Posted byInspired by Princess Lasertron (because really, who isn't?) I've decided to start doing a semi-regular feature where I answer reader questions. Not, like, wedding advice questions. But questions about other stuff — the site, the world, whatever.
Here are the first batch of questions, which came in via Offbeat Bride's Facebook page:
At OBB, we're all about honoring the personally meaningful, no matter how weird or “tacky” 🙂 But I bet you've heard about some pretty off-the-wall wedding choices…what are the strangest things you've come across in your OBB travels? -Ariel H.
Ha! I love this question. I've definitely seen some things that aren't my personal aesthetics, that's for sure…
Amber and her American flag wedding dress is one great example of an offbeat bride with an aesthetic opposite from mine … but I loved that she split her wedding into two: half pagan/half country. The American flag wedding dress was counterbalanced by the beltane handfasting in white gowns that she and her husband did as part of the same celebration!
Is a potluck wedding tacky or is it OK to ask your guests to bring food to your wedding reception?
Is it OK to ask your guests to bring food to your wedding? Is a potluck wedding reception OK? Yes, and YES. Here's how to... Read more
That said, I've been consistently surprised to see how some of the stuff that gives me pause is the stuff you guys love the most! I've featured weddings that I've thought, “I'm not sure this wedding is offbeat at all … maybe I shouldn't feature it?” that then y'all have LOVED. I've featured weddings that I've thought, “Hmm, this might be too weird … maybe I shouldn't feature it?” that y'all have ALSO loved.
Everyone has their own tastes, and ultimately none of us should like every single wedding on this site.
If I've learned anything from OBB, it's that while I have my own values and aesthetics … everyone has their own tastes, and ultimately none of us should like every single wedding on this site. If any one of you likes every single wedding I feature, then I'm getting too narrow in my focus. Part of Offbeat Bride for me is introducing the world to corners of culture that aren't our own … and that means getting a little outside your aesthetic comfort zone. And when I say “you,” that includes me!
What made you start OBB? Did anyone inspire you, any bride or wedding in particular? -Bryanna
Oh man. I know you want an inspiring answer here, but I'm going to give you the plain truth: I started offbeatwed.com to promote my book. Obviously, the mission of the site has shifted and grown exponentially since then, but honestly? There was no major inspiration involved, other than wanting to get the word out about this book I'd spent so much time working on.
And as for why'd I write the book? That's not sexy either. It was the only book I could sell to a publisher. I tried pitching a book called “Left Coast Landscapes,” which was an exploration of the West Coast's weird subcultures, but my New York-based literary agent was like “Yeah, no one will publish that book.” So I wrote a book about weddings instead. And guess what? I STILL FOUND A WAY TO MAKE IT ALL ABOUT WEIRD SUBCULTURES! *evil cackle*
Have you considered adding info on how much some of the offbeat weddings cost? I've seen wonderful OBB events in my area and always wonder if elements can be incorporated into a budget conscious wedding. -Gillian
Sometimes folks mention their wedding budgets in their profiles, especially when they're super budget events in the $500, $2000, $6000 range. And I know from my reader survey last December that most of you are planning weddings in the $5000-$15000 range. But budgets are relative and “budget wedding in NYC” means something quite different from “budget wedding in Cleveland.” I never ask people how much their weddings cost because really? It's none of my business. That said, I definitely don't feature the crazy expensive weddings — I was once contacted by an advertiser who said, “I just did a million dollar wedding! Your readers would love it!” I said, “Actually, they wouldn't.”
One of the things I've gotten a LOT of, regarding my offbeat tastes, is that I will regret my offbeat wedding in the future. I have gotten told, by friends/family/perfect strangers, that we need to have a traditional wedding or else, in 20 years when we're looking back, we'll regret it.
I'm pretty sure that the only thing I'd regret would be giving in to their pressure, however… Is there anything from your wedding that, when you look back on it, you wish you could change? -Samantha
Absolutely there are things I'd do differently now, and that's just the way I knew it would be and just the way I wanted it! Some people believe that weddings should be timeless examples of elegance, but I wanted my wedding to be a time capsule. I love my parent's wedding photos, where Dad's got his full beard and muslin shirt emblazoned with a lion my mom had embroidered on it. Mom's wearing a daisy wreath and is five months pregnant with me. Hating refined sugar, they served wheels of cheese instead of cake. Mom played her guitar for entertainment. I LOVE that their wedding is so quintessentially 1974.
My wedding meanwhile was totally 2004. Five years later, I've had all sorts of shifts in design and style … of course! Aesthetics shift with time, and traditional weddings aren't exempt — strapless gowns aren't going to be in style forever, ladies. I LIKE that my wedding is a slice of life from when we got married. I didn't want a wedding that didn't have a sense of time or space.
So, while I'd do a few aesthetic things differently if I was planning a wedding today, there's nothing I'd go back and change … with one exception: I'd invest half our wedding budget in photography. We hired a photographer friend who did a beautiful job, but she was very clear with us when we asked her to help that she was NOT a wedding photographer.
Seriously, you guys: I'm in no way disappointed with the photos from our wedding, but having spent the last three years looking at the work of some of most amazing wedding photographers in the nation? Photography was about 10% of our $5k budget, and if I had it all to do over again, I'd make it half. That's my only regret.
Gotta question? Go ahead and email me!
