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The offbeat partner: Jenna, Software Developer
The offbeat partner: Peter, Software Developer
Date and location of wedding: Camp Mary Orton, Columbus, Ohio — September 2, 2017
Budget: $15,000
Our offbeat wedding at a glance:
We did not have a theme per se-we, so we decided to go with "super colorful" for the color-scheme, and incorporate a lot of geeky shit from our home lives. The stuffed bears on the fireplace at our "altar" are Rilakkuma and Korilakkuma, from our trip to Japan in 2016 (where we got engaged).
We had several skeletons around because… we love skeletons! My shoes are t-strap, and strap is in the shape of a bone. We gathered the wedding party at our house before the big event and watched Key and Peele and The Office.
My groom had lovely pink gradient hair and my eyeshadow matched! We had a snack zone + champagne campaign in the kitchen for the wedding party before the ceremony. I got ready in a Tsum Tsum onesie. I love how my bouquet that I made from flowers from Michael's turned out.
Ultimately, we wanted to have a fun wedding peppered with geeky shit and fun, non-traditional vibes and I'd say we pulled it off. Our officiant wore an incredibly badass priest-meets-goth ensemble. The guys wore mis-matched bow ties and the girls wore mis-matched dresses. Our wedding party (especially my maid of honor Lauren) got. shit. DONE. Everything came together amazingly thanks to them.
Tell us about the ceremony:
The ceremony was short and sweet. It was particularly special because our officiant Maxwell is a friend from roller derby (my friend and I are retired skaters, my groom is a referee). We asked them to incorporate a portion of the Loving v. Virginia ruling, and from there they added an amazing speech about the current racial climate in America.
We had a non-secular handfasting ceremony, for which we each made our own handfasting cords. Max tied them expertly. I walked down the aisle with both of my parents to K-pop group VIXX's song "Now We." The wedding party walked into "Space Jam" by the Quad City DJs. For the recessional, we walked out to "Be Wherever You Are" by Zach Callison from Steven Universe (one of our favorites shows). Also, I didn't shave my armpits (I haven't in years) and it was the best decision ever.
Tell us about your reception:
The vibe was incredibly casual. We skipped the bouquet toss and garter ceremony. We had gourmet grilled cheese for our meal and lovely bite-sized cupcakes, macarons, and mini bundt cakes for dessert. I loved watching a spontaneous Soul Train-style dance line form, and my aunt surprising everyone by stealing the show. At her wedding when I was a kid, I did the same and she promised to return the favor.
Peter's dance with his mom was beautiful and had the entire room moved. My mom joining my brother and I on the dance floor when "Triumph" by Wu-Tang Clan played to end the evening was awesome. Two of my friends wore matching kilts. For favors, we had individual teas from David's Tea with "love is brewing" tags on them. We opted for colorful paper plates from a local party shop instead of stuffy glassware. Peter's best man Michael gave an incredible surprise toast during dinner.
What was your most important lesson learned?
No matter how much planning you do beforehand, there will always be something that goes wrong, and that's okay. At the end of the day, you're married and on your way to saving money on your taxes. Our biggest wedding planning challenge was figuring out how to handle food — we got a menu that would meet almost all of our guests' dietary needs (vegan, vegetarian, gluten-free, etc.). We settled on a meal-card system that I'd say went about 50% okay, but in the end it worked out.
My biggest piece of advice is to let people help you. Also, don't compromise on important things. Do the things that are going to make you happy. You don't want to look back on the day and regret having taken the advice of someone else when you knew it wasn't right.
Vendors
- Photographer: Rachel Joy Barehl
- Videographer: Prodigy Cinema
- Dress & earrings: ModCloth
- Shoes: Iron Fist
- Venue: Camp Mary Orton
- Hair: Becky Bail
- Makeup: Columbus Wedding Makeup
- Dinner: Melt Bar and Grilled
- Macarons: Pistacia Vera
- Bundtinis: Nothing Bundt Cakes
- Cupcakes: Pattycake Bakery
- Vests, shirts, and ties: Men's Wearhouse
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This was a great wedding. The icing on the cake was with all the uniqueness, none of it was pretentious or for show. All of it reflected the bride and groom, and the participants and guests as well. It was very natural, and one of the most fun weddings I’ve been to.
This wedding is beyond awesome!! I’m loving every aspect and detail. The bride is kick-ass and the groom is no slouch himself. I just happened to see this wedding on Instagram and had to come and check out the story. Haven’t been on this site in a few months but this wedding brought be back. KUDOS!!
Thank you!!
-The bride