A steampunk wedding

December 3 2007 | arielmstallings

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One of my favorite things about running this website is exposure to fabulous freaks I might otherwise not encounter. I mean, I know all about my brand of weird (left coast second gen hippie/retired raver/etc) but it's such a treat to see other delicious flavors of non-traditional.

Gear Cakes

Case in point: Siouxzi Rodeman and Alan Donnelly's Steampunk wedding in Chicago. (Some of you may remember Siouxzi — she's the one who had that nightmare run-in at Macy's a few months ago.)

https://www.flickr.com/photos/andibob909/2063970762

I was aware of Steampunk as a literary genre, but only just barely and not as a full-blown lifestyle/fashion thang. Consider me now educated and inspired.

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I completely fell in love with neo-victorian aesthetic once I started poking around in Siouxzi's wedding photos — her wedding hat! The custom ties for the bridesmaids and groomsmen! The cakes! The minister's monoggle! All the brass and the corsetry and the gears and springs! What an awesome visual treat.

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The fact that Souxzi was able to organize this stunning, stylish wedding in three months (while also grieving her mother's recent passing) is totally mind-boggling and is a sharp ruler on the knuckles of anyone who says you can't plan a wedding in less than six months. Congratulations, Souxzi!

But oh, there's more. So much more …

If you want to feel like you were actually there, check out this wedding video:

Siouxzi and Alans Wedding Ceremony from crank! on Vimeo.

twue love

If you're curious about steam fashion, it looks like this LJ community is a good place to start poking around.

And when you're ready to immerse yourself in hundreds of photos, you can go here for shots from the wedding, and here for details like cake-toppers, hats, invites, etc.

UPDATE
If you like this, you might like Souxzi's 2009 halloween costume.

Ariel

Author of the Offbeat Bride book, Ariel acts as the publisher of all the Offbeat Empire websites. She lives in Seattle with her son, and if she's not reading or writing books, chances are good that she's dancing or happy-crying. You can get to know her better on her Insta stories.

  2. Steampunk is my favorite literary genre and fashion movement, so I'm giddy at the thought of an entire wedding based on that aesthetic.

    Also, congrats–this was BoingBoinged!

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  5. As the sister of the groom (and mom of the two shortest members of the wedding party), I can say that this was one of the most heartfelt weddings I've ever attended. Alan and Siouxzi are a unique couple, of course, but the outward trappings gave all the gathered friends and family just a taste of their genuine affection for each other. We're so happy to have Siouxzi as a part of our family, and I was very honored to have been a part of their special day.

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  10. That is the coolest wedding I've ever seen. I didn't even know steampunk existed until now, but that dress is the most beautiful thing I've ever seen! Ever!

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  11. I'm looking at these pictures and just staring in amazement because my fiance and I are planning a steampunk wedding…also while looking through this couple's lovely pictures I realized that they chose the same color scheme and also used blue hydrangeas, which is what I am going to use in my wedding.
    It looks amazing all put together.

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  14. I'm very glad that the bad experience didn't ruin this day for you.

    I'm a bit misty eyed. You two are very lucky. May you get everything that you diserve from your relaitonship and more.

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  16. Thanks everyone for the lovely comments. So many things managed to come together at the last moment. There are almost too many favorite moments to mention which is as it should be. The best though, was seeing my dad, smiling through it all.

    Miss Jennifer: Think twice about hydrangeas. They are beautiful, but they die quickly. The ones we left in the florists water until literally right before the ceremony were still wilty and sad looking by the end. It's not a horrible thing, but if you want something to stay really big and bright ask around for what might be better.

    Bear: The Macy's experience was indeed horrid, but kudo's to Caroline for more than making up for it. Nothing like having a group of extraordinarily talented women dote over your dress for an afternoon. If I had to do it again, I wouldn't change a thing. 😀

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  18. siouxzi…I think I'm doing to used dried hydrangeas or silk ones because I found some that are brighter colored and I wanted to use a really bright blue and, so far, I haven't seen where I can buy them fresh.

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  24. Totally in love with every aspect of your wedding. While I am a sick traditionalist, I am a self-proclaimed littérateur and am fascinated with your wedding ideas. It looks like you both had a wonderful time!

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  31. this is hands down one of the most clever and beautiful weddings i have seen on this site. congrats to the bride and groom! what a wonderful way to start your life together.

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  32. I saw Siouxzi's jewelry and dress and Alan's tie on display at the Chicago History Museum today! It was great to see them on display–especially since I first saw it here!

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