Tanya & Mark's flamingo themed backyard wedding #Real Weddings: Northeast US#backyard#colored crinoline#colored wedding veils#colorful#non-floral bouquet#pennsylvania#red shoes#red wedding veils#short hair#vintage dress Updated Oct 12 2015 (Posted Sep 23 2009) Offbeat Editors The Offbeat Bride: Tanya, bookseller/crafty lady Her Offbeat Partner: Mark, administrator Location & date of wedding: Parents backyard in Northampton, PA — 6/6/09 What made our wedding offbeat: We wanted to keep our wedding fun, whimsical, and more like an outdoor party. I made everything I thought I could, allowing me to show of my crafty side. I did the invitations, most of the decorations (except the paper lanterns), the centerpieces, and all of the flowers. All of the tables were covered in the vintage table clothes I had been collecting while planning the wedding. I am a huge John Waters fan, hence the slight pink flamingo obsession. We had plastic pink flamingos in the yard and at our gazebo "altar." Being music snobs, no DJ was allowed. I worked out a playlist on my ipod of our favorite songs and we walked down the "aisle" to Ceremony by New Order. My wedding dress and my maid of honor's dress were vintage and purchased on eBay. Finding such an awesome dress on eBay saved me a lot of money (it was under $100!). Our color scheme was aqua, red, and yellow. We had a matching cake and my mom and I made red velvet cupcakes with pink flamingo toppers. There was no traditional bouquet toss or first dance, just plenty of unpredictable fun! At the end of the day, all of ours guests were saying, 'what a cool wedding, it was so you guys!' Our biggest challenge: I would say the biggest challenge was allowing myself to delegates things to other people instead of taking control and doing everything myself. Sometimes it is hard to let other people step in when you have an exact vision of how you want things to be. It had also rained most of the week leading up to the wedding so we couldn't start setting anything up outside until the morning of, which led to a major time crunch since the ceremony started at 1:00. My favorite moment: It had to be walking down the "aisle" to Mark smiling at me. And of course the high five we gave each other at the end of our vows. Everyone started laughing! My advice for other offbeat brides: I would say to try not to let others talk you into changing what you feel your wedding should be like. Some people can't fathom the idea of a nontraditional wedding, but if it seems right to you then go for it. Its way more fun anyway! Also, make lots of checklists and write yourself notes. Otherwise, you might forget some really great ideas. For outdoor weddings, always remember sunscreen. We forgot to put some on and we got really burned! Care to share a few vendor/shopping links?: Dresses: eBay Red birdcage veil: eventsandoccassions.org Red heels: modcloth.com Red crinoline: uniquevintage.com Enough talk — show me the wedding porn!: PREVIOUS What does being a bride feel like? NEXT Bandora & Michael's Foxtailed Pagan Handfasting Show/Hide comments [ 35 ] i love the dress! And the red veil! Reply it's great to see antoher bride with short funky hair- for some reason I was trying to grow mine out for the wedding but kept hating it and chopping it all off again. Why would I put up with months of hair I hate for one day when this looks so cute 🙂 Reply Darlene, if you're looking for more short hair brides, we've got a whole tag archive full of 'em over here: Reply I was the same… I grew out my hair for mine and it drove me nuts… mind you long for me was chin length. I think back now and i wish i had just kept it short. Reply http://offbeatbride.com/2009/04/canadian-pirate-w… Reply We had those EXACT same flamingos at our wedding! Reply So colorful – I love it! And that guitar player is hawt. Reply AWESOMEEEEEEEEE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Reply LOVE the dress! Reply That dress is gorgeous! It looks like everyone had a blast! Reply I love that dress! Where on eBay? Reply What a great wedding! Congrats!! If you'd consider selling your dress please let me know!! Thanks! Jess jessmann@gmail.com Reply This is ridiculously cool. And how GORGEOUS is she?! Reply tanya– where did you get those floofy colorful things on the altar??? did you make them?? love. need. Reply Love love love! I hope everyone is this happy at my wedding. The flamingos are awesome 🙂 Reply thanks everybody! i made the tissue paper pompoms…stole it from martha stewarts website..adore her! and that hawt guitar player is my little brother. i dont think i could ever part w/ the dress plus you wouldnt want it..the lace got all ripped by the end of the night! thats what happens when your dress is 50+ years old. Reply I just found out that John Waters will be speaking at the film festival in our town in November! This wedding looked like so much fun, I will be using it as inspiration. Reply I love the peekaboo red under the dress, such fun colors! Beccijo http://www.beccijo.com http://www.theenchantedcupboard.etsy.com http://www.theenchantedcupboard.1000markets.com http://thereluctantcitydweller.blogspot.com Reply love all these bright happy colors! everything looked so great! Reply Wow i can feel the romance…. I think i should try searching for Filipina brides now to experience this kind of event!!! LOL Reply I was looking for those pink flamingos everywhere! all I found was blow up kinds but didnt want that in my wedding. Love the red colors addition to your wedding outfit and your gown is so cool !! Congrats to you!! Reply Tanya is my friend and has always had the most adorable style it fits her to a T! Reply Oh i LOVE the bouquet! Reply Fabulous! I love the color scheme so much and the whole feel you created! Congratulations! Reply Thank you for posting this… as a bride in the midst of the last month of planning, this whimsical, original, and down to earth wedding was just what I needed to see! What a glorious wedding! Reply LOVE the colors and your dress! Also, your bouquet was amazing! Did you make it yourself or buy it on etsy? I'm thinking of making one in my colors for my wedding. Awe inspiring 🙂 Reply Hi Tanya…your mom told me about the web site when i saw her at becky's drive in…….what a great wedding……LOVE the dress and wedding bouquets and everything else…..what a lovely day…….congrats to Yanya and Mark . Eileen Korn Reply oooppppssssss sorry Tanya not Yanya hahahahah soooo….. like me to do that Reply hi – who made the married on banner? would LOVE to order one for myself – gorgeous Reply gorgeous! Tanya – i love the married on banner – could the artist be contacted to make one for me? thanks so much and have a wonderful life. Reply You are my fave. I'm getting inspiration from ya! Reply OH-EM-GEEEE!!! Tanya, your dress is GORGEOUS!!!! I fell in love with it! Your entire wedding looks fabulous, I adore you!!! Reply i painted the banner myself. very time consuming! Reply The cutest wedding ever! Reply Your wedding is beautiful! The dress is amazing and I love the colors. Also, your hair is adorable. At most of the "boring" wedding websites, all the hairstyle are long. Reply Join the conversation Cancel ReplyYour email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *Comment Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. Sign me up for your offbeat awesomeness newsletter! No-drama comment policy Part of what makes the Offbeat Empire different is our commitment to civil, constructive commenting. Make sure you're familiar with our no-drama comment policy. Biz owners & wedding bloggers Please just use your real name in your comment, not your business name or blog title. Our comments are not the place to pimp your website. If you want to promote your stuff on Offbeat Bride, join us as an advertiser instead.
it's great to see antoher bride with short funky hair- for some reason I was trying to grow mine out for the wedding but kept hating it and chopping it all off again. Why would I put up with months of hair I hate for one day when this looks so cute 🙂 Reply
Darlene, if you're looking for more short hair brides, we've got a whole tag archive full of 'em over here: Reply
I was the same… I grew out my hair for mine and it drove me nuts… mind you long for me was chin length. I think back now and i wish i had just kept it short. Reply
What a great wedding! Congrats!! If you'd consider selling your dress please let me know!! Thanks! Jess jessmann@gmail.com Reply
tanya– where did you get those floofy colorful things on the altar??? did you make them?? love. need. Reply
thanks everybody! i made the tissue paper pompoms…stole it from martha stewarts website..adore her! and that hawt guitar player is my little brother. i dont think i could ever part w/ the dress plus you wouldnt want it..the lace got all ripped by the end of the night! thats what happens when your dress is 50+ years old. Reply
I just found out that John Waters will be speaking at the film festival in our town in November! This wedding looked like so much fun, I will be using it as inspiration. Reply
I love the peekaboo red under the dress, such fun colors! Beccijo http://www.beccijo.com http://www.theenchantedcupboard.etsy.com http://www.theenchantedcupboard.1000markets.com http://thereluctantcitydweller.blogspot.com Reply
Wow i can feel the romance…. I think i should try searching for Filipina brides now to experience this kind of event!!! LOL Reply
I was looking for those pink flamingos everywhere! all I found was blow up kinds but didnt want that in my wedding. Love the red colors addition to your wedding outfit and your gown is so cool !! Congrats to you!! Reply
Thank you for posting this… as a bride in the midst of the last month of planning, this whimsical, original, and down to earth wedding was just what I needed to see! What a glorious wedding! Reply
LOVE the colors and your dress! Also, your bouquet was amazing! Did you make it yourself or buy it on etsy? I'm thinking of making one in my colors for my wedding. Awe inspiring 🙂 Reply
Hi Tanya…your mom told me about the web site when i saw her at becky's drive in…….what a great wedding……LOVE the dress and wedding bouquets and everything else…..what a lovely day…….congrats to Yanya and Mark . Eileen Korn Reply
gorgeous! Tanya – i love the married on banner – could the artist be contacted to make one for me? thanks so much and have a wonderful life. Reply
OH-EM-GEEEE!!! Tanya, your dress is GORGEOUS!!!! I fell in love with it! Your entire wedding looks fabulous, I adore you!!! Reply
Your wedding is beautiful! The dress is amazing and I love the colors. Also, your hair is adorable. At most of the "boring" wedding websites, all the hairstyle are long. Reply