Eccentric, Whimsical & Eclectic Homespun Wedding: Erik & Caitlin

Kat

Sharalee Prang

February 11, 2013

I didn't think people like this existed in real life. When I first laid eyes on Erik & Caitlin's wedding images I was convinced it was a styled shoot with models. This couldn't be an actual wedding, surely? But I was wrong and my heart whooped with joy. The wedding took place in September at the bride's parent's home. The entire wedding cost less than $5000. (I know! As if it wasn't amazing enough already, right?!) Caitlin designed her own dress (which was made by the mother of the groom and ended up costing only $190, including the veil!), wore $20 shoes (which she customised) and her floral headpiece was made by one of her bridesmaids an hour before the ceremony. The cakes were homemade, the flowers were grown and collected by friends and family and the invitations were hand painted and wax sealed by the bride. All the catering was done by the mother of the bride and the bride's brother Matt acted as bartender. As you can probably imagine the couple also decorated the entire space themselves.

An $800 Fiesta Elopement: Carla & Nicholas

Kat

White Rabbit Studios

February 8, 2013

Yep, you read that right - Carla & Nicholas spent just $800 on their intimate fiesta elopement. In fact I had to double check they didn't mean $8000 when I received their submission and that it wasn't just a typo! The elopement took place on 28th December at Madison County Courthouse. After they got engaged, the couple immediately started planning a big wedding, but after some time decided to instead elope the weekend after Christmas. All their family was in town for the holidays so it meant they could all be there to celebrate with a big family meal afterwards. The bride's sister-in-law, Melanie, secretly hired wedding photographer Ashley Vaughn of White Rabbit Studios as a gift to capture their day. Everything else came in under the $800 budget.

Reclaimed & Revisited DIY Wedding: Josh & Scott

Kat

Adam Lowe

February 5, 2013

Before I even saw these photographs I knew I wanted to blog this wedding. Wedding photographer, Adam Lowe, described the event to me as 'a mega super awesome gay punk dude wedding' and I instantly knew it would be amazing... and oh boy how right I was! Josh & Scott were married in October at 400 West Rich, a 100,000 sq foot warehouse in Columbus, Ohio. They did pretty much everything themselves and spent just $3000 making their wedding perfect. "We met through a gay social networking and just got to talking", they began. "About three months later we were taking turns visiting each other and three months after that Josh moved to Columbus. Josh is a huge Disney fan and we planned a trip to Disney and Scotty ordered an engagement ring. He proposed to Josh in front of Cinderella's Castle."

Rustic Californian Park Wedding: Casey & Caitlin

Kat

Ryan Daley

January 21, 2013

Casey & Caitlin were married at Dos Picos Park in Ramona, CA. They wanted their wedding to be laid back, fun, but most of all very 'them'. "My inspiration was to keep things very us", began the bride. "Well actually, our theme was 100% Caitlin, with a splash of Casey thrown in here and there! I have been to weddings that are gorgeous and looked at hundreds on blogs and in magazines when looking for inspiration for our wedding. I have liked many of the things I've seen, but none of them were really right."

Central Park Pizza & Backyard BBQ Wedding: Jared & Nakia

Kat

June Cochran

January 18, 2013

What could be more fun than a backyard BBQ, a ceremony in Central Park and a pizza party?! Well that's exactly what Jared & Nakia chose to do for their New York wedding. Unusually though, this couple opted for their casual BBQ reception to take place the night before their ceremony, in the groom's brother's back garden. Then the following day, after the ceremony, they went off - just the two of them - for portraits and pizza!

Pretty Pastel DIY Wedding: Joey & Mike

Kat

Lisa Jane

January 14, 2013

I'm definitely not only of those girly girls. I favour a bold and modern aesthetic over pretty pastels any day. But Joey & Mike's wedding slayed me when it landed in my inbox recently. And 'pretty' is really the only word I can use to best describe what I saw.

DIY Mexican Themed Wedding with Vintage Touches: Mat & Anna

Kat

Haywood Jones

January 10, 2013

Mat & Anna didn't have a huge budget for their November wedding, but that didn't mean they did things by half! Oh no, this thrifty couple made as much as they possibly could themselves and managed to pull their gorgeous wedding off for just £5000. Oh and they also planned the entire thing in under four months! Wonder-couple or what!?!?

Scare-Fest Wedding & Searching for ‘The One’: Sarah & Colin

Kat

December 19, 2012

For their October wedding at Whittington Castle and Wattlesborough Village Hall, Sarah & Colin wanted a scare-fest. Halloween, pumpkins, zombies & vintage circus horror were their inspirations. "When you first start to plan a wedding you are given strict instructions by every bride you know to research research research. You read magazines, you trawl through websites, you create a scrapbook of what you think your wedding should be", wrote newlywed Sarah. "I had 2 ½ years to plan my big day, and no matter what I saw I just didn't feel like it could be part of our day! Everything was so beautiful, classic, elegant... and so not us! I am mad about vintage but after heading to a vintage wedding fair I had started to lose hope. It was all too twee, too perfect. I am a rummage in the hay bales listing to The Coasters kinda vintage and it just wasn't there for me. Then after seeing a lady flying round the fair with pink hair, I was informed of Rock n Roll Bride by my friend Ffion and my world was changed! I saw couples who broke convention, who played their wedding their way and weren't afraid to let the world see their personalities through their big day!"

Icelandic Elopement: Dean & Lindsay

Kat

December 17, 2012

With all the detail and theme obsessions that come with the wedding blogging territory, sometimes it's just really awesome to get a super simple and fuss-free wedding in my inbox. So when Dean & Lindsay's Icelandic elopement was sent my way, I couldn't wait to feature it. I've said it before and undoubtedly I'll say it again, but honestly, this is what it's all about people - two people in love saying "I will love you forever". Spending just $1200, Dean & Lindsay flew to Iceland from the US and were married at Solfar (Sun Voyager) a sculpture located by Sæbraut, by the sea in the centre of Reykjavík

Woodland Hideaway Wedding: Becci & David

Kat

December 11, 2012

After a romantic proposal that involved a treasure hunt around London, culminating in the bride being led to Greenwich Park where her groom proposed with a hamper of treats under the Royal Observatory, Becci & David were married at Wise Wedding Venue, a woodland hideaway in Kent.

A Homemade Star Wars & Lego Wedding for Geeks: Jennie & Jon

Kat

December 10, 2012

With just £5000 to spend, Jennie & Jon we're able to pull of their homemade and geeky wedding with a little bit of imagination and a lot of elbow grease! The ceremony took place at Emmanuel's Church in Sidlow and the reception was hosted at the bride's mother's house. "We knew that when we decided to get married we would have to do it our own way and make it very individual", explained the bride. "We are both complete geeks and children at heart with a love for Star Wars and Lego, so how could it not be fun? We definitely didn't want a wedding that could have been anybody else's. All our friends live so far away and we only get together once or twice a year so we also wanted it to be very relaxed that we could just spend time with each other. We wanted to do as much as we could ourselves and scoured eBay and car boot sales for cheaper items."

Tattoos & Toadstools: Toni & Colin

Kat

December 7, 2012

Tattoos, tears and a seriously cute couple. Toni & Colin's wedding is what my dreams are made of. These guys are THE perfect Rock n Roll couple and they're wedding slays me. Plus they had Sassy of Assassynation as their wedding photographer so they instantly go way up in the cool stakes with me! The wedding was held at The Quay, Musselburgh, on 10th November. "Colin and I met online what feels like a life time ago but wasn't all that long ago in the grand scheme of things", Toni began. "We spoke for a month or so online and then he made plans to come over from Northern Ireland to visit me in Edinburgh. 'I'll come for the weekend,' he said. Well, he arrived and he's yet to leave! We've lived together from day one and, including the night before the wedding, we are yet to spend one single night apart. It's a good job he makes me laugh as much as he does!"

Ethical Wedding at Home: Feng & David

Kat

December 6, 2012

Simple weddings are often the best, and for Feng & David, doing something low-key and ethical was important. So they had a super tiny civil ceremony with only their closest friends and family in attendance, and hosted the reception at their own house! Yes, Feng put on an apron and served all the food herself! "Our wedding budget was £1500, but we went over this with our photographer and our rings", began the bride. "Our rings were pretty expensive as they were custom made using fair-trade gold, recycled gold & conflict-free gems by Amanda Li Hope. We were married at Oxford Registry Office and our reception was in our tiny house in East Oxford."

A French Resturant Wedding: Kat & Ton

Kat

November 29, 2012

Being massive foodies, Kat & Ton knew that serving a fantastic meal was high on their list of wedding day priorities. So for their reception venue they selected their favourite French restaurant in Brisbane, Montrachet. "In my opinion Montrachet is the best French restaurant in the city, and has been a family favourite for years", Kat told me. "Feeding our families and friends good food and wine was very important to us. The staff, both kitchen and front of house, made sure the night was perfect with superb food and exceptional service."

Chicago Boat Wedding: Sonia & Balthazar

Kat

November 20, 2012

Sonia & Balthazar's wedding was anything but typical. This casual couple turned up late, got ready in minutes, sailed off on a boat for the ceremony and had a meal at a Russian restaurant for their reception. "My husband and I are in love with the sea - the smell, the mystery and the expansiveness", began the bride. "We feel most comfortable near large bodies of water, so the idea of getting married on a boat seemed like the most appropriate. We had sailed on the Red Witch in 2009 with Balthazar's aunt and uncle in Port Washington during a tall ship festival. We overheard the Captain saying that they host parties and weddings and looked at each other simultaneously, with the same thought in mind: this is our vessel of love."

Rustic Lumber Yard Wedding: Marcus & Whitney

Kat

November 19, 2012

An eclectic mix of rustic, shabby chic and DIY, Marcus & Whitney's wedding was held in a lumber yard in Huntsville, AL. "We just wanted everything to reflect our personalities", wrote the bride. "We both rock to the beat of our own drum and knew we didn't want a super traditional stuffy wedding because that is far from anything we'd ever enjoy."

Backyard, Kewpie Doll Wedding: Sam & Brendan

Kat

November 15, 2012

Being parents to seven children, Sam & Brendan were always going to have a huge family-focused wedding. Their magical day was held in their backyard in Brisbane surrounded by their family and friends. The colourful wedding was laid back and fun and had a theme of kewpie dolls running throughout. They had them as favours, for the flowergirls to carry, nestled into the ceremony backdrop and even on the front of the wedding car!

A Bohemian but Urban Wedding with a 70s Twist: Mark & Ania

Kat

November 13, 2012

Mark & Ania didn't particularly want a theme for their wedding, but what they did want was a relaxed and laid back wedding with all their friends and family. They chose Islington town hall as their ceremony venue as the north east of London is one of their favourite areas of the city. For their reception they headed to AK Rowing Club which is right on the bank of the Thames in Hammersmith.

A Low Key London Wedding for just £600: Rain & Attila

Kat

November 9, 2012

I love a detail-heavy wedding as much as the next blogger, but you know what, it's usually the unapologetically low key and budget weddings that pull at my heartstrings the most. Rain & Attila spent just £600 on their wedding and the day couldn't have been more perfect.

Tattoo Britannia Wedding: Lisa & Paul

Kat

November 6, 2012

"Being the Jubilee year as well as the Olympics, a red, white & blue themed wedding seemed fitting", began newlywed Lisa who married Paul this Summer. "I sat with my bridesmaids and mum the night before the wedding watching the opening ceremony with great pride. The bright colour options coupled with my love of rockabilly styling and 1940s glamour added such vibrancy and fun to the day. Paul and I also both love tattoos so we wanted to bring this into our day. The swallows on the wedding cake, invitations, table decorations and gifts were all tied together with tattoo images."