Rock n Roll Bride - The ultimate guide for alternative brides

DIY

Peri & Ryan’s Snow-Drama Wedding!

Kat

February 22, 2011

Spring may be on it's way (apparently!) but I'm still lusting over the prettiness of snowy winter weddings...although would you believe, there was actually some snow in parts of the UK this weekend!? Ridiculous. There was quite a bit of snow-induced drama surrounding Peri & Ryan's wedding. The ceremony was supposed to start at 3pm, but due to the weather the bride didn't arrive until 5pm. Also, a lot of guests couldn't make the day for the same reason and after the ceremony they couldn't physically get from the church to their reception because of the snow dump and road closures. However a lovely local pub opened their doors to the couple and provided an impromptu reception to remember! I have to say, from these gorgeous shots by Shell de Mar I'd like to think they made the best of it (and I personally LOVE the pub venue - what great 'art' on the walls!) "I can’t really say I am really a quirky person because I’m not but I have always liked to be a bit different in the way I dress," explained the bride. "Nothing to crazy but just not like most of my friends, I don’t do brands and If I like something I will wear it! I love all things vintage and always have done! When we were planning I had originally wanted a vintage bunting, candy floss, ice cream type wedding in May but Ryan bless him couldn’t get his head around it so when he said how about a winter I thought it sounded lovely. However I still really wanted all the polka dot and vintage feel to it, so instead of doing the traditional long dress and winter colours we went for red and white colours
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My Punky Valentine

Kat

February 22, 2011

This shoot was organised by photographer Jennifer Whalen who wanted to showcase a different style of valentine's shoot (note: I know valentine's was over a week ago, but I loved the punky style of these images so much I still had to still share them!) The idea was to show a gorgeous alternative girl celebrating the day by causing a bit of chaos and enjoying her own company with wine and chocolates...something you wouldn't normally see when looking for ideas of inspiration for the international day of love! However it's this point of difference that made me love the shoot in the first place.
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Jennie & Mark’s Country Casual Wedding

Kat

February 18, 2011

Jennie & Mark's country casual wedding took place at St. Andrew's Church, Prestwold and Quorn Village Hall in Leicestershire in January. Jennie found her perfect dress at a boutique that was closing down so she got it for a great price. The couple gave their guests the loose dress code of 'country casual' for the men and 'tea dresses' for the ladies. I've heard both sides of the story when it comes to asking guests to dress to fit a theme, but I do think the overall result is quite a beautiful one! The majority of the reception décor was a DIY effort. Jennie had spent the week before decorating with birdcages, wild flowers, chinese lanterns, paper chains, handmade cushions and vintage knick-knacks which she'd collected herself (Jennie is now hiring out her beautiful collection to other brides, if you are interested in hiring any of the items for your own wedding, be sure to drop Jennie an email to jennie.preece@monsterenergy.com)
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Jemima & Jacko’s Genuine Vintage Wedding

Kat

February 17, 2011

Jemima & Jacko's vintage wedding took place in Australia in January. They wanted to create a wedding that was a true reflection of them as a couple and the vintage theme just fitted! "We started out wanting to have a feel that was uniquely ourselves. We wanted to do things differently but didn’t know how to go about it. In the end, we chose everything by our own taste and the whole vintage/antique theme just fell into place purely by accident," Jemima told me. The bride wore a genuine vintage dress and jewellery which she was gifted by a friend who owns a vintage store after she'd modelled for her. Her reception dress was by Fleur Wood. Jemima's bridesmaid also wore a vintage dress from Ruby Lane and to keep the theme going, the couple made all their invitations using a vintage typewriter on hondmade paper, "Time consuming but really a joy to type up. Also cost effective" Jemima concluded.
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Jazelyn & Darren’s Modern Vintage London Wedding

Kat

February 17, 2011

Jazelyn & Darren's modern vintage wedding took place in London in November. Their inspiration came from the fact that they are a young city couple, who somehow fell in love in London through chance. "He's originally from Nottingham, England and I'm from the other side of the pond in Seattle, WA USA," explained Jazelyn. "Our invitations had a London skyline and the top of it read: "Northern Lad and West Coast Lady". Darren bought my engagement ring from Bentley and Skinner. And it's a beautiful old-cut platinum solitaire from the 1920's. Very vintage and unique. So that really was the start. We wanted a wedding that was very "us". We planned it ourselves, down to every detail. Even the guest book... We wrote down personal questions on index cards and had friends answer them (ex: where do you see us in 10 years? what's your favorite memory of us?) We wanted a mix of vintage and modern, mix of British and American, because that is us!"
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Sarah & Barrett’s Glamorous Pin Up Inspired Wedding

Kat

February 16, 2011

Sarah's bridal shoot was super kick ass so I'm more than a little excited to be sharing her wedding today too. She married Barrett at Barr Mansion, Austin. She explained, "As for location, as I said several times, I didn't want to be in the middle of a field with a bunch of grass and trees because that just isn't me! I love cities and urban living and wanted my photos to reflect my love for those quirky little places you find around Austin." "I loved the recycling plant idea with those huge piles of twisted metal! My inspiration for my entire wedding look just came from my love for pin up girl looks along with the very intense desire to not look at my wedding photos in 20 years and say "Oh my gosh! What was I thinking wearing that ______ (insert crazy, over trendy item here)!" I truly wanted a look that was me, just prettier!"
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Katelyn & Scott’s Glamorous Great Gatsby Wedding

Kat

February 16, 2011

"The Great Gatsby was my inspiration (minus the abundance of alcohol and affairs!)" bride Katelyn told me. "Our style for our wedding was very glamorous, but not without that 1920's quirk. I like to think my style is quirky too, so this was perfect for our wedding day. Plus, I love fashion and culture from the past! Now, I could never justify spending as much money on a party as Jay Gatsby, but I still wanted my reception to be as unique and fun. So, I replaced stuffy details like flowers with more lively ideas like bright peacock feathers, and I picked a beautiful venue (that happened to be brimming with vintage touches!) where everyone would feel at home - The Guild House, Bakersfield, CA."
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Renae & Albert’s Rained-Off but Perfect DIY Wedding

Kat

February 15, 2011

Renae & Albert were married on 10.10.10 in Australia. Their 5 minute ceremony took place on Renae's parent's porch and their reception was held in a renovented old pub in Caboolture Historical Village, Australia. They were supposed to be married at a secluded park and creek at Rocksberg but due to torrential rains, it got flooded so had to be moved. "We could not even get to the suburb let alone the park," Renae told me. "Many tears were had the day before the wedding but my parents stepped up and offered their place. They actually had a friend’s wedding there the day before ours."
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How To…Dress Your Flowergirls (the Rock n Roll Way)

Kat

February 12, 2011

Hi Kat, Thank you thank you thank you for your amazing website! We're getting married in August on a farm in Derbyshire and I have got so many wonderful ideas from your site! We are currently DIY-ing bunting and lanterns with many other things on the way! Our budget isn't grand by any stretch of the imagination but the site has made it possible to know our wedding can still be very us and very unique without the massive price tag! The theme is village fete - country- vintage ish! Hay bales, bunting, lanterns, wild flowers mis match china, vintage marquees etc! My other half has a vintage 3 piece tweed, I have a 1950's lace fishtail gown that I love and can't wait to wear! The bridesmaids are Vivien of Holloway but I'm so stuck with flower girls... Have you ever come across vintage style flower girl dresses? Everything seems so puffy and bridesmaidy (technical terms) and its not really right for the rest of it! Any ideas would be most appreciated! Keep up the good work, you're an inspiration! Nichola
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Emmaline & Guy’s Two-Day Cross Country Wedding

Kat

February 11, 2011

Emmaline & Guy had a 2 day wedding – the first, a modern urban ceremony, which took place in London at The Soho Hotel and the second, a more classic and countryside reception, at Gayhurst House, Milton Keynes. “We had contemplated getting married close to where we live in London, but Gayhurst was too much of a beautiful location to miss out on, so I think this made us love our civil ceremony at Soho House even more”, explained Emmaline. “Since the hotel opened we have spent many evenings there with friends and because of my job in PR I have been to lots of private screenings in the cinema there too. With just our parents and ourselves, we had a really special day, carrying out all the legalities of the marriage before Guy and I boarded a flight to Dubai for a 5 day 'mini-moon', making sure we had time to relax in the sun just before the big day.”
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Charly & Kelly’s Pink, Red & Valentine’s Backyard Wedding

Kat

February 9, 2011

I've got another couple that you might recognise adoring these pages this afternoon. Do you remember this incredibly gorgeous vintage, floral and tattooed bridal shoot? Well the wedding to go along with the stunning shoot is just as visually gorgeous. Charly & Kelly has a beautiful back garden wedding in June at the bride's parent's home. The couple were married at 7pm by Lisa Torti, a mutual friend who had introduced them. They filled the garden with twinkly lights, giant pink bows and candles. The bride started collecting candy, cupcake and valentine themed items early on in the planning to use as decorations. The awesome spider candle holders used as centrepieces were purchased during Halloween, to which she added pink and red bows. The invitations were made by the groom’s aunt and included a vintage valentine that was used as the reply card.
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Paula & Teddy’s Chic Black, White & Stripy DIY Wedding

Kat

February 9, 2011

I’ve featured the gorgeous Paula & Teddy before. Their pre-wedding shoot made my heart sing but their actual wedding blows everything out of the water! Blue Point Bay Chapel played host to their intimate ceremony and the reception that followed was held at the pool side of the same venue. Paula wore a Jessica McClintock gown with stunning Balenciaga shoes and a handmade veil. The personal touches came in spades at this wedding which the bride worked tirelessly on. Their super cute lego cake topper came from etsy, and Teddy’s boutonniere and the moustache and bow tie favours were handmade by the Bride (she made over 80 of them!) The guest book and stationery were designed by the groom. The guests even took home vintage popcorn wrappers (filled with Indonesian snacks that the couple had both enjoyed since childhood) and Polaroid pictures. The chic black and white theme was seen throughout their day.
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Monique & Lee’s 1920’s Powerhouse Wedding

Kat

February 8, 2011

Jonas Peterson weddings are like gold dust and I'm so honoured that he lets me feature so many of them (for those of you that don't know the inner workings of blog-land, a wedding will generally go to one blog or magazine only, so being allowed to be the lucky one is really something when a wedding is as stunning as this one.) Monique & Lee were married at Brisbane Powerhouse - a wonderfully urban and industrial converted powerhouse. It is now home to a theatre and a couple of restaurants and is right on the river. Stunning! Monique wore a gorgeous reproduction vintage dress from Le Luxe Clothing. "I never even set foot into a bridal store, let alone tried on a ''proper'' bridal dress - I always wanted a vintage, flapper inspired dress but found it incredibly difficult to find one in my size - I'm an AU 14, and I'm pretty sure chicks in the 1920s had waists the size of my thigh! I spent months searching for one and really hit the jackpot when I found Le Luxe Clothing. Because it's not enough for me to just have beads and sequins, I added a feather capelet by Ksubi, that I bought on ebay." She chose not to carry real flowers, and instead created her own vintage brooch bouquet.
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Rosa & Doug’s 1960′s Hawaiian Holiday Wedding

Kat

February 7, 2011

Although vintage inspired weddings are exceptionally popular, the 1960's is an era I don't see replicated as often as I'd like. However this all changed when Rosa & Doug's incredibe wedding landed on my desk. I swooned, I let out a little squeal and I emailed them back right away saying "yeah baby!" The wedding took place at Don the Beachcomber, a bar on Huntington Beach, CA. Rosa wore a custom dress by Dolly Couture, made especially for her and inspired by a genuine vintage dress pattern she'd seen in a 1963 copy of Modern Bride. The bride's accessories and jewellery were all vintage and mostly found on eBay.
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Tessa & Keith’s Neo Victorian Wedding

Kat

February 4, 2011

Tessa & Keith are a little bit fabulous no? In fact any bride that wears a blue dress is all right in my book! "My inspiration came from our artistic backgrounds and aesthetic preferences", the bride told me. "I am a crafter and burlesque performer. Keith is a visual artist. Together, we both had very strong opinions about how the wedding should look and feel. We settled on a neo-Victorian theme because of its elegance and refinement. I chose to wear blue instead of white because I wanted to be able to reuse my outfit, and I wanted a corset and a skirt instead of a dress because it was more versatile. The shade of blue we chose also suited the matron of honour and best woman well!"
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Tim & Jodie’s Natural Science and History Museum Wedding

Kat

February 4, 2011

Tim & Jodie were hitched at The Natural Science and History Museum in Denver and I am more that a little bit in love with them and their wedding. Not only becuase Jodie looks fabulous and the venue is a beaut, but becuase the idea behind their wedding was to celebrate more than just their love for one another...they celebrated their love for everyone! The couple explained, "We both agreed that the wedding was just as much about our friends and family as it was about us, so almost every detail was considered with our guests in mind. We looked at the wedding as our chance to throw an unforgettable party, and we definitely succeeded. It's hard to put my finger on one particular detail that made it so great, but we heard, "Best. Wedding. Ever." over and over again from guests, staff, and even the off-duty police officers who were working security. We tried to stick to a few basic tenets (emphasis on the "tried") and they included: Don't overthink it. Don't worry about "the rules". Don't do anything just to impress someone else. Do have fun."
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Olga & Jo’s Two Day Russian/British Fusion Wedding

Kat

February 2, 2011

Olga & Jo's Rye wedding makes me super happy! I chatted to the bride all about it - their style ideas and how they integrated both their cultures, Russian and English, into their super cute wedding. She explained, "As soon as Jo and I had moved to Brighton, we knew we wanted to mark our wedding day by celebrating it by the beach. It is a Russian tradition to celebrate a wedding over two days so that with family and friends, and their children, there can be one formal and one informal day. With my family being from Russia we wanted to keep to this tradition and felt an English seaside was perfect for catering for both days and the number of people who would be travelling far for the occasion." "Having searched unsuccessfully in Brighton for our perfect location, we stumbled across The Place At The Beach Hotel in Camber Sands which looked just right. Having visited the venue and seen the beach across the road, the accommodation for our families and friends and a spacious garden with a BBQ, we knew it had everything we wanted for our two days."
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