Shannon & Fran's 1920s era vegan-friendly potluck wedding • Offbeat Wed (was Offbeat Bride)

We couldn't stop ourselves from doing another theme week once we saw a pattern of era-inspired weddings. This time? The 1920s!

The offbeat bride: Shannon, Website Admin and Perpetual Student

Her offbeat partner: Fran, Tile Guy

Date and location of wedding: Pebble Hill Interfaith Church, Doylestown, Pennsylvania, United States — October 1, 2011

Our offbeat wedding at a glance: We chose to hold the ceremony at Pebble Hill Interfaith Church due to the vibe of the location, the price, and because it represents our spiritual views. We have families and friends with very mixed backgrounds and we felt the interfaith nature of Pebble Hill would honor all of them. We also wanted to have a 1920s theme, not with a Gatsby feel but rather what our grandmothers may have done: a backyard '20s wedding.

We crafted the centerpieces ourselves with dried lavender and wheat. We collected and borrowed tons of hurricane lamps to also add to the centerpieces. The headpieces were made from craft items and appliques we ordered online. A team of potluckers made some of our food, and we supplemented with trays of sandwiches from the local grocery store. Much of the food was vegan to accommodate my vegan friends.

We created a penny candy bar that guests could snack on, or take home as favors. There were all kinds of classic candies like Mary Janes, Squirrel Nut Zippers, and Mint Juleps. We served sun tea and had a self-serve bar of wines, beers, and wine coolers.

Tell us about the ceremony: I liked our vows, but I also loved the parts our officiants, Doug and Kristina, read before our vows. Here is an excerpt from the ceremony:

Love is a quality of spirit and an attitude of the emotions, but marriage is a life's work — an art form. Today, Shannon and Francis are making a commitment to continue their life's journey together, and we are here to witness this sacred event. Therefore, this is an occasion of both profound joy and great responsibility, and we who partake in it bind ourselves as witnesses to the uniting of the life and love that Shannon and Francis are undertaking today.

Some say that the perfect relationship is one in which each partner brings strength to the other's weaknesses. Where a balance, that would be unobtainable alone, is found. Shannon and Francis have found such a balance. Today they would like to publicly dedicate themselves to a lifetime of deepening their love and commitment, and to balancing and supporting each-other.

Our biggest challenge: The biggest challenge of my wedding were the naysayers of my vision. A few of my more traditional family members had a hard time accepting that there was no DJ or dances, and that ceremony and the reception were in the same room. There was a lot of concern that things were “obviously” going to be a disaster, but thankfully the fears were unfounded.

What was the most important lesson you learned from your wedding? To stay true to yourself and not be afraid to follow your gut. We wanted it to be pretty and simple, and we wanted everyone to have fun. We got exactly what we wanted.