March 22, 2019 Tons of dazzling colored gemstone rings for every kind of couple Diamonds may have been a girl's best friend, but we're branching out in all kinds of colorful ways these days. While it's all good if you want to snag a diamond ring, you also don't have to feel locked in to it AT ALL. One of our fave jewelry artisan partners, Metalicious, specializes in all things alternative when it comes to gemstones so I went down the rabbit hole to see what stunning sparklies we could find in colored gemstones, diamond alternatives, and even snazzy alternative metals for wedding bands. Read More March 22, 2019 A DIYed darkly romantic wedding with pagan details & vegan fare Megan and Nick planned an ultra gorgeous pagan meets vegan wedding, most of which was completely DIYed. They have a super strong community of family and friends and the entire day was relaxed and romantic. You won't believe how much love and care went in to all the details of the day. This darkly romantic wedding was a DIY dream and I can't wait for you to see it. Read More 1.3k March 21, 2019 You'll swoon at this vintage Muslim wedding at the South Georgia Botanical Gardens Nadia and Jonathan met working as freelance journalists in New York City. Nadia, originally from Statesboro, GA, really wanted her wedding to be in her hometown so they made it happen. Nadia and Jonathan are both Muslim and had never kissed each other before the wedding day, so their portraits are particularly sweet and romantic. Don't miss the DIY centerpieces and decor, Jonathan's suit that was handmade by his mother(!), and a poignant reminder of who wasn't able to make it that day and why… Read More March 20, 2019 Pronouns & assumptions: Gay wedding etiquette rules every guest should follow Maybe you're a seasoned pro at attending same-sex weddings or maybe they're a new concept for you, and you don't want to be responsible for any awkwardness on someone's wedding day. It's easy to fall prey to a faux pas when it comes to saying the right things. Understand that the basics, love and respect, remain the same for both straight and LGBTQ weddings. Here are six gay wedding etiquette rules that will make you the couple's favorite… Read More 1.4k March 20, 2019 Love totally wins at this sparkly camp-chic unicorn interfaith queer wedding We are a queer interfaith clergy couple. Our wedding party consisted of a spiritual and supportive “Femme Crew” and “Butch Crew.” We call ourselves TEAM UNICORN because we love rainbows and sparkles and magic and don’t subscribe to socially constructed ideas of gender. We celebrated our wedding at a stunning camp site in North Georgia all weekend with a Shabbat prayer service, a 12-step recovery meeting, swimming and boating options, hikes to waterfalls, a bonfire, and yoga on the dock. Read More More Recent Posts > Recent Wedding Porn 9.4k March 15, 2019 This holographic mermaid wedding dress is blowing my mind (and giving me fins!) Researching dresses can yield fab rewards. Such was the case when I spied this mermaid fantasy of a gown from KMKDesigns. I love a dress that can be re-worn in general, but when it can be reworn as a costume, for a super glam ball, or any fancy dress party, it's a win. It's made of holographic vinyl and pearlescent organza with approximately one zillion hand-sewn iridescent sequins and pearls. Read More 1.2k March 8, 2019 Floating candles, cloaks, & a patronus cake at this mystical Harry Potter-inspired wedding inspiration When I imagine all the things I'd want to see in a Harry Potter-inspired wedding inspiration shoot, I imagine floating candles from the Great Hall, quotes from the books and films, magical cloaks (or at least magical-looking!), tiny details like horcruxes and snitches, a gorgeous themed cake… and oh wait. That's what THIS shoot is all about! Read More March 4, 2019 A little tropical, a little glam: this Cuban wedding inspiration is pure romance in 1940s Havana Set in the Evergreen Brick Works, a historic heritage site in the Don River Valley Park of Toronto, this Havana wedding inspiration pays homage to the elegance and splendor of 1940s Cuba. We're loving the brick backdrop paired with a little bit of a tropical color palette and island-inspired florals and greenery. This whole shoot was warm, inviting, a little bit tropical, a little bit urban, and a whole lot of vintage gorgeousness. Read More 1.4k February 22, 2019 These ready-to-bloom floral wedding dresses let you be your own bouquet "Florals for Spring? Groundbreaking." We know, Meryl, but actually, florals for Spring is always on trend and especially now. I'm living for it! Whether it's a multicolored floral print dress, flowers made of silk or chiffon, floral embroidery overlays, or a chic floral suit (you don't have to wear a dress!), I found a whole bunch of ways to be your own bouquet on your wedding day. Let's get our flower power on… Read More 1.2k February 14, 2019 The sexiest lace boots ever inspired this Valentine elopement shoot Sometimes a pair of the sexiest red boots can spawn a whole theme. This was definitely the case with this Valentine elopement shoot covered in red, lace, hearts, and rosé. Don't miss the killer crop top red wedding dress, the large gold mirror covered in song lyrics, the intricately die-cut invitations, the pear shaped ring, and the elaborate ombre cake(!) that took our breath away. Even if you hate Valentine's Day, it's easy to love these heart candies, red touches, and loving looks of this couple. Let's take Valentine's Day from kitschy to glam… Read More More Wedding Porn > Recent Real Weddings March 22, 2019 A DIYed darkly romantic wedding with pagan details & vegan fare Megan and Nick planned an ultra gorgeous pagan meets vegan wedding, most of which was completely DIYed. They have a super strong community of family and friends and the entire day was relaxed and romantic. You won't believe how much love and care went in to all the details of the day. This darkly romantic wedding was a DIY dream and I can't wait for you to see it. Read More 1.3k March 21, 2019 You'll swoon at this vintage Muslim wedding at the South Georgia Botanical Gardens Nadia and Jonathan met working as freelance journalists in New York City. Nadia, originally from Statesboro, GA, really wanted her wedding to be in her hometown so they made it happen. Nadia and Jonathan are both Muslim and had never kissed each other before the wedding day, so their portraits are particularly sweet and romantic. Don't miss the DIY centerpieces and decor, Jonathan's suit that was handmade by his mother(!), and a poignant reminder of who wasn't able to make it that day and why… Read More 1.4k March 20, 2019 Love totally wins at this sparkly camp-chic unicorn interfaith queer wedding We are a queer interfaith clergy couple. Our wedding party consisted of a spiritual and supportive “Femme Crew” and “Butch Crew.” We call ourselves TEAM UNICORN because we love rainbows and sparkles and magic and don’t subscribe to socially constructed ideas of gender. We celebrated our wedding at a stunning camp site in North Georgia all weekend with a Shabbat prayer service, a 12-step recovery meeting, swimming and boating options, hikes to waterfalls, a bonfire, and yoga on the dock. Read More March 19, 2019 A crystal ball in the woods at this creative & sustainable wedding with intention Carrie and Jason met at a fashion show 16 years ago and finally reconnected and are spending their lives together. For their beautiful fantasy-inspired and intentional wedding, they combined many….. Read More 1.4k March 18, 2019 A dark & chic Horseshoe Bend elopement at the edge of the world Jill and Bryan drove with Jill's two young children 28 hours from Chicago to Arizona to elope at Horseshoe Bend. Before the ceremony, the whole family hiked a slot canyon in their wedding attire, just to have the amazing experience and see the scenery. Jill opted to wear a beautiful black dress, and the whole family dressed to match in black with dark brown accents. Read More More Real Weddings > Recent Advice March 20, 2019 Pronouns & assumptions: Gay wedding etiquette rules every guest should follow Maybe you're a seasoned pro at attending same-sex weddings or maybe they're a new concept for you, and you don't want to be responsible for any awkwardness on someone's wedding day. It's easy to fall prey to a faux pas when it comes to saying the right things. Understand that the basics, love and respect, remain the same for both straight and LGBTQ weddings. Here are six gay wedding etiquette rules that will make you the couple's favorite… Read More 1.2k February 13, 2019 How to plan a more ethical wedding (including an edible bouquet!) When I was preparing for my own wedding I started thinking: how could we do this more ethically? The very nature of a wedding being a one day event, and in many cases an extravaganza of guests and details and expense, means that inevitably there are waste issues, or worries about whether certain things are "worth it." So, how can we do things more ethically? What should we look for in an ethical supplier? How do we do the very best that we can do? Read More 1.0k January 23, 2019 6 tips for making your wedding website useful AND stylish Are you engaged? YAY! I have a feeling that a lot of you are thinking about wedding hashtags and websites and social media, oh my. Weddings are way more high tech these days and a wedding website is pretty standard fare now. When I got engaged in 2018, I went on a hunt for a really slick wedding website and have a few quick hit tips to share to make your wedding website both ultra useful and seriously captivating. Read More October 17, 2018 How to avoid your email save-the-date going to spam My partner and I decided to send out email save-the-dates instead of a physical card. I do, however, have a warning for you if you are planning on going the green route with your save-the-date by sending out electronic ones. If you send an email with an image, you may hit your guests' spam folders. Here are some pros and cons of going green with your save-the-dates and how you can avoid your save-the-date going to spam… Read More October 3, 2018 Our delicious unity beer ceremony was… hopping (plus our ceremony wording!) Craft beer has been such a huge part of our relationship that when we were planning our wedding (featured here!), we wanted to include it somehow. I suggested a unity beer ceremony, but we couldn't find any wording online that we liked. We ended up creating our own from scratch, complete with our own unique brand of humor. Read More 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 March 22, 2019 Tons of dazzling colored gemstone rings for every kind of couple Diamonds may have been a girl's best friend, but we're branching out in all kinds of colorful ways these days. While it's all good if you want to snag a diamond ring, you also don't have to feel locked in to it AT ALL. One of our fave jewelry artisan partners, Metalicious, specializes in all things alternative when it comes to gemstones so I went down the rabbit hole to see what stunning sparklies we could find in colored gemstones, diamond alternatives, and even snazzy alternative metals for wedding bands. Read More March 19, 2019 Heart eyes for the lace, statement sleeves, and fringe of this dreamy bohemian dress collection (& a pop-up shop event in NYC!) The last time we featured some of the fabulous wedding gowns from our partner CocoMelody, y'all went wild. Their collections of ready-to-wear and custom styles (made to fit YOU!) are colorful, diverse, super well-made, and available in extensive sizes. It's that super rare dress source that actually gets offbeat readers. Let's peek at their Bohemian Nomad Collection which is making me swoon with romance meets modern meets laid-back meets gorgeous dress bliss. Read More March 12, 2019 This mega-skilled photography team gives you "how did we look that good?" level wedding photography all over the U.S. If there's ever been a wedding photography team who connects with our readers, it's Atlanta-based Gemini and The Bear. The husband and wife team of Ryan and Jenevieve come with a substantial amount of experience in both photography AND wedding planning and production, so they're the moooost prepared to handle anything that comes their way — your wedding included! Let's meet the creative pair and see why they'll make your love story come to life in ways you've never imagined it could… Read More March 8, 2019 Sharing the wealth of my window shopping for fun wedding shoe clips I ended up having a bit of trouble finding wedding shoes that I loved. It then dawned on me that I'd been touting the merits of shoe clips for ages and forgot that they might just be the ticket for adding some fun to my wedding flats. Grab your favorite pair of shoes (flats, heels, loafers, boots… all can rock clips!) and get to accessorizing your feet… Read More March 5, 2019 Rainbows & gender unicorns: how LGBTQ couples are changing wedding ring rules When it comes to buying rings for weddings, LGBTQ couples are throwing out the traditions that bind them to form their own paths in ringdom. Whether you propose to each other, have matching bands, eschew rings altogether in favor of another kind of jewelry, the options for rings that represent your identity are quite literally endless. I spoke with one of our favorite custom ring creators, Joseph Jewelry, to see what trends and ideas they've been seeing in wedding jewelry that allows for more expression of who you love, what your gender is, and how you want to communicate that to world. Read More More Stuff we love > Recent Wedding 101 1.0k January 23, 2019 6 tips for making your wedding website useful AND stylish Are you engaged? YAY! I have a feeling that a lot of you are thinking about wedding hashtags and websites and social media, oh my. Weddings are way more high tech these days and a wedding website is pretty standard fare now. When I got engaged in 2018, I went on a hunt for a really slick wedding website and have a few quick hit tips to share to make your wedding website both ultra useful and seriously captivating. Read More July 12, 2018 Planning tools 101: hotel block comparison chart We launched a comprehensive and totally customizable document of wedding planning spreadsheets in Google Drive if you're the type to get down with spreadsheets like I am. Now we're sharing a chart that will help you compare hotel blocks if you're planning to provide that option to your guests. Hotel blocks allow you to block out some rooms and room rates to help guests grab a good deal on a hotel room. Read More June 27, 2018 Avoiding wedding fights: how to plan your wedding planning Your engagement should be a joyful time. You have a lifetime ahead of you with the person you love. What could be better than to celebrate that love surrounded by friends and family? And yet, somehow things go awry. Conflicts flare. And the time that should be so happy — the build-up to your wedding — is fraught with possibilities for strife. The good news is you can avoid most of the problems by planning your wedding planning. That's right. Plan how you're going to plan. Read More 2.6k April 18, 2018 I bought a colored wedding dress and now everyone's mad! What should I do? I come from a family of strict traditionalists when it comes to everything, especially weddings. I recently bought a peach wedding dress with no sleeves and expressed I wanted light blue hair and Converse to go with it. As you can imagine, things didn't go over well. When I try to stand up for my wedding choices, I'm shamed for it. Please help! Read More 4.3k March 5, 2018 Wedding dates to avoid in 2018, 2019, and beyond I'm compiling this list of wedding dates to avoid in 2018, 2019, and 2020 in case you want to avoid holidays where family and friends might have conflicting events, holidays where vendors might be especially busy and/or expensive (think Valentine's Day for florists), or religious holidays where places might be closed or guests might have other plans. Does this mean you CAN'T book your wedding for one of these days? Hell no! Read More More Wedding 101 > Offbeat Bride: your source for wedding ideas and inclusive wedding planning We've got bajillions of creative wedding ideas, DIY projects, and wedding advice to make your wedding plans easier — and even fun! What do you need to do today? I have no idea. I need Wedding Planning 101! I need a wedding planning checklist (now in an interactive version, too!) Hook me up with free wedding fonts & printables I need offbeat wedding registry ideas I'm curious about offbeat wedding themes (geeky! boho! so many!) Reporter Name * Reporter Email * Original text Enter the original text here. Edited text* Enter your suggested copyedit here. Notes You can add a note for the editor here. * Required information. Fix Typo What wedding planning advice & inspiration do you need today? Dress Eloping Engagement Ring Feminism Floral Print Geeky Harry Potter Invitation Wording Readings Ceremony Advice Fashion Wedding 101 Super cute offbeat wedding invitations @offbeatbride on Insta Newly engaged? How to keep dry during a rainy wedding day What no one tells the newly-engaged: you don't have to plan it all today! How to get a marriage license: tips and tricks for the engaged and confused Juggling wedding planning and grief So you want to have a friend officiate… The mother of all "Oh-Shit!" Kits, featuring the Decormergency Kit Break it down now: sample wedding budgets for all kinds of offbeat weddings Guest list primer: questions you must ask when making your guest list Read More > A few of our fave wedding vendors Entertainment Nation Read More Matt Schmachtenberg Photography Read More Moon River Rituals with Zita Christian, Life-Cycle Celebrant Read More Joseph Gonzalez-Dufresne Photography Read More Browse our vendor guide > Our infamous spreadsheets & checklists Planning tools 101: wedding guest seating chart planner Your offbeat-friendly interactive wedding planning checklist is available! 80+ free wedding printables: a huge list of downloadable DIY wedding projects Our GIANT list of important questions to ask wedding venues WTF is "scrumming" and how can it help you actually ENJOY wedding planning Planning tools 101: your wedding vendor contact sheet Planning tools 101: hotel block comparison chart Offbeat guide to the wedding photo shot list Get planning > We're everywhere! 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March 22, 2019 A DIYed darkly romantic wedding with pagan details & vegan fare Megan and Nick planned an ultra gorgeous pagan meets vegan wedding, most of which was completely DIYed. They have a super strong community of family and friends and the entire day was relaxed and romantic. You won't believe how much love and care went in to all the details of the day. This darkly romantic wedding was a DIY dream and I can't wait for you to see it. Read More 1.3k March 21, 2019 You'll swoon at this vintage Muslim wedding at the South Georgia Botanical Gardens Nadia and Jonathan met working as freelance journalists in New York City. Nadia, originally from Statesboro, GA, really wanted her wedding to be in her hometown so they made it happen. Nadia and Jonathan are both Muslim and had never kissed each other before the wedding day, so their portraits are particularly sweet and romantic. Don't miss the DIY centerpieces and decor, Jonathan's suit that was handmade by his mother(!), and a poignant reminder of who wasn't able to make it that day and why… Read More March 20, 2019 Pronouns & assumptions: Gay wedding etiquette rules every guest should follow Maybe you're a seasoned pro at attending same-sex weddings or maybe they're a new concept for you, and you don't want to be responsible for any awkwardness on someone's wedding day. It's easy to fall prey to a faux pas when it comes to saying the right things. Understand that the basics, love and respect, remain the same for both straight and LGBTQ weddings. Here are six gay wedding etiquette rules that will make you the couple's favorite… Read More 1.4k March 20, 2019 Love totally wins at this sparkly camp-chic unicorn interfaith queer wedding We are a queer interfaith clergy couple. Our wedding party consisted of a spiritual and supportive “Femme Crew” and “Butch Crew.” We call ourselves TEAM UNICORN because we love rainbows and sparkles and magic and don’t subscribe to socially constructed ideas of gender. We celebrated our wedding at a stunning camp site in North Georgia all weekend with a Shabbat prayer service, a 12-step recovery meeting, swimming and boating options, hikes to waterfalls, a bonfire, and yoga on the dock. Read More More Recent Posts > Recent Wedding Porn 9.4k March 15, 2019 This holographic mermaid wedding dress is blowing my mind (and giving me fins!) Researching dresses can yield fab rewards. Such was the case when I spied this mermaid fantasy of a gown from KMKDesigns. I love a dress that can be re-worn in general, but when it can be reworn as a costume, for a super glam ball, or any fancy dress party, it's a win. It's made of holographic vinyl and pearlescent organza with approximately one zillion hand-sewn iridescent sequins and pearls. Read More 1.2k March 8, 2019 Floating candles, cloaks, & a patronus cake at this mystical Harry Potter-inspired wedding inspiration When I imagine all the things I'd want to see in a Harry Potter-inspired wedding inspiration shoot, I imagine floating candles from the Great Hall, quotes from the books and films, magical cloaks (or at least magical-looking!), tiny details like horcruxes and snitches, a gorgeous themed cake… and oh wait. That's what THIS shoot is all about! Read More March 4, 2019 A little tropical, a little glam: this Cuban wedding inspiration is pure romance in 1940s Havana Set in the Evergreen Brick Works, a historic heritage site in the Don River Valley Park of Toronto, this Havana wedding inspiration pays homage to the elegance and splendor of 1940s Cuba. We're loving the brick backdrop paired with a little bit of a tropical color palette and island-inspired florals and greenery. This whole shoot was warm, inviting, a little bit tropical, a little bit urban, and a whole lot of vintage gorgeousness. Read More 1.4k February 22, 2019 These ready-to-bloom floral wedding dresses let you be your own bouquet "Florals for Spring? Groundbreaking." We know, Meryl, but actually, florals for Spring is always on trend and especially now. I'm living for it! Whether it's a multicolored floral print dress, flowers made of silk or chiffon, floral embroidery overlays, or a chic floral suit (you don't have to wear a dress!), I found a whole bunch of ways to be your own bouquet on your wedding day. Let's get our flower power on… Read More 1.2k February 14, 2019 The sexiest lace boots ever inspired this Valentine elopement shoot Sometimes a pair of the sexiest red boots can spawn a whole theme. This was definitely the case with this Valentine elopement shoot covered in red, lace, hearts, and rosé. Don't miss the killer crop top red wedding dress, the large gold mirror covered in song lyrics, the intricately die-cut invitations, the pear shaped ring, and the elaborate ombre cake(!) that took our breath away. Even if you hate Valentine's Day, it's easy to love these heart candies, red touches, and loving looks of this couple. Let's take Valentine's Day from kitschy to glam… Read More More Wedding Porn > Recent Real Weddings March 22, 2019 A DIYed darkly romantic wedding with pagan details & vegan fare Megan and Nick planned an ultra gorgeous pagan meets vegan wedding, most of which was completely DIYed. They have a super strong community of family and friends and the entire day was relaxed and romantic. You won't believe how much love and care went in to all the details of the day. This darkly romantic wedding was a DIY dream and I can't wait for you to see it. Read More 1.3k March 21, 2019 You'll swoon at this vintage Muslim wedding at the South Georgia Botanical Gardens Nadia and Jonathan met working as freelance journalists in New York City. Nadia, originally from Statesboro, GA, really wanted her wedding to be in her hometown so they made it happen. Nadia and Jonathan are both Muslim and had never kissed each other before the wedding day, so their portraits are particularly sweet and romantic. Don't miss the DIY centerpieces and decor, Jonathan's suit that was handmade by his mother(!), and a poignant reminder of who wasn't able to make it that day and why… Read More 1.4k March 20, 2019 Love totally wins at this sparkly camp-chic unicorn interfaith queer wedding We are a queer interfaith clergy couple. Our wedding party consisted of a spiritual and supportive “Femme Crew” and “Butch Crew.” We call ourselves TEAM UNICORN because we love rainbows and sparkles and magic and don’t subscribe to socially constructed ideas of gender. We celebrated our wedding at a stunning camp site in North Georgia all weekend with a Shabbat prayer service, a 12-step recovery meeting, swimming and boating options, hikes to waterfalls, a bonfire, and yoga on the dock. Read More March 19, 2019 A crystal ball in the woods at this creative & sustainable wedding with intention Carrie and Jason met at a fashion show 16 years ago and finally reconnected and are spending their lives together. For their beautiful fantasy-inspired and intentional wedding, they combined many….. Read More 1.4k March 18, 2019 A dark & chic Horseshoe Bend elopement at the edge of the world Jill and Bryan drove with Jill's two young children 28 hours from Chicago to Arizona to elope at Horseshoe Bend. Before the ceremony, the whole family hiked a slot canyon in their wedding attire, just to have the amazing experience and see the scenery. Jill opted to wear a beautiful black dress, and the whole family dressed to match in black with dark brown accents. Read More More Real Weddings > Recent Advice March 20, 2019 Pronouns & assumptions: Gay wedding etiquette rules every guest should follow Maybe you're a seasoned pro at attending same-sex weddings or maybe they're a new concept for you, and you don't want to be responsible for any awkwardness on someone's wedding day. It's easy to fall prey to a faux pas when it comes to saying the right things. Understand that the basics, love and respect, remain the same for both straight and LGBTQ weddings. Here are six gay wedding etiquette rules that will make you the couple's favorite… Read More 1.2k February 13, 2019 How to plan a more ethical wedding (including an edible bouquet!) When I was preparing for my own wedding I started thinking: how could we do this more ethically? The very nature of a wedding being a one day event, and in many cases an extravaganza of guests and details and expense, means that inevitably there are waste issues, or worries about whether certain things are "worth it." So, how can we do things more ethically? What should we look for in an ethical supplier? How do we do the very best that we can do? Read More 1.0k January 23, 2019 6 tips for making your wedding website useful AND stylish Are you engaged? YAY! I have a feeling that a lot of you are thinking about wedding hashtags and websites and social media, oh my. Weddings are way more high tech these days and a wedding website is pretty standard fare now. When I got engaged in 2018, I went on a hunt for a really slick wedding website and have a few quick hit tips to share to make your wedding website both ultra useful and seriously captivating. Read More October 17, 2018 How to avoid your email save-the-date going to spam My partner and I decided to send out email save-the-dates instead of a physical card. I do, however, have a warning for you if you are planning on going the green route with your save-the-date by sending out electronic ones. If you send an email with an image, you may hit your guests' spam folders. Here are some pros and cons of going green with your save-the-dates and how you can avoid your save-the-date going to spam… Read More October 3, 2018 Our delicious unity beer ceremony was… hopping (plus our ceremony wording!) Craft beer has been such a huge part of our relationship that when we were planning our wedding (featured here!), we wanted to include it somehow. I suggested a unity beer ceremony, but we couldn't find any wording online that we liked. We ended up creating our own from scratch, complete with our own unique brand of humor. Read More 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 March 22, 2019 Tons of dazzling colored gemstone rings for every kind of couple Diamonds may have been a girl's best friend, but we're branching out in all kinds of colorful ways these days. While it's all good if you want to snag a diamond ring, you also don't have to feel locked in to it AT ALL. One of our fave jewelry artisan partners, Metalicious, specializes in all things alternative when it comes to gemstones so I went down the rabbit hole to see what stunning sparklies we could find in colored gemstones, diamond alternatives, and even snazzy alternative metals for wedding bands. Read More March 19, 2019 Heart eyes for the lace, statement sleeves, and fringe of this dreamy bohemian dress collection (& a pop-up shop event in NYC!) The last time we featured some of the fabulous wedding gowns from our partner CocoMelody, y'all went wild. Their collections of ready-to-wear and custom styles (made to fit YOU!) are colorful, diverse, super well-made, and available in extensive sizes. It's that super rare dress source that actually gets offbeat readers. Let's peek at their Bohemian Nomad Collection which is making me swoon with romance meets modern meets laid-back meets gorgeous dress bliss. Read More March 12, 2019 This mega-skilled photography team gives you "how did we look that good?" level wedding photography all over the U.S. If there's ever been a wedding photography team who connects with our readers, it's Atlanta-based Gemini and The Bear. The husband and wife team of Ryan and Jenevieve come with a substantial amount of experience in both photography AND wedding planning and production, so they're the moooost prepared to handle anything that comes their way — your wedding included! Let's meet the creative pair and see why they'll make your love story come to life in ways you've never imagined it could… Read More March 8, 2019 Sharing the wealth of my window shopping for fun wedding shoe clips I ended up having a bit of trouble finding wedding shoes that I loved. It then dawned on me that I'd been touting the merits of shoe clips for ages and forgot that they might just be the ticket for adding some fun to my wedding flats. Grab your favorite pair of shoes (flats, heels, loafers, boots… all can rock clips!) and get to accessorizing your feet… Read More March 5, 2019 Rainbows & gender unicorns: how LGBTQ couples are changing wedding ring rules When it comes to buying rings for weddings, LGBTQ couples are throwing out the traditions that bind them to form their own paths in ringdom. Whether you propose to each other, have matching bands, eschew rings altogether in favor of another kind of jewelry, the options for rings that represent your identity are quite literally endless. I spoke with one of our favorite custom ring creators, Joseph Jewelry, to see what trends and ideas they've been seeing in wedding jewelry that allows for more expression of who you love, what your gender is, and how you want to communicate that to world. Read More More Stuff we love > Recent Wedding 101 1.0k January 23, 2019 6 tips for making your wedding website useful AND stylish Are you engaged? YAY! I have a feeling that a lot of you are thinking about wedding hashtags and websites and social media, oh my. Weddings are way more high tech these days and a wedding website is pretty standard fare now. When I got engaged in 2018, I went on a hunt for a really slick wedding website and have a few quick hit tips to share to make your wedding website both ultra useful and seriously captivating. Read More July 12, 2018 Planning tools 101: hotel block comparison chart We launched a comprehensive and totally customizable document of wedding planning spreadsheets in Google Drive if you're the type to get down with spreadsheets like I am. Now we're sharing a chart that will help you compare hotel blocks if you're planning to provide that option to your guests. Hotel blocks allow you to block out some rooms and room rates to help guests grab a good deal on a hotel room. Read More June 27, 2018 Avoiding wedding fights: how to plan your wedding planning Your engagement should be a joyful time. You have a lifetime ahead of you with the person you love. What could be better than to celebrate that love surrounded by friends and family? And yet, somehow things go awry. Conflicts flare. And the time that should be so happy — the build-up to your wedding — is fraught with possibilities for strife. The good news is you can avoid most of the problems by planning your wedding planning. That's right. Plan how you're going to plan. Read More 2.6k April 18, 2018 I bought a colored wedding dress and now everyone's mad! What should I do? I come from a family of strict traditionalists when it comes to everything, especially weddings. I recently bought a peach wedding dress with no sleeves and expressed I wanted light blue hair and Converse to go with it. As you can imagine, things didn't go over well. When I try to stand up for my wedding choices, I'm shamed for it. Please help! Read More 4.3k March 5, 2018 Wedding dates to avoid in 2018, 2019, and beyond I'm compiling this list of wedding dates to avoid in 2018, 2019, and 2020 in case you want to avoid holidays where family and friends might have conflicting events, holidays where vendors might be especially busy and/or expensive (think Valentine's Day for florists), or religious holidays where places might be closed or guests might have other plans. Does this mean you CAN'T book your wedding for one of these days? Hell no! Read More More Wedding 101 > Offbeat Bride: your source for wedding ideas and inclusive wedding planning We've got bajillions of creative wedding ideas, DIY projects, and wedding advice to make your wedding plans easier — and even fun! What do you need to do today? I have no idea. I need Wedding Planning 101! I need a wedding planning checklist (now in an interactive version, too!) Hook me up with free wedding fonts & printables I need offbeat wedding registry ideas I'm curious about offbeat wedding themes (geeky! boho! so many!) Reporter Name * Reporter Email * Original text Enter the original text here. Edited text* Enter your suggested copyedit here. Notes You can add a note for the editor here. * Required information. Fix Typo What wedding planning advice & inspiration do you need today? Dress Eloping Engagement Ring Feminism Floral Print Geeky Harry Potter Invitation Wording Readings Ceremony Advice Fashion Wedding 101 Super cute offbeat wedding invitations @offbeatbride on Insta Newly engaged? How to keep dry during a rainy wedding day What no one tells the newly-engaged: you don't have to plan it all today! How to get a marriage license: tips and tricks for the engaged and confused Juggling wedding planning and grief So you want to have a friend officiate… The mother of all "Oh-Shit!" Kits, featuring the Decormergency Kit Break it down now: sample wedding budgets for all kinds of offbeat weddings Guest list primer: questions you must ask when making your guest list Read More > A few of our fave wedding vendors Entertainment Nation Read More Matt Schmachtenberg Photography Read More Moon River Rituals with Zita Christian, Life-Cycle Celebrant Read More Joseph Gonzalez-Dufresne Photography Read More Browse our vendor guide > Our infamous spreadsheets & checklists Planning tools 101: wedding guest seating chart planner Your offbeat-friendly interactive wedding planning checklist is available! 80+ free wedding printables: a huge list of downloadable DIY wedding projects Our GIANT list of important questions to ask wedding venues WTF is "scrumming" and how can it help you actually ENJOY wedding planning Planning tools 101: your wedding vendor contact sheet Planning tools 101: hotel block comparison chart Offbeat guide to the wedding photo shot list Get planning > We're everywhere! Follow us on social media. Get creative, offbeat wedding ideas delivered daily to your inbox! Join our newsletter SUBSCRIBE Copyright © 2003 - 2019 Offbeat Empire. All rights reserved. Unauthorized reproduction in part or in whole is prohibited. Contact us Terms of Service | Privacy Policy | Monetized by SkimLinks
1.3k March 21, 2019 You'll swoon at this vintage Muslim wedding at the South Georgia Botanical Gardens Nadia and Jonathan met working as freelance journalists in New York City. Nadia, originally from Statesboro, GA, really wanted her wedding to be in her hometown so they made it happen. Nadia and Jonathan are both Muslim and had never kissed each other before the wedding day, so their portraits are particularly sweet and romantic. Don't miss the DIY centerpieces and decor, Jonathan's suit that was handmade by his mother(!), and a poignant reminder of who wasn't able to make it that day and why… Read More March 20, 2019 Pronouns & assumptions: Gay wedding etiquette rules every guest should follow Maybe you're a seasoned pro at attending same-sex weddings or maybe they're a new concept for you, and you don't want to be responsible for any awkwardness on someone's wedding day. It's easy to fall prey to a faux pas when it comes to saying the right things. Understand that the basics, love and respect, remain the same for both straight and LGBTQ weddings. Here are six gay wedding etiquette rules that will make you the couple's favorite… Read More 1.4k March 20, 2019 Love totally wins at this sparkly camp-chic unicorn interfaith queer wedding We are a queer interfaith clergy couple. Our wedding party consisted of a spiritual and supportive “Femme Crew” and “Butch Crew.” We call ourselves TEAM UNICORN because we love rainbows and sparkles and magic and don’t subscribe to socially constructed ideas of gender. We celebrated our wedding at a stunning camp site in North Georgia all weekend with a Shabbat prayer service, a 12-step recovery meeting, swimming and boating options, hikes to waterfalls, a bonfire, and yoga on the dock. Read More More Recent Posts > Recent Wedding Porn 9.4k March 15, 2019 This holographic mermaid wedding dress is blowing my mind (and giving me fins!) Researching dresses can yield fab rewards. Such was the case when I spied this mermaid fantasy of a gown from KMKDesigns. I love a dress that can be re-worn in general, but when it can be reworn as a costume, for a super glam ball, or any fancy dress party, it's a win. It's made of holographic vinyl and pearlescent organza with approximately one zillion hand-sewn iridescent sequins and pearls. Read More 1.2k March 8, 2019 Floating candles, cloaks, & a patronus cake at this mystical Harry Potter-inspired wedding inspiration When I imagine all the things I'd want to see in a Harry Potter-inspired wedding inspiration shoot, I imagine floating candles from the Great Hall, quotes from the books and films, magical cloaks (or at least magical-looking!), tiny details like horcruxes and snitches, a gorgeous themed cake… and oh wait. That's what THIS shoot is all about! Read More March 4, 2019 A little tropical, a little glam: this Cuban wedding inspiration is pure romance in 1940s Havana Set in the Evergreen Brick Works, a historic heritage site in the Don River Valley Park of Toronto, this Havana wedding inspiration pays homage to the elegance and splendor of 1940s Cuba. We're loving the brick backdrop paired with a little bit of a tropical color palette and island-inspired florals and greenery. This whole shoot was warm, inviting, a little bit tropical, a little bit urban, and a whole lot of vintage gorgeousness. Read More 1.4k February 22, 2019 These ready-to-bloom floral wedding dresses let you be your own bouquet "Florals for Spring? Groundbreaking." We know, Meryl, but actually, florals for Spring is always on trend and especially now. I'm living for it! Whether it's a multicolored floral print dress, flowers made of silk or chiffon, floral embroidery overlays, or a chic floral suit (you don't have to wear a dress!), I found a whole bunch of ways to be your own bouquet on your wedding day. Let's get our flower power on… Read More 1.2k February 14, 2019 The sexiest lace boots ever inspired this Valentine elopement shoot Sometimes a pair of the sexiest red boots can spawn a whole theme. This was definitely the case with this Valentine elopement shoot covered in red, lace, hearts, and rosé. Don't miss the killer crop top red wedding dress, the large gold mirror covered in song lyrics, the intricately die-cut invitations, the pear shaped ring, and the elaborate ombre cake(!) that took our breath away. Even if you hate Valentine's Day, it's easy to love these heart candies, red touches, and loving looks of this couple. Let's take Valentine's Day from kitschy to glam… Read More More Wedding Porn > Recent Real Weddings March 22, 2019 A DIYed darkly romantic wedding with pagan details & vegan fare Megan and Nick planned an ultra gorgeous pagan meets vegan wedding, most of which was completely DIYed. They have a super strong community of family and friends and the entire day was relaxed and romantic. You won't believe how much love and care went in to all the details of the day. This darkly romantic wedding was a DIY dream and I can't wait for you to see it. Read More 1.3k March 21, 2019 You'll swoon at this vintage Muslim wedding at the South Georgia Botanical Gardens Nadia and Jonathan met working as freelance journalists in New York City. Nadia, originally from Statesboro, GA, really wanted her wedding to be in her hometown so they made it happen. Nadia and Jonathan are both Muslim and had never kissed each other before the wedding day, so their portraits are particularly sweet and romantic. Don't miss the DIY centerpieces and decor, Jonathan's suit that was handmade by his mother(!), and a poignant reminder of who wasn't able to make it that day and why… Read More 1.4k March 20, 2019 Love totally wins at this sparkly camp-chic unicorn interfaith queer wedding We are a queer interfaith clergy couple. Our wedding party consisted of a spiritual and supportive “Femme Crew” and “Butch Crew.” We call ourselves TEAM UNICORN because we love rainbows and sparkles and magic and don’t subscribe to socially constructed ideas of gender. We celebrated our wedding at a stunning camp site in North Georgia all weekend with a Shabbat prayer service, a 12-step recovery meeting, swimming and boating options, hikes to waterfalls, a bonfire, and yoga on the dock. Read More March 19, 2019 A crystal ball in the woods at this creative & sustainable wedding with intention Carrie and Jason met at a fashion show 16 years ago and finally reconnected and are spending their lives together. For their beautiful fantasy-inspired and intentional wedding, they combined many….. Read More 1.4k March 18, 2019 A dark & chic Horseshoe Bend elopement at the edge of the world Jill and Bryan drove with Jill's two young children 28 hours from Chicago to Arizona to elope at Horseshoe Bend. Before the ceremony, the whole family hiked a slot canyon in their wedding attire, just to have the amazing experience and see the scenery. Jill opted to wear a beautiful black dress, and the whole family dressed to match in black with dark brown accents. Read More More Real Weddings > Recent Advice March 20, 2019 Pronouns & assumptions: Gay wedding etiquette rules every guest should follow Maybe you're a seasoned pro at attending same-sex weddings or maybe they're a new concept for you, and you don't want to be responsible for any awkwardness on someone's wedding day. It's easy to fall prey to a faux pas when it comes to saying the right things. Understand that the basics, love and respect, remain the same for both straight and LGBTQ weddings. Here are six gay wedding etiquette rules that will make you the couple's favorite… Read More 1.2k February 13, 2019 How to plan a more ethical wedding (including an edible bouquet!) When I was preparing for my own wedding I started thinking: how could we do this more ethically? The very nature of a wedding being a one day event, and in many cases an extravaganza of guests and details and expense, means that inevitably there are waste issues, or worries about whether certain things are "worth it." So, how can we do things more ethically? What should we look for in an ethical supplier? How do we do the very best that we can do? Read More 1.0k January 23, 2019 6 tips for making your wedding website useful AND stylish Are you engaged? YAY! I have a feeling that a lot of you are thinking about wedding hashtags and websites and social media, oh my. Weddings are way more high tech these days and a wedding website is pretty standard fare now. When I got engaged in 2018, I went on a hunt for a really slick wedding website and have a few quick hit tips to share to make your wedding website both ultra useful and seriously captivating. Read More October 17, 2018 How to avoid your email save-the-date going to spam My partner and I decided to send out email save-the-dates instead of a physical card. I do, however, have a warning for you if you are planning on going the green route with your save-the-date by sending out electronic ones. If you send an email with an image, you may hit your guests' spam folders. Here are some pros and cons of going green with your save-the-dates and how you can avoid your save-the-date going to spam… Read More October 3, 2018 Our delicious unity beer ceremony was… hopping (plus our ceremony wording!) Craft beer has been such a huge part of our relationship that when we were planning our wedding (featured here!), we wanted to include it somehow. I suggested a unity beer ceremony, but we couldn't find any wording online that we liked. We ended up creating our own from scratch, complete with our own unique brand of humor. Read More 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 March 22, 2019 Tons of dazzling colored gemstone rings for every kind of couple Diamonds may have been a girl's best friend, but we're branching out in all kinds of colorful ways these days. While it's all good if you want to snag a diamond ring, you also don't have to feel locked in to it AT ALL. One of our fave jewelry artisan partners, Metalicious, specializes in all things alternative when it comes to gemstones so I went down the rabbit hole to see what stunning sparklies we could find in colored gemstones, diamond alternatives, and even snazzy alternative metals for wedding bands. Read More March 19, 2019 Heart eyes for the lace, statement sleeves, and fringe of this dreamy bohemian dress collection (& a pop-up shop event in NYC!) The last time we featured some of the fabulous wedding gowns from our partner CocoMelody, y'all went wild. Their collections of ready-to-wear and custom styles (made to fit YOU!) are colorful, diverse, super well-made, and available in extensive sizes. It's that super rare dress source that actually gets offbeat readers. Let's peek at their Bohemian Nomad Collection which is making me swoon with romance meets modern meets laid-back meets gorgeous dress bliss. Read More March 12, 2019 This mega-skilled photography team gives you "how did we look that good?" level wedding photography all over the U.S. If there's ever been a wedding photography team who connects with our readers, it's Atlanta-based Gemini and The Bear. The husband and wife team of Ryan and Jenevieve come with a substantial amount of experience in both photography AND wedding planning and production, so they're the moooost prepared to handle anything that comes their way — your wedding included! Let's meet the creative pair and see why they'll make your love story come to life in ways you've never imagined it could… Read More March 8, 2019 Sharing the wealth of my window shopping for fun wedding shoe clips I ended up having a bit of trouble finding wedding shoes that I loved. It then dawned on me that I'd been touting the merits of shoe clips for ages and forgot that they might just be the ticket for adding some fun to my wedding flats. Grab your favorite pair of shoes (flats, heels, loafers, boots… all can rock clips!) and get to accessorizing your feet… Read More March 5, 2019 Rainbows & gender unicorns: how LGBTQ couples are changing wedding ring rules When it comes to buying rings for weddings, LGBTQ couples are throwing out the traditions that bind them to form their own paths in ringdom. Whether you propose to each other, have matching bands, eschew rings altogether in favor of another kind of jewelry, the options for rings that represent your identity are quite literally endless. I spoke with one of our favorite custom ring creators, Joseph Jewelry, to see what trends and ideas they've been seeing in wedding jewelry that allows for more expression of who you love, what your gender is, and how you want to communicate that to world. Read More More Stuff we love > Recent Wedding 101 1.0k January 23, 2019 6 tips for making your wedding website useful AND stylish Are you engaged? YAY! I have a feeling that a lot of you are thinking about wedding hashtags and websites and social media, oh my. Weddings are way more high tech these days and a wedding website is pretty standard fare now. When I got engaged in 2018, I went on a hunt for a really slick wedding website and have a few quick hit tips to share to make your wedding website both ultra useful and seriously captivating. Read More July 12, 2018 Planning tools 101: hotel block comparison chart We launched a comprehensive and totally customizable document of wedding planning spreadsheets in Google Drive if you're the type to get down with spreadsheets like I am. Now we're sharing a chart that will help you compare hotel blocks if you're planning to provide that option to your guests. Hotel blocks allow you to block out some rooms and room rates to help guests grab a good deal on a hotel room. Read More June 27, 2018 Avoiding wedding fights: how to plan your wedding planning Your engagement should be a joyful time. You have a lifetime ahead of you with the person you love. What could be better than to celebrate that love surrounded by friends and family? And yet, somehow things go awry. Conflicts flare. And the time that should be so happy — the build-up to your wedding — is fraught with possibilities for strife. The good news is you can avoid most of the problems by planning your wedding planning. That's right. Plan how you're going to plan. Read More 2.6k April 18, 2018 I bought a colored wedding dress and now everyone's mad! What should I do? I come from a family of strict traditionalists when it comes to everything, especially weddings. I recently bought a peach wedding dress with no sleeves and expressed I wanted light blue hair and Converse to go with it. As you can imagine, things didn't go over well. When I try to stand up for my wedding choices, I'm shamed for it. Please help! Read More 4.3k March 5, 2018 Wedding dates to avoid in 2018, 2019, and beyond I'm compiling this list of wedding dates to avoid in 2018, 2019, and 2020 in case you want to avoid holidays where family and friends might have conflicting events, holidays where vendors might be especially busy and/or expensive (think Valentine's Day for florists), or religious holidays where places might be closed or guests might have other plans. Does this mean you CAN'T book your wedding for one of these days? Hell no! Read More More Wedding 101 > Offbeat Bride: your source for wedding ideas and inclusive wedding planning We've got bajillions of creative wedding ideas, DIY projects, and wedding advice to make your wedding plans easier — and even fun! What do you need to do today? I have no idea. I need Wedding Planning 101! I need a wedding planning checklist (now in an interactive version, too!) Hook me up with free wedding fonts & printables I need offbeat wedding registry ideas I'm curious about offbeat wedding themes (geeky! boho! so many!) Reporter Name * Reporter Email * Original text Enter the original text here. Edited text* Enter your suggested copyedit here. Notes You can add a note for the editor here. * Required information. Fix Typo What wedding planning advice & inspiration do you need today? Dress Eloping Engagement Ring Feminism Floral Print Geeky Harry Potter Invitation Wording Readings Ceremony Advice Fashion Wedding 101 Super cute offbeat wedding invitations @offbeatbride on Insta Newly engaged? How to keep dry during a rainy wedding day What no one tells the newly-engaged: you don't have to plan it all today! How to get a marriage license: tips and tricks for the engaged and confused Juggling wedding planning and grief So you want to have a friend officiate… The mother of all "Oh-Shit!" Kits, featuring the Decormergency Kit Break it down now: sample wedding budgets for all kinds of offbeat weddings Guest list primer: questions you must ask when making your guest list Read More > A few of our fave wedding vendors Entertainment Nation Read More Matt Schmachtenberg Photography Read More Moon River Rituals with Zita Christian, Life-Cycle Celebrant Read More Joseph Gonzalez-Dufresne Photography Read More Browse our vendor guide > Our infamous spreadsheets & checklists Planning tools 101: wedding guest seating chart planner Your offbeat-friendly interactive wedding planning checklist is available! 80+ free wedding printables: a huge list of downloadable DIY wedding projects Our GIANT list of important questions to ask wedding venues WTF is "scrumming" and how can it help you actually ENJOY wedding planning Planning tools 101: your wedding vendor contact sheet Planning tools 101: hotel block comparison chart Offbeat guide to the wedding photo shot list Get planning > We're everywhere! Follow us on social media. Get creative, offbeat wedding ideas delivered daily to your inbox! Join our newsletter SUBSCRIBE Copyright © 2003 - 2019 Offbeat Empire. All rights reserved. Unauthorized reproduction in part or in whole is prohibited. Contact us Terms of Service | Privacy Policy | Monetized by SkimLinks
March 20, 2019 Pronouns & assumptions: Gay wedding etiquette rules every guest should follow Maybe you're a seasoned pro at attending same-sex weddings or maybe they're a new concept for you, and you don't want to be responsible for any awkwardness on someone's wedding day. It's easy to fall prey to a faux pas when it comes to saying the right things. Understand that the basics, love and respect, remain the same for both straight and LGBTQ weddings. Here are six gay wedding etiquette rules that will make you the couple's favorite… Read More 1.4k March 20, 2019 Love totally wins at this sparkly camp-chic unicorn interfaith queer wedding We are a queer interfaith clergy couple. Our wedding party consisted of a spiritual and supportive “Femme Crew” and “Butch Crew.” We call ourselves TEAM UNICORN because we love rainbows and sparkles and magic and don’t subscribe to socially constructed ideas of gender. We celebrated our wedding at a stunning camp site in North Georgia all weekend with a Shabbat prayer service, a 12-step recovery meeting, swimming and boating options, hikes to waterfalls, a bonfire, and yoga on the dock. Read More More Recent Posts > Recent Wedding Porn 9.4k March 15, 2019 This holographic mermaid wedding dress is blowing my mind (and giving me fins!) Researching dresses can yield fab rewards. Such was the case when I spied this mermaid fantasy of a gown from KMKDesigns. I love a dress that can be re-worn in general, but when it can be reworn as a costume, for a super glam ball, or any fancy dress party, it's a win. It's made of holographic vinyl and pearlescent organza with approximately one zillion hand-sewn iridescent sequins and pearls. Read More 1.2k March 8, 2019 Floating candles, cloaks, & a patronus cake at this mystical Harry Potter-inspired wedding inspiration When I imagine all the things I'd want to see in a Harry Potter-inspired wedding inspiration shoot, I imagine floating candles from the Great Hall, quotes from the books and films, magical cloaks (or at least magical-looking!), tiny details like horcruxes and snitches, a gorgeous themed cake… and oh wait. That's what THIS shoot is all about! Read More March 4, 2019 A little tropical, a little glam: this Cuban wedding inspiration is pure romance in 1940s Havana Set in the Evergreen Brick Works, a historic heritage site in the Don River Valley Park of Toronto, this Havana wedding inspiration pays homage to the elegance and splendor of 1940s Cuba. We're loving the brick backdrop paired with a little bit of a tropical color palette and island-inspired florals and greenery. This whole shoot was warm, inviting, a little bit tropical, a little bit urban, and a whole lot of vintage gorgeousness. Read More 1.4k February 22, 2019 These ready-to-bloom floral wedding dresses let you be your own bouquet "Florals for Spring? Groundbreaking." We know, Meryl, but actually, florals for Spring is always on trend and especially now. I'm living for it! Whether it's a multicolored floral print dress, flowers made of silk or chiffon, floral embroidery overlays, or a chic floral suit (you don't have to wear a dress!), I found a whole bunch of ways to be your own bouquet on your wedding day. Let's get our flower power on… Read More 1.2k February 14, 2019 The sexiest lace boots ever inspired this Valentine elopement shoot Sometimes a pair of the sexiest red boots can spawn a whole theme. This was definitely the case with this Valentine elopement shoot covered in red, lace, hearts, and rosé. Don't miss the killer crop top red wedding dress, the large gold mirror covered in song lyrics, the intricately die-cut invitations, the pear shaped ring, and the elaborate ombre cake(!) that took our breath away. Even if you hate Valentine's Day, it's easy to love these heart candies, red touches, and loving looks of this couple. Let's take Valentine's Day from kitschy to glam… Read More More Wedding Porn > Recent Real Weddings March 22, 2019 A DIYed darkly romantic wedding with pagan details & vegan fare Megan and Nick planned an ultra gorgeous pagan meets vegan wedding, most of which was completely DIYed. They have a super strong community of family and friends and the entire day was relaxed and romantic. You won't believe how much love and care went in to all the details of the day. This darkly romantic wedding was a DIY dream and I can't wait for you to see it. Read More 1.3k March 21, 2019 You'll swoon at this vintage Muslim wedding at the South Georgia Botanical Gardens Nadia and Jonathan met working as freelance journalists in New York City. Nadia, originally from Statesboro, GA, really wanted her wedding to be in her hometown so they made it happen. Nadia and Jonathan are both Muslim and had never kissed each other before the wedding day, so their portraits are particularly sweet and romantic. Don't miss the DIY centerpieces and decor, Jonathan's suit that was handmade by his mother(!), and a poignant reminder of who wasn't able to make it that day and why… Read More 1.4k March 20, 2019 Love totally wins at this sparkly camp-chic unicorn interfaith queer wedding We are a queer interfaith clergy couple. Our wedding party consisted of a spiritual and supportive “Femme Crew” and “Butch Crew.” We call ourselves TEAM UNICORN because we love rainbows and sparkles and magic and don’t subscribe to socially constructed ideas of gender. We celebrated our wedding at a stunning camp site in North Georgia all weekend with a Shabbat prayer service, a 12-step recovery meeting, swimming and boating options, hikes to waterfalls, a bonfire, and yoga on the dock. Read More March 19, 2019 A crystal ball in the woods at this creative & sustainable wedding with intention Carrie and Jason met at a fashion show 16 years ago and finally reconnected and are spending their lives together. For their beautiful fantasy-inspired and intentional wedding, they combined many….. Read More 1.4k March 18, 2019 A dark & chic Horseshoe Bend elopement at the edge of the world Jill and Bryan drove with Jill's two young children 28 hours from Chicago to Arizona to elope at Horseshoe Bend. Before the ceremony, the whole family hiked a slot canyon in their wedding attire, just to have the amazing experience and see the scenery. Jill opted to wear a beautiful black dress, and the whole family dressed to match in black with dark brown accents. Read More More Real Weddings > Recent Advice March 20, 2019 Pronouns & assumptions: Gay wedding etiquette rules every guest should follow Maybe you're a seasoned pro at attending same-sex weddings or maybe they're a new concept for you, and you don't want to be responsible for any awkwardness on someone's wedding day. It's easy to fall prey to a faux pas when it comes to saying the right things. Understand that the basics, love and respect, remain the same for both straight and LGBTQ weddings. Here are six gay wedding etiquette rules that will make you the couple's favorite… Read More 1.2k February 13, 2019 How to plan a more ethical wedding (including an edible bouquet!) When I was preparing for my own wedding I started thinking: how could we do this more ethically? The very nature of a wedding being a one day event, and in many cases an extravaganza of guests and details and expense, means that inevitably there are waste issues, or worries about whether certain things are "worth it." So, how can we do things more ethically? What should we look for in an ethical supplier? How do we do the very best that we can do? Read More 1.0k January 23, 2019 6 tips for making your wedding website useful AND stylish Are you engaged? YAY! I have a feeling that a lot of you are thinking about wedding hashtags and websites and social media, oh my. Weddings are way more high tech these days and a wedding website is pretty standard fare now. When I got engaged in 2018, I went on a hunt for a really slick wedding website and have a few quick hit tips to share to make your wedding website both ultra useful and seriously captivating. Read More October 17, 2018 How to avoid your email save-the-date going to spam My partner and I decided to send out email save-the-dates instead of a physical card. I do, however, have a warning for you if you are planning on going the green route with your save-the-date by sending out electronic ones. If you send an email with an image, you may hit your guests' spam folders. Here are some pros and cons of going green with your save-the-dates and how you can avoid your save-the-date going to spam… Read More October 3, 2018 Our delicious unity beer ceremony was… hopping (plus our ceremony wording!) Craft beer has been such a huge part of our relationship that when we were planning our wedding (featured here!), we wanted to include it somehow. I suggested a unity beer ceremony, but we couldn't find any wording online that we liked. We ended up creating our own from scratch, complete with our own unique brand of humor. Read More 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 March 22, 2019 Tons of dazzling colored gemstone rings for every kind of couple Diamonds may have been a girl's best friend, but we're branching out in all kinds of colorful ways these days. While it's all good if you want to snag a diamond ring, you also don't have to feel locked in to it AT ALL. One of our fave jewelry artisan partners, Metalicious, specializes in all things alternative when it comes to gemstones so I went down the rabbit hole to see what stunning sparklies we could find in colored gemstones, diamond alternatives, and even snazzy alternative metals for wedding bands. Read More March 19, 2019 Heart eyes for the lace, statement sleeves, and fringe of this dreamy bohemian dress collection (& a pop-up shop event in NYC!) The last time we featured some of the fabulous wedding gowns from our partner CocoMelody, y'all went wild. Their collections of ready-to-wear and custom styles (made to fit YOU!) are colorful, diverse, super well-made, and available in extensive sizes. It's that super rare dress source that actually gets offbeat readers. Let's peek at their Bohemian Nomad Collection which is making me swoon with romance meets modern meets laid-back meets gorgeous dress bliss. Read More March 12, 2019 This mega-skilled photography team gives you "how did we look that good?" level wedding photography all over the U.S. If there's ever been a wedding photography team who connects with our readers, it's Atlanta-based Gemini and The Bear. The husband and wife team of Ryan and Jenevieve come with a substantial amount of experience in both photography AND wedding planning and production, so they're the moooost prepared to handle anything that comes their way — your wedding included! Let's meet the creative pair and see why they'll make your love story come to life in ways you've never imagined it could… Read More March 8, 2019 Sharing the wealth of my window shopping for fun wedding shoe clips I ended up having a bit of trouble finding wedding shoes that I loved. It then dawned on me that I'd been touting the merits of shoe clips for ages and forgot that they might just be the ticket for adding some fun to my wedding flats. Grab your favorite pair of shoes (flats, heels, loafers, boots… all can rock clips!) and get to accessorizing your feet… Read More March 5, 2019 Rainbows & gender unicorns: how LGBTQ couples are changing wedding ring rules When it comes to buying rings for weddings, LGBTQ couples are throwing out the traditions that bind them to form their own paths in ringdom. Whether you propose to each other, have matching bands, eschew rings altogether in favor of another kind of jewelry, the options for rings that represent your identity are quite literally endless. I spoke with one of our favorite custom ring creators, Joseph Jewelry, to see what trends and ideas they've been seeing in wedding jewelry that allows for more expression of who you love, what your gender is, and how you want to communicate that to world. Read More More Stuff we love > Recent Wedding 101 1.0k January 23, 2019 6 tips for making your wedding website useful AND stylish Are you engaged? YAY! I have a feeling that a lot of you are thinking about wedding hashtags and websites and social media, oh my. Weddings are way more high tech these days and a wedding website is pretty standard fare now. When I got engaged in 2018, I went on a hunt for a really slick wedding website and have a few quick hit tips to share to make your wedding website both ultra useful and seriously captivating. Read More July 12, 2018 Planning tools 101: hotel block comparison chart We launched a comprehensive and totally customizable document of wedding planning spreadsheets in Google Drive if you're the type to get down with spreadsheets like I am. Now we're sharing a chart that will help you compare hotel blocks if you're planning to provide that option to your guests. Hotel blocks allow you to block out some rooms and room rates to help guests grab a good deal on a hotel room. Read More June 27, 2018 Avoiding wedding fights: how to plan your wedding planning Your engagement should be a joyful time. You have a lifetime ahead of you with the person you love. What could be better than to celebrate that love surrounded by friends and family? And yet, somehow things go awry. Conflicts flare. And the time that should be so happy — the build-up to your wedding — is fraught with possibilities for strife. The good news is you can avoid most of the problems by planning your wedding planning. That's right. Plan how you're going to plan. Read More 2.6k April 18, 2018 I bought a colored wedding dress and now everyone's mad! What should I do? I come from a family of strict traditionalists when it comes to everything, especially weddings. I recently bought a peach wedding dress with no sleeves and expressed I wanted light blue hair and Converse to go with it. As you can imagine, things didn't go over well. When I try to stand up for my wedding choices, I'm shamed for it. Please help! Read More 4.3k March 5, 2018 Wedding dates to avoid in 2018, 2019, and beyond I'm compiling this list of wedding dates to avoid in 2018, 2019, and 2020 in case you want to avoid holidays where family and friends might have conflicting events, holidays where vendors might be especially busy and/or expensive (think Valentine's Day for florists), or religious holidays where places might be closed or guests might have other plans. Does this mean you CAN'T book your wedding for one of these days? Hell no! Read More More Wedding 101 > Offbeat Bride: your source for wedding ideas and inclusive wedding planning We've got bajillions of creative wedding ideas, DIY projects, and wedding advice to make your wedding plans easier — and even fun! What do you need to do today? I have no idea. I need Wedding Planning 101! I need a wedding planning checklist (now in an interactive version, too!) Hook me up with free wedding fonts & printables I need offbeat wedding registry ideas I'm curious about offbeat wedding themes (geeky! boho! so many!) Reporter Name * Reporter Email * Original text Enter the original text here. Edited text* Enter your suggested copyedit here. Notes You can add a note for the editor here. * Required information. Fix Typo What wedding planning advice & inspiration do you need today? Dress Eloping Engagement Ring Feminism Floral Print Geeky Harry Potter Invitation Wording Readings Ceremony Advice Fashion Wedding 101 Super cute offbeat wedding invitations @offbeatbride on Insta Newly engaged? How to keep dry during a rainy wedding day What no one tells the newly-engaged: you don't have to plan it all today! How to get a marriage license: tips and tricks for the engaged and confused Juggling wedding planning and grief So you want to have a friend officiate… The mother of all "Oh-Shit!" Kits, featuring the Decormergency Kit Break it down now: sample wedding budgets for all kinds of offbeat weddings Guest list primer: questions you must ask when making your guest list Read More > A few of our fave wedding vendors Entertainment Nation Read More Matt Schmachtenberg Photography Read More Moon River Rituals with Zita Christian, Life-Cycle Celebrant Read More Joseph Gonzalez-Dufresne Photography Read More Browse our vendor guide > Our infamous spreadsheets & checklists Planning tools 101: wedding guest seating chart planner Your offbeat-friendly interactive wedding planning checklist is available! 80+ free wedding printables: a huge list of downloadable DIY wedding projects Our GIANT list of important questions to ask wedding venues WTF is "scrumming" and how can it help you actually ENJOY wedding planning Planning tools 101: your wedding vendor contact sheet Planning tools 101: hotel block comparison chart Offbeat guide to the wedding photo shot list Get planning > We're everywhere! Follow us on social media. Get creative, offbeat wedding ideas delivered daily to your inbox! Join our newsletter SUBSCRIBE Copyright © 2003 - 2019 Offbeat Empire. All rights reserved. Unauthorized reproduction in part or in whole is prohibited. Contact us Terms of Service | Privacy Policy | Monetized by SkimLinks
1.4k March 20, 2019 Love totally wins at this sparkly camp-chic unicorn interfaith queer wedding We are a queer interfaith clergy couple. Our wedding party consisted of a spiritual and supportive “Femme Crew” and “Butch Crew.” We call ourselves TEAM UNICORN because we love rainbows and sparkles and magic and don’t subscribe to socially constructed ideas of gender. We celebrated our wedding at a stunning camp site in North Georgia all weekend with a Shabbat prayer service, a 12-step recovery meeting, swimming and boating options, hikes to waterfalls, a bonfire, and yoga on the dock. Read More More Recent Posts > Recent Wedding Porn 9.4k March 15, 2019 This holographic mermaid wedding dress is blowing my mind (and giving me fins!) Researching dresses can yield fab rewards. Such was the case when I spied this mermaid fantasy of a gown from KMKDesigns. I love a dress that can be re-worn in general, but when it can be reworn as a costume, for a super glam ball, or any fancy dress party, it's a win. It's made of holographic vinyl and pearlescent organza with approximately one zillion hand-sewn iridescent sequins and pearls. Read More 1.2k March 8, 2019 Floating candles, cloaks, & a patronus cake at this mystical Harry Potter-inspired wedding inspiration When I imagine all the things I'd want to see in a Harry Potter-inspired wedding inspiration shoot, I imagine floating candles from the Great Hall, quotes from the books and films, magical cloaks (or at least magical-looking!), tiny details like horcruxes and snitches, a gorgeous themed cake… and oh wait. That's what THIS shoot is all about! Read More March 4, 2019 A little tropical, a little glam: this Cuban wedding inspiration is pure romance in 1940s Havana Set in the Evergreen Brick Works, a historic heritage site in the Don River Valley Park of Toronto, this Havana wedding inspiration pays homage to the elegance and splendor of 1940s Cuba. We're loving the brick backdrop paired with a little bit of a tropical color palette and island-inspired florals and greenery. This whole shoot was warm, inviting, a little bit tropical, a little bit urban, and a whole lot of vintage gorgeousness. Read More 1.4k February 22, 2019 These ready-to-bloom floral wedding dresses let you be your own bouquet "Florals for Spring? Groundbreaking." We know, Meryl, but actually, florals for Spring is always on trend and especially now. I'm living for it! Whether it's a multicolored floral print dress, flowers made of silk or chiffon, floral embroidery overlays, or a chic floral suit (you don't have to wear a dress!), I found a whole bunch of ways to be your own bouquet on your wedding day. Let's get our flower power on… Read More 1.2k February 14, 2019 The sexiest lace boots ever inspired this Valentine elopement shoot Sometimes a pair of the sexiest red boots can spawn a whole theme. This was definitely the case with this Valentine elopement shoot covered in red, lace, hearts, and rosé. Don't miss the killer crop top red wedding dress, the large gold mirror covered in song lyrics, the intricately die-cut invitations, the pear shaped ring, and the elaborate ombre cake(!) that took our breath away. Even if you hate Valentine's Day, it's easy to love these heart candies, red touches, and loving looks of this couple. Let's take Valentine's Day from kitschy to glam… Read More More Wedding Porn > Recent Real Weddings March 22, 2019 A DIYed darkly romantic wedding with pagan details & vegan fare Megan and Nick planned an ultra gorgeous pagan meets vegan wedding, most of which was completely DIYed. They have a super strong community of family and friends and the entire day was relaxed and romantic. You won't believe how much love and care went in to all the details of the day. This darkly romantic wedding was a DIY dream and I can't wait for you to see it. Read More 1.3k March 21, 2019 You'll swoon at this vintage Muslim wedding at the South Georgia Botanical Gardens Nadia and Jonathan met working as freelance journalists in New York City. Nadia, originally from Statesboro, GA, really wanted her wedding to be in her hometown so they made it happen. Nadia and Jonathan are both Muslim and had never kissed each other before the wedding day, so their portraits are particularly sweet and romantic. Don't miss the DIY centerpieces and decor, Jonathan's suit that was handmade by his mother(!), and a poignant reminder of who wasn't able to make it that day and why… Read More 1.4k March 20, 2019 Love totally wins at this sparkly camp-chic unicorn interfaith queer wedding We are a queer interfaith clergy couple. Our wedding party consisted of a spiritual and supportive “Femme Crew” and “Butch Crew.” We call ourselves TEAM UNICORN because we love rainbows and sparkles and magic and don’t subscribe to socially constructed ideas of gender. We celebrated our wedding at a stunning camp site in North Georgia all weekend with a Shabbat prayer service, a 12-step recovery meeting, swimming and boating options, hikes to waterfalls, a bonfire, and yoga on the dock. Read More March 19, 2019 A crystal ball in the woods at this creative & sustainable wedding with intention Carrie and Jason met at a fashion show 16 years ago and finally reconnected and are spending their lives together. For their beautiful fantasy-inspired and intentional wedding, they combined many….. Read More 1.4k March 18, 2019 A dark & chic Horseshoe Bend elopement at the edge of the world Jill and Bryan drove with Jill's two young children 28 hours from Chicago to Arizona to elope at Horseshoe Bend. Before the ceremony, the whole family hiked a slot canyon in their wedding attire, just to have the amazing experience and see the scenery. Jill opted to wear a beautiful black dress, and the whole family dressed to match in black with dark brown accents. Read More More Real Weddings > Recent Advice March 20, 2019 Pronouns & assumptions: Gay wedding etiquette rules every guest should follow Maybe you're a seasoned pro at attending same-sex weddings or maybe they're a new concept for you, and you don't want to be responsible for any awkwardness on someone's wedding day. It's easy to fall prey to a faux pas when it comes to saying the right things. Understand that the basics, love and respect, remain the same for both straight and LGBTQ weddings. Here are six gay wedding etiquette rules that will make you the couple's favorite… Read More 1.2k February 13, 2019 How to plan a more ethical wedding (including an edible bouquet!) When I was preparing for my own wedding I started thinking: how could we do this more ethically? The very nature of a wedding being a one day event, and in many cases an extravaganza of guests and details and expense, means that inevitably there are waste issues, or worries about whether certain things are "worth it." So, how can we do things more ethically? What should we look for in an ethical supplier? How do we do the very best that we can do? Read More 1.0k January 23, 2019 6 tips for making your wedding website useful AND stylish Are you engaged? YAY! I have a feeling that a lot of you are thinking about wedding hashtags and websites and social media, oh my. Weddings are way more high tech these days and a wedding website is pretty standard fare now. When I got engaged in 2018, I went on a hunt for a really slick wedding website and have a few quick hit tips to share to make your wedding website both ultra useful and seriously captivating. Read More October 17, 2018 How to avoid your email save-the-date going to spam My partner and I decided to send out email save-the-dates instead of a physical card. I do, however, have a warning for you if you are planning on going the green route with your save-the-date by sending out electronic ones. If you send an email with an image, you may hit your guests' spam folders. Here are some pros and cons of going green with your save-the-dates and how you can avoid your save-the-date going to spam… Read More October 3, 2018 Our delicious unity beer ceremony was… hopping (plus our ceremony wording!) Craft beer has been such a huge part of our relationship that when we were planning our wedding (featured here!), we wanted to include it somehow. I suggested a unity beer ceremony, but we couldn't find any wording online that we liked. We ended up creating our own from scratch, complete with our own unique brand of humor. Read More 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 March 22, 2019 Tons of dazzling colored gemstone rings for every kind of couple Diamonds may have been a girl's best friend, but we're branching out in all kinds of colorful ways these days. While it's all good if you want to snag a diamond ring, you also don't have to feel locked in to it AT ALL. One of our fave jewelry artisan partners, Metalicious, specializes in all things alternative when it comes to gemstones so I went down the rabbit hole to see what stunning sparklies we could find in colored gemstones, diamond alternatives, and even snazzy alternative metals for wedding bands. Read More March 19, 2019 Heart eyes for the lace, statement sleeves, and fringe of this dreamy bohemian dress collection (& a pop-up shop event in NYC!) The last time we featured some of the fabulous wedding gowns from our partner CocoMelody, y'all went wild. Their collections of ready-to-wear and custom styles (made to fit YOU!) are colorful, diverse, super well-made, and available in extensive sizes. It's that super rare dress source that actually gets offbeat readers. Let's peek at their Bohemian Nomad Collection which is making me swoon with romance meets modern meets laid-back meets gorgeous dress bliss. Read More March 12, 2019 This mega-skilled photography team gives you "how did we look that good?" level wedding photography all over the U.S. If there's ever been a wedding photography team who connects with our readers, it's Atlanta-based Gemini and The Bear. The husband and wife team of Ryan and Jenevieve come with a substantial amount of experience in both photography AND wedding planning and production, so they're the moooost prepared to handle anything that comes their way — your wedding included! Let's meet the creative pair and see why they'll make your love story come to life in ways you've never imagined it could… Read More March 8, 2019 Sharing the wealth of my window shopping for fun wedding shoe clips I ended up having a bit of trouble finding wedding shoes that I loved. It then dawned on me that I'd been touting the merits of shoe clips for ages and forgot that they might just be the ticket for adding some fun to my wedding flats. Grab your favorite pair of shoes (flats, heels, loafers, boots… all can rock clips!) and get to accessorizing your feet… Read More March 5, 2019 Rainbows & gender unicorns: how LGBTQ couples are changing wedding ring rules When it comes to buying rings for weddings, LGBTQ couples are throwing out the traditions that bind them to form their own paths in ringdom. Whether you propose to each other, have matching bands, eschew rings altogether in favor of another kind of jewelry, the options for rings that represent your identity are quite literally endless. I spoke with one of our favorite custom ring creators, Joseph Jewelry, to see what trends and ideas they've been seeing in wedding jewelry that allows for more expression of who you love, what your gender is, and how you want to communicate that to world. Read More More Stuff we love > Recent Wedding 101 1.0k January 23, 2019 6 tips for making your wedding website useful AND stylish Are you engaged? YAY! I have a feeling that a lot of you are thinking about wedding hashtags and websites and social media, oh my. Weddings are way more high tech these days and a wedding website is pretty standard fare now. When I got engaged in 2018, I went on a hunt for a really slick wedding website and have a few quick hit tips to share to make your wedding website both ultra useful and seriously captivating. Read More July 12, 2018 Planning tools 101: hotel block comparison chart We launched a comprehensive and totally customizable document of wedding planning spreadsheets in Google Drive if you're the type to get down with spreadsheets like I am. Now we're sharing a chart that will help you compare hotel blocks if you're planning to provide that option to your guests. Hotel blocks allow you to block out some rooms and room rates to help guests grab a good deal on a hotel room. Read More June 27, 2018 Avoiding wedding fights: how to plan your wedding planning Your engagement should be a joyful time. You have a lifetime ahead of you with the person you love. What could be better than to celebrate that love surrounded by friends and family? And yet, somehow things go awry. Conflicts flare. And the time that should be so happy — the build-up to your wedding — is fraught with possibilities for strife. The good news is you can avoid most of the problems by planning your wedding planning. That's right. Plan how you're going to plan. Read More 2.6k April 18, 2018 I bought a colored wedding dress and now everyone's mad! What should I do? I come from a family of strict traditionalists when it comes to everything, especially weddings. I recently bought a peach wedding dress with no sleeves and expressed I wanted light blue hair and Converse to go with it. As you can imagine, things didn't go over well. When I try to stand up for my wedding choices, I'm shamed for it. Please help! Read More 4.3k March 5, 2018 Wedding dates to avoid in 2018, 2019, and beyond I'm compiling this list of wedding dates to avoid in 2018, 2019, and 2020 in case you want to avoid holidays where family and friends might have conflicting events, holidays where vendors might be especially busy and/or expensive (think Valentine's Day for florists), or religious holidays where places might be closed or guests might have other plans. Does this mean you CAN'T book your wedding for one of these days? Hell no! Read More More Wedding 101 > Offbeat Bride: your source for wedding ideas and inclusive wedding planning We've got bajillions of creative wedding ideas, DIY projects, and wedding advice to make your wedding plans easier — and even fun! What do you need to do today? I have no idea. I need Wedding Planning 101! I need a wedding planning checklist (now in an interactive version, too!) Hook me up with free wedding fonts & printables I need offbeat wedding registry ideas I'm curious about offbeat wedding themes (geeky! boho! so many!) Reporter Name * Reporter Email * Original text Enter the original text here. Edited text* Enter your suggested copyedit here. Notes You can add a note for the editor here. * Required information. Fix Typo What wedding planning advice & inspiration do you need today? Dress Eloping Engagement Ring Feminism Floral Print Geeky Harry Potter Invitation Wording Readings Ceremony Advice Fashion Wedding 101 Super cute offbeat wedding invitations @offbeatbride on Insta Newly engaged? How to keep dry during a rainy wedding day What no one tells the newly-engaged: you don't have to plan it all today! How to get a marriage license: tips and tricks for the engaged and confused Juggling wedding planning and grief So you want to have a friend officiate… The mother of all "Oh-Shit!" Kits, featuring the Decormergency Kit Break it down now: sample wedding budgets for all kinds of offbeat weddings Guest list primer: questions you must ask when making your guest list Read More > A few of our fave wedding vendors Entertainment Nation Read More Matt Schmachtenberg Photography Read More Moon River Rituals with Zita Christian, Life-Cycle Celebrant Read More Joseph Gonzalez-Dufresne Photography Read More Browse our vendor guide > Our infamous spreadsheets & checklists Planning tools 101: wedding guest seating chart planner Your offbeat-friendly interactive wedding planning checklist is available! 80+ free wedding printables: a huge list of downloadable DIY wedding projects Our GIANT list of important questions to ask wedding venues WTF is "scrumming" and how can it help you actually ENJOY wedding planning Planning tools 101: your wedding vendor contact sheet Planning tools 101: hotel block comparison chart Offbeat guide to the wedding photo shot list Get planning > We're everywhere! Follow us on social media. Get creative, offbeat wedding ideas delivered daily to your inbox! Join our newsletter SUBSCRIBE Copyright © 2003 - 2019 Offbeat Empire. All rights reserved. Unauthorized reproduction in part or in whole is prohibited. Contact us Terms of Service | Privacy Policy | Monetized by SkimLinks
9.4k March 15, 2019 This holographic mermaid wedding dress is blowing my mind (and giving me fins!) Researching dresses can yield fab rewards. Such was the case when I spied this mermaid fantasy of a gown from KMKDesigns. I love a dress that can be re-worn in general, but when it can be reworn as a costume, for a super glam ball, or any fancy dress party, it's a win. It's made of holographic vinyl and pearlescent organza with approximately one zillion hand-sewn iridescent sequins and pearls. Read More 1.2k March 8, 2019 Floating candles, cloaks, & a patronus cake at this mystical Harry Potter-inspired wedding inspiration When I imagine all the things I'd want to see in a Harry Potter-inspired wedding inspiration shoot, I imagine floating candles from the Great Hall, quotes from the books and films, magical cloaks (or at least magical-looking!), tiny details like horcruxes and snitches, a gorgeous themed cake… and oh wait. That's what THIS shoot is all about! Read More March 4, 2019 A little tropical, a little glam: this Cuban wedding inspiration is pure romance in 1940s Havana Set in the Evergreen Brick Works, a historic heritage site in the Don River Valley Park of Toronto, this Havana wedding inspiration pays homage to the elegance and splendor of 1940s Cuba. We're loving the brick backdrop paired with a little bit of a tropical color palette and island-inspired florals and greenery. This whole shoot was warm, inviting, a little bit tropical, a little bit urban, and a whole lot of vintage gorgeousness. Read More 1.4k February 22, 2019 These ready-to-bloom floral wedding dresses let you be your own bouquet "Florals for Spring? Groundbreaking." We know, Meryl, but actually, florals for Spring is always on trend and especially now. I'm living for it! Whether it's a multicolored floral print dress, flowers made of silk or chiffon, floral embroidery overlays, or a chic floral suit (you don't have to wear a dress!), I found a whole bunch of ways to be your own bouquet on your wedding day. Let's get our flower power on… Read More 1.2k February 14, 2019 The sexiest lace boots ever inspired this Valentine elopement shoot Sometimes a pair of the sexiest red boots can spawn a whole theme. This was definitely the case with this Valentine elopement shoot covered in red, lace, hearts, and rosé. Don't miss the killer crop top red wedding dress, the large gold mirror covered in song lyrics, the intricately die-cut invitations, the pear shaped ring, and the elaborate ombre cake(!) that took our breath away. Even if you hate Valentine's Day, it's easy to love these heart candies, red touches, and loving looks of this couple. Let's take Valentine's Day from kitschy to glam… Read More More Wedding Porn > Recent Real Weddings March 22, 2019 A DIYed darkly romantic wedding with pagan details & vegan fare Megan and Nick planned an ultra gorgeous pagan meets vegan wedding, most of which was completely DIYed. They have a super strong community of family and friends and the entire day was relaxed and romantic. You won't believe how much love and care went in to all the details of the day. This darkly romantic wedding was a DIY dream and I can't wait for you to see it. Read More 1.3k March 21, 2019 You'll swoon at this vintage Muslim wedding at the South Georgia Botanical Gardens Nadia and Jonathan met working as freelance journalists in New York City. Nadia, originally from Statesboro, GA, really wanted her wedding to be in her hometown so they made it happen. Nadia and Jonathan are both Muslim and had never kissed each other before the wedding day, so their portraits are particularly sweet and romantic. Don't miss the DIY centerpieces and decor, Jonathan's suit that was handmade by his mother(!), and a poignant reminder of who wasn't able to make it that day and why… Read More 1.4k March 20, 2019 Love totally wins at this sparkly camp-chic unicorn interfaith queer wedding We are a queer interfaith clergy couple. Our wedding party consisted of a spiritual and supportive “Femme Crew” and “Butch Crew.” We call ourselves TEAM UNICORN because we love rainbows and sparkles and magic and don’t subscribe to socially constructed ideas of gender. We celebrated our wedding at a stunning camp site in North Georgia all weekend with a Shabbat prayer service, a 12-step recovery meeting, swimming and boating options, hikes to waterfalls, a bonfire, and yoga on the dock. Read More March 19, 2019 A crystal ball in the woods at this creative & sustainable wedding with intention Carrie and Jason met at a fashion show 16 years ago and finally reconnected and are spending their lives together. For their beautiful fantasy-inspired and intentional wedding, they combined many….. Read More 1.4k March 18, 2019 A dark & chic Horseshoe Bend elopement at the edge of the world Jill and Bryan drove with Jill's two young children 28 hours from Chicago to Arizona to elope at Horseshoe Bend. Before the ceremony, the whole family hiked a slot canyon in their wedding attire, just to have the amazing experience and see the scenery. Jill opted to wear a beautiful black dress, and the whole family dressed to match in black with dark brown accents. Read More More Real Weddings > Recent Advice March 20, 2019 Pronouns & assumptions: Gay wedding etiquette rules every guest should follow Maybe you're a seasoned pro at attending same-sex weddings or maybe they're a new concept for you, and you don't want to be responsible for any awkwardness on someone's wedding day. It's easy to fall prey to a faux pas when it comes to saying the right things. Understand that the basics, love and respect, remain the same for both straight and LGBTQ weddings. Here are six gay wedding etiquette rules that will make you the couple's favorite… Read More 1.2k February 13, 2019 How to plan a more ethical wedding (including an edible bouquet!) When I was preparing for my own wedding I started thinking: how could we do this more ethically? The very nature of a wedding being a one day event, and in many cases an extravaganza of guests and details and expense, means that inevitably there are waste issues, or worries about whether certain things are "worth it." So, how can we do things more ethically? What should we look for in an ethical supplier? How do we do the very best that we can do? Read More 1.0k January 23, 2019 6 tips for making your wedding website useful AND stylish Are you engaged? YAY! I have a feeling that a lot of you are thinking about wedding hashtags and websites and social media, oh my. Weddings are way more high tech these days and a wedding website is pretty standard fare now. When I got engaged in 2018, I went on a hunt for a really slick wedding website and have a few quick hit tips to share to make your wedding website both ultra useful and seriously captivating. Read More October 17, 2018 How to avoid your email save-the-date going to spam My partner and I decided to send out email save-the-dates instead of a physical card. I do, however, have a warning for you if you are planning on going the green route with your save-the-date by sending out electronic ones. If you send an email with an image, you may hit your guests' spam folders. Here are some pros and cons of going green with your save-the-dates and how you can avoid your save-the-date going to spam… Read More October 3, 2018 Our delicious unity beer ceremony was… hopping (plus our ceremony wording!) Craft beer has been such a huge part of our relationship that when we were planning our wedding (featured here!), we wanted to include it somehow. I suggested a unity beer ceremony, but we couldn't find any wording online that we liked. We ended up creating our own from scratch, complete with our own unique brand of humor. Read More 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 March 22, 2019 Tons of dazzling colored gemstone rings for every kind of couple Diamonds may have been a girl's best friend, but we're branching out in all kinds of colorful ways these days. While it's all good if you want to snag a diamond ring, you also don't have to feel locked in to it AT ALL. One of our fave jewelry artisan partners, Metalicious, specializes in all things alternative when it comes to gemstones so I went down the rabbit hole to see what stunning sparklies we could find in colored gemstones, diamond alternatives, and even snazzy alternative metals for wedding bands. Read More March 19, 2019 Heart eyes for the lace, statement sleeves, and fringe of this dreamy bohemian dress collection (& a pop-up shop event in NYC!) The last time we featured some of the fabulous wedding gowns from our partner CocoMelody, y'all went wild. Their collections of ready-to-wear and custom styles (made to fit YOU!) are colorful, diverse, super well-made, and available in extensive sizes. It's that super rare dress source that actually gets offbeat readers. Let's peek at their Bohemian Nomad Collection which is making me swoon with romance meets modern meets laid-back meets gorgeous dress bliss. Read More March 12, 2019 This mega-skilled photography team gives you "how did we look that good?" level wedding photography all over the U.S. If there's ever been a wedding photography team who connects with our readers, it's Atlanta-based Gemini and The Bear. The husband and wife team of Ryan and Jenevieve come with a substantial amount of experience in both photography AND wedding planning and production, so they're the moooost prepared to handle anything that comes their way — your wedding included! Let's meet the creative pair and see why they'll make your love story come to life in ways you've never imagined it could… Read More March 8, 2019 Sharing the wealth of my window shopping for fun wedding shoe clips I ended up having a bit of trouble finding wedding shoes that I loved. It then dawned on me that I'd been touting the merits of shoe clips for ages and forgot that they might just be the ticket for adding some fun to my wedding flats. Grab your favorite pair of shoes (flats, heels, loafers, boots… all can rock clips!) and get to accessorizing your feet… Read More March 5, 2019 Rainbows & gender unicorns: how LGBTQ couples are changing wedding ring rules When it comes to buying rings for weddings, LGBTQ couples are throwing out the traditions that bind them to form their own paths in ringdom. Whether you propose to each other, have matching bands, eschew rings altogether in favor of another kind of jewelry, the options for rings that represent your identity are quite literally endless. I spoke with one of our favorite custom ring creators, Joseph Jewelry, to see what trends and ideas they've been seeing in wedding jewelry that allows for more expression of who you love, what your gender is, and how you want to communicate that to world. Read More More Stuff we love > Recent Wedding 101 1.0k January 23, 2019 6 tips for making your wedding website useful AND stylish Are you engaged? YAY! I have a feeling that a lot of you are thinking about wedding hashtags and websites and social media, oh my. Weddings are way more high tech these days and a wedding website is pretty standard fare now. When I got engaged in 2018, I went on a hunt for a really slick wedding website and have a few quick hit tips to share to make your wedding website both ultra useful and seriously captivating. Read More July 12, 2018 Planning tools 101: hotel block comparison chart We launched a comprehensive and totally customizable document of wedding planning spreadsheets in Google Drive if you're the type to get down with spreadsheets like I am. Now we're sharing a chart that will help you compare hotel blocks if you're planning to provide that option to your guests. Hotel blocks allow you to block out some rooms and room rates to help guests grab a good deal on a hotel room. Read More June 27, 2018 Avoiding wedding fights: how to plan your wedding planning Your engagement should be a joyful time. You have a lifetime ahead of you with the person you love. What could be better than to celebrate that love surrounded by friends and family? And yet, somehow things go awry. Conflicts flare. And the time that should be so happy — the build-up to your wedding — is fraught with possibilities for strife. The good news is you can avoid most of the problems by planning your wedding planning. That's right. Plan how you're going to plan. Read More 2.6k April 18, 2018 I bought a colored wedding dress and now everyone's mad! What should I do? I come from a family of strict traditionalists when it comes to everything, especially weddings. I recently bought a peach wedding dress with no sleeves and expressed I wanted light blue hair and Converse to go with it. As you can imagine, things didn't go over well. When I try to stand up for my wedding choices, I'm shamed for it. Please help! Read More 4.3k March 5, 2018 Wedding dates to avoid in 2018, 2019, and beyond I'm compiling this list of wedding dates to avoid in 2018, 2019, and 2020 in case you want to avoid holidays where family and friends might have conflicting events, holidays where vendors might be especially busy and/or expensive (think Valentine's Day for florists), or religious holidays where places might be closed or guests might have other plans. Does this mean you CAN'T book your wedding for one of these days? Hell no! Read More More Wedding 101 > Offbeat Bride: your source for wedding ideas and inclusive wedding planning We've got bajillions of creative wedding ideas, DIY projects, and wedding advice to make your wedding plans easier — and even fun! What do you need to do today? I have no idea. I need Wedding Planning 101! I need a wedding planning checklist (now in an interactive version, too!) Hook me up with free wedding fonts & printables I need offbeat wedding registry ideas I'm curious about offbeat wedding themes (geeky! boho! so many!) Reporter Name * Reporter Email * Original text Enter the original text here. Edited text* Enter your suggested copyedit here. Notes You can add a note for the editor here. * Required information. Fix Typo What wedding planning advice & inspiration do you need today? Dress Eloping Engagement Ring Feminism Floral Print Geeky Harry Potter Invitation Wording Readings Ceremony Advice Fashion Wedding 101 Super cute offbeat wedding invitations @offbeatbride on Insta Newly engaged? How to keep dry during a rainy wedding day What no one tells the newly-engaged: you don't have to plan it all today! How to get a marriage license: tips and tricks for the engaged and confused Juggling wedding planning and grief So you want to have a friend officiate… The mother of all "Oh-Shit!" Kits, featuring the Decormergency Kit Break it down now: sample wedding budgets for all kinds of offbeat weddings Guest list primer: questions you must ask when making your guest list Read More > A few of our fave wedding vendors Entertainment Nation Read More Matt Schmachtenberg Photography Read More Moon River Rituals with Zita Christian, Life-Cycle Celebrant Read More Joseph Gonzalez-Dufresne Photography Read More Browse our vendor guide > Our infamous spreadsheets & checklists Planning tools 101: wedding guest seating chart planner Your offbeat-friendly interactive wedding planning checklist is available! 80+ free wedding printables: a huge list of downloadable DIY wedding projects Our GIANT list of important questions to ask wedding venues WTF is "scrumming" and how can it help you actually ENJOY wedding planning Planning tools 101: your wedding vendor contact sheet Planning tools 101: hotel block comparison chart Offbeat guide to the wedding photo shot list Get planning > We're everywhere! Follow us on social media. Get creative, offbeat wedding ideas delivered daily to your inbox! Join our newsletter SUBSCRIBE Copyright © 2003 - 2019 Offbeat Empire. All rights reserved. Unauthorized reproduction in part or in whole is prohibited. Contact us Terms of Service | Privacy Policy | Monetized by SkimLinks
1.2k March 8, 2019 Floating candles, cloaks, & a patronus cake at this mystical Harry Potter-inspired wedding inspiration When I imagine all the things I'd want to see in a Harry Potter-inspired wedding inspiration shoot, I imagine floating candles from the Great Hall, quotes from the books and films, magical cloaks (or at least magical-looking!), tiny details like horcruxes and snitches, a gorgeous themed cake… and oh wait. That's what THIS shoot is all about! Read More March 4, 2019 A little tropical, a little glam: this Cuban wedding inspiration is pure romance in 1940s Havana Set in the Evergreen Brick Works, a historic heritage site in the Don River Valley Park of Toronto, this Havana wedding inspiration pays homage to the elegance and splendor of 1940s Cuba. We're loving the brick backdrop paired with a little bit of a tropical color palette and island-inspired florals and greenery. This whole shoot was warm, inviting, a little bit tropical, a little bit urban, and a whole lot of vintage gorgeousness. Read More 1.4k February 22, 2019 These ready-to-bloom floral wedding dresses let you be your own bouquet "Florals for Spring? Groundbreaking." We know, Meryl, but actually, florals for Spring is always on trend and especially now. I'm living for it! Whether it's a multicolored floral print dress, flowers made of silk or chiffon, floral embroidery overlays, or a chic floral suit (you don't have to wear a dress!), I found a whole bunch of ways to be your own bouquet on your wedding day. Let's get our flower power on… Read More 1.2k February 14, 2019 The sexiest lace boots ever inspired this Valentine elopement shoot Sometimes a pair of the sexiest red boots can spawn a whole theme. This was definitely the case with this Valentine elopement shoot covered in red, lace, hearts, and rosé. Don't miss the killer crop top red wedding dress, the large gold mirror covered in song lyrics, the intricately die-cut invitations, the pear shaped ring, and the elaborate ombre cake(!) that took our breath away. Even if you hate Valentine's Day, it's easy to love these heart candies, red touches, and loving looks of this couple. Let's take Valentine's Day from kitschy to glam… Read More More Wedding Porn > Recent Real Weddings March 22, 2019 A DIYed darkly romantic wedding with pagan details & vegan fare Megan and Nick planned an ultra gorgeous pagan meets vegan wedding, most of which was completely DIYed. They have a super strong community of family and friends and the entire day was relaxed and romantic. You won't believe how much love and care went in to all the details of the day. This darkly romantic wedding was a DIY dream and I can't wait for you to see it. Read More 1.3k March 21, 2019 You'll swoon at this vintage Muslim wedding at the South Georgia Botanical Gardens Nadia and Jonathan met working as freelance journalists in New York City. Nadia, originally from Statesboro, GA, really wanted her wedding to be in her hometown so they made it happen. Nadia and Jonathan are both Muslim and had never kissed each other before the wedding day, so their portraits are particularly sweet and romantic. Don't miss the DIY centerpieces and decor, Jonathan's suit that was handmade by his mother(!), and a poignant reminder of who wasn't able to make it that day and why… Read More 1.4k March 20, 2019 Love totally wins at this sparkly camp-chic unicorn interfaith queer wedding We are a queer interfaith clergy couple. Our wedding party consisted of a spiritual and supportive “Femme Crew” and “Butch Crew.” We call ourselves TEAM UNICORN because we love rainbows and sparkles and magic and don’t subscribe to socially constructed ideas of gender. We celebrated our wedding at a stunning camp site in North Georgia all weekend with a Shabbat prayer service, a 12-step recovery meeting, swimming and boating options, hikes to waterfalls, a bonfire, and yoga on the dock. Read More March 19, 2019 A crystal ball in the woods at this creative & sustainable wedding with intention Carrie and Jason met at a fashion show 16 years ago and finally reconnected and are spending their lives together. For their beautiful fantasy-inspired and intentional wedding, they combined many….. Read More 1.4k March 18, 2019 A dark & chic Horseshoe Bend elopement at the edge of the world Jill and Bryan drove with Jill's two young children 28 hours from Chicago to Arizona to elope at Horseshoe Bend. Before the ceremony, the whole family hiked a slot canyon in their wedding attire, just to have the amazing experience and see the scenery. Jill opted to wear a beautiful black dress, and the whole family dressed to match in black with dark brown accents. Read More More Real Weddings > Recent Advice March 20, 2019 Pronouns & assumptions: Gay wedding etiquette rules every guest should follow Maybe you're a seasoned pro at attending same-sex weddings or maybe they're a new concept for you, and you don't want to be responsible for any awkwardness on someone's wedding day. It's easy to fall prey to a faux pas when it comes to saying the right things. Understand that the basics, love and respect, remain the same for both straight and LGBTQ weddings. Here are six gay wedding etiquette rules that will make you the couple's favorite… Read More 1.2k February 13, 2019 How to plan a more ethical wedding (including an edible bouquet!) When I was preparing for my own wedding I started thinking: how could we do this more ethically? The very nature of a wedding being a one day event, and in many cases an extravaganza of guests and details and expense, means that inevitably there are waste issues, or worries about whether certain things are "worth it." So, how can we do things more ethically? What should we look for in an ethical supplier? How do we do the very best that we can do? Read More 1.0k January 23, 2019 6 tips for making your wedding website useful AND stylish Are you engaged? YAY! I have a feeling that a lot of you are thinking about wedding hashtags and websites and social media, oh my. Weddings are way more high tech these days and a wedding website is pretty standard fare now. When I got engaged in 2018, I went on a hunt for a really slick wedding website and have a few quick hit tips to share to make your wedding website both ultra useful and seriously captivating. Read More October 17, 2018 How to avoid your email save-the-date going to spam My partner and I decided to send out email save-the-dates instead of a physical card. I do, however, have a warning for you if you are planning on going the green route with your save-the-date by sending out electronic ones. If you send an email with an image, you may hit your guests' spam folders. Here are some pros and cons of going green with your save-the-dates and how you can avoid your save-the-date going to spam… Read More October 3, 2018 Our delicious unity beer ceremony was… hopping (plus our ceremony wording!) Craft beer has been such a huge part of our relationship that when we were planning our wedding (featured here!), we wanted to include it somehow. I suggested a unity beer ceremony, but we couldn't find any wording online that we liked. We ended up creating our own from scratch, complete with our own unique brand of humor. Read More 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 March 22, 2019 Tons of dazzling colored gemstone rings for every kind of couple Diamonds may have been a girl's best friend, but we're branching out in all kinds of colorful ways these days. While it's all good if you want to snag a diamond ring, you also don't have to feel locked in to it AT ALL. One of our fave jewelry artisan partners, Metalicious, specializes in all things alternative when it comes to gemstones so I went down the rabbit hole to see what stunning sparklies we could find in colored gemstones, diamond alternatives, and even snazzy alternative metals for wedding bands. Read More March 19, 2019 Heart eyes for the lace, statement sleeves, and fringe of this dreamy bohemian dress collection (& a pop-up shop event in NYC!) The last time we featured some of the fabulous wedding gowns from our partner CocoMelody, y'all went wild. Their collections of ready-to-wear and custom styles (made to fit YOU!) are colorful, diverse, super well-made, and available in extensive sizes. It's that super rare dress source that actually gets offbeat readers. Let's peek at their Bohemian Nomad Collection which is making me swoon with romance meets modern meets laid-back meets gorgeous dress bliss. Read More March 12, 2019 This mega-skilled photography team gives you "how did we look that good?" level wedding photography all over the U.S. If there's ever been a wedding photography team who connects with our readers, it's Atlanta-based Gemini and The Bear. The husband and wife team of Ryan and Jenevieve come with a substantial amount of experience in both photography AND wedding planning and production, so they're the moooost prepared to handle anything that comes their way — your wedding included! Let's meet the creative pair and see why they'll make your love story come to life in ways you've never imagined it could… Read More March 8, 2019 Sharing the wealth of my window shopping for fun wedding shoe clips I ended up having a bit of trouble finding wedding shoes that I loved. It then dawned on me that I'd been touting the merits of shoe clips for ages and forgot that they might just be the ticket for adding some fun to my wedding flats. Grab your favorite pair of shoes (flats, heels, loafers, boots… all can rock clips!) and get to accessorizing your feet… Read More March 5, 2019 Rainbows & gender unicorns: how LGBTQ couples are changing wedding ring rules When it comes to buying rings for weddings, LGBTQ couples are throwing out the traditions that bind them to form their own paths in ringdom. Whether you propose to each other, have matching bands, eschew rings altogether in favor of another kind of jewelry, the options for rings that represent your identity are quite literally endless. I spoke with one of our favorite custom ring creators, Joseph Jewelry, to see what trends and ideas they've been seeing in wedding jewelry that allows for more expression of who you love, what your gender is, and how you want to communicate that to world. Read More More Stuff we love > Recent Wedding 101 1.0k January 23, 2019 6 tips for making your wedding website useful AND stylish Are you engaged? YAY! I have a feeling that a lot of you are thinking about wedding hashtags and websites and social media, oh my. Weddings are way more high tech these days and a wedding website is pretty standard fare now. When I got engaged in 2018, I went on a hunt for a really slick wedding website and have a few quick hit tips to share to make your wedding website both ultra useful and seriously captivating. Read More July 12, 2018 Planning tools 101: hotel block comparison chart We launched a comprehensive and totally customizable document of wedding planning spreadsheets in Google Drive if you're the type to get down with spreadsheets like I am. Now we're sharing a chart that will help you compare hotel blocks if you're planning to provide that option to your guests. Hotel blocks allow you to block out some rooms and room rates to help guests grab a good deal on a hotel room. Read More June 27, 2018 Avoiding wedding fights: how to plan your wedding planning Your engagement should be a joyful time. You have a lifetime ahead of you with the person you love. What could be better than to celebrate that love surrounded by friends and family? And yet, somehow things go awry. Conflicts flare. And the time that should be so happy — the build-up to your wedding — is fraught with possibilities for strife. The good news is you can avoid most of the problems by planning your wedding planning. That's right. Plan how you're going to plan. Read More 2.6k April 18, 2018 I bought a colored wedding dress and now everyone's mad! What should I do? I come from a family of strict traditionalists when it comes to everything, especially weddings. I recently bought a peach wedding dress with no sleeves and expressed I wanted light blue hair and Converse to go with it. As you can imagine, things didn't go over well. When I try to stand up for my wedding choices, I'm shamed for it. Please help! Read More 4.3k March 5, 2018 Wedding dates to avoid in 2018, 2019, and beyond I'm compiling this list of wedding dates to avoid in 2018, 2019, and 2020 in case you want to avoid holidays where family and friends might have conflicting events, holidays where vendors might be especially busy and/or expensive (think Valentine's Day for florists), or religious holidays where places might be closed or guests might have other plans. Does this mean you CAN'T book your wedding for one of these days? Hell no! Read More More Wedding 101 > Offbeat Bride: your source for wedding ideas and inclusive wedding planning We've got bajillions of creative wedding ideas, DIY projects, and wedding advice to make your wedding plans easier — and even fun! What do you need to do today? I have no idea. I need Wedding Planning 101! I need a wedding planning checklist (now in an interactive version, too!) Hook me up with free wedding fonts & printables I need offbeat wedding registry ideas I'm curious about offbeat wedding themes (geeky! boho! so many!) Reporter Name * Reporter Email * Original text Enter the original text here. Edited text* Enter your suggested copyedit here. Notes You can add a note for the editor here. * Required information. Fix Typo What wedding planning advice & inspiration do you need today? Dress Eloping Engagement Ring Feminism Floral Print Geeky Harry Potter Invitation Wording Readings Ceremony Advice Fashion Wedding 101 Super cute offbeat wedding invitations @offbeatbride on Insta Newly engaged? How to keep dry during a rainy wedding day What no one tells the newly-engaged: you don't have to plan it all today! How to get a marriage license: tips and tricks for the engaged and confused Juggling wedding planning and grief So you want to have a friend officiate… The mother of all "Oh-Shit!" Kits, featuring the Decormergency Kit Break it down now: sample wedding budgets for all kinds of offbeat weddings Guest list primer: questions you must ask when making your guest list Read More > A few of our fave wedding vendors Entertainment Nation Read More Matt Schmachtenberg Photography Read More Moon River Rituals with Zita Christian, Life-Cycle Celebrant Read More Joseph Gonzalez-Dufresne Photography Read More Browse our vendor guide > Our infamous spreadsheets & checklists Planning tools 101: wedding guest seating chart planner Your offbeat-friendly interactive wedding planning checklist is available! 80+ free wedding printables: a huge list of downloadable DIY wedding projects Our GIANT list of important questions to ask wedding venues WTF is "scrumming" and how can it help you actually ENJOY wedding planning Planning tools 101: your wedding vendor contact sheet Planning tools 101: hotel block comparison chart Offbeat guide to the wedding photo shot list Get planning > We're everywhere! Follow us on social media. Get creative, offbeat wedding ideas delivered daily to your inbox! Join our newsletter SUBSCRIBE Copyright © 2003 - 2019 Offbeat Empire. All rights reserved. Unauthorized reproduction in part or in whole is prohibited. Contact us Terms of Service | Privacy Policy | Monetized by SkimLinks
March 4, 2019 A little tropical, a little glam: this Cuban wedding inspiration is pure romance in 1940s Havana Set in the Evergreen Brick Works, a historic heritage site in the Don River Valley Park of Toronto, this Havana wedding inspiration pays homage to the elegance and splendor of 1940s Cuba. We're loving the brick backdrop paired with a little bit of a tropical color palette and island-inspired florals and greenery. This whole shoot was warm, inviting, a little bit tropical, a little bit urban, and a whole lot of vintage gorgeousness. Read More 1.4k February 22, 2019 These ready-to-bloom floral wedding dresses let you be your own bouquet "Florals for Spring? Groundbreaking." We know, Meryl, but actually, florals for Spring is always on trend and especially now. I'm living for it! Whether it's a multicolored floral print dress, flowers made of silk or chiffon, floral embroidery overlays, or a chic floral suit (you don't have to wear a dress!), I found a whole bunch of ways to be your own bouquet on your wedding day. Let's get our flower power on… Read More 1.2k February 14, 2019 The sexiest lace boots ever inspired this Valentine elopement shoot Sometimes a pair of the sexiest red boots can spawn a whole theme. This was definitely the case with this Valentine elopement shoot covered in red, lace, hearts, and rosé. Don't miss the killer crop top red wedding dress, the large gold mirror covered in song lyrics, the intricately die-cut invitations, the pear shaped ring, and the elaborate ombre cake(!) that took our breath away. Even if you hate Valentine's Day, it's easy to love these heart candies, red touches, and loving looks of this couple. Let's take Valentine's Day from kitschy to glam… Read More More Wedding Porn > Recent Real Weddings March 22, 2019 A DIYed darkly romantic wedding with pagan details & vegan fare Megan and Nick planned an ultra gorgeous pagan meets vegan wedding, most of which was completely DIYed. They have a super strong community of family and friends and the entire day was relaxed and romantic. You won't believe how much love and care went in to all the details of the day. This darkly romantic wedding was a DIY dream and I can't wait for you to see it. Read More 1.3k March 21, 2019 You'll swoon at this vintage Muslim wedding at the South Georgia Botanical Gardens Nadia and Jonathan met working as freelance journalists in New York City. Nadia, originally from Statesboro, GA, really wanted her wedding to be in her hometown so they made it happen. Nadia and Jonathan are both Muslim and had never kissed each other before the wedding day, so their portraits are particularly sweet and romantic. Don't miss the DIY centerpieces and decor, Jonathan's suit that was handmade by his mother(!), and a poignant reminder of who wasn't able to make it that day and why… Read More 1.4k March 20, 2019 Love totally wins at this sparkly camp-chic unicorn interfaith queer wedding We are a queer interfaith clergy couple. Our wedding party consisted of a spiritual and supportive “Femme Crew” and “Butch Crew.” We call ourselves TEAM UNICORN because we love rainbows and sparkles and magic and don’t subscribe to socially constructed ideas of gender. We celebrated our wedding at a stunning camp site in North Georgia all weekend with a Shabbat prayer service, a 12-step recovery meeting, swimming and boating options, hikes to waterfalls, a bonfire, and yoga on the dock. Read More March 19, 2019 A crystal ball in the woods at this creative & sustainable wedding with intention Carrie and Jason met at a fashion show 16 years ago and finally reconnected and are spending their lives together. For their beautiful fantasy-inspired and intentional wedding, they combined many….. Read More 1.4k March 18, 2019 A dark & chic Horseshoe Bend elopement at the edge of the world Jill and Bryan drove with Jill's two young children 28 hours from Chicago to Arizona to elope at Horseshoe Bend. Before the ceremony, the whole family hiked a slot canyon in their wedding attire, just to have the amazing experience and see the scenery. Jill opted to wear a beautiful black dress, and the whole family dressed to match in black with dark brown accents. Read More More Real Weddings > Recent Advice March 20, 2019 Pronouns & assumptions: Gay wedding etiquette rules every guest should follow Maybe you're a seasoned pro at attending same-sex weddings or maybe they're a new concept for you, and you don't want to be responsible for any awkwardness on someone's wedding day. It's easy to fall prey to a faux pas when it comes to saying the right things. Understand that the basics, love and respect, remain the same for both straight and LGBTQ weddings. Here are six gay wedding etiquette rules that will make you the couple's favorite… Read More 1.2k February 13, 2019 How to plan a more ethical wedding (including an edible bouquet!) When I was preparing for my own wedding I started thinking: how could we do this more ethically? The very nature of a wedding being a one day event, and in many cases an extravaganza of guests and details and expense, means that inevitably there are waste issues, or worries about whether certain things are "worth it." So, how can we do things more ethically? What should we look for in an ethical supplier? How do we do the very best that we can do? Read More 1.0k January 23, 2019 6 tips for making your wedding website useful AND stylish Are you engaged? YAY! I have a feeling that a lot of you are thinking about wedding hashtags and websites and social media, oh my. Weddings are way more high tech these days and a wedding website is pretty standard fare now. When I got engaged in 2018, I went on a hunt for a really slick wedding website and have a few quick hit tips to share to make your wedding website both ultra useful and seriously captivating. Read More October 17, 2018 How to avoid your email save-the-date going to spam My partner and I decided to send out email save-the-dates instead of a physical card. I do, however, have a warning for you if you are planning on going the green route with your save-the-date by sending out electronic ones. If you send an email with an image, you may hit your guests' spam folders. Here are some pros and cons of going green with your save-the-dates and how you can avoid your save-the-date going to spam… Read More October 3, 2018 Our delicious unity beer ceremony was… hopping (plus our ceremony wording!) Craft beer has been such a huge part of our relationship that when we were planning our wedding (featured here!), we wanted to include it somehow. I suggested a unity beer ceremony, but we couldn't find any wording online that we liked. We ended up creating our own from scratch, complete with our own unique brand of humor. Read More 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 March 22, 2019 Tons of dazzling colored gemstone rings for every kind of couple Diamonds may have been a girl's best friend, but we're branching out in all kinds of colorful ways these days. While it's all good if you want to snag a diamond ring, you also don't have to feel locked in to it AT ALL. One of our fave jewelry artisan partners, Metalicious, specializes in all things alternative when it comes to gemstones so I went down the rabbit hole to see what stunning sparklies we could find in colored gemstones, diamond alternatives, and even snazzy alternative metals for wedding bands. Read More March 19, 2019 Heart eyes for the lace, statement sleeves, and fringe of this dreamy bohemian dress collection (& a pop-up shop event in NYC!) The last time we featured some of the fabulous wedding gowns from our partner CocoMelody, y'all went wild. Their collections of ready-to-wear and custom styles (made to fit YOU!) are colorful, diverse, super well-made, and available in extensive sizes. It's that super rare dress source that actually gets offbeat readers. Let's peek at their Bohemian Nomad Collection which is making me swoon with romance meets modern meets laid-back meets gorgeous dress bliss. Read More March 12, 2019 This mega-skilled photography team gives you "how did we look that good?" level wedding photography all over the U.S. If there's ever been a wedding photography team who connects with our readers, it's Atlanta-based Gemini and The Bear. The husband and wife team of Ryan and Jenevieve come with a substantial amount of experience in both photography AND wedding planning and production, so they're the moooost prepared to handle anything that comes their way — your wedding included! Let's meet the creative pair and see why they'll make your love story come to life in ways you've never imagined it could… Read More March 8, 2019 Sharing the wealth of my window shopping for fun wedding shoe clips I ended up having a bit of trouble finding wedding shoes that I loved. It then dawned on me that I'd been touting the merits of shoe clips for ages and forgot that they might just be the ticket for adding some fun to my wedding flats. Grab your favorite pair of shoes (flats, heels, loafers, boots… all can rock clips!) and get to accessorizing your feet… Read More March 5, 2019 Rainbows & gender unicorns: how LGBTQ couples are changing wedding ring rules When it comes to buying rings for weddings, LGBTQ couples are throwing out the traditions that bind them to form their own paths in ringdom. Whether you propose to each other, have matching bands, eschew rings altogether in favor of another kind of jewelry, the options for rings that represent your identity are quite literally endless. I spoke with one of our favorite custom ring creators, Joseph Jewelry, to see what trends and ideas they've been seeing in wedding jewelry that allows for more expression of who you love, what your gender is, and how you want to communicate that to world. Read More More Stuff we love > Recent Wedding 101 1.0k January 23, 2019 6 tips for making your wedding website useful AND stylish Are you engaged? YAY! I have a feeling that a lot of you are thinking about wedding hashtags and websites and social media, oh my. Weddings are way more high tech these days and a wedding website is pretty standard fare now. When I got engaged in 2018, I went on a hunt for a really slick wedding website and have a few quick hit tips to share to make your wedding website both ultra useful and seriously captivating. Read More July 12, 2018 Planning tools 101: hotel block comparison chart We launched a comprehensive and totally customizable document of wedding planning spreadsheets in Google Drive if you're the type to get down with spreadsheets like I am. Now we're sharing a chart that will help you compare hotel blocks if you're planning to provide that option to your guests. Hotel blocks allow you to block out some rooms and room rates to help guests grab a good deal on a hotel room. Read More June 27, 2018 Avoiding wedding fights: how to plan your wedding planning Your engagement should be a joyful time. You have a lifetime ahead of you with the person you love. What could be better than to celebrate that love surrounded by friends and family? And yet, somehow things go awry. Conflicts flare. And the time that should be so happy — the build-up to your wedding — is fraught with possibilities for strife. The good news is you can avoid most of the problems by planning your wedding planning. That's right. Plan how you're going to plan. Read More 2.6k April 18, 2018 I bought a colored wedding dress and now everyone's mad! What should I do? I come from a family of strict traditionalists when it comes to everything, especially weddings. I recently bought a peach wedding dress with no sleeves and expressed I wanted light blue hair and Converse to go with it. As you can imagine, things didn't go over well. When I try to stand up for my wedding choices, I'm shamed for it. Please help! Read More 4.3k March 5, 2018 Wedding dates to avoid in 2018, 2019, and beyond I'm compiling this list of wedding dates to avoid in 2018, 2019, and 2020 in case you want to avoid holidays where family and friends might have conflicting events, holidays where vendors might be especially busy and/or expensive (think Valentine's Day for florists), or religious holidays where places might be closed or guests might have other plans. Does this mean you CAN'T book your wedding for one of these days? Hell no! Read More More Wedding 101 > Offbeat Bride: your source for wedding ideas and inclusive wedding planning We've got bajillions of creative wedding ideas, DIY projects, and wedding advice to make your wedding plans easier — and even fun! What do you need to do today? I have no idea. I need Wedding Planning 101! I need a wedding planning checklist (now in an interactive version, too!) Hook me up with free wedding fonts & printables I need offbeat wedding registry ideas I'm curious about offbeat wedding themes (geeky! boho! so many!) Reporter Name * Reporter Email * Original text Enter the original text here. Edited text* Enter your suggested copyedit here. Notes You can add a note for the editor here. * Required information. Fix Typo What wedding planning advice & inspiration do you need today? Dress Eloping Engagement Ring Feminism Floral Print Geeky Harry Potter Invitation Wording Readings Ceremony Advice Fashion Wedding 101 Super cute offbeat wedding invitations @offbeatbride on Insta Newly engaged? How to keep dry during a rainy wedding day What no one tells the newly-engaged: you don't have to plan it all today! How to get a marriage license: tips and tricks for the engaged and confused Juggling wedding planning and grief So you want to have a friend officiate… The mother of all "Oh-Shit!" Kits, featuring the Decormergency Kit Break it down now: sample wedding budgets for all kinds of offbeat weddings Guest list primer: questions you must ask when making your guest list Read More > A few of our fave wedding vendors Entertainment Nation Read More Matt Schmachtenberg Photography Read More Moon River Rituals with Zita Christian, Life-Cycle Celebrant Read More Joseph Gonzalez-Dufresne Photography Read More Browse our vendor guide > Our infamous spreadsheets & checklists Planning tools 101: wedding guest seating chart planner Your offbeat-friendly interactive wedding planning checklist is available! 80+ free wedding printables: a huge list of downloadable DIY wedding projects Our GIANT list of important questions to ask wedding venues WTF is "scrumming" and how can it help you actually ENJOY wedding planning Planning tools 101: your wedding vendor contact sheet Planning tools 101: hotel block comparison chart Offbeat guide to the wedding photo shot list Get planning > We're everywhere! Follow us on social media. Get creative, offbeat wedding ideas delivered daily to your inbox! Join our newsletter SUBSCRIBE Copyright © 2003 - 2019 Offbeat Empire. All rights reserved. Unauthorized reproduction in part or in whole is prohibited. Contact us Terms of Service | Privacy Policy | Monetized by SkimLinks
1.4k February 22, 2019 These ready-to-bloom floral wedding dresses let you be your own bouquet "Florals for Spring? Groundbreaking." We know, Meryl, but actually, florals for Spring is always on trend and especially now. I'm living for it! Whether it's a multicolored floral print dress, flowers made of silk or chiffon, floral embroidery overlays, or a chic floral suit (you don't have to wear a dress!), I found a whole bunch of ways to be your own bouquet on your wedding day. Let's get our flower power on… Read More 1.2k February 14, 2019 The sexiest lace boots ever inspired this Valentine elopement shoot Sometimes a pair of the sexiest red boots can spawn a whole theme. This was definitely the case with this Valentine elopement shoot covered in red, lace, hearts, and rosé. Don't miss the killer crop top red wedding dress, the large gold mirror covered in song lyrics, the intricately die-cut invitations, the pear shaped ring, and the elaborate ombre cake(!) that took our breath away. Even if you hate Valentine's Day, it's easy to love these heart candies, red touches, and loving looks of this couple. Let's take Valentine's Day from kitschy to glam… Read More More Wedding Porn > Recent Real Weddings March 22, 2019 A DIYed darkly romantic wedding with pagan details & vegan fare Megan and Nick planned an ultra gorgeous pagan meets vegan wedding, most of which was completely DIYed. They have a super strong community of family and friends and the entire day was relaxed and romantic. You won't believe how much love and care went in to all the details of the day. This darkly romantic wedding was a DIY dream and I can't wait for you to see it. Read More 1.3k March 21, 2019 You'll swoon at this vintage Muslim wedding at the South Georgia Botanical Gardens Nadia and Jonathan met working as freelance journalists in New York City. Nadia, originally from Statesboro, GA, really wanted her wedding to be in her hometown so they made it happen. Nadia and Jonathan are both Muslim and had never kissed each other before the wedding day, so their portraits are particularly sweet and romantic. Don't miss the DIY centerpieces and decor, Jonathan's suit that was handmade by his mother(!), and a poignant reminder of who wasn't able to make it that day and why… Read More 1.4k March 20, 2019 Love totally wins at this sparkly camp-chic unicorn interfaith queer wedding We are a queer interfaith clergy couple. Our wedding party consisted of a spiritual and supportive “Femme Crew” and “Butch Crew.” We call ourselves TEAM UNICORN because we love rainbows and sparkles and magic and don’t subscribe to socially constructed ideas of gender. We celebrated our wedding at a stunning camp site in North Georgia all weekend with a Shabbat prayer service, a 12-step recovery meeting, swimming and boating options, hikes to waterfalls, a bonfire, and yoga on the dock. Read More March 19, 2019 A crystal ball in the woods at this creative & sustainable wedding with intention Carrie and Jason met at a fashion show 16 years ago and finally reconnected and are spending their lives together. For their beautiful fantasy-inspired and intentional wedding, they combined many….. Read More 1.4k March 18, 2019 A dark & chic Horseshoe Bend elopement at the edge of the world Jill and Bryan drove with Jill's two young children 28 hours from Chicago to Arizona to elope at Horseshoe Bend. Before the ceremony, the whole family hiked a slot canyon in their wedding attire, just to have the amazing experience and see the scenery. Jill opted to wear a beautiful black dress, and the whole family dressed to match in black with dark brown accents. Read More More Real Weddings > Recent Advice March 20, 2019 Pronouns & assumptions: Gay wedding etiquette rules every guest should follow Maybe you're a seasoned pro at attending same-sex weddings or maybe they're a new concept for you, and you don't want to be responsible for any awkwardness on someone's wedding day. It's easy to fall prey to a faux pas when it comes to saying the right things. Understand that the basics, love and respect, remain the same for both straight and LGBTQ weddings. Here are six gay wedding etiquette rules that will make you the couple's favorite… Read More 1.2k February 13, 2019 How to plan a more ethical wedding (including an edible bouquet!) When I was preparing for my own wedding I started thinking: how could we do this more ethically? The very nature of a wedding being a one day event, and in many cases an extravaganza of guests and details and expense, means that inevitably there are waste issues, or worries about whether certain things are "worth it." So, how can we do things more ethically? What should we look for in an ethical supplier? How do we do the very best that we can do? Read More 1.0k January 23, 2019 6 tips for making your wedding website useful AND stylish Are you engaged? YAY! I have a feeling that a lot of you are thinking about wedding hashtags and websites and social media, oh my. Weddings are way more high tech these days and a wedding website is pretty standard fare now. When I got engaged in 2018, I went on a hunt for a really slick wedding website and have a few quick hit tips to share to make your wedding website both ultra useful and seriously captivating. Read More October 17, 2018 How to avoid your email save-the-date going to spam My partner and I decided to send out email save-the-dates instead of a physical card. I do, however, have a warning for you if you are planning on going the green route with your save-the-date by sending out electronic ones. If you send an email with an image, you may hit your guests' spam folders. Here are some pros and cons of going green with your save-the-dates and how you can avoid your save-the-date going to spam… Read More October 3, 2018 Our delicious unity beer ceremony was… hopping (plus our ceremony wording!) Craft beer has been such a huge part of our relationship that when we were planning our wedding (featured here!), we wanted to include it somehow. I suggested a unity beer ceremony, but we couldn't find any wording online that we liked. We ended up creating our own from scratch, complete with our own unique brand of humor. Read More 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 March 22, 2019 Tons of dazzling colored gemstone rings for every kind of couple Diamonds may have been a girl's best friend, but we're branching out in all kinds of colorful ways these days. While it's all good if you want to snag a diamond ring, you also don't have to feel locked in to it AT ALL. One of our fave jewelry artisan partners, Metalicious, specializes in all things alternative when it comes to gemstones so I went down the rabbit hole to see what stunning sparklies we could find in colored gemstones, diamond alternatives, and even snazzy alternative metals for wedding bands. Read More March 19, 2019 Heart eyes for the lace, statement sleeves, and fringe of this dreamy bohemian dress collection (& a pop-up shop event in NYC!) The last time we featured some of the fabulous wedding gowns from our partner CocoMelody, y'all went wild. Their collections of ready-to-wear and custom styles (made to fit YOU!) are colorful, diverse, super well-made, and available in extensive sizes. It's that super rare dress source that actually gets offbeat readers. Let's peek at their Bohemian Nomad Collection which is making me swoon with romance meets modern meets laid-back meets gorgeous dress bliss. Read More March 12, 2019 This mega-skilled photography team gives you "how did we look that good?" level wedding photography all over the U.S. If there's ever been a wedding photography team who connects with our readers, it's Atlanta-based Gemini and The Bear. The husband and wife team of Ryan and Jenevieve come with a substantial amount of experience in both photography AND wedding planning and production, so they're the moooost prepared to handle anything that comes their way — your wedding included! Let's meet the creative pair and see why they'll make your love story come to life in ways you've never imagined it could… Read More March 8, 2019 Sharing the wealth of my window shopping for fun wedding shoe clips I ended up having a bit of trouble finding wedding shoes that I loved. It then dawned on me that I'd been touting the merits of shoe clips for ages and forgot that they might just be the ticket for adding some fun to my wedding flats. Grab your favorite pair of shoes (flats, heels, loafers, boots… all can rock clips!) and get to accessorizing your feet… Read More March 5, 2019 Rainbows & gender unicorns: how LGBTQ couples are changing wedding ring rules When it comes to buying rings for weddings, LGBTQ couples are throwing out the traditions that bind them to form their own paths in ringdom. Whether you propose to each other, have matching bands, eschew rings altogether in favor of another kind of jewelry, the options for rings that represent your identity are quite literally endless. I spoke with one of our favorite custom ring creators, Joseph Jewelry, to see what trends and ideas they've been seeing in wedding jewelry that allows for more expression of who you love, what your gender is, and how you want to communicate that to world. Read More More Stuff we love > Recent Wedding 101 1.0k January 23, 2019 6 tips for making your wedding website useful AND stylish Are you engaged? YAY! I have a feeling that a lot of you are thinking about wedding hashtags and websites and social media, oh my. Weddings are way more high tech these days and a wedding website is pretty standard fare now. When I got engaged in 2018, I went on a hunt for a really slick wedding website and have a few quick hit tips to share to make your wedding website both ultra useful and seriously captivating. Read More July 12, 2018 Planning tools 101: hotel block comparison chart We launched a comprehensive and totally customizable document of wedding planning spreadsheets in Google Drive if you're the type to get down with spreadsheets like I am. Now we're sharing a chart that will help you compare hotel blocks if you're planning to provide that option to your guests. Hotel blocks allow you to block out some rooms and room rates to help guests grab a good deal on a hotel room. Read More June 27, 2018 Avoiding wedding fights: how to plan your wedding planning Your engagement should be a joyful time. You have a lifetime ahead of you with the person you love. What could be better than to celebrate that love surrounded by friends and family? And yet, somehow things go awry. Conflicts flare. And the time that should be so happy — the build-up to your wedding — is fraught with possibilities for strife. The good news is you can avoid most of the problems by planning your wedding planning. That's right. Plan how you're going to plan. Read More 2.6k April 18, 2018 I bought a colored wedding dress and now everyone's mad! What should I do? I come from a family of strict traditionalists when it comes to everything, especially weddings. I recently bought a peach wedding dress with no sleeves and expressed I wanted light blue hair and Converse to go with it. As you can imagine, things didn't go over well. When I try to stand up for my wedding choices, I'm shamed for it. Please help! Read More 4.3k March 5, 2018 Wedding dates to avoid in 2018, 2019, and beyond I'm compiling this list of wedding dates to avoid in 2018, 2019, and 2020 in case you want to avoid holidays where family and friends might have conflicting events, holidays where vendors might be especially busy and/or expensive (think Valentine's Day for florists), or religious holidays where places might be closed or guests might have other plans. Does this mean you CAN'T book your wedding for one of these days? Hell no! Read More More Wedding 101 > Offbeat Bride: your source for wedding ideas and inclusive wedding planning We've got bajillions of creative wedding ideas, DIY projects, and wedding advice to make your wedding plans easier — and even fun! What do you need to do today? I have no idea. I need Wedding Planning 101! I need a wedding planning checklist (now in an interactive version, too!) Hook me up with free wedding fonts & printables I need offbeat wedding registry ideas I'm curious about offbeat wedding themes (geeky! boho! so many!) Reporter Name * Reporter Email * Original text Enter the original text here. Edited text* Enter your suggested copyedit here. Notes You can add a note for the editor here. * Required information. Fix Typo What wedding planning advice & inspiration do you need today? Dress Eloping Engagement Ring Feminism Floral Print Geeky Harry Potter Invitation Wording Readings Ceremony Advice Fashion Wedding 101 Super cute offbeat wedding invitations @offbeatbride on Insta Newly engaged? How to keep dry during a rainy wedding day What no one tells the newly-engaged: you don't have to plan it all today! How to get a marriage license: tips and tricks for the engaged and confused Juggling wedding planning and grief So you want to have a friend officiate… The mother of all "Oh-Shit!" Kits, featuring the Decormergency Kit Break it down now: sample wedding budgets for all kinds of offbeat weddings Guest list primer: questions you must ask when making your guest list Read More > A few of our fave wedding vendors Entertainment Nation Read More Matt Schmachtenberg Photography Read More Moon River Rituals with Zita Christian, Life-Cycle Celebrant Read More Joseph Gonzalez-Dufresne Photography Read More Browse our vendor guide > Our infamous spreadsheets & checklists Planning tools 101: wedding guest seating chart planner Your offbeat-friendly interactive wedding planning checklist is available! 80+ free wedding printables: a huge list of downloadable DIY wedding projects Our GIANT list of important questions to ask wedding venues WTF is "scrumming" and how can it help you actually ENJOY wedding planning Planning tools 101: your wedding vendor contact sheet Planning tools 101: hotel block comparison chart Offbeat guide to the wedding photo shot list Get planning > We're everywhere! Follow us on social media. Get creative, offbeat wedding ideas delivered daily to your inbox! Join our newsletter SUBSCRIBE Copyright © 2003 - 2019 Offbeat Empire. All rights reserved. Unauthorized reproduction in part or in whole is prohibited. Contact us Terms of Service | Privacy Policy | Monetized by SkimLinks
1.2k February 14, 2019 The sexiest lace boots ever inspired this Valentine elopement shoot Sometimes a pair of the sexiest red boots can spawn a whole theme. This was definitely the case with this Valentine elopement shoot covered in red, lace, hearts, and rosé. Don't miss the killer crop top red wedding dress, the large gold mirror covered in song lyrics, the intricately die-cut invitations, the pear shaped ring, and the elaborate ombre cake(!) that took our breath away. Even if you hate Valentine's Day, it's easy to love these heart candies, red touches, and loving looks of this couple. Let's take Valentine's Day from kitschy to glam… Read More More Wedding Porn > Recent Real Weddings March 22, 2019 A DIYed darkly romantic wedding with pagan details & vegan fare Megan and Nick planned an ultra gorgeous pagan meets vegan wedding, most of which was completely DIYed. They have a super strong community of family and friends and the entire day was relaxed and romantic. You won't believe how much love and care went in to all the details of the day. This darkly romantic wedding was a DIY dream and I can't wait for you to see it. Read More 1.3k March 21, 2019 You'll swoon at this vintage Muslim wedding at the South Georgia Botanical Gardens Nadia and Jonathan met working as freelance journalists in New York City. Nadia, originally from Statesboro, GA, really wanted her wedding to be in her hometown so they made it happen. Nadia and Jonathan are both Muslim and had never kissed each other before the wedding day, so their portraits are particularly sweet and romantic. Don't miss the DIY centerpieces and decor, Jonathan's suit that was handmade by his mother(!), and a poignant reminder of who wasn't able to make it that day and why… Read More 1.4k March 20, 2019 Love totally wins at this sparkly camp-chic unicorn interfaith queer wedding We are a queer interfaith clergy couple. Our wedding party consisted of a spiritual and supportive “Femme Crew” and “Butch Crew.” We call ourselves TEAM UNICORN because we love rainbows and sparkles and magic and don’t subscribe to socially constructed ideas of gender. We celebrated our wedding at a stunning camp site in North Georgia all weekend with a Shabbat prayer service, a 12-step recovery meeting, swimming and boating options, hikes to waterfalls, a bonfire, and yoga on the dock. Read More March 19, 2019 A crystal ball in the woods at this creative & sustainable wedding with intention Carrie and Jason met at a fashion show 16 years ago and finally reconnected and are spending their lives together. For their beautiful fantasy-inspired and intentional wedding, they combined many….. Read More 1.4k March 18, 2019 A dark & chic Horseshoe Bend elopement at the edge of the world Jill and Bryan drove with Jill's two young children 28 hours from Chicago to Arizona to elope at Horseshoe Bend. Before the ceremony, the whole family hiked a slot canyon in their wedding attire, just to have the amazing experience and see the scenery. Jill opted to wear a beautiful black dress, and the whole family dressed to match in black with dark brown accents. Read More More Real Weddings > Recent Advice March 20, 2019 Pronouns & assumptions: Gay wedding etiquette rules every guest should follow Maybe you're a seasoned pro at attending same-sex weddings or maybe they're a new concept for you, and you don't want to be responsible for any awkwardness on someone's wedding day. It's easy to fall prey to a faux pas when it comes to saying the right things. Understand that the basics, love and respect, remain the same for both straight and LGBTQ weddings. Here are six gay wedding etiquette rules that will make you the couple's favorite… Read More 1.2k February 13, 2019 How to plan a more ethical wedding (including an edible bouquet!) When I was preparing for my own wedding I started thinking: how could we do this more ethically? The very nature of a wedding being a one day event, and in many cases an extravaganza of guests and details and expense, means that inevitably there are waste issues, or worries about whether certain things are "worth it." So, how can we do things more ethically? What should we look for in an ethical supplier? How do we do the very best that we can do? Read More 1.0k January 23, 2019 6 tips for making your wedding website useful AND stylish Are you engaged? YAY! I have a feeling that a lot of you are thinking about wedding hashtags and websites and social media, oh my. Weddings are way more high tech these days and a wedding website is pretty standard fare now. When I got engaged in 2018, I went on a hunt for a really slick wedding website and have a few quick hit tips to share to make your wedding website both ultra useful and seriously captivating. Read More October 17, 2018 How to avoid your email save-the-date going to spam My partner and I decided to send out email save-the-dates instead of a physical card. I do, however, have a warning for you if you are planning on going the green route with your save-the-date by sending out electronic ones. If you send an email with an image, you may hit your guests' spam folders. Here are some pros and cons of going green with your save-the-dates and how you can avoid your save-the-date going to spam… Read More October 3, 2018 Our delicious unity beer ceremony was… hopping (plus our ceremony wording!) Craft beer has been such a huge part of our relationship that when we were planning our wedding (featured here!), we wanted to include it somehow. I suggested a unity beer ceremony, but we couldn't find any wording online that we liked. We ended up creating our own from scratch, complete with our own unique brand of humor. Read More 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 March 22, 2019 Tons of dazzling colored gemstone rings for every kind of couple Diamonds may have been a girl's best friend, but we're branching out in all kinds of colorful ways these days. While it's all good if you want to snag a diamond ring, you also don't have to feel locked in to it AT ALL. One of our fave jewelry artisan partners, Metalicious, specializes in all things alternative when it comes to gemstones so I went down the rabbit hole to see what stunning sparklies we could find in colored gemstones, diamond alternatives, and even snazzy alternative metals for wedding bands. Read More March 19, 2019 Heart eyes for the lace, statement sleeves, and fringe of this dreamy bohemian dress collection (& a pop-up shop event in NYC!) The last time we featured some of the fabulous wedding gowns from our partner CocoMelody, y'all went wild. Their collections of ready-to-wear and custom styles (made to fit YOU!) are colorful, diverse, super well-made, and available in extensive sizes. It's that super rare dress source that actually gets offbeat readers. Let's peek at their Bohemian Nomad Collection which is making me swoon with romance meets modern meets laid-back meets gorgeous dress bliss. Read More March 12, 2019 This mega-skilled photography team gives you "how did we look that good?" level wedding photography all over the U.S. If there's ever been a wedding photography team who connects with our readers, it's Atlanta-based Gemini and The Bear. The husband and wife team of Ryan and Jenevieve come with a substantial amount of experience in both photography AND wedding planning and production, so they're the moooost prepared to handle anything that comes their way — your wedding included! Let's meet the creative pair and see why they'll make your love story come to life in ways you've never imagined it could… Read More March 8, 2019 Sharing the wealth of my window shopping for fun wedding shoe clips I ended up having a bit of trouble finding wedding shoes that I loved. It then dawned on me that I'd been touting the merits of shoe clips for ages and forgot that they might just be the ticket for adding some fun to my wedding flats. Grab your favorite pair of shoes (flats, heels, loafers, boots… all can rock clips!) and get to accessorizing your feet… Read More March 5, 2019 Rainbows & gender unicorns: how LGBTQ couples are changing wedding ring rules When it comes to buying rings for weddings, LGBTQ couples are throwing out the traditions that bind them to form their own paths in ringdom. Whether you propose to each other, have matching bands, eschew rings altogether in favor of another kind of jewelry, the options for rings that represent your identity are quite literally endless. I spoke with one of our favorite custom ring creators, Joseph Jewelry, to see what trends and ideas they've been seeing in wedding jewelry that allows for more expression of who you love, what your gender is, and how you want to communicate that to world. Read More More Stuff we love > Recent Wedding 101 1.0k January 23, 2019 6 tips for making your wedding website useful AND stylish Are you engaged? YAY! I have a feeling that a lot of you are thinking about wedding hashtags and websites and social media, oh my. Weddings are way more high tech these days and a wedding website is pretty standard fare now. When I got engaged in 2018, I went on a hunt for a really slick wedding website and have a few quick hit tips to share to make your wedding website both ultra useful and seriously captivating. Read More July 12, 2018 Planning tools 101: hotel block comparison chart We launched a comprehensive and totally customizable document of wedding planning spreadsheets in Google Drive if you're the type to get down with spreadsheets like I am. Now we're sharing a chart that will help you compare hotel blocks if you're planning to provide that option to your guests. Hotel blocks allow you to block out some rooms and room rates to help guests grab a good deal on a hotel room. Read More June 27, 2018 Avoiding wedding fights: how to plan your wedding planning Your engagement should be a joyful time. You have a lifetime ahead of you with the person you love. What could be better than to celebrate that love surrounded by friends and family? And yet, somehow things go awry. Conflicts flare. And the time that should be so happy — the build-up to your wedding — is fraught with possibilities for strife. The good news is you can avoid most of the problems by planning your wedding planning. That's right. Plan how you're going to plan. Read More 2.6k April 18, 2018 I bought a colored wedding dress and now everyone's mad! What should I do? I come from a family of strict traditionalists when it comes to everything, especially weddings. I recently bought a peach wedding dress with no sleeves and expressed I wanted light blue hair and Converse to go with it. As you can imagine, things didn't go over well. When I try to stand up for my wedding choices, I'm shamed for it. Please help! Read More 4.3k March 5, 2018 Wedding dates to avoid in 2018, 2019, and beyond I'm compiling this list of wedding dates to avoid in 2018, 2019, and 2020 in case you want to avoid holidays where family and friends might have conflicting events, holidays where vendors might be especially busy and/or expensive (think Valentine's Day for florists), or religious holidays where places might be closed or guests might have other plans. Does this mean you CAN'T book your wedding for one of these days? Hell no! Read More More Wedding 101 > Offbeat Bride: your source for wedding ideas and inclusive wedding planning We've got bajillions of creative wedding ideas, DIY projects, and wedding advice to make your wedding plans easier — and even fun! What do you need to do today? I have no idea. I need Wedding Planning 101! I need a wedding planning checklist (now in an interactive version, too!) Hook me up with free wedding fonts & printables I need offbeat wedding registry ideas I'm curious about offbeat wedding themes (geeky! boho! so many!) Reporter Name * Reporter Email * Original text Enter the original text here. Edited text* Enter your suggested copyedit here. Notes You can add a note for the editor here. * Required information. Fix Typo What wedding planning advice & inspiration do you need today? Dress Eloping Engagement Ring Feminism Floral Print Geeky Harry Potter Invitation Wording Readings Ceremony Advice Fashion Wedding 101 Super cute offbeat wedding invitations @offbeatbride on Insta Newly engaged? How to keep dry during a rainy wedding day What no one tells the newly-engaged: you don't have to plan it all today! How to get a marriage license: tips and tricks for the engaged and confused Juggling wedding planning and grief So you want to have a friend officiate… The mother of all "Oh-Shit!" Kits, featuring the Decormergency Kit Break it down now: sample wedding budgets for all kinds of offbeat weddings Guest list primer: questions you must ask when making your guest list Read More > A few of our fave wedding vendors Entertainment Nation Read More Matt Schmachtenberg Photography Read More Moon River Rituals with Zita Christian, Life-Cycle Celebrant Read More Joseph Gonzalez-Dufresne Photography Read More Browse our vendor guide > Our infamous spreadsheets & checklists Planning tools 101: wedding guest seating chart planner Your offbeat-friendly interactive wedding planning checklist is available! 80+ free wedding printables: a huge list of downloadable DIY wedding projects Our GIANT list of important questions to ask wedding venues WTF is "scrumming" and how can it help you actually ENJOY wedding planning Planning tools 101: your wedding vendor contact sheet Planning tools 101: hotel block comparison chart Offbeat guide to the wedding photo shot list Get planning > We're everywhere! Follow us on social media. Get creative, offbeat wedding ideas delivered daily to your inbox! Join our newsletter SUBSCRIBE Copyright © 2003 - 2019 Offbeat Empire. All rights reserved. Unauthorized reproduction in part or in whole is prohibited. Contact us Terms of Service | Privacy Policy | Monetized by SkimLinks
March 22, 2019 A DIYed darkly romantic wedding with pagan details & vegan fare Megan and Nick planned an ultra gorgeous pagan meets vegan wedding, most of which was completely DIYed. They have a super strong community of family and friends and the entire day was relaxed and romantic. You won't believe how much love and care went in to all the details of the day. This darkly romantic wedding was a DIY dream and I can't wait for you to see it. Read More 1.3k March 21, 2019 You'll swoon at this vintage Muslim wedding at the South Georgia Botanical Gardens Nadia and Jonathan met working as freelance journalists in New York City. Nadia, originally from Statesboro, GA, really wanted her wedding to be in her hometown so they made it happen. Nadia and Jonathan are both Muslim and had never kissed each other before the wedding day, so their portraits are particularly sweet and romantic. Don't miss the DIY centerpieces and decor, Jonathan's suit that was handmade by his mother(!), and a poignant reminder of who wasn't able to make it that day and why… Read More 1.4k March 20, 2019 Love totally wins at this sparkly camp-chic unicorn interfaith queer wedding We are a queer interfaith clergy couple. Our wedding party consisted of a spiritual and supportive “Femme Crew” and “Butch Crew.” We call ourselves TEAM UNICORN because we love rainbows and sparkles and magic and don’t subscribe to socially constructed ideas of gender. We celebrated our wedding at a stunning camp site in North Georgia all weekend with a Shabbat prayer service, a 12-step recovery meeting, swimming and boating options, hikes to waterfalls, a bonfire, and yoga on the dock. Read More March 19, 2019 A crystal ball in the woods at this creative & sustainable wedding with intention Carrie and Jason met at a fashion show 16 years ago and finally reconnected and are spending their lives together. For their beautiful fantasy-inspired and intentional wedding, they combined many….. Read More 1.4k March 18, 2019 A dark & chic Horseshoe Bend elopement at the edge of the world Jill and Bryan drove with Jill's two young children 28 hours from Chicago to Arizona to elope at Horseshoe Bend. Before the ceremony, the whole family hiked a slot canyon in their wedding attire, just to have the amazing experience and see the scenery. Jill opted to wear a beautiful black dress, and the whole family dressed to match in black with dark brown accents. Read More More Real Weddings > Recent Advice March 20, 2019 Pronouns & assumptions: Gay wedding etiquette rules every guest should follow Maybe you're a seasoned pro at attending same-sex weddings or maybe they're a new concept for you, and you don't want to be responsible for any awkwardness on someone's wedding day. It's easy to fall prey to a faux pas when it comes to saying the right things. Understand that the basics, love and respect, remain the same for both straight and LGBTQ weddings. Here are six gay wedding etiquette rules that will make you the couple's favorite… Read More 1.2k February 13, 2019 How to plan a more ethical wedding (including an edible bouquet!) When I was preparing for my own wedding I started thinking: how could we do this more ethically? The very nature of a wedding being a one day event, and in many cases an extravaganza of guests and details and expense, means that inevitably there are waste issues, or worries about whether certain things are "worth it." So, how can we do things more ethically? What should we look for in an ethical supplier? How do we do the very best that we can do? Read More 1.0k January 23, 2019 6 tips for making your wedding website useful AND stylish Are you engaged? YAY! I have a feeling that a lot of you are thinking about wedding hashtags and websites and social media, oh my. Weddings are way more high tech these days and a wedding website is pretty standard fare now. When I got engaged in 2018, I went on a hunt for a really slick wedding website and have a few quick hit tips to share to make your wedding website both ultra useful and seriously captivating. Read More October 17, 2018 How to avoid your email save-the-date going to spam My partner and I decided to send out email save-the-dates instead of a physical card. I do, however, have a warning for you if you are planning on going the green route with your save-the-date by sending out electronic ones. If you send an email with an image, you may hit your guests' spam folders. Here are some pros and cons of going green with your save-the-dates and how you can avoid your save-the-date going to spam… Read More October 3, 2018 Our delicious unity beer ceremony was… hopping (plus our ceremony wording!) Craft beer has been such a huge part of our relationship that when we were planning our wedding (featured here!), we wanted to include it somehow. I suggested a unity beer ceremony, but we couldn't find any wording online that we liked. We ended up creating our own from scratch, complete with our own unique brand of humor. Read More 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 March 22, 2019 Tons of dazzling colored gemstone rings for every kind of couple Diamonds may have been a girl's best friend, but we're branching out in all kinds of colorful ways these days. While it's all good if you want to snag a diamond ring, you also don't have to feel locked in to it AT ALL. One of our fave jewelry artisan partners, Metalicious, specializes in all things alternative when it comes to gemstones so I went down the rabbit hole to see what stunning sparklies we could find in colored gemstones, diamond alternatives, and even snazzy alternative metals for wedding bands. Read More March 19, 2019 Heart eyes for the lace, statement sleeves, and fringe of this dreamy bohemian dress collection (& a pop-up shop event in NYC!) The last time we featured some of the fabulous wedding gowns from our partner CocoMelody, y'all went wild. Their collections of ready-to-wear and custom styles (made to fit YOU!) are colorful, diverse, super well-made, and available in extensive sizes. It's that super rare dress source that actually gets offbeat readers. Let's peek at their Bohemian Nomad Collection which is making me swoon with romance meets modern meets laid-back meets gorgeous dress bliss. Read More March 12, 2019 This mega-skilled photography team gives you "how did we look that good?" level wedding photography all over the U.S. If there's ever been a wedding photography team who connects with our readers, it's Atlanta-based Gemini and The Bear. The husband and wife team of Ryan and Jenevieve come with a substantial amount of experience in both photography AND wedding planning and production, so they're the moooost prepared to handle anything that comes their way — your wedding included! Let's meet the creative pair and see why they'll make your love story come to life in ways you've never imagined it could… Read More March 8, 2019 Sharing the wealth of my window shopping for fun wedding shoe clips I ended up having a bit of trouble finding wedding shoes that I loved. It then dawned on me that I'd been touting the merits of shoe clips for ages and forgot that they might just be the ticket for adding some fun to my wedding flats. Grab your favorite pair of shoes (flats, heels, loafers, boots… all can rock clips!) and get to accessorizing your feet… Read More March 5, 2019 Rainbows & gender unicorns: how LGBTQ couples are changing wedding ring rules When it comes to buying rings for weddings, LGBTQ couples are throwing out the traditions that bind them to form their own paths in ringdom. Whether you propose to each other, have matching bands, eschew rings altogether in favor of another kind of jewelry, the options for rings that represent your identity are quite literally endless. I spoke with one of our favorite custom ring creators, Joseph Jewelry, to see what trends and ideas they've been seeing in wedding jewelry that allows for more expression of who you love, what your gender is, and how you want to communicate that to world. Read More More Stuff we love > Recent Wedding 101 1.0k January 23, 2019 6 tips for making your wedding website useful AND stylish Are you engaged? YAY! I have a feeling that a lot of you are thinking about wedding hashtags and websites and social media, oh my. Weddings are way more high tech these days and a wedding website is pretty standard fare now. When I got engaged in 2018, I went on a hunt for a really slick wedding website and have a few quick hit tips to share to make your wedding website both ultra useful and seriously captivating. Read More July 12, 2018 Planning tools 101: hotel block comparison chart We launched a comprehensive and totally customizable document of wedding planning spreadsheets in Google Drive if you're the type to get down with spreadsheets like I am. Now we're sharing a chart that will help you compare hotel blocks if you're planning to provide that option to your guests. Hotel blocks allow you to block out some rooms and room rates to help guests grab a good deal on a hotel room. Read More June 27, 2018 Avoiding wedding fights: how to plan your wedding planning Your engagement should be a joyful time. You have a lifetime ahead of you with the person you love. What could be better than to celebrate that love surrounded by friends and family? And yet, somehow things go awry. Conflicts flare. And the time that should be so happy — the build-up to your wedding — is fraught with possibilities for strife. The good news is you can avoid most of the problems by planning your wedding planning. That's right. Plan how you're going to plan. Read More 2.6k April 18, 2018 I bought a colored wedding dress and now everyone's mad! What should I do? I come from a family of strict traditionalists when it comes to everything, especially weddings. I recently bought a peach wedding dress with no sleeves and expressed I wanted light blue hair and Converse to go with it. As you can imagine, things didn't go over well. When I try to stand up for my wedding choices, I'm shamed for it. Please help! Read More 4.3k March 5, 2018 Wedding dates to avoid in 2018, 2019, and beyond I'm compiling this list of wedding dates to avoid in 2018, 2019, and 2020 in case you want to avoid holidays where family and friends might have conflicting events, holidays where vendors might be especially busy and/or expensive (think Valentine's Day for florists), or religious holidays where places might be closed or guests might have other plans. Does this mean you CAN'T book your wedding for one of these days? Hell no! Read More More Wedding 101 > Offbeat Bride: your source for wedding ideas and inclusive wedding planning We've got bajillions of creative wedding ideas, DIY projects, and wedding advice to make your wedding plans easier — and even fun! What do you need to do today? I have no idea. I need Wedding Planning 101! I need a wedding planning checklist (now in an interactive version, too!) Hook me up with free wedding fonts & printables I need offbeat wedding registry ideas I'm curious about offbeat wedding themes (geeky! boho! so many!) Reporter Name * Reporter Email * Original text Enter the original text here. Edited text* Enter your suggested copyedit here. Notes You can add a note for the editor here. * Required information. Fix Typo What wedding planning advice & inspiration do you need today? Dress Eloping Engagement Ring Feminism Floral Print Geeky Harry Potter Invitation Wording Readings Ceremony Advice Fashion Wedding 101 Super cute offbeat wedding invitations @offbeatbride on Insta Newly engaged? How to keep dry during a rainy wedding day What no one tells the newly-engaged: you don't have to plan it all today! How to get a marriage license: tips and tricks for the engaged and confused Juggling wedding planning and grief So you want to have a friend officiate… The mother of all "Oh-Shit!" Kits, featuring the Decormergency Kit Break it down now: sample wedding budgets for all kinds of offbeat weddings Guest list primer: questions you must ask when making your guest list Read More > A few of our fave wedding vendors Entertainment Nation Read More Matt Schmachtenberg Photography Read More Moon River Rituals with Zita Christian, Life-Cycle Celebrant Read More Joseph Gonzalez-Dufresne Photography Read More Browse our vendor guide > Our infamous spreadsheets & checklists Planning tools 101: wedding guest seating chart planner Your offbeat-friendly interactive wedding planning checklist is available! 80+ free wedding printables: a huge list of downloadable DIY wedding projects Our GIANT list of important questions to ask wedding venues WTF is "scrumming" and how can it help you actually ENJOY wedding planning Planning tools 101: your wedding vendor contact sheet Planning tools 101: hotel block comparison chart Offbeat guide to the wedding photo shot list Get planning > We're everywhere! Follow us on social media. Get creative, offbeat wedding ideas delivered daily to your inbox! Join our newsletter SUBSCRIBE Copyright © 2003 - 2019 Offbeat Empire. All rights reserved. Unauthorized reproduction in part or in whole is prohibited. Contact us Terms of Service | Privacy Policy | Monetized by SkimLinks
1.3k March 21, 2019 You'll swoon at this vintage Muslim wedding at the South Georgia Botanical Gardens Nadia and Jonathan met working as freelance journalists in New York City. Nadia, originally from Statesboro, GA, really wanted her wedding to be in her hometown so they made it happen. Nadia and Jonathan are both Muslim and had never kissed each other before the wedding day, so their portraits are particularly sweet and romantic. Don't miss the DIY centerpieces and decor, Jonathan's suit that was handmade by his mother(!), and a poignant reminder of who wasn't able to make it that day and why… Read More 1.4k March 20, 2019 Love totally wins at this sparkly camp-chic unicorn interfaith queer wedding We are a queer interfaith clergy couple. Our wedding party consisted of a spiritual and supportive “Femme Crew” and “Butch Crew.” We call ourselves TEAM UNICORN because we love rainbows and sparkles and magic and don’t subscribe to socially constructed ideas of gender. We celebrated our wedding at a stunning camp site in North Georgia all weekend with a Shabbat prayer service, a 12-step recovery meeting, swimming and boating options, hikes to waterfalls, a bonfire, and yoga on the dock. Read More March 19, 2019 A crystal ball in the woods at this creative & sustainable wedding with intention Carrie and Jason met at a fashion show 16 years ago and finally reconnected and are spending their lives together. For their beautiful fantasy-inspired and intentional wedding, they combined many….. Read More 1.4k March 18, 2019 A dark & chic Horseshoe Bend elopement at the edge of the world Jill and Bryan drove with Jill's two young children 28 hours from Chicago to Arizona to elope at Horseshoe Bend. Before the ceremony, the whole family hiked a slot canyon in their wedding attire, just to have the amazing experience and see the scenery. Jill opted to wear a beautiful black dress, and the whole family dressed to match in black with dark brown accents. Read More More Real Weddings > Recent Advice March 20, 2019 Pronouns & assumptions: Gay wedding etiquette rules every guest should follow Maybe you're a seasoned pro at attending same-sex weddings or maybe they're a new concept for you, and you don't want to be responsible for any awkwardness on someone's wedding day. It's easy to fall prey to a faux pas when it comes to saying the right things. Understand that the basics, love and respect, remain the same for both straight and LGBTQ weddings. Here are six gay wedding etiquette rules that will make you the couple's favorite… Read More 1.2k February 13, 2019 How to plan a more ethical wedding (including an edible bouquet!) When I was preparing for my own wedding I started thinking: how could we do this more ethically? The very nature of a wedding being a one day event, and in many cases an extravaganza of guests and details and expense, means that inevitably there are waste issues, or worries about whether certain things are "worth it." So, how can we do things more ethically? What should we look for in an ethical supplier? How do we do the very best that we can do? Read More 1.0k January 23, 2019 6 tips for making your wedding website useful AND stylish Are you engaged? YAY! I have a feeling that a lot of you are thinking about wedding hashtags and websites and social media, oh my. Weddings are way more high tech these days and a wedding website is pretty standard fare now. When I got engaged in 2018, I went on a hunt for a really slick wedding website and have a few quick hit tips to share to make your wedding website both ultra useful and seriously captivating. Read More October 17, 2018 How to avoid your email save-the-date going to spam My partner and I decided to send out email save-the-dates instead of a physical card. I do, however, have a warning for you if you are planning on going the green route with your save-the-date by sending out electronic ones. If you send an email with an image, you may hit your guests' spam folders. Here are some pros and cons of going green with your save-the-dates and how you can avoid your save-the-date going to spam… Read More October 3, 2018 Our delicious unity beer ceremony was… hopping (plus our ceremony wording!) Craft beer has been such a huge part of our relationship that when we were planning our wedding (featured here!), we wanted to include it somehow. I suggested a unity beer ceremony, but we couldn't find any wording online that we liked. We ended up creating our own from scratch, complete with our own unique brand of humor. Read More 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 March 22, 2019 Tons of dazzling colored gemstone rings for every kind of couple Diamonds may have been a girl's best friend, but we're branching out in all kinds of colorful ways these days. While it's all good if you want to snag a diamond ring, you also don't have to feel locked in to it AT ALL. One of our fave jewelry artisan partners, Metalicious, specializes in all things alternative when it comes to gemstones so I went down the rabbit hole to see what stunning sparklies we could find in colored gemstones, diamond alternatives, and even snazzy alternative metals for wedding bands. Read More March 19, 2019 Heart eyes for the lace, statement sleeves, and fringe of this dreamy bohemian dress collection (& a pop-up shop event in NYC!) The last time we featured some of the fabulous wedding gowns from our partner CocoMelody, y'all went wild. Their collections of ready-to-wear and custom styles (made to fit YOU!) are colorful, diverse, super well-made, and available in extensive sizes. It's that super rare dress source that actually gets offbeat readers. Let's peek at their Bohemian Nomad Collection which is making me swoon with romance meets modern meets laid-back meets gorgeous dress bliss. Read More March 12, 2019 This mega-skilled photography team gives you "how did we look that good?" level wedding photography all over the U.S. If there's ever been a wedding photography team who connects with our readers, it's Atlanta-based Gemini and The Bear. The husband and wife team of Ryan and Jenevieve come with a substantial amount of experience in both photography AND wedding planning and production, so they're the moooost prepared to handle anything that comes their way — your wedding included! Let's meet the creative pair and see why they'll make your love story come to life in ways you've never imagined it could… Read More March 8, 2019 Sharing the wealth of my window shopping for fun wedding shoe clips I ended up having a bit of trouble finding wedding shoes that I loved. It then dawned on me that I'd been touting the merits of shoe clips for ages and forgot that they might just be the ticket for adding some fun to my wedding flats. Grab your favorite pair of shoes (flats, heels, loafers, boots… all can rock clips!) and get to accessorizing your feet… Read More March 5, 2019 Rainbows & gender unicorns: how LGBTQ couples are changing wedding ring rules When it comes to buying rings for weddings, LGBTQ couples are throwing out the traditions that bind them to form their own paths in ringdom. Whether you propose to each other, have matching bands, eschew rings altogether in favor of another kind of jewelry, the options for rings that represent your identity are quite literally endless. I spoke with one of our favorite custom ring creators, Joseph Jewelry, to see what trends and ideas they've been seeing in wedding jewelry that allows for more expression of who you love, what your gender is, and how you want to communicate that to world. Read More More Stuff we love > Recent Wedding 101 1.0k January 23, 2019 6 tips for making your wedding website useful AND stylish Are you engaged? YAY! I have a feeling that a lot of you are thinking about wedding hashtags and websites and social media, oh my. Weddings are way more high tech these days and a wedding website is pretty standard fare now. When I got engaged in 2018, I went on a hunt for a really slick wedding website and have a few quick hit tips to share to make your wedding website both ultra useful and seriously captivating. Read More July 12, 2018 Planning tools 101: hotel block comparison chart We launched a comprehensive and totally customizable document of wedding planning spreadsheets in Google Drive if you're the type to get down with spreadsheets like I am. Now we're sharing a chart that will help you compare hotel blocks if you're planning to provide that option to your guests. Hotel blocks allow you to block out some rooms and room rates to help guests grab a good deal on a hotel room. Read More June 27, 2018 Avoiding wedding fights: how to plan your wedding planning Your engagement should be a joyful time. You have a lifetime ahead of you with the person you love. What could be better than to celebrate that love surrounded by friends and family? And yet, somehow things go awry. Conflicts flare. And the time that should be so happy — the build-up to your wedding — is fraught with possibilities for strife. The good news is you can avoid most of the problems by planning your wedding planning. That's right. Plan how you're going to plan. Read More 2.6k April 18, 2018 I bought a colored wedding dress and now everyone's mad! What should I do? I come from a family of strict traditionalists when it comes to everything, especially weddings. I recently bought a peach wedding dress with no sleeves and expressed I wanted light blue hair and Converse to go with it. As you can imagine, things didn't go over well. When I try to stand up for my wedding choices, I'm shamed for it. Please help! Read More 4.3k March 5, 2018 Wedding dates to avoid in 2018, 2019, and beyond I'm compiling this list of wedding dates to avoid in 2018, 2019, and 2020 in case you want to avoid holidays where family and friends might have conflicting events, holidays where vendors might be especially busy and/or expensive (think Valentine's Day for florists), or religious holidays where places might be closed or guests might have other plans. Does this mean you CAN'T book your wedding for one of these days? Hell no! Read More More Wedding 101 > Offbeat Bride: your source for wedding ideas and inclusive wedding planning We've got bajillions of creative wedding ideas, DIY projects, and wedding advice to make your wedding plans easier — and even fun! What do you need to do today? I have no idea. I need Wedding Planning 101! I need a wedding planning checklist (now in an interactive version, too!) Hook me up with free wedding fonts & printables I need offbeat wedding registry ideas I'm curious about offbeat wedding themes (geeky! boho! so many!) Reporter Name * Reporter Email * Original text Enter the original text here. Edited text* Enter your suggested copyedit here. Notes You can add a note for the editor here. * Required information. Fix Typo What wedding planning advice & inspiration do you need today? Dress Eloping Engagement Ring Feminism Floral Print Geeky Harry Potter Invitation Wording Readings Ceremony Advice Fashion Wedding 101 Super cute offbeat wedding invitations @offbeatbride on Insta Newly engaged? How to keep dry during a rainy wedding day What no one tells the newly-engaged: you don't have to plan it all today! How to get a marriage license: tips and tricks for the engaged and confused Juggling wedding planning and grief So you want to have a friend officiate… The mother of all "Oh-Shit!" Kits, featuring the Decormergency Kit Break it down now: sample wedding budgets for all kinds of offbeat weddings Guest list primer: questions you must ask when making your guest list Read More > A few of our fave wedding vendors Entertainment Nation Read More Matt Schmachtenberg Photography Read More Moon River Rituals with Zita Christian, Life-Cycle Celebrant Read More Joseph Gonzalez-Dufresne Photography Read More Browse our vendor guide > Our infamous spreadsheets & checklists Planning tools 101: wedding guest seating chart planner Your offbeat-friendly interactive wedding planning checklist is available! 80+ free wedding printables: a huge list of downloadable DIY wedding projects Our GIANT list of important questions to ask wedding venues WTF is "scrumming" and how can it help you actually ENJOY wedding planning Planning tools 101: your wedding vendor contact sheet Planning tools 101: hotel block comparison chart Offbeat guide to the wedding photo shot list Get planning > We're everywhere! Follow us on social media. Get creative, offbeat wedding ideas delivered daily to your inbox! Join our newsletter SUBSCRIBE Copyright © 2003 - 2019 Offbeat Empire. All rights reserved. Unauthorized reproduction in part or in whole is prohibited. Contact us Terms of Service | Privacy Policy | Monetized by SkimLinks
1.4k March 20, 2019 Love totally wins at this sparkly camp-chic unicorn interfaith queer wedding We are a queer interfaith clergy couple. Our wedding party consisted of a spiritual and supportive “Femme Crew” and “Butch Crew.” We call ourselves TEAM UNICORN because we love rainbows and sparkles and magic and don’t subscribe to socially constructed ideas of gender. We celebrated our wedding at a stunning camp site in North Georgia all weekend with a Shabbat prayer service, a 12-step recovery meeting, swimming and boating options, hikes to waterfalls, a bonfire, and yoga on the dock. Read More March 19, 2019 A crystal ball in the woods at this creative & sustainable wedding with intention Carrie and Jason met at a fashion show 16 years ago and finally reconnected and are spending their lives together. For their beautiful fantasy-inspired and intentional wedding, they combined many….. Read More 1.4k March 18, 2019 A dark & chic Horseshoe Bend elopement at the edge of the world Jill and Bryan drove with Jill's two young children 28 hours from Chicago to Arizona to elope at Horseshoe Bend. Before the ceremony, the whole family hiked a slot canyon in their wedding attire, just to have the amazing experience and see the scenery. Jill opted to wear a beautiful black dress, and the whole family dressed to match in black with dark brown accents. Read More More Real Weddings > Recent Advice March 20, 2019 Pronouns & assumptions: Gay wedding etiquette rules every guest should follow Maybe you're a seasoned pro at attending same-sex weddings or maybe they're a new concept for you, and you don't want to be responsible for any awkwardness on someone's wedding day. It's easy to fall prey to a faux pas when it comes to saying the right things. Understand that the basics, love and respect, remain the same for both straight and LGBTQ weddings. Here are six gay wedding etiquette rules that will make you the couple's favorite… Read More 1.2k February 13, 2019 How to plan a more ethical wedding (including an edible bouquet!) When I was preparing for my own wedding I started thinking: how could we do this more ethically? The very nature of a wedding being a one day event, and in many cases an extravaganza of guests and details and expense, means that inevitably there are waste issues, or worries about whether certain things are "worth it." So, how can we do things more ethically? What should we look for in an ethical supplier? How do we do the very best that we can do? Read More 1.0k January 23, 2019 6 tips for making your wedding website useful AND stylish Are you engaged? YAY! I have a feeling that a lot of you are thinking about wedding hashtags and websites and social media, oh my. Weddings are way more high tech these days and a wedding website is pretty standard fare now. When I got engaged in 2018, I went on a hunt for a really slick wedding website and have a few quick hit tips to share to make your wedding website both ultra useful and seriously captivating. Read More October 17, 2018 How to avoid your email save-the-date going to spam My partner and I decided to send out email save-the-dates instead of a physical card. I do, however, have a warning for you if you are planning on going the green route with your save-the-date by sending out electronic ones. If you send an email with an image, you may hit your guests' spam folders. Here are some pros and cons of going green with your save-the-dates and how you can avoid your save-the-date going to spam… Read More October 3, 2018 Our delicious unity beer ceremony was… hopping (plus our ceremony wording!) Craft beer has been such a huge part of our relationship that when we were planning our wedding (featured here!), we wanted to include it somehow. I suggested a unity beer ceremony, but we couldn't find any wording online that we liked. We ended up creating our own from scratch, complete with our own unique brand of humor. Read More 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 March 22, 2019 Tons of dazzling colored gemstone rings for every kind of couple Diamonds may have been a girl's best friend, but we're branching out in all kinds of colorful ways these days. While it's all good if you want to snag a diamond ring, you also don't have to feel locked in to it AT ALL. One of our fave jewelry artisan partners, Metalicious, specializes in all things alternative when it comes to gemstones so I went down the rabbit hole to see what stunning sparklies we could find in colored gemstones, diamond alternatives, and even snazzy alternative metals for wedding bands. Read More March 19, 2019 Heart eyes for the lace, statement sleeves, and fringe of this dreamy bohemian dress collection (& a pop-up shop event in NYC!) The last time we featured some of the fabulous wedding gowns from our partner CocoMelody, y'all went wild. Their collections of ready-to-wear and custom styles (made to fit YOU!) are colorful, diverse, super well-made, and available in extensive sizes. It's that super rare dress source that actually gets offbeat readers. Let's peek at their Bohemian Nomad Collection which is making me swoon with romance meets modern meets laid-back meets gorgeous dress bliss. Read More March 12, 2019 This mega-skilled photography team gives you "how did we look that good?" level wedding photography all over the U.S. If there's ever been a wedding photography team who connects with our readers, it's Atlanta-based Gemini and The Bear. The husband and wife team of Ryan and Jenevieve come with a substantial amount of experience in both photography AND wedding planning and production, so they're the moooost prepared to handle anything that comes their way — your wedding included! Let's meet the creative pair and see why they'll make your love story come to life in ways you've never imagined it could… Read More March 8, 2019 Sharing the wealth of my window shopping for fun wedding shoe clips I ended up having a bit of trouble finding wedding shoes that I loved. It then dawned on me that I'd been touting the merits of shoe clips for ages and forgot that they might just be the ticket for adding some fun to my wedding flats. Grab your favorite pair of shoes (flats, heels, loafers, boots… all can rock clips!) and get to accessorizing your feet… Read More March 5, 2019 Rainbows & gender unicorns: how LGBTQ couples are changing wedding ring rules When it comes to buying rings for weddings, LGBTQ couples are throwing out the traditions that bind them to form their own paths in ringdom. Whether you propose to each other, have matching bands, eschew rings altogether in favor of another kind of jewelry, the options for rings that represent your identity are quite literally endless. I spoke with one of our favorite custom ring creators, Joseph Jewelry, to see what trends and ideas they've been seeing in wedding jewelry that allows for more expression of who you love, what your gender is, and how you want to communicate that to world. Read More More Stuff we love > Recent Wedding 101 1.0k January 23, 2019 6 tips for making your wedding website useful AND stylish Are you engaged? YAY! I have a feeling that a lot of you are thinking about wedding hashtags and websites and social media, oh my. Weddings are way more high tech these days and a wedding website is pretty standard fare now. When I got engaged in 2018, I went on a hunt for a really slick wedding website and have a few quick hit tips to share to make your wedding website both ultra useful and seriously captivating. Read More July 12, 2018 Planning tools 101: hotel block comparison chart We launched a comprehensive and totally customizable document of wedding planning spreadsheets in Google Drive if you're the type to get down with spreadsheets like I am. Now we're sharing a chart that will help you compare hotel blocks if you're planning to provide that option to your guests. Hotel blocks allow you to block out some rooms and room rates to help guests grab a good deal on a hotel room. Read More June 27, 2018 Avoiding wedding fights: how to plan your wedding planning Your engagement should be a joyful time. You have a lifetime ahead of you with the person you love. What could be better than to celebrate that love surrounded by friends and family? And yet, somehow things go awry. Conflicts flare. And the time that should be so happy — the build-up to your wedding — is fraught with possibilities for strife. The good news is you can avoid most of the problems by planning your wedding planning. That's right. Plan how you're going to plan. Read More 2.6k April 18, 2018 I bought a colored wedding dress and now everyone's mad! What should I do? I come from a family of strict traditionalists when it comes to everything, especially weddings. I recently bought a peach wedding dress with no sleeves and expressed I wanted light blue hair and Converse to go with it. As you can imagine, things didn't go over well. When I try to stand up for my wedding choices, I'm shamed for it. Please help! Read More 4.3k March 5, 2018 Wedding dates to avoid in 2018, 2019, and beyond I'm compiling this list of wedding dates to avoid in 2018, 2019, and 2020 in case you want to avoid holidays where family and friends might have conflicting events, holidays where vendors might be especially busy and/or expensive (think Valentine's Day for florists), or religious holidays where places might be closed or guests might have other plans. Does this mean you CAN'T book your wedding for one of these days? Hell no! Read More More Wedding 101 > Offbeat Bride: your source for wedding ideas and inclusive wedding planning We've got bajillions of creative wedding ideas, DIY projects, and wedding advice to make your wedding plans easier — and even fun! What do you need to do today? I have no idea. I need Wedding Planning 101! I need a wedding planning checklist (now in an interactive version, too!) Hook me up with free wedding fonts & printables I need offbeat wedding registry ideas I'm curious about offbeat wedding themes (geeky! boho! so many!) Reporter Name * Reporter Email * Original text Enter the original text here. Edited text* Enter your suggested copyedit here. Notes You can add a note for the editor here. * Required information. Fix Typo What wedding planning advice & inspiration do you need today? Dress Eloping Engagement Ring Feminism Floral Print Geeky Harry Potter Invitation Wording Readings Ceremony Advice Fashion Wedding 101 Super cute offbeat wedding invitations @offbeatbride on Insta Newly engaged? How to keep dry during a rainy wedding day What no one tells the newly-engaged: you don't have to plan it all today! How to get a marriage license: tips and tricks for the engaged and confused Juggling wedding planning and grief So you want to have a friend officiate… The mother of all "Oh-Shit!" Kits, featuring the Decormergency Kit Break it down now: sample wedding budgets for all kinds of offbeat weddings Guest list primer: questions you must ask when making your guest list Read More > A few of our fave wedding vendors Entertainment Nation Read More Matt Schmachtenberg Photography Read More Moon River Rituals with Zita Christian, Life-Cycle Celebrant Read More Joseph Gonzalez-Dufresne Photography Read More Browse our vendor guide > Our infamous spreadsheets & checklists Planning tools 101: wedding guest seating chart planner Your offbeat-friendly interactive wedding planning checklist is available! 80+ free wedding printables: a huge list of downloadable DIY wedding projects Our GIANT list of important questions to ask wedding venues WTF is "scrumming" and how can it help you actually ENJOY wedding planning Planning tools 101: your wedding vendor contact sheet Planning tools 101: hotel block comparison chart Offbeat guide to the wedding photo shot list Get planning > We're everywhere! Follow us on social media. Get creative, offbeat wedding ideas delivered daily to your inbox! Join our newsletter SUBSCRIBE Copyright © 2003 - 2019 Offbeat Empire. All rights reserved. Unauthorized reproduction in part or in whole is prohibited. Contact us Terms of Service | Privacy Policy | Monetized by SkimLinks
March 19, 2019 A crystal ball in the woods at this creative & sustainable wedding with intention Carrie and Jason met at a fashion show 16 years ago and finally reconnected and are spending their lives together. For their beautiful fantasy-inspired and intentional wedding, they combined many….. Read More 1.4k March 18, 2019 A dark & chic Horseshoe Bend elopement at the edge of the world Jill and Bryan drove with Jill's two young children 28 hours from Chicago to Arizona to elope at Horseshoe Bend. Before the ceremony, the whole family hiked a slot canyon in their wedding attire, just to have the amazing experience and see the scenery. Jill opted to wear a beautiful black dress, and the whole family dressed to match in black with dark brown accents. Read More More Real Weddings > Recent Advice March 20, 2019 Pronouns & assumptions: Gay wedding etiquette rules every guest should follow Maybe you're a seasoned pro at attending same-sex weddings or maybe they're a new concept for you, and you don't want to be responsible for any awkwardness on someone's wedding day. It's easy to fall prey to a faux pas when it comes to saying the right things. Understand that the basics, love and respect, remain the same for both straight and LGBTQ weddings. Here are six gay wedding etiquette rules that will make you the couple's favorite… Read More 1.2k February 13, 2019 How to plan a more ethical wedding (including an edible bouquet!) When I was preparing for my own wedding I started thinking: how could we do this more ethically? The very nature of a wedding being a one day event, and in many cases an extravaganza of guests and details and expense, means that inevitably there are waste issues, or worries about whether certain things are "worth it." So, how can we do things more ethically? What should we look for in an ethical supplier? How do we do the very best that we can do? Read More 1.0k January 23, 2019 6 tips for making your wedding website useful AND stylish Are you engaged? YAY! I have a feeling that a lot of you are thinking about wedding hashtags and websites and social media, oh my. Weddings are way more high tech these days and a wedding website is pretty standard fare now. When I got engaged in 2018, I went on a hunt for a really slick wedding website and have a few quick hit tips to share to make your wedding website both ultra useful and seriously captivating. Read More October 17, 2018 How to avoid your email save-the-date going to spam My partner and I decided to send out email save-the-dates instead of a physical card. I do, however, have a warning for you if you are planning on going the green route with your save-the-date by sending out electronic ones. If you send an email with an image, you may hit your guests' spam folders. Here are some pros and cons of going green with your save-the-dates and how you can avoid your save-the-date going to spam… Read More October 3, 2018 Our delicious unity beer ceremony was… hopping (plus our ceremony wording!) Craft beer has been such a huge part of our relationship that when we were planning our wedding (featured here!), we wanted to include it somehow. I suggested a unity beer ceremony, but we couldn't find any wording online that we liked. We ended up creating our own from scratch, complete with our own unique brand of humor. Read More 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 March 22, 2019 Tons of dazzling colored gemstone rings for every kind of couple Diamonds may have been a girl's best friend, but we're branching out in all kinds of colorful ways these days. While it's all good if you want to snag a diamond ring, you also don't have to feel locked in to it AT ALL. One of our fave jewelry artisan partners, Metalicious, specializes in all things alternative when it comes to gemstones so I went down the rabbit hole to see what stunning sparklies we could find in colored gemstones, diamond alternatives, and even snazzy alternative metals for wedding bands. Read More March 19, 2019 Heart eyes for the lace, statement sleeves, and fringe of this dreamy bohemian dress collection (& a pop-up shop event in NYC!) The last time we featured some of the fabulous wedding gowns from our partner CocoMelody, y'all went wild. Their collections of ready-to-wear and custom styles (made to fit YOU!) are colorful, diverse, super well-made, and available in extensive sizes. It's that super rare dress source that actually gets offbeat readers. Let's peek at their Bohemian Nomad Collection which is making me swoon with romance meets modern meets laid-back meets gorgeous dress bliss. Read More March 12, 2019 This mega-skilled photography team gives you "how did we look that good?" level wedding photography all over the U.S. If there's ever been a wedding photography team who connects with our readers, it's Atlanta-based Gemini and The Bear. The husband and wife team of Ryan and Jenevieve come with a substantial amount of experience in both photography AND wedding planning and production, so they're the moooost prepared to handle anything that comes their way — your wedding included! Let's meet the creative pair and see why they'll make your love story come to life in ways you've never imagined it could… Read More March 8, 2019 Sharing the wealth of my window shopping for fun wedding shoe clips I ended up having a bit of trouble finding wedding shoes that I loved. It then dawned on me that I'd been touting the merits of shoe clips for ages and forgot that they might just be the ticket for adding some fun to my wedding flats. Grab your favorite pair of shoes (flats, heels, loafers, boots… all can rock clips!) and get to accessorizing your feet… Read More March 5, 2019 Rainbows & gender unicorns: how LGBTQ couples are changing wedding ring rules When it comes to buying rings for weddings, LGBTQ couples are throwing out the traditions that bind them to form their own paths in ringdom. Whether you propose to each other, have matching bands, eschew rings altogether in favor of another kind of jewelry, the options for rings that represent your identity are quite literally endless. I spoke with one of our favorite custom ring creators, Joseph Jewelry, to see what trends and ideas they've been seeing in wedding jewelry that allows for more expression of who you love, what your gender is, and how you want to communicate that to world. Read More More Stuff we love > Recent Wedding 101 1.0k January 23, 2019 6 tips for making your wedding website useful AND stylish Are you engaged? YAY! I have a feeling that a lot of you are thinking about wedding hashtags and websites and social media, oh my. Weddings are way more high tech these days and a wedding website is pretty standard fare now. When I got engaged in 2018, I went on a hunt for a really slick wedding website and have a few quick hit tips to share to make your wedding website both ultra useful and seriously captivating. Read More July 12, 2018 Planning tools 101: hotel block comparison chart We launched a comprehensive and totally customizable document of wedding planning spreadsheets in Google Drive if you're the type to get down with spreadsheets like I am. Now we're sharing a chart that will help you compare hotel blocks if you're planning to provide that option to your guests. Hotel blocks allow you to block out some rooms and room rates to help guests grab a good deal on a hotel room. Read More June 27, 2018 Avoiding wedding fights: how to plan your wedding planning Your engagement should be a joyful time. You have a lifetime ahead of you with the person you love. What could be better than to celebrate that love surrounded by friends and family? And yet, somehow things go awry. Conflicts flare. And the time that should be so happy — the build-up to your wedding — is fraught with possibilities for strife. The good news is you can avoid most of the problems by planning your wedding planning. That's right. Plan how you're going to plan. Read More 2.6k April 18, 2018 I bought a colored wedding dress and now everyone's mad! What should I do? I come from a family of strict traditionalists when it comes to everything, especially weddings. I recently bought a peach wedding dress with no sleeves and expressed I wanted light blue hair and Converse to go with it. As you can imagine, things didn't go over well. When I try to stand up for my wedding choices, I'm shamed for it. Please help! Read More 4.3k March 5, 2018 Wedding dates to avoid in 2018, 2019, and beyond I'm compiling this list of wedding dates to avoid in 2018, 2019, and 2020 in case you want to avoid holidays where family and friends might have conflicting events, holidays where vendors might be especially busy and/or expensive (think Valentine's Day for florists), or religious holidays where places might be closed or guests might have other plans. Does this mean you CAN'T book your wedding for one of these days? Hell no! Read More More Wedding 101 > Offbeat Bride: your source for wedding ideas and inclusive wedding planning We've got bajillions of creative wedding ideas, DIY projects, and wedding advice to make your wedding plans easier — and even fun! What do you need to do today? I have no idea. I need Wedding Planning 101! I need a wedding planning checklist (now in an interactive version, too!) Hook me up with free wedding fonts & printables I need offbeat wedding registry ideas I'm curious about offbeat wedding themes (geeky! boho! so many!) Reporter Name * Reporter Email * Original text Enter the original text here. Edited text* Enter your suggested copyedit here. Notes You can add a note for the editor here. * Required information. Fix Typo What wedding planning advice & inspiration do you need today? Dress Eloping Engagement Ring Feminism Floral Print Geeky Harry Potter Invitation Wording Readings Ceremony Advice Fashion Wedding 101 Super cute offbeat wedding invitations @offbeatbride on Insta Newly engaged? How to keep dry during a rainy wedding day What no one tells the newly-engaged: you don't have to plan it all today! How to get a marriage license: tips and tricks for the engaged and confused Juggling wedding planning and grief So you want to have a friend officiate… The mother of all "Oh-Shit!" Kits, featuring the Decormergency Kit Break it down now: sample wedding budgets for all kinds of offbeat weddings Guest list primer: questions you must ask when making your guest list Read More > A few of our fave wedding vendors Entertainment Nation Read More Matt Schmachtenberg Photography Read More Moon River Rituals with Zita Christian, Life-Cycle Celebrant Read More Joseph Gonzalez-Dufresne Photography Read More Browse our vendor guide > Our infamous spreadsheets & checklists Planning tools 101: wedding guest seating chart planner Your offbeat-friendly interactive wedding planning checklist is available! 80+ free wedding printables: a huge list of downloadable DIY wedding projects Our GIANT list of important questions to ask wedding venues WTF is "scrumming" and how can it help you actually ENJOY wedding planning Planning tools 101: your wedding vendor contact sheet Planning tools 101: hotel block comparison chart Offbeat guide to the wedding photo shot list Get planning > We're everywhere! Follow us on social media. Get creative, offbeat wedding ideas delivered daily to your inbox! Join our newsletter SUBSCRIBE Copyright © 2003 - 2019 Offbeat Empire. All rights reserved. Unauthorized reproduction in part or in whole is prohibited. Contact us Terms of Service | Privacy Policy | Monetized by SkimLinks
1.4k March 18, 2019 A dark & chic Horseshoe Bend elopement at the edge of the world Jill and Bryan drove with Jill's two young children 28 hours from Chicago to Arizona to elope at Horseshoe Bend. Before the ceremony, the whole family hiked a slot canyon in their wedding attire, just to have the amazing experience and see the scenery. Jill opted to wear a beautiful black dress, and the whole family dressed to match in black with dark brown accents. Read More More Real Weddings > Recent Advice March 20, 2019 Pronouns & assumptions: Gay wedding etiquette rules every guest should follow Maybe you're a seasoned pro at attending same-sex weddings or maybe they're a new concept for you, and you don't want to be responsible for any awkwardness on someone's wedding day. It's easy to fall prey to a faux pas when it comes to saying the right things. Understand that the basics, love and respect, remain the same for both straight and LGBTQ weddings. Here are six gay wedding etiquette rules that will make you the couple's favorite… Read More 1.2k February 13, 2019 How to plan a more ethical wedding (including an edible bouquet!) When I was preparing for my own wedding I started thinking: how could we do this more ethically? The very nature of a wedding being a one day event, and in many cases an extravaganza of guests and details and expense, means that inevitably there are waste issues, or worries about whether certain things are "worth it." So, how can we do things more ethically? What should we look for in an ethical supplier? How do we do the very best that we can do? Read More 1.0k January 23, 2019 6 tips for making your wedding website useful AND stylish Are you engaged? YAY! I have a feeling that a lot of you are thinking about wedding hashtags and websites and social media, oh my. Weddings are way more high tech these days and a wedding website is pretty standard fare now. When I got engaged in 2018, I went on a hunt for a really slick wedding website and have a few quick hit tips to share to make your wedding website both ultra useful and seriously captivating. Read More October 17, 2018 How to avoid your email save-the-date going to spam My partner and I decided to send out email save-the-dates instead of a physical card. I do, however, have a warning for you if you are planning on going the green route with your save-the-date by sending out electronic ones. If you send an email with an image, you may hit your guests' spam folders. Here are some pros and cons of going green with your save-the-dates and how you can avoid your save-the-date going to spam… Read More October 3, 2018 Our delicious unity beer ceremony was… hopping (plus our ceremony wording!) Craft beer has been such a huge part of our relationship that when we were planning our wedding (featured here!), we wanted to include it somehow. I suggested a unity beer ceremony, but we couldn't find any wording online that we liked. We ended up creating our own from scratch, complete with our own unique brand of humor. Read More 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 March 22, 2019 Tons of dazzling colored gemstone rings for every kind of couple Diamonds may have been a girl's best friend, but we're branching out in all kinds of colorful ways these days. While it's all good if you want to snag a diamond ring, you also don't have to feel locked in to it AT ALL. One of our fave jewelry artisan partners, Metalicious, specializes in all things alternative when it comes to gemstones so I went down the rabbit hole to see what stunning sparklies we could find in colored gemstones, diamond alternatives, and even snazzy alternative metals for wedding bands. Read More March 19, 2019 Heart eyes for the lace, statement sleeves, and fringe of this dreamy bohemian dress collection (& a pop-up shop event in NYC!) The last time we featured some of the fabulous wedding gowns from our partner CocoMelody, y'all went wild. Their collections of ready-to-wear and custom styles (made to fit YOU!) are colorful, diverse, super well-made, and available in extensive sizes. It's that super rare dress source that actually gets offbeat readers. Let's peek at their Bohemian Nomad Collection which is making me swoon with romance meets modern meets laid-back meets gorgeous dress bliss. Read More March 12, 2019 This mega-skilled photography team gives you "how did we look that good?" level wedding photography all over the U.S. If there's ever been a wedding photography team who connects with our readers, it's Atlanta-based Gemini and The Bear. The husband and wife team of Ryan and Jenevieve come with a substantial amount of experience in both photography AND wedding planning and production, so they're the moooost prepared to handle anything that comes their way — your wedding included! Let's meet the creative pair and see why they'll make your love story come to life in ways you've never imagined it could… Read More March 8, 2019 Sharing the wealth of my window shopping for fun wedding shoe clips I ended up having a bit of trouble finding wedding shoes that I loved. It then dawned on me that I'd been touting the merits of shoe clips for ages and forgot that they might just be the ticket for adding some fun to my wedding flats. Grab your favorite pair of shoes (flats, heels, loafers, boots… all can rock clips!) and get to accessorizing your feet… Read More March 5, 2019 Rainbows & gender unicorns: how LGBTQ couples are changing wedding ring rules When it comes to buying rings for weddings, LGBTQ couples are throwing out the traditions that bind them to form their own paths in ringdom. Whether you propose to each other, have matching bands, eschew rings altogether in favor of another kind of jewelry, the options for rings that represent your identity are quite literally endless. I spoke with one of our favorite custom ring creators, Joseph Jewelry, to see what trends and ideas they've been seeing in wedding jewelry that allows for more expression of who you love, what your gender is, and how you want to communicate that to world. Read More More Stuff we love > Recent Wedding 101 1.0k January 23, 2019 6 tips for making your wedding website useful AND stylish Are you engaged? YAY! I have a feeling that a lot of you are thinking about wedding hashtags and websites and social media, oh my. Weddings are way more high tech these days and a wedding website is pretty standard fare now. When I got engaged in 2018, I went on a hunt for a really slick wedding website and have a few quick hit tips to share to make your wedding website both ultra useful and seriously captivating. Read More July 12, 2018 Planning tools 101: hotel block comparison chart We launched a comprehensive and totally customizable document of wedding planning spreadsheets in Google Drive if you're the type to get down with spreadsheets like I am. Now we're sharing a chart that will help you compare hotel blocks if you're planning to provide that option to your guests. Hotel blocks allow you to block out some rooms and room rates to help guests grab a good deal on a hotel room. Read More June 27, 2018 Avoiding wedding fights: how to plan your wedding planning Your engagement should be a joyful time. You have a lifetime ahead of you with the person you love. What could be better than to celebrate that love surrounded by friends and family? And yet, somehow things go awry. Conflicts flare. And the time that should be so happy — the build-up to your wedding — is fraught with possibilities for strife. The good news is you can avoid most of the problems by planning your wedding planning. That's right. Plan how you're going to plan. Read More 2.6k April 18, 2018 I bought a colored wedding dress and now everyone's mad! What should I do? I come from a family of strict traditionalists when it comes to everything, especially weddings. I recently bought a peach wedding dress with no sleeves and expressed I wanted light blue hair and Converse to go with it. As you can imagine, things didn't go over well. When I try to stand up for my wedding choices, I'm shamed for it. Please help! Read More 4.3k March 5, 2018 Wedding dates to avoid in 2018, 2019, and beyond I'm compiling this list of wedding dates to avoid in 2018, 2019, and 2020 in case you want to avoid holidays where family and friends might have conflicting events, holidays where vendors might be especially busy and/or expensive (think Valentine's Day for florists), or religious holidays where places might be closed or guests might have other plans. Does this mean you CAN'T book your wedding for one of these days? Hell no! Read More More Wedding 101 > Offbeat Bride: your source for wedding ideas and inclusive wedding planning We've got bajillions of creative wedding ideas, DIY projects, and wedding advice to make your wedding plans easier — and even fun! What do you need to do today? I have no idea. I need Wedding Planning 101! I need a wedding planning checklist (now in an interactive version, too!) Hook me up with free wedding fonts & printables I need offbeat wedding registry ideas I'm curious about offbeat wedding themes (geeky! boho! so many!) Reporter Name * Reporter Email * Original text Enter the original text here. Edited text* Enter your suggested copyedit here. Notes You can add a note for the editor here. * Required information. Fix Typo What wedding planning advice & inspiration do you need today? Dress Eloping Engagement Ring Feminism Floral Print Geeky Harry Potter Invitation Wording Readings Ceremony Advice Fashion Wedding 101 Super cute offbeat wedding invitations @offbeatbride on Insta Newly engaged? How to keep dry during a rainy wedding day What no one tells the newly-engaged: you don't have to plan it all today! How to get a marriage license: tips and tricks for the engaged and confused Juggling wedding planning and grief So you want to have a friend officiate… The mother of all "Oh-Shit!" Kits, featuring the Decormergency Kit Break it down now: sample wedding budgets for all kinds of offbeat weddings Guest list primer: questions you must ask when making your guest list Read More > A few of our fave wedding vendors Entertainment Nation Read More Matt Schmachtenberg Photography Read More Moon River Rituals with Zita Christian, Life-Cycle Celebrant Read More Joseph Gonzalez-Dufresne Photography Read More Browse our vendor guide > Our infamous spreadsheets & checklists Planning tools 101: wedding guest seating chart planner Your offbeat-friendly interactive wedding planning checklist is available! 80+ free wedding printables: a huge list of downloadable DIY wedding projects Our GIANT list of important questions to ask wedding venues WTF is "scrumming" and how can it help you actually ENJOY wedding planning Planning tools 101: your wedding vendor contact sheet Planning tools 101: hotel block comparison chart Offbeat guide to the wedding photo shot list Get planning > We're everywhere! Follow us on social media. Get creative, offbeat wedding ideas delivered daily to your inbox! Join our newsletter SUBSCRIBE Copyright © 2003 - 2019 Offbeat Empire. All rights reserved. Unauthorized reproduction in part or in whole is prohibited. Contact us Terms of Service | Privacy Policy | Monetized by SkimLinks
March 20, 2019 Pronouns & assumptions: Gay wedding etiquette rules every guest should follow Maybe you're a seasoned pro at attending same-sex weddings or maybe they're a new concept for you, and you don't want to be responsible for any awkwardness on someone's wedding day. It's easy to fall prey to a faux pas when it comes to saying the right things. Understand that the basics, love and respect, remain the same for both straight and LGBTQ weddings. Here are six gay wedding etiquette rules that will make you the couple's favorite… Read More 1.2k February 13, 2019 How to plan a more ethical wedding (including an edible bouquet!) When I was preparing for my own wedding I started thinking: how could we do this more ethically? The very nature of a wedding being a one day event, and in many cases an extravaganza of guests and details and expense, means that inevitably there are waste issues, or worries about whether certain things are "worth it." So, how can we do things more ethically? What should we look for in an ethical supplier? How do we do the very best that we can do? Read More 1.0k January 23, 2019 6 tips for making your wedding website useful AND stylish Are you engaged? YAY! I have a feeling that a lot of you are thinking about wedding hashtags and websites and social media, oh my. Weddings are way more high tech these days and a wedding website is pretty standard fare now. When I got engaged in 2018, I went on a hunt for a really slick wedding website and have a few quick hit tips to share to make your wedding website both ultra useful and seriously captivating. Read More October 17, 2018 How to avoid your email save-the-date going to spam My partner and I decided to send out email save-the-dates instead of a physical card. I do, however, have a warning for you if you are planning on going the green route with your save-the-date by sending out electronic ones. If you send an email with an image, you may hit your guests' spam folders. Here are some pros and cons of going green with your save-the-dates and how you can avoid your save-the-date going to spam… Read More October 3, 2018 Our delicious unity beer ceremony was… hopping (plus our ceremony wording!) Craft beer has been such a huge part of our relationship that when we were planning our wedding (featured here!), we wanted to include it somehow. I suggested a unity beer ceremony, but we couldn't find any wording online that we liked. We ended up creating our own from scratch, complete with our own unique brand of humor. Read More 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 March 22, 2019 Tons of dazzling colored gemstone rings for every kind of couple Diamonds may have been a girl's best friend, but we're branching out in all kinds of colorful ways these days. While it's all good if you want to snag a diamond ring, you also don't have to feel locked in to it AT ALL. One of our fave jewelry artisan partners, Metalicious, specializes in all things alternative when it comes to gemstones so I went down the rabbit hole to see what stunning sparklies we could find in colored gemstones, diamond alternatives, and even snazzy alternative metals for wedding bands. Read More March 19, 2019 Heart eyes for the lace, statement sleeves, and fringe of this dreamy bohemian dress collection (& a pop-up shop event in NYC!) The last time we featured some of the fabulous wedding gowns from our partner CocoMelody, y'all went wild. Their collections of ready-to-wear and custom styles (made to fit YOU!) are colorful, diverse, super well-made, and available in extensive sizes. It's that super rare dress source that actually gets offbeat readers. Let's peek at their Bohemian Nomad Collection which is making me swoon with romance meets modern meets laid-back meets gorgeous dress bliss. Read More March 12, 2019 This mega-skilled photography team gives you "how did we look that good?" level wedding photography all over the U.S. If there's ever been a wedding photography team who connects with our readers, it's Atlanta-based Gemini and The Bear. The husband and wife team of Ryan and Jenevieve come with a substantial amount of experience in both photography AND wedding planning and production, so they're the moooost prepared to handle anything that comes their way — your wedding included! Let's meet the creative pair and see why they'll make your love story come to life in ways you've never imagined it could… Read More March 8, 2019 Sharing the wealth of my window shopping for fun wedding shoe clips I ended up having a bit of trouble finding wedding shoes that I loved. It then dawned on me that I'd been touting the merits of shoe clips for ages and forgot that they might just be the ticket for adding some fun to my wedding flats. Grab your favorite pair of shoes (flats, heels, loafers, boots… all can rock clips!) and get to accessorizing your feet… Read More March 5, 2019 Rainbows & gender unicorns: how LGBTQ couples are changing wedding ring rules When it comes to buying rings for weddings, LGBTQ couples are throwing out the traditions that bind them to form their own paths in ringdom. Whether you propose to each other, have matching bands, eschew rings altogether in favor of another kind of jewelry, the options for rings that represent your identity are quite literally endless. I spoke with one of our favorite custom ring creators, Joseph Jewelry, to see what trends and ideas they've been seeing in wedding jewelry that allows for more expression of who you love, what your gender is, and how you want to communicate that to world. Read More More Stuff we love > Recent Wedding 101 1.0k January 23, 2019 6 tips for making your wedding website useful AND stylish Are you engaged? YAY! I have a feeling that a lot of you are thinking about wedding hashtags and websites and social media, oh my. Weddings are way more high tech these days and a wedding website is pretty standard fare now. When I got engaged in 2018, I went on a hunt for a really slick wedding website and have a few quick hit tips to share to make your wedding website both ultra useful and seriously captivating. Read More July 12, 2018 Planning tools 101: hotel block comparison chart We launched a comprehensive and totally customizable document of wedding planning spreadsheets in Google Drive if you're the type to get down with spreadsheets like I am. Now we're sharing a chart that will help you compare hotel blocks if you're planning to provide that option to your guests. Hotel blocks allow you to block out some rooms and room rates to help guests grab a good deal on a hotel room. Read More June 27, 2018 Avoiding wedding fights: how to plan your wedding planning Your engagement should be a joyful time. You have a lifetime ahead of you with the person you love. What could be better than to celebrate that love surrounded by friends and family? And yet, somehow things go awry. Conflicts flare. And the time that should be so happy — the build-up to your wedding — is fraught with possibilities for strife. The good news is you can avoid most of the problems by planning your wedding planning. That's right. Plan how you're going to plan. Read More 2.6k April 18, 2018 I bought a colored wedding dress and now everyone's mad! What should I do? I come from a family of strict traditionalists when it comes to everything, especially weddings. I recently bought a peach wedding dress with no sleeves and expressed I wanted light blue hair and Converse to go with it. As you can imagine, things didn't go over well. When I try to stand up for my wedding choices, I'm shamed for it. Please help! Read More 4.3k March 5, 2018 Wedding dates to avoid in 2018, 2019, and beyond I'm compiling this list of wedding dates to avoid in 2018, 2019, and 2020 in case you want to avoid holidays where family and friends might have conflicting events, holidays where vendors might be especially busy and/or expensive (think Valentine's Day for florists), or religious holidays where places might be closed or guests might have other plans. Does this mean you CAN'T book your wedding for one of these days? Hell no! Read More More Wedding 101 > Offbeat Bride: your source for wedding ideas and inclusive wedding planning We've got bajillions of creative wedding ideas, DIY projects, and wedding advice to make your wedding plans easier — and even fun! What do you need to do today? I have no idea. I need Wedding Planning 101! I need a wedding planning checklist (now in an interactive version, too!) Hook me up with free wedding fonts & printables I need offbeat wedding registry ideas I'm curious about offbeat wedding themes (geeky! boho! so many!) Reporter Name * Reporter Email * Original text Enter the original text here. Edited text* Enter your suggested copyedit here. Notes You can add a note for the editor here. * Required information. Fix Typo What wedding planning advice & inspiration do you need today? Dress Eloping Engagement Ring Feminism Floral Print Geeky Harry Potter Invitation Wording Readings Ceremony Advice Fashion Wedding 101 Super cute offbeat wedding invitations @offbeatbride on Insta Newly engaged? How to keep dry during a rainy wedding day What no one tells the newly-engaged: you don't have to plan it all today! How to get a marriage license: tips and tricks for the engaged and confused Juggling wedding planning and grief So you want to have a friend officiate… The mother of all "Oh-Shit!" Kits, featuring the Decormergency Kit Break it down now: sample wedding budgets for all kinds of offbeat weddings Guest list primer: questions you must ask when making your guest list Read More > A few of our fave wedding vendors Entertainment Nation Read More Matt Schmachtenberg Photography Read More Moon River Rituals with Zita Christian, Life-Cycle Celebrant Read More Joseph Gonzalez-Dufresne Photography Read More Browse our vendor guide > Our infamous spreadsheets & checklists Planning tools 101: wedding guest seating chart planner Your offbeat-friendly interactive wedding planning checklist is available! 80+ free wedding printables: a huge list of downloadable DIY wedding projects Our GIANT list of important questions to ask wedding venues WTF is "scrumming" and how can it help you actually ENJOY wedding planning Planning tools 101: your wedding vendor contact sheet Planning tools 101: hotel block comparison chart Offbeat guide to the wedding photo shot list Get planning > We're everywhere! Follow us on social media. Get creative, offbeat wedding ideas delivered daily to your inbox! Join our newsletter SUBSCRIBE Copyright © 2003 - 2019 Offbeat Empire. All rights reserved. Unauthorized reproduction in part or in whole is prohibited. Contact us Terms of Service | Privacy Policy | Monetized by SkimLinks
1.2k February 13, 2019 How to plan a more ethical wedding (including an edible bouquet!) When I was preparing for my own wedding I started thinking: how could we do this more ethically? The very nature of a wedding being a one day event, and in many cases an extravaganza of guests and details and expense, means that inevitably there are waste issues, or worries about whether certain things are "worth it." So, how can we do things more ethically? What should we look for in an ethical supplier? How do we do the very best that we can do? Read More 1.0k January 23, 2019 6 tips for making your wedding website useful AND stylish Are you engaged? YAY! I have a feeling that a lot of you are thinking about wedding hashtags and websites and social media, oh my. Weddings are way more high tech these days and a wedding website is pretty standard fare now. When I got engaged in 2018, I went on a hunt for a really slick wedding website and have a few quick hit tips to share to make your wedding website both ultra useful and seriously captivating. Read More October 17, 2018 How to avoid your email save-the-date going to spam My partner and I decided to send out email save-the-dates instead of a physical card. I do, however, have a warning for you if you are planning on going the green route with your save-the-date by sending out electronic ones. If you send an email with an image, you may hit your guests' spam folders. Here are some pros and cons of going green with your save-the-dates and how you can avoid your save-the-date going to spam… Read More October 3, 2018 Our delicious unity beer ceremony was… hopping (plus our ceremony wording!) Craft beer has been such a huge part of our relationship that when we were planning our wedding (featured here!), we wanted to include it somehow. I suggested a unity beer ceremony, but we couldn't find any wording online that we liked. We ended up creating our own from scratch, complete with our own unique brand of humor. Read More 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 March 22, 2019 Tons of dazzling colored gemstone rings for every kind of couple Diamonds may have been a girl's best friend, but we're branching out in all kinds of colorful ways these days. While it's all good if you want to snag a diamond ring, you also don't have to feel locked in to it AT ALL. One of our fave jewelry artisan partners, Metalicious, specializes in all things alternative when it comes to gemstones so I went down the rabbit hole to see what stunning sparklies we could find in colored gemstones, diamond alternatives, and even snazzy alternative metals for wedding bands. Read More March 19, 2019 Heart eyes for the lace, statement sleeves, and fringe of this dreamy bohemian dress collection (& a pop-up shop event in NYC!) The last time we featured some of the fabulous wedding gowns from our partner CocoMelody, y'all went wild. Their collections of ready-to-wear and custom styles (made to fit YOU!) are colorful, diverse, super well-made, and available in extensive sizes. It's that super rare dress source that actually gets offbeat readers. Let's peek at their Bohemian Nomad Collection which is making me swoon with romance meets modern meets laid-back meets gorgeous dress bliss. Read More March 12, 2019 This mega-skilled photography team gives you "how did we look that good?" level wedding photography all over the U.S. If there's ever been a wedding photography team who connects with our readers, it's Atlanta-based Gemini and The Bear. The husband and wife team of Ryan and Jenevieve come with a substantial amount of experience in both photography AND wedding planning and production, so they're the moooost prepared to handle anything that comes their way — your wedding included! Let's meet the creative pair and see why they'll make your love story come to life in ways you've never imagined it could… Read More March 8, 2019 Sharing the wealth of my window shopping for fun wedding shoe clips I ended up having a bit of trouble finding wedding shoes that I loved. It then dawned on me that I'd been touting the merits of shoe clips for ages and forgot that they might just be the ticket for adding some fun to my wedding flats. Grab your favorite pair of shoes (flats, heels, loafers, boots… all can rock clips!) and get to accessorizing your feet… Read More March 5, 2019 Rainbows & gender unicorns: how LGBTQ couples are changing wedding ring rules When it comes to buying rings for weddings, LGBTQ couples are throwing out the traditions that bind them to form their own paths in ringdom. Whether you propose to each other, have matching bands, eschew rings altogether in favor of another kind of jewelry, the options for rings that represent your identity are quite literally endless. I spoke with one of our favorite custom ring creators, Joseph Jewelry, to see what trends and ideas they've been seeing in wedding jewelry that allows for more expression of who you love, what your gender is, and how you want to communicate that to world. Read More More Stuff we love > Recent Wedding 101 1.0k January 23, 2019 6 tips for making your wedding website useful AND stylish Are you engaged? YAY! I have a feeling that a lot of you are thinking about wedding hashtags and websites and social media, oh my. Weddings are way more high tech these days and a wedding website is pretty standard fare now. When I got engaged in 2018, I went on a hunt for a really slick wedding website and have a few quick hit tips to share to make your wedding website both ultra useful and seriously captivating. Read More July 12, 2018 Planning tools 101: hotel block comparison chart We launched a comprehensive and totally customizable document of wedding planning spreadsheets in Google Drive if you're the type to get down with spreadsheets like I am. Now we're sharing a chart that will help you compare hotel blocks if you're planning to provide that option to your guests. Hotel blocks allow you to block out some rooms and room rates to help guests grab a good deal on a hotel room. Read More June 27, 2018 Avoiding wedding fights: how to plan your wedding planning Your engagement should be a joyful time. You have a lifetime ahead of you with the person you love. What could be better than to celebrate that love surrounded by friends and family? And yet, somehow things go awry. Conflicts flare. And the time that should be so happy — the build-up to your wedding — is fraught with possibilities for strife. The good news is you can avoid most of the problems by planning your wedding planning. That's right. Plan how you're going to plan. Read More 2.6k April 18, 2018 I bought a colored wedding dress and now everyone's mad! What should I do? I come from a family of strict traditionalists when it comes to everything, especially weddings. I recently bought a peach wedding dress with no sleeves and expressed I wanted light blue hair and Converse to go with it. As you can imagine, things didn't go over well. When I try to stand up for my wedding choices, I'm shamed for it. Please help! Read More 4.3k March 5, 2018 Wedding dates to avoid in 2018, 2019, and beyond I'm compiling this list of wedding dates to avoid in 2018, 2019, and 2020 in case you want to avoid holidays where family and friends might have conflicting events, holidays where vendors might be especially busy and/or expensive (think Valentine's Day for florists), or religious holidays where places might be closed or guests might have other plans. Does this mean you CAN'T book your wedding for one of these days? Hell no! Read More More Wedding 101 > Offbeat Bride: your source for wedding ideas and inclusive wedding planning We've got bajillions of creative wedding ideas, DIY projects, and wedding advice to make your wedding plans easier — and even fun! What do you need to do today? I have no idea. I need Wedding Planning 101! I need a wedding planning checklist (now in an interactive version, too!) Hook me up with free wedding fonts & printables I need offbeat wedding registry ideas I'm curious about offbeat wedding themes (geeky! boho! so many!) Reporter Name * Reporter Email * Original text Enter the original text here. Edited text* Enter your suggested copyedit here. Notes You can add a note for the editor here. * Required information. Fix Typo What wedding planning advice & inspiration do you need today? Dress Eloping Engagement Ring Feminism Floral Print Geeky Harry Potter Invitation Wording Readings Ceremony Advice Fashion Wedding 101 Super cute offbeat wedding invitations @offbeatbride on Insta Newly engaged? How to keep dry during a rainy wedding day What no one tells the newly-engaged: you don't have to plan it all today! How to get a marriage license: tips and tricks for the engaged and confused Juggling wedding planning and grief So you want to have a friend officiate… The mother of all "Oh-Shit!" Kits, featuring the Decormergency Kit Break it down now: sample wedding budgets for all kinds of offbeat weddings Guest list primer: questions you must ask when making your guest list Read More > A few of our fave wedding vendors Entertainment Nation Read More Matt Schmachtenberg Photography Read More Moon River Rituals with Zita Christian, Life-Cycle Celebrant Read More Joseph Gonzalez-Dufresne Photography Read More Browse our vendor guide > Our infamous spreadsheets & checklists Planning tools 101: wedding guest seating chart planner Your offbeat-friendly interactive wedding planning checklist is available! 80+ free wedding printables: a huge list of downloadable DIY wedding projects Our GIANT list of important questions to ask wedding venues WTF is "scrumming" and how can it help you actually ENJOY wedding planning Planning tools 101: your wedding vendor contact sheet Planning tools 101: hotel block comparison chart Offbeat guide to the wedding photo shot list Get planning > We're everywhere! Follow us on social media. Get creative, offbeat wedding ideas delivered daily to your inbox! Join our newsletter SUBSCRIBE Copyright © 2003 - 2019 Offbeat Empire. All rights reserved. Unauthorized reproduction in part or in whole is prohibited. Contact us Terms of Service | Privacy Policy | Monetized by SkimLinks
1.0k January 23, 2019 6 tips for making your wedding website useful AND stylish Are you engaged? YAY! I have a feeling that a lot of you are thinking about wedding hashtags and websites and social media, oh my. Weddings are way more high tech these days and a wedding website is pretty standard fare now. When I got engaged in 2018, I went on a hunt for a really slick wedding website and have a few quick hit tips to share to make your wedding website both ultra useful and seriously captivating. Read More October 17, 2018 How to avoid your email save-the-date going to spam My partner and I decided to send out email save-the-dates instead of a physical card. I do, however, have a warning for you if you are planning on going the green route with your save-the-date by sending out electronic ones. If you send an email with an image, you may hit your guests' spam folders. Here are some pros and cons of going green with your save-the-dates and how you can avoid your save-the-date going to spam… Read More October 3, 2018 Our delicious unity beer ceremony was… hopping (plus our ceremony wording!) Craft beer has been such a huge part of our relationship that when we were planning our wedding (featured here!), we wanted to include it somehow. I suggested a unity beer ceremony, but we couldn't find any wording online that we liked. We ended up creating our own from scratch, complete with our own unique brand of humor. Read More 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 March 22, 2019 Tons of dazzling colored gemstone rings for every kind of couple Diamonds may have been a girl's best friend, but we're branching out in all kinds of colorful ways these days. While it's all good if you want to snag a diamond ring, you also don't have to feel locked in to it AT ALL. One of our fave jewelry artisan partners, Metalicious, specializes in all things alternative when it comes to gemstones so I went down the rabbit hole to see what stunning sparklies we could find in colored gemstones, diamond alternatives, and even snazzy alternative metals for wedding bands. Read More March 19, 2019 Heart eyes for the lace, statement sleeves, and fringe of this dreamy bohemian dress collection (& a pop-up shop event in NYC!) The last time we featured some of the fabulous wedding gowns from our partner CocoMelody, y'all went wild. Their collections of ready-to-wear and custom styles (made to fit YOU!) are colorful, diverse, super well-made, and available in extensive sizes. It's that super rare dress source that actually gets offbeat readers. Let's peek at their Bohemian Nomad Collection which is making me swoon with romance meets modern meets laid-back meets gorgeous dress bliss. Read More March 12, 2019 This mega-skilled photography team gives you "how did we look that good?" level wedding photography all over the U.S. If there's ever been a wedding photography team who connects with our readers, it's Atlanta-based Gemini and The Bear. The husband and wife team of Ryan and Jenevieve come with a substantial amount of experience in both photography AND wedding planning and production, so they're the moooost prepared to handle anything that comes their way — your wedding included! Let's meet the creative pair and see why they'll make your love story come to life in ways you've never imagined it could… Read More March 8, 2019 Sharing the wealth of my window shopping for fun wedding shoe clips I ended up having a bit of trouble finding wedding shoes that I loved. It then dawned on me that I'd been touting the merits of shoe clips for ages and forgot that they might just be the ticket for adding some fun to my wedding flats. Grab your favorite pair of shoes (flats, heels, loafers, boots… all can rock clips!) and get to accessorizing your feet… Read More March 5, 2019 Rainbows & gender unicorns: how LGBTQ couples are changing wedding ring rules When it comes to buying rings for weddings, LGBTQ couples are throwing out the traditions that bind them to form their own paths in ringdom. Whether you propose to each other, have matching bands, eschew rings altogether in favor of another kind of jewelry, the options for rings that represent your identity are quite literally endless. I spoke with one of our favorite custom ring creators, Joseph Jewelry, to see what trends and ideas they've been seeing in wedding jewelry that allows for more expression of who you love, what your gender is, and how you want to communicate that to world. Read More More Stuff we love > Recent Wedding 101 1.0k January 23, 2019 6 tips for making your wedding website useful AND stylish Are you engaged? YAY! I have a feeling that a lot of you are thinking about wedding hashtags and websites and social media, oh my. Weddings are way more high tech these days and a wedding website is pretty standard fare now. When I got engaged in 2018, I went on a hunt for a really slick wedding website and have a few quick hit tips to share to make your wedding website both ultra useful and seriously captivating. Read More July 12, 2018 Planning tools 101: hotel block comparison chart We launched a comprehensive and totally customizable document of wedding planning spreadsheets in Google Drive if you're the type to get down with spreadsheets like I am. Now we're sharing a chart that will help you compare hotel blocks if you're planning to provide that option to your guests. Hotel blocks allow you to block out some rooms and room rates to help guests grab a good deal on a hotel room. Read More June 27, 2018 Avoiding wedding fights: how to plan your wedding planning Your engagement should be a joyful time. You have a lifetime ahead of you with the person you love. What could be better than to celebrate that love surrounded by friends and family? And yet, somehow things go awry. Conflicts flare. And the time that should be so happy — the build-up to your wedding — is fraught with possibilities for strife. The good news is you can avoid most of the problems by planning your wedding planning. That's right. Plan how you're going to plan. Read More 2.6k April 18, 2018 I bought a colored wedding dress and now everyone's mad! What should I do? I come from a family of strict traditionalists when it comes to everything, especially weddings. I recently bought a peach wedding dress with no sleeves and expressed I wanted light blue hair and Converse to go with it. As you can imagine, things didn't go over well. When I try to stand up for my wedding choices, I'm shamed for it. Please help! Read More 4.3k March 5, 2018 Wedding dates to avoid in 2018, 2019, and beyond I'm compiling this list of wedding dates to avoid in 2018, 2019, and 2020 in case you want to avoid holidays where family and friends might have conflicting events, holidays where vendors might be especially busy and/or expensive (think Valentine's Day for florists), or religious holidays where places might be closed or guests might have other plans. Does this mean you CAN'T book your wedding for one of these days? Hell no! Read More More Wedding 101 > Offbeat Bride: your source for wedding ideas and inclusive wedding planning We've got bajillions of creative wedding ideas, DIY projects, and wedding advice to make your wedding plans easier — and even fun! What do you need to do today? I have no idea. I need Wedding Planning 101! I need a wedding planning checklist (now in an interactive version, too!) Hook me up with free wedding fonts & printables I need offbeat wedding registry ideas I'm curious about offbeat wedding themes (geeky! boho! so many!) Reporter Name * Reporter Email * Original text Enter the original text here. Edited text* Enter your suggested copyedit here. Notes You can add a note for the editor here. * Required information. Fix Typo What wedding planning advice & inspiration do you need today? Dress Eloping Engagement Ring Feminism Floral Print Geeky Harry Potter Invitation Wording Readings Ceremony Advice Fashion Wedding 101 Super cute offbeat wedding invitations @offbeatbride on Insta Newly engaged? How to keep dry during a rainy wedding day What no one tells the newly-engaged: you don't have to plan it all today! How to get a marriage license: tips and tricks for the engaged and confused Juggling wedding planning and grief So you want to have a friend officiate… The mother of all "Oh-Shit!" Kits, featuring the Decormergency Kit Break it down now: sample wedding budgets for all kinds of offbeat weddings Guest list primer: questions you must ask when making your guest list Read More > A few of our fave wedding vendors Entertainment Nation Read More Matt Schmachtenberg Photography Read More Moon River Rituals with Zita Christian, Life-Cycle Celebrant Read More Joseph Gonzalez-Dufresne Photography Read More Browse our vendor guide > Our infamous spreadsheets & checklists Planning tools 101: wedding guest seating chart planner Your offbeat-friendly interactive wedding planning checklist is available! 80+ free wedding printables: a huge list of downloadable DIY wedding projects Our GIANT list of important questions to ask wedding venues WTF is "scrumming" and how can it help you actually ENJOY wedding planning Planning tools 101: your wedding vendor contact sheet Planning tools 101: hotel block comparison chart Offbeat guide to the wedding photo shot list Get planning > We're everywhere! Follow us on social media. Get creative, offbeat wedding ideas delivered daily to your inbox! Join our newsletter SUBSCRIBE Copyright © 2003 - 2019 Offbeat Empire. All rights reserved. Unauthorized reproduction in part or in whole is prohibited. Contact us Terms of Service | Privacy Policy | Monetized by SkimLinks
October 17, 2018 How to avoid your email save-the-date going to spam My partner and I decided to send out email save-the-dates instead of a physical card. I do, however, have a warning for you if you are planning on going the green route with your save-the-date by sending out electronic ones. If you send an email with an image, you may hit your guests' spam folders. Here are some pros and cons of going green with your save-the-dates and how you can avoid your save-the-date going to spam… Read More October 3, 2018 Our delicious unity beer ceremony was… hopping (plus our ceremony wording!) Craft beer has been such a huge part of our relationship that when we were planning our wedding (featured here!), we wanted to include it somehow. I suggested a unity beer ceremony, but we couldn't find any wording online that we liked. We ended up creating our own from scratch, complete with our own unique brand of humor. Read More 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 March 22, 2019 Tons of dazzling colored gemstone rings for every kind of couple Diamonds may have been a girl's best friend, but we're branching out in all kinds of colorful ways these days. While it's all good if you want to snag a diamond ring, you also don't have to feel locked in to it AT ALL. One of our fave jewelry artisan partners, Metalicious, specializes in all things alternative when it comes to gemstones so I went down the rabbit hole to see what stunning sparklies we could find in colored gemstones, diamond alternatives, and even snazzy alternative metals for wedding bands. Read More March 19, 2019 Heart eyes for the lace, statement sleeves, and fringe of this dreamy bohemian dress collection (& a pop-up shop event in NYC!) The last time we featured some of the fabulous wedding gowns from our partner CocoMelody, y'all went wild. Their collections of ready-to-wear and custom styles (made to fit YOU!) are colorful, diverse, super well-made, and available in extensive sizes. It's that super rare dress source that actually gets offbeat readers. Let's peek at their Bohemian Nomad Collection which is making me swoon with romance meets modern meets laid-back meets gorgeous dress bliss. Read More March 12, 2019 This mega-skilled photography team gives you "how did we look that good?" level wedding photography all over the U.S. If there's ever been a wedding photography team who connects with our readers, it's Atlanta-based Gemini and The Bear. The husband and wife team of Ryan and Jenevieve come with a substantial amount of experience in both photography AND wedding planning and production, so they're the moooost prepared to handle anything that comes their way — your wedding included! Let's meet the creative pair and see why they'll make your love story come to life in ways you've never imagined it could… Read More March 8, 2019 Sharing the wealth of my window shopping for fun wedding shoe clips I ended up having a bit of trouble finding wedding shoes that I loved. It then dawned on me that I'd been touting the merits of shoe clips for ages and forgot that they might just be the ticket for adding some fun to my wedding flats. Grab your favorite pair of shoes (flats, heels, loafers, boots… all can rock clips!) and get to accessorizing your feet… Read More March 5, 2019 Rainbows & gender unicorns: how LGBTQ couples are changing wedding ring rules When it comes to buying rings for weddings, LGBTQ couples are throwing out the traditions that bind them to form their own paths in ringdom. Whether you propose to each other, have matching bands, eschew rings altogether in favor of another kind of jewelry, the options for rings that represent your identity are quite literally endless. I spoke with one of our favorite custom ring creators, Joseph Jewelry, to see what trends and ideas they've been seeing in wedding jewelry that allows for more expression of who you love, what your gender is, and how you want to communicate that to world. Read More More Stuff we love > Recent Wedding 101 1.0k January 23, 2019 6 tips for making your wedding website useful AND stylish Are you engaged? YAY! I have a feeling that a lot of you are thinking about wedding hashtags and websites and social media, oh my. Weddings are way more high tech these days and a wedding website is pretty standard fare now. When I got engaged in 2018, I went on a hunt for a really slick wedding website and have a few quick hit tips to share to make your wedding website both ultra useful and seriously captivating. Read More July 12, 2018 Planning tools 101: hotel block comparison chart We launched a comprehensive and totally customizable document of wedding planning spreadsheets in Google Drive if you're the type to get down with spreadsheets like I am. Now we're sharing a chart that will help you compare hotel blocks if you're planning to provide that option to your guests. Hotel blocks allow you to block out some rooms and room rates to help guests grab a good deal on a hotel room. Read More June 27, 2018 Avoiding wedding fights: how to plan your wedding planning Your engagement should be a joyful time. You have a lifetime ahead of you with the person you love. What could be better than to celebrate that love surrounded by friends and family? And yet, somehow things go awry. Conflicts flare. And the time that should be so happy — the build-up to your wedding — is fraught with possibilities for strife. The good news is you can avoid most of the problems by planning your wedding planning. That's right. Plan how you're going to plan. Read More 2.6k April 18, 2018 I bought a colored wedding dress and now everyone's mad! What should I do? I come from a family of strict traditionalists when it comes to everything, especially weddings. I recently bought a peach wedding dress with no sleeves and expressed I wanted light blue hair and Converse to go with it. As you can imagine, things didn't go over well. When I try to stand up for my wedding choices, I'm shamed for it. Please help! Read More 4.3k March 5, 2018 Wedding dates to avoid in 2018, 2019, and beyond I'm compiling this list of wedding dates to avoid in 2018, 2019, and 2020 in case you want to avoid holidays where family and friends might have conflicting events, holidays where vendors might be especially busy and/or expensive (think Valentine's Day for florists), or religious holidays where places might be closed or guests might have other plans. Does this mean you CAN'T book your wedding for one of these days? Hell no! Read More More Wedding 101 > Offbeat Bride: your source for wedding ideas and inclusive wedding planning We've got bajillions of creative wedding ideas, DIY projects, and wedding advice to make your wedding plans easier — and even fun! What do you need to do today? I have no idea. I need Wedding Planning 101! I need a wedding planning checklist (now in an interactive version, too!) Hook me up with free wedding fonts & printables I need offbeat wedding registry ideas I'm curious about offbeat wedding themes (geeky! boho! so many!) Reporter Name * Reporter Email * Original text Enter the original text here. Edited text* Enter your suggested copyedit here. Notes You can add a note for the editor here. * Required information. Fix Typo What wedding planning advice & inspiration do you need today? Dress Eloping Engagement Ring Feminism Floral Print Geeky Harry Potter Invitation Wording Readings Ceremony Advice Fashion Wedding 101 Super cute offbeat wedding invitations @offbeatbride on Insta Newly engaged? How to keep dry during a rainy wedding day What no one tells the newly-engaged: you don't have to plan it all today! How to get a marriage license: tips and tricks for the engaged and confused Juggling wedding planning and grief So you want to have a friend officiate… The mother of all "Oh-Shit!" Kits, featuring the Decormergency Kit Break it down now: sample wedding budgets for all kinds of offbeat weddings Guest list primer: questions you must ask when making your guest list Read More > A few of our fave wedding vendors Entertainment Nation Read More Matt Schmachtenberg Photography Read More Moon River Rituals with Zita Christian, Life-Cycle Celebrant Read More Joseph Gonzalez-Dufresne Photography Read More Browse our vendor guide > Our infamous spreadsheets & checklists Planning tools 101: wedding guest seating chart planner Your offbeat-friendly interactive wedding planning checklist is available! 80+ free wedding printables: a huge list of downloadable DIY wedding projects Our GIANT list of important questions to ask wedding venues WTF is "scrumming" and how can it help you actually ENJOY wedding planning Planning tools 101: your wedding vendor contact sheet Planning tools 101: hotel block comparison chart Offbeat guide to the wedding photo shot list Get planning > We're everywhere! Follow us on social media. Get creative, offbeat wedding ideas delivered daily to your inbox! Join our newsletter SUBSCRIBE Copyright © 2003 - 2019 Offbeat Empire. All rights reserved. Unauthorized reproduction in part or in whole is prohibited. Contact us Terms of Service | Privacy Policy | Monetized by SkimLinks
October 3, 2018 Our delicious unity beer ceremony was… hopping (plus our ceremony wording!) Craft beer has been such a huge part of our relationship that when we were planning our wedding (featured here!), we wanted to include it somehow. I suggested a unity beer ceremony, but we couldn't find any wording online that we liked. We ended up creating our own from scratch, complete with our own unique brand of humor. Read More 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 March 22, 2019 Tons of dazzling colored gemstone rings for every kind of couple Diamonds may have been a girl's best friend, but we're branching out in all kinds of colorful ways these days. While it's all good if you want to snag a diamond ring, you also don't have to feel locked in to it AT ALL. One of our fave jewelry artisan partners, Metalicious, specializes in all things alternative when it comes to gemstones so I went down the rabbit hole to see what stunning sparklies we could find in colored gemstones, diamond alternatives, and even snazzy alternative metals for wedding bands. Read More March 19, 2019 Heart eyes for the lace, statement sleeves, and fringe of this dreamy bohemian dress collection (& a pop-up shop event in NYC!) The last time we featured some of the fabulous wedding gowns from our partner CocoMelody, y'all went wild. Their collections of ready-to-wear and custom styles (made to fit YOU!) are colorful, diverse, super well-made, and available in extensive sizes. It's that super rare dress source that actually gets offbeat readers. Let's peek at their Bohemian Nomad Collection which is making me swoon with romance meets modern meets laid-back meets gorgeous dress bliss. Read More March 12, 2019 This mega-skilled photography team gives you "how did we look that good?" level wedding photography all over the U.S. If there's ever been a wedding photography team who connects with our readers, it's Atlanta-based Gemini and The Bear. The husband and wife team of Ryan and Jenevieve come with a substantial amount of experience in both photography AND wedding planning and production, so they're the moooost prepared to handle anything that comes their way — your wedding included! Let's meet the creative pair and see why they'll make your love story come to life in ways you've never imagined it could… Read More March 8, 2019 Sharing the wealth of my window shopping for fun wedding shoe clips I ended up having a bit of trouble finding wedding shoes that I loved. It then dawned on me that I'd been touting the merits of shoe clips for ages and forgot that they might just be the ticket for adding some fun to my wedding flats. Grab your favorite pair of shoes (flats, heels, loafers, boots… all can rock clips!) and get to accessorizing your feet… Read More March 5, 2019 Rainbows & gender unicorns: how LGBTQ couples are changing wedding ring rules When it comes to buying rings for weddings, LGBTQ couples are throwing out the traditions that bind them to form their own paths in ringdom. Whether you propose to each other, have matching bands, eschew rings altogether in favor of another kind of jewelry, the options for rings that represent your identity are quite literally endless. I spoke with one of our favorite custom ring creators, Joseph Jewelry, to see what trends and ideas they've been seeing in wedding jewelry that allows for more expression of who you love, what your gender is, and how you want to communicate that to world. Read More More Stuff we love > Recent Wedding 101 1.0k January 23, 2019 6 tips for making your wedding website useful AND stylish Are you engaged? YAY! I have a feeling that a lot of you are thinking about wedding hashtags and websites and social media, oh my. Weddings are way more high tech these days and a wedding website is pretty standard fare now. When I got engaged in 2018, I went on a hunt for a really slick wedding website and have a few quick hit tips to share to make your wedding website both ultra useful and seriously captivating. Read More July 12, 2018 Planning tools 101: hotel block comparison chart We launched a comprehensive and totally customizable document of wedding planning spreadsheets in Google Drive if you're the type to get down with spreadsheets like I am. Now we're sharing a chart that will help you compare hotel blocks if you're planning to provide that option to your guests. Hotel blocks allow you to block out some rooms and room rates to help guests grab a good deal on a hotel room. Read More June 27, 2018 Avoiding wedding fights: how to plan your wedding planning Your engagement should be a joyful time. You have a lifetime ahead of you with the person you love. What could be better than to celebrate that love surrounded by friends and family? And yet, somehow things go awry. Conflicts flare. And the time that should be so happy — the build-up to your wedding — is fraught with possibilities for strife. The good news is you can avoid most of the problems by planning your wedding planning. That's right. Plan how you're going to plan. Read More 2.6k April 18, 2018 I bought a colored wedding dress and now everyone's mad! What should I do? I come from a family of strict traditionalists when it comes to everything, especially weddings. I recently bought a peach wedding dress with no sleeves and expressed I wanted light blue hair and Converse to go with it. As you can imagine, things didn't go over well. When I try to stand up for my wedding choices, I'm shamed for it. Please help! Read More 4.3k March 5, 2018 Wedding dates to avoid in 2018, 2019, and beyond I'm compiling this list of wedding dates to avoid in 2018, 2019, and 2020 in case you want to avoid holidays where family and friends might have conflicting events, holidays where vendors might be especially busy and/or expensive (think Valentine's Day for florists), or religious holidays where places might be closed or guests might have other plans. Does this mean you CAN'T book your wedding for one of these days? Hell no! Read More More Wedding 101 > Offbeat Bride: your source for wedding ideas and inclusive wedding planning We've got bajillions of creative wedding ideas, DIY projects, and wedding advice to make your wedding plans easier — and even fun! What do you need to do today? I have no idea. I need Wedding Planning 101! I need a wedding planning checklist (now in an interactive version, too!) Hook me up with free wedding fonts & printables I need offbeat wedding registry ideas I'm curious about offbeat wedding themes (geeky! boho! so many!) Reporter Name * Reporter Email * Original text Enter the original text here. Edited text* Enter your suggested copyedit here. Notes You can add a note for the editor here. * Required information. Fix Typo What wedding planning advice & inspiration do you need today? Dress Eloping Engagement Ring Feminism Floral Print Geeky Harry Potter Invitation Wording Readings Ceremony Advice Fashion Wedding 101 Super cute offbeat wedding invitations @offbeatbride on Insta Newly engaged? How to keep dry during a rainy wedding day What no one tells the newly-engaged: you don't have to plan it all today! How to get a marriage license: tips and tricks for the engaged and confused Juggling wedding planning and grief So you want to have a friend officiate… The mother of all "Oh-Shit!" Kits, featuring the Decormergency Kit Break it down now: sample wedding budgets for all kinds of offbeat weddings Guest list primer: questions you must ask when making your guest list Read More > A few of our fave wedding vendors Entertainment Nation Read More Matt Schmachtenberg Photography Read More Moon River Rituals with Zita Christian, Life-Cycle Celebrant Read More Joseph Gonzalez-Dufresne Photography Read More Browse our vendor guide > Our infamous spreadsheets & checklists Planning tools 101: wedding guest seating chart planner Your offbeat-friendly interactive wedding planning checklist is available! 80+ free wedding printables: a huge list of downloadable DIY wedding projects Our GIANT list of important questions to ask wedding venues WTF is "scrumming" and how can it help you actually ENJOY wedding planning Planning tools 101: your wedding vendor contact sheet Planning tools 101: hotel block comparison chart Offbeat guide to the wedding photo shot list Get planning > We're everywhere! Follow us on social media. Get creative, offbeat wedding ideas delivered daily to your inbox! Join our newsletter SUBSCRIBE Copyright © 2003 - 2019 Offbeat Empire. All rights reserved. Unauthorized reproduction in part or in whole is prohibited. Contact us Terms of Service | Privacy Policy | Monetized by SkimLinks
September 18, 2018 Eat 'em or take 'em: these s'mores wedding favors are a gooey gift guests will devour S'mores are a staple of outdoor weddings in any season, but especially in the fall when the weather gets chilly and a bonfire is apropos. You're cooking them up over a bonfire, adding them to your sweets table, and even making them into cakes! But a perfect way to provide a dessert AND a takeaway gift is an easy-to-make s'mores wedding favor. Here's how to make them super easily with a few staples from Michael's Weddings™… Read More 1.4k July 11, 2018 A seriously easy way to make a cathedral veil from your favorite fabric About a month before my wedding, I became fascinated with a colorful floral veil in this post on my favorite wedding blog. I looked around for similar veils online, but couldn't find anything for a price I was willing to pay. So I decided to DIY my veil and it was surprisingly easy! Here's how I did it… Read More June 11, 2018 Supersize your wedding flora with this big crepe paper flower tutorial We know HUGE bouquets are super popular right now, but what if we mega-size the actual flowers instead of just the bouquet size? We love a good huge flower bouquet, headpiece, centerpiece, or ceremony backdrop. The best part? You can totally make these yourself. Read More May 30, 2018 Lush florals go ring-shaped with this DIY floral hoop backdrop I love a good hoop bouquet, but those handy floral hoops can be used for more than just a great alternative bouquet. I've created a series of hoops flowing with greenery and flora that can be used a wedding ceremony backdrop, reception decor, or even a place card holder. With this DIY floral hoop backdrop, you can add as many floral picks as you like to make it as lush as you can imagine. Artificial flowers let you create a backdrop that can go from wedding to living room permanently. It's the beauty of realistic artificial flowers! Here are the steps to go from a simple hoop to intricate backdrop in no time… Read More April 5, 2018 In case of dementor attack, you'll need this Harry Potter wedding favor If you're a Potterphile, you know that chocolate bars have their own powers of soothing you after a dementor attack. So at a wedding with Harry Potter details (where a dementor could prey, naturally!), why not offer up some DIY Harry Potter wedding favors that will do the job nicely. Plus, it only takes some inexpensive chocolate bars, some printer paper, and a printable chocolate bar wrapper. Read More More DIY > Recent Stuff we love March 22, 2019 Tons of dazzling colored gemstone rings for every kind of couple Diamonds may have been a girl's best friend, but we're branching out in all kinds of colorful ways these days. While it's all good if you want to snag a diamond ring, you also don't have to feel locked in to it AT ALL. One of our fave jewelry artisan partners, Metalicious, specializes in all things alternative when it comes to gemstones so I went down the rabbit hole to see what stunning sparklies we could find in colored gemstones, diamond alternatives, and even snazzy alternative metals for wedding bands. Read More March 19, 2019 Heart eyes for the lace, statement sleeves, and fringe of this dreamy bohemian dress collection (& a pop-up shop event in NYC!) The last time we featured some of the fabulous wedding gowns from our partner CocoMelody, y'all went wild. Their collections of ready-to-wear and custom styles (made to fit YOU!) are colorful, diverse, super well-made, and available in extensive sizes. It's that super rare dress source that actually gets offbeat readers. Let's peek at their Bohemian Nomad Collection which is making me swoon with romance meets modern meets laid-back meets gorgeous dress bliss. Read More March 12, 2019 This mega-skilled photography team gives you "how did we look that good?" level wedding photography all over the U.S. If there's ever been a wedding photography team who connects with our readers, it's Atlanta-based Gemini and The Bear. The husband and wife team of Ryan and Jenevieve come with a substantial amount of experience in both photography AND wedding planning and production, so they're the moooost prepared to handle anything that comes their way — your wedding included! Let's meet the creative pair and see why they'll make your love story come to life in ways you've never imagined it could… Read More March 8, 2019 Sharing the wealth of my window shopping for fun wedding shoe clips I ended up having a bit of trouble finding wedding shoes that I loved. It then dawned on me that I'd been touting the merits of shoe clips for ages and forgot that they might just be the ticket for adding some fun to my wedding flats. Grab your favorite pair of shoes (flats, heels, loafers, boots… all can rock clips!) and get to accessorizing your feet… Read More March 5, 2019 Rainbows & gender unicorns: how LGBTQ couples are changing wedding ring rules When it comes to buying rings for weddings, LGBTQ couples are throwing out the traditions that bind them to form their own paths in ringdom. Whether you propose to each other, have matching bands, eschew rings altogether in favor of another kind of jewelry, the options for rings that represent your identity are quite literally endless. I spoke with one of our favorite custom ring creators, Joseph Jewelry, to see what trends and ideas they've been seeing in wedding jewelry that allows for more expression of who you love, what your gender is, and how you want to communicate that to world. Read More More Stuff we love > Recent Wedding 101 1.0k January 23, 2019 6 tips for making your wedding website useful AND stylish Are you engaged? YAY! I have a feeling that a lot of you are thinking about wedding hashtags and websites and social media, oh my. Weddings are way more high tech these days and a wedding website is pretty standard fare now. When I got engaged in 2018, I went on a hunt for a really slick wedding website and have a few quick hit tips to share to make your wedding website both ultra useful and seriously captivating. Read More July 12, 2018 Planning tools 101: hotel block comparison chart We launched a comprehensive and totally customizable document of wedding planning spreadsheets in Google Drive if you're the type to get down with spreadsheets like I am. Now we're sharing a chart that will help you compare hotel blocks if you're planning to provide that option to your guests. Hotel blocks allow you to block out some rooms and room rates to help guests grab a good deal on a hotel room. Read More June 27, 2018 Avoiding wedding fights: how to plan your wedding planning Your engagement should be a joyful time. You have a lifetime ahead of you with the person you love. What could be better than to celebrate that love surrounded by friends and family? And yet, somehow things go awry. Conflicts flare. And the time that should be so happy — the build-up to your wedding — is fraught with possibilities for strife. The good news is you can avoid most of the problems by planning your wedding planning. That's right. Plan how you're going to plan. Read More 2.6k April 18, 2018 I bought a colored wedding dress and now everyone's mad! What should I do? I come from a family of strict traditionalists when it comes to everything, especially weddings. I recently bought a peach wedding dress with no sleeves and expressed I wanted light blue hair and Converse to go with it. As you can imagine, things didn't go over well. When I try to stand up for my wedding choices, I'm shamed for it. Please help! Read More 4.3k March 5, 2018 Wedding dates to avoid in 2018, 2019, and beyond I'm compiling this list of wedding dates to avoid in 2018, 2019, and 2020 in case you want to avoid holidays where family and friends might have conflicting events, holidays where vendors might be especially busy and/or expensive (think Valentine's Day for florists), or religious holidays where places might be closed or guests might have other plans. Does this mean you CAN'T book your wedding for one of these days? Hell no! Read More More Wedding 101 > Offbeat Bride: your source for wedding ideas and inclusive wedding planning We've got bajillions of creative wedding ideas, DIY projects, and wedding advice to make your wedding plans easier — and even fun! What do you need to do today? I have no idea. I need Wedding Planning 101! I need a wedding planning checklist (now in an interactive version, too!) Hook me up with free wedding fonts & printables I need offbeat wedding registry ideas I'm curious about offbeat wedding themes (geeky! boho! so many!) Reporter Name * Reporter Email * Original text Enter the original text here. Edited text* Enter your suggested copyedit here. Notes You can add a note for the editor here. * Required information. Fix Typo What wedding planning advice & inspiration do you need today? Dress Eloping Engagement Ring Feminism Floral Print Geeky Harry Potter Invitation Wording Readings Ceremony Advice Fashion Wedding 101 Super cute offbeat wedding invitations @offbeatbride on Insta Newly engaged? How to keep dry during a rainy wedding day What no one tells the newly-engaged: you don't have to plan it all today! How to get a marriage license: tips and tricks for the engaged and confused Juggling wedding planning and grief So you want to have a friend officiate… The mother of all "Oh-Shit!" Kits, featuring the Decormergency Kit Break it down now: sample wedding budgets for all kinds of offbeat weddings Guest list primer: questions you must ask when making your guest list Read More > A few of our fave wedding vendors Entertainment Nation Read More Matt Schmachtenberg Photography Read More Moon River Rituals with Zita Christian, Life-Cycle Celebrant Read More Joseph Gonzalez-Dufresne Photography Read More Browse our vendor guide > Our infamous spreadsheets & checklists Planning tools 101: wedding guest seating chart planner Your offbeat-friendly interactive wedding planning checklist is available! 80+ free wedding printables: a huge list of downloadable DIY wedding projects Our GIANT list of important questions to ask wedding venues WTF is "scrumming" and how can it help you actually ENJOY wedding planning Planning tools 101: your wedding vendor contact sheet Planning tools 101: hotel block comparison chart Offbeat guide to the wedding photo shot list Get planning > We're everywhere! Follow us on social media. Get creative, offbeat wedding ideas delivered daily to your inbox! Join our newsletter SUBSCRIBE Copyright © 2003 - 2019 Offbeat Empire. All rights reserved. Unauthorized reproduction in part or in whole is prohibited. Contact us Terms of Service | Privacy Policy | Monetized by SkimLinks
1.4k July 11, 2018 A seriously easy way to make a cathedral veil from your favorite fabric About a month before my wedding, I became fascinated with a colorful floral veil in this post on my favorite wedding blog. I looked around for similar veils online, but couldn't find anything for a price I was willing to pay. So I decided to DIY my veil and it was surprisingly easy! Here's how I did it… Read More June 11, 2018 Supersize your wedding flora with this big crepe paper flower tutorial We know HUGE bouquets are super popular right now, but what if we mega-size the actual flowers instead of just the bouquet size? We love a good huge flower bouquet, headpiece, centerpiece, or ceremony backdrop. The best part? You can totally make these yourself. Read More May 30, 2018 Lush florals go ring-shaped with this DIY floral hoop backdrop I love a good hoop bouquet, but those handy floral hoops can be used for more than just a great alternative bouquet. I've created a series of hoops flowing with greenery and flora that can be used a wedding ceremony backdrop, reception decor, or even a place card holder. With this DIY floral hoop backdrop, you can add as many floral picks as you like to make it as lush as you can imagine. Artificial flowers let you create a backdrop that can go from wedding to living room permanently. It's the beauty of realistic artificial flowers! Here are the steps to go from a simple hoop to intricate backdrop in no time… Read More April 5, 2018 In case of dementor attack, you'll need this Harry Potter wedding favor If you're a Potterphile, you know that chocolate bars have their own powers of soothing you after a dementor attack. So at a wedding with Harry Potter details (where a dementor could prey, naturally!), why not offer up some DIY Harry Potter wedding favors that will do the job nicely. Plus, it only takes some inexpensive chocolate bars, some printer paper, and a printable chocolate bar wrapper. Read More More DIY > Recent Stuff we love March 22, 2019 Tons of dazzling colored gemstone rings for every kind of couple Diamonds may have been a girl's best friend, but we're branching out in all kinds of colorful ways these days. While it's all good if you want to snag a diamond ring, you also don't have to feel locked in to it AT ALL. One of our fave jewelry artisan partners, Metalicious, specializes in all things alternative when it comes to gemstones so I went down the rabbit hole to see what stunning sparklies we could find in colored gemstones, diamond alternatives, and even snazzy alternative metals for wedding bands. Read More March 19, 2019 Heart eyes for the lace, statement sleeves, and fringe of this dreamy bohemian dress collection (& a pop-up shop event in NYC!) The last time we featured some of the fabulous wedding gowns from our partner CocoMelody, y'all went wild. Their collections of ready-to-wear and custom styles (made to fit YOU!) are colorful, diverse, super well-made, and available in extensive sizes. It's that super rare dress source that actually gets offbeat readers. Let's peek at their Bohemian Nomad Collection which is making me swoon with romance meets modern meets laid-back meets gorgeous dress bliss. Read More March 12, 2019 This mega-skilled photography team gives you "how did we look that good?" level wedding photography all over the U.S. If there's ever been a wedding photography team who connects with our readers, it's Atlanta-based Gemini and The Bear. The husband and wife team of Ryan and Jenevieve come with a substantial amount of experience in both photography AND wedding planning and production, so they're the moooost prepared to handle anything that comes their way — your wedding included! Let's meet the creative pair and see why they'll make your love story come to life in ways you've never imagined it could… Read More March 8, 2019 Sharing the wealth of my window shopping for fun wedding shoe clips I ended up having a bit of trouble finding wedding shoes that I loved. It then dawned on me that I'd been touting the merits of shoe clips for ages and forgot that they might just be the ticket for adding some fun to my wedding flats. Grab your favorite pair of shoes (flats, heels, loafers, boots… all can rock clips!) and get to accessorizing your feet… Read More March 5, 2019 Rainbows & gender unicorns: how LGBTQ couples are changing wedding ring rules When it comes to buying rings for weddings, LGBTQ couples are throwing out the traditions that bind them to form their own paths in ringdom. Whether you propose to each other, have matching bands, eschew rings altogether in favor of another kind of jewelry, the options for rings that represent your identity are quite literally endless. I spoke with one of our favorite custom ring creators, Joseph Jewelry, to see what trends and ideas they've been seeing in wedding jewelry that allows for more expression of who you love, what your gender is, and how you want to communicate that to world. Read More More Stuff we love > Recent Wedding 101 1.0k January 23, 2019 6 tips for making your wedding website useful AND stylish Are you engaged? YAY! I have a feeling that a lot of you are thinking about wedding hashtags and websites and social media, oh my. Weddings are way more high tech these days and a wedding website is pretty standard fare now. When I got engaged in 2018, I went on a hunt for a really slick wedding website and have a few quick hit tips to share to make your wedding website both ultra useful and seriously captivating. Read More July 12, 2018 Planning tools 101: hotel block comparison chart We launched a comprehensive and totally customizable document of wedding planning spreadsheets in Google Drive if you're the type to get down with spreadsheets like I am. Now we're sharing a chart that will help you compare hotel blocks if you're planning to provide that option to your guests. Hotel blocks allow you to block out some rooms and room rates to help guests grab a good deal on a hotel room. Read More June 27, 2018 Avoiding wedding fights: how to plan your wedding planning Your engagement should be a joyful time. You have a lifetime ahead of you with the person you love. What could be better than to celebrate that love surrounded by friends and family? And yet, somehow things go awry. Conflicts flare. And the time that should be so happy — the build-up to your wedding — is fraught with possibilities for strife. The good news is you can avoid most of the problems by planning your wedding planning. That's right. Plan how you're going to plan. Read More 2.6k April 18, 2018 I bought a colored wedding dress and now everyone's mad! What should I do? I come from a family of strict traditionalists when it comes to everything, especially weddings. I recently bought a peach wedding dress with no sleeves and expressed I wanted light blue hair and Converse to go with it. As you can imagine, things didn't go over well. When I try to stand up for my wedding choices, I'm shamed for it. Please help! Read More 4.3k March 5, 2018 Wedding dates to avoid in 2018, 2019, and beyond I'm compiling this list of wedding dates to avoid in 2018, 2019, and 2020 in case you want to avoid holidays where family and friends might have conflicting events, holidays where vendors might be especially busy and/or expensive (think Valentine's Day for florists), or religious holidays where places might be closed or guests might have other plans. Does this mean you CAN'T book your wedding for one of these days? Hell no! Read More More Wedding 101 > Offbeat Bride: your source for wedding ideas and inclusive wedding planning We've got bajillions of creative wedding ideas, DIY projects, and wedding advice to make your wedding plans easier — and even fun! What do you need to do today? I have no idea. I need Wedding Planning 101! I need a wedding planning checklist (now in an interactive version, too!) Hook me up with free wedding fonts & printables I need offbeat wedding registry ideas I'm curious about offbeat wedding themes (geeky! boho! so many!) Reporter Name * Reporter Email * Original text Enter the original text here. Edited text* Enter your suggested copyedit here. Notes You can add a note for the editor here. * Required information. Fix Typo What wedding planning advice & inspiration do you need today? Dress Eloping Engagement Ring Feminism Floral Print Geeky Harry Potter Invitation Wording Readings Ceremony Advice Fashion Wedding 101 Super cute offbeat wedding invitations @offbeatbride on Insta Newly engaged? How to keep dry during a rainy wedding day What no one tells the newly-engaged: you don't have to plan it all today! How to get a marriage license: tips and tricks for the engaged and confused Juggling wedding planning and grief So you want to have a friend officiate… The mother of all "Oh-Shit!" Kits, featuring the Decormergency Kit Break it down now: sample wedding budgets for all kinds of offbeat weddings Guest list primer: questions you must ask when making your guest list Read More > A few of our fave wedding vendors Entertainment Nation Read More Matt Schmachtenberg Photography Read More Moon River Rituals with Zita Christian, Life-Cycle Celebrant Read More Joseph Gonzalez-Dufresne Photography Read More Browse our vendor guide > Our infamous spreadsheets & checklists Planning tools 101: wedding guest seating chart planner Your offbeat-friendly interactive wedding planning checklist is available! 80+ free wedding printables: a huge list of downloadable DIY wedding projects Our GIANT list of important questions to ask wedding venues WTF is "scrumming" and how can it help you actually ENJOY wedding planning Planning tools 101: your wedding vendor contact sheet Planning tools 101: hotel block comparison chart Offbeat guide to the wedding photo shot list Get planning > We're everywhere! Follow us on social media. Get creative, offbeat wedding ideas delivered daily to your inbox! Join our newsletter SUBSCRIBE Copyright © 2003 - 2019 Offbeat Empire. All rights reserved. Unauthorized reproduction in part or in whole is prohibited. Contact us Terms of Service | Privacy Policy | Monetized by SkimLinks
June 11, 2018 Supersize your wedding flora with this big crepe paper flower tutorial We know HUGE bouquets are super popular right now, but what if we mega-size the actual flowers instead of just the bouquet size? We love a good huge flower bouquet, headpiece, centerpiece, or ceremony backdrop. The best part? You can totally make these yourself. Read More May 30, 2018 Lush florals go ring-shaped with this DIY floral hoop backdrop I love a good hoop bouquet, but those handy floral hoops can be used for more than just a great alternative bouquet. I've created a series of hoops flowing with greenery and flora that can be used a wedding ceremony backdrop, reception decor, or even a place card holder. With this DIY floral hoop backdrop, you can add as many floral picks as you like to make it as lush as you can imagine. Artificial flowers let you create a backdrop that can go from wedding to living room permanently. It's the beauty of realistic artificial flowers! Here are the steps to go from a simple hoop to intricate backdrop in no time… Read More April 5, 2018 In case of dementor attack, you'll need this Harry Potter wedding favor If you're a Potterphile, you know that chocolate bars have their own powers of soothing you after a dementor attack. So at a wedding with Harry Potter details (where a dementor could prey, naturally!), why not offer up some DIY Harry Potter wedding favors that will do the job nicely. Plus, it only takes some inexpensive chocolate bars, some printer paper, and a printable chocolate bar wrapper. Read More More DIY > Recent Stuff we love March 22, 2019 Tons of dazzling colored gemstone rings for every kind of couple Diamonds may have been a girl's best friend, but we're branching out in all kinds of colorful ways these days. While it's all good if you want to snag a diamond ring, you also don't have to feel locked in to it AT ALL. One of our fave jewelry artisan partners, Metalicious, specializes in all things alternative when it comes to gemstones so I went down the rabbit hole to see what stunning sparklies we could find in colored gemstones, diamond alternatives, and even snazzy alternative metals for wedding bands. Read More March 19, 2019 Heart eyes for the lace, statement sleeves, and fringe of this dreamy bohemian dress collection (& a pop-up shop event in NYC!) The last time we featured some of the fabulous wedding gowns from our partner CocoMelody, y'all went wild. Their collections of ready-to-wear and custom styles (made to fit YOU!) are colorful, diverse, super well-made, and available in extensive sizes. It's that super rare dress source that actually gets offbeat readers. Let's peek at their Bohemian Nomad Collection which is making me swoon with romance meets modern meets laid-back meets gorgeous dress bliss. Read More March 12, 2019 This mega-skilled photography team gives you "how did we look that good?" level wedding photography all over the U.S. If there's ever been a wedding photography team who connects with our readers, it's Atlanta-based Gemini and The Bear. The husband and wife team of Ryan and Jenevieve come with a substantial amount of experience in both photography AND wedding planning and production, so they're the moooost prepared to handle anything that comes their way — your wedding included! Let's meet the creative pair and see why they'll make your love story come to life in ways you've never imagined it could… Read More March 8, 2019 Sharing the wealth of my window shopping for fun wedding shoe clips I ended up having a bit of trouble finding wedding shoes that I loved. It then dawned on me that I'd been touting the merits of shoe clips for ages and forgot that they might just be the ticket for adding some fun to my wedding flats. Grab your favorite pair of shoes (flats, heels, loafers, boots… all can rock clips!) and get to accessorizing your feet… Read More March 5, 2019 Rainbows & gender unicorns: how LGBTQ couples are changing wedding ring rules When it comes to buying rings for weddings, LGBTQ couples are throwing out the traditions that bind them to form their own paths in ringdom. Whether you propose to each other, have matching bands, eschew rings altogether in favor of another kind of jewelry, the options for rings that represent your identity are quite literally endless. I spoke with one of our favorite custom ring creators, Joseph Jewelry, to see what trends and ideas they've been seeing in wedding jewelry that allows for more expression of who you love, what your gender is, and how you want to communicate that to world. Read More More Stuff we love > Recent Wedding 101 1.0k January 23, 2019 6 tips for making your wedding website useful AND stylish Are you engaged? YAY! I have a feeling that a lot of you are thinking about wedding hashtags and websites and social media, oh my. Weddings are way more high tech these days and a wedding website is pretty standard fare now. When I got engaged in 2018, I went on a hunt for a really slick wedding website and have a few quick hit tips to share to make your wedding website both ultra useful and seriously captivating. Read More July 12, 2018 Planning tools 101: hotel block comparison chart We launched a comprehensive and totally customizable document of wedding planning spreadsheets in Google Drive if you're the type to get down with spreadsheets like I am. Now we're sharing a chart that will help you compare hotel blocks if you're planning to provide that option to your guests. Hotel blocks allow you to block out some rooms and room rates to help guests grab a good deal on a hotel room. Read More June 27, 2018 Avoiding wedding fights: how to plan your wedding planning Your engagement should be a joyful time. You have a lifetime ahead of you with the person you love. What could be better than to celebrate that love surrounded by friends and family? And yet, somehow things go awry. Conflicts flare. And the time that should be so happy — the build-up to your wedding — is fraught with possibilities for strife. The good news is you can avoid most of the problems by planning your wedding planning. That's right. Plan how you're going to plan. Read More 2.6k April 18, 2018 I bought a colored wedding dress and now everyone's mad! What should I do? I come from a family of strict traditionalists when it comes to everything, especially weddings. I recently bought a peach wedding dress with no sleeves and expressed I wanted light blue hair and Converse to go with it. As you can imagine, things didn't go over well. When I try to stand up for my wedding choices, I'm shamed for it. Please help! Read More 4.3k March 5, 2018 Wedding dates to avoid in 2018, 2019, and beyond I'm compiling this list of wedding dates to avoid in 2018, 2019, and 2020 in case you want to avoid holidays where family and friends might have conflicting events, holidays where vendors might be especially busy and/or expensive (think Valentine's Day for florists), or religious holidays where places might be closed or guests might have other plans. Does this mean you CAN'T book your wedding for one of these days? Hell no! Read More More Wedding 101 > Offbeat Bride: your source for wedding ideas and inclusive wedding planning We've got bajillions of creative wedding ideas, DIY projects, and wedding advice to make your wedding plans easier — and even fun! What do you need to do today? I have no idea. I need Wedding Planning 101! I need a wedding planning checklist (now in an interactive version, too!) Hook me up with free wedding fonts & printables I need offbeat wedding registry ideas I'm curious about offbeat wedding themes (geeky! boho! so many!) Reporter Name * Reporter Email * Original text Enter the original text here. Edited text* Enter your suggested copyedit here. Notes You can add a note for the editor here. * Required information. Fix Typo What wedding planning advice & inspiration do you need today? Dress Eloping Engagement Ring Feminism Floral Print Geeky Harry Potter Invitation Wording Readings Ceremony Advice Fashion Wedding 101 Super cute offbeat wedding invitations @offbeatbride on Insta Newly engaged? How to keep dry during a rainy wedding day What no one tells the newly-engaged: you don't have to plan it all today! How to get a marriage license: tips and tricks for the engaged and confused Juggling wedding planning and grief So you want to have a friend officiate… The mother of all "Oh-Shit!" Kits, featuring the Decormergency Kit Break it down now: sample wedding budgets for all kinds of offbeat weddings Guest list primer: questions you must ask when making your guest list Read More > A few of our fave wedding vendors Entertainment Nation Read More Matt Schmachtenberg Photography Read More Moon River Rituals with Zita Christian, Life-Cycle Celebrant Read More Joseph Gonzalez-Dufresne Photography Read More Browse our vendor guide > Our infamous spreadsheets & checklists Planning tools 101: wedding guest seating chart planner Your offbeat-friendly interactive wedding planning checklist is available! 80+ free wedding printables: a huge list of downloadable DIY wedding projects Our GIANT list of important questions to ask wedding venues WTF is "scrumming" and how can it help you actually ENJOY wedding planning Planning tools 101: your wedding vendor contact sheet Planning tools 101: hotel block comparison chart Offbeat guide to the wedding photo shot list Get planning > We're everywhere! Follow us on social media. Get creative, offbeat wedding ideas delivered daily to your inbox! Join our newsletter SUBSCRIBE Copyright © 2003 - 2019 Offbeat Empire. All rights reserved. Unauthorized reproduction in part or in whole is prohibited. Contact us Terms of Service | Privacy Policy | Monetized by SkimLinks
May 30, 2018 Lush florals go ring-shaped with this DIY floral hoop backdrop I love a good hoop bouquet, but those handy floral hoops can be used for more than just a great alternative bouquet. I've created a series of hoops flowing with greenery and flora that can be used a wedding ceremony backdrop, reception decor, or even a place card holder. With this DIY floral hoop backdrop, you can add as many floral picks as you like to make it as lush as you can imagine. Artificial flowers let you create a backdrop that can go from wedding to living room permanently. It's the beauty of realistic artificial flowers! Here are the steps to go from a simple hoop to intricate backdrop in no time… Read More April 5, 2018 In case of dementor attack, you'll need this Harry Potter wedding favor If you're a Potterphile, you know that chocolate bars have their own powers of soothing you after a dementor attack. So at a wedding with Harry Potter details (where a dementor could prey, naturally!), why not offer up some DIY Harry Potter wedding favors that will do the job nicely. Plus, it only takes some inexpensive chocolate bars, some printer paper, and a printable chocolate bar wrapper. Read More More DIY > Recent Stuff we love March 22, 2019 Tons of dazzling colored gemstone rings for every kind of couple Diamonds may have been a girl's best friend, but we're branching out in all kinds of colorful ways these days. While it's all good if you want to snag a diamond ring, you also don't have to feel locked in to it AT ALL. One of our fave jewelry artisan partners, Metalicious, specializes in all things alternative when it comes to gemstones so I went down the rabbit hole to see what stunning sparklies we could find in colored gemstones, diamond alternatives, and even snazzy alternative metals for wedding bands. Read More March 19, 2019 Heart eyes for the lace, statement sleeves, and fringe of this dreamy bohemian dress collection (& a pop-up shop event in NYC!) The last time we featured some of the fabulous wedding gowns from our partner CocoMelody, y'all went wild. Their collections of ready-to-wear and custom styles (made to fit YOU!) are colorful, diverse, super well-made, and available in extensive sizes. It's that super rare dress source that actually gets offbeat readers. Let's peek at their Bohemian Nomad Collection which is making me swoon with romance meets modern meets laid-back meets gorgeous dress bliss. Read More March 12, 2019 This mega-skilled photography team gives you "how did we look that good?" level wedding photography all over the U.S. If there's ever been a wedding photography team who connects with our readers, it's Atlanta-based Gemini and The Bear. The husband and wife team of Ryan and Jenevieve come with a substantial amount of experience in both photography AND wedding planning and production, so they're the moooost prepared to handle anything that comes their way — your wedding included! Let's meet the creative pair and see why they'll make your love story come to life in ways you've never imagined it could… Read More March 8, 2019 Sharing the wealth of my window shopping for fun wedding shoe clips I ended up having a bit of trouble finding wedding shoes that I loved. It then dawned on me that I'd been touting the merits of shoe clips for ages and forgot that they might just be the ticket for adding some fun to my wedding flats. Grab your favorite pair of shoes (flats, heels, loafers, boots… all can rock clips!) and get to accessorizing your feet… Read More March 5, 2019 Rainbows & gender unicorns: how LGBTQ couples are changing wedding ring rules When it comes to buying rings for weddings, LGBTQ couples are throwing out the traditions that bind them to form their own paths in ringdom. Whether you propose to each other, have matching bands, eschew rings altogether in favor of another kind of jewelry, the options for rings that represent your identity are quite literally endless. I spoke with one of our favorite custom ring creators, Joseph Jewelry, to see what trends and ideas they've been seeing in wedding jewelry that allows for more expression of who you love, what your gender is, and how you want to communicate that to world. Read More More Stuff we love > Recent Wedding 101 1.0k January 23, 2019 6 tips for making your wedding website useful AND stylish Are you engaged? YAY! I have a feeling that a lot of you are thinking about wedding hashtags and websites and social media, oh my. Weddings are way more high tech these days and a wedding website is pretty standard fare now. When I got engaged in 2018, I went on a hunt for a really slick wedding website and have a few quick hit tips to share to make your wedding website both ultra useful and seriously captivating. Read More July 12, 2018 Planning tools 101: hotel block comparison chart We launched a comprehensive and totally customizable document of wedding planning spreadsheets in Google Drive if you're the type to get down with spreadsheets like I am. Now we're sharing a chart that will help you compare hotel blocks if you're planning to provide that option to your guests. Hotel blocks allow you to block out some rooms and room rates to help guests grab a good deal on a hotel room. Read More June 27, 2018 Avoiding wedding fights: how to plan your wedding planning Your engagement should be a joyful time. You have a lifetime ahead of you with the person you love. What could be better than to celebrate that love surrounded by friends and family? And yet, somehow things go awry. Conflicts flare. And the time that should be so happy — the build-up to your wedding — is fraught with possibilities for strife. The good news is you can avoid most of the problems by planning your wedding planning. That's right. Plan how you're going to plan. Read More 2.6k April 18, 2018 I bought a colored wedding dress and now everyone's mad! What should I do? I come from a family of strict traditionalists when it comes to everything, especially weddings. I recently bought a peach wedding dress with no sleeves and expressed I wanted light blue hair and Converse to go with it. As you can imagine, things didn't go over well. When I try to stand up for my wedding choices, I'm shamed for it. Please help! Read More 4.3k March 5, 2018 Wedding dates to avoid in 2018, 2019, and beyond I'm compiling this list of wedding dates to avoid in 2018, 2019, and 2020 in case you want to avoid holidays where family and friends might have conflicting events, holidays where vendors might be especially busy and/or expensive (think Valentine's Day for florists), or religious holidays where places might be closed or guests might have other plans. Does this mean you CAN'T book your wedding for one of these days? Hell no! Read More More Wedding 101 > Offbeat Bride: your source for wedding ideas and inclusive wedding planning We've got bajillions of creative wedding ideas, DIY projects, and wedding advice to make your wedding plans easier — and even fun! What do you need to do today? I have no idea. I need Wedding Planning 101! I need a wedding planning checklist (now in an interactive version, too!) Hook me up with free wedding fonts & printables I need offbeat wedding registry ideas I'm curious about offbeat wedding themes (geeky! boho! so many!) Reporter Name * Reporter Email * Original text Enter the original text here. Edited text* Enter your suggested copyedit here. Notes You can add a note for the editor here. * Required information. Fix Typo What wedding planning advice & inspiration do you need today? Dress Eloping Engagement Ring Feminism Floral Print Geeky Harry Potter Invitation Wording Readings Ceremony Advice Fashion Wedding 101 Super cute offbeat wedding invitations @offbeatbride on Insta Newly engaged? How to keep dry during a rainy wedding day What no one tells the newly-engaged: you don't have to plan it all today! How to get a marriage license: tips and tricks for the engaged and confused Juggling wedding planning and grief So you want to have a friend officiate… The mother of all "Oh-Shit!" Kits, featuring the Decormergency Kit Break it down now: sample wedding budgets for all kinds of offbeat weddings Guest list primer: questions you must ask when making your guest list Read More > A few of our fave wedding vendors Entertainment Nation Read More Matt Schmachtenberg Photography Read More Moon River Rituals with Zita Christian, Life-Cycle Celebrant Read More Joseph Gonzalez-Dufresne Photography Read More Browse our vendor guide > Our infamous spreadsheets & checklists Planning tools 101: wedding guest seating chart planner Your offbeat-friendly interactive wedding planning checklist is available! 80+ free wedding printables: a huge list of downloadable DIY wedding projects Our GIANT list of important questions to ask wedding venues WTF is "scrumming" and how can it help you actually ENJOY wedding planning Planning tools 101: your wedding vendor contact sheet Planning tools 101: hotel block comparison chart Offbeat guide to the wedding photo shot list Get planning > We're everywhere! Follow us on social media. Get creative, offbeat wedding ideas delivered daily to your inbox! Join our newsletter SUBSCRIBE Copyright © 2003 - 2019 Offbeat Empire. All rights reserved. Unauthorized reproduction in part or in whole is prohibited. Contact us Terms of Service | Privacy Policy | Monetized by SkimLinks
April 5, 2018 In case of dementor attack, you'll need this Harry Potter wedding favor If you're a Potterphile, you know that chocolate bars have their own powers of soothing you after a dementor attack. So at a wedding with Harry Potter details (where a dementor could prey, naturally!), why not offer up some DIY Harry Potter wedding favors that will do the job nicely. Plus, it only takes some inexpensive chocolate bars, some printer paper, and a printable chocolate bar wrapper. Read More More DIY > Recent Stuff we love March 22, 2019 Tons of dazzling colored gemstone rings for every kind of couple Diamonds may have been a girl's best friend, but we're branching out in all kinds of colorful ways these days. While it's all good if you want to snag a diamond ring, you also don't have to feel locked in to it AT ALL. One of our fave jewelry artisan partners, Metalicious, specializes in all things alternative when it comes to gemstones so I went down the rabbit hole to see what stunning sparklies we could find in colored gemstones, diamond alternatives, and even snazzy alternative metals for wedding bands. Read More March 19, 2019 Heart eyes for the lace, statement sleeves, and fringe of this dreamy bohemian dress collection (& a pop-up shop event in NYC!) The last time we featured some of the fabulous wedding gowns from our partner CocoMelody, y'all went wild. Their collections of ready-to-wear and custom styles (made to fit YOU!) are colorful, diverse, super well-made, and available in extensive sizes. It's that super rare dress source that actually gets offbeat readers. Let's peek at their Bohemian Nomad Collection which is making me swoon with romance meets modern meets laid-back meets gorgeous dress bliss. Read More March 12, 2019 This mega-skilled photography team gives you "how did we look that good?" level wedding photography all over the U.S. If there's ever been a wedding photography team who connects with our readers, it's Atlanta-based Gemini and The Bear. The husband and wife team of Ryan and Jenevieve come with a substantial amount of experience in both photography AND wedding planning and production, so they're the moooost prepared to handle anything that comes their way — your wedding included! Let's meet the creative pair and see why they'll make your love story come to life in ways you've never imagined it could… Read More March 8, 2019 Sharing the wealth of my window shopping for fun wedding shoe clips I ended up having a bit of trouble finding wedding shoes that I loved. It then dawned on me that I'd been touting the merits of shoe clips for ages and forgot that they might just be the ticket for adding some fun to my wedding flats. Grab your favorite pair of shoes (flats, heels, loafers, boots… all can rock clips!) and get to accessorizing your feet… Read More March 5, 2019 Rainbows & gender unicorns: how LGBTQ couples are changing wedding ring rules When it comes to buying rings for weddings, LGBTQ couples are throwing out the traditions that bind them to form their own paths in ringdom. Whether you propose to each other, have matching bands, eschew rings altogether in favor of another kind of jewelry, the options for rings that represent your identity are quite literally endless. I spoke with one of our favorite custom ring creators, Joseph Jewelry, to see what trends and ideas they've been seeing in wedding jewelry that allows for more expression of who you love, what your gender is, and how you want to communicate that to world. Read More More Stuff we love > Recent Wedding 101 1.0k January 23, 2019 6 tips for making your wedding website useful AND stylish Are you engaged? YAY! I have a feeling that a lot of you are thinking about wedding hashtags and websites and social media, oh my. Weddings are way more high tech these days and a wedding website is pretty standard fare now. When I got engaged in 2018, I went on a hunt for a really slick wedding website and have a few quick hit tips to share to make your wedding website both ultra useful and seriously captivating. Read More July 12, 2018 Planning tools 101: hotel block comparison chart We launched a comprehensive and totally customizable document of wedding planning spreadsheets in Google Drive if you're the type to get down with spreadsheets like I am. Now we're sharing a chart that will help you compare hotel blocks if you're planning to provide that option to your guests. Hotel blocks allow you to block out some rooms and room rates to help guests grab a good deal on a hotel room. Read More June 27, 2018 Avoiding wedding fights: how to plan your wedding planning Your engagement should be a joyful time. You have a lifetime ahead of you with the person you love. What could be better than to celebrate that love surrounded by friends and family? And yet, somehow things go awry. Conflicts flare. And the time that should be so happy — the build-up to your wedding — is fraught with possibilities for strife. The good news is you can avoid most of the problems by planning your wedding planning. That's right. Plan how you're going to plan. Read More 2.6k April 18, 2018 I bought a colored wedding dress and now everyone's mad! What should I do? I come from a family of strict traditionalists when it comes to everything, especially weddings. I recently bought a peach wedding dress with no sleeves and expressed I wanted light blue hair and Converse to go with it. As you can imagine, things didn't go over well. When I try to stand up for my wedding choices, I'm shamed for it. Please help! Read More 4.3k March 5, 2018 Wedding dates to avoid in 2018, 2019, and beyond I'm compiling this list of wedding dates to avoid in 2018, 2019, and 2020 in case you want to avoid holidays where family and friends might have conflicting events, holidays where vendors might be especially busy and/or expensive (think Valentine's Day for florists), or religious holidays where places might be closed or guests might have other plans. Does this mean you CAN'T book your wedding for one of these days? Hell no! Read More More Wedding 101 > Offbeat Bride: your source for wedding ideas and inclusive wedding planning We've got bajillions of creative wedding ideas, DIY projects, and wedding advice to make your wedding plans easier — and even fun! What do you need to do today? I have no idea. I need Wedding Planning 101! I need a wedding planning checklist (now in an interactive version, too!) Hook me up with free wedding fonts & printables I need offbeat wedding registry ideas I'm curious about offbeat wedding themes (geeky! boho! so many!) Reporter Name * Reporter Email * Original text Enter the original text here. Edited text* Enter your suggested copyedit here. Notes You can add a note for the editor here. * Required information. Fix Typo What wedding planning advice & inspiration do you need today? Dress Eloping Engagement Ring Feminism Floral Print Geeky Harry Potter Invitation Wording Readings Ceremony Advice Fashion Wedding 101 Super cute offbeat wedding invitations @offbeatbride on Insta Newly engaged? How to keep dry during a rainy wedding day What no one tells the newly-engaged: you don't have to plan it all today! How to get a marriage license: tips and tricks for the engaged and confused Juggling wedding planning and grief So you want to have a friend officiate… The mother of all "Oh-Shit!" Kits, featuring the Decormergency Kit Break it down now: sample wedding budgets for all kinds of offbeat weddings Guest list primer: questions you must ask when making your guest list Read More > A few of our fave wedding vendors Entertainment Nation Read More Matt Schmachtenberg Photography Read More Moon River Rituals with Zita Christian, Life-Cycle Celebrant Read More Joseph Gonzalez-Dufresne Photography Read More Browse our vendor guide > Our infamous spreadsheets & checklists Planning tools 101: wedding guest seating chart planner Your offbeat-friendly interactive wedding planning checklist is available! 80+ free wedding printables: a huge list of downloadable DIY wedding projects Our GIANT list of important questions to ask wedding venues WTF is "scrumming" and how can it help you actually ENJOY wedding planning Planning tools 101: your wedding vendor contact sheet Planning tools 101: hotel block comparison chart Offbeat guide to the wedding photo shot list Get planning > We're everywhere! Follow us on social media. Get creative, offbeat wedding ideas delivered daily to your inbox! Join our newsletter SUBSCRIBE Copyright © 2003 - 2019 Offbeat Empire. All rights reserved. Unauthorized reproduction in part or in whole is prohibited. Contact us Terms of Service | Privacy Policy | Monetized by SkimLinks
March 22, 2019 Tons of dazzling colored gemstone rings for every kind of couple Diamonds may have been a girl's best friend, but we're branching out in all kinds of colorful ways these days. While it's all good if you want to snag a diamond ring, you also don't have to feel locked in to it AT ALL. One of our fave jewelry artisan partners, Metalicious, specializes in all things alternative when it comes to gemstones so I went down the rabbit hole to see what stunning sparklies we could find in colored gemstones, diamond alternatives, and even snazzy alternative metals for wedding bands. Read More March 19, 2019 Heart eyes for the lace, statement sleeves, and fringe of this dreamy bohemian dress collection (& a pop-up shop event in NYC!) The last time we featured some of the fabulous wedding gowns from our partner CocoMelody, y'all went wild. Their collections of ready-to-wear and custom styles (made to fit YOU!) are colorful, diverse, super well-made, and available in extensive sizes. It's that super rare dress source that actually gets offbeat readers. Let's peek at their Bohemian Nomad Collection which is making me swoon with romance meets modern meets laid-back meets gorgeous dress bliss. Read More March 12, 2019 This mega-skilled photography team gives you "how did we look that good?" level wedding photography all over the U.S. If there's ever been a wedding photography team who connects with our readers, it's Atlanta-based Gemini and The Bear. The husband and wife team of Ryan and Jenevieve come with a substantial amount of experience in both photography AND wedding planning and production, so they're the moooost prepared to handle anything that comes their way — your wedding included! Let's meet the creative pair and see why they'll make your love story come to life in ways you've never imagined it could… Read More March 8, 2019 Sharing the wealth of my window shopping for fun wedding shoe clips I ended up having a bit of trouble finding wedding shoes that I loved. It then dawned on me that I'd been touting the merits of shoe clips for ages and forgot that they might just be the ticket for adding some fun to my wedding flats. Grab your favorite pair of shoes (flats, heels, loafers, boots… all can rock clips!) and get to accessorizing your feet… Read More March 5, 2019 Rainbows & gender unicorns: how LGBTQ couples are changing wedding ring rules When it comes to buying rings for weddings, LGBTQ couples are throwing out the traditions that bind them to form their own paths in ringdom. Whether you propose to each other, have matching bands, eschew rings altogether in favor of another kind of jewelry, the options for rings that represent your identity are quite literally endless. I spoke with one of our favorite custom ring creators, Joseph Jewelry, to see what trends and ideas they've been seeing in wedding jewelry that allows for more expression of who you love, what your gender is, and how you want to communicate that to world. Read More More Stuff we love > Recent Wedding 101 1.0k January 23, 2019 6 tips for making your wedding website useful AND stylish Are you engaged? YAY! I have a feeling that a lot of you are thinking about wedding hashtags and websites and social media, oh my. Weddings are way more high tech these days and a wedding website is pretty standard fare now. When I got engaged in 2018, I went on a hunt for a really slick wedding website and have a few quick hit tips to share to make your wedding website both ultra useful and seriously captivating. Read More July 12, 2018 Planning tools 101: hotel block comparison chart We launched a comprehensive and totally customizable document of wedding planning spreadsheets in Google Drive if you're the type to get down with spreadsheets like I am. Now we're sharing a chart that will help you compare hotel blocks if you're planning to provide that option to your guests. Hotel blocks allow you to block out some rooms and room rates to help guests grab a good deal on a hotel room. Read More June 27, 2018 Avoiding wedding fights: how to plan your wedding planning Your engagement should be a joyful time. You have a lifetime ahead of you with the person you love. What could be better than to celebrate that love surrounded by friends and family? And yet, somehow things go awry. Conflicts flare. And the time that should be so happy — the build-up to your wedding — is fraught with possibilities for strife. The good news is you can avoid most of the problems by planning your wedding planning. That's right. Plan how you're going to plan. Read More 2.6k April 18, 2018 I bought a colored wedding dress and now everyone's mad! What should I do? I come from a family of strict traditionalists when it comes to everything, especially weddings. I recently bought a peach wedding dress with no sleeves and expressed I wanted light blue hair and Converse to go with it. As you can imagine, things didn't go over well. When I try to stand up for my wedding choices, I'm shamed for it. Please help! Read More 4.3k March 5, 2018 Wedding dates to avoid in 2018, 2019, and beyond I'm compiling this list of wedding dates to avoid in 2018, 2019, and 2020 in case you want to avoid holidays where family and friends might have conflicting events, holidays where vendors might be especially busy and/or expensive (think Valentine's Day for florists), or religious holidays where places might be closed or guests might have other plans. Does this mean you CAN'T book your wedding for one of these days? Hell no! Read More More Wedding 101 > Offbeat Bride: your source for wedding ideas and inclusive wedding planning We've got bajillions of creative wedding ideas, DIY projects, and wedding advice to make your wedding plans easier — and even fun! What do you need to do today? I have no idea. I need Wedding Planning 101! I need a wedding planning checklist (now in an interactive version, too!) Hook me up with free wedding fonts & printables I need offbeat wedding registry ideas I'm curious about offbeat wedding themes (geeky! boho! so many!) Reporter Name * Reporter Email * Original text Enter the original text here. Edited text* Enter your suggested copyedit here. Notes You can add a note for the editor here. * Required information. Fix Typo What wedding planning advice & inspiration do you need today? Dress Eloping Engagement Ring Feminism Floral Print Geeky Harry Potter Invitation Wording Readings Ceremony Advice Fashion Wedding 101 Super cute offbeat wedding invitations @offbeatbride on Insta Newly engaged? How to keep dry during a rainy wedding day What no one tells the newly-engaged: you don't have to plan it all today! How to get a marriage license: tips and tricks for the engaged and confused Juggling wedding planning and grief So you want to have a friend officiate… The mother of all "Oh-Shit!" Kits, featuring the Decormergency Kit Break it down now: sample wedding budgets for all kinds of offbeat weddings Guest list primer: questions you must ask when making your guest list Read More > A few of our fave wedding vendors Entertainment Nation Read More Matt Schmachtenberg Photography Read More Moon River Rituals with Zita Christian, Life-Cycle Celebrant Read More Joseph Gonzalez-Dufresne Photography Read More Browse our vendor guide > Our infamous spreadsheets & checklists Planning tools 101: wedding guest seating chart planner Your offbeat-friendly interactive wedding planning checklist is available! 80+ free wedding printables: a huge list of downloadable DIY wedding projects Our GIANT list of important questions to ask wedding venues WTF is "scrumming" and how can it help you actually ENJOY wedding planning Planning tools 101: your wedding vendor contact sheet Planning tools 101: hotel block comparison chart Offbeat guide to the wedding photo shot list Get planning > We're everywhere! Follow us on social media. Get creative, offbeat wedding ideas delivered daily to your inbox! Join our newsletter SUBSCRIBE Copyright © 2003 - 2019 Offbeat Empire. All rights reserved. Unauthorized reproduction in part or in whole is prohibited. Contact us Terms of Service | Privacy Policy | Monetized by SkimLinks
March 19, 2019 Heart eyes for the lace, statement sleeves, and fringe of this dreamy bohemian dress collection (& a pop-up shop event in NYC!) The last time we featured some of the fabulous wedding gowns from our partner CocoMelody, y'all went wild. Their collections of ready-to-wear and custom styles (made to fit YOU!) are colorful, diverse, super well-made, and available in extensive sizes. It's that super rare dress source that actually gets offbeat readers. Let's peek at their Bohemian Nomad Collection which is making me swoon with romance meets modern meets laid-back meets gorgeous dress bliss. Read More March 12, 2019 This mega-skilled photography team gives you "how did we look that good?" level wedding photography all over the U.S. If there's ever been a wedding photography team who connects with our readers, it's Atlanta-based Gemini and The Bear. The husband and wife team of Ryan and Jenevieve come with a substantial amount of experience in both photography AND wedding planning and production, so they're the moooost prepared to handle anything that comes their way — your wedding included! Let's meet the creative pair and see why they'll make your love story come to life in ways you've never imagined it could… Read More March 8, 2019 Sharing the wealth of my window shopping for fun wedding shoe clips I ended up having a bit of trouble finding wedding shoes that I loved. It then dawned on me that I'd been touting the merits of shoe clips for ages and forgot that they might just be the ticket for adding some fun to my wedding flats. Grab your favorite pair of shoes (flats, heels, loafers, boots… all can rock clips!) and get to accessorizing your feet… Read More March 5, 2019 Rainbows & gender unicorns: how LGBTQ couples are changing wedding ring rules When it comes to buying rings for weddings, LGBTQ couples are throwing out the traditions that bind them to form their own paths in ringdom. Whether you propose to each other, have matching bands, eschew rings altogether in favor of another kind of jewelry, the options for rings that represent your identity are quite literally endless. I spoke with one of our favorite custom ring creators, Joseph Jewelry, to see what trends and ideas they've been seeing in wedding jewelry that allows for more expression of who you love, what your gender is, and how you want to communicate that to world. Read More More Stuff we love > Recent Wedding 101 1.0k January 23, 2019 6 tips for making your wedding website useful AND stylish Are you engaged? YAY! I have a feeling that a lot of you are thinking about wedding hashtags and websites and social media, oh my. Weddings are way more high tech these days and a wedding website is pretty standard fare now. When I got engaged in 2018, I went on a hunt for a really slick wedding website and have a few quick hit tips to share to make your wedding website both ultra useful and seriously captivating. Read More July 12, 2018 Planning tools 101: hotel block comparison chart We launched a comprehensive and totally customizable document of wedding planning spreadsheets in Google Drive if you're the type to get down with spreadsheets like I am. Now we're sharing a chart that will help you compare hotel blocks if you're planning to provide that option to your guests. Hotel blocks allow you to block out some rooms and room rates to help guests grab a good deal on a hotel room. Read More June 27, 2018 Avoiding wedding fights: how to plan your wedding planning Your engagement should be a joyful time. You have a lifetime ahead of you with the person you love. What could be better than to celebrate that love surrounded by friends and family? And yet, somehow things go awry. Conflicts flare. And the time that should be so happy — the build-up to your wedding — is fraught with possibilities for strife. The good news is you can avoid most of the problems by planning your wedding planning. That's right. Plan how you're going to plan. Read More 2.6k April 18, 2018 I bought a colored wedding dress and now everyone's mad! What should I do? I come from a family of strict traditionalists when it comes to everything, especially weddings. I recently bought a peach wedding dress with no sleeves and expressed I wanted light blue hair and Converse to go with it. As you can imagine, things didn't go over well. When I try to stand up for my wedding choices, I'm shamed for it. Please help! Read More 4.3k March 5, 2018 Wedding dates to avoid in 2018, 2019, and beyond I'm compiling this list of wedding dates to avoid in 2018, 2019, and 2020 in case you want to avoid holidays where family and friends might have conflicting events, holidays where vendors might be especially busy and/or expensive (think Valentine's Day for florists), or religious holidays where places might be closed or guests might have other plans. Does this mean you CAN'T book your wedding for one of these days? Hell no! Read More More Wedding 101 > Offbeat Bride: your source for wedding ideas and inclusive wedding planning We've got bajillions of creative wedding ideas, DIY projects, and wedding advice to make your wedding plans easier — and even fun! What do you need to do today? I have no idea. I need Wedding Planning 101! I need a wedding planning checklist (now in an interactive version, too!) Hook me up with free wedding fonts & printables I need offbeat wedding registry ideas I'm curious about offbeat wedding themes (geeky! boho! so many!) Reporter Name * Reporter Email * Original text Enter the original text here. Edited text* Enter your suggested copyedit here. Notes You can add a note for the editor here. * Required information. Fix Typo What wedding planning advice & inspiration do you need today? Dress Eloping Engagement Ring Feminism Floral Print Geeky Harry Potter Invitation Wording Readings Ceremony Advice Fashion Wedding 101 Super cute offbeat wedding invitations @offbeatbride on Insta Newly engaged? How to keep dry during a rainy wedding day What no one tells the newly-engaged: you don't have to plan it all today! How to get a marriage license: tips and tricks for the engaged and confused Juggling wedding planning and grief So you want to have a friend officiate… The mother of all "Oh-Shit!" Kits, featuring the Decormergency Kit Break it down now: sample wedding budgets for all kinds of offbeat weddings Guest list primer: questions you must ask when making your guest list Read More > A few of our fave wedding vendors Entertainment Nation Read More Matt Schmachtenberg Photography Read More Moon River Rituals with Zita Christian, Life-Cycle Celebrant Read More Joseph Gonzalez-Dufresne Photography Read More Browse our vendor guide > Our infamous spreadsheets & checklists Planning tools 101: wedding guest seating chart planner Your offbeat-friendly interactive wedding planning checklist is available! 80+ free wedding printables: a huge list of downloadable DIY wedding projects Our GIANT list of important questions to ask wedding venues WTF is "scrumming" and how can it help you actually ENJOY wedding planning Planning tools 101: your wedding vendor contact sheet Planning tools 101: hotel block comparison chart Offbeat guide to the wedding photo shot list Get planning > We're everywhere! Follow us on social media. Get creative, offbeat wedding ideas delivered daily to your inbox! Join our newsletter SUBSCRIBE Copyright © 2003 - 2019 Offbeat Empire. All rights reserved. Unauthorized reproduction in part or in whole is prohibited. Contact us Terms of Service | Privacy Policy | Monetized by SkimLinks
March 12, 2019 This mega-skilled photography team gives you "how did we look that good?" level wedding photography all over the U.S. If there's ever been a wedding photography team who connects with our readers, it's Atlanta-based Gemini and The Bear. The husband and wife team of Ryan and Jenevieve come with a substantial amount of experience in both photography AND wedding planning and production, so they're the moooost prepared to handle anything that comes their way — your wedding included! Let's meet the creative pair and see why they'll make your love story come to life in ways you've never imagined it could… Read More March 8, 2019 Sharing the wealth of my window shopping for fun wedding shoe clips I ended up having a bit of trouble finding wedding shoes that I loved. It then dawned on me that I'd been touting the merits of shoe clips for ages and forgot that they might just be the ticket for adding some fun to my wedding flats. Grab your favorite pair of shoes (flats, heels, loafers, boots… all can rock clips!) and get to accessorizing your feet… Read More March 5, 2019 Rainbows & gender unicorns: how LGBTQ couples are changing wedding ring rules When it comes to buying rings for weddings, LGBTQ couples are throwing out the traditions that bind them to form their own paths in ringdom. Whether you propose to each other, have matching bands, eschew rings altogether in favor of another kind of jewelry, the options for rings that represent your identity are quite literally endless. I spoke with one of our favorite custom ring creators, Joseph Jewelry, to see what trends and ideas they've been seeing in wedding jewelry that allows for more expression of who you love, what your gender is, and how you want to communicate that to world. Read More More Stuff we love > Recent Wedding 101 1.0k January 23, 2019 6 tips for making your wedding website useful AND stylish Are you engaged? YAY! I have a feeling that a lot of you are thinking about wedding hashtags and websites and social media, oh my. Weddings are way more high tech these days and a wedding website is pretty standard fare now. When I got engaged in 2018, I went on a hunt for a really slick wedding website and have a few quick hit tips to share to make your wedding website both ultra useful and seriously captivating. Read More July 12, 2018 Planning tools 101: hotel block comparison chart We launched a comprehensive and totally customizable document of wedding planning spreadsheets in Google Drive if you're the type to get down with spreadsheets like I am. Now we're sharing a chart that will help you compare hotel blocks if you're planning to provide that option to your guests. Hotel blocks allow you to block out some rooms and room rates to help guests grab a good deal on a hotel room. Read More June 27, 2018 Avoiding wedding fights: how to plan your wedding planning Your engagement should be a joyful time. You have a lifetime ahead of you with the person you love. What could be better than to celebrate that love surrounded by friends and family? And yet, somehow things go awry. Conflicts flare. And the time that should be so happy — the build-up to your wedding — is fraught with possibilities for strife. The good news is you can avoid most of the problems by planning your wedding planning. That's right. Plan how you're going to plan. Read More 2.6k April 18, 2018 I bought a colored wedding dress and now everyone's mad! What should I do? I come from a family of strict traditionalists when it comes to everything, especially weddings. I recently bought a peach wedding dress with no sleeves and expressed I wanted light blue hair and Converse to go with it. As you can imagine, things didn't go over well. When I try to stand up for my wedding choices, I'm shamed for it. Please help! Read More 4.3k March 5, 2018 Wedding dates to avoid in 2018, 2019, and beyond I'm compiling this list of wedding dates to avoid in 2018, 2019, and 2020 in case you want to avoid holidays where family and friends might have conflicting events, holidays where vendors might be especially busy and/or expensive (think Valentine's Day for florists), or religious holidays where places might be closed or guests might have other plans. Does this mean you CAN'T book your wedding for one of these days? Hell no! Read More More Wedding 101 > Offbeat Bride: your source for wedding ideas and inclusive wedding planning We've got bajillions of creative wedding ideas, DIY projects, and wedding advice to make your wedding plans easier — and even fun! What do you need to do today? I have no idea. I need Wedding Planning 101! I need a wedding planning checklist (now in an interactive version, too!) Hook me up with free wedding fonts & printables I need offbeat wedding registry ideas I'm curious about offbeat wedding themes (geeky! boho! so many!) Reporter Name * Reporter Email * Original text Enter the original text here. Edited text* Enter your suggested copyedit here. Notes You can add a note for the editor here. * Required information. Fix Typo What wedding planning advice & inspiration do you need today? Dress Eloping Engagement Ring Feminism Floral Print Geeky Harry Potter Invitation Wording Readings Ceremony Advice Fashion Wedding 101 Super cute offbeat wedding invitations @offbeatbride on Insta Newly engaged? How to keep dry during a rainy wedding day What no one tells the newly-engaged: you don't have to plan it all today! How to get a marriage license: tips and tricks for the engaged and confused Juggling wedding planning and grief So you want to have a friend officiate… The mother of all "Oh-Shit!" Kits, featuring the Decormergency Kit Break it down now: sample wedding budgets for all kinds of offbeat weddings Guest list primer: questions you must ask when making your guest list Read More > A few of our fave wedding vendors Entertainment Nation Read More Matt Schmachtenberg Photography Read More Moon River Rituals with Zita Christian, Life-Cycle Celebrant Read More Joseph Gonzalez-Dufresne Photography Read More Browse our vendor guide > Our infamous spreadsheets & checklists Planning tools 101: wedding guest seating chart planner Your offbeat-friendly interactive wedding planning checklist is available! 80+ free wedding printables: a huge list of downloadable DIY wedding projects Our GIANT list of important questions to ask wedding venues WTF is "scrumming" and how can it help you actually ENJOY wedding planning Planning tools 101: your wedding vendor contact sheet Planning tools 101: hotel block comparison chart Offbeat guide to the wedding photo shot list Get planning > We're everywhere! Follow us on social media. Get creative, offbeat wedding ideas delivered daily to your inbox! Join our newsletter SUBSCRIBE Copyright © 2003 - 2019 Offbeat Empire. All rights reserved. Unauthorized reproduction in part or in whole is prohibited. Contact us Terms of Service | Privacy Policy | Monetized by SkimLinks
March 8, 2019 Sharing the wealth of my window shopping for fun wedding shoe clips I ended up having a bit of trouble finding wedding shoes that I loved. It then dawned on me that I'd been touting the merits of shoe clips for ages and forgot that they might just be the ticket for adding some fun to my wedding flats. Grab your favorite pair of shoes (flats, heels, loafers, boots… all can rock clips!) and get to accessorizing your feet… Read More March 5, 2019 Rainbows & gender unicorns: how LGBTQ couples are changing wedding ring rules When it comes to buying rings for weddings, LGBTQ couples are throwing out the traditions that bind them to form their own paths in ringdom. Whether you propose to each other, have matching bands, eschew rings altogether in favor of another kind of jewelry, the options for rings that represent your identity are quite literally endless. I spoke with one of our favorite custom ring creators, Joseph Jewelry, to see what trends and ideas they've been seeing in wedding jewelry that allows for more expression of who you love, what your gender is, and how you want to communicate that to world. Read More More Stuff we love > Recent Wedding 101 1.0k January 23, 2019 6 tips for making your wedding website useful AND stylish Are you engaged? YAY! I have a feeling that a lot of you are thinking about wedding hashtags and websites and social media, oh my. Weddings are way more high tech these days and a wedding website is pretty standard fare now. When I got engaged in 2018, I went on a hunt for a really slick wedding website and have a few quick hit tips to share to make your wedding website both ultra useful and seriously captivating. Read More July 12, 2018 Planning tools 101: hotel block comparison chart We launched a comprehensive and totally customizable document of wedding planning spreadsheets in Google Drive if you're the type to get down with spreadsheets like I am. Now we're sharing a chart that will help you compare hotel blocks if you're planning to provide that option to your guests. Hotel blocks allow you to block out some rooms and room rates to help guests grab a good deal on a hotel room. Read More June 27, 2018 Avoiding wedding fights: how to plan your wedding planning Your engagement should be a joyful time. You have a lifetime ahead of you with the person you love. What could be better than to celebrate that love surrounded by friends and family? And yet, somehow things go awry. Conflicts flare. And the time that should be so happy — the build-up to your wedding — is fraught with possibilities for strife. The good news is you can avoid most of the problems by planning your wedding planning. That's right. Plan how you're going to plan. Read More 2.6k April 18, 2018 I bought a colored wedding dress and now everyone's mad! What should I do? I come from a family of strict traditionalists when it comes to everything, especially weddings. I recently bought a peach wedding dress with no sleeves and expressed I wanted light blue hair and Converse to go with it. As you can imagine, things didn't go over well. When I try to stand up for my wedding choices, I'm shamed for it. Please help! Read More 4.3k March 5, 2018 Wedding dates to avoid in 2018, 2019, and beyond I'm compiling this list of wedding dates to avoid in 2018, 2019, and 2020 in case you want to avoid holidays where family and friends might have conflicting events, holidays where vendors might be especially busy and/or expensive (think Valentine's Day for florists), or religious holidays where places might be closed or guests might have other plans. Does this mean you CAN'T book your wedding for one of these days? Hell no! Read More More Wedding 101 > Offbeat Bride: your source for wedding ideas and inclusive wedding planning We've got bajillions of creative wedding ideas, DIY projects, and wedding advice to make your wedding plans easier — and even fun! What do you need to do today? I have no idea. I need Wedding Planning 101! I need a wedding planning checklist (now in an interactive version, too!) Hook me up with free wedding fonts & printables I need offbeat wedding registry ideas I'm curious about offbeat wedding themes (geeky! boho! so many!) Reporter Name * Reporter Email * Original text Enter the original text here. Edited text* Enter your suggested copyedit here. Notes You can add a note for the editor here. * Required information. Fix Typo What wedding planning advice & inspiration do you need today? Dress Eloping Engagement Ring Feminism Floral Print Geeky Harry Potter Invitation Wording Readings Ceremony Advice Fashion Wedding 101 Super cute offbeat wedding invitations @offbeatbride on Insta Newly engaged? How to keep dry during a rainy wedding day What no one tells the newly-engaged: you don't have to plan it all today! How to get a marriage license: tips and tricks for the engaged and confused Juggling wedding planning and grief So you want to have a friend officiate… The mother of all "Oh-Shit!" Kits, featuring the Decormergency Kit Break it down now: sample wedding budgets for all kinds of offbeat weddings Guest list primer: questions you must ask when making your guest list Read More > A few of our fave wedding vendors Entertainment Nation Read More Matt Schmachtenberg Photography Read More Moon River Rituals with Zita Christian, Life-Cycle Celebrant Read More Joseph Gonzalez-Dufresne Photography Read More Browse our vendor guide > Our infamous spreadsheets & checklists Planning tools 101: wedding guest seating chart planner Your offbeat-friendly interactive wedding planning checklist is available! 80+ free wedding printables: a huge list of downloadable DIY wedding projects Our GIANT list of important questions to ask wedding venues WTF is "scrumming" and how can it help you actually ENJOY wedding planning Planning tools 101: your wedding vendor contact sheet Planning tools 101: hotel block comparison chart Offbeat guide to the wedding photo shot list Get planning > We're everywhere! Follow us on social media. Get creative, offbeat wedding ideas delivered daily to your inbox! Join our newsletter SUBSCRIBE Copyright © 2003 - 2019 Offbeat Empire. All rights reserved. Unauthorized reproduction in part or in whole is prohibited. Contact us Terms of Service | Privacy Policy | Monetized by SkimLinks
March 5, 2019 Rainbows & gender unicorns: how LGBTQ couples are changing wedding ring rules When it comes to buying rings for weddings, LGBTQ couples are throwing out the traditions that bind them to form their own paths in ringdom. Whether you propose to each other, have matching bands, eschew rings altogether in favor of another kind of jewelry, the options for rings that represent your identity are quite literally endless. I spoke with one of our favorite custom ring creators, Joseph Jewelry, to see what trends and ideas they've been seeing in wedding jewelry that allows for more expression of who you love, what your gender is, and how you want to communicate that to world. Read More More Stuff we love > Recent Wedding 101 1.0k January 23, 2019 6 tips for making your wedding website useful AND stylish Are you engaged? YAY! I have a feeling that a lot of you are thinking about wedding hashtags and websites and social media, oh my. Weddings are way more high tech these days and a wedding website is pretty standard fare now. When I got engaged in 2018, I went on a hunt for a really slick wedding website and have a few quick hit tips to share to make your wedding website both ultra useful and seriously captivating. Read More July 12, 2018 Planning tools 101: hotel block comparison chart We launched a comprehensive and totally customizable document of wedding planning spreadsheets in Google Drive if you're the type to get down with spreadsheets like I am. Now we're sharing a chart that will help you compare hotel blocks if you're planning to provide that option to your guests. Hotel blocks allow you to block out some rooms and room rates to help guests grab a good deal on a hotel room. Read More June 27, 2018 Avoiding wedding fights: how to plan your wedding planning Your engagement should be a joyful time. You have a lifetime ahead of you with the person you love. What could be better than to celebrate that love surrounded by friends and family? And yet, somehow things go awry. Conflicts flare. And the time that should be so happy — the build-up to your wedding — is fraught with possibilities for strife. The good news is you can avoid most of the problems by planning your wedding planning. That's right. Plan how you're going to plan. Read More 2.6k April 18, 2018 I bought a colored wedding dress and now everyone's mad! What should I do? I come from a family of strict traditionalists when it comes to everything, especially weddings. I recently bought a peach wedding dress with no sleeves and expressed I wanted light blue hair and Converse to go with it. As you can imagine, things didn't go over well. When I try to stand up for my wedding choices, I'm shamed for it. Please help! Read More 4.3k March 5, 2018 Wedding dates to avoid in 2018, 2019, and beyond I'm compiling this list of wedding dates to avoid in 2018, 2019, and 2020 in case you want to avoid holidays where family and friends might have conflicting events, holidays where vendors might be especially busy and/or expensive (think Valentine's Day for florists), or religious holidays where places might be closed or guests might have other plans. Does this mean you CAN'T book your wedding for one of these days? Hell no! Read More More Wedding 101 > Offbeat Bride: your source for wedding ideas and inclusive wedding planning We've got bajillions of creative wedding ideas, DIY projects, and wedding advice to make your wedding plans easier — and even fun! What do you need to do today? I have no idea. I need Wedding Planning 101! I need a wedding planning checklist (now in an interactive version, too!) Hook me up with free wedding fonts & printables I need offbeat wedding registry ideas I'm curious about offbeat wedding themes (geeky! boho! so many!) Reporter Name * Reporter Email * Original text Enter the original text here. Edited text* Enter your suggested copyedit here. Notes You can add a note for the editor here. * Required information. Fix Typo What wedding planning advice & inspiration do you need today? Dress Eloping Engagement Ring Feminism Floral Print Geeky Harry Potter Invitation Wording Readings Ceremony Advice Fashion Wedding 101 Super cute offbeat wedding invitations @offbeatbride on Insta Newly engaged? How to keep dry during a rainy wedding day What no one tells the newly-engaged: you don't have to plan it all today! How to get a marriage license: tips and tricks for the engaged and confused Juggling wedding planning and grief So you want to have a friend officiate… The mother of all "Oh-Shit!" Kits, featuring the Decormergency Kit Break it down now: sample wedding budgets for all kinds of offbeat weddings Guest list primer: questions you must ask when making your guest list Read More > A few of our fave wedding vendors Entertainment Nation Read More Matt Schmachtenberg Photography Read More Moon River Rituals with Zita Christian, Life-Cycle Celebrant Read More Joseph Gonzalez-Dufresne Photography Read More Browse our vendor guide > Our infamous spreadsheets & checklists Planning tools 101: wedding guest seating chart planner Your offbeat-friendly interactive wedding planning checklist is available! 80+ free wedding printables: a huge list of downloadable DIY wedding projects Our GIANT list of important questions to ask wedding venues WTF is "scrumming" and how can it help you actually ENJOY wedding planning Planning tools 101: your wedding vendor contact sheet Planning tools 101: hotel block comparison chart Offbeat guide to the wedding photo shot list Get planning > We're everywhere! Follow us on social media. Get creative, offbeat wedding ideas delivered daily to your inbox! Join our newsletter SUBSCRIBE Copyright © 2003 - 2019 Offbeat Empire. All rights reserved. Unauthorized reproduction in part or in whole is prohibited. Contact us Terms of Service | Privacy Policy | Monetized by SkimLinks
1.0k January 23, 2019 6 tips for making your wedding website useful AND stylish Are you engaged? YAY! I have a feeling that a lot of you are thinking about wedding hashtags and websites and social media, oh my. Weddings are way more high tech these days and a wedding website is pretty standard fare now. When I got engaged in 2018, I went on a hunt for a really slick wedding website and have a few quick hit tips to share to make your wedding website both ultra useful and seriously captivating. Read More July 12, 2018 Planning tools 101: hotel block comparison chart We launched a comprehensive and totally customizable document of wedding planning spreadsheets in Google Drive if you're the type to get down with spreadsheets like I am. Now we're sharing a chart that will help you compare hotel blocks if you're planning to provide that option to your guests. Hotel blocks allow you to block out some rooms and room rates to help guests grab a good deal on a hotel room. Read More June 27, 2018 Avoiding wedding fights: how to plan your wedding planning Your engagement should be a joyful time. You have a lifetime ahead of you with the person you love. What could be better than to celebrate that love surrounded by friends and family? And yet, somehow things go awry. Conflicts flare. And the time that should be so happy — the build-up to your wedding — is fraught with possibilities for strife. The good news is you can avoid most of the problems by planning your wedding planning. That's right. Plan how you're going to plan. Read More 2.6k April 18, 2018 I bought a colored wedding dress and now everyone's mad! What should I do? I come from a family of strict traditionalists when it comes to everything, especially weddings. I recently bought a peach wedding dress with no sleeves and expressed I wanted light blue hair and Converse to go with it. As you can imagine, things didn't go over well. When I try to stand up for my wedding choices, I'm shamed for it. Please help! Read More 4.3k March 5, 2018 Wedding dates to avoid in 2018, 2019, and beyond I'm compiling this list of wedding dates to avoid in 2018, 2019, and 2020 in case you want to avoid holidays where family and friends might have conflicting events, holidays where vendors might be especially busy and/or expensive (think Valentine's Day for florists), or religious holidays where places might be closed or guests might have other plans. Does this mean you CAN'T book your wedding for one of these days? Hell no! Read More More Wedding 101 > Offbeat Bride: your source for wedding ideas and inclusive wedding planning We've got bajillions of creative wedding ideas, DIY projects, and wedding advice to make your wedding plans easier — and even fun! What do you need to do today? I have no idea. I need Wedding Planning 101! I need a wedding planning checklist (now in an interactive version, too!) Hook me up with free wedding fonts & printables I need offbeat wedding registry ideas I'm curious about offbeat wedding themes (geeky! boho! so many!) Reporter Name * Reporter Email * Original text Enter the original text here. Edited text* Enter your suggested copyedit here. Notes You can add a note for the editor here. * Required information. Fix Typo What wedding planning advice & inspiration do you need today? Dress Eloping Engagement Ring Feminism Floral Print Geeky Harry Potter Invitation Wording Readings Ceremony Advice Fashion Wedding 101 Super cute offbeat wedding invitations @offbeatbride on Insta Newly engaged? How to keep dry during a rainy wedding day What no one tells the newly-engaged: you don't have to plan it all today! How to get a marriage license: tips and tricks for the engaged and confused Juggling wedding planning and grief So you want to have a friend officiate… The mother of all "Oh-Shit!" Kits, featuring the Decormergency Kit Break it down now: sample wedding budgets for all kinds of offbeat weddings Guest list primer: questions you must ask when making your guest list Read More > A few of our fave wedding vendors Entertainment Nation Read More Matt Schmachtenberg Photography Read More Moon River Rituals with Zita Christian, Life-Cycle Celebrant Read More Joseph Gonzalez-Dufresne Photography Read More Browse our vendor guide > Our infamous spreadsheets & checklists Planning tools 101: wedding guest seating chart planner Your offbeat-friendly interactive wedding planning checklist is available! 80+ free wedding printables: a huge list of downloadable DIY wedding projects Our GIANT list of important questions to ask wedding venues WTF is "scrumming" and how can it help you actually ENJOY wedding planning Planning tools 101: your wedding vendor contact sheet Planning tools 101: hotel block comparison chart Offbeat guide to the wedding photo shot list Get planning > We're everywhere! Follow us on social media. Get creative, offbeat wedding ideas delivered daily to your inbox! Join our newsletter SUBSCRIBE Copyright © 2003 - 2019 Offbeat Empire. All rights reserved. Unauthorized reproduction in part or in whole is prohibited. Contact us Terms of Service | Privacy Policy | Monetized by SkimLinks
July 12, 2018 Planning tools 101: hotel block comparison chart We launched a comprehensive and totally customizable document of wedding planning spreadsheets in Google Drive if you're the type to get down with spreadsheets like I am. Now we're sharing a chart that will help you compare hotel blocks if you're planning to provide that option to your guests. Hotel blocks allow you to block out some rooms and room rates to help guests grab a good deal on a hotel room. Read More June 27, 2018 Avoiding wedding fights: how to plan your wedding planning Your engagement should be a joyful time. You have a lifetime ahead of you with the person you love. What could be better than to celebrate that love surrounded by friends and family? And yet, somehow things go awry. Conflicts flare. And the time that should be so happy — the build-up to your wedding — is fraught with possibilities for strife. The good news is you can avoid most of the problems by planning your wedding planning. That's right. Plan how you're going to plan. Read More 2.6k April 18, 2018 I bought a colored wedding dress and now everyone's mad! What should I do? I come from a family of strict traditionalists when it comes to everything, especially weddings. I recently bought a peach wedding dress with no sleeves and expressed I wanted light blue hair and Converse to go with it. As you can imagine, things didn't go over well. When I try to stand up for my wedding choices, I'm shamed for it. Please help! Read More 4.3k March 5, 2018 Wedding dates to avoid in 2018, 2019, and beyond I'm compiling this list of wedding dates to avoid in 2018, 2019, and 2020 in case you want to avoid holidays where family and friends might have conflicting events, holidays where vendors might be especially busy and/or expensive (think Valentine's Day for florists), or religious holidays where places might be closed or guests might have other plans. Does this mean you CAN'T book your wedding for one of these days? Hell no! Read More More Wedding 101 > Offbeat Bride: your source for wedding ideas and inclusive wedding planning We've got bajillions of creative wedding ideas, DIY projects, and wedding advice to make your wedding plans easier — and even fun! What do you need to do today? I have no idea. I need Wedding Planning 101! I need a wedding planning checklist (now in an interactive version, too!) Hook me up with free wedding fonts & printables I need offbeat wedding registry ideas I'm curious about offbeat wedding themes (geeky! boho! so many!) Reporter Name * Reporter Email * Original text Enter the original text here. Edited text* Enter your suggested copyedit here. Notes You can add a note for the editor here. * Required information. Fix Typo What wedding planning advice & inspiration do you need today? Dress Eloping Engagement Ring Feminism Floral Print Geeky Harry Potter Invitation Wording Readings Ceremony Advice Fashion Wedding 101 Super cute offbeat wedding invitations @offbeatbride on Insta Newly engaged? How to keep dry during a rainy wedding day What no one tells the newly-engaged: you don't have to plan it all today! How to get a marriage license: tips and tricks for the engaged and confused Juggling wedding planning and grief So you want to have a friend officiate… The mother of all "Oh-Shit!" Kits, featuring the Decormergency Kit Break it down now: sample wedding budgets for all kinds of offbeat weddings Guest list primer: questions you must ask when making your guest list Read More > A few of our fave wedding vendors Entertainment Nation Read More Matt Schmachtenberg Photography Read More Moon River Rituals with Zita Christian, Life-Cycle Celebrant Read More Joseph Gonzalez-Dufresne Photography Read More Browse our vendor guide > Our infamous spreadsheets & checklists Planning tools 101: wedding guest seating chart planner Your offbeat-friendly interactive wedding planning checklist is available! 80+ free wedding printables: a huge list of downloadable DIY wedding projects Our GIANT list of important questions to ask wedding venues WTF is "scrumming" and how can it help you actually ENJOY wedding planning Planning tools 101: your wedding vendor contact sheet Planning tools 101: hotel block comparison chart Offbeat guide to the wedding photo shot list Get planning > We're everywhere! Follow us on social media. Get creative, offbeat wedding ideas delivered daily to your inbox! Join our newsletter SUBSCRIBE Copyright © 2003 - 2019 Offbeat Empire. All rights reserved. Unauthorized reproduction in part or in whole is prohibited. Contact us Terms of Service | Privacy Policy | Monetized by SkimLinks
June 27, 2018 Avoiding wedding fights: how to plan your wedding planning Your engagement should be a joyful time. You have a lifetime ahead of you with the person you love. What could be better than to celebrate that love surrounded by friends and family? And yet, somehow things go awry. Conflicts flare. And the time that should be so happy — the build-up to your wedding — is fraught with possibilities for strife. The good news is you can avoid most of the problems by planning your wedding planning. That's right. Plan how you're going to plan. Read More 2.6k April 18, 2018 I bought a colored wedding dress and now everyone's mad! What should I do? I come from a family of strict traditionalists when it comes to everything, especially weddings. I recently bought a peach wedding dress with no sleeves and expressed I wanted light blue hair and Converse to go with it. As you can imagine, things didn't go over well. When I try to stand up for my wedding choices, I'm shamed for it. Please help! Read More 4.3k March 5, 2018 Wedding dates to avoid in 2018, 2019, and beyond I'm compiling this list of wedding dates to avoid in 2018, 2019, and 2020 in case you want to avoid holidays where family and friends might have conflicting events, holidays where vendors might be especially busy and/or expensive (think Valentine's Day for florists), or religious holidays where places might be closed or guests might have other plans. Does this mean you CAN'T book your wedding for one of these days? Hell no! Read More More Wedding 101 > Offbeat Bride: your source for wedding ideas and inclusive wedding planning We've got bajillions of creative wedding ideas, DIY projects, and wedding advice to make your wedding plans easier — and even fun! What do you need to do today? I have no idea. I need Wedding Planning 101! I need a wedding planning checklist (now in an interactive version, too!) Hook me up with free wedding fonts & printables I need offbeat wedding registry ideas I'm curious about offbeat wedding themes (geeky! boho! so many!) Reporter Name * Reporter Email * Original text Enter the original text here. Edited text* Enter your suggested copyedit here. Notes You can add a note for the editor here. * Required information. Fix Typo What wedding planning advice & inspiration do you need today? Dress Eloping Engagement Ring Feminism Floral Print Geeky Harry Potter Invitation Wording Readings Ceremony Advice Fashion Wedding 101 Super cute offbeat wedding invitations @offbeatbride on Insta Newly engaged? How to keep dry during a rainy wedding day What no one tells the newly-engaged: you don't have to plan it all today! How to get a marriage license: tips and tricks for the engaged and confused Juggling wedding planning and grief So you want to have a friend officiate… The mother of all "Oh-Shit!" Kits, featuring the Decormergency Kit Break it down now: sample wedding budgets for all kinds of offbeat weddings Guest list primer: questions you must ask when making your guest list Read More > A few of our fave wedding vendors Entertainment Nation Read More Matt Schmachtenberg Photography Read More Moon River Rituals with Zita Christian, Life-Cycle Celebrant Read More Joseph Gonzalez-Dufresne Photography Read More Browse our vendor guide > Our infamous spreadsheets & checklists Planning tools 101: wedding guest seating chart planner Your offbeat-friendly interactive wedding planning checklist is available! 80+ free wedding printables: a huge list of downloadable DIY wedding projects Our GIANT list of important questions to ask wedding venues WTF is "scrumming" and how can it help you actually ENJOY wedding planning Planning tools 101: your wedding vendor contact sheet Planning tools 101: hotel block comparison chart Offbeat guide to the wedding photo shot list Get planning > We're everywhere! Follow us on social media. Get creative, offbeat wedding ideas delivered daily to your inbox! Join our newsletter SUBSCRIBE Copyright © 2003 - 2019 Offbeat Empire. All rights reserved. Unauthorized reproduction in part or in whole is prohibited. Contact us Terms of Service | Privacy Policy | Monetized by SkimLinks
2.6k April 18, 2018 I bought a colored wedding dress and now everyone's mad! What should I do? I come from a family of strict traditionalists when it comes to everything, especially weddings. I recently bought a peach wedding dress with no sleeves and expressed I wanted light blue hair and Converse to go with it. As you can imagine, things didn't go over well. When I try to stand up for my wedding choices, I'm shamed for it. Please help! Read More 4.3k March 5, 2018 Wedding dates to avoid in 2018, 2019, and beyond I'm compiling this list of wedding dates to avoid in 2018, 2019, and 2020 in case you want to avoid holidays where family and friends might have conflicting events, holidays where vendors might be especially busy and/or expensive (think Valentine's Day for florists), or religious holidays where places might be closed or guests might have other plans. Does this mean you CAN'T book your wedding for one of these days? Hell no! Read More More Wedding 101 > Offbeat Bride: your source for wedding ideas and inclusive wedding planning We've got bajillions of creative wedding ideas, DIY projects, and wedding advice to make your wedding plans easier — and even fun! What do you need to do today? I have no idea. I need Wedding Planning 101! I need a wedding planning checklist (now in an interactive version, too!) Hook me up with free wedding fonts & printables I need offbeat wedding registry ideas I'm curious about offbeat wedding themes (geeky! boho! so many!) Reporter Name * Reporter Email * Original text Enter the original text here. Edited text* Enter your suggested copyedit here. Notes You can add a note for the editor here. * Required information. Fix Typo What wedding planning advice & inspiration do you need today? Dress Eloping Engagement Ring Feminism Floral Print Geeky Harry Potter Invitation Wording Readings Ceremony Advice Fashion Wedding 101 Super cute offbeat wedding invitations @offbeatbride on Insta Newly engaged? How to keep dry during a rainy wedding day What no one tells the newly-engaged: you don't have to plan it all today! How to get a marriage license: tips and tricks for the engaged and confused Juggling wedding planning and grief So you want to have a friend officiate… The mother of all "Oh-Shit!" Kits, featuring the Decormergency Kit Break it down now: sample wedding budgets for all kinds of offbeat weddings Guest list primer: questions you must ask when making your guest list Read More > A few of our fave wedding vendors Entertainment Nation Read More Matt Schmachtenberg Photography Read More Moon River Rituals with Zita Christian, Life-Cycle Celebrant Read More Joseph Gonzalez-Dufresne Photography Read More Browse our vendor guide > Our infamous spreadsheets & checklists Planning tools 101: wedding guest seating chart planner Your offbeat-friendly interactive wedding planning checklist is available! 80+ free wedding printables: a huge list of downloadable DIY wedding projects Our GIANT list of important questions to ask wedding venues WTF is "scrumming" and how can it help you actually ENJOY wedding planning Planning tools 101: your wedding vendor contact sheet Planning tools 101: hotel block comparison chart Offbeat guide to the wedding photo shot list Get planning > We're everywhere! Follow us on social media. Get creative, offbeat wedding ideas delivered daily to your inbox! Join our newsletter SUBSCRIBE Copyright © 2003 - 2019 Offbeat Empire. All rights reserved. Unauthorized reproduction in part or in whole is prohibited. Contact us Terms of Service | Privacy Policy | Monetized by SkimLinks
4.3k March 5, 2018 Wedding dates to avoid in 2018, 2019, and beyond I'm compiling this list of wedding dates to avoid in 2018, 2019, and 2020 in case you want to avoid holidays where family and friends might have conflicting events, holidays where vendors might be especially busy and/or expensive (think Valentine's Day for florists), or religious holidays where places might be closed or guests might have other plans. Does this mean you CAN'T book your wedding for one of these days? Hell no! Read More More Wedding 101 >