, 2019, and beyond I'm compiling this list of wedding dates to avoid in 2018, 2019, and 2020 in case you want to avoid holidays where family and friends might have conflicting events, holidays where vendors might be especially busy and/or expensive (think Valentine's Day for florists), or religious holidays where places might be closed or guests might have other plans. Does this mean you CAN'T book your wedding for one of these days? Hell no! Read More More Wedding 101 > Offbeat Bride: your source for wedding ideas and inclusive wedding planning We've got bajillions of creative wedding ideas, DIY projects, and wedding advice to make your wedding plans easier — and even fun! What do you need to do today? I have no idea. I need Wedding Planning 101! I need a wedding planning checklist (now in an interactive version, too!) Hook me up with free wedding fonts & printables I need offbeat wedding registry ideas I'm curious about offbeat wedding themes (geeky! boho! so many!) Reporter Name * Reporter Email * Original text Enter the original text here. Edited text* Enter your suggested copyedit here. Notes You can add a note for the editor here. * Required information. Fix Typo What wedding planning advice & inspiration do you need today? Dress Eloping Engagement Ring Feminism Floral Print Geeky Harry Potter Invitation Wording Readings Ceremony Advice Fashion Wedding 101 Super cute offbeat wedding invitations @offbeatbride on Insta Newly engaged? Slushies, food trucks, and brunch: 10 delicious ways to make your wedding food fun Your cheatsheet for what to include on wedding invitation Bar talk with Mint & Mirth: Licensing, insurance, and when to hire professional bartenders Going postal: Don't make these 5 mistakes when addressing your wedding invitations What logistics should I consider for a seated bridal party? 6 vital things you need to know when working with a wedding florist 9 wedding website tips to inform, reassure, and give warm fuzzies to your guests Wedding dates to avoid in 2018, 2019, and beyond Read More > A few of our fave wedding vendors DJ Doug Read More Laffler Photography Read More CustomMade Read More Leise Jones Photography Read More Browse our vendor guide > Our infamous spreadsheets & checklists Planning tools 101: wedding budget calculator Impress their asses off: 5 tips for hosting out-of-town wedding guests in your home Planning tools 101: Your wedding guest list planner Our GIANT list of important questions to ask wedding venues Planning tools 101: Your wedding timeline spreadsheet The electronic wedding hacks: Choosing your online wedding planning tools Marriage legal changes you NEED to know about (in plain English, we promise!) Playlists, requests, and backup plans: What to ask your wedding DJ Get planning > We're everywhere! Follow us on social media. Get creative, offbeat wedding ideas delivered daily to your inbox! Join our newsletter SUBSCRIBE Copyright © 2003 - 2019 Offbeat Empire. All rights reserved. Unauthorized reproduction in part or in whole is prohibited. Contact us Terms of Service | Privacy Policy | Monetized by SkimLinks
February 5, 2019 On the hunt for an industry-busting & inclusive photographer and coordinator? We've got the ultimate… Sometimes when you partner up with a wedding vendor who so totally embodies everything we hold dear about weddings and especially about our own readers, we have to introduce you. This was very much the case with Seattle/Tacoma-based photography-meets-coordination company Fuck Yeah, Weddings. Owner Kendall has endless enthusiasm for offbeat weddings of all flavors, but also provides both photography AND coordination for a super streamlined process of capturing and planning your wedding. Read More 3.4k February 1, 2019 Are these alternatives to earth-mined diamonds ethical & budget-friendly? Let's find out… We may tout a lot of colored gemstones around these parts, but we know a lot of you are totally down for that classic diamond look. And these days, you really don't have to feel guilty about snagging a real diamond from ring designers who source ethical and conflict-free diamonds. But there are other options you might want to know about which are created without any impact to the earth AND are more budget-friendly. We reached out to our custom-ring wizard partners at Joseph Jewelry to get the scoop on diamond alternatives such as lab created diamonds and moissanite engagement rings. Read More January 29, 2019 From sweet & romantic to grand & theatrical, these wedding headpieces are dropping jaws From retro fascinators to lovely flower crowns to masterpieces of intricate design, these wedding headpieces function as formal accessory but also as re-wearable art for parties, holidays, theater, and more. Jezebel, the artist behind all of these creations, described them as "fun and fabulous frippery" which I think describes what most of us would love for our outfits to be on our wedding day. If you can't have a little frippery, what can you have? Read More More Stuff we love > Recent Wedding 101 January 23, 2019 6 tips for making your wedding website useful AND stylish Are you engaged? YAY! I have a feeling that a lot of you are thinking about wedding hashtags and websites and social media, oh my. Weddings are way more high tech these days and a wedding website is pretty standard fare now. When I got engaged in 2018, I went on a hunt for a really slick wedding website and have a few quick hit tips to share to make your wedding website both ultra useful and seriously captivating. Read More July 12, 2018 Planning tools 101: hotel block comparison chart We launched a comprehensive and totally customizable document of wedding planning spreadsheets in Google Drive if you're the type to get down with spreadsheets like I am. Now we're sharing a chart that will help you compare hotel blocks if you're planning to provide that option to your guests. Hotel blocks allow you to block out some rooms and room rates to help guests grab a good deal on a hotel room. Read More June 27, 2018 Avoiding wedding fights: how to plan your wedding planning Your engagement should be a joyful time. You have a lifetime ahead of you with the person you love. What could be better than to celebrate that love surrounded by friends and family? And yet, somehow things go awry. Conflicts flare. And the time that should be so happy — the build-up to your wedding — is fraught with possibilities for strife. The good news is you can avoid most of the problems by planning your wedding planning. That's right. Plan how you're going to plan. Read More 2.6k April 18, 2018 I bought a colored wedding dress and now everyone's mad! What should I do? I come from a family of strict traditionalists when it comes to everything, especially weddings. I recently bought a peach wedding dress with no sleeves and expressed I wanted light blue hair and Converse to go with it. As you can imagine, things didn't go over well. When I try to stand up for my wedding choices, I'm shamed for it. Please help! Read More 4.3k March 5, 2018 Wedding dates to avoid in 2018, 2019, and beyond I'm compiling this list of wedding dates to avoid in 2018, 2019, and 2020 in case you want to avoid holidays where family and friends might have conflicting events, holidays where vendors might be especially busy and/or expensive (think Valentine's Day for florists), or religious holidays where places might be closed or guests might have other plans. Does this mean you CAN'T book your wedding for one of these days? Hell no! Read More More Wedding 101 > Offbeat Bride: your source for wedding ideas and inclusive wedding planning We've got bajillions of creative wedding ideas, DIY projects, and wedding advice to make your wedding plans easier — and even fun! What do you need to do today? I have no idea. I need Wedding Planning 101! I need a wedding planning checklist (now in an interactive version, too!) Hook me up with free wedding fonts & printables I need offbeat wedding registry ideas I'm curious about offbeat wedding themes (geeky! boho! so many!) Reporter Name * Reporter Email * Original text Enter the original text here. Edited text* Enter your suggested copyedit here. Notes You can add a note for the editor here. * Required information. Fix Typo What wedding planning advice & inspiration do you need today? Dress Eloping Engagement Ring Feminism Floral Print Geeky Harry Potter Invitation Wording Readings Ceremony Advice Fashion Wedding 101 Super cute offbeat wedding invitations @offbeatbride on Insta Newly engaged? Slushies, food trucks, and brunch: 10 delicious ways to make your wedding food fun Your cheatsheet for what to include on wedding invitation Bar talk with Mint & Mirth: Licensing, insurance, and when to hire professional bartenders Going postal: Don't make these 5 mistakes when addressing your wedding invitations What logistics should I consider for a seated bridal party? 6 vital things you need to know when working with a wedding florist 9 wedding website tips to inform, reassure, and give warm fuzzies to your guests Wedding dates to avoid in 2018, 2019, and beyond Read More > A few of our fave wedding vendors DJ Doug Read More Laffler Photography Read More CustomMade Read More Leise Jones Photography Read More Browse our vendor guide > Our infamous spreadsheets & checklists Planning tools 101: wedding budget calculator Impress their asses off: 5 tips for hosting out-of-town wedding guests in your home Planning tools 101: Your wedding guest list planner Our GIANT list of important questions to ask wedding venues Planning tools 101: Your wedding timeline spreadsheet The electronic wedding hacks: Choosing your online wedding planning tools Marriage legal changes you NEED to know about (in plain English, we promise!) Playlists, requests, and backup plans: What to ask your wedding DJ Get planning > We're everywhere! Follow us on social media. Get creative, offbeat wedding ideas delivered daily to your inbox! Join our newsletter SUBSCRIBE Copyright © 2003 - 2019 Offbeat Empire. All rights reserved. Unauthorized reproduction in part or in whole is prohibited. Contact us Terms of Service | Privacy Policy | Monetized by SkimLinks
3.4k February 1, 2019 Are these alternatives to earth-mined diamonds ethical & budget-friendly? Let's find out… We may tout a lot of colored gemstones around these parts, but we know a lot of you are totally down for that classic diamond look. And these days, you really don't have to feel guilty about snagging a real diamond from ring designers who source ethical and conflict-free diamonds. But there are other options you might want to know about which are created without any impact to the earth AND are more budget-friendly. We reached out to our custom-ring wizard partners at Joseph Jewelry to get the scoop on diamond alternatives such as lab created diamonds and moissanite engagement rings. Read More January 29, 2019 From sweet & romantic to grand & theatrical, these wedding headpieces are dropping jaws From retro fascinators to lovely flower crowns to masterpieces of intricate design, these wedding headpieces function as formal accessory but also as re-wearable art for parties, holidays, theater, and more. Jezebel, the artist behind all of these creations, described them as "fun and fabulous frippery" which I think describes what most of us would love for our outfits to be on our wedding day. If you can't have a little frippery, what can you have? Read More More Stuff we love > Recent Wedding 101 January 23, 2019 6 tips for making your wedding website useful AND stylish Are you engaged? YAY! I have a feeling that a lot of you are thinking about wedding hashtags and websites and social media, oh my. Weddings are way more high tech these days and a wedding website is pretty standard fare now. When I got engaged in 2018, I went on a hunt for a really slick wedding website and have a few quick hit tips to share to make your wedding website both ultra useful and seriously captivating. Read More July 12, 2018 Planning tools 101: hotel block comparison chart We launched a comprehensive and totally customizable document of wedding planning spreadsheets in Google Drive if you're the type to get down with spreadsheets like I am. Now we're sharing a chart that will help you compare hotel blocks if you're planning to provide that option to your guests. Hotel blocks allow you to block out some rooms and room rates to help guests grab a good deal on a hotel room. Read More June 27, 2018 Avoiding wedding fights: how to plan your wedding planning Your engagement should be a joyful time. You have a lifetime ahead of you with the person you love. What could be better than to celebrate that love surrounded by friends and family? And yet, somehow things go awry. Conflicts flare. And the time that should be so happy — the build-up to your wedding — is fraught with possibilities for strife. The good news is you can avoid most of the problems by planning your wedding planning. That's right. Plan how you're going to plan. Read More 2.6k April 18, 2018 I bought a colored wedding dress and now everyone's mad! What should I do? I come from a family of strict traditionalists when it comes to everything, especially weddings. I recently bought a peach wedding dress with no sleeves and expressed I wanted light blue hair and Converse to go with it. As you can imagine, things didn't go over well. When I try to stand up for my wedding choices, I'm shamed for it. Please help! Read More 4.3k March 5, 2018 Wedding dates to avoid in 2018, 2019, and beyond I'm compiling this list of wedding dates to avoid in 2018, 2019, and 2020 in case you want to avoid holidays where family and friends might have conflicting events, holidays where vendors might be especially busy and/or expensive (think Valentine's Day for florists), or religious holidays where places might be closed or guests might have other plans. Does this mean you CAN'T book your wedding for one of these days? Hell no! Read More More Wedding 101 > Offbeat Bride: your source for wedding ideas and inclusive wedding planning We've got bajillions of creative wedding ideas, DIY projects, and wedding advice to make your wedding plans easier — and even fun! What do you need to do today? I have no idea. I need Wedding Planning 101! I need a wedding planning checklist (now in an interactive version, too!) Hook me up with free wedding fonts & printables I need offbeat wedding registry ideas I'm curious about offbeat wedding themes (geeky! boho! so many!) Reporter Name * Reporter Email * Original text Enter the original text here. Edited text* Enter your suggested copyedit here. Notes You can add a note for the editor here. * Required information. Fix Typo What wedding planning advice & inspiration do you need today? Dress Eloping Engagement Ring Feminism Floral Print Geeky Harry Potter Invitation Wording Readings Ceremony Advice Fashion Wedding 101 Super cute offbeat wedding invitations @offbeatbride on Insta Newly engaged? Slushies, food trucks, and brunch: 10 delicious ways to make your wedding food fun Your cheatsheet for what to include on wedding invitation Bar talk with Mint & Mirth: Licensing, insurance, and when to hire professional bartenders Going postal: Don't make these 5 mistakes when addressing your wedding invitations What logistics should I consider for a seated bridal party? 6 vital things you need to know when working with a wedding florist 9 wedding website tips to inform, reassure, and give warm fuzzies to your guests Wedding dates to avoid in 2018, 2019, and beyond Read More > A few of our fave wedding vendors DJ Doug Read More Laffler Photography Read More CustomMade Read More Leise Jones Photography Read More Browse our vendor guide > Our infamous spreadsheets & checklists Planning tools 101: wedding budget calculator Impress their asses off: 5 tips for hosting out-of-town wedding guests in your home Planning tools 101: Your wedding guest list planner Our GIANT list of important questions to ask wedding venues Planning tools 101: Your wedding timeline spreadsheet The electronic wedding hacks: Choosing your online wedding planning tools Marriage legal changes you NEED to know about (in plain English, we promise!) Playlists, requests, and backup plans: What to ask your wedding DJ Get planning > We're everywhere! Follow us on social media. Get creative, offbeat wedding ideas delivered daily to your inbox! Join our newsletter SUBSCRIBE Copyright © 2003 - 2019 Offbeat Empire. All rights reserved. Unauthorized reproduction in part or in whole is prohibited. Contact us Terms of Service | Privacy Policy | Monetized by SkimLinks
January 29, 2019 From sweet & romantic to grand & theatrical, these wedding headpieces are dropping jaws From retro fascinators to lovely flower crowns to masterpieces of intricate design, these wedding headpieces function as formal accessory but also as re-wearable art for parties, holidays, theater, and more. Jezebel, the artist behind all of these creations, described them as "fun and fabulous frippery" which I think describes what most of us would love for our outfits to be on our wedding day. If you can't have a little frippery, what can you have? Read More More Stuff we love > Recent Wedding 101 January 23, 2019 6 tips for making your wedding website useful AND stylish Are you engaged? YAY! I have a feeling that a lot of you are thinking about wedding hashtags and websites and social media, oh my. Weddings are way more high tech these days and a wedding website is pretty standard fare now. When I got engaged in 2018, I went on a hunt for a really slick wedding website and have a few quick hit tips to share to make your wedding website both ultra useful and seriously captivating. Read More July 12, 2018 Planning tools 101: hotel block comparison chart We launched a comprehensive and totally customizable document of wedding planning spreadsheets in Google Drive if you're the type to get down with spreadsheets like I am. Now we're sharing a chart that will help you compare hotel blocks if you're planning to provide that option to your guests. Hotel blocks allow you to block out some rooms and room rates to help guests grab a good deal on a hotel room. Read More June 27, 2018 Avoiding wedding fights: how to plan your wedding planning Your engagement should be a joyful time. You have a lifetime ahead of you with the person you love. What could be better than to celebrate that love surrounded by friends and family? And yet, somehow things go awry. Conflicts flare. And the time that should be so happy — the build-up to your wedding — is fraught with possibilities for strife. The good news is you can avoid most of the problems by planning your wedding planning. That's right. Plan how you're going to plan. Read More 2.6k April 18, 2018 I bought a colored wedding dress and now everyone's mad! What should I do? I come from a family of strict traditionalists when it comes to everything, especially weddings. I recently bought a peach wedding dress with no sleeves and expressed I wanted light blue hair and Converse to go with it. As you can imagine, things didn't go over well. When I try to stand up for my wedding choices, I'm shamed for it. Please help! Read More 4.3k March 5, 2018 Wedding dates to avoid in 2018, 2019, and beyond I'm compiling this list of wedding dates to avoid in 2018, 2019, and 2020 in case you want to avoid holidays where family and friends might have conflicting events, holidays where vendors might be especially busy and/or expensive (think Valentine's Day for florists), or religious holidays where places might be closed or guests might have other plans. Does this mean you CAN'T book your wedding for one of these days? Hell no! Read More More Wedding 101 > Offbeat Bride: your source for wedding ideas and inclusive wedding planning We've got bajillions of creative wedding ideas, DIY projects, and wedding advice to make your wedding plans easier — and even fun! What do you need to do today? I have no idea. I need Wedding Planning 101! I need a wedding planning checklist (now in an interactive version, too!) Hook me up with free wedding fonts & printables I need offbeat wedding registry ideas I'm curious about offbeat wedding themes (geeky! boho! so many!) Reporter Name * Reporter Email * Original text Enter the original text here. Edited text* Enter your suggested copyedit here. Notes You can add a note for the editor here. * Required information. Fix Typo What wedding planning advice & inspiration do you need today? Dress Eloping Engagement Ring Feminism Floral Print Geeky Harry Potter Invitation Wording Readings Ceremony Advice Fashion Wedding 101 Super cute offbeat wedding invitations @offbeatbride on Insta Newly engaged? Slushies, food trucks, and brunch: 10 delicious ways to make your wedding food fun Your cheatsheet for what to include on wedding invitation Bar talk with Mint & Mirth: Licensing, insurance, and when to hire professional bartenders Going postal: Don't make these 5 mistakes when addressing your wedding invitations What logistics should I consider for a seated bridal party? 6 vital things you need to know when working with a wedding florist 9 wedding website tips to inform, reassure, and give warm fuzzies to your guests Wedding dates to avoid in 2018, 2019, and beyond Read More > A few of our fave wedding vendors DJ Doug Read More Laffler Photography Read More CustomMade Read More Leise Jones Photography Read More Browse our vendor guide > Our infamous spreadsheets & checklists Planning tools 101: wedding budget calculator Impress their asses off: 5 tips for hosting out-of-town wedding guests in your home Planning tools 101: Your wedding guest list planner Our GIANT list of important questions to ask wedding venues Planning tools 101: Your wedding timeline spreadsheet The electronic wedding hacks: Choosing your online wedding planning tools Marriage legal changes you NEED to know about (in plain English, we promise!) Playlists, requests, and backup plans: What to ask your wedding DJ Get planning > We're everywhere! Follow us on social media. Get creative, offbeat wedding ideas delivered daily to your inbox! Join our newsletter SUBSCRIBE Copyright © 2003 - 2019 Offbeat Empire. All rights reserved. Unauthorized reproduction in part or in whole is prohibited. Contact us Terms of Service | Privacy Policy | Monetized by SkimLinks
January 23, 2019 6 tips for making your wedding website useful AND stylish Are you engaged? YAY! I have a feeling that a lot of you are thinking about wedding hashtags and websites and social media, oh my. Weddings are way more high tech these days and a wedding website is pretty standard fare now. When I got engaged in 2018, I went on a hunt for a really slick wedding website and have a few quick hit tips to share to make your wedding website both ultra useful and seriously captivating. Read More July 12, 2018 Planning tools 101: hotel block comparison chart We launched a comprehensive and totally customizable document of wedding planning spreadsheets in Google Drive if you're the type to get down with spreadsheets like I am. Now we're sharing a chart that will help you compare hotel blocks if you're planning to provide that option to your guests. Hotel blocks allow you to block out some rooms and room rates to help guests grab a good deal on a hotel room. Read More June 27, 2018 Avoiding wedding fights: how to plan your wedding planning Your engagement should be a joyful time. You have a lifetime ahead of you with the person you love. What could be better than to celebrate that love surrounded by friends and family? And yet, somehow things go awry. Conflicts flare. And the time that should be so happy — the build-up to your wedding — is fraught with possibilities for strife. The good news is you can avoid most of the problems by planning your wedding planning. That's right. Plan how you're going to plan. Read More 2.6k April 18, 2018 I bought a colored wedding dress and now everyone's mad! What should I do? I come from a family of strict traditionalists when it comes to everything, especially weddings. I recently bought a peach wedding dress with no sleeves and expressed I wanted light blue hair and Converse to go with it. As you can imagine, things didn't go over well. When I try to stand up for my wedding choices, I'm shamed for it. Please help! Read More 4.3k March 5, 2018 Wedding dates to avoid in 2018, 2019, and beyond I'm compiling this list of wedding dates to avoid in 2018, 2019, and 2020 in case you want to avoid holidays where family and friends might have conflicting events, holidays where vendors might be especially busy and/or expensive (think Valentine's Day for florists), or religious holidays where places might be closed or guests might have other plans. Does this mean you CAN'T book your wedding for one of these days? Hell no! Read More More Wedding 101 > Offbeat Bride: your source for wedding ideas and inclusive wedding planning We've got bajillions of creative wedding ideas, DIY projects, and wedding advice to make your wedding plans easier — and even fun! What do you need to do today? I have no idea. I need Wedding Planning 101! I need a wedding planning checklist (now in an interactive version, too!) Hook me up with free wedding fonts & printables I need offbeat wedding registry ideas I'm curious about offbeat wedding themes (geeky! boho! so many!) Reporter Name * Reporter Email * Original text Enter the original text here. Edited text* Enter your suggested copyedit here. Notes You can add a note for the editor here. * Required information. Fix Typo What wedding planning advice & inspiration do you need today? Dress Eloping Engagement Ring Feminism Floral Print Geeky Harry Potter Invitation Wording Readings Ceremony Advice Fashion Wedding 101 Super cute offbeat wedding invitations @offbeatbride on Insta Newly engaged? Slushies, food trucks, and brunch: 10 delicious ways to make your wedding food fun Your cheatsheet for what to include on wedding invitation Bar talk with Mint & Mirth: Licensing, insurance, and when to hire professional bartenders Going postal: Don't make these 5 mistakes when addressing your wedding invitations What logistics should I consider for a seated bridal party? 6 vital things you need to know when working with a wedding florist 9 wedding website tips to inform, reassure, and give warm fuzzies to your guests Wedding dates to avoid in 2018, 2019, and beyond Read More > A few of our fave wedding vendors DJ Doug Read More Laffler Photography Read More CustomMade Read More Leise Jones Photography Read More Browse our vendor guide > Our infamous spreadsheets & checklists Planning tools 101: wedding budget calculator Impress their asses off: 5 tips for hosting out-of-town wedding guests in your home Planning tools 101: Your wedding guest list planner Our GIANT list of important questions to ask wedding venues Planning tools 101: Your wedding timeline spreadsheet The electronic wedding hacks: Choosing your online wedding planning tools Marriage legal changes you NEED to know about (in plain English, we promise!) Playlists, requests, and backup plans: What to ask your wedding DJ Get planning > We're everywhere! Follow us on social media. Get creative, offbeat wedding ideas delivered daily to your inbox! Join our newsletter SUBSCRIBE Copyright © 2003 - 2019 Offbeat Empire. All rights reserved. Unauthorized reproduction in part or in whole is prohibited. Contact us Terms of Service | Privacy Policy | Monetized by SkimLinks
July 12, 2018 Planning tools 101: hotel block comparison chart We launched a comprehensive and totally customizable document of wedding planning spreadsheets in Google Drive if you're the type to get down with spreadsheets like I am. Now we're sharing a chart that will help you compare hotel blocks if you're planning to provide that option to your guests. Hotel blocks allow you to block out some rooms and room rates to help guests grab a good deal on a hotel room. Read More June 27, 2018 Avoiding wedding fights: how to plan your wedding planning Your engagement should be a joyful time. You have a lifetime ahead of you with the person you love. What could be better than to celebrate that love surrounded by friends and family? And yet, somehow things go awry. Conflicts flare. And the time that should be so happy — the build-up to your wedding — is fraught with possibilities for strife. The good news is you can avoid most of the problems by planning your wedding planning. That's right. Plan how you're going to plan. Read More 2.6k April 18, 2018 I bought a colored wedding dress and now everyone's mad! What should I do? I come from a family of strict traditionalists when it comes to everything, especially weddings. I recently bought a peach wedding dress with no sleeves and expressed I wanted light blue hair and Converse to go with it. As you can imagine, things didn't go over well. When I try to stand up for my wedding choices, I'm shamed for it. Please help! Read More 4.3k March 5, 2018 Wedding dates to avoid in 2018, 2019, and beyond I'm compiling this list of wedding dates to avoid in 2018, 2019, and 2020 in case you want to avoid holidays where family and friends might have conflicting events, holidays where vendors might be especially busy and/or expensive (think Valentine's Day for florists), or religious holidays where places might be closed or guests might have other plans. Does this mean you CAN'T book your wedding for one of these days? Hell no! Read More More Wedding 101 > Offbeat Bride: your source for wedding ideas and inclusive wedding planning We've got bajillions of creative wedding ideas, DIY projects, and wedding advice to make your wedding plans easier — and even fun! What do you need to do today? I have no idea. I need Wedding Planning 101! I need a wedding planning checklist (now in an interactive version, too!) Hook me up with free wedding fonts & printables I need offbeat wedding registry ideas I'm curious about offbeat wedding themes (geeky! boho! so many!) Reporter Name * Reporter Email * Original text Enter the original text here. Edited text* Enter your suggested copyedit here. Notes You can add a note for the editor here. * Required information. Fix Typo What wedding planning advice & inspiration do you need today? Dress Eloping Engagement Ring Feminism Floral Print Geeky Harry Potter Invitation Wording Readings Ceremony Advice Fashion Wedding 101 Super cute offbeat wedding invitations @offbeatbride on Insta Newly engaged? Slushies, food trucks, and brunch: 10 delicious ways to make your wedding food fun Your cheatsheet for what to include on wedding invitation Bar talk with Mint & Mirth: Licensing, insurance, and when to hire professional bartenders Going postal: Don't make these 5 mistakes when addressing your wedding invitations What logistics should I consider for a seated bridal party? 6 vital things you need to know when working with a wedding florist 9 wedding website tips to inform, reassure, and give warm fuzzies to your guests Wedding dates to avoid in 2018, 2019, and beyond Read More > A few of our fave wedding vendors DJ Doug Read More Laffler Photography Read More CustomMade Read More Leise Jones Photography Read More Browse our vendor guide > Our infamous spreadsheets & checklists Planning tools 101: wedding budget calculator Impress their asses off: 5 tips for hosting out-of-town wedding guests in your home Planning tools 101: Your wedding guest list planner Our GIANT list of important questions to ask wedding venues Planning tools 101: Your wedding timeline spreadsheet The electronic wedding hacks: Choosing your online wedding planning tools Marriage legal changes you NEED to know about (in plain English, we promise!) Playlists, requests, and backup plans: What to ask your wedding DJ Get planning > We're everywhere! Follow us on social media. Get creative, offbeat wedding ideas delivered daily to your inbox! Join our newsletter SUBSCRIBE Copyright © 2003 - 2019 Offbeat Empire. All rights reserved. Unauthorized reproduction in part or in whole is prohibited. Contact us Terms of Service | Privacy Policy | Monetized by SkimLinks
June 27, 2018 Avoiding wedding fights: how to plan your wedding planning Your engagement should be a joyful time. You have a lifetime ahead of you with the person you love. What could be better than to celebrate that love surrounded by friends and family? And yet, somehow things go awry. Conflicts flare. And the time that should be so happy — the build-up to your wedding — is fraught with possibilities for strife. The good news is you can avoid most of the problems by planning your wedding planning. That's right. Plan how you're going to plan. Read More 2.6k April 18, 2018 I bought a colored wedding dress and now everyone's mad! What should I do? I come from a family of strict traditionalists when it comes to everything, especially weddings. I recently bought a peach wedding dress with no sleeves and expressed I wanted light blue hair and Converse to go with it. As you can imagine, things didn't go over well. When I try to stand up for my wedding choices, I'm shamed for it. Please help! Read More 4.3k March 5, 2018 Wedding dates to avoid in 2018, 2019, and beyond I'm compiling this list of wedding dates to avoid in 2018, 2019, and 2020 in case you want to avoid holidays where family and friends might have conflicting events, holidays where vendors might be especially busy and/or expensive (think Valentine's Day for florists), or religious holidays where places might be closed or guests might have other plans. Does this mean you CAN'T book your wedding for one of these days? Hell no! Read More More Wedding 101 > Offbeat Bride: your source for wedding ideas and inclusive wedding planning We've got bajillions of creative wedding ideas, DIY projects, and wedding advice to make your wedding plans easier — and even fun! What do you need to do today? I have no idea. I need Wedding Planning 101! I need a wedding planning checklist (now in an interactive version, too!) Hook me up with free wedding fonts & printables I need offbeat wedding registry ideas I'm curious about offbeat wedding themes (geeky! boho! so many!) Reporter Name * Reporter Email * Original text Enter the original text here. Edited text* Enter your suggested copyedit here. Notes You can add a note for the editor here. * Required information. Fix Typo What wedding planning advice & inspiration do you need today? Dress Eloping Engagement Ring Feminism Floral Print Geeky Harry Potter Invitation Wording Readings Ceremony Advice Fashion Wedding 101 Super cute offbeat wedding invitations @offbeatbride on Insta Newly engaged? Slushies, food trucks, and brunch: 10 delicious ways to make your wedding food fun Your cheatsheet for what to include on wedding invitation Bar talk with Mint & Mirth: Licensing, insurance, and when to hire professional bartenders Going postal: Don't make these 5 mistakes when addressing your wedding invitations What logistics should I consider for a seated bridal party? 6 vital things you need to know when working with a wedding florist 9 wedding website tips to inform, reassure, and give warm fuzzies to your guests Wedding dates to avoid in 2018, 2019, and beyond Read More > A few of our fave wedding vendors DJ Doug Read More Laffler Photography Read More CustomMade Read More Leise Jones Photography Read More Browse our vendor guide > Our infamous spreadsheets & checklists Planning tools 101: wedding budget calculator Impress their asses off: 5 tips for hosting out-of-town wedding guests in your home Planning tools 101: Your wedding guest list planner Our GIANT list of important questions to ask wedding venues Planning tools 101: Your wedding timeline spreadsheet The electronic wedding hacks: Choosing your online wedding planning tools Marriage legal changes you NEED to know about (in plain English, we promise!) Playlists, requests, and backup plans: What to ask your wedding DJ Get planning > We're everywhere! Follow us on social media. Get creative, offbeat wedding ideas delivered daily to your inbox! Join our newsletter SUBSCRIBE Copyright © 2003 - 2019 Offbeat Empire. All rights reserved. Unauthorized reproduction in part or in whole is prohibited. Contact us Terms of Service | Privacy Policy | Monetized by SkimLinks
2.6k April 18, 2018 I bought a colored wedding dress and now everyone's mad! What should I do? I come from a family of strict traditionalists when it comes to everything, especially weddings. I recently bought a peach wedding dress with no sleeves and expressed I wanted light blue hair and Converse to go with it. As you can imagine, things didn't go over well. When I try to stand up for my wedding choices, I'm shamed for it. Please help! Read More 4.3k March 5, 2018 Wedding dates to avoid in 2018, 2019, and beyond I'm compiling this list of wedding dates to avoid in 2018, 2019, and 2020 in case you want to avoid holidays where family and friends might have conflicting events, holidays where vendors might be especially busy and/or expensive (think Valentine's Day for florists), or religious holidays where places might be closed or guests might have other plans. Does this mean you CAN'T book your wedding for one of these days? Hell no! Read More More Wedding 101 > Offbeat Bride: your source for wedding ideas and inclusive wedding planning We've got bajillions of creative wedding ideas, DIY projects, and wedding advice to make your wedding plans easier — and even fun! What do you need to do today? I have no idea. I need Wedding Planning 101! I need a wedding planning checklist (now in an interactive version, too!) Hook me up with free wedding fonts & printables I need offbeat wedding registry ideas I'm curious about offbeat wedding themes (geeky! boho! so many!) Reporter Name * Reporter Email * Original text Enter the original text here. Edited text* Enter your suggested copyedit here. Notes You can add a note for the editor here. * Required information. Fix Typo What wedding planning advice & inspiration do you need today? Dress Eloping Engagement Ring Feminism Floral Print Geeky Harry Potter Invitation Wording Readings Ceremony Advice Fashion Wedding 101 Super cute offbeat wedding invitations @offbeatbride on Insta Newly engaged? Slushies, food trucks, and brunch: 10 delicious ways to make your wedding food fun Your cheatsheet for what to include on wedding invitation Bar talk with Mint & Mirth: Licensing, insurance, and when to hire professional bartenders Going postal: Don't make these 5 mistakes when addressing your wedding invitations What logistics should I consider for a seated bridal party? 6 vital things you need to know when working with a wedding florist 9 wedding website tips to inform, reassure, and give warm fuzzies to your guests Wedding dates to avoid in 2018, 2019, and beyond Read More > A few of our fave wedding vendors DJ Doug Read More Laffler Photography Read More CustomMade Read More Leise Jones Photography Read More Browse our vendor guide > Our infamous spreadsheets & checklists Planning tools 101: wedding budget calculator Impress their asses off: 5 tips for hosting out-of-town wedding guests in your home Planning tools 101: Your wedding guest list planner Our GIANT list of important questions to ask wedding venues Planning tools 101: Your wedding timeline spreadsheet The electronic wedding hacks: Choosing your online wedding planning tools Marriage legal changes you NEED to know about (in plain English, we promise!) Playlists, requests, and backup plans: What to ask your wedding DJ Get planning > We're everywhere! Follow us on social media. Get creative, offbeat wedding ideas delivered daily to your inbox! Join our newsletter SUBSCRIBE Copyright © 2003 - 2019 Offbeat Empire. All rights reserved. Unauthorized reproduction in part or in whole is prohibited. Contact us Terms of Service | Privacy Policy | Monetized by SkimLinks
4.3k March 5, 2018 Wedding dates to avoid in 2018, 2019, and beyond I'm compiling this list of wedding dates to avoid in 2018, 2019, and 2020 in case you want to avoid holidays where family and friends might have conflicting events, holidays where vendors might be especially busy and/or expensive (think Valentine's Day for florists), or religious holidays where places might be closed or guests might have other plans. Does this mean you CAN'T book your wedding for one of these days? Hell no! Read More More Wedding 101 >