Best Kiss Ever

The Offbeat Bride: Angela, medical secretary

Her offbeat partner: Patrick, tech support

Date and location of wedding: Mishler Theater, Altoona, PA — October 29, 2011

Our offbeat wedding at a glance: We had almost ten years together behind us and we wanted to make sure this was a wedding worth waiting for. I decided on a royal blue dress after Patrick had pointed out that it was an old Irish tradition. We both come from Irish families, so it seemed fitting. Patrick wanted the groomsmen and himself to wear traditional garb as well. For our venue, I turned to my favorite film, Moulin Rouge, for inspiration. When I found out we could get married in a local theater, I jumped at the chance. Just like Christian and Satine.

Tim <3

We also happened to have a very good friend in the wedding that also knew how to play the bagpipes.

topper jones 121411 alternative wedding ideas from Offbeat Wed (formerly Offbeat Bride)

We had some personal details like our cake topper which was handmade to look just like us, and our personalized Jones Soda bottles for our wedding party. Collecting Jones Sodas was the first thing we had in common as a couple.

My Girls Behind Me

Tell us about the ceremony: We both wrote our own vows and based them off of traditional Irish readings.

Magic

Our biggest challenge: We struggled to get people to accept new ideas at first, such as the blue dress and theater venue. But once they realized how happy it would make us, they accepted it.

FAVORITE!

My favorite moment: I'll never forget our ceremony or our first kiss as husband and wife. I kept thinking we'd both end up being shy and blowing the moment, but I couldn't have been more wrong. It was definitely a kiss that sent me into another world.

We'll also cherish the amazing speech that our Best Man gave at our reception, and the night of fun and dancing that followed.

The Mishler

My funniest moment: There are two funny moments that stick out to us. One was at our ceremony when everyone took their seats after I had walked down the aisle to meet my husband on stage. The theater is quite old and the seats were rather squeaky. Hearing that many squeaks at one time in a supposedly haunted theater kind of takes you off guard. Needless to say I jumped a bit.

The other moment I remember is when I tossed my bouquet. A young daughter of a family friend caught it. She was about eight or nine. The DJ had to think quickly and change up the garter placement song. The song I had chosen, Jay-Z's “Big Pimpin',” wasn't quite appropriate anymore. He ended up switching it to the Barney's “I Love You” and made it a “bracelet” instead of a garter.

Cake cutting

I'd also like to add that I cannot cut a cake to save my life. At least Patrick was there to save the day.

The Girls

The guys :)

My advice for Offbeat Brides: Don't be afraid to be yourself. It's definitely worth it in the end. It will be the memories that stay with you forever, so make sure they're your memories and not for someone else. And don't forget that this day is about the beginning of forever with the person you love. The greatest thing you'll ever learn is just to love and be loved in return.

<3

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