October 15, 2018 A Biltmore Estate library-inspired wedding with lots of BATMAN Mallory and William have made it a tradition to visit The Biltmore Estate in Asheville, N.C., each Christmas, enjoying the decorations and ambiance a few hours away from their home of Chattanooga, Tennessee. Last year, they went to the Christmas tree in front of the mansion, and William proposed… Read More October 12, 2018 Chicago has a lot of wedding venues, but NONE are anything like this one There are very few wedding venues in Chicago which make me think of our kick-ass readers more than Catalyst Ranch. If you've ever seen the versatile, colorful, and totally unique space in person, you'd see how much personality a wedding venue can add to your wedding. Situated in the trendy, industrial neighborhood of the West Loop, Catalyst Ranch is a breath of fresh air among plain venues. Read More October 12, 2018 Champagne wishes & flower crown dreams at this Thursday evening dinner party wedding Elke and Jon rocked such an amazing Thursday night dinner party wedding with their pup, and intimate crew of loved ones, a champagne pyramid, "Mint to be" favors, donuts, and so much more. Don't miss the bride's super chic dress and epic flower crown! Read More 3.8k October 11, 2018 Love + intention: a Wiccan park wedding with a breastfeeding baby as the "bouquet" I’m a witch, my husband is not. He knows now after being with me this long that I care a great deal about ritual, intention, and love. So, we set out to do everything by hand. We braided our own handfasting rope, we decorated our broom together, we brewed mead together, we painted and created our whole twelve (12!) invitations together. During anything we did, we lit a red candle, and we would hush to each other about love. We would declare our intent. Read More October 10, 2018 This May the Fourth wedding had dancing storm troopers, original art, & a killer black dress hen May the 4th falls on a weekend, you know there will be some choice Star Wars-influenced weddings to be seen. But Tiffany and Kyle's epic Star Wars wedding takes the Wookiee cookies. From dancing storm troopers to a Darth Vader ceremony cameo to original Star Wars artwork by the bride to the TIE Fighter cake, it was a galactic celebration the likes of which Endor and Naboo had never seen. Read More More Recent Posts > Recent Wedding Porn 60k 10 Comments October 2, 2018 A same-sex Labyrinth-inspired wedding shoot that moves the stars for no one The power of voodoo! This Labyrinth wedding inspiration shoot combines the fantasy of a fairyland wedding with the reality of an English Tudor castle backdrop. Florals with glass globes and touches of ultra-violet, a gingerbread maze wedding cake, a modern take on Sarah's fantasy ball gown, styling with owl feathers, clocks, and masks, as well as bubbling custom cocktails inspired by the bog of eternal stench. Read More 1.1k September 21, 2018 Some of the best alternative wedding Instagram accounts we could find We love the wedding community on Instagram and how it's grown to be a place to find vendors, like-minded couples, and endless inspiration… even for us offbeat and alternative types! There are WAY too many amazing accounts to list here, but I decided to go digging to see who's still rockin' it, who's new and hypable, and share some of the best alternative wedding Instagram accounts we could find. Read More September 17, 2018 Anatomy meets embroidery at this creepy-stylish and moody wedding inspiration If you're on the hunt for sorta creepy, sorta Halloween-inspired, blood red anatomy meets science, this moody wedding inspiration is for you. I've been trickling in some dark and fun Halloween weddings lately and this one slid right in like buttah. What I especially love about this shoot is the fabulous lighting, the tres elegant styling paired with some offbeat touches, and of course, the embroidery! Read More 1.2k September 10, 2018 Blue hair, brocade, & anatomical hearts at this Ireland goth wedding inspiration It's September which means that it's totally Halloween season! You might think it's too early, but this Ireland goth wedding inspiration says otherwise. We're totally prepared to bask in the skull decor, deep red drinks, gold on black stationery, anatomical hearts, and an eerily gorgeous cake. Don't miss these two gorgeous people sporting blue hair, stunning makeup, a black corset, and a silver brocade coat. An intimate cocktail bar and a nearby forest served as the backdrops for this shoot and it's getting us in that spooky mood we love… Read More September 7, 2018 14 offbeat floral ties in skull print, watercolors, mosaics, and more Floral ties are all the rage right now and you and/or your partner might be looking for a way to offbeat-ize the look. Flowers are fun in all kinds of formats, ties included. Plus, ties work on anyone getting married (groom, bride, or otherwise), so don't let the trend limit what you think you can wear. Here are a few alternative and offbeat floral ties to try out to get the look you're going for including mosaic flowers, dark and chic flowers, hand-painted prints, lace florals, skulls, and even banana leaves… Read More More Wedding Porn > Recent Real Weddings October 15, 2018 A Biltmore Estate library-inspired wedding with lots of BATMAN Mallory and William have made it a tradition to visit The Biltmore Estate in Asheville, N.C., each Christmas, enjoying the decorations and ambiance a few hours away from their home of Chattanooga, Tennessee. Last year, they went to the Christmas tree in front of the mansion, and William proposed… Read More October 12, 2018 Champagne wishes & flower crown dreams at this Thursday evening dinner party wedding Elke and Jon rocked such an amazing Thursday night dinner party wedding with their pup, and intimate crew of loved ones, a champagne pyramid, "Mint to be" favors, donuts, and so much more. Don't miss the bride's super chic dress and epic flower crown! Read More 3.8k October 11, 2018 Love + intention: a Wiccan park wedding with a breastfeeding baby as the "bouquet" I’m a witch, my husband is not. He knows now after being with me this long that I care a great deal about ritual, intention, and love. So, we set out to do everything by hand. We braided our own handfasting rope, we decorated our broom together, we brewed mead together, we painted and created our whole twelve (12!) invitations together. During anything we did, we lit a red candle, and we would hush to each other about love. We would declare our intent. Read More October 10, 2018 This May the Fourth wedding had dancing storm troopers, original art, & a killer black dress hen May the 4th falls on a weekend, you know there will be some choice Star Wars-influenced weddings to be seen. But Tiffany and Kyle's epic Star Wars wedding takes the Wookiee cookies. From dancing storm troopers to a Darth Vader ceremony cameo to original Star Wars artwork by the bride to the TIE Fighter cake, it was a galactic celebration the likes of which Endor and Naboo had never seen. Read More 1.5k October 9, 2018 A retro music festival-style tent village wedding with four dresses & a eye-popping headpiece We're both (loveable) weirdos so we wanted our wedding to truly reflect who we were. My favourite highlights that I think achieved this were: my 5m maypole, our rock-paper-scissor vows, our pirate celebrant, the giant Soul Train dance line we had with all 200 guests coming down in pairs, our very silly first dance to Marvin Gaye's "Let's Get It On," my dancing down the aisle to "Ain't No Mountain High Enough," my four wardrobe changes, our gong for speeches, and so much more. Read More More Real Weddings > Recent Advice 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 1.1k 20 Comments September 10, 2018 I am planning a pre-invitation survey to get a guest list headcount. Will this work? I have been scouring all the posts and comments threads about RSVPs and guest lists, and haven't seen an answer to a tricky question. How do you deal with guest list ambiguity when you live in an extremely expensive area, 2/3 of your desired invites are from out of town, and venues require guaranteed minimums on catering? Is it over okay to make a survey for your friends and family to gauge best-guesses for will they/won't theys for a wedding a year and a half or two years away? Read More September 5, 2018 Be blown away by this wine country destination wedding itinerary (Part 2!) I'm continuing the lineup of amazing wedding events you can plan for a destination wine country wedding in Sonoma County, California. If you missed part one, it's here! Here are some of the highlights that I got to experience including some farm and winery tours, a pit stop for some soft serve, an outdoor boudoir session, cheese tastings, and of course, the main wedding event. Read More September 3, 2018 This Sonoma County destination wedding itinerary will have you scrambling to plan a wine country wedding (Part 1!) I was ultra lucky to be included on a destination wedding tour of Sonoma County in Northern California to show us all of the reasons why a wine country wedding can be the swankiest, most immersive, and totally customizable wedding weekend experience. Here are some of the highlights that I got to experience that you can totally steal for your own destination wedding. If you particularly love some elements in this itinerary, the amazing all-inclusive wedding planning team at Off The Beaten Path Weddings can hook you up with it. Let's take a peek at part one of a STELLAR wedding weekend itinerary in Sonoma County, California… 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 October 12, 2018 Chicago has a lot of wedding venues, but NONE are anything like this one There are very few wedding venues in Chicago which make me think of our kick-ass readers more than Catalyst Ranch. If you've ever seen the versatile, colorful, and totally unique space in person, you'd see how much personality a wedding venue can add to your wedding. Situated in the trendy, industrial neighborhood of the West Loop, Catalyst Ranch is a breath of fresh air among plain venues. Read More October 9, 2018 A chat with offbeat wedding planning, Mama Hen organizing genius, Maven Macaw Events When you're scoping out the selection of vendors for your offbeat wedding, there's one sign that ensures you're dealing with someone who knows how it goes… when they themselves had an offbeat wedding! That's definitely the case with our girl Beca Oliveira at Maven Macaw Events. So when we wanted to catch up with her to see how her amazing clients were rocking their weddings (with her pro guidance, natch!), we got the tea. Read More October 2, 2018 Which of these stunning types of wedding bands would your partner rock? (pun intended) When choosing your wedding bands, there are a TON of choices, and you don't at all have to choose something traditional. Whether you're shopping for your partner, for all of your rings, or for yourself, there's a wedding band to fit your personality. We did some deep-diving and found three of our favorite types of rings and exactly who could ROCK them, pun intended… Read More September 28, 2018 How do you get that flawless, natural wedding makeup look? This makeup line is changing the game One thing we definitely know about readers of Offbeat Bride: they run the gamut when it comes to the "rules" of wedding makeup. Some go the traditional route of hiring a pro, some do it themselves, and some go totally makeup-free. But we do know that they want to make sure their wedding makeup lasts, looks amazing, and is cruelty-free. And that's totally why we love partnering with Per-fékt Beauty since they absolutely GET offbeat weddings. Here's the sitch on what they can offer you (or your chosen makeup artist!) that will keep your makeup looking gorgeous dahling while lasting ALL day and making you want to wear it forever and ever after. Read More September 26, 2018 Have fun and be sparkly with these shimmery wedding shoes When it comes to wedding planning, wedding partying, wedding ANYTHING, is there a better motto than "Have fun?" I think not. Have fun, go mad, y'all. So when we spied these Loly in the Sky "Have Fun" flats, we had to share. Oh, and maybe share a few other sparkly and shimmery wedding shoes I happened to see along the way. What, I couldn't help myself! On the sparkles… Read More More Stuff we love > Recent Wedding 101 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 2.3k January 24, 2018 Wedding venue search tips from the wedding ninjas: wedding planners Newly engaged folks: have you started your wedding venue search yet? Are you ready to pull your hair out or just the beginnings of a breakdown? Either you're in a town with so few offbeat options or you're in a big city with WAY too many options and no way to narrow it all down or find the perfect weird and wonderful venue for you between all the banquet halls. I decided to reach out to some of our favorite wedding coordinators to see what sage venue search wisdom they could impart on us to make the arduous search easier. 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? DIY Dress Eloping Engagement Ring Feminism Geeky Harry Potter Invitation Wording Readings Ceremony Advice Fashion Reception Advice Super cute offbeat wedding invitations @offbeatbride on Insta Halloween weddings Stop everything and look at this painted pumpkins fall centerpiece idea Sanne & Dirk's gothic Halloween metal concert wedding Christa & Auros' elegant gothic Iron Chef wedding Danielle & Banger's gothique, Burton-esque, New Orleans, voodoo, Hallows-Eve, handfasting Vampire rings for the undead love in your life Prepare to squeal at the ARMORED corset dress at a fantasy RPG-themed wedding Sheva & Jared's dark, elegant wedding with a twist of tacky Halloween fun Ouija board save-the-dates Read More > A few of our fave wedding vendors Devon Rowland Photography Read More Arwen Freer, Minister Read More Journeys of the Heart Wedding Officiants Read More Danette Pascarella Photography Read More Browse our vendor guide > Our infamous spreadsheets & checklists 80+ free wedding printables: a huge list of downloadable DIY wedding projects Safeguard your important details with an "oh shit list" Offbeat guide to the wedding photo shot list Playlists, requests, and backup plans: What to ask your wedding DJ Our GIANT list of important questions to ask wedding venues Your offbeat-friendly interactive wedding planning checklist is available! 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October 12, 2018 Chicago has a lot of wedding venues, but NONE are anything like this one There are very few wedding venues in Chicago which make me think of our kick-ass readers more than Catalyst Ranch. If you've ever seen the versatile, colorful, and totally unique space in person, you'd see how much personality a wedding venue can add to your wedding. Situated in the trendy, industrial neighborhood of the West Loop, Catalyst Ranch is a breath of fresh air among plain venues. Read More October 12, 2018 Champagne wishes & flower crown dreams at this Thursday evening dinner party wedding Elke and Jon rocked such an amazing Thursday night dinner party wedding with their pup, and intimate crew of loved ones, a champagne pyramid, "Mint to be" favors, donuts, and so much more. Don't miss the bride's super chic dress and epic flower crown! Read More 3.8k October 11, 2018 Love + intention: a Wiccan park wedding with a breastfeeding baby as the "bouquet" I’m a witch, my husband is not. He knows now after being with me this long that I care a great deal about ritual, intention, and love. So, we set out to do everything by hand. We braided our own handfasting rope, we decorated our broom together, we brewed mead together, we painted and created our whole twelve (12!) invitations together. During anything we did, we lit a red candle, and we would hush to each other about love. We would declare our intent. Read More October 10, 2018 This May the Fourth wedding had dancing storm troopers, original art, & a killer black dress hen May the 4th falls on a weekend, you know there will be some choice Star Wars-influenced weddings to be seen. But Tiffany and Kyle's epic Star Wars wedding takes the Wookiee cookies. From dancing storm troopers to a Darth Vader ceremony cameo to original Star Wars artwork by the bride to the TIE Fighter cake, it was a galactic celebration the likes of which Endor and Naboo had never seen. Read More More Recent Posts > Recent Wedding Porn 60k 10 Comments October 2, 2018 A same-sex Labyrinth-inspired wedding shoot that moves the stars for no one The power of voodoo! This Labyrinth wedding inspiration shoot combines the fantasy of a fairyland wedding with the reality of an English Tudor castle backdrop. Florals with glass globes and touches of ultra-violet, a gingerbread maze wedding cake, a modern take on Sarah's fantasy ball gown, styling with owl feathers, clocks, and masks, as well as bubbling custom cocktails inspired by the bog of eternal stench. Read More 1.1k September 21, 2018 Some of the best alternative wedding Instagram accounts we could find We love the wedding community on Instagram and how it's grown to be a place to find vendors, like-minded couples, and endless inspiration… even for us offbeat and alternative types! There are WAY too many amazing accounts to list here, but I decided to go digging to see who's still rockin' it, who's new and hypable, and share some of the best alternative wedding Instagram accounts we could find. Read More September 17, 2018 Anatomy meets embroidery at this creepy-stylish and moody wedding inspiration If you're on the hunt for sorta creepy, sorta Halloween-inspired, blood red anatomy meets science, this moody wedding inspiration is for you. I've been trickling in some dark and fun Halloween weddings lately and this one slid right in like buttah. What I especially love about this shoot is the fabulous lighting, the tres elegant styling paired with some offbeat touches, and of course, the embroidery! Read More 1.2k September 10, 2018 Blue hair, brocade, & anatomical hearts at this Ireland goth wedding inspiration It's September which means that it's totally Halloween season! You might think it's too early, but this Ireland goth wedding inspiration says otherwise. We're totally prepared to bask in the skull decor, deep red drinks, gold on black stationery, anatomical hearts, and an eerily gorgeous cake. Don't miss these two gorgeous people sporting blue hair, stunning makeup, a black corset, and a silver brocade coat. An intimate cocktail bar and a nearby forest served as the backdrops for this shoot and it's getting us in that spooky mood we love… Read More September 7, 2018 14 offbeat floral ties in skull print, watercolors, mosaics, and more Floral ties are all the rage right now and you and/or your partner might be looking for a way to offbeat-ize the look. Flowers are fun in all kinds of formats, ties included. Plus, ties work on anyone getting married (groom, bride, or otherwise), so don't let the trend limit what you think you can wear. Here are a few alternative and offbeat floral ties to try out to get the look you're going for including mosaic flowers, dark and chic flowers, hand-painted prints, lace florals, skulls, and even banana leaves… Read More More Wedding Porn > Recent Real Weddings October 15, 2018 A Biltmore Estate library-inspired wedding with lots of BATMAN Mallory and William have made it a tradition to visit The Biltmore Estate in Asheville, N.C., each Christmas, enjoying the decorations and ambiance a few hours away from their home of Chattanooga, Tennessee. Last year, they went to the Christmas tree in front of the mansion, and William proposed… Read More October 12, 2018 Champagne wishes & flower crown dreams at this Thursday evening dinner party wedding Elke and Jon rocked such an amazing Thursday night dinner party wedding with their pup, and intimate crew of loved ones, a champagne pyramid, "Mint to be" favors, donuts, and so much more. Don't miss the bride's super chic dress and epic flower crown! Read More 3.8k October 11, 2018 Love + intention: a Wiccan park wedding with a breastfeeding baby as the "bouquet" I’m a witch, my husband is not. He knows now after being with me this long that I care a great deal about ritual, intention, and love. So, we set out to do everything by hand. We braided our own handfasting rope, we decorated our broom together, we brewed mead together, we painted and created our whole twelve (12!) invitations together. During anything we did, we lit a red candle, and we would hush to each other about love. We would declare our intent. Read More October 10, 2018 This May the Fourth wedding had dancing storm troopers, original art, & a killer black dress hen May the 4th falls on a weekend, you know there will be some choice Star Wars-influenced weddings to be seen. But Tiffany and Kyle's epic Star Wars wedding takes the Wookiee cookies. From dancing storm troopers to a Darth Vader ceremony cameo to original Star Wars artwork by the bride to the TIE Fighter cake, it was a galactic celebration the likes of which Endor and Naboo had never seen. Read More 1.5k October 9, 2018 A retro music festival-style tent village wedding with four dresses & a eye-popping headpiece We're both (loveable) weirdos so we wanted our wedding to truly reflect who we were. My favourite highlights that I think achieved this were: my 5m maypole, our rock-paper-scissor vows, our pirate celebrant, the giant Soul Train dance line we had with all 200 guests coming down in pairs, our very silly first dance to Marvin Gaye's "Let's Get It On," my dancing down the aisle to "Ain't No Mountain High Enough," my four wardrobe changes, our gong for speeches, and so much more. Read More More Real Weddings > Recent Advice 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 1.1k 20 Comments September 10, 2018 I am planning a pre-invitation survey to get a guest list headcount. Will this work? I have been scouring all the posts and comments threads about RSVPs and guest lists, and haven't seen an answer to a tricky question. How do you deal with guest list ambiguity when you live in an extremely expensive area, 2/3 of your desired invites are from out of town, and venues require guaranteed minimums on catering? Is it over okay to make a survey for your friends and family to gauge best-guesses for will they/won't theys for a wedding a year and a half or two years away? Read More September 5, 2018 Be blown away by this wine country destination wedding itinerary (Part 2!) I'm continuing the lineup of amazing wedding events you can plan for a destination wine country wedding in Sonoma County, California. If you missed part one, it's here! Here are some of the highlights that I got to experience including some farm and winery tours, a pit stop for some soft serve, an outdoor boudoir session, cheese tastings, and of course, the main wedding event. Read More September 3, 2018 This Sonoma County destination wedding itinerary will have you scrambling to plan a wine country wedding (Part 1!) I was ultra lucky to be included on a destination wedding tour of Sonoma County in Northern California to show us all of the reasons why a wine country wedding can be the swankiest, most immersive, and totally customizable wedding weekend experience. Here are some of the highlights that I got to experience that you can totally steal for your own destination wedding. If you particularly love some elements in this itinerary, the amazing all-inclusive wedding planning team at Off The Beaten Path Weddings can hook you up with it. Let's take a peek at part one of a STELLAR wedding weekend itinerary in Sonoma County, California… 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 October 12, 2018 Chicago has a lot of wedding venues, but NONE are anything like this one There are very few wedding venues in Chicago which make me think of our kick-ass readers more than Catalyst Ranch. If you've ever seen the versatile, colorful, and totally unique space in person, you'd see how much personality a wedding venue can add to your wedding. Situated in the trendy, industrial neighborhood of the West Loop, Catalyst Ranch is a breath of fresh air among plain venues. Read More October 9, 2018 A chat with offbeat wedding planning, Mama Hen organizing genius, Maven Macaw Events When you're scoping out the selection of vendors for your offbeat wedding, there's one sign that ensures you're dealing with someone who knows how it goes… when they themselves had an offbeat wedding! That's definitely the case with our girl Beca Oliveira at Maven Macaw Events. So when we wanted to catch up with her to see how her amazing clients were rocking their weddings (with her pro guidance, natch!), we got the tea. Read More October 2, 2018 Which of these stunning types of wedding bands would your partner rock? (pun intended) When choosing your wedding bands, there are a TON of choices, and you don't at all have to choose something traditional. Whether you're shopping for your partner, for all of your rings, or for yourself, there's a wedding band to fit your personality. We did some deep-diving and found three of our favorite types of rings and exactly who could ROCK them, pun intended… Read More September 28, 2018 How do you get that flawless, natural wedding makeup look? This makeup line is changing the game One thing we definitely know about readers of Offbeat Bride: they run the gamut when it comes to the "rules" of wedding makeup. Some go the traditional route of hiring a pro, some do it themselves, and some go totally makeup-free. But we do know that they want to make sure their wedding makeup lasts, looks amazing, and is cruelty-free. And that's totally why we love partnering with Per-fékt Beauty since they absolutely GET offbeat weddings. Here's the sitch on what they can offer you (or your chosen makeup artist!) that will keep your makeup looking gorgeous dahling while lasting ALL day and making you want to wear it forever and ever after. Read More September 26, 2018 Have fun and be sparkly with these shimmery wedding shoes When it comes to wedding planning, wedding partying, wedding ANYTHING, is there a better motto than "Have fun?" I think not. Have fun, go mad, y'all. So when we spied these Loly in the Sky "Have Fun" flats, we had to share. Oh, and maybe share a few other sparkly and shimmery wedding shoes I happened to see along the way. What, I couldn't help myself! On the sparkles… Read More More Stuff we love > Recent Wedding 101 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 2.3k January 24, 2018 Wedding venue search tips from the wedding ninjas: wedding planners Newly engaged folks: have you started your wedding venue search yet? Are you ready to pull your hair out or just the beginnings of a breakdown? Either you're in a town with so few offbeat options or you're in a big city with WAY too many options and no way to narrow it all down or find the perfect weird and wonderful venue for you between all the banquet halls. I decided to reach out to some of our favorite wedding coordinators to see what sage venue search wisdom they could impart on us to make the arduous search easier. 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? DIY Dress Eloping Engagement Ring Feminism Geeky Harry Potter Invitation Wording Readings Ceremony Advice Fashion Reception Advice Super cute offbeat wedding invitations @offbeatbride on Insta Halloween weddings Stop everything and look at this painted pumpkins fall centerpiece idea Sanne & Dirk's gothic Halloween metal concert wedding Christa & Auros' elegant gothic Iron Chef wedding Danielle & Banger's gothique, Burton-esque, New Orleans, voodoo, Hallows-Eve, handfasting Vampire rings for the undead love in your life Prepare to squeal at the ARMORED corset dress at a fantasy RPG-themed wedding Sheva & Jared's dark, elegant wedding with a twist of tacky Halloween fun Ouija board save-the-dates Read More > A few of our fave wedding vendors Devon Rowland Photography Read More Arwen Freer, Minister Read More Journeys of the Heart Wedding Officiants Read More Danette Pascarella Photography Read More Browse our vendor guide > Our infamous spreadsheets & checklists 80+ free wedding printables: a huge list of downloadable DIY wedding projects Safeguard your important details with an "oh shit list" Offbeat guide to the wedding photo shot list Playlists, requests, and backup plans: What to ask your wedding DJ Our GIANT list of important questions to ask wedding venues Your offbeat-friendly interactive wedding planning checklist is available! Your last-minute wedding checklist Planning tools 101: your wedding vendor contact sheet 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 - 2018 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 12, 2018 Champagne wishes & flower crown dreams at this Thursday evening dinner party wedding Elke and Jon rocked such an amazing Thursday night dinner party wedding with their pup, and intimate crew of loved ones, a champagne pyramid, "Mint to be" favors, donuts, and so much more. Don't miss the bride's super chic dress and epic flower crown! Read More 3.8k October 11, 2018 Love + intention: a Wiccan park wedding with a breastfeeding baby as the "bouquet" I’m a witch, my husband is not. He knows now after being with me this long that I care a great deal about ritual, intention, and love. So, we set out to do everything by hand. We braided our own handfasting rope, we decorated our broom together, we brewed mead together, we painted and created our whole twelve (12!) invitations together. During anything we did, we lit a red candle, and we would hush to each other about love. We would declare our intent. Read More October 10, 2018 This May the Fourth wedding had dancing storm troopers, original art, & a killer black dress hen May the 4th falls on a weekend, you know there will be some choice Star Wars-influenced weddings to be seen. But Tiffany and Kyle's epic Star Wars wedding takes the Wookiee cookies. From dancing storm troopers to a Darth Vader ceremony cameo to original Star Wars artwork by the bride to the TIE Fighter cake, it was a galactic celebration the likes of which Endor and Naboo had never seen. Read More More Recent Posts > Recent Wedding Porn 60k 10 Comments October 2, 2018 A same-sex Labyrinth-inspired wedding shoot that moves the stars for no one The power of voodoo! This Labyrinth wedding inspiration shoot combines the fantasy of a fairyland wedding with the reality of an English Tudor castle backdrop. Florals with glass globes and touches of ultra-violet, a gingerbread maze wedding cake, a modern take on Sarah's fantasy ball gown, styling with owl feathers, clocks, and masks, as well as bubbling custom cocktails inspired by the bog of eternal stench. Read More 1.1k September 21, 2018 Some of the best alternative wedding Instagram accounts we could find We love the wedding community on Instagram and how it's grown to be a place to find vendors, like-minded couples, and endless inspiration… even for us offbeat and alternative types! There are WAY too many amazing accounts to list here, but I decided to go digging to see who's still rockin' it, who's new and hypable, and share some of the best alternative wedding Instagram accounts we could find. Read More September 17, 2018 Anatomy meets embroidery at this creepy-stylish and moody wedding inspiration If you're on the hunt for sorta creepy, sorta Halloween-inspired, blood red anatomy meets science, this moody wedding inspiration is for you. I've been trickling in some dark and fun Halloween weddings lately and this one slid right in like buttah. What I especially love about this shoot is the fabulous lighting, the tres elegant styling paired with some offbeat touches, and of course, the embroidery! Read More 1.2k September 10, 2018 Blue hair, brocade, & anatomical hearts at this Ireland goth wedding inspiration It's September which means that it's totally Halloween season! You might think it's too early, but this Ireland goth wedding inspiration says otherwise. We're totally prepared to bask in the skull decor, deep red drinks, gold on black stationery, anatomical hearts, and an eerily gorgeous cake. Don't miss these two gorgeous people sporting blue hair, stunning makeup, a black corset, and a silver brocade coat. An intimate cocktail bar and a nearby forest served as the backdrops for this shoot and it's getting us in that spooky mood we love… Read More September 7, 2018 14 offbeat floral ties in skull print, watercolors, mosaics, and more Floral ties are all the rage right now and you and/or your partner might be looking for a way to offbeat-ize the look. Flowers are fun in all kinds of formats, ties included. Plus, ties work on anyone getting married (groom, bride, or otherwise), so don't let the trend limit what you think you can wear. Here are a few alternative and offbeat floral ties to try out to get the look you're going for including mosaic flowers, dark and chic flowers, hand-painted prints, lace florals, skulls, and even banana leaves… Read More More Wedding Porn > Recent Real Weddings October 15, 2018 A Biltmore Estate library-inspired wedding with lots of BATMAN Mallory and William have made it a tradition to visit The Biltmore Estate in Asheville, N.C., each Christmas, enjoying the decorations and ambiance a few hours away from their home of Chattanooga, Tennessee. Last year, they went to the Christmas tree in front of the mansion, and William proposed… Read More October 12, 2018 Champagne wishes & flower crown dreams at this Thursday evening dinner party wedding Elke and Jon rocked such an amazing Thursday night dinner party wedding with their pup, and intimate crew of loved ones, a champagne pyramid, "Mint to be" favors, donuts, and so much more. Don't miss the bride's super chic dress and epic flower crown! Read More 3.8k October 11, 2018 Love + intention: a Wiccan park wedding with a breastfeeding baby as the "bouquet" I’m a witch, my husband is not. He knows now after being with me this long that I care a great deal about ritual, intention, and love. So, we set out to do everything by hand. We braided our own handfasting rope, we decorated our broom together, we brewed mead together, we painted and created our whole twelve (12!) invitations together. During anything we did, we lit a red candle, and we would hush to each other about love. We would declare our intent. Read More October 10, 2018 This May the Fourth wedding had dancing storm troopers, original art, & a killer black dress hen May the 4th falls on a weekend, you know there will be some choice Star Wars-influenced weddings to be seen. But Tiffany and Kyle's epic Star Wars wedding takes the Wookiee cookies. From dancing storm troopers to a Darth Vader ceremony cameo to original Star Wars artwork by the bride to the TIE Fighter cake, it was a galactic celebration the likes of which Endor and Naboo had never seen. Read More 1.5k October 9, 2018 A retro music festival-style tent village wedding with four dresses & a eye-popping headpiece We're both (loveable) weirdos so we wanted our wedding to truly reflect who we were. My favourite highlights that I think achieved this were: my 5m maypole, our rock-paper-scissor vows, our pirate celebrant, the giant Soul Train dance line we had with all 200 guests coming down in pairs, our very silly first dance to Marvin Gaye's "Let's Get It On," my dancing down the aisle to "Ain't No Mountain High Enough," my four wardrobe changes, our gong for speeches, and so much more. Read More More Real Weddings > Recent Advice 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 1.1k 20 Comments September 10, 2018 I am planning a pre-invitation survey to get a guest list headcount. Will this work? I have been scouring all the posts and comments threads about RSVPs and guest lists, and haven't seen an answer to a tricky question. How do you deal with guest list ambiguity when you live in an extremely expensive area, 2/3 of your desired invites are from out of town, and venues require guaranteed minimums on catering? Is it over okay to make a survey for your friends and family to gauge best-guesses for will they/won't theys for a wedding a year and a half or two years away? Read More September 5, 2018 Be blown away by this wine country destination wedding itinerary (Part 2!) I'm continuing the lineup of amazing wedding events you can plan for a destination wine country wedding in Sonoma County, California. If you missed part one, it's here! Here are some of the highlights that I got to experience including some farm and winery tours, a pit stop for some soft serve, an outdoor boudoir session, cheese tastings, and of course, the main wedding event. Read More September 3, 2018 This Sonoma County destination wedding itinerary will have you scrambling to plan a wine country wedding (Part 1!) I was ultra lucky to be included on a destination wedding tour of Sonoma County in Northern California to show us all of the reasons why a wine country wedding can be the swankiest, most immersive, and totally customizable wedding weekend experience. Here are some of the highlights that I got to experience that you can totally steal for your own destination wedding. If you particularly love some elements in this itinerary, the amazing all-inclusive wedding planning team at Off The Beaten Path Weddings can hook you up with it. Let's take a peek at part one of a STELLAR wedding weekend itinerary in Sonoma County, California… 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 October 12, 2018 Chicago has a lot of wedding venues, but NONE are anything like this one There are very few wedding venues in Chicago which make me think of our kick-ass readers more than Catalyst Ranch. If you've ever seen the versatile, colorful, and totally unique space in person, you'd see how much personality a wedding venue can add to your wedding. Situated in the trendy, industrial neighborhood of the West Loop, Catalyst Ranch is a breath of fresh air among plain venues. Read More October 9, 2018 A chat with offbeat wedding planning, Mama Hen organizing genius, Maven Macaw Events When you're scoping out the selection of vendors for your offbeat wedding, there's one sign that ensures you're dealing with someone who knows how it goes… when they themselves had an offbeat wedding! That's definitely the case with our girl Beca Oliveira at Maven Macaw Events. So when we wanted to catch up with her to see how her amazing clients were rocking their weddings (with her pro guidance, natch!), we got the tea. Read More October 2, 2018 Which of these stunning types of wedding bands would your partner rock? (pun intended) When choosing your wedding bands, there are a TON of choices, and you don't at all have to choose something traditional. Whether you're shopping for your partner, for all of your rings, or for yourself, there's a wedding band to fit your personality. We did some deep-diving and found three of our favorite types of rings and exactly who could ROCK them, pun intended… Read More September 28, 2018 How do you get that flawless, natural wedding makeup look? This makeup line is changing the game One thing we definitely know about readers of Offbeat Bride: they run the gamut when it comes to the "rules" of wedding makeup. Some go the traditional route of hiring a pro, some do it themselves, and some go totally makeup-free. But we do know that they want to make sure their wedding makeup lasts, looks amazing, and is cruelty-free. And that's totally why we love partnering with Per-fékt Beauty since they absolutely GET offbeat weddings. Here's the sitch on what they can offer you (or your chosen makeup artist!) that will keep your makeup looking gorgeous dahling while lasting ALL day and making you want to wear it forever and ever after. Read More September 26, 2018 Have fun and be sparkly with these shimmery wedding shoes When it comes to wedding planning, wedding partying, wedding ANYTHING, is there a better motto than "Have fun?" I think not. Have fun, go mad, y'all. So when we spied these Loly in the Sky "Have Fun" flats, we had to share. Oh, and maybe share a few other sparkly and shimmery wedding shoes I happened to see along the way. What, I couldn't help myself! On the sparkles… Read More More Stuff we love > Recent Wedding 101 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 2.3k January 24, 2018 Wedding venue search tips from the wedding ninjas: wedding planners Newly engaged folks: have you started your wedding venue search yet? Are you ready to pull your hair out or just the beginnings of a breakdown? Either you're in a town with so few offbeat options or you're in a big city with WAY too many options and no way to narrow it all down or find the perfect weird and wonderful venue for you between all the banquet halls. I decided to reach out to some of our favorite wedding coordinators to see what sage venue search wisdom they could impart on us to make the arduous search easier. 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? DIY Dress Eloping Engagement Ring Feminism Geeky Harry Potter Invitation Wording Readings Ceremony Advice Fashion Reception Advice Super cute offbeat wedding invitations @offbeatbride on Insta Halloween weddings Stop everything and look at this painted pumpkins fall centerpiece idea Sanne & Dirk's gothic Halloween metal concert wedding Christa & Auros' elegant gothic Iron Chef wedding Danielle & Banger's gothique, Burton-esque, New Orleans, voodoo, Hallows-Eve, handfasting Vampire rings for the undead love in your life Prepare to squeal at the ARMORED corset dress at a fantasy RPG-themed wedding Sheva & Jared's dark, elegant wedding with a twist of tacky Halloween fun Ouija board save-the-dates Read More > A few of our fave wedding vendors Devon Rowland Photography Read More Arwen Freer, Minister Read More Journeys of the Heart Wedding Officiants Read More Danette Pascarella Photography Read More Browse our vendor guide > Our infamous spreadsheets & checklists 80+ free wedding printables: a huge list of downloadable DIY wedding projects Safeguard your important details with an "oh shit list" Offbeat guide to the wedding photo shot list Playlists, requests, and backup plans: What to ask your wedding DJ Our GIANT list of important questions to ask wedding venues Your offbeat-friendly interactive wedding planning checklist is available! Your last-minute wedding checklist Planning tools 101: your wedding vendor contact sheet 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 - 2018 Offbeat Empire. All rights reserved. Unauthorized reproduction in part or in whole is prohibited. Contact us Terms of Service | Privacy Policy | Monetized by SkimLinks
3.8k October 11, 2018 Love + intention: a Wiccan park wedding with a breastfeeding baby as the "bouquet" I’m a witch, my husband is not. He knows now after being with me this long that I care a great deal about ritual, intention, and love. So, we set out to do everything by hand. We braided our own handfasting rope, we decorated our broom together, we brewed mead together, we painted and created our whole twelve (12!) invitations together. During anything we did, we lit a red candle, and we would hush to each other about love. We would declare our intent. Read More October 10, 2018 This May the Fourth wedding had dancing storm troopers, original art, & a killer black dress hen May the 4th falls on a weekend, you know there will be some choice Star Wars-influenced weddings to be seen. But Tiffany and Kyle's epic Star Wars wedding takes the Wookiee cookies. From dancing storm troopers to a Darth Vader ceremony cameo to original Star Wars artwork by the bride to the TIE Fighter cake, it was a galactic celebration the likes of which Endor and Naboo had never seen. Read More More Recent Posts > Recent Wedding Porn 60k 10 Comments October 2, 2018 A same-sex Labyrinth-inspired wedding shoot that moves the stars for no one The power of voodoo! This Labyrinth wedding inspiration shoot combines the fantasy of a fairyland wedding with the reality of an English Tudor castle backdrop. Florals with glass globes and touches of ultra-violet, a gingerbread maze wedding cake, a modern take on Sarah's fantasy ball gown, styling with owl feathers, clocks, and masks, as well as bubbling custom cocktails inspired by the bog of eternal stench. Read More 1.1k September 21, 2018 Some of the best alternative wedding Instagram accounts we could find We love the wedding community on Instagram and how it's grown to be a place to find vendors, like-minded couples, and endless inspiration… even for us offbeat and alternative types! There are WAY too many amazing accounts to list here, but I decided to go digging to see who's still rockin' it, who's new and hypable, and share some of the best alternative wedding Instagram accounts we could find. Read More September 17, 2018 Anatomy meets embroidery at this creepy-stylish and moody wedding inspiration If you're on the hunt for sorta creepy, sorta Halloween-inspired, blood red anatomy meets science, this moody wedding inspiration is for you. I've been trickling in some dark and fun Halloween weddings lately and this one slid right in like buttah. What I especially love about this shoot is the fabulous lighting, the tres elegant styling paired with some offbeat touches, and of course, the embroidery! Read More 1.2k September 10, 2018 Blue hair, brocade, & anatomical hearts at this Ireland goth wedding inspiration It's September which means that it's totally Halloween season! You might think it's too early, but this Ireland goth wedding inspiration says otherwise. We're totally prepared to bask in the skull decor, deep red drinks, gold on black stationery, anatomical hearts, and an eerily gorgeous cake. Don't miss these two gorgeous people sporting blue hair, stunning makeup, a black corset, and a silver brocade coat. An intimate cocktail bar and a nearby forest served as the backdrops for this shoot and it's getting us in that spooky mood we love… Read More September 7, 2018 14 offbeat floral ties in skull print, watercolors, mosaics, and more Floral ties are all the rage right now and you and/or your partner might be looking for a way to offbeat-ize the look. Flowers are fun in all kinds of formats, ties included. Plus, ties work on anyone getting married (groom, bride, or otherwise), so don't let the trend limit what you think you can wear. Here are a few alternative and offbeat floral ties to try out to get the look you're going for including mosaic flowers, dark and chic flowers, hand-painted prints, lace florals, skulls, and even banana leaves… Read More More Wedding Porn > Recent Real Weddings October 15, 2018 A Biltmore Estate library-inspired wedding with lots of BATMAN Mallory and William have made it a tradition to visit The Biltmore Estate in Asheville, N.C., each Christmas, enjoying the decorations and ambiance a few hours away from their home of Chattanooga, Tennessee. Last year, they went to the Christmas tree in front of the mansion, and William proposed… Read More October 12, 2018 Champagne wishes & flower crown dreams at this Thursday evening dinner party wedding Elke and Jon rocked such an amazing Thursday night dinner party wedding with their pup, and intimate crew of loved ones, a champagne pyramid, "Mint to be" favors, donuts, and so much more. Don't miss the bride's super chic dress and epic flower crown! Read More 3.8k October 11, 2018 Love + intention: a Wiccan park wedding with a breastfeeding baby as the "bouquet" I’m a witch, my husband is not. He knows now after being with me this long that I care a great deal about ritual, intention, and love. So, we set out to do everything by hand. We braided our own handfasting rope, we decorated our broom together, we brewed mead together, we painted and created our whole twelve (12!) invitations together. During anything we did, we lit a red candle, and we would hush to each other about love. We would declare our intent. Read More October 10, 2018 This May the Fourth wedding had dancing storm troopers, original art, & a killer black dress hen May the 4th falls on a weekend, you know there will be some choice Star Wars-influenced weddings to be seen. But Tiffany and Kyle's epic Star Wars wedding takes the Wookiee cookies. From dancing storm troopers to a Darth Vader ceremony cameo to original Star Wars artwork by the bride to the TIE Fighter cake, it was a galactic celebration the likes of which Endor and Naboo had never seen. Read More 1.5k October 9, 2018 A retro music festival-style tent village wedding with four dresses & a eye-popping headpiece We're both (loveable) weirdos so we wanted our wedding to truly reflect who we were. My favourite highlights that I think achieved this were: my 5m maypole, our rock-paper-scissor vows, our pirate celebrant, the giant Soul Train dance line we had with all 200 guests coming down in pairs, our very silly first dance to Marvin Gaye's "Let's Get It On," my dancing down the aisle to "Ain't No Mountain High Enough," my four wardrobe changes, our gong for speeches, and so much more. Read More More Real Weddings > Recent Advice 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 1.1k 20 Comments September 10, 2018 I am planning a pre-invitation survey to get a guest list headcount. Will this work? I have been scouring all the posts and comments threads about RSVPs and guest lists, and haven't seen an answer to a tricky question. How do you deal with guest list ambiguity when you live in an extremely expensive area, 2/3 of your desired invites are from out of town, and venues require guaranteed minimums on catering? Is it over okay to make a survey for your friends and family to gauge best-guesses for will they/won't theys for a wedding a year and a half or two years away? Read More September 5, 2018 Be blown away by this wine country destination wedding itinerary (Part 2!) I'm continuing the lineup of amazing wedding events you can plan for a destination wine country wedding in Sonoma County, California. If you missed part one, it's here! Here are some of the highlights that I got to experience including some farm and winery tours, a pit stop for some soft serve, an outdoor boudoir session, cheese tastings, and of course, the main wedding event. Read More September 3, 2018 This Sonoma County destination wedding itinerary will have you scrambling to plan a wine country wedding (Part 1!) I was ultra lucky to be included on a destination wedding tour of Sonoma County in Northern California to show us all of the reasons why a wine country wedding can be the swankiest, most immersive, and totally customizable wedding weekend experience. Here are some of the highlights that I got to experience that you can totally steal for your own destination wedding. If you particularly love some elements in this itinerary, the amazing all-inclusive wedding planning team at Off The Beaten Path Weddings can hook you up with it. Let's take a peek at part one of a STELLAR wedding weekend itinerary in Sonoma County, California… 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 October 12, 2018 Chicago has a lot of wedding venues, but NONE are anything like this one There are very few wedding venues in Chicago which make me think of our kick-ass readers more than Catalyst Ranch. If you've ever seen the versatile, colorful, and totally unique space in person, you'd see how much personality a wedding venue can add to your wedding. Situated in the trendy, industrial neighborhood of the West Loop, Catalyst Ranch is a breath of fresh air among plain venues. Read More October 9, 2018 A chat with offbeat wedding planning, Mama Hen organizing genius, Maven Macaw Events When you're scoping out the selection of vendors for your offbeat wedding, there's one sign that ensures you're dealing with someone who knows how it goes… when they themselves had an offbeat wedding! That's definitely the case with our girl Beca Oliveira at Maven Macaw Events. So when we wanted to catch up with her to see how her amazing clients were rocking their weddings (with her pro guidance, natch!), we got the tea. Read More October 2, 2018 Which of these stunning types of wedding bands would your partner rock? (pun intended) When choosing your wedding bands, there are a TON of choices, and you don't at all have to choose something traditional. Whether you're shopping for your partner, for all of your rings, or for yourself, there's a wedding band to fit your personality. We did some deep-diving and found three of our favorite types of rings and exactly who could ROCK them, pun intended… Read More September 28, 2018 How do you get that flawless, natural wedding makeup look? This makeup line is changing the game One thing we definitely know about readers of Offbeat Bride: they run the gamut when it comes to the "rules" of wedding makeup. Some go the traditional route of hiring a pro, some do it themselves, and some go totally makeup-free. But we do know that they want to make sure their wedding makeup lasts, looks amazing, and is cruelty-free. And that's totally why we love partnering with Per-fékt Beauty since they absolutely GET offbeat weddings. Here's the sitch on what they can offer you (or your chosen makeup artist!) that will keep your makeup looking gorgeous dahling while lasting ALL day and making you want to wear it forever and ever after. Read More September 26, 2018 Have fun and be sparkly with these shimmery wedding shoes When it comes to wedding planning, wedding partying, wedding ANYTHING, is there a better motto than "Have fun?" I think not. Have fun, go mad, y'all. So when we spied these Loly in the Sky "Have Fun" flats, we had to share. Oh, and maybe share a few other sparkly and shimmery wedding shoes I happened to see along the way. What, I couldn't help myself! On the sparkles… Read More More Stuff we love > Recent Wedding 101 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 2.3k January 24, 2018 Wedding venue search tips from the wedding ninjas: wedding planners Newly engaged folks: have you started your wedding venue search yet? Are you ready to pull your hair out or just the beginnings of a breakdown? Either you're in a town with so few offbeat options or you're in a big city with WAY too many options and no way to narrow it all down or find the perfect weird and wonderful venue for you between all the banquet halls. I decided to reach out to some of our favorite wedding coordinators to see what sage venue search wisdom they could impart on us to make the arduous search easier. 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? DIY Dress Eloping Engagement Ring Feminism Geeky Harry Potter Invitation Wording Readings Ceremony Advice Fashion Reception Advice Super cute offbeat wedding invitations @offbeatbride on Insta Halloween weddings Stop everything and look at this painted pumpkins fall centerpiece idea Sanne & Dirk's gothic Halloween metal concert wedding Christa & Auros' elegant gothic Iron Chef wedding Danielle & Banger's gothique, Burton-esque, New Orleans, voodoo, Hallows-Eve, handfasting Vampire rings for the undead love in your life Prepare to squeal at the ARMORED corset dress at a fantasy RPG-themed wedding Sheva & Jared's dark, elegant wedding with a twist of tacky Halloween fun Ouija board save-the-dates Read More > A few of our fave wedding vendors Devon Rowland Photography Read More Arwen Freer, Minister Read More Journeys of the Heart Wedding Officiants Read More Danette Pascarella Photography Read More Browse our vendor guide > Our infamous spreadsheets & checklists 80+ free wedding printables: a huge list of downloadable DIY wedding projects Safeguard your important details with an "oh shit list" Offbeat guide to the wedding photo shot list Playlists, requests, and backup plans: What to ask your wedding DJ Our GIANT list of important questions to ask wedding venues Your offbeat-friendly interactive wedding planning checklist is available! Your last-minute wedding checklist Planning tools 101: your wedding vendor contact sheet 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 - 2018 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 10, 2018 This May the Fourth wedding had dancing storm troopers, original art, & a killer black dress hen May the 4th falls on a weekend, you know there will be some choice Star Wars-influenced weddings to be seen. But Tiffany and Kyle's epic Star Wars wedding takes the Wookiee cookies. From dancing storm troopers to a Darth Vader ceremony cameo to original Star Wars artwork by the bride to the TIE Fighter cake, it was a galactic celebration the likes of which Endor and Naboo had never seen. Read More More Recent Posts > Recent Wedding Porn 60k 10 Comments October 2, 2018 A same-sex Labyrinth-inspired wedding shoot that moves the stars for no one The power of voodoo! This Labyrinth wedding inspiration shoot combines the fantasy of a fairyland wedding with the reality of an English Tudor castle backdrop. Florals with glass globes and touches of ultra-violet, a gingerbread maze wedding cake, a modern take on Sarah's fantasy ball gown, styling with owl feathers, clocks, and masks, as well as bubbling custom cocktails inspired by the bog of eternal stench. Read More 1.1k September 21, 2018 Some of the best alternative wedding Instagram accounts we could find We love the wedding community on Instagram and how it's grown to be a place to find vendors, like-minded couples, and endless inspiration… even for us offbeat and alternative types! There are WAY too many amazing accounts to list here, but I decided to go digging to see who's still rockin' it, who's new and hypable, and share some of the best alternative wedding Instagram accounts we could find. Read More September 17, 2018 Anatomy meets embroidery at this creepy-stylish and moody wedding inspiration If you're on the hunt for sorta creepy, sorta Halloween-inspired, blood red anatomy meets science, this moody wedding inspiration is for you. I've been trickling in some dark and fun Halloween weddings lately and this one slid right in like buttah. What I especially love about this shoot is the fabulous lighting, the tres elegant styling paired with some offbeat touches, and of course, the embroidery! Read More 1.2k September 10, 2018 Blue hair, brocade, & anatomical hearts at this Ireland goth wedding inspiration It's September which means that it's totally Halloween season! You might think it's too early, but this Ireland goth wedding inspiration says otherwise. We're totally prepared to bask in the skull decor, deep red drinks, gold on black stationery, anatomical hearts, and an eerily gorgeous cake. Don't miss these two gorgeous people sporting blue hair, stunning makeup, a black corset, and a silver brocade coat. An intimate cocktail bar and a nearby forest served as the backdrops for this shoot and it's getting us in that spooky mood we love… Read More September 7, 2018 14 offbeat floral ties in skull print, watercolors, mosaics, and more Floral ties are all the rage right now and you and/or your partner might be looking for a way to offbeat-ize the look. Flowers are fun in all kinds of formats, ties included. Plus, ties work on anyone getting married (groom, bride, or otherwise), so don't let the trend limit what you think you can wear. Here are a few alternative and offbeat floral ties to try out to get the look you're going for including mosaic flowers, dark and chic flowers, hand-painted prints, lace florals, skulls, and even banana leaves… Read More More Wedding Porn > Recent Real Weddings October 15, 2018 A Biltmore Estate library-inspired wedding with lots of BATMAN Mallory and William have made it a tradition to visit The Biltmore Estate in Asheville, N.C., each Christmas, enjoying the decorations and ambiance a few hours away from their home of Chattanooga, Tennessee. Last year, they went to the Christmas tree in front of the mansion, and William proposed… Read More October 12, 2018 Champagne wishes & flower crown dreams at this Thursday evening dinner party wedding Elke and Jon rocked such an amazing Thursday night dinner party wedding with their pup, and intimate crew of loved ones, a champagne pyramid, "Mint to be" favors, donuts, and so much more. Don't miss the bride's super chic dress and epic flower crown! Read More 3.8k October 11, 2018 Love + intention: a Wiccan park wedding with a breastfeeding baby as the "bouquet" I’m a witch, my husband is not. He knows now after being with me this long that I care a great deal about ritual, intention, and love. So, we set out to do everything by hand. We braided our own handfasting rope, we decorated our broom together, we brewed mead together, we painted and created our whole twelve (12!) invitations together. During anything we did, we lit a red candle, and we would hush to each other about love. We would declare our intent. Read More October 10, 2018 This May the Fourth wedding had dancing storm troopers, original art, & a killer black dress hen May the 4th falls on a weekend, you know there will be some choice Star Wars-influenced weddings to be seen. But Tiffany and Kyle's epic Star Wars wedding takes the Wookiee cookies. From dancing storm troopers to a Darth Vader ceremony cameo to original Star Wars artwork by the bride to the TIE Fighter cake, it was a galactic celebration the likes of which Endor and Naboo had never seen. Read More 1.5k October 9, 2018 A retro music festival-style tent village wedding with four dresses & a eye-popping headpiece We're both (loveable) weirdos so we wanted our wedding to truly reflect who we were. My favourite highlights that I think achieved this were: my 5m maypole, our rock-paper-scissor vows, our pirate celebrant, the giant Soul Train dance line we had with all 200 guests coming down in pairs, our very silly first dance to Marvin Gaye's "Let's Get It On," my dancing down the aisle to "Ain't No Mountain High Enough," my four wardrobe changes, our gong for speeches, and so much more. Read More More Real Weddings > Recent Advice 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 1.1k 20 Comments September 10, 2018 I am planning a pre-invitation survey to get a guest list headcount. Will this work? I have been scouring all the posts and comments threads about RSVPs and guest lists, and haven't seen an answer to a tricky question. How do you deal with guest list ambiguity when you live in an extremely expensive area, 2/3 of your desired invites are from out of town, and venues require guaranteed minimums on catering? Is it over okay to make a survey for your friends and family to gauge best-guesses for will they/won't theys for a wedding a year and a half or two years away? Read More September 5, 2018 Be blown away by this wine country destination wedding itinerary (Part 2!) I'm continuing the lineup of amazing wedding events you can plan for a destination wine country wedding in Sonoma County, California. If you missed part one, it's here! Here are some of the highlights that I got to experience including some farm and winery tours, a pit stop for some soft serve, an outdoor boudoir session, cheese tastings, and of course, the main wedding event. Read More September 3, 2018 This Sonoma County destination wedding itinerary will have you scrambling to plan a wine country wedding (Part 1!) I was ultra lucky to be included on a destination wedding tour of Sonoma County in Northern California to show us all of the reasons why a wine country wedding can be the swankiest, most immersive, and totally customizable wedding weekend experience. Here are some of the highlights that I got to experience that you can totally steal for your own destination wedding. If you particularly love some elements in this itinerary, the amazing all-inclusive wedding planning team at Off The Beaten Path Weddings can hook you up with it. Let's take a peek at part one of a STELLAR wedding weekend itinerary in Sonoma County, California… 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 October 12, 2018 Chicago has a lot of wedding venues, but NONE are anything like this one There are very few wedding venues in Chicago which make me think of our kick-ass readers more than Catalyst Ranch. If you've ever seen the versatile, colorful, and totally unique space in person, you'd see how much personality a wedding venue can add to your wedding. Situated in the trendy, industrial neighborhood of the West Loop, Catalyst Ranch is a breath of fresh air among plain venues. Read More October 9, 2018 A chat with offbeat wedding planning, Mama Hen organizing genius, Maven Macaw Events When you're scoping out the selection of vendors for your offbeat wedding, there's one sign that ensures you're dealing with someone who knows how it goes… when they themselves had an offbeat wedding! That's definitely the case with our girl Beca Oliveira at Maven Macaw Events. So when we wanted to catch up with her to see how her amazing clients were rocking their weddings (with her pro guidance, natch!), we got the tea. Read More October 2, 2018 Which of these stunning types of wedding bands would your partner rock? (pun intended) When choosing your wedding bands, there are a TON of choices, and you don't at all have to choose something traditional. Whether you're shopping for your partner, for all of your rings, or for yourself, there's a wedding band to fit your personality. We did some deep-diving and found three of our favorite types of rings and exactly who could ROCK them, pun intended… Read More September 28, 2018 How do you get that flawless, natural wedding makeup look? This makeup line is changing the game One thing we definitely know about readers of Offbeat Bride: they run the gamut when it comes to the "rules" of wedding makeup. Some go the traditional route of hiring a pro, some do it themselves, and some go totally makeup-free. But we do know that they want to make sure their wedding makeup lasts, looks amazing, and is cruelty-free. And that's totally why we love partnering with Per-fékt Beauty since they absolutely GET offbeat weddings. Here's the sitch on what they can offer you (or your chosen makeup artist!) that will keep your makeup looking gorgeous dahling while lasting ALL day and making you want to wear it forever and ever after. Read More September 26, 2018 Have fun and be sparkly with these shimmery wedding shoes When it comes to wedding planning, wedding partying, wedding ANYTHING, is there a better motto than "Have fun?" I think not. Have fun, go mad, y'all. So when we spied these Loly in the Sky "Have Fun" flats, we had to share. Oh, and maybe share a few other sparkly and shimmery wedding shoes I happened to see along the way. What, I couldn't help myself! On the sparkles… Read More More Stuff we love > Recent Wedding 101 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 2.3k January 24, 2018 Wedding venue search tips from the wedding ninjas: wedding planners Newly engaged folks: have you started your wedding venue search yet? Are you ready to pull your hair out or just the beginnings of a breakdown? Either you're in a town with so few offbeat options or you're in a big city with WAY too many options and no way to narrow it all down or find the perfect weird and wonderful venue for you between all the banquet halls. I decided to reach out to some of our favorite wedding coordinators to see what sage venue search wisdom they could impart on us to make the arduous search easier. 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? DIY Dress Eloping Engagement Ring Feminism Geeky Harry Potter Invitation Wording Readings Ceremony Advice Fashion Reception Advice Super cute offbeat wedding invitations @offbeatbride on Insta Halloween weddings Stop everything and look at this painted pumpkins fall centerpiece idea Sanne & Dirk's gothic Halloween metal concert wedding Christa & Auros' elegant gothic Iron Chef wedding Danielle & Banger's gothique, Burton-esque, New Orleans, voodoo, Hallows-Eve, handfasting Vampire rings for the undead love in your life Prepare to squeal at the ARMORED corset dress at a fantasy RPG-themed wedding Sheva & Jared's dark, elegant wedding with a twist of tacky Halloween fun Ouija board save-the-dates Read More > A few of our fave wedding vendors Devon Rowland Photography Read More Arwen Freer, Minister Read More Journeys of the Heart Wedding Officiants Read More Danette Pascarella Photography Read More Browse our vendor guide > Our infamous spreadsheets & checklists 80+ free wedding printables: a huge list of downloadable DIY wedding projects Safeguard your important details with an "oh shit list" Offbeat guide to the wedding photo shot list Playlists, requests, and backup plans: What to ask your wedding DJ Our GIANT list of important questions to ask wedding venues Your offbeat-friendly interactive wedding planning checklist is available! Your last-minute wedding checklist Planning tools 101: your wedding vendor contact sheet 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 - 2018 Offbeat Empire. All rights reserved. Unauthorized reproduction in part or in whole is prohibited. Contact us Terms of Service | Privacy Policy | Monetized by SkimLinks
60k 10 Comments October 2, 2018 A same-sex Labyrinth-inspired wedding shoot that moves the stars for no one The power of voodoo! This Labyrinth wedding inspiration shoot combines the fantasy of a fairyland wedding with the reality of an English Tudor castle backdrop. Florals with glass globes and touches of ultra-violet, a gingerbread maze wedding cake, a modern take on Sarah's fantasy ball gown, styling with owl feathers, clocks, and masks, as well as bubbling custom cocktails inspired by the bog of eternal stench. Read More 1.1k September 21, 2018 Some of the best alternative wedding Instagram accounts we could find We love the wedding community on Instagram and how it's grown to be a place to find vendors, like-minded couples, and endless inspiration… even for us offbeat and alternative types! There are WAY too many amazing accounts to list here, but I decided to go digging to see who's still rockin' it, who's new and hypable, and share some of the best alternative wedding Instagram accounts we could find. Read More September 17, 2018 Anatomy meets embroidery at this creepy-stylish and moody wedding inspiration If you're on the hunt for sorta creepy, sorta Halloween-inspired, blood red anatomy meets science, this moody wedding inspiration is for you. I've been trickling in some dark and fun Halloween weddings lately and this one slid right in like buttah. What I especially love about this shoot is the fabulous lighting, the tres elegant styling paired with some offbeat touches, and of course, the embroidery! Read More 1.2k September 10, 2018 Blue hair, brocade, & anatomical hearts at this Ireland goth wedding inspiration It's September which means that it's totally Halloween season! You might think it's too early, but this Ireland goth wedding inspiration says otherwise. We're totally prepared to bask in the skull decor, deep red drinks, gold on black stationery, anatomical hearts, and an eerily gorgeous cake. Don't miss these two gorgeous people sporting blue hair, stunning makeup, a black corset, and a silver brocade coat. An intimate cocktail bar and a nearby forest served as the backdrops for this shoot and it's getting us in that spooky mood we love… Read More September 7, 2018 14 offbeat floral ties in skull print, watercolors, mosaics, and more Floral ties are all the rage right now and you and/or your partner might be looking for a way to offbeat-ize the look. Flowers are fun in all kinds of formats, ties included. Plus, ties work on anyone getting married (groom, bride, or otherwise), so don't let the trend limit what you think you can wear. Here are a few alternative and offbeat floral ties to try out to get the look you're going for including mosaic flowers, dark and chic flowers, hand-painted prints, lace florals, skulls, and even banana leaves… Read More More Wedding Porn > Recent Real Weddings October 15, 2018 A Biltmore Estate library-inspired wedding with lots of BATMAN Mallory and William have made it a tradition to visit The Biltmore Estate in Asheville, N.C., each Christmas, enjoying the decorations and ambiance a few hours away from their home of Chattanooga, Tennessee. Last year, they went to the Christmas tree in front of the mansion, and William proposed… Read More October 12, 2018 Champagne wishes & flower crown dreams at this Thursday evening dinner party wedding Elke and Jon rocked such an amazing Thursday night dinner party wedding with their pup, and intimate crew of loved ones, a champagne pyramid, "Mint to be" favors, donuts, and so much more. Don't miss the bride's super chic dress and epic flower crown! Read More 3.8k October 11, 2018 Love + intention: a Wiccan park wedding with a breastfeeding baby as the "bouquet" I’m a witch, my husband is not. He knows now after being with me this long that I care a great deal about ritual, intention, and love. So, we set out to do everything by hand. We braided our own handfasting rope, we decorated our broom together, we brewed mead together, we painted and created our whole twelve (12!) invitations together. During anything we did, we lit a red candle, and we would hush to each other about love. We would declare our intent. Read More October 10, 2018 This May the Fourth wedding had dancing storm troopers, original art, & a killer black dress hen May the 4th falls on a weekend, you know there will be some choice Star Wars-influenced weddings to be seen. But Tiffany and Kyle's epic Star Wars wedding takes the Wookiee cookies. From dancing storm troopers to a Darth Vader ceremony cameo to original Star Wars artwork by the bride to the TIE Fighter cake, it was a galactic celebration the likes of which Endor and Naboo had never seen. Read More 1.5k October 9, 2018 A retro music festival-style tent village wedding with four dresses & a eye-popping headpiece We're both (loveable) weirdos so we wanted our wedding to truly reflect who we were. My favourite highlights that I think achieved this were: my 5m maypole, our rock-paper-scissor vows, our pirate celebrant, the giant Soul Train dance line we had with all 200 guests coming down in pairs, our very silly first dance to Marvin Gaye's "Let's Get It On," my dancing down the aisle to "Ain't No Mountain High Enough," my four wardrobe changes, our gong for speeches, and so much more. Read More More Real Weddings > Recent Advice 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 1.1k 20 Comments September 10, 2018 I am planning a pre-invitation survey to get a guest list headcount. Will this work? I have been scouring all the posts and comments threads about RSVPs and guest lists, and haven't seen an answer to a tricky question. How do you deal with guest list ambiguity when you live in an extremely expensive area, 2/3 of your desired invites are from out of town, and venues require guaranteed minimums on catering? Is it over okay to make a survey for your friends and family to gauge best-guesses for will they/won't theys for a wedding a year and a half or two years away? Read More September 5, 2018 Be blown away by this wine country destination wedding itinerary (Part 2!) I'm continuing the lineup of amazing wedding events you can plan for a destination wine country wedding in Sonoma County, California. If you missed part one, it's here! Here are some of the highlights that I got to experience including some farm and winery tours, a pit stop for some soft serve, an outdoor boudoir session, cheese tastings, and of course, the main wedding event. Read More September 3, 2018 This Sonoma County destination wedding itinerary will have you scrambling to plan a wine country wedding (Part 1!) I was ultra lucky to be included on a destination wedding tour of Sonoma County in Northern California to show us all of the reasons why a wine country wedding can be the swankiest, most immersive, and totally customizable wedding weekend experience. Here are some of the highlights that I got to experience that you can totally steal for your own destination wedding. If you particularly love some elements in this itinerary, the amazing all-inclusive wedding planning team at Off The Beaten Path Weddings can hook you up with it. Let's take a peek at part one of a STELLAR wedding weekend itinerary in Sonoma County, California… 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 October 12, 2018 Chicago has a lot of wedding venues, but NONE are anything like this one There are very few wedding venues in Chicago which make me think of our kick-ass readers more than Catalyst Ranch. If you've ever seen the versatile, colorful, and totally unique space in person, you'd see how much personality a wedding venue can add to your wedding. Situated in the trendy, industrial neighborhood of the West Loop, Catalyst Ranch is a breath of fresh air among plain venues. Read More October 9, 2018 A chat with offbeat wedding planning, Mama Hen organizing genius, Maven Macaw Events When you're scoping out the selection of vendors for your offbeat wedding, there's one sign that ensures you're dealing with someone who knows how it goes… when they themselves had an offbeat wedding! That's definitely the case with our girl Beca Oliveira at Maven Macaw Events. So when we wanted to catch up with her to see how her amazing clients were rocking their weddings (with her pro guidance, natch!), we got the tea. Read More October 2, 2018 Which of these stunning types of wedding bands would your partner rock? (pun intended) When choosing your wedding bands, there are a TON of choices, and you don't at all have to choose something traditional. Whether you're shopping for your partner, for all of your rings, or for yourself, there's a wedding band to fit your personality. We did some deep-diving and found three of our favorite types of rings and exactly who could ROCK them, pun intended… Read More September 28, 2018 How do you get that flawless, natural wedding makeup look? This makeup line is changing the game One thing we definitely know about readers of Offbeat Bride: they run the gamut when it comes to the "rules" of wedding makeup. Some go the traditional route of hiring a pro, some do it themselves, and some go totally makeup-free. But we do know that they want to make sure their wedding makeup lasts, looks amazing, and is cruelty-free. And that's totally why we love partnering with Per-fékt Beauty since they absolutely GET offbeat weddings. Here's the sitch on what they can offer you (or your chosen makeup artist!) that will keep your makeup looking gorgeous dahling while lasting ALL day and making you want to wear it forever and ever after. Read More September 26, 2018 Have fun and be sparkly with these shimmery wedding shoes When it comes to wedding planning, wedding partying, wedding ANYTHING, is there a better motto than "Have fun?" I think not. Have fun, go mad, y'all. So when we spied these Loly in the Sky "Have Fun" flats, we had to share. Oh, and maybe share a few other sparkly and shimmery wedding shoes I happened to see along the way. What, I couldn't help myself! On the sparkles… Read More More Stuff we love > Recent Wedding 101 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 2.3k January 24, 2018 Wedding venue search tips from the wedding ninjas: wedding planners Newly engaged folks: have you started your wedding venue search yet? Are you ready to pull your hair out or just the beginnings of a breakdown? Either you're in a town with so few offbeat options or you're in a big city with WAY too many options and no way to narrow it all down or find the perfect weird and wonderful venue for you between all the banquet halls. I decided to reach out to some of our favorite wedding coordinators to see what sage venue search wisdom they could impart on us to make the arduous search easier. 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? DIY Dress Eloping Engagement Ring Feminism Geeky Harry Potter Invitation Wording Readings Ceremony Advice Fashion Reception Advice Super cute offbeat wedding invitations @offbeatbride on Insta Halloween weddings Stop everything and look at this painted pumpkins fall centerpiece idea Sanne & Dirk's gothic Halloween metal concert wedding Christa & Auros' elegant gothic Iron Chef wedding Danielle & Banger's gothique, Burton-esque, New Orleans, voodoo, Hallows-Eve, handfasting Vampire rings for the undead love in your life Prepare to squeal at the ARMORED corset dress at a fantasy RPG-themed wedding Sheva & Jared's dark, elegant wedding with a twist of tacky Halloween fun Ouija board save-the-dates Read More > A few of our fave wedding vendors Devon Rowland Photography Read More Arwen Freer, Minister Read More Journeys of the Heart Wedding Officiants Read More Danette Pascarella Photography Read More Browse our vendor guide > Our infamous spreadsheets & checklists 80+ free wedding printables: a huge list of downloadable DIY wedding projects Safeguard your important details with an "oh shit list" Offbeat guide to the wedding photo shot list Playlists, requests, and backup plans: What to ask your wedding DJ Our GIANT list of important questions to ask wedding venues Your offbeat-friendly interactive wedding planning checklist is available! Your last-minute wedding checklist Planning tools 101: your wedding vendor contact sheet 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 - 2018 Offbeat Empire. All rights reserved. Unauthorized reproduction in part or in whole is prohibited. Contact us Terms of Service | Privacy Policy | Monetized by SkimLinks
1.1k September 21, 2018 Some of the best alternative wedding Instagram accounts we could find We love the wedding community on Instagram and how it's grown to be a place to find vendors, like-minded couples, and endless inspiration… even for us offbeat and alternative types! There are WAY too many amazing accounts to list here, but I decided to go digging to see who's still rockin' it, who's new and hypable, and share some of the best alternative wedding Instagram accounts we could find. Read More September 17, 2018 Anatomy meets embroidery at this creepy-stylish and moody wedding inspiration If you're on the hunt for sorta creepy, sorta Halloween-inspired, blood red anatomy meets science, this moody wedding inspiration is for you. I've been trickling in some dark and fun Halloween weddings lately and this one slid right in like buttah. What I especially love about this shoot is the fabulous lighting, the tres elegant styling paired with some offbeat touches, and of course, the embroidery! Read More 1.2k September 10, 2018 Blue hair, brocade, & anatomical hearts at this Ireland goth wedding inspiration It's September which means that it's totally Halloween season! You might think it's too early, but this Ireland goth wedding inspiration says otherwise. We're totally prepared to bask in the skull decor, deep red drinks, gold on black stationery, anatomical hearts, and an eerily gorgeous cake. Don't miss these two gorgeous people sporting blue hair, stunning makeup, a black corset, and a silver brocade coat. An intimate cocktail bar and a nearby forest served as the backdrops for this shoot and it's getting us in that spooky mood we love… Read More September 7, 2018 14 offbeat floral ties in skull print, watercolors, mosaics, and more Floral ties are all the rage right now and you and/or your partner might be looking for a way to offbeat-ize the look. Flowers are fun in all kinds of formats, ties included. Plus, ties work on anyone getting married (groom, bride, or otherwise), so don't let the trend limit what you think you can wear. Here are a few alternative and offbeat floral ties to try out to get the look you're going for including mosaic flowers, dark and chic flowers, hand-painted prints, lace florals, skulls, and even banana leaves… Read More More Wedding Porn > Recent Real Weddings October 15, 2018 A Biltmore Estate library-inspired wedding with lots of BATMAN Mallory and William have made it a tradition to visit The Biltmore Estate in Asheville, N.C., each Christmas, enjoying the decorations and ambiance a few hours away from their home of Chattanooga, Tennessee. Last year, they went to the Christmas tree in front of the mansion, and William proposed… Read More October 12, 2018 Champagne wishes & flower crown dreams at this Thursday evening dinner party wedding Elke and Jon rocked such an amazing Thursday night dinner party wedding with their pup, and intimate crew of loved ones, a champagne pyramid, "Mint to be" favors, donuts, and so much more. Don't miss the bride's super chic dress and epic flower crown! Read More 3.8k October 11, 2018 Love + intention: a Wiccan park wedding with a breastfeeding baby as the "bouquet" I’m a witch, my husband is not. He knows now after being with me this long that I care a great deal about ritual, intention, and love. So, we set out to do everything by hand. We braided our own handfasting rope, we decorated our broom together, we brewed mead together, we painted and created our whole twelve (12!) invitations together. During anything we did, we lit a red candle, and we would hush to each other about love. We would declare our intent. Read More October 10, 2018 This May the Fourth wedding had dancing storm troopers, original art, & a killer black dress hen May the 4th falls on a weekend, you know there will be some choice Star Wars-influenced weddings to be seen. But Tiffany and Kyle's epic Star Wars wedding takes the Wookiee cookies. From dancing storm troopers to a Darth Vader ceremony cameo to original Star Wars artwork by the bride to the TIE Fighter cake, it was a galactic celebration the likes of which Endor and Naboo had never seen. Read More 1.5k October 9, 2018 A retro music festival-style tent village wedding with four dresses & a eye-popping headpiece We're both (loveable) weirdos so we wanted our wedding to truly reflect who we were. My favourite highlights that I think achieved this were: my 5m maypole, our rock-paper-scissor vows, our pirate celebrant, the giant Soul Train dance line we had with all 200 guests coming down in pairs, our very silly first dance to Marvin Gaye's "Let's Get It On," my dancing down the aisle to "Ain't No Mountain High Enough," my four wardrobe changes, our gong for speeches, and so much more. Read More More Real Weddings > Recent Advice 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 1.1k 20 Comments September 10, 2018 I am planning a pre-invitation survey to get a guest list headcount. Will this work? I have been scouring all the posts and comments threads about RSVPs and guest lists, and haven't seen an answer to a tricky question. How do you deal with guest list ambiguity when you live in an extremely expensive area, 2/3 of your desired invites are from out of town, and venues require guaranteed minimums on catering? Is it over okay to make a survey for your friends and family to gauge best-guesses for will they/won't theys for a wedding a year and a half or two years away? Read More September 5, 2018 Be blown away by this wine country destination wedding itinerary (Part 2!) I'm continuing the lineup of amazing wedding events you can plan for a destination wine country wedding in Sonoma County, California. If you missed part one, it's here! Here are some of the highlights that I got to experience including some farm and winery tours, a pit stop for some soft serve, an outdoor boudoir session, cheese tastings, and of course, the main wedding event. Read More September 3, 2018 This Sonoma County destination wedding itinerary will have you scrambling to plan a wine country wedding (Part 1!) I was ultra lucky to be included on a destination wedding tour of Sonoma County in Northern California to show us all of the reasons why a wine country wedding can be the swankiest, most immersive, and totally customizable wedding weekend experience. Here are some of the highlights that I got to experience that you can totally steal for your own destination wedding. If you particularly love some elements in this itinerary, the amazing all-inclusive wedding planning team at Off The Beaten Path Weddings can hook you up with it. Let's take a peek at part one of a STELLAR wedding weekend itinerary in Sonoma County, California… 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 October 12, 2018 Chicago has a lot of wedding venues, but NONE are anything like this one There are very few wedding venues in Chicago which make me think of our kick-ass readers more than Catalyst Ranch. If you've ever seen the versatile, colorful, and totally unique space in person, you'd see how much personality a wedding venue can add to your wedding. Situated in the trendy, industrial neighborhood of the West Loop, Catalyst Ranch is a breath of fresh air among plain venues. Read More October 9, 2018 A chat with offbeat wedding planning, Mama Hen organizing genius, Maven Macaw Events When you're scoping out the selection of vendors for your offbeat wedding, there's one sign that ensures you're dealing with someone who knows how it goes… when they themselves had an offbeat wedding! That's definitely the case with our girl Beca Oliveira at Maven Macaw Events. So when we wanted to catch up with her to see how her amazing clients were rocking their weddings (with her pro guidance, natch!), we got the tea. Read More October 2, 2018 Which of these stunning types of wedding bands would your partner rock? (pun intended) When choosing your wedding bands, there are a TON of choices, and you don't at all have to choose something traditional. Whether you're shopping for your partner, for all of your rings, or for yourself, there's a wedding band to fit your personality. We did some deep-diving and found three of our favorite types of rings and exactly who could ROCK them, pun intended… Read More September 28, 2018 How do you get that flawless, natural wedding makeup look? This makeup line is changing the game One thing we definitely know about readers of Offbeat Bride: they run the gamut when it comes to the "rules" of wedding makeup. Some go the traditional route of hiring a pro, some do it themselves, and some go totally makeup-free. But we do know that they want to make sure their wedding makeup lasts, looks amazing, and is cruelty-free. And that's totally why we love partnering with Per-fékt Beauty since they absolutely GET offbeat weddings. Here's the sitch on what they can offer you (or your chosen makeup artist!) that will keep your makeup looking gorgeous dahling while lasting ALL day and making you want to wear it forever and ever after. Read More September 26, 2018 Have fun and be sparkly with these shimmery wedding shoes When it comes to wedding planning, wedding partying, wedding ANYTHING, is there a better motto than "Have fun?" I think not. Have fun, go mad, y'all. So when we spied these Loly in the Sky "Have Fun" flats, we had to share. Oh, and maybe share a few other sparkly and shimmery wedding shoes I happened to see along the way. What, I couldn't help myself! On the sparkles… Read More More Stuff we love > Recent Wedding 101 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 2.3k January 24, 2018 Wedding venue search tips from the wedding ninjas: wedding planners Newly engaged folks: have you started your wedding venue search yet? Are you ready to pull your hair out or just the beginnings of a breakdown? Either you're in a town with so few offbeat options or you're in a big city with WAY too many options and no way to narrow it all down or find the perfect weird and wonderful venue for you between all the banquet halls. I decided to reach out to some of our favorite wedding coordinators to see what sage venue search wisdom they could impart on us to make the arduous search easier. 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? DIY Dress Eloping Engagement Ring Feminism Geeky Harry Potter Invitation Wording Readings Ceremony Advice Fashion Reception Advice Super cute offbeat wedding invitations @offbeatbride on Insta Halloween weddings Stop everything and look at this painted pumpkins fall centerpiece idea Sanne & Dirk's gothic Halloween metal concert wedding Christa & Auros' elegant gothic Iron Chef wedding Danielle & Banger's gothique, Burton-esque, New Orleans, voodoo, Hallows-Eve, handfasting Vampire rings for the undead love in your life Prepare to squeal at the ARMORED corset dress at a fantasy RPG-themed wedding Sheva & Jared's dark, elegant wedding with a twist of tacky Halloween fun Ouija board save-the-dates Read More > A few of our fave wedding vendors Devon Rowland Photography Read More Arwen Freer, Minister Read More Journeys of the Heart Wedding Officiants Read More Danette Pascarella Photography Read More Browse our vendor guide > Our infamous spreadsheets & checklists 80+ free wedding printables: a huge list of downloadable DIY wedding projects Safeguard your important details with an "oh shit list" Offbeat guide to the wedding photo shot list Playlists, requests, and backup plans: What to ask your wedding DJ Our GIANT list of important questions to ask wedding venues Your offbeat-friendly interactive wedding planning checklist is available! Your last-minute wedding checklist Planning tools 101: your wedding vendor contact sheet 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 - 2018 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 Anatomy meets embroidery at this creepy-stylish and moody wedding inspiration If you're on the hunt for sorta creepy, sorta Halloween-inspired, blood red anatomy meets science, this moody wedding inspiration is for you. I've been trickling in some dark and fun Halloween weddings lately and this one slid right in like buttah. What I especially love about this shoot is the fabulous lighting, the tres elegant styling paired with some offbeat touches, and of course, the embroidery! Read More 1.2k September 10, 2018 Blue hair, brocade, & anatomical hearts at this Ireland goth wedding inspiration It's September which means that it's totally Halloween season! You might think it's too early, but this Ireland goth wedding inspiration says otherwise. We're totally prepared to bask in the skull decor, deep red drinks, gold on black stationery, anatomical hearts, and an eerily gorgeous cake. Don't miss these two gorgeous people sporting blue hair, stunning makeup, a black corset, and a silver brocade coat. An intimate cocktail bar and a nearby forest served as the backdrops for this shoot and it's getting us in that spooky mood we love… Read More September 7, 2018 14 offbeat floral ties in skull print, watercolors, mosaics, and more Floral ties are all the rage right now and you and/or your partner might be looking for a way to offbeat-ize the look. Flowers are fun in all kinds of formats, ties included. Plus, ties work on anyone getting married (groom, bride, or otherwise), so don't let the trend limit what you think you can wear. Here are a few alternative and offbeat floral ties to try out to get the look you're going for including mosaic flowers, dark and chic flowers, hand-painted prints, lace florals, skulls, and even banana leaves… Read More More Wedding Porn > Recent Real Weddings October 15, 2018 A Biltmore Estate library-inspired wedding with lots of BATMAN Mallory and William have made it a tradition to visit The Biltmore Estate in Asheville, N.C., each Christmas, enjoying the decorations and ambiance a few hours away from their home of Chattanooga, Tennessee. Last year, they went to the Christmas tree in front of the mansion, and William proposed… Read More October 12, 2018 Champagne wishes & flower crown dreams at this Thursday evening dinner party wedding Elke and Jon rocked such an amazing Thursday night dinner party wedding with their pup, and intimate crew of loved ones, a champagne pyramid, "Mint to be" favors, donuts, and so much more. Don't miss the bride's super chic dress and epic flower crown! Read More 3.8k October 11, 2018 Love + intention: a Wiccan park wedding with a breastfeeding baby as the "bouquet" I’m a witch, my husband is not. He knows now after being with me this long that I care a great deal about ritual, intention, and love. So, we set out to do everything by hand. We braided our own handfasting rope, we decorated our broom together, we brewed mead together, we painted and created our whole twelve (12!) invitations together. During anything we did, we lit a red candle, and we would hush to each other about love. We would declare our intent. Read More October 10, 2018 This May the Fourth wedding had dancing storm troopers, original art, & a killer black dress hen May the 4th falls on a weekend, you know there will be some choice Star Wars-influenced weddings to be seen. But Tiffany and Kyle's epic Star Wars wedding takes the Wookiee cookies. From dancing storm troopers to a Darth Vader ceremony cameo to original Star Wars artwork by the bride to the TIE Fighter cake, it was a galactic celebration the likes of which Endor and Naboo had never seen. Read More 1.5k October 9, 2018 A retro music festival-style tent village wedding with four dresses & a eye-popping headpiece We're both (loveable) weirdos so we wanted our wedding to truly reflect who we were. My favourite highlights that I think achieved this were: my 5m maypole, our rock-paper-scissor vows, our pirate celebrant, the giant Soul Train dance line we had with all 200 guests coming down in pairs, our very silly first dance to Marvin Gaye's "Let's Get It On," my dancing down the aisle to "Ain't No Mountain High Enough," my four wardrobe changes, our gong for speeches, and so much more. Read More More Real Weddings > Recent Advice 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 1.1k 20 Comments September 10, 2018 I am planning a pre-invitation survey to get a guest list headcount. Will this work? I have been scouring all the posts and comments threads about RSVPs and guest lists, and haven't seen an answer to a tricky question. How do you deal with guest list ambiguity when you live in an extremely expensive area, 2/3 of your desired invites are from out of town, and venues require guaranteed minimums on catering? Is it over okay to make a survey for your friends and family to gauge best-guesses for will they/won't theys for a wedding a year and a half or two years away? Read More September 5, 2018 Be blown away by this wine country destination wedding itinerary (Part 2!) I'm continuing the lineup of amazing wedding events you can plan for a destination wine country wedding in Sonoma County, California. If you missed part one, it's here! Here are some of the highlights that I got to experience including some farm and winery tours, a pit stop for some soft serve, an outdoor boudoir session, cheese tastings, and of course, the main wedding event. Read More September 3, 2018 This Sonoma County destination wedding itinerary will have you scrambling to plan a wine country wedding (Part 1!) I was ultra lucky to be included on a destination wedding tour of Sonoma County in Northern California to show us all of the reasons why a wine country wedding can be the swankiest, most immersive, and totally customizable wedding weekend experience. Here are some of the highlights that I got to experience that you can totally steal for your own destination wedding. If you particularly love some elements in this itinerary, the amazing all-inclusive wedding planning team at Off The Beaten Path Weddings can hook you up with it. Let's take a peek at part one of a STELLAR wedding weekend itinerary in Sonoma County, California… 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 October 12, 2018 Chicago has a lot of wedding venues, but NONE are anything like this one There are very few wedding venues in Chicago which make me think of our kick-ass readers more than Catalyst Ranch. If you've ever seen the versatile, colorful, and totally unique space in person, you'd see how much personality a wedding venue can add to your wedding. Situated in the trendy, industrial neighborhood of the West Loop, Catalyst Ranch is a breath of fresh air among plain venues. Read More October 9, 2018 A chat with offbeat wedding planning, Mama Hen organizing genius, Maven Macaw Events When you're scoping out the selection of vendors for your offbeat wedding, there's one sign that ensures you're dealing with someone who knows how it goes… when they themselves had an offbeat wedding! That's definitely the case with our girl Beca Oliveira at Maven Macaw Events. So when we wanted to catch up with her to see how her amazing clients were rocking their weddings (with her pro guidance, natch!), we got the tea. Read More October 2, 2018 Which of these stunning types of wedding bands would your partner rock? (pun intended) When choosing your wedding bands, there are a TON of choices, and you don't at all have to choose something traditional. Whether you're shopping for your partner, for all of your rings, or for yourself, there's a wedding band to fit your personality. We did some deep-diving and found three of our favorite types of rings and exactly who could ROCK them, pun intended… Read More September 28, 2018 How do you get that flawless, natural wedding makeup look? This makeup line is changing the game One thing we definitely know about readers of Offbeat Bride: they run the gamut when it comes to the "rules" of wedding makeup. Some go the traditional route of hiring a pro, some do it themselves, and some go totally makeup-free. But we do know that they want to make sure their wedding makeup lasts, looks amazing, and is cruelty-free. And that's totally why we love partnering with Per-fékt Beauty since they absolutely GET offbeat weddings. Here's the sitch on what they can offer you (or your chosen makeup artist!) that will keep your makeup looking gorgeous dahling while lasting ALL day and making you want to wear it forever and ever after. Read More September 26, 2018 Have fun and be sparkly with these shimmery wedding shoes When it comes to wedding planning, wedding partying, wedding ANYTHING, is there a better motto than "Have fun?" I think not. Have fun, go mad, y'all. So when we spied these Loly in the Sky "Have Fun" flats, we had to share. Oh, and maybe share a few other sparkly and shimmery wedding shoes I happened to see along the way. What, I couldn't help myself! On the sparkles… Read More More Stuff we love > Recent Wedding 101 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 2.3k January 24, 2018 Wedding venue search tips from the wedding ninjas: wedding planners Newly engaged folks: have you started your wedding venue search yet? Are you ready to pull your hair out or just the beginnings of a breakdown? Either you're in a town with so few offbeat options or you're in a big city with WAY too many options and no way to narrow it all down or find the perfect weird and wonderful venue for you between all the banquet halls. I decided to reach out to some of our favorite wedding coordinators to see what sage venue search wisdom they could impart on us to make the arduous search easier. 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? DIY Dress Eloping Engagement Ring Feminism Geeky Harry Potter Invitation Wording Readings Ceremony Advice Fashion Reception Advice Super cute offbeat wedding invitations @offbeatbride on Insta Halloween weddings Stop everything and look at this painted pumpkins fall centerpiece idea Sanne & Dirk's gothic Halloween metal concert wedding Christa & Auros' elegant gothic Iron Chef wedding Danielle & Banger's gothique, Burton-esque, New Orleans, voodoo, Hallows-Eve, handfasting Vampire rings for the undead love in your life Prepare to squeal at the ARMORED corset dress at a fantasy RPG-themed wedding Sheva & Jared's dark, elegant wedding with a twist of tacky Halloween fun Ouija board save-the-dates Read More > A few of our fave wedding vendors Devon Rowland Photography Read More Arwen Freer, Minister Read More Journeys of the Heart Wedding Officiants Read More Danette Pascarella Photography Read More Browse our vendor guide > Our infamous spreadsheets & checklists 80+ free wedding printables: a huge list of downloadable DIY wedding projects Safeguard your important details with an "oh shit list" Offbeat guide to the wedding photo shot list Playlists, requests, and backup plans: What to ask your wedding DJ Our GIANT list of important questions to ask wedding venues Your offbeat-friendly interactive wedding planning checklist is available! Your last-minute wedding checklist Planning tools 101: your wedding vendor contact sheet 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 - 2018 Offbeat Empire. All rights reserved. Unauthorized reproduction in part or in whole is prohibited. Contact us Terms of Service | Privacy Policy | Monetized by SkimLinks
1.2k September 10, 2018 Blue hair, brocade, & anatomical hearts at this Ireland goth wedding inspiration It's September which means that it's totally Halloween season! You might think it's too early, but this Ireland goth wedding inspiration says otherwise. We're totally prepared to bask in the skull decor, deep red drinks, gold on black stationery, anatomical hearts, and an eerily gorgeous cake. Don't miss these two gorgeous people sporting blue hair, stunning makeup, a black corset, and a silver brocade coat. An intimate cocktail bar and a nearby forest served as the backdrops for this shoot and it's getting us in that spooky mood we love… Read More September 7, 2018 14 offbeat floral ties in skull print, watercolors, mosaics, and more Floral ties are all the rage right now and you and/or your partner might be looking for a way to offbeat-ize the look. Flowers are fun in all kinds of formats, ties included. Plus, ties work on anyone getting married (groom, bride, or otherwise), so don't let the trend limit what you think you can wear. Here are a few alternative and offbeat floral ties to try out to get the look you're going for including mosaic flowers, dark and chic flowers, hand-painted prints, lace florals, skulls, and even banana leaves… Read More More Wedding Porn > Recent Real Weddings October 15, 2018 A Biltmore Estate library-inspired wedding with lots of BATMAN Mallory and William have made it a tradition to visit The Biltmore Estate in Asheville, N.C., each Christmas, enjoying the decorations and ambiance a few hours away from their home of Chattanooga, Tennessee. Last year, they went to the Christmas tree in front of the mansion, and William proposed… Read More October 12, 2018 Champagne wishes & flower crown dreams at this Thursday evening dinner party wedding Elke and Jon rocked such an amazing Thursday night dinner party wedding with their pup, and intimate crew of loved ones, a champagne pyramid, "Mint to be" favors, donuts, and so much more. Don't miss the bride's super chic dress and epic flower crown! Read More 3.8k October 11, 2018 Love + intention: a Wiccan park wedding with a breastfeeding baby as the "bouquet" I’m a witch, my husband is not. He knows now after being with me this long that I care a great deal about ritual, intention, and love. So, we set out to do everything by hand. We braided our own handfasting rope, we decorated our broom together, we brewed mead together, we painted and created our whole twelve (12!) invitations together. During anything we did, we lit a red candle, and we would hush to each other about love. We would declare our intent. Read More October 10, 2018 This May the Fourth wedding had dancing storm troopers, original art, & a killer black dress hen May the 4th falls on a weekend, you know there will be some choice Star Wars-influenced weddings to be seen. But Tiffany and Kyle's epic Star Wars wedding takes the Wookiee cookies. From dancing storm troopers to a Darth Vader ceremony cameo to original Star Wars artwork by the bride to the TIE Fighter cake, it was a galactic celebration the likes of which Endor and Naboo had never seen. Read More 1.5k October 9, 2018 A retro music festival-style tent village wedding with four dresses & a eye-popping headpiece We're both (loveable) weirdos so we wanted our wedding to truly reflect who we were. My favourite highlights that I think achieved this were: my 5m maypole, our rock-paper-scissor vows, our pirate celebrant, the giant Soul Train dance line we had with all 200 guests coming down in pairs, our very silly first dance to Marvin Gaye's "Let's Get It On," my dancing down the aisle to "Ain't No Mountain High Enough," my four wardrobe changes, our gong for speeches, and so much more. Read More More Real Weddings > Recent Advice 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 1.1k 20 Comments September 10, 2018 I am planning a pre-invitation survey to get a guest list headcount. Will this work? I have been scouring all the posts and comments threads about RSVPs and guest lists, and haven't seen an answer to a tricky question. How do you deal with guest list ambiguity when you live in an extremely expensive area, 2/3 of your desired invites are from out of town, and venues require guaranteed minimums on catering? Is it over okay to make a survey for your friends and family to gauge best-guesses for will they/won't theys for a wedding a year and a half or two years away? Read More September 5, 2018 Be blown away by this wine country destination wedding itinerary (Part 2!) I'm continuing the lineup of amazing wedding events you can plan for a destination wine country wedding in Sonoma County, California. If you missed part one, it's here! Here are some of the highlights that I got to experience including some farm and winery tours, a pit stop for some soft serve, an outdoor boudoir session, cheese tastings, and of course, the main wedding event. Read More September 3, 2018 This Sonoma County destination wedding itinerary will have you scrambling to plan a wine country wedding (Part 1!) I was ultra lucky to be included on a destination wedding tour of Sonoma County in Northern California to show us all of the reasons why a wine country wedding can be the swankiest, most immersive, and totally customizable wedding weekend experience. Here are some of the highlights that I got to experience that you can totally steal for your own destination wedding. If you particularly love some elements in this itinerary, the amazing all-inclusive wedding planning team at Off The Beaten Path Weddings can hook you up with it. Let's take a peek at part one of a STELLAR wedding weekend itinerary in Sonoma County, California… 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 October 12, 2018 Chicago has a lot of wedding venues, but NONE are anything like this one There are very few wedding venues in Chicago which make me think of our kick-ass readers more than Catalyst Ranch. If you've ever seen the versatile, colorful, and totally unique space in person, you'd see how much personality a wedding venue can add to your wedding. Situated in the trendy, industrial neighborhood of the West Loop, Catalyst Ranch is a breath of fresh air among plain venues. Read More October 9, 2018 A chat with offbeat wedding planning, Mama Hen organizing genius, Maven Macaw Events When you're scoping out the selection of vendors for your offbeat wedding, there's one sign that ensures you're dealing with someone who knows how it goes… when they themselves had an offbeat wedding! That's definitely the case with our girl Beca Oliveira at Maven Macaw Events. So when we wanted to catch up with her to see how her amazing clients were rocking their weddings (with her pro guidance, natch!), we got the tea. Read More October 2, 2018 Which of these stunning types of wedding bands would your partner rock? (pun intended) When choosing your wedding bands, there are a TON of choices, and you don't at all have to choose something traditional. Whether you're shopping for your partner, for all of your rings, or for yourself, there's a wedding band to fit your personality. We did some deep-diving and found three of our favorite types of rings and exactly who could ROCK them, pun intended… Read More September 28, 2018 How do you get that flawless, natural wedding makeup look? This makeup line is changing the game One thing we definitely know about readers of Offbeat Bride: they run the gamut when it comes to the "rules" of wedding makeup. Some go the traditional route of hiring a pro, some do it themselves, and some go totally makeup-free. But we do know that they want to make sure their wedding makeup lasts, looks amazing, and is cruelty-free. And that's totally why we love partnering with Per-fékt Beauty since they absolutely GET offbeat weddings. Here's the sitch on what they can offer you (or your chosen makeup artist!) that will keep your makeup looking gorgeous dahling while lasting ALL day and making you want to wear it forever and ever after. Read More September 26, 2018 Have fun and be sparkly with these shimmery wedding shoes When it comes to wedding planning, wedding partying, wedding ANYTHING, is there a better motto than "Have fun?" I think not. Have fun, go mad, y'all. So when we spied these Loly in the Sky "Have Fun" flats, we had to share. Oh, and maybe share a few other sparkly and shimmery wedding shoes I happened to see along the way. What, I couldn't help myself! On the sparkles… Read More More Stuff we love > Recent Wedding 101 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 2.3k January 24, 2018 Wedding venue search tips from the wedding ninjas: wedding planners Newly engaged folks: have you started your wedding venue search yet? Are you ready to pull your hair out or just the beginnings of a breakdown? Either you're in a town with so few offbeat options or you're in a big city with WAY too many options and no way to narrow it all down or find the perfect weird and wonderful venue for you between all the banquet halls. I decided to reach out to some of our favorite wedding coordinators to see what sage venue search wisdom they could impart on us to make the arduous search easier. 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? DIY Dress Eloping Engagement Ring Feminism Geeky Harry Potter Invitation Wording Readings Ceremony Advice Fashion Reception Advice Super cute offbeat wedding invitations @offbeatbride on Insta Halloween weddings Stop everything and look at this painted pumpkins fall centerpiece idea Sanne & Dirk's gothic Halloween metal concert wedding Christa & Auros' elegant gothic Iron Chef wedding Danielle & Banger's gothique, Burton-esque, New Orleans, voodoo, Hallows-Eve, handfasting Vampire rings for the undead love in your life Prepare to squeal at the ARMORED corset dress at a fantasy RPG-themed wedding Sheva & Jared's dark, elegant wedding with a twist of tacky Halloween fun Ouija board save-the-dates Read More > A few of our fave wedding vendors Devon Rowland Photography Read More Arwen Freer, Minister Read More Journeys of the Heart Wedding Officiants Read More Danette Pascarella Photography Read More Browse our vendor guide > Our infamous spreadsheets & checklists 80+ free wedding printables: a huge list of downloadable DIY wedding projects Safeguard your important details with an "oh shit list" Offbeat guide to the wedding photo shot list Playlists, requests, and backup plans: What to ask your wedding DJ Our GIANT list of important questions to ask wedding venues Your offbeat-friendly interactive wedding planning checklist is available! Your last-minute wedding checklist Planning tools 101: your wedding vendor contact sheet 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 - 2018 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 7, 2018 14 offbeat floral ties in skull print, watercolors, mosaics, and more Floral ties are all the rage right now and you and/or your partner might be looking for a way to offbeat-ize the look. Flowers are fun in all kinds of formats, ties included. Plus, ties work on anyone getting married (groom, bride, or otherwise), so don't let the trend limit what you think you can wear. Here are a few alternative and offbeat floral ties to try out to get the look you're going for including mosaic flowers, dark and chic flowers, hand-painted prints, lace florals, skulls, and even banana leaves… Read More More Wedding Porn > Recent Real Weddings October 15, 2018 A Biltmore Estate library-inspired wedding with lots of BATMAN Mallory and William have made it a tradition to visit The Biltmore Estate in Asheville, N.C., each Christmas, enjoying the decorations and ambiance a few hours away from their home of Chattanooga, Tennessee. Last year, they went to the Christmas tree in front of the mansion, and William proposed… Read More October 12, 2018 Champagne wishes & flower crown dreams at this Thursday evening dinner party wedding Elke and Jon rocked such an amazing Thursday night dinner party wedding with their pup, and intimate crew of loved ones, a champagne pyramid, "Mint to be" favors, donuts, and so much more. Don't miss the bride's super chic dress and epic flower crown! Read More 3.8k October 11, 2018 Love + intention: a Wiccan park wedding with a breastfeeding baby as the "bouquet" I’m a witch, my husband is not. He knows now after being with me this long that I care a great deal about ritual, intention, and love. So, we set out to do everything by hand. We braided our own handfasting rope, we decorated our broom together, we brewed mead together, we painted and created our whole twelve (12!) invitations together. During anything we did, we lit a red candle, and we would hush to each other about love. We would declare our intent. Read More October 10, 2018 This May the Fourth wedding had dancing storm troopers, original art, & a killer black dress hen May the 4th falls on a weekend, you know there will be some choice Star Wars-influenced weddings to be seen. But Tiffany and Kyle's epic Star Wars wedding takes the Wookiee cookies. From dancing storm troopers to a Darth Vader ceremony cameo to original Star Wars artwork by the bride to the TIE Fighter cake, it was a galactic celebration the likes of which Endor and Naboo had never seen. Read More 1.5k October 9, 2018 A retro music festival-style tent village wedding with four dresses & a eye-popping headpiece We're both (loveable) weirdos so we wanted our wedding to truly reflect who we were. My favourite highlights that I think achieved this were: my 5m maypole, our rock-paper-scissor vows, our pirate celebrant, the giant Soul Train dance line we had with all 200 guests coming down in pairs, our very silly first dance to Marvin Gaye's "Let's Get It On," my dancing down the aisle to "Ain't No Mountain High Enough," my four wardrobe changes, our gong for speeches, and so much more. Read More More Real Weddings > Recent Advice 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 1.1k 20 Comments September 10, 2018 I am planning a pre-invitation survey to get a guest list headcount. Will this work? I have been scouring all the posts and comments threads about RSVPs and guest lists, and haven't seen an answer to a tricky question. How do you deal with guest list ambiguity when you live in an extremely expensive area, 2/3 of your desired invites are from out of town, and venues require guaranteed minimums on catering? Is it over okay to make a survey for your friends and family to gauge best-guesses for will they/won't theys for a wedding a year and a half or two years away? Read More September 5, 2018 Be blown away by this wine country destination wedding itinerary (Part 2!) I'm continuing the lineup of amazing wedding events you can plan for a destination wine country wedding in Sonoma County, California. If you missed part one, it's here! Here are some of the highlights that I got to experience including some farm and winery tours, a pit stop for some soft serve, an outdoor boudoir session, cheese tastings, and of course, the main wedding event. Read More September 3, 2018 This Sonoma County destination wedding itinerary will have you scrambling to plan a wine country wedding (Part 1!) I was ultra lucky to be included on a destination wedding tour of Sonoma County in Northern California to show us all of the reasons why a wine country wedding can be the swankiest, most immersive, and totally customizable wedding weekend experience. Here are some of the highlights that I got to experience that you can totally steal for your own destination wedding. If you particularly love some elements in this itinerary, the amazing all-inclusive wedding planning team at Off The Beaten Path Weddings can hook you up with it. Let's take a peek at part one of a STELLAR wedding weekend itinerary in Sonoma County, California… 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 October 12, 2018 Chicago has a lot of wedding venues, but NONE are anything like this one There are very few wedding venues in Chicago which make me think of our kick-ass readers more than Catalyst Ranch. If you've ever seen the versatile, colorful, and totally unique space in person, you'd see how much personality a wedding venue can add to your wedding. Situated in the trendy, industrial neighborhood of the West Loop, Catalyst Ranch is a breath of fresh air among plain venues. Read More October 9, 2018 A chat with offbeat wedding planning, Mama Hen organizing genius, Maven Macaw Events When you're scoping out the selection of vendors for your offbeat wedding, there's one sign that ensures you're dealing with someone who knows how it goes… when they themselves had an offbeat wedding! That's definitely the case with our girl Beca Oliveira at Maven Macaw Events. So when we wanted to catch up with her to see how her amazing clients were rocking their weddings (with her pro guidance, natch!), we got the tea. Read More October 2, 2018 Which of these stunning types of wedding bands would your partner rock? (pun intended) When choosing your wedding bands, there are a TON of choices, and you don't at all have to choose something traditional. Whether you're shopping for your partner, for all of your rings, or for yourself, there's a wedding band to fit your personality. We did some deep-diving and found three of our favorite types of rings and exactly who could ROCK them, pun intended… Read More September 28, 2018 How do you get that flawless, natural wedding makeup look? This makeup line is changing the game One thing we definitely know about readers of Offbeat Bride: they run the gamut when it comes to the "rules" of wedding makeup. Some go the traditional route of hiring a pro, some do it themselves, and some go totally makeup-free. But we do know that they want to make sure their wedding makeup lasts, looks amazing, and is cruelty-free. And that's totally why we love partnering with Per-fékt Beauty since they absolutely GET offbeat weddings. Here's the sitch on what they can offer you (or your chosen makeup artist!) that will keep your makeup looking gorgeous dahling while lasting ALL day and making you want to wear it forever and ever after. Read More September 26, 2018 Have fun and be sparkly with these shimmery wedding shoes When it comes to wedding planning, wedding partying, wedding ANYTHING, is there a better motto than "Have fun?" I think not. Have fun, go mad, y'all. So when we spied these Loly in the Sky "Have Fun" flats, we had to share. Oh, and maybe share a few other sparkly and shimmery wedding shoes I happened to see along the way. What, I couldn't help myself! On the sparkles… Read More More Stuff we love > Recent Wedding 101 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 2.3k January 24, 2018 Wedding venue search tips from the wedding ninjas: wedding planners Newly engaged folks: have you started your wedding venue search yet? Are you ready to pull your hair out or just the beginnings of a breakdown? Either you're in a town with so few offbeat options or you're in a big city with WAY too many options and no way to narrow it all down or find the perfect weird and wonderful venue for you between all the banquet halls. I decided to reach out to some of our favorite wedding coordinators to see what sage venue search wisdom they could impart on us to make the arduous search easier. 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? DIY Dress Eloping Engagement Ring Feminism Geeky Harry Potter Invitation Wording Readings Ceremony Advice Fashion Reception Advice Super cute offbeat wedding invitations @offbeatbride on Insta Halloween weddings Stop everything and look at this painted pumpkins fall centerpiece idea Sanne & Dirk's gothic Halloween metal concert wedding Christa & Auros' elegant gothic Iron Chef wedding Danielle & Banger's gothique, Burton-esque, New Orleans, voodoo, Hallows-Eve, handfasting Vampire rings for the undead love in your life Prepare to squeal at the ARMORED corset dress at a fantasy RPG-themed wedding Sheva & Jared's dark, elegant wedding with a twist of tacky Halloween fun Ouija board save-the-dates Read More > A few of our fave wedding vendors Devon Rowland Photography Read More Arwen Freer, Minister Read More Journeys of the Heart Wedding Officiants Read More Danette Pascarella Photography Read More Browse our vendor guide > Our infamous spreadsheets & checklists 80+ free wedding printables: a huge list of downloadable DIY wedding projects Safeguard your important details with an "oh shit list" Offbeat guide to the wedding photo shot list Playlists, requests, and backup plans: What to ask your wedding DJ Our GIANT list of important questions to ask wedding venues Your offbeat-friendly interactive wedding planning checklist is available! Your last-minute wedding checklist Planning tools 101: your wedding vendor contact sheet 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 - 2018 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 15, 2018 A Biltmore Estate library-inspired wedding with lots of BATMAN Mallory and William have made it a tradition to visit The Biltmore Estate in Asheville, N.C., each Christmas, enjoying the decorations and ambiance a few hours away from their home of Chattanooga, Tennessee. Last year, they went to the Christmas tree in front of the mansion, and William proposed… Read More October 12, 2018 Champagne wishes & flower crown dreams at this Thursday evening dinner party wedding Elke and Jon rocked such an amazing Thursday night dinner party wedding with their pup, and intimate crew of loved ones, a champagne pyramid, "Mint to be" favors, donuts, and so much more. Don't miss the bride's super chic dress and epic flower crown! Read More 3.8k October 11, 2018 Love + intention: a Wiccan park wedding with a breastfeeding baby as the "bouquet" I’m a witch, my husband is not. He knows now after being with me this long that I care a great deal about ritual, intention, and love. So, we set out to do everything by hand. We braided our own handfasting rope, we decorated our broom together, we brewed mead together, we painted and created our whole twelve (12!) invitations together. During anything we did, we lit a red candle, and we would hush to each other about love. We would declare our intent. Read More October 10, 2018 This May the Fourth wedding had dancing storm troopers, original art, & a killer black dress hen May the 4th falls on a weekend, you know there will be some choice Star Wars-influenced weddings to be seen. But Tiffany and Kyle's epic Star Wars wedding takes the Wookiee cookies. From dancing storm troopers to a Darth Vader ceremony cameo to original Star Wars artwork by the bride to the TIE Fighter cake, it was a galactic celebration the likes of which Endor and Naboo had never seen. Read More 1.5k October 9, 2018 A retro music festival-style tent village wedding with four dresses & a eye-popping headpiece We're both (loveable) weirdos so we wanted our wedding to truly reflect who we were. My favourite highlights that I think achieved this were: my 5m maypole, our rock-paper-scissor vows, our pirate celebrant, the giant Soul Train dance line we had with all 200 guests coming down in pairs, our very silly first dance to Marvin Gaye's "Let's Get It On," my dancing down the aisle to "Ain't No Mountain High Enough," my four wardrobe changes, our gong for speeches, and so much more. Read More More Real Weddings > Recent Advice 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 1.1k 20 Comments September 10, 2018 I am planning a pre-invitation survey to get a guest list headcount. Will this work? I have been scouring all the posts and comments threads about RSVPs and guest lists, and haven't seen an answer to a tricky question. How do you deal with guest list ambiguity when you live in an extremely expensive area, 2/3 of your desired invites are from out of town, and venues require guaranteed minimums on catering? Is it over okay to make a survey for your friends and family to gauge best-guesses for will they/won't theys for a wedding a year and a half or two years away? Read More September 5, 2018 Be blown away by this wine country destination wedding itinerary (Part 2!) I'm continuing the lineup of amazing wedding events you can plan for a destination wine country wedding in Sonoma County, California. If you missed part one, it's here! Here are some of the highlights that I got to experience including some farm and winery tours, a pit stop for some soft serve, an outdoor boudoir session, cheese tastings, and of course, the main wedding event. Read More September 3, 2018 This Sonoma County destination wedding itinerary will have you scrambling to plan a wine country wedding (Part 1!) I was ultra lucky to be included on a destination wedding tour of Sonoma County in Northern California to show us all of the reasons why a wine country wedding can be the swankiest, most immersive, and totally customizable wedding weekend experience. Here are some of the highlights that I got to experience that you can totally steal for your own destination wedding. If you particularly love some elements in this itinerary, the amazing all-inclusive wedding planning team at Off The Beaten Path Weddings can hook you up with it. Let's take a peek at part one of a STELLAR wedding weekend itinerary in Sonoma County, California… 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 October 12, 2018 Chicago has a lot of wedding venues, but NONE are anything like this one There are very few wedding venues in Chicago which make me think of our kick-ass readers more than Catalyst Ranch. If you've ever seen the versatile, colorful, and totally unique space in person, you'd see how much personality a wedding venue can add to your wedding. Situated in the trendy, industrial neighborhood of the West Loop, Catalyst Ranch is a breath of fresh air among plain venues. Read More October 9, 2018 A chat with offbeat wedding planning, Mama Hen organizing genius, Maven Macaw Events When you're scoping out the selection of vendors for your offbeat wedding, there's one sign that ensures you're dealing with someone who knows how it goes… when they themselves had an offbeat wedding! That's definitely the case with our girl Beca Oliveira at Maven Macaw Events. So when we wanted to catch up with her to see how her amazing clients were rocking their weddings (with her pro guidance, natch!), we got the tea. Read More October 2, 2018 Which of these stunning types of wedding bands would your partner rock? (pun intended) When choosing your wedding bands, there are a TON of choices, and you don't at all have to choose something traditional. Whether you're shopping for your partner, for all of your rings, or for yourself, there's a wedding band to fit your personality. We did some deep-diving and found three of our favorite types of rings and exactly who could ROCK them, pun intended… Read More September 28, 2018 How do you get that flawless, natural wedding makeup look? This makeup line is changing the game One thing we definitely know about readers of Offbeat Bride: they run the gamut when it comes to the "rules" of wedding makeup. Some go the traditional route of hiring a pro, some do it themselves, and some go totally makeup-free. But we do know that they want to make sure their wedding makeup lasts, looks amazing, and is cruelty-free. And that's totally why we love partnering with Per-fékt Beauty since they absolutely GET offbeat weddings. Here's the sitch on what they can offer you (or your chosen makeup artist!) that will keep your makeup looking gorgeous dahling while lasting ALL day and making you want to wear it forever and ever after. Read More September 26, 2018 Have fun and be sparkly with these shimmery wedding shoes When it comes to wedding planning, wedding partying, wedding ANYTHING, is there a better motto than "Have fun?" I think not. Have fun, go mad, y'all. So when we spied these Loly in the Sky "Have Fun" flats, we had to share. Oh, and maybe share a few other sparkly and shimmery wedding shoes I happened to see along the way. What, I couldn't help myself! On the sparkles… Read More More Stuff we love > Recent Wedding 101 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 2.3k January 24, 2018 Wedding venue search tips from the wedding ninjas: wedding planners Newly engaged folks: have you started your wedding venue search yet? Are you ready to pull your hair out or just the beginnings of a breakdown? Either you're in a town with so few offbeat options or you're in a big city with WAY too many options and no way to narrow it all down or find the perfect weird and wonderful venue for you between all the banquet halls. I decided to reach out to some of our favorite wedding coordinators to see what sage venue search wisdom they could impart on us to make the arduous search easier. 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? DIY Dress Eloping Engagement Ring Feminism Geeky Harry Potter Invitation Wording Readings Ceremony Advice Fashion Reception Advice Super cute offbeat wedding invitations @offbeatbride on Insta Halloween weddings Stop everything and look at this painted pumpkins fall centerpiece idea Sanne & Dirk's gothic Halloween metal concert wedding Christa & Auros' elegant gothic Iron Chef wedding Danielle & Banger's gothique, Burton-esque, New Orleans, voodoo, Hallows-Eve, handfasting Vampire rings for the undead love in your life Prepare to squeal at the ARMORED corset dress at a fantasy RPG-themed wedding Sheva & Jared's dark, elegant wedding with a twist of tacky Halloween fun Ouija board save-the-dates Read More > A few of our fave wedding vendors Devon Rowland Photography Read More Arwen Freer, Minister Read More Journeys of the Heart Wedding Officiants Read More Danette Pascarella Photography Read More Browse our vendor guide > Our infamous spreadsheets & checklists 80+ free wedding printables: a huge list of downloadable DIY wedding projects Safeguard your important details with an "oh shit list" Offbeat guide to the wedding photo shot list Playlists, requests, and backup plans: What to ask your wedding DJ Our GIANT list of important questions to ask wedding venues Your offbeat-friendly interactive wedding planning checklist is available! Your last-minute wedding checklist Planning tools 101: your wedding vendor contact sheet 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 - 2018 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 12, 2018 Champagne wishes & flower crown dreams at this Thursday evening dinner party wedding Elke and Jon rocked such an amazing Thursday night dinner party wedding with their pup, and intimate crew of loved ones, a champagne pyramid, "Mint to be" favors, donuts, and so much more. Don't miss the bride's super chic dress and epic flower crown! Read More 3.8k October 11, 2018 Love + intention: a Wiccan park wedding with a breastfeeding baby as the "bouquet" I’m a witch, my husband is not. He knows now after being with me this long that I care a great deal about ritual, intention, and love. So, we set out to do everything by hand. We braided our own handfasting rope, we decorated our broom together, we brewed mead together, we painted and created our whole twelve (12!) invitations together. During anything we did, we lit a red candle, and we would hush to each other about love. We would declare our intent. Read More October 10, 2018 This May the Fourth wedding had dancing storm troopers, original art, & a killer black dress hen May the 4th falls on a weekend, you know there will be some choice Star Wars-influenced weddings to be seen. But Tiffany and Kyle's epic Star Wars wedding takes the Wookiee cookies. From dancing storm troopers to a Darth Vader ceremony cameo to original Star Wars artwork by the bride to the TIE Fighter cake, it was a galactic celebration the likes of which Endor and Naboo had never seen. Read More 1.5k October 9, 2018 A retro music festival-style tent village wedding with four dresses & a eye-popping headpiece We're both (loveable) weirdos so we wanted our wedding to truly reflect who we were. My favourite highlights that I think achieved this were: my 5m maypole, our rock-paper-scissor vows, our pirate celebrant, the giant Soul Train dance line we had with all 200 guests coming down in pairs, our very silly first dance to Marvin Gaye's "Let's Get It On," my dancing down the aisle to "Ain't No Mountain High Enough," my four wardrobe changes, our gong for speeches, and so much more. Read More More Real Weddings > Recent Advice 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 1.1k 20 Comments September 10, 2018 I am planning a pre-invitation survey to get a guest list headcount. Will this work? I have been scouring all the posts and comments threads about RSVPs and guest lists, and haven't seen an answer to a tricky question. How do you deal with guest list ambiguity when you live in an extremely expensive area, 2/3 of your desired invites are from out of town, and venues require guaranteed minimums on catering? Is it over okay to make a survey for your friends and family to gauge best-guesses for will they/won't theys for a wedding a year and a half or two years away? Read More September 5, 2018 Be blown away by this wine country destination wedding itinerary (Part 2!) I'm continuing the lineup of amazing wedding events you can plan for a destination wine country wedding in Sonoma County, California. If you missed part one, it's here! Here are some of the highlights that I got to experience including some farm and winery tours, a pit stop for some soft serve, an outdoor boudoir session, cheese tastings, and of course, the main wedding event. Read More September 3, 2018 This Sonoma County destination wedding itinerary will have you scrambling to plan a wine country wedding (Part 1!) I was ultra lucky to be included on a destination wedding tour of Sonoma County in Northern California to show us all of the reasons why a wine country wedding can be the swankiest, most immersive, and totally customizable wedding weekend experience. Here are some of the highlights that I got to experience that you can totally steal for your own destination wedding. If you particularly love some elements in this itinerary, the amazing all-inclusive wedding planning team at Off The Beaten Path Weddings can hook you up with it. Let's take a peek at part one of a STELLAR wedding weekend itinerary in Sonoma County, California… 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 October 12, 2018 Chicago has a lot of wedding venues, but NONE are anything like this one There are very few wedding venues in Chicago which make me think of our kick-ass readers more than Catalyst Ranch. If you've ever seen the versatile, colorful, and totally unique space in person, you'd see how much personality a wedding venue can add to your wedding. Situated in the trendy, industrial neighborhood of the West Loop, Catalyst Ranch is a breath of fresh air among plain venues. Read More October 9, 2018 A chat with offbeat wedding planning, Mama Hen organizing genius, Maven Macaw Events When you're scoping out the selection of vendors for your offbeat wedding, there's one sign that ensures you're dealing with someone who knows how it goes… when they themselves had an offbeat wedding! That's definitely the case with our girl Beca Oliveira at Maven Macaw Events. So when we wanted to catch up with her to see how her amazing clients were rocking their weddings (with her pro guidance, natch!), we got the tea. Read More October 2, 2018 Which of these stunning types of wedding bands would your partner rock? (pun intended) When choosing your wedding bands, there are a TON of choices, and you don't at all have to choose something traditional. Whether you're shopping for your partner, for all of your rings, or for yourself, there's a wedding band to fit your personality. We did some deep-diving and found three of our favorite types of rings and exactly who could ROCK them, pun intended… Read More September 28, 2018 How do you get that flawless, natural wedding makeup look? This makeup line is changing the game One thing we definitely know about readers of Offbeat Bride: they run the gamut when it comes to the "rules" of wedding makeup. Some go the traditional route of hiring a pro, some do it themselves, and some go totally makeup-free. But we do know that they want to make sure their wedding makeup lasts, looks amazing, and is cruelty-free. And that's totally why we love partnering with Per-fékt Beauty since they absolutely GET offbeat weddings. Here's the sitch on what they can offer you (or your chosen makeup artist!) that will keep your makeup looking gorgeous dahling while lasting ALL day and making you want to wear it forever and ever after. Read More September 26, 2018 Have fun and be sparkly with these shimmery wedding shoes When it comes to wedding planning, wedding partying, wedding ANYTHING, is there a better motto than "Have fun?" I think not. Have fun, go mad, y'all. So when we spied these Loly in the Sky "Have Fun" flats, we had to share. Oh, and maybe share a few other sparkly and shimmery wedding shoes I happened to see along the way. What, I couldn't help myself! On the sparkles… Read More More Stuff we love > Recent Wedding 101 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 2.3k January 24, 2018 Wedding venue search tips from the wedding ninjas: wedding planners Newly engaged folks: have you started your wedding venue search yet? Are you ready to pull your hair out or just the beginnings of a breakdown? Either you're in a town with so few offbeat options or you're in a big city with WAY too many options and no way to narrow it all down or find the perfect weird and wonderful venue for you between all the banquet halls. I decided to reach out to some of our favorite wedding coordinators to see what sage venue search wisdom they could impart on us to make the arduous search easier. 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? DIY Dress Eloping Engagement Ring Feminism Geeky Harry Potter Invitation Wording Readings Ceremony Advice Fashion Reception Advice Super cute offbeat wedding invitations @offbeatbride on Insta Halloween weddings Stop everything and look at this painted pumpkins fall centerpiece idea Sanne & Dirk's gothic Halloween metal concert wedding Christa & Auros' elegant gothic Iron Chef wedding Danielle & Banger's gothique, Burton-esque, New Orleans, voodoo, Hallows-Eve, handfasting Vampire rings for the undead love in your life Prepare to squeal at the ARMORED corset dress at a fantasy RPG-themed wedding Sheva & Jared's dark, elegant wedding with a twist of tacky Halloween fun Ouija board save-the-dates Read More > A few of our fave wedding vendors Devon Rowland Photography Read More Arwen Freer, Minister Read More Journeys of the Heart Wedding Officiants Read More Danette Pascarella Photography Read More Browse our vendor guide > Our infamous spreadsheets & checklists 80+ free wedding printables: a huge list of downloadable DIY wedding projects Safeguard your important details with an "oh shit list" Offbeat guide to the wedding photo shot list Playlists, requests, and backup plans: What to ask your wedding DJ Our GIANT list of important questions to ask wedding venues Your offbeat-friendly interactive wedding planning checklist is available! Your last-minute wedding checklist Planning tools 101: your wedding vendor contact sheet 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 - 2018 Offbeat Empire. All rights reserved. Unauthorized reproduction in part or in whole is prohibited. Contact us Terms of Service | Privacy Policy | Monetized by SkimLinks
3.8k October 11, 2018 Love + intention: a Wiccan park wedding with a breastfeeding baby as the "bouquet" I’m a witch, my husband is not. He knows now after being with me this long that I care a great deal about ritual, intention, and love. So, we set out to do everything by hand. We braided our own handfasting rope, we decorated our broom together, we brewed mead together, we painted and created our whole twelve (12!) invitations together. During anything we did, we lit a red candle, and we would hush to each other about love. We would declare our intent. Read More October 10, 2018 This May the Fourth wedding had dancing storm troopers, original art, & a killer black dress hen May the 4th falls on a weekend, you know there will be some choice Star Wars-influenced weddings to be seen. But Tiffany and Kyle's epic Star Wars wedding takes the Wookiee cookies. From dancing storm troopers to a Darth Vader ceremony cameo to original Star Wars artwork by the bride to the TIE Fighter cake, it was a galactic celebration the likes of which Endor and Naboo had never seen. Read More 1.5k October 9, 2018 A retro music festival-style tent village wedding with four dresses & a eye-popping headpiece We're both (loveable) weirdos so we wanted our wedding to truly reflect who we were. My favourite highlights that I think achieved this were: my 5m maypole, our rock-paper-scissor vows, our pirate celebrant, the giant Soul Train dance line we had with all 200 guests coming down in pairs, our very silly first dance to Marvin Gaye's "Let's Get It On," my dancing down the aisle to "Ain't No Mountain High Enough," my four wardrobe changes, our gong for speeches, and so much more. Read More More Real Weddings > Recent Advice 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 1.1k 20 Comments September 10, 2018 I am planning a pre-invitation survey to get a guest list headcount. Will this work? I have been scouring all the posts and comments threads about RSVPs and guest lists, and haven't seen an answer to a tricky question. How do you deal with guest list ambiguity when you live in an extremely expensive area, 2/3 of your desired invites are from out of town, and venues require guaranteed minimums on catering? Is it over okay to make a survey for your friends and family to gauge best-guesses for will they/won't theys for a wedding a year and a half or two years away? Read More September 5, 2018 Be blown away by this wine country destination wedding itinerary (Part 2!) I'm continuing the lineup of amazing wedding events you can plan for a destination wine country wedding in Sonoma County, California. If you missed part one, it's here! Here are some of the highlights that I got to experience including some farm and winery tours, a pit stop for some soft serve, an outdoor boudoir session, cheese tastings, and of course, the main wedding event. Read More September 3, 2018 This Sonoma County destination wedding itinerary will have you scrambling to plan a wine country wedding (Part 1!) I was ultra lucky to be included on a destination wedding tour of Sonoma County in Northern California to show us all of the reasons why a wine country wedding can be the swankiest, most immersive, and totally customizable wedding weekend experience. Here are some of the highlights that I got to experience that you can totally steal for your own destination wedding. If you particularly love some elements in this itinerary, the amazing all-inclusive wedding planning team at Off The Beaten Path Weddings can hook you up with it. Let's take a peek at part one of a STELLAR wedding weekend itinerary in Sonoma County, California… 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 October 12, 2018 Chicago has a lot of wedding venues, but NONE are anything like this one There are very few wedding venues in Chicago which make me think of our kick-ass readers more than Catalyst Ranch. If you've ever seen the versatile, colorful, and totally unique space in person, you'd see how much personality a wedding venue can add to your wedding. Situated in the trendy, industrial neighborhood of the West Loop, Catalyst Ranch is a breath of fresh air among plain venues. Read More October 9, 2018 A chat with offbeat wedding planning, Mama Hen organizing genius, Maven Macaw Events When you're scoping out the selection of vendors for your offbeat wedding, there's one sign that ensures you're dealing with someone who knows how it goes… when they themselves had an offbeat wedding! That's definitely the case with our girl Beca Oliveira at Maven Macaw Events. So when we wanted to catch up with her to see how her amazing clients were rocking their weddings (with her pro guidance, natch!), we got the tea. Read More October 2, 2018 Which of these stunning types of wedding bands would your partner rock? (pun intended) When choosing your wedding bands, there are a TON of choices, and you don't at all have to choose something traditional. Whether you're shopping for your partner, for all of your rings, or for yourself, there's a wedding band to fit your personality. We did some deep-diving and found three of our favorite types of rings and exactly who could ROCK them, pun intended… Read More September 28, 2018 How do you get that flawless, natural wedding makeup look? This makeup line is changing the game One thing we definitely know about readers of Offbeat Bride: they run the gamut when it comes to the "rules" of wedding makeup. Some go the traditional route of hiring a pro, some do it themselves, and some go totally makeup-free. But we do know that they want to make sure their wedding makeup lasts, looks amazing, and is cruelty-free. And that's totally why we love partnering with Per-fékt Beauty since they absolutely GET offbeat weddings. Here's the sitch on what they can offer you (or your chosen makeup artist!) that will keep your makeup looking gorgeous dahling while lasting ALL day and making you want to wear it forever and ever after. Read More September 26, 2018 Have fun and be sparkly with these shimmery wedding shoes When it comes to wedding planning, wedding partying, wedding ANYTHING, is there a better motto than "Have fun?" I think not. Have fun, go mad, y'all. So when we spied these Loly in the Sky "Have Fun" flats, we had to share. Oh, and maybe share a few other sparkly and shimmery wedding shoes I happened to see along the way. What, I couldn't help myself! On the sparkles… Read More More Stuff we love > Recent Wedding 101 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 2.3k January 24, 2018 Wedding venue search tips from the wedding ninjas: wedding planners Newly engaged folks: have you started your wedding venue search yet? Are you ready to pull your hair out or just the beginnings of a breakdown? Either you're in a town with so few offbeat options or you're in a big city with WAY too many options and no way to narrow it all down or find the perfect weird and wonderful venue for you between all the banquet halls. I decided to reach out to some of our favorite wedding coordinators to see what sage venue search wisdom they could impart on us to make the arduous search easier. 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? DIY Dress Eloping Engagement Ring Feminism Geeky Harry Potter Invitation Wording Readings Ceremony Advice Fashion Reception Advice Super cute offbeat wedding invitations @offbeatbride on Insta Halloween weddings Stop everything and look at this painted pumpkins fall centerpiece idea Sanne & Dirk's gothic Halloween metal concert wedding Christa & Auros' elegant gothic Iron Chef wedding Danielle & Banger's gothique, Burton-esque, New Orleans, voodoo, Hallows-Eve, handfasting Vampire rings for the undead love in your life Prepare to squeal at the ARMORED corset dress at a fantasy RPG-themed wedding Sheva & Jared's dark, elegant wedding with a twist of tacky Halloween fun Ouija board save-the-dates Read More > A few of our fave wedding vendors Devon Rowland Photography Read More Arwen Freer, Minister Read More Journeys of the Heart Wedding Officiants Read More Danette Pascarella Photography Read More Browse our vendor guide > Our infamous spreadsheets & checklists 80+ free wedding printables: a huge list of downloadable DIY wedding projects Safeguard your important details with an "oh shit list" Offbeat guide to the wedding photo shot list Playlists, requests, and backup plans: What to ask your wedding DJ Our GIANT list of important questions to ask wedding venues Your offbeat-friendly interactive wedding planning checklist is available! Your last-minute wedding checklist Planning tools 101: your wedding vendor contact sheet 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 - 2018 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 10, 2018 This May the Fourth wedding had dancing storm troopers, original art, & a killer black dress hen May the 4th falls on a weekend, you know there will be some choice Star Wars-influenced weddings to be seen. But Tiffany and Kyle's epic Star Wars wedding takes the Wookiee cookies. From dancing storm troopers to a Darth Vader ceremony cameo to original Star Wars artwork by the bride to the TIE Fighter cake, it was a galactic celebration the likes of which Endor and Naboo had never seen. Read More 1.5k October 9, 2018 A retro music festival-style tent village wedding with four dresses & a eye-popping headpiece We're both (loveable) weirdos so we wanted our wedding to truly reflect who we were. My favourite highlights that I think achieved this were: my 5m maypole, our rock-paper-scissor vows, our pirate celebrant, the giant Soul Train dance line we had with all 200 guests coming down in pairs, our very silly first dance to Marvin Gaye's "Let's Get It On," my dancing down the aisle to "Ain't No Mountain High Enough," my four wardrobe changes, our gong for speeches, and so much more. Read More More Real Weddings > Recent Advice 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 1.1k 20 Comments September 10, 2018 I am planning a pre-invitation survey to get a guest list headcount. Will this work? I have been scouring all the posts and comments threads about RSVPs and guest lists, and haven't seen an answer to a tricky question. How do you deal with guest list ambiguity when you live in an extremely expensive area, 2/3 of your desired invites are from out of town, and venues require guaranteed minimums on catering? Is it over okay to make a survey for your friends and family to gauge best-guesses for will they/won't theys for a wedding a year and a half or two years away? Read More September 5, 2018 Be blown away by this wine country destination wedding itinerary (Part 2!) I'm continuing the lineup of amazing wedding events you can plan for a destination wine country wedding in Sonoma County, California. If you missed part one, it's here! Here are some of the highlights that I got to experience including some farm and winery tours, a pit stop for some soft serve, an outdoor boudoir session, cheese tastings, and of course, the main wedding event. Read More September 3, 2018 This Sonoma County destination wedding itinerary will have you scrambling to plan a wine country wedding (Part 1!) I was ultra lucky to be included on a destination wedding tour of Sonoma County in Northern California to show us all of the reasons why a wine country wedding can be the swankiest, most immersive, and totally customizable wedding weekend experience. Here are some of the highlights that I got to experience that you can totally steal for your own destination wedding. If you particularly love some elements in this itinerary, the amazing all-inclusive wedding planning team at Off The Beaten Path Weddings can hook you up with it. Let's take a peek at part one of a STELLAR wedding weekend itinerary in Sonoma County, California… 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 October 12, 2018 Chicago has a lot of wedding venues, but NONE are anything like this one There are very few wedding venues in Chicago which make me think of our kick-ass readers more than Catalyst Ranch. If you've ever seen the versatile, colorful, and totally unique space in person, you'd see how much personality a wedding venue can add to your wedding. Situated in the trendy, industrial neighborhood of the West Loop, Catalyst Ranch is a breath of fresh air among plain venues. Read More October 9, 2018 A chat with offbeat wedding planning, Mama Hen organizing genius, Maven Macaw Events When you're scoping out the selection of vendors for your offbeat wedding, there's one sign that ensures you're dealing with someone who knows how it goes… when they themselves had an offbeat wedding! That's definitely the case with our girl Beca Oliveira at Maven Macaw Events. So when we wanted to catch up with her to see how her amazing clients were rocking their weddings (with her pro guidance, natch!), we got the tea. Read More October 2, 2018 Which of these stunning types of wedding bands would your partner rock? (pun intended) When choosing your wedding bands, there are a TON of choices, and you don't at all have to choose something traditional. Whether you're shopping for your partner, for all of your rings, or for yourself, there's a wedding band to fit your personality. We did some deep-diving and found three of our favorite types of rings and exactly who could ROCK them, pun intended… Read More September 28, 2018 How do you get that flawless, natural wedding makeup look? This makeup line is changing the game One thing we definitely know about readers of Offbeat Bride: they run the gamut when it comes to the "rules" of wedding makeup. Some go the traditional route of hiring a pro, some do it themselves, and some go totally makeup-free. But we do know that they want to make sure their wedding makeup lasts, looks amazing, and is cruelty-free. And that's totally why we love partnering with Per-fékt Beauty since they absolutely GET offbeat weddings. Here's the sitch on what they can offer you (or your chosen makeup artist!) that will keep your makeup looking gorgeous dahling while lasting ALL day and making you want to wear it forever and ever after. Read More September 26, 2018 Have fun and be sparkly with these shimmery wedding shoes When it comes to wedding planning, wedding partying, wedding ANYTHING, is there a better motto than "Have fun?" I think not. Have fun, go mad, y'all. So when we spied these Loly in the Sky "Have Fun" flats, we had to share. Oh, and maybe share a few other sparkly and shimmery wedding shoes I happened to see along the way. What, I couldn't help myself! On the sparkles… Read More More Stuff we love > Recent Wedding 101 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 2.3k January 24, 2018 Wedding venue search tips from the wedding ninjas: wedding planners Newly engaged folks: have you started your wedding venue search yet? Are you ready to pull your hair out or just the beginnings of a breakdown? Either you're in a town with so few offbeat options or you're in a big city with WAY too many options and no way to narrow it all down or find the perfect weird and wonderful venue for you between all the banquet halls. I decided to reach out to some of our favorite wedding coordinators to see what sage venue search wisdom they could impart on us to make the arduous search easier. 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? DIY Dress Eloping Engagement Ring Feminism Geeky Harry Potter Invitation Wording Readings Ceremony Advice Fashion Reception Advice Super cute offbeat wedding invitations @offbeatbride on Insta Halloween weddings Stop everything and look at this painted pumpkins fall centerpiece idea Sanne & Dirk's gothic Halloween metal concert wedding Christa & Auros' elegant gothic Iron Chef wedding Danielle & Banger's gothique, Burton-esque, New Orleans, voodoo, Hallows-Eve, handfasting Vampire rings for the undead love in your life Prepare to squeal at the ARMORED corset dress at a fantasy RPG-themed wedding Sheva & Jared's dark, elegant wedding with a twist of tacky Halloween fun Ouija board save-the-dates Read More > A few of our fave wedding vendors Devon Rowland Photography Read More Arwen Freer, Minister Read More Journeys of the Heart Wedding Officiants Read More Danette Pascarella Photography Read More Browse our vendor guide > Our infamous spreadsheets & checklists 80+ free wedding printables: a huge list of downloadable DIY wedding projects Safeguard your important details with an "oh shit list" Offbeat guide to the wedding photo shot list Playlists, requests, and backup plans: What to ask your wedding DJ Our GIANT list of important questions to ask wedding venues Your offbeat-friendly interactive wedding planning checklist is available! Your last-minute wedding checklist Planning tools 101: your wedding vendor contact sheet 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 - 2018 Offbeat Empire. All rights reserved. Unauthorized reproduction in part or in whole is prohibited. Contact us Terms of Service | Privacy Policy | Monetized by SkimLinks
1.5k October 9, 2018 A retro music festival-style tent village wedding with four dresses & a eye-popping headpiece We're both (loveable) weirdos so we wanted our wedding to truly reflect who we were. My favourite highlights that I think achieved this were: my 5m maypole, our rock-paper-scissor vows, our pirate celebrant, the giant Soul Train dance line we had with all 200 guests coming down in pairs, our very silly first dance to Marvin Gaye's "Let's Get It On," my dancing down the aisle to "Ain't No Mountain High Enough," my four wardrobe changes, our gong for speeches, and so much more. Read More More Real Weddings > Recent Advice 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 1.1k 20 Comments September 10, 2018 I am planning a pre-invitation survey to get a guest list headcount. Will this work? I have been scouring all the posts and comments threads about RSVPs and guest lists, and haven't seen an answer to a tricky question. How do you deal with guest list ambiguity when you live in an extremely expensive area, 2/3 of your desired invites are from out of town, and venues require guaranteed minimums on catering? Is it over okay to make a survey for your friends and family to gauge best-guesses for will they/won't theys for a wedding a year and a half or two years away? Read More September 5, 2018 Be blown away by this wine country destination wedding itinerary (Part 2!) I'm continuing the lineup of amazing wedding events you can plan for a destination wine country wedding in Sonoma County, California. If you missed part one, it's here! Here are some of the highlights that I got to experience including some farm and winery tours, a pit stop for some soft serve, an outdoor boudoir session, cheese tastings, and of course, the main wedding event. Read More September 3, 2018 This Sonoma County destination wedding itinerary will have you scrambling to plan a wine country wedding (Part 1!) I was ultra lucky to be included on a destination wedding tour of Sonoma County in Northern California to show us all of the reasons why a wine country wedding can be the swankiest, most immersive, and totally customizable wedding weekend experience. Here are some of the highlights that I got to experience that you can totally steal for your own destination wedding. If you particularly love some elements in this itinerary, the amazing all-inclusive wedding planning team at Off The Beaten Path Weddings can hook you up with it. Let's take a peek at part one of a STELLAR wedding weekend itinerary in Sonoma County, California… 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 October 12, 2018 Chicago has a lot of wedding venues, but NONE are anything like this one There are very few wedding venues in Chicago which make me think of our kick-ass readers more than Catalyst Ranch. If you've ever seen the versatile, colorful, and totally unique space in person, you'd see how much personality a wedding venue can add to your wedding. Situated in the trendy, industrial neighborhood of the West Loop, Catalyst Ranch is a breath of fresh air among plain venues. Read More October 9, 2018 A chat with offbeat wedding planning, Mama Hen organizing genius, Maven Macaw Events When you're scoping out the selection of vendors for your offbeat wedding, there's one sign that ensures you're dealing with someone who knows how it goes… when they themselves had an offbeat wedding! That's definitely the case with our girl Beca Oliveira at Maven Macaw Events. So when we wanted to catch up with her to see how her amazing clients were rocking their weddings (with her pro guidance, natch!), we got the tea. Read More October 2, 2018 Which of these stunning types of wedding bands would your partner rock? (pun intended) When choosing your wedding bands, there are a TON of choices, and you don't at all have to choose something traditional. Whether you're shopping for your partner, for all of your rings, or for yourself, there's a wedding band to fit your personality. We did some deep-diving and found three of our favorite types of rings and exactly who could ROCK them, pun intended… Read More September 28, 2018 How do you get that flawless, natural wedding makeup look? This makeup line is changing the game One thing we definitely know about readers of Offbeat Bride: they run the gamut when it comes to the "rules" of wedding makeup. Some go the traditional route of hiring a pro, some do it themselves, and some go totally makeup-free. But we do know that they want to make sure their wedding makeup lasts, looks amazing, and is cruelty-free. And that's totally why we love partnering with Per-fékt Beauty since they absolutely GET offbeat weddings. Here's the sitch on what they can offer you (or your chosen makeup artist!) that will keep your makeup looking gorgeous dahling while lasting ALL day and making you want to wear it forever and ever after. Read More September 26, 2018 Have fun and be sparkly with these shimmery wedding shoes When it comes to wedding planning, wedding partying, wedding ANYTHING, is there a better motto than "Have fun?" I think not. Have fun, go mad, y'all. So when we spied these Loly in the Sky "Have Fun" flats, we had to share. Oh, and maybe share a few other sparkly and shimmery wedding shoes I happened to see along the way. What, I couldn't help myself! On the sparkles… Read More More Stuff we love > Recent Wedding 101 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 2.3k January 24, 2018 Wedding venue search tips from the wedding ninjas: wedding planners Newly engaged folks: have you started your wedding venue search yet? Are you ready to pull your hair out or just the beginnings of a breakdown? Either you're in a town with so few offbeat options or you're in a big city with WAY too many options and no way to narrow it all down or find the perfect weird and wonderful venue for you between all the banquet halls. I decided to reach out to some of our favorite wedding coordinators to see what sage venue search wisdom they could impart on us to make the arduous search easier. 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? DIY Dress Eloping Engagement Ring Feminism Geeky Harry Potter Invitation Wording Readings Ceremony Advice Fashion Reception Advice Super cute offbeat wedding invitations @offbeatbride on Insta Halloween weddings Stop everything and look at this painted pumpkins fall centerpiece idea Sanne & Dirk's gothic Halloween metal concert wedding Christa & Auros' elegant gothic Iron Chef wedding Danielle & Banger's gothique, Burton-esque, New Orleans, voodoo, Hallows-Eve, handfasting Vampire rings for the undead love in your life Prepare to squeal at the ARMORED corset dress at a fantasy RPG-themed wedding Sheva & Jared's dark, elegant wedding with a twist of tacky Halloween fun Ouija board save-the-dates Read More > A few of our fave wedding vendors Devon Rowland Photography Read More Arwen Freer, Minister Read More Journeys of the Heart Wedding Officiants Read More Danette Pascarella Photography Read More Browse our vendor guide > Our infamous spreadsheets & checklists 80+ free wedding printables: a huge list of downloadable DIY wedding projects Safeguard your important details with an "oh shit list" Offbeat guide to the wedding photo shot list Playlists, requests, and backup plans: What to ask your wedding DJ Our GIANT list of important questions to ask wedding venues Your offbeat-friendly interactive wedding planning checklist is available! Your last-minute wedding checklist Planning tools 101: your wedding vendor contact sheet 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 - 2018 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 1.1k 20 Comments September 10, 2018 I am planning a pre-invitation survey to get a guest list headcount. Will this work? I have been scouring all the posts and comments threads about RSVPs and guest lists, and haven't seen an answer to a tricky question. How do you deal with guest list ambiguity when you live in an extremely expensive area, 2/3 of your desired invites are from out of town, and venues require guaranteed minimums on catering? Is it over okay to make a survey for your friends and family to gauge best-guesses for will they/won't theys for a wedding a year and a half or two years away? Read More September 5, 2018 Be blown away by this wine country destination wedding itinerary (Part 2!) I'm continuing the lineup of amazing wedding events you can plan for a destination wine country wedding in Sonoma County, California. If you missed part one, it's here! Here are some of the highlights that I got to experience including some farm and winery tours, a pit stop for some soft serve, an outdoor boudoir session, cheese tastings, and of course, the main wedding event. Read More September 3, 2018 This Sonoma County destination wedding itinerary will have you scrambling to plan a wine country wedding (Part 1!) I was ultra lucky to be included on a destination wedding tour of Sonoma County in Northern California to show us all of the reasons why a wine country wedding can be the swankiest, most immersive, and totally customizable wedding weekend experience. Here are some of the highlights that I got to experience that you can totally steal for your own destination wedding. If you particularly love some elements in this itinerary, the amazing all-inclusive wedding planning team at Off The Beaten Path Weddings can hook you up with it. Let's take a peek at part one of a STELLAR wedding weekend itinerary in Sonoma County, California… 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 October 12, 2018 Chicago has a lot of wedding venues, but NONE are anything like this one There are very few wedding venues in Chicago which make me think of our kick-ass readers more than Catalyst Ranch. If you've ever seen the versatile, colorful, and totally unique space in person, you'd see how much personality a wedding venue can add to your wedding. Situated in the trendy, industrial neighborhood of the West Loop, Catalyst Ranch is a breath of fresh air among plain venues. Read More October 9, 2018 A chat with offbeat wedding planning, Mama Hen organizing genius, Maven Macaw Events When you're scoping out the selection of vendors for your offbeat wedding, there's one sign that ensures you're dealing with someone who knows how it goes… when they themselves had an offbeat wedding! That's definitely the case with our girl Beca Oliveira at Maven Macaw Events. So when we wanted to catch up with her to see how her amazing clients were rocking their weddings (with her pro guidance, natch!), we got the tea. Read More October 2, 2018 Which of these stunning types of wedding bands would your partner rock? (pun intended) When choosing your wedding bands, there are a TON of choices, and you don't at all have to choose something traditional. Whether you're shopping for your partner, for all of your rings, or for yourself, there's a wedding band to fit your personality. We did some deep-diving and found three of our favorite types of rings and exactly who could ROCK them, pun intended… Read More September 28, 2018 How do you get that flawless, natural wedding makeup look? This makeup line is changing the game One thing we definitely know about readers of Offbeat Bride: they run the gamut when it comes to the "rules" of wedding makeup. Some go the traditional route of hiring a pro, some do it themselves, and some go totally makeup-free. But we do know that they want to make sure their wedding makeup lasts, looks amazing, and is cruelty-free. And that's totally why we love partnering with Per-fékt Beauty since they absolutely GET offbeat weddings. Here's the sitch on what they can offer you (or your chosen makeup artist!) that will keep your makeup looking gorgeous dahling while lasting ALL day and making you want to wear it forever and ever after. Read More September 26, 2018 Have fun and be sparkly with these shimmery wedding shoes When it comes to wedding planning, wedding partying, wedding ANYTHING, is there a better motto than "Have fun?" I think not. Have fun, go mad, y'all. So when we spied these Loly in the Sky "Have Fun" flats, we had to share. Oh, and maybe share a few other sparkly and shimmery wedding shoes I happened to see along the way. What, I couldn't help myself! On the sparkles… Read More More Stuff we love > Recent Wedding 101 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 2.3k January 24, 2018 Wedding venue search tips from the wedding ninjas: wedding planners Newly engaged folks: have you started your wedding venue search yet? Are you ready to pull your hair out or just the beginnings of a breakdown? Either you're in a town with so few offbeat options or you're in a big city with WAY too many options and no way to narrow it all down or find the perfect weird and wonderful venue for you between all the banquet halls. I decided to reach out to some of our favorite wedding coordinators to see what sage venue search wisdom they could impart on us to make the arduous search easier. 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? DIY Dress Eloping Engagement Ring Feminism Geeky Harry Potter Invitation Wording Readings Ceremony Advice Fashion Reception Advice Super cute offbeat wedding invitations @offbeatbride on Insta Halloween weddings Stop everything and look at this painted pumpkins fall centerpiece idea Sanne & Dirk's gothic Halloween metal concert wedding Christa & Auros' elegant gothic Iron Chef wedding Danielle & Banger's gothique, Burton-esque, New Orleans, voodoo, Hallows-Eve, handfasting Vampire rings for the undead love in your life Prepare to squeal at the ARMORED corset dress at a fantasy RPG-themed wedding Sheva & Jared's dark, elegant wedding with a twist of tacky Halloween fun Ouija board save-the-dates Read More > A few of our fave wedding vendors Devon Rowland Photography Read More Arwen Freer, Minister Read More Journeys of the Heart Wedding Officiants Read More Danette Pascarella Photography Read More Browse our vendor guide > Our infamous spreadsheets & checklists 80+ free wedding printables: a huge list of downloadable DIY wedding projects Safeguard your important details with an "oh shit list" Offbeat guide to the wedding photo shot list Playlists, requests, and backup plans: What to ask your wedding DJ Our GIANT list of important questions to ask wedding venues Your offbeat-friendly interactive wedding planning checklist is available! Your last-minute wedding checklist Planning tools 101: your wedding vendor contact sheet 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 - 2018 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 1.1k 20 Comments September 10, 2018 I am planning a pre-invitation survey to get a guest list headcount. Will this work? I have been scouring all the posts and comments threads about RSVPs and guest lists, and haven't seen an answer to a tricky question. How do you deal with guest list ambiguity when you live in an extremely expensive area, 2/3 of your desired invites are from out of town, and venues require guaranteed minimums on catering? Is it over okay to make a survey for your friends and family to gauge best-guesses for will they/won't theys for a wedding a year and a half or two years away? Read More September 5, 2018 Be blown away by this wine country destination wedding itinerary (Part 2!) I'm continuing the lineup of amazing wedding events you can plan for a destination wine country wedding in Sonoma County, California. If you missed part one, it's here! Here are some of the highlights that I got to experience including some farm and winery tours, a pit stop for some soft serve, an outdoor boudoir session, cheese tastings, and of course, the main wedding event. Read More September 3, 2018 This Sonoma County destination wedding itinerary will have you scrambling to plan a wine country wedding (Part 1!) I was ultra lucky to be included on a destination wedding tour of Sonoma County in Northern California to show us all of the reasons why a wine country wedding can be the swankiest, most immersive, and totally customizable wedding weekend experience. Here are some of the highlights that I got to experience that you can totally steal for your own destination wedding. If you particularly love some elements in this itinerary, the amazing all-inclusive wedding planning team at Off The Beaten Path Weddings can hook you up with it. Let's take a peek at part one of a STELLAR wedding weekend itinerary in Sonoma County, California… 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 October 12, 2018 Chicago has a lot of wedding venues, but NONE are anything like this one There are very few wedding venues in Chicago which make me think of our kick-ass readers more than Catalyst Ranch. If you've ever seen the versatile, colorful, and totally unique space in person, you'd see how much personality a wedding venue can add to your wedding. Situated in the trendy, industrial neighborhood of the West Loop, Catalyst Ranch is a breath of fresh air among plain venues. Read More October 9, 2018 A chat with offbeat wedding planning, Mama Hen organizing genius, Maven Macaw Events When you're scoping out the selection of vendors for your offbeat wedding, there's one sign that ensures you're dealing with someone who knows how it goes… when they themselves had an offbeat wedding! That's definitely the case with our girl Beca Oliveira at Maven Macaw Events. So when we wanted to catch up with her to see how her amazing clients were rocking their weddings (with her pro guidance, natch!), we got the tea. Read More October 2, 2018 Which of these stunning types of wedding bands would your partner rock? (pun intended) When choosing your wedding bands, there are a TON of choices, and you don't at all have to choose something traditional. Whether you're shopping for your partner, for all of your rings, or for yourself, there's a wedding band to fit your personality. We did some deep-diving and found three of our favorite types of rings and exactly who could ROCK them, pun intended… Read More September 28, 2018 How do you get that flawless, natural wedding makeup look? This makeup line is changing the game One thing we definitely know about readers of Offbeat Bride: they run the gamut when it comes to the "rules" of wedding makeup. Some go the traditional route of hiring a pro, some do it themselves, and some go totally makeup-free. But we do know that they want to make sure their wedding makeup lasts, looks amazing, and is cruelty-free. And that's totally why we love partnering with Per-fékt Beauty since they absolutely GET offbeat weddings. Here's the sitch on what they can offer you (or your chosen makeup artist!) that will keep your makeup looking gorgeous dahling while lasting ALL day and making you want to wear it forever and ever after. Read More September 26, 2018 Have fun and be sparkly with these shimmery wedding shoes When it comes to wedding planning, wedding partying, wedding ANYTHING, is there a better motto than "Have fun?" I think not. Have fun, go mad, y'all. So when we spied these Loly in the Sky "Have Fun" flats, we had to share. Oh, and maybe share a few other sparkly and shimmery wedding shoes I happened to see along the way. What, I couldn't help myself! On the sparkles… Read More More Stuff we love > Recent Wedding 101 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 2.3k January 24, 2018 Wedding venue search tips from the wedding ninjas: wedding planners Newly engaged folks: have you started your wedding venue search yet? Are you ready to pull your hair out or just the beginnings of a breakdown? Either you're in a town with so few offbeat options or you're in a big city with WAY too many options and no way to narrow it all down or find the perfect weird and wonderful venue for you between all the banquet halls. I decided to reach out to some of our favorite wedding coordinators to see what sage venue search wisdom they could impart on us to make the arduous search easier. 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? DIY Dress Eloping Engagement Ring Feminism Geeky Harry Potter Invitation Wording Readings Ceremony Advice Fashion Reception Advice Super cute offbeat wedding invitations @offbeatbride on Insta Halloween weddings Stop everything and look at this painted pumpkins fall centerpiece idea Sanne & Dirk's gothic Halloween metal concert wedding Christa & Auros' elegant gothic Iron Chef wedding Danielle & Banger's gothique, Burton-esque, New Orleans, voodoo, Hallows-Eve, handfasting Vampire rings for the undead love in your life Prepare to squeal at the ARMORED corset dress at a fantasy RPG-themed wedding Sheva & Jared's dark, elegant wedding with a twist of tacky Halloween fun Ouija board save-the-dates Read More > A few of our fave wedding vendors Devon Rowland Photography Read More Arwen Freer, Minister Read More Journeys of the Heart Wedding Officiants Read More Danette Pascarella Photography Read More Browse our vendor guide > Our infamous spreadsheets & checklists 80+ free wedding printables: a huge list of downloadable DIY wedding projects Safeguard your important details with an "oh shit list" Offbeat guide to the wedding photo shot list Playlists, requests, and backup plans: What to ask your wedding DJ Our GIANT list of important questions to ask wedding venues Your offbeat-friendly interactive wedding planning checklist is available! Your last-minute wedding checklist Planning tools 101: your wedding vendor contact sheet 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 - 2018 Offbeat Empire. All rights reserved. Unauthorized reproduction in part or in whole is prohibited. Contact us Terms of Service | Privacy Policy | Monetized by SkimLinks
1.1k 20 Comments September 10, 2018 I am planning a pre-invitation survey to get a guest list headcount. Will this work? I have been scouring all the posts and comments threads about RSVPs and guest lists, and haven't seen an answer to a tricky question. How do you deal with guest list ambiguity when you live in an extremely expensive area, 2/3 of your desired invites are from out of town, and venues require guaranteed minimums on catering? Is it over okay to make a survey for your friends and family to gauge best-guesses for will they/won't theys for a wedding a year and a half or two years away? Read More September 5, 2018 Be blown away by this wine country destination wedding itinerary (Part 2!) I'm continuing the lineup of amazing wedding events you can plan for a destination wine country wedding in Sonoma County, California. If you missed part one, it's here! Here are some of the highlights that I got to experience including some farm and winery tours, a pit stop for some soft serve, an outdoor boudoir session, cheese tastings, and of course, the main wedding event. Read More September 3, 2018 This Sonoma County destination wedding itinerary will have you scrambling to plan a wine country wedding (Part 1!) I was ultra lucky to be included on a destination wedding tour of Sonoma County in Northern California to show us all of the reasons why a wine country wedding can be the swankiest, most immersive, and totally customizable wedding weekend experience. Here are some of the highlights that I got to experience that you can totally steal for your own destination wedding. If you particularly love some elements in this itinerary, the amazing all-inclusive wedding planning team at Off The Beaten Path Weddings can hook you up with it. Let's take a peek at part one of a STELLAR wedding weekend itinerary in Sonoma County, California… 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 October 12, 2018 Chicago has a lot of wedding venues, but NONE are anything like this one There are very few wedding venues in Chicago which make me think of our kick-ass readers more than Catalyst Ranch. If you've ever seen the versatile, colorful, and totally unique space in person, you'd see how much personality a wedding venue can add to your wedding. Situated in the trendy, industrial neighborhood of the West Loop, Catalyst Ranch is a breath of fresh air among plain venues. Read More October 9, 2018 A chat with offbeat wedding planning, Mama Hen organizing genius, Maven Macaw Events When you're scoping out the selection of vendors for your offbeat wedding, there's one sign that ensures you're dealing with someone who knows how it goes… when they themselves had an offbeat wedding! That's definitely the case with our girl Beca Oliveira at Maven Macaw Events. So when we wanted to catch up with her to see how her amazing clients were rocking their weddings (with her pro guidance, natch!), we got the tea. Read More October 2, 2018 Which of these stunning types of wedding bands would your partner rock? (pun intended) When choosing your wedding bands, there are a TON of choices, and you don't at all have to choose something traditional. Whether you're shopping for your partner, for all of your rings, or for yourself, there's a wedding band to fit your personality. We did some deep-diving and found three of our favorite types of rings and exactly who could ROCK them, pun intended… Read More September 28, 2018 How do you get that flawless, natural wedding makeup look? This makeup line is changing the game One thing we definitely know about readers of Offbeat Bride: they run the gamut when it comes to the "rules" of wedding makeup. Some go the traditional route of hiring a pro, some do it themselves, and some go totally makeup-free. But we do know that they want to make sure their wedding makeup lasts, looks amazing, and is cruelty-free. And that's totally why we love partnering with Per-fékt Beauty since they absolutely GET offbeat weddings. Here's the sitch on what they can offer you (or your chosen makeup artist!) that will keep your makeup looking gorgeous dahling while lasting ALL day and making you want to wear it forever and ever after. Read More September 26, 2018 Have fun and be sparkly with these shimmery wedding shoes When it comes to wedding planning, wedding partying, wedding ANYTHING, is there a better motto than "Have fun?" I think not. Have fun, go mad, y'all. So when we spied these Loly in the Sky "Have Fun" flats, we had to share. Oh, and maybe share a few other sparkly and shimmery wedding shoes I happened to see along the way. What, I couldn't help myself! On the sparkles… Read More More Stuff we love > Recent Wedding 101 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 2.3k January 24, 2018 Wedding venue search tips from the wedding ninjas: wedding planners Newly engaged folks: have you started your wedding venue search yet? Are you ready to pull your hair out or just the beginnings of a breakdown? Either you're in a town with so few offbeat options or you're in a big city with WAY too many options and no way to narrow it all down or find the perfect weird and wonderful venue for you between all the banquet halls. I decided to reach out to some of our favorite wedding coordinators to see what sage venue search wisdom they could impart on us to make the arduous search easier. 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? DIY Dress Eloping Engagement Ring Feminism Geeky Harry Potter Invitation Wording Readings Ceremony Advice Fashion Reception Advice Super cute offbeat wedding invitations @offbeatbride on Insta Halloween weddings Stop everything and look at this painted pumpkins fall centerpiece idea Sanne & Dirk's gothic Halloween metal concert wedding Christa & Auros' elegant gothic Iron Chef wedding Danielle & Banger's gothique, Burton-esque, New Orleans, voodoo, Hallows-Eve, handfasting Vampire rings for the undead love in your life Prepare to squeal at the ARMORED corset dress at a fantasy RPG-themed wedding Sheva & Jared's dark, elegant wedding with a twist of tacky Halloween fun Ouija board save-the-dates Read More > A few of our fave wedding vendors Devon Rowland Photography Read More Arwen Freer, Minister Read More Journeys of the Heart Wedding Officiants Read More Danette Pascarella Photography Read More Browse our vendor guide > Our infamous spreadsheets & checklists 80+ free wedding printables: a huge list of downloadable DIY wedding projects Safeguard your important details with an "oh shit list" Offbeat guide to the wedding photo shot list Playlists, requests, and backup plans: What to ask your wedding DJ Our GIANT list of important questions to ask wedding venues Your offbeat-friendly interactive wedding planning checklist is available! Your last-minute wedding checklist Planning tools 101: your wedding vendor contact sheet 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 - 2018 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 5, 2018 Be blown away by this wine country destination wedding itinerary (Part 2!) I'm continuing the lineup of amazing wedding events you can plan for a destination wine country wedding in Sonoma County, California. If you missed part one, it's here! Here are some of the highlights that I got to experience including some farm and winery tours, a pit stop for some soft serve, an outdoor boudoir session, cheese tastings, and of course, the main wedding event. Read More September 3, 2018 This Sonoma County destination wedding itinerary will have you scrambling to plan a wine country wedding (Part 1!) I was ultra lucky to be included on a destination wedding tour of Sonoma County in Northern California to show us all of the reasons why a wine country wedding can be the swankiest, most immersive, and totally customizable wedding weekend experience. Here are some of the highlights that I got to experience that you can totally steal for your own destination wedding. If you particularly love some elements in this itinerary, the amazing all-inclusive wedding planning team at Off The Beaten Path Weddings can hook you up with it. Let's take a peek at part one of a STELLAR wedding weekend itinerary in Sonoma County, California… 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 October 12, 2018 Chicago has a lot of wedding venues, but NONE are anything like this one There are very few wedding venues in Chicago which make me think of our kick-ass readers more than Catalyst Ranch. If you've ever seen the versatile, colorful, and totally unique space in person, you'd see how much personality a wedding venue can add to your wedding. Situated in the trendy, industrial neighborhood of the West Loop, Catalyst Ranch is a breath of fresh air among plain venues. Read More October 9, 2018 A chat with offbeat wedding planning, Mama Hen organizing genius, Maven Macaw Events When you're scoping out the selection of vendors for your offbeat wedding, there's one sign that ensures you're dealing with someone who knows how it goes… when they themselves had an offbeat wedding! That's definitely the case with our girl Beca Oliveira at Maven Macaw Events. So when we wanted to catch up with her to see how her amazing clients were rocking their weddings (with her pro guidance, natch!), we got the tea. Read More October 2, 2018 Which of these stunning types of wedding bands would your partner rock? (pun intended) When choosing your wedding bands, there are a TON of choices, and you don't at all have to choose something traditional. Whether you're shopping for your partner, for all of your rings, or for yourself, there's a wedding band to fit your personality. We did some deep-diving and found three of our favorite types of rings and exactly who could ROCK them, pun intended… Read More September 28, 2018 How do you get that flawless, natural wedding makeup look? This makeup line is changing the game One thing we definitely know about readers of Offbeat Bride: they run the gamut when it comes to the "rules" of wedding makeup. Some go the traditional route of hiring a pro, some do it themselves, and some go totally makeup-free. But we do know that they want to make sure their wedding makeup lasts, looks amazing, and is cruelty-free. And that's totally why we love partnering with Per-fékt Beauty since they absolutely GET offbeat weddings. Here's the sitch on what they can offer you (or your chosen makeup artist!) that will keep your makeup looking gorgeous dahling while lasting ALL day and making you want to wear it forever and ever after. Read More September 26, 2018 Have fun and be sparkly with these shimmery wedding shoes When it comes to wedding planning, wedding partying, wedding ANYTHING, is there a better motto than "Have fun?" I think not. Have fun, go mad, y'all. So when we spied these Loly in the Sky "Have Fun" flats, we had to share. Oh, and maybe share a few other sparkly and shimmery wedding shoes I happened to see along the way. What, I couldn't help myself! On the sparkles… Read More More Stuff we love > Recent Wedding 101 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 2.3k January 24, 2018 Wedding venue search tips from the wedding ninjas: wedding planners Newly engaged folks: have you started your wedding venue search yet? Are you ready to pull your hair out or just the beginnings of a breakdown? Either you're in a town with so few offbeat options or you're in a big city with WAY too many options and no way to narrow it all down or find the perfect weird and wonderful venue for you between all the banquet halls. I decided to reach out to some of our favorite wedding coordinators to see what sage venue search wisdom they could impart on us to make the arduous search easier. 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? DIY Dress Eloping Engagement Ring Feminism Geeky Harry Potter Invitation Wording Readings Ceremony Advice Fashion Reception Advice Super cute offbeat wedding invitations @offbeatbride on Insta Halloween weddings Stop everything and look at this painted pumpkins fall centerpiece idea Sanne & Dirk's gothic Halloween metal concert wedding Christa & Auros' elegant gothic Iron Chef wedding Danielle & Banger's gothique, Burton-esque, New Orleans, voodoo, Hallows-Eve, handfasting Vampire rings for the undead love in your life Prepare to squeal at the ARMORED corset dress at a fantasy RPG-themed wedding Sheva & Jared's dark, elegant wedding with a twist of tacky Halloween fun Ouija board save-the-dates Read More > A few of our fave wedding vendors Devon Rowland Photography Read More Arwen Freer, Minister Read More Journeys of the Heart Wedding Officiants Read More Danette Pascarella Photography Read More Browse our vendor guide > Our infamous spreadsheets & checklists 80+ free wedding printables: a huge list of downloadable DIY wedding projects Safeguard your important details with an "oh shit list" Offbeat guide to the wedding photo shot list Playlists, requests, and backup plans: What to ask your wedding DJ Our GIANT list of important questions to ask wedding venues Your offbeat-friendly interactive wedding planning checklist is available! Your last-minute wedding checklist Planning tools 101: your wedding vendor contact sheet 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 - 2018 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 3, 2018 This Sonoma County destination wedding itinerary will have you scrambling to plan a wine country wedding (Part 1!) I was ultra lucky to be included on a destination wedding tour of Sonoma County in Northern California to show us all of the reasons why a wine country wedding can be the swankiest, most immersive, and totally customizable wedding weekend experience. Here are some of the highlights that I got to experience that you can totally steal for your own destination wedding. If you particularly love some elements in this itinerary, the amazing all-inclusive wedding planning team at Off The Beaten Path Weddings can hook you up with it. Let's take a peek at part one of a STELLAR wedding weekend itinerary in Sonoma County, California… 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 October 12, 2018 Chicago has a lot of wedding venues, but NONE are anything like this one There are very few wedding venues in Chicago which make me think of our kick-ass readers more than Catalyst Ranch. If you've ever seen the versatile, colorful, and totally unique space in person, you'd see how much personality a wedding venue can add to your wedding. Situated in the trendy, industrial neighborhood of the West Loop, Catalyst Ranch is a breath of fresh air among plain venues. Read More October 9, 2018 A chat with offbeat wedding planning, Mama Hen organizing genius, Maven Macaw Events When you're scoping out the selection of vendors for your offbeat wedding, there's one sign that ensures you're dealing with someone who knows how it goes… when they themselves had an offbeat wedding! That's definitely the case with our girl Beca Oliveira at Maven Macaw Events. So when we wanted to catch up with her to see how her amazing clients were rocking their weddings (with her pro guidance, natch!), we got the tea. Read More October 2, 2018 Which of these stunning types of wedding bands would your partner rock? (pun intended) When choosing your wedding bands, there are a TON of choices, and you don't at all have to choose something traditional. Whether you're shopping for your partner, for all of your rings, or for yourself, there's a wedding band to fit your personality. We did some deep-diving and found three of our favorite types of rings and exactly who could ROCK them, pun intended… Read More September 28, 2018 How do you get that flawless, natural wedding makeup look? This makeup line is changing the game One thing we definitely know about readers of Offbeat Bride: they run the gamut when it comes to the "rules" of wedding makeup. Some go the traditional route of hiring a pro, some do it themselves, and some go totally makeup-free. But we do know that they want to make sure their wedding makeup lasts, looks amazing, and is cruelty-free. And that's totally why we love partnering with Per-fékt Beauty since they absolutely GET offbeat weddings. Here's the sitch on what they can offer you (or your chosen makeup artist!) that will keep your makeup looking gorgeous dahling while lasting ALL day and making you want to wear it forever and ever after. Read More September 26, 2018 Have fun and be sparkly with these shimmery wedding shoes When it comes to wedding planning, wedding partying, wedding ANYTHING, is there a better motto than "Have fun?" I think not. Have fun, go mad, y'all. So when we spied these Loly in the Sky "Have Fun" flats, we had to share. Oh, and maybe share a few other sparkly and shimmery wedding shoes I happened to see along the way. What, I couldn't help myself! On the sparkles… Read More More Stuff we love > Recent Wedding 101 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 2.3k January 24, 2018 Wedding venue search tips from the wedding ninjas: wedding planners Newly engaged folks: have you started your wedding venue search yet? Are you ready to pull your hair out or just the beginnings of a breakdown? Either you're in a town with so few offbeat options or you're in a big city with WAY too many options and no way to narrow it all down or find the perfect weird and wonderful venue for you between all the banquet halls. I decided to reach out to some of our favorite wedding coordinators to see what sage venue search wisdom they could impart on us to make the arduous search easier. 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? DIY Dress Eloping Engagement Ring Feminism Geeky Harry Potter Invitation Wording Readings Ceremony Advice Fashion Reception Advice Super cute offbeat wedding invitations @offbeatbride on Insta Halloween weddings Stop everything and look at this painted pumpkins fall centerpiece idea Sanne & Dirk's gothic Halloween metal concert wedding Christa & Auros' elegant gothic Iron Chef wedding Danielle & Banger's gothique, Burton-esque, New Orleans, voodoo, Hallows-Eve, handfasting Vampire rings for the undead love in your life Prepare to squeal at the ARMORED corset dress at a fantasy RPG-themed wedding Sheva & Jared's dark, elegant wedding with a twist of tacky Halloween fun Ouija board save-the-dates Read More > A few of our fave wedding vendors Devon Rowland Photography Read More Arwen Freer, Minister Read More Journeys of the Heart Wedding Officiants Read More Danette Pascarella Photography Read More Browse our vendor guide > Our infamous spreadsheets & checklists 80+ free wedding printables: a huge list of downloadable DIY wedding projects Safeguard your important details with an "oh shit list" Offbeat guide to the wedding photo shot list Playlists, requests, and backup plans: What to ask your wedding DJ Our GIANT list of important questions to ask wedding venues Your offbeat-friendly interactive wedding planning checklist is available! Your last-minute wedding checklist Planning tools 101: your wedding vendor contact sheet 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 - 2018 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 October 12, 2018 Chicago has a lot of wedding venues, but NONE are anything like this one There are very few wedding venues in Chicago which make me think of our kick-ass readers more than Catalyst Ranch. If you've ever seen the versatile, colorful, and totally unique space in person, you'd see how much personality a wedding venue can add to your wedding. Situated in the trendy, industrial neighborhood of the West Loop, Catalyst Ranch is a breath of fresh air among plain venues. Read More October 9, 2018 A chat with offbeat wedding planning, Mama Hen organizing genius, Maven Macaw Events When you're scoping out the selection of vendors for your offbeat wedding, there's one sign that ensures you're dealing with someone who knows how it goes… when they themselves had an offbeat wedding! That's definitely the case with our girl Beca Oliveira at Maven Macaw Events. So when we wanted to catch up with her to see how her amazing clients were rocking their weddings (with her pro guidance, natch!), we got the tea. Read More October 2, 2018 Which of these stunning types of wedding bands would your partner rock? (pun intended) When choosing your wedding bands, there are a TON of choices, and you don't at all have to choose something traditional. Whether you're shopping for your partner, for all of your rings, or for yourself, there's a wedding band to fit your personality. We did some deep-diving and found three of our favorite types of rings and exactly who could ROCK them, pun intended… Read More September 28, 2018 How do you get that flawless, natural wedding makeup look? This makeup line is changing the game One thing we definitely know about readers of Offbeat Bride: they run the gamut when it comes to the "rules" of wedding makeup. Some go the traditional route of hiring a pro, some do it themselves, and some go totally makeup-free. But we do know that they want to make sure their wedding makeup lasts, looks amazing, and is cruelty-free. And that's totally why we love partnering with Per-fékt Beauty since they absolutely GET offbeat weddings. Here's the sitch on what they can offer you (or your chosen makeup artist!) that will keep your makeup looking gorgeous dahling while lasting ALL day and making you want to wear it forever and ever after. Read More September 26, 2018 Have fun and be sparkly with these shimmery wedding shoes When it comes to wedding planning, wedding partying, wedding ANYTHING, is there a better motto than "Have fun?" I think not. Have fun, go mad, y'all. So when we spied these Loly in the Sky "Have Fun" flats, we had to share. Oh, and maybe share a few other sparkly and shimmery wedding shoes I happened to see along the way. What, I couldn't help myself! On the sparkles… Read More More Stuff we love > Recent Wedding 101 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 2.3k January 24, 2018 Wedding venue search tips from the wedding ninjas: wedding planners Newly engaged folks: have you started your wedding venue search yet? Are you ready to pull your hair out or just the beginnings of a breakdown? Either you're in a town with so few offbeat options or you're in a big city with WAY too many options and no way to narrow it all down or find the perfect weird and wonderful venue for you between all the banquet halls. I decided to reach out to some of our favorite wedding coordinators to see what sage venue search wisdom they could impart on us to make the arduous search easier. 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? DIY Dress Eloping Engagement Ring Feminism Geeky Harry Potter Invitation Wording Readings Ceremony Advice Fashion Reception Advice Super cute offbeat wedding invitations @offbeatbride on Insta Halloween weddings Stop everything and look at this painted pumpkins fall centerpiece idea Sanne & Dirk's gothic Halloween metal concert wedding Christa & Auros' elegant gothic Iron Chef wedding Danielle & Banger's gothique, Burton-esque, New Orleans, voodoo, Hallows-Eve, handfasting Vampire rings for the undead love in your life Prepare to squeal at the ARMORED corset dress at a fantasy RPG-themed wedding Sheva & Jared's dark, elegant wedding with a twist of tacky Halloween fun Ouija board save-the-dates Read More > A few of our fave wedding vendors Devon Rowland Photography Read More Arwen Freer, Minister Read More Journeys of the Heart Wedding Officiants Read More Danette Pascarella Photography Read More Browse our vendor guide > Our infamous spreadsheets & checklists 80+ free wedding printables: a huge list of downloadable DIY wedding projects Safeguard your important details with an "oh shit list" Offbeat guide to the wedding photo shot list Playlists, requests, and backup plans: What to ask your wedding DJ Our GIANT list of important questions to ask wedding venues Your offbeat-friendly interactive wedding planning checklist is available! Your last-minute wedding checklist Planning tools 101: your wedding vendor contact sheet 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 - 2018 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 October 12, 2018 Chicago has a lot of wedding venues, but NONE are anything like this one There are very few wedding venues in Chicago which make me think of our kick-ass readers more than Catalyst Ranch. If you've ever seen the versatile, colorful, and totally unique space in person, you'd see how much personality a wedding venue can add to your wedding. Situated in the trendy, industrial neighborhood of the West Loop, Catalyst Ranch is a breath of fresh air among plain venues. Read More October 9, 2018 A chat with offbeat wedding planning, Mama Hen organizing genius, Maven Macaw Events When you're scoping out the selection of vendors for your offbeat wedding, there's one sign that ensures you're dealing with someone who knows how it goes… when they themselves had an offbeat wedding! That's definitely the case with our girl Beca Oliveira at Maven Macaw Events. So when we wanted to catch up with her to see how her amazing clients were rocking their weddings (with her pro guidance, natch!), we got the tea. Read More October 2, 2018 Which of these stunning types of wedding bands would your partner rock? (pun intended) When choosing your wedding bands, there are a TON of choices, and you don't at all have to choose something traditional. Whether you're shopping for your partner, for all of your rings, or for yourself, there's a wedding band to fit your personality. We did some deep-diving and found three of our favorite types of rings and exactly who could ROCK them, pun intended… Read More September 28, 2018 How do you get that flawless, natural wedding makeup look? This makeup line is changing the game One thing we definitely know about readers of Offbeat Bride: they run the gamut when it comes to the "rules" of wedding makeup. Some go the traditional route of hiring a pro, some do it themselves, and some go totally makeup-free. But we do know that they want to make sure their wedding makeup lasts, looks amazing, and is cruelty-free. And that's totally why we love partnering with Per-fékt Beauty since they absolutely GET offbeat weddings. Here's the sitch on what they can offer you (or your chosen makeup artist!) that will keep your makeup looking gorgeous dahling while lasting ALL day and making you want to wear it forever and ever after. Read More September 26, 2018 Have fun and be sparkly with these shimmery wedding shoes When it comes to wedding planning, wedding partying, wedding ANYTHING, is there a better motto than "Have fun?" I think not. Have fun, go mad, y'all. So when we spied these Loly in the Sky "Have Fun" flats, we had to share. Oh, and maybe share a few other sparkly and shimmery wedding shoes I happened to see along the way. What, I couldn't help myself! On the sparkles… Read More More Stuff we love > Recent Wedding 101 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 2.3k January 24, 2018 Wedding venue search tips from the wedding ninjas: wedding planners Newly engaged folks: have you started your wedding venue search yet? Are you ready to pull your hair out or just the beginnings of a breakdown? Either you're in a town with so few offbeat options or you're in a big city with WAY too many options and no way to narrow it all down or find the perfect weird and wonderful venue for you between all the banquet halls. I decided to reach out to some of our favorite wedding coordinators to see what sage venue search wisdom they could impart on us to make the arduous search easier. 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? DIY Dress Eloping Engagement Ring Feminism Geeky Harry Potter Invitation Wording Readings Ceremony Advice Fashion Reception Advice Super cute offbeat wedding invitations @offbeatbride on Insta Halloween weddings Stop everything and look at this painted pumpkins fall centerpiece idea Sanne & Dirk's gothic Halloween metal concert wedding Christa & Auros' elegant gothic Iron Chef wedding Danielle & Banger's gothique, Burton-esque, New Orleans, voodoo, Hallows-Eve, handfasting Vampire rings for the undead love in your life Prepare to squeal at the ARMORED corset dress at a fantasy RPG-themed wedding Sheva & Jared's dark, elegant wedding with a twist of tacky Halloween fun Ouija board save-the-dates Read More > A few of our fave wedding vendors Devon Rowland Photography Read More Arwen Freer, Minister Read More Journeys of the Heart Wedding Officiants Read More Danette Pascarella Photography Read More Browse our vendor guide > Our infamous spreadsheets & checklists 80+ free wedding printables: a huge list of downloadable DIY wedding projects Safeguard your important details with an "oh shit list" Offbeat guide to the wedding photo shot list Playlists, requests, and backup plans: What to ask your wedding DJ Our GIANT list of important questions to ask wedding venues Your offbeat-friendly interactive wedding planning checklist is available! Your last-minute wedding checklist Planning tools 101: your wedding vendor contact sheet 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 - 2018 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 October 12, 2018 Chicago has a lot of wedding venues, but NONE are anything like this one There are very few wedding venues in Chicago which make me think of our kick-ass readers more than Catalyst Ranch. If you've ever seen the versatile, colorful, and totally unique space in person, you'd see how much personality a wedding venue can add to your wedding. Situated in the trendy, industrial neighborhood of the West Loop, Catalyst Ranch is a breath of fresh air among plain venues. Read More October 9, 2018 A chat with offbeat wedding planning, Mama Hen organizing genius, Maven Macaw Events When you're scoping out the selection of vendors for your offbeat wedding, there's one sign that ensures you're dealing with someone who knows how it goes… when they themselves had an offbeat wedding! That's definitely the case with our girl Beca Oliveira at Maven Macaw Events. So when we wanted to catch up with her to see how her amazing clients were rocking their weddings (with her pro guidance, natch!), we got the tea. Read More October 2, 2018 Which of these stunning types of wedding bands would your partner rock? (pun intended) When choosing your wedding bands, there are a TON of choices, and you don't at all have to choose something traditional. Whether you're shopping for your partner, for all of your rings, or for yourself, there's a wedding band to fit your personality. We did some deep-diving and found three of our favorite types of rings and exactly who could ROCK them, pun intended… Read More September 28, 2018 How do you get that flawless, natural wedding makeup look? This makeup line is changing the game One thing we definitely know about readers of Offbeat Bride: they run the gamut when it comes to the "rules" of wedding makeup. Some go the traditional route of hiring a pro, some do it themselves, and some go totally makeup-free. But we do know that they want to make sure their wedding makeup lasts, looks amazing, and is cruelty-free. And that's totally why we love partnering with Per-fékt Beauty since they absolutely GET offbeat weddings. Here's the sitch on what they can offer you (or your chosen makeup artist!) that will keep your makeup looking gorgeous dahling while lasting ALL day and making you want to wear it forever and ever after. Read More September 26, 2018 Have fun and be sparkly with these shimmery wedding shoes When it comes to wedding planning, wedding partying, wedding ANYTHING, is there a better motto than "Have fun?" I think not. Have fun, go mad, y'all. So when we spied these Loly in the Sky "Have Fun" flats, we had to share. Oh, and maybe share a few other sparkly and shimmery wedding shoes I happened to see along the way. What, I couldn't help myself! On the sparkles… Read More More Stuff we love > Recent Wedding 101 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 2.3k January 24, 2018 Wedding venue search tips from the wedding ninjas: wedding planners Newly engaged folks: have you started your wedding venue search yet? Are you ready to pull your hair out or just the beginnings of a breakdown? Either you're in a town with so few offbeat options or you're in a big city with WAY too many options and no way to narrow it all down or find the perfect weird and wonderful venue for you between all the banquet halls. I decided to reach out to some of our favorite wedding coordinators to see what sage venue search wisdom they could impart on us to make the arduous search easier. 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? DIY Dress Eloping Engagement Ring Feminism Geeky Harry Potter Invitation Wording Readings Ceremony Advice Fashion Reception Advice Super cute offbeat wedding invitations @offbeatbride on Insta Halloween weddings Stop everything and look at this painted pumpkins fall centerpiece idea Sanne & Dirk's gothic Halloween metal concert wedding Christa & Auros' elegant gothic Iron Chef wedding Danielle & Banger's gothique, Burton-esque, New Orleans, voodoo, Hallows-Eve, handfasting Vampire rings for the undead love in your life Prepare to squeal at the ARMORED corset dress at a fantasy RPG-themed wedding Sheva & Jared's dark, elegant wedding with a twist of tacky Halloween fun Ouija board save-the-dates Read More > A few of our fave wedding vendors Devon Rowland Photography Read More Arwen Freer, Minister Read More Journeys of the Heart Wedding Officiants Read More Danette Pascarella Photography Read More Browse our vendor guide > Our infamous spreadsheets & checklists 80+ free wedding printables: a huge list of downloadable DIY wedding projects Safeguard your important details with an "oh shit list" Offbeat guide to the wedding photo shot list Playlists, requests, and backup plans: What to ask your wedding DJ Our GIANT list of important questions to ask wedding venues Your offbeat-friendly interactive wedding planning checklist is available! Your last-minute wedding checklist Planning tools 101: your wedding vendor contact sheet 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 - 2018 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 October 12, 2018 Chicago has a lot of wedding venues, but NONE are anything like this one There are very few wedding venues in Chicago which make me think of our kick-ass readers more than Catalyst Ranch. If you've ever seen the versatile, colorful, and totally unique space in person, you'd see how much personality a wedding venue can add to your wedding. Situated in the trendy, industrial neighborhood of the West Loop, Catalyst Ranch is a breath of fresh air among plain venues. Read More October 9, 2018 A chat with offbeat wedding planning, Mama Hen organizing genius, Maven Macaw Events When you're scoping out the selection of vendors for your offbeat wedding, there's one sign that ensures you're dealing with someone who knows how it goes… when they themselves had an offbeat wedding! That's definitely the case with our girl Beca Oliveira at Maven Macaw Events. So when we wanted to catch up with her to see how her amazing clients were rocking their weddings (with her pro guidance, natch!), we got the tea. Read More October 2, 2018 Which of these stunning types of wedding bands would your partner rock? (pun intended) When choosing your wedding bands, there are a TON of choices, and you don't at all have to choose something traditional. Whether you're shopping for your partner, for all of your rings, or for yourself, there's a wedding band to fit your personality. We did some deep-diving and found three of our favorite types of rings and exactly who could ROCK them, pun intended… Read More September 28, 2018 How do you get that flawless, natural wedding makeup look? This makeup line is changing the game One thing we definitely know about readers of Offbeat Bride: they run the gamut when it comes to the "rules" of wedding makeup. Some go the traditional route of hiring a pro, some do it themselves, and some go totally makeup-free. But we do know that they want to make sure their wedding makeup lasts, looks amazing, and is cruelty-free. And that's totally why we love partnering with Per-fékt Beauty since they absolutely GET offbeat weddings. Here's the sitch on what they can offer you (or your chosen makeup artist!) that will keep your makeup looking gorgeous dahling while lasting ALL day and making you want to wear it forever and ever after. Read More September 26, 2018 Have fun and be sparkly with these shimmery wedding shoes When it comes to wedding planning, wedding partying, wedding ANYTHING, is there a better motto than "Have fun?" I think not. Have fun, go mad, y'all. So when we spied these Loly in the Sky "Have Fun" flats, we had to share. Oh, and maybe share a few other sparkly and shimmery wedding shoes I happened to see along the way. What, I couldn't help myself! On the sparkles… Read More More Stuff we love > Recent Wedding 101 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 2.3k January 24, 2018 Wedding venue search tips from the wedding ninjas: wedding planners Newly engaged folks: have you started your wedding venue search yet? Are you ready to pull your hair out or just the beginnings of a breakdown? Either you're in a town with so few offbeat options or you're in a big city with WAY too many options and no way to narrow it all down or find the perfect weird and wonderful venue for you between all the banquet halls. I decided to reach out to some of our favorite wedding coordinators to see what sage venue search wisdom they could impart on us to make the arduous search easier. 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? DIY Dress Eloping Engagement Ring Feminism Geeky Harry Potter Invitation Wording Readings Ceremony Advice Fashion Reception Advice Super cute offbeat wedding invitations @offbeatbride on Insta Halloween weddings Stop everything and look at this painted pumpkins fall centerpiece idea Sanne & Dirk's gothic Halloween metal concert wedding Christa & Auros' elegant gothic Iron Chef wedding Danielle & Banger's gothique, Burton-esque, New Orleans, voodoo, Hallows-Eve, handfasting Vampire rings for the undead love in your life Prepare to squeal at the ARMORED corset dress at a fantasy RPG-themed wedding Sheva & Jared's dark, elegant wedding with a twist of tacky Halloween fun Ouija board save-the-dates Read More > A few of our fave wedding vendors Devon Rowland Photography Read More Arwen Freer, Minister Read More Journeys of the Heart Wedding Officiants Read More Danette Pascarella Photography Read More Browse our vendor guide > Our infamous spreadsheets & checklists 80+ free wedding printables: a huge list of downloadable DIY wedding projects Safeguard your important details with an "oh shit list" Offbeat guide to the wedding photo shot list Playlists, requests, and backup plans: What to ask your wedding DJ Our GIANT list of important questions to ask wedding venues Your offbeat-friendly interactive wedding planning checklist is available! Your last-minute wedding checklist Planning tools 101: your wedding vendor contact sheet 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 - 2018 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 October 12, 2018 Chicago has a lot of wedding venues, but NONE are anything like this one There are very few wedding venues in Chicago which make me think of our kick-ass readers more than Catalyst Ranch. If you've ever seen the versatile, colorful, and totally unique space in person, you'd see how much personality a wedding venue can add to your wedding. Situated in the trendy, industrial neighborhood of the West Loop, Catalyst Ranch is a breath of fresh air among plain venues. Read More October 9, 2018 A chat with offbeat wedding planning, Mama Hen organizing genius, Maven Macaw Events When you're scoping out the selection of vendors for your offbeat wedding, there's one sign that ensures you're dealing with someone who knows how it goes… when they themselves had an offbeat wedding! That's definitely the case with our girl Beca Oliveira at Maven Macaw Events. So when we wanted to catch up with her to see how her amazing clients were rocking their weddings (with her pro guidance, natch!), we got the tea. Read More October 2, 2018 Which of these stunning types of wedding bands would your partner rock? (pun intended) When choosing your wedding bands, there are a TON of choices, and you don't at all have to choose something traditional. Whether you're shopping for your partner, for all of your rings, or for yourself, there's a wedding band to fit your personality. We did some deep-diving and found three of our favorite types of rings and exactly who could ROCK them, pun intended… Read More September 28, 2018 How do you get that flawless, natural wedding makeup look? This makeup line is changing the game One thing we definitely know about readers of Offbeat Bride: they run the gamut when it comes to the "rules" of wedding makeup. Some go the traditional route of hiring a pro, some do it themselves, and some go totally makeup-free. But we do know that they want to make sure their wedding makeup lasts, looks amazing, and is cruelty-free. And that's totally why we love partnering with Per-fékt Beauty since they absolutely GET offbeat weddings. Here's the sitch on what they can offer you (or your chosen makeup artist!) that will keep your makeup looking gorgeous dahling while lasting ALL day and making you want to wear it forever and ever after. Read More September 26, 2018 Have fun and be sparkly with these shimmery wedding shoes When it comes to wedding planning, wedding partying, wedding ANYTHING, is there a better motto than "Have fun?" I think not. Have fun, go mad, y'all. So when we spied these Loly in the Sky "Have Fun" flats, we had to share. Oh, and maybe share a few other sparkly and shimmery wedding shoes I happened to see along the way. What, I couldn't help myself! On the sparkles… Read More More Stuff we love > Recent Wedding 101 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 2.3k January 24, 2018 Wedding venue search tips from the wedding ninjas: wedding planners Newly engaged folks: have you started your wedding venue search yet? Are you ready to pull your hair out or just the beginnings of a breakdown? Either you're in a town with so few offbeat options or you're in a big city with WAY too many options and no way to narrow it all down or find the perfect weird and wonderful venue for you between all the banquet halls. I decided to reach out to some of our favorite wedding coordinators to see what sage venue search wisdom they could impart on us to make the arduous search easier. 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? DIY Dress Eloping Engagement Ring Feminism Geeky Harry Potter Invitation Wording Readings Ceremony Advice Fashion Reception Advice Super cute offbeat wedding invitations @offbeatbride on Insta Halloween weddings Stop everything and look at this painted pumpkins fall centerpiece idea Sanne & Dirk's gothic Halloween metal concert wedding Christa & Auros' elegant gothic Iron Chef wedding Danielle & Banger's gothique, Burton-esque, New Orleans, voodoo, Hallows-Eve, handfasting Vampire rings for the undead love in your life Prepare to squeal at the ARMORED corset dress at a fantasy RPG-themed wedding Sheva & Jared's dark, elegant wedding with a twist of tacky Halloween fun Ouija board save-the-dates Read More > A few of our fave wedding vendors Devon Rowland Photography Read More Arwen Freer, Minister Read More Journeys of the Heart Wedding Officiants Read More Danette Pascarella Photography Read More Browse our vendor guide > Our infamous spreadsheets & checklists 80+ free wedding printables: a huge list of downloadable DIY wedding projects Safeguard your important details with an "oh shit list" Offbeat guide to the wedding photo shot list Playlists, requests, and backup plans: What to ask your wedding DJ Our GIANT list of important questions to ask wedding venues Your offbeat-friendly interactive wedding planning checklist is available! Your last-minute wedding checklist Planning tools 101: your wedding vendor contact sheet 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 - 2018 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 12, 2018 Chicago has a lot of wedding venues, but NONE are anything like this one There are very few wedding venues in Chicago which make me think of our kick-ass readers more than Catalyst Ranch. If you've ever seen the versatile, colorful, and totally unique space in person, you'd see how much personality a wedding venue can add to your wedding. Situated in the trendy, industrial neighborhood of the West Loop, Catalyst Ranch is a breath of fresh air among plain venues. Read More October 9, 2018 A chat with offbeat wedding planning, Mama Hen organizing genius, Maven Macaw Events When you're scoping out the selection of vendors for your offbeat wedding, there's one sign that ensures you're dealing with someone who knows how it goes… when they themselves had an offbeat wedding! That's definitely the case with our girl Beca Oliveira at Maven Macaw Events. So when we wanted to catch up with her to see how her amazing clients were rocking their weddings (with her pro guidance, natch!), we got the tea. Read More October 2, 2018 Which of these stunning types of wedding bands would your partner rock? (pun intended) When choosing your wedding bands, there are a TON of choices, and you don't at all have to choose something traditional. Whether you're shopping for your partner, for all of your rings, or for yourself, there's a wedding band to fit your personality. We did some deep-diving and found three of our favorite types of rings and exactly who could ROCK them, pun intended… Read More September 28, 2018 How do you get that flawless, natural wedding makeup look? This makeup line is changing the game One thing we definitely know about readers of Offbeat Bride: they run the gamut when it comes to the "rules" of wedding makeup. Some go the traditional route of hiring a pro, some do it themselves, and some go totally makeup-free. But we do know that they want to make sure their wedding makeup lasts, looks amazing, and is cruelty-free. And that's totally why we love partnering with Per-fékt Beauty since they absolutely GET offbeat weddings. Here's the sitch on what they can offer you (or your chosen makeup artist!) that will keep your makeup looking gorgeous dahling while lasting ALL day and making you want to wear it forever and ever after. Read More September 26, 2018 Have fun and be sparkly with these shimmery wedding shoes When it comes to wedding planning, wedding partying, wedding ANYTHING, is there a better motto than "Have fun?" I think not. Have fun, go mad, y'all. So when we spied these Loly in the Sky "Have Fun" flats, we had to share. Oh, and maybe share a few other sparkly and shimmery wedding shoes I happened to see along the way. What, I couldn't help myself! On the sparkles… Read More More Stuff we love > Recent Wedding 101 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 2.3k January 24, 2018 Wedding venue search tips from the wedding ninjas: wedding planners Newly engaged folks: have you started your wedding venue search yet? Are you ready to pull your hair out or just the beginnings of a breakdown? Either you're in a town with so few offbeat options or you're in a big city with WAY too many options and no way to narrow it all down or find the perfect weird and wonderful venue for you between all the banquet halls. I decided to reach out to some of our favorite wedding coordinators to see what sage venue search wisdom they could impart on us to make the arduous search easier. 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? DIY Dress Eloping Engagement Ring Feminism Geeky Harry Potter Invitation Wording Readings Ceremony Advice Fashion Reception Advice Super cute offbeat wedding invitations @offbeatbride on Insta Halloween weddings Stop everything and look at this painted pumpkins fall centerpiece idea Sanne & Dirk's gothic Halloween metal concert wedding Christa & Auros' elegant gothic Iron Chef wedding Danielle & Banger's gothique, Burton-esque, New Orleans, voodoo, Hallows-Eve, handfasting Vampire rings for the undead love in your life Prepare to squeal at the ARMORED corset dress at a fantasy RPG-themed wedding Sheva & Jared's dark, elegant wedding with a twist of tacky Halloween fun Ouija board save-the-dates Read More > A few of our fave wedding vendors Devon Rowland Photography Read More Arwen Freer, Minister Read More Journeys of the Heart Wedding Officiants Read More Danette Pascarella Photography Read More Browse our vendor guide > Our infamous spreadsheets & checklists 80+ free wedding printables: a huge list of downloadable DIY wedding projects Safeguard your important details with an "oh shit list" Offbeat guide to the wedding photo shot list Playlists, requests, and backup plans: What to ask your wedding DJ Our GIANT list of important questions to ask wedding venues Your offbeat-friendly interactive wedding planning checklist is available! Your last-minute wedding checklist Planning tools 101: your wedding vendor contact sheet 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 - 2018 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 9, 2018 A chat with offbeat wedding planning, Mama Hen organizing genius, Maven Macaw Events When you're scoping out the selection of vendors for your offbeat wedding, there's one sign that ensures you're dealing with someone who knows how it goes… when they themselves had an offbeat wedding! That's definitely the case with our girl Beca Oliveira at Maven Macaw Events. So when we wanted to catch up with her to see how her amazing clients were rocking their weddings (with her pro guidance, natch!), we got the tea. Read More October 2, 2018 Which of these stunning types of wedding bands would your partner rock? (pun intended) When choosing your wedding bands, there are a TON of choices, and you don't at all have to choose something traditional. Whether you're shopping for your partner, for all of your rings, or for yourself, there's a wedding band to fit your personality. We did some deep-diving and found three of our favorite types of rings and exactly who could ROCK them, pun intended… Read More September 28, 2018 How do you get that flawless, natural wedding makeup look? This makeup line is changing the game One thing we definitely know about readers of Offbeat Bride: they run the gamut when it comes to the "rules" of wedding makeup. Some go the traditional route of hiring a pro, some do it themselves, and some go totally makeup-free. But we do know that they want to make sure their wedding makeup lasts, looks amazing, and is cruelty-free. And that's totally why we love partnering with Per-fékt Beauty since they absolutely GET offbeat weddings. Here's the sitch on what they can offer you (or your chosen makeup artist!) that will keep your makeup looking gorgeous dahling while lasting ALL day and making you want to wear it forever and ever after. Read More September 26, 2018 Have fun and be sparkly with these shimmery wedding shoes When it comes to wedding planning, wedding partying, wedding ANYTHING, is there a better motto than "Have fun?" I think not. Have fun, go mad, y'all. So when we spied these Loly in the Sky "Have Fun" flats, we had to share. Oh, and maybe share a few other sparkly and shimmery wedding shoes I happened to see along the way. What, I couldn't help myself! On the sparkles… Read More More Stuff we love > Recent Wedding 101 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 2.3k January 24, 2018 Wedding venue search tips from the wedding ninjas: wedding planners Newly engaged folks: have you started your wedding venue search yet? Are you ready to pull your hair out or just the beginnings of a breakdown? Either you're in a town with so few offbeat options or you're in a big city with WAY too many options and no way to narrow it all down or find the perfect weird and wonderful venue for you between all the banquet halls. I decided to reach out to some of our favorite wedding coordinators to see what sage venue search wisdom they could impart on us to make the arduous search easier. 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? DIY Dress Eloping Engagement Ring Feminism Geeky Harry Potter Invitation Wording Readings Ceremony Advice Fashion Reception Advice Super cute offbeat wedding invitations @offbeatbride on Insta Halloween weddings Stop everything and look at this painted pumpkins fall centerpiece idea Sanne & Dirk's gothic Halloween metal concert wedding Christa & Auros' elegant gothic Iron Chef wedding Danielle & Banger's gothique, Burton-esque, New Orleans, voodoo, Hallows-Eve, handfasting Vampire rings for the undead love in your life Prepare to squeal at the ARMORED corset dress at a fantasy RPG-themed wedding Sheva & Jared's dark, elegant wedding with a twist of tacky Halloween fun Ouija board save-the-dates Read More > A few of our fave wedding vendors Devon Rowland Photography Read More Arwen Freer, Minister Read More Journeys of the Heart Wedding Officiants Read More Danette Pascarella Photography Read More Browse our vendor guide > Our infamous spreadsheets & checklists 80+ free wedding printables: a huge list of downloadable DIY wedding projects Safeguard your important details with an "oh shit list" Offbeat guide to the wedding photo shot list Playlists, requests, and backup plans: What to ask your wedding DJ Our GIANT list of important questions to ask wedding venues Your offbeat-friendly interactive wedding planning checklist is available! Your last-minute wedding checklist Planning tools 101: your wedding vendor contact sheet 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 - 2018 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 2, 2018 Which of these stunning types of wedding bands would your partner rock? (pun intended) When choosing your wedding bands, there are a TON of choices, and you don't at all have to choose something traditional. Whether you're shopping for your partner, for all of your rings, or for yourself, there's a wedding band to fit your personality. We did some deep-diving and found three of our favorite types of rings and exactly who could ROCK them, pun intended… Read More September 28, 2018 How do you get that flawless, natural wedding makeup look? This makeup line is changing the game One thing we definitely know about readers of Offbeat Bride: they run the gamut when it comes to the "rules" of wedding makeup. Some go the traditional route of hiring a pro, some do it themselves, and some go totally makeup-free. But we do know that they want to make sure their wedding makeup lasts, looks amazing, and is cruelty-free. And that's totally why we love partnering with Per-fékt Beauty since they absolutely GET offbeat weddings. Here's the sitch on what they can offer you (or your chosen makeup artist!) that will keep your makeup looking gorgeous dahling while lasting ALL day and making you want to wear it forever and ever after. Read More September 26, 2018 Have fun and be sparkly with these shimmery wedding shoes When it comes to wedding planning, wedding partying, wedding ANYTHING, is there a better motto than "Have fun?" I think not. Have fun, go mad, y'all. So when we spied these Loly in the Sky "Have Fun" flats, we had to share. Oh, and maybe share a few other sparkly and shimmery wedding shoes I happened to see along the way. What, I couldn't help myself! On the sparkles… Read More More Stuff we love > Recent Wedding 101 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 2.3k January 24, 2018 Wedding venue search tips from the wedding ninjas: wedding planners Newly engaged folks: have you started your wedding venue search yet? Are you ready to pull your hair out or just the beginnings of a breakdown? Either you're in a town with so few offbeat options or you're in a big city with WAY too many options and no way to narrow it all down or find the perfect weird and wonderful venue for you between all the banquet halls. I decided to reach out to some of our favorite wedding coordinators to see what sage venue search wisdom they could impart on us to make the arduous search easier. 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? DIY Dress Eloping Engagement Ring Feminism Geeky Harry Potter Invitation Wording Readings Ceremony Advice Fashion Reception Advice Super cute offbeat wedding invitations @offbeatbride on Insta Halloween weddings Stop everything and look at this painted pumpkins fall centerpiece idea Sanne & Dirk's gothic Halloween metal concert wedding Christa & Auros' elegant gothic Iron Chef wedding Danielle & Banger's gothique, Burton-esque, New Orleans, voodoo, Hallows-Eve, handfasting Vampire rings for the undead love in your life Prepare to squeal at the ARMORED corset dress at a fantasy RPG-themed wedding Sheva & Jared's dark, elegant wedding with a twist of tacky Halloween fun Ouija board save-the-dates Read More > A few of our fave wedding vendors Devon Rowland Photography Read More Arwen Freer, Minister Read More Journeys of the Heart Wedding Officiants Read More Danette Pascarella Photography Read More Browse our vendor guide > Our infamous spreadsheets & checklists 80+ free wedding printables: a huge list of downloadable DIY wedding projects Safeguard your important details with an "oh shit list" Offbeat guide to the wedding photo shot list Playlists, requests, and backup plans: What to ask your wedding DJ Our GIANT list of important questions to ask wedding venues Your offbeat-friendly interactive wedding planning checklist is available! Your last-minute wedding checklist Planning tools 101: your wedding vendor contact sheet 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 - 2018 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 28, 2018 How do you get that flawless, natural wedding makeup look? This makeup line is changing the game One thing we definitely know about readers of Offbeat Bride: they run the gamut when it comes to the "rules" of wedding makeup. Some go the traditional route of hiring a pro, some do it themselves, and some go totally makeup-free. But we do know that they want to make sure their wedding makeup lasts, looks amazing, and is cruelty-free. And that's totally why we love partnering with Per-fékt Beauty since they absolutely GET offbeat weddings. Here's the sitch on what they can offer you (or your chosen makeup artist!) that will keep your makeup looking gorgeous dahling while lasting ALL day and making you want to wear it forever and ever after. Read More September 26, 2018 Have fun and be sparkly with these shimmery wedding shoes When it comes to wedding planning, wedding partying, wedding ANYTHING, is there a better motto than "Have fun?" I think not. Have fun, go mad, y'all. So when we spied these Loly in the Sky "Have Fun" flats, we had to share. Oh, and maybe share a few other sparkly and shimmery wedding shoes I happened to see along the way. What, I couldn't help myself! On the sparkles… Read More More Stuff we love > Recent Wedding 101 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 2.3k January 24, 2018 Wedding venue search tips from the wedding ninjas: wedding planners Newly engaged folks: have you started your wedding venue search yet? Are you ready to pull your hair out or just the beginnings of a breakdown? Either you're in a town with so few offbeat options or you're in a big city with WAY too many options and no way to narrow it all down or find the perfect weird and wonderful venue for you between all the banquet halls. I decided to reach out to some of our favorite wedding coordinators to see what sage venue search wisdom they could impart on us to make the arduous search easier. 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? DIY Dress Eloping Engagement Ring Feminism Geeky Harry Potter Invitation Wording Readings Ceremony Advice Fashion Reception Advice Super cute offbeat wedding invitations @offbeatbride on Insta Halloween weddings Stop everything and look at this painted pumpkins fall centerpiece idea Sanne & Dirk's gothic Halloween metal concert wedding Christa & Auros' elegant gothic Iron Chef wedding Danielle & Banger's gothique, Burton-esque, New Orleans, voodoo, Hallows-Eve, handfasting Vampire rings for the undead love in your life Prepare to squeal at the ARMORED corset dress at a fantasy RPG-themed wedding Sheva & Jared's dark, elegant wedding with a twist of tacky Halloween fun Ouija board save-the-dates Read More > A few of our fave wedding vendors Devon Rowland Photography Read More Arwen Freer, Minister Read More Journeys of the Heart Wedding Officiants Read More Danette Pascarella Photography Read More Browse our vendor guide > Our infamous spreadsheets & checklists 80+ free wedding printables: a huge list of downloadable DIY wedding projects Safeguard your important details with an "oh shit list" Offbeat guide to the wedding photo shot list Playlists, requests, and backup plans: What to ask your wedding DJ Our GIANT list of important questions to ask wedding venues Your offbeat-friendly interactive wedding planning checklist is available! Your last-minute wedding checklist Planning tools 101: your wedding vendor contact sheet 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 - 2018 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 26, 2018 Have fun and be sparkly with these shimmery wedding shoes When it comes to wedding planning, wedding partying, wedding ANYTHING, is there a better motto than "Have fun?" I think not. Have fun, go mad, y'all. So when we spied these Loly in the Sky "Have Fun" flats, we had to share. Oh, and maybe share a few other sparkly and shimmery wedding shoes I happened to see along the way. What, I couldn't help myself! On the sparkles… Read More More Stuff we love > Recent Wedding 101 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 2.3k January 24, 2018 Wedding venue search tips from the wedding ninjas: wedding planners Newly engaged folks: have you started your wedding venue search yet? Are you ready to pull your hair out or just the beginnings of a breakdown? Either you're in a town with so few offbeat options or you're in a big city with WAY too many options and no way to narrow it all down or find the perfect weird and wonderful venue for you between all the banquet halls. I decided to reach out to some of our favorite wedding coordinators to see what sage venue search wisdom they could impart on us to make the arduous search easier. 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? DIY Dress Eloping Engagement Ring Feminism Geeky Harry Potter Invitation Wording Readings Ceremony Advice Fashion Reception Advice Super cute offbeat wedding invitations @offbeatbride on Insta Halloween weddings Stop everything and look at this painted pumpkins fall centerpiece idea Sanne & Dirk's gothic Halloween metal concert wedding Christa & Auros' elegant gothic Iron Chef wedding Danielle & Banger's gothique, Burton-esque, New Orleans, voodoo, Hallows-Eve, handfasting Vampire rings for the undead love in your life Prepare to squeal at the ARMORED corset dress at a fantasy RPG-themed wedding Sheva & Jared's dark, elegant wedding with a twist of tacky Halloween fun Ouija board save-the-dates Read More > A few of our fave wedding vendors Devon Rowland Photography Read More Arwen Freer, Minister Read More Journeys of the Heart Wedding Officiants Read More Danette Pascarella Photography Read More Browse our vendor guide > Our infamous spreadsheets & checklists 80+ free wedding printables: a huge list of downloadable DIY wedding projects Safeguard your important details with an "oh shit list" Offbeat guide to the wedding photo shot list Playlists, requests, and backup plans: What to ask your wedding DJ Our GIANT list of important questions to ask wedding venues Your offbeat-friendly interactive wedding planning checklist is available! Your last-minute wedding checklist Planning tools 101: your wedding vendor contact sheet 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 - 2018 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 2.3k January 24, 2018 Wedding venue search tips from the wedding ninjas: wedding planners Newly engaged folks: have you started your wedding venue search yet? Are you ready to pull your hair out or just the beginnings of a breakdown? Either you're in a town with so few offbeat options or you're in a big city with WAY too many options and no way to narrow it all down or find the perfect weird and wonderful venue for you between all the banquet halls. I decided to reach out to some of our favorite wedding coordinators to see what sage venue search wisdom they could impart on us to make the arduous search easier. 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? DIY Dress Eloping Engagement Ring Feminism Geeky Harry Potter Invitation Wording Readings Ceremony Advice Fashion Reception Advice Super cute offbeat wedding invitations @offbeatbride on Insta Halloween weddings Stop everything and look at this painted pumpkins fall centerpiece idea Sanne & Dirk's gothic Halloween metal concert wedding Christa & Auros' elegant gothic Iron Chef wedding Danielle & Banger's gothique, Burton-esque, New Orleans, voodoo, Hallows-Eve, handfasting Vampire rings for the undead love in your life Prepare to squeal at the ARMORED corset dress at a fantasy RPG-themed wedding Sheva & Jared's dark, elegant wedding with a twist of tacky Halloween fun Ouija board save-the-dates Read More > A few of our fave wedding vendors Devon Rowland Photography Read More Arwen Freer, Minister Read More Journeys of the Heart Wedding Officiants Read More Danette Pascarella Photography Read More Browse our vendor guide > Our infamous spreadsheets & checklists 80+ free wedding printables: a huge list of downloadable DIY wedding projects Safeguard your important details with an "oh shit list" Offbeat guide to the wedding photo shot list Playlists, requests, and backup plans: What to ask your wedding DJ Our GIANT list of important questions to ask wedding venues Your offbeat-friendly interactive wedding planning checklist is available! Your last-minute wedding checklist Planning tools 101: your wedding vendor contact sheet 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 - 2018 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 2.3k January 24, 2018 Wedding venue search tips from the wedding ninjas: wedding planners Newly engaged folks: have you started your wedding venue search yet? Are you ready to pull your hair out or just the beginnings of a breakdown? Either you're in a town with so few offbeat options or you're in a big city with WAY too many options and no way to narrow it all down or find the perfect weird and wonderful venue for you between all the banquet halls. I decided to reach out to some of our favorite wedding coordinators to see what sage venue search wisdom they could impart on us to make the arduous search easier. 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? DIY Dress Eloping Engagement Ring Feminism Geeky Harry Potter Invitation Wording Readings Ceremony Advice Fashion Reception Advice Super cute offbeat wedding invitations @offbeatbride on Insta Halloween weddings Stop everything and look at this painted pumpkins fall centerpiece idea Sanne & Dirk's gothic Halloween metal concert wedding Christa & Auros' elegant gothic Iron Chef wedding Danielle & Banger's gothique, Burton-esque, New Orleans, voodoo, Hallows-Eve, handfasting Vampire rings for the undead love in your life Prepare to squeal at the ARMORED corset dress at a fantasy RPG-themed wedding Sheva & Jared's dark, elegant wedding with a twist of tacky Halloween fun Ouija board save-the-dates Read More > A few of our fave wedding vendors Devon Rowland Photography Read More Arwen Freer, Minister Read More Journeys of the Heart Wedding Officiants Read More Danette Pascarella Photography Read More Browse our vendor guide > Our infamous spreadsheets & checklists 80+ free wedding printables: a huge list of downloadable DIY wedding projects Safeguard your important details with an "oh shit list" Offbeat guide to the wedding photo shot list Playlists, requests, and backup plans: What to ask your wedding DJ Our GIANT list of important questions to ask wedding venues Your offbeat-friendly interactive wedding planning checklist is available! Your last-minute wedding checklist Planning tools 101: your wedding vendor contact sheet 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 - 2018 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 2.3k January 24, 2018 Wedding venue search tips from the wedding ninjas: wedding planners Newly engaged folks: have you started your wedding venue search yet? Are you ready to pull your hair out or just the beginnings of a breakdown? Either you're in a town with so few offbeat options or you're in a big city with WAY too many options and no way to narrow it all down or find the perfect weird and wonderful venue for you between all the banquet halls. I decided to reach out to some of our favorite wedding coordinators to see what sage venue search wisdom they could impart on us to make the arduous search easier. 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? DIY Dress Eloping Engagement Ring Feminism Geeky Harry Potter Invitation Wording Readings Ceremony Advice Fashion Reception Advice Super cute offbeat wedding invitations @offbeatbride on Insta Halloween weddings Stop everything and look at this painted pumpkins fall centerpiece idea Sanne & Dirk's gothic Halloween metal concert wedding Christa & Auros' elegant gothic Iron Chef wedding Danielle & Banger's gothique, Burton-esque, New Orleans, voodoo, Hallows-Eve, handfasting Vampire rings for the undead love in your life Prepare to squeal at the ARMORED corset dress at a fantasy RPG-themed wedding Sheva & Jared's dark, elegant wedding with a twist of tacky Halloween fun Ouija board save-the-dates Read More > A few of our fave wedding vendors Devon Rowland Photography Read More Arwen Freer, Minister Read More Journeys of the Heart Wedding Officiants Read More Danette Pascarella Photography Read More Browse our vendor guide > Our infamous spreadsheets & checklists 80+ free wedding printables: a huge list of downloadable DIY wedding projects Safeguard your important details with an "oh shit list" Offbeat guide to the wedding photo shot list Playlists, requests, and backup plans: What to ask your wedding DJ Our GIANT list of important questions to ask wedding venues Your offbeat-friendly interactive wedding planning checklist is available! Your last-minute wedding checklist Planning tools 101: your wedding vendor contact sheet 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 - 2018 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 2.3k January 24, 2018 Wedding venue search tips from the wedding ninjas: wedding planners Newly engaged folks: have you started your wedding venue search yet? Are you ready to pull your hair out or just the beginnings of a breakdown? Either you're in a town with so few offbeat options or you're in a big city with WAY too many options and no way to narrow it all down or find the perfect weird and wonderful venue for you between all the banquet halls. I decided to reach out to some of our favorite wedding coordinators to see what sage venue search wisdom they could impart on us to make the arduous search easier. 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? DIY Dress Eloping Engagement Ring Feminism Geeky Harry Potter Invitation Wording Readings Ceremony Advice Fashion Reception Advice Super cute offbeat wedding invitations @offbeatbride on Insta Halloween weddings Stop everything and look at this painted pumpkins fall centerpiece idea Sanne & Dirk's gothic Halloween metal concert wedding Christa & Auros' elegant gothic Iron Chef wedding Danielle & Banger's gothique, Burton-esque, New Orleans, voodoo, Hallows-Eve, handfasting Vampire rings for the undead love in your life Prepare to squeal at the ARMORED corset dress at a fantasy RPG-themed wedding Sheva & Jared's dark, elegant wedding with a twist of tacky Halloween fun Ouija board save-the-dates Read More > A few of our fave wedding vendors Devon Rowland Photography Read More Arwen Freer, Minister Read More Journeys of the Heart Wedding Officiants Read More Danette Pascarella Photography Read More Browse our vendor guide > Our infamous spreadsheets & checklists 80+ free wedding printables: a huge list of downloadable DIY wedding projects Safeguard your important details with an "oh shit list" Offbeat guide to the wedding photo shot list Playlists, requests, and backup plans: What to ask your wedding DJ Our GIANT list of important questions to ask wedding venues Your offbeat-friendly interactive wedding planning checklist is available! Your last-minute wedding checklist Planning tools 101: your wedding vendor contact sheet 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 - 2018 Offbeat Empire. All rights reserved. Unauthorized reproduction in part or in whole is prohibited. Contact us Terms of Service | Privacy Policy | Monetized by SkimLinks
2.3k January 24, 2018 Wedding venue search tips from the wedding ninjas: wedding planners Newly engaged folks: have you started your wedding venue search yet? Are you ready to pull your hair out or just the beginnings of a breakdown? Either you're in a town with so few offbeat options or you're in a big city with WAY too many options and no way to narrow it all down or find the perfect weird and wonderful venue for you between all the banquet halls. I decided to reach out to some of our favorite wedding coordinators to see what sage venue search wisdom they could impart on us to make the arduous search easier. Read More More Wedding 101 >