Anli & Laura's Lesbian Gamer Geek Wedding #Real Weddings: Global#australia#brides in glasses#diy bouquet#diy wedding#fall weddings#gamers#geeky weddings#lesbian weddings#LGBTQ#outdoor#pink dress#pink hair#rock band#short hair#two brides two dresses#video games#vow examples Updated Aug 24 2017 (Posted Oct 26 2009) Offbeat Editors Photos by: Julie Clyde Photography Photos by Photo by Julie Clyde Photography The offbeat bride: Anli, data analyst Her offbeat partner: Laura, public servant Location & date of wedding: The Old Stone House, NSW Australia — 5 September 2009 What made our wedding offbeat: We wanted a ceremony that reflected our geeky, romantic, pink aesthetic, while at the same time being profound and meaningful. Our ceremony was themed around the video game Portal and the anime series Revolutionary Girl Utena. We incorporated lots of geeky details, from the table names (Revolution, Sierra, Katara and GLaDOS) to the choice of music. We also kept several traditional elements such as bouquets, dresses and bridesmaids. However, we both walked down the aisle unaccompanied and skipped the garter/bouquet toss. Companion Cube cake. Photo by Julie Clyde Photography. I DIY'ed many details, including bouquets, centrepieces, bonbons, stationery and my hand-embellished corset, skirts, petticoat and detachable train. Because our wedding was so small, we skipped having a dance floor and invited guests to games of Lupus In Tabula after dinner. Our cake and bonbon were companion-cube shaped. We played Rock Band instead of having a Hens Night. And we walked down the aisle to an obscure piece of music from Utena. Because we can't legally be wed in Australia, we had a good friend officiate and he did a great job. We kept our vows secret from one another until the night before, but somehow both of us managed to discuss Laura's fear of spiders in each of our vows. Many of our friends very kindly offered their support and help, from playing violin at the ceremony, setting up decorations, making sure we were fed, proof-reading our vows, driving us around before the day and looking after our cats. We also both wore dresses, although we didn't keep our dresses secret; we had photo shoots together before the ceremony and even got dressed in the same room! Laura kept her pink hair, I kept my glasses on through all the photos and we posed with Nintendo DS consoles. Our biggest challenge: We were engaged for almost two years and picked our venue a year and a half in advance. Closer to the date, we were unsure whether the site vendors understood our vision for the day as we had originally discussed. We were very concerned about having adequate heating as many guests would be traveling in from a warmer state. We also had problems with not being able to order the correct furniture that we originally wanted. With some good communication, we were able to sort out our issues. And the venue was set up mostly as we had originally envisaged. It helped that our vendors were very patient and understanding people. We needed to get confirmation on details early on as it really made the process less stressful. We also made contingency plans (for example, seeking alternative sources for furniture and decorations) which we, fortunately, did not have to use. My favorite moment: Laura's favourite moment was watching me walk down the aisle towards her while our lovely friend Katherine played Hikari Sasu Niwa on violin. We had decided she would go first as during the rehearsal I felt really nervous being the first in line. However, during the ceremony I read my vows first. Photo by Julie Clyde Photography. My favourite moment was the sunset photoshoot after the ceremony. I felt much more relaxed after everything had worked out really well and we had a lovely romantic walk together at the bottom of the garden and had some time alone with one another and our discreet photographer, Julie Clyde. My offbeat advice: Our advice is to really spend some serious time with one another discussing your direction for your ceremony and the kind of vows that you want to make. We spent a lot of time developing our vows and had great input from some of our friends, which we highly recommend seeking if you can. Also, if you're going the DIY route, try to have everything done at least a month in advance. I was still altering dresses (which was unplanned for) on the week of the wedding which wasn't fun at all given that we had international and interstate guests to entertain and an international honeymoon to prepare for. Care to share a few vendor links? Anli's cream knitted bolero – Trendy Knitting Anli's dress – hand made, fabric sources included Silk Baron, House Fabric, and Exclusive Silks Laura's pink & cream dress – Raylia Designs Bridesmaids' dresses – Style Shake Venue – The Old Stone House (NSW, Australia) Catering – Le Tres Bon (French) Cake – Amelia's Cakes, Page ACT Australia Photography – Capturing Essence Enough talk — show me the wedding porn! PREVIOUS I'm a sucker for bellydance weddings NEXT Jaleen & Andrew's Surreal Love Circus Party-time Wedding Show/Hide comments [ 176 ] I think those are the most beautiful boquets I've ever seen in my life. Reply great wedding pics got here via kotaku Reply I LOVE it when couples communicate well enough to design weddings around their own personalities and make it truly unique. Amazing job,.. and so classic and classy too! We did the same thing a year ago in Key West with family and friends and it was just the best thing I think we've ever done, partnered or single. I highly recommend a long engagement and really thinking about what you want to experience and what you want your guests to experience as well. It's worth the wait to make it right. Kudos! Reply All I have to say is that this is fantastic and you two have made the best of our repressive norms to make something really beautiful. I'm happy to be alive to see this – I love it! Reply Congratulations to you both! Everything, especially the two of you, looks gorgeous and divinely geeky! Reply this made me smile~ congrats~! and I hope we can get married like everyone else in Australia soon. Reply there is no end to how much i am totally in love with this wedding!!! <3 <3 <3 COmpanion Cube cake and boxes!!?!?! How friggin cool is that?? *gush gush gush* Lesbian Gamer Geek wedding FTW!! XD <3 <3 <3 Reply If you both weren't already married, I would propose. You will go down in Utena fandom history. Send this to B.Papas. Reply this melts my mechanical heart….i love these modern day love stories Reply this melts my mechanical heart….i love these modern day love stories Reply Soooooooooooooo sweet! Congrats and best wishes. May you never need the reset button. Reply In an ideal world, you would've exchanged vows at the top of an insanely long spiral staircase, under an enormous, upside-down, floating castle. As it is, I think you've managed to acheive maximum awesomeness with your wedding. Congratulations, and brava! Reply This was a triumph. I'm making a note here, HUGE SUCCESS! Reply OMG!! Love everything about this. Companion Cube cake = SO PERFECT! The balance between gamer geek and soft romance is gorgeous and perfect. Congratulations! Reply LAURA! I've been trying to track you down for years! Trust you to finally appear as front page news 😛 I'm so proud that you guys (girls) finally had your dream wedding 🙂 If I'm lucky you may still remember me from Uni, Shem Le Scelle, find me on facebook so we can catch up, I have awesome news to swap and want to hear about your wedding! 🙂 Reply How fabulous! Congratulations to you both! Reply Congratulations Anli and Laura. The two of you look absolutely beautiful, and are so obviously happy from your photos. My wife and I wish you a lifetime of happiness Reply Wow! and RGU wedding, it's a wonderful idea. It was beautiful! I wish you guys the best! Reply Did you by any chance consider having bara no unmei rings made for one another? Reply Actually Anli gave me one as an anniversary gift a few years ago 🙂 I was tempted to wear it on the day, but thought it might be a bit much since rings in ceremonies are an important element. So I decided to go wit the rose seal bracelet instead 🙂 Truth be told I was more tempted to wear my juri locket, sadly the colors would have clashed 🙁 Reply OMG I am so jealous, two beautiful ladies, a beautifully geeky wedding. OMG! *wipes a tear* Reply Lesbian weddings are always so awesome… but yours takes the game-inspired cake! Reply *A* The whole wedding is absolutely gorgeous, and it's clear you two are happy. Congratulations! … Also, I'm dying to know how Laura decorated her DS. So. Damn. Pretty. Reply I decorated my DS using deco parts I got from Strapya world (I dont know if links are allowed here but you should be able to google it.) 🙂 Reply I teared up seeing these pictures and how beautiful you both are! I really love Utena too so I also geeked out! Much love and happiness to you both! Reply How fun! What an adorable couple. And for serious — awesome dresses. WANT! Reply Elegantly beautiful and one of the classiest wedding I've seen, period. Wishing you both a future full of good fortune and happiness. Reply Congrats you two, just read about this on Kotaku.com and wanted to congratulate you. Many states in the U.S. are starting to allow same-sex unions, hopefully Australia will not be too long in the future. Reply Hey, congrats, what a beautiful couple, and the cake, oh I hope the cake isn't a lie. Reply This is just lovely! I am such a huge Utena fan and this wedding is completely in the spirit of the gorgeous anime! Congratulations to both of you and extra kudos to you for Hikaru Sasu Niwa, this music is played in my favourite scene in the Utena movie; the moment when Utena realises the truth about Touga… Reply LOVE IT. You guys are so creative. Many congratulations. 🙂 Reply YOU WIN AT LIFE. The cake. The cake. I am so frickin' charmed. (Pointed here through the LJ of another lesbian gamer Utena fan friend) Reply I want some of that cake, I'm disappointed I wasn't invited. Reply Been a lurker here for a while now, and I have to say this wedding brought me out so I can say THIS WEDDING IS SUPREMELY GORGEOUS!!! The dresses are fantastic and just evoke the beauty and femininity of the princess look in Utena. I love how you incorporated your gamer and anime nerd roots into this wedding. I adore every detail of this wedding! I've also considered using anime cake toppers in my own. 🙂 Reply ¡Me muero! ¡Felicitaciones! Es una boda soñada! Reply That's one fantastic wedding. Congratulations! Your dresses are gorgeous, the little touches like the ring box are adorable, and "The Sunlit Garden" as a walking down the aisle song… does *not* make me want to tear up, because I don't do that. Really. May you have many wonderful years together! Reply This is one of the most beatiful things, let alone wedding I have ever seen. You have my deepest congratulations and I wish you happy lives together. Reply Your dresses were beautiful, the idea was fun and amazing, your wedding sounded like amazing fun, and everything looked absolutely amazing. Thank you for sharing this with us! Reply Awww, I'm glad the two of you finally got married, and in such a spectacular, geeky way. Glad things are going well for both of you, but Swancon just isn't the same without you two around. *much love to you both* Reply My five-year-old daughter just looked at these pictures and some from the photostream and exclaimed: "I cannot IMAGINE something more delightful and beautiful than this wedding!" I concur. Reply Congratulations! ^_^ Reply The cake is a lie! But seriously, congrats. Reply This wedding must have been so beautiful and meaningful! Thank you for sharing it here! It made my heart warm to see the pictures and read about it! ~<3 Yay~ Reply Congratulations, your nuptials are everything I ever wanted, so beautiful yet wonderfully different, thank you for sharing such perfect memories. Reply wow did you dance "toki ni ai wa tsuyoku"????? Dies of happiness >.< Reply Shoujo Kakumei Utena is my all-time favorite anime, ever. I have been in love with it since I was 13. I'm 22 now. Aside from this fact alone nearly giving me an awesomeness-induced stroke, the couple looks radiant. Best wishes to the both of you. Reply Shoujo Kakumei Utena is my all-time favorite anime, ever. I have been in love with it since I was 13. I'm 22 now. Aside from this fact alone nearly giving me an awesomeness-induced stroke, the couple looks radiant. Best wishes to the both of you. Reply Such a kawaii morning. Reply sweet! awesome wedding! Reply Oh, this is so beautiful! <3 Everything looks lovely, and the whole concept is just rad. o And huzzah for Utena too~ Reply Dream wedding. Reply Gorgeous, absolutely gorgeous! You both look absolutely lovely, and as a fan of both Portal and Utena, I love how you incorporated aspects from them in to your special day. Congratulations to you both! ^^ Reply Read more comments ‹ 1 2 3 4 › 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.
I LOVE it when couples communicate well enough to design weddings around their own personalities and make it truly unique. Amazing job,.. and so classic and classy too! We did the same thing a year ago in Key West with family and friends and it was just the best thing I think we've ever done, partnered or single. I highly recommend a long engagement and really thinking about what you want to experience and what you want your guests to experience as well. It's worth the wait to make it right. Kudos! Reply
All I have to say is that this is fantastic and you two have made the best of our repressive norms to make something really beautiful. I'm happy to be alive to see this – I love it! Reply
Congratulations to you both! Everything, especially the two of you, looks gorgeous and divinely geeky! Reply
this made me smile~ congrats~! and I hope we can get married like everyone else in Australia soon. Reply
there is no end to how much i am totally in love with this wedding!!! <3 <3 <3 COmpanion Cube cake and boxes!!?!?! How friggin cool is that?? *gush gush gush* Lesbian Gamer Geek wedding FTW!! XD <3 <3 <3 Reply
If you both weren't already married, I would propose. You will go down in Utena fandom history. Send this to B.Papas. Reply
In an ideal world, you would've exchanged vows at the top of an insanely long spiral staircase, under an enormous, upside-down, floating castle. As it is, I think you've managed to acheive maximum awesomeness with your wedding. Congratulations, and brava! Reply
OMG!! Love everything about this. Companion Cube cake = SO PERFECT! The balance between gamer geek and soft romance is gorgeous and perfect. Congratulations! Reply
LAURA! I've been trying to track you down for years! Trust you to finally appear as front page news 😛 I'm so proud that you guys (girls) finally had your dream wedding 🙂 If I'm lucky you may still remember me from Uni, Shem Le Scelle, find me on facebook so we can catch up, I have awesome news to swap and want to hear about your wedding! 🙂 Reply
Congratulations Anli and Laura. The two of you look absolutely beautiful, and are so obviously happy from your photos. My wife and I wish you a lifetime of happiness Reply
Actually Anli gave me one as an anniversary gift a few years ago 🙂 I was tempted to wear it on the day, but thought it might be a bit much since rings in ceremonies are an important element. So I decided to go wit the rose seal bracelet instead 🙂 Truth be told I was more tempted to wear my juri locket, sadly the colors would have clashed 🙁 Reply
*A* The whole wedding is absolutely gorgeous, and it's clear you two are happy. Congratulations! … Also, I'm dying to know how Laura decorated her DS. So. Damn. Pretty. Reply
I decorated my DS using deco parts I got from Strapya world (I dont know if links are allowed here but you should be able to google it.) 🙂 Reply
I teared up seeing these pictures and how beautiful you both are! I really love Utena too so I also geeked out! Much love and happiness to you both! Reply
Elegantly beautiful and one of the classiest wedding I've seen, period. Wishing you both a future full of good fortune and happiness. Reply
Congrats you two, just read about this on Kotaku.com and wanted to congratulate you. Many states in the U.S. are starting to allow same-sex unions, hopefully Australia will not be too long in the future. Reply
This is just lovely! I am such a huge Utena fan and this wedding is completely in the spirit of the gorgeous anime! Congratulations to both of you and extra kudos to you for Hikaru Sasu Niwa, this music is played in my favourite scene in the Utena movie; the moment when Utena realises the truth about Touga… Reply
YOU WIN AT LIFE. The cake. The cake. I am so frickin' charmed. (Pointed here through the LJ of another lesbian gamer Utena fan friend) Reply
Been a lurker here for a while now, and I have to say this wedding brought me out so I can say THIS WEDDING IS SUPREMELY GORGEOUS!!! The dresses are fantastic and just evoke the beauty and femininity of the princess look in Utena. I love how you incorporated your gamer and anime nerd roots into this wedding. I adore every detail of this wedding! I've also considered using anime cake toppers in my own. 🙂 Reply
That's one fantastic wedding. Congratulations! Your dresses are gorgeous, the little touches like the ring box are adorable, and "The Sunlit Garden" as a walking down the aisle song… does *not* make me want to tear up, because I don't do that. Really. May you have many wonderful years together! Reply
This is one of the most beatiful things, let alone wedding I have ever seen. You have my deepest congratulations and I wish you happy lives together. Reply
Your dresses were beautiful, the idea was fun and amazing, your wedding sounded like amazing fun, and everything looked absolutely amazing. Thank you for sharing this with us! Reply
Awww, I'm glad the two of you finally got married, and in such a spectacular, geeky way. Glad things are going well for both of you, but Swancon just isn't the same without you two around. *much love to you both* Reply
My five-year-old daughter just looked at these pictures and some from the photostream and exclaimed: "I cannot IMAGINE something more delightful and beautiful than this wedding!" I concur. Reply
This wedding must have been so beautiful and meaningful! Thank you for sharing it here! It made my heart warm to see the pictures and read about it! ~<3 Yay~ Reply
Congratulations, your nuptials are everything I ever wanted, so beautiful yet wonderfully different, thank you for sharing such perfect memories. Reply
Shoujo Kakumei Utena is my all-time favorite anime, ever. I have been in love with it since I was 13. I'm 22 now. Aside from this fact alone nearly giving me an awesomeness-induced stroke, the couple looks radiant. Best wishes to the both of you. Reply
Shoujo Kakumei Utena is my all-time favorite anime, ever. I have been in love with it since I was 13. I'm 22 now. Aside from this fact alone nearly giving me an awesomeness-induced stroke, the couple looks radiant. Best wishes to the both of you. Reply
Oh, this is so beautiful! <3 Everything looks lovely, and the whole concept is just rad. o And huzzah for Utena too~ Reply
Gorgeous, absolutely gorgeous! You both look absolutely lovely, and as a fan of both Portal and Utena, I love how you incorporated aspects from them in to your special day. Congratulations to you both! ^^ Reply