Rock n Roll Bride - The ultimate guide for alternative brides

Vintage

Retro 1960s Wedding with a Moroccan Vibe: Jo & Aki

Kat

December 5, 2012

Jo, a taxidermist, & Aki, a web designer, were married at Byzantium, a quirky bar and restaurant in Bristol. The Moroccan decor added an interesting touch to the celebration. The room was decorated with Moroccan lanterns, pipe cleaner animal and personalised cocktail stirrers. Some friends made them a guest list tree surrounded by candles and glass beads, flowers and fairy lights. Jo made some taxidermy through her company Death & Glory Taxidermy. "I'm lucky enough to be surrounded by a lot of very talented people", explained the bride. "It’s very easy to get caught up with the idea of doing everything yourself but if you've got people around you that can (and want to) help, then let them! In the end our photographer (Noel was already a professional wedding photographer - handy!), invitation designer, guestbook tree makers, band, 'priest' and florist were all friends. It made the whole day much more personal and special and really helped us get the most out of our budget."
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Retro Bowling Club Wedding with an Ocean View: Nat & Sam

Kat

November 30, 2012

The retro wedding of Nat & Sam is perfect... literally perfect. I just know you're going to go nuts for Nat's nostalgic bridal style, their ocean view ceremony and the reception that looks like it stepped right out of the past. "Our ceremony was at Burrows Park Headland, Sydney", explained Nat. "The ceremony spot was a beautiful cliff edge looking over the Pacific Ocean and located right next to the Bowling Club where we had the reception. We loved that the only way to get to it was via a very long, natural aisle sheltered on one side by trees, which we decorated with Chinese lanterns. For our reception we chose Clovelly Bowling Club. It was cheap as chips to hire, the drinks prices stuck in the 1980s, and the tacky bright blue carpet and a strange old picture of the Queen flanked by two Aussie flags above a stage which houses an ancient piano (which we tuned up and used!) were AWESOME! As soon as we walked in we looked at each other and said 'Yes!'. Oh, and it had 180 degree ocean views!"
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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."
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Twisty Tree Roots on the Banks of a River

Kat

November 27, 2012

"This project, the visual telling of love and passion, was inspired by late nights, acoustic guitars, and solo vocalists", writes wedding photographer Kelsea of Simplee Photography. "It is a collection inspired by all the things that I love, things that are beautifully interesting... details stripped down into elements." On the banks of a river, where twisty tree roots meets an Autumnal glow, Kelsea found her perfect location. Wanting to shoot something simple, natural and organic, she selected a vintage dress, feather earrings, masks from Russia and bits and pieces from here, there and everywhere.
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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."
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Surprise Pool Party Wedding Recreation

Kat

November 19, 2012

Oh I love a surprise wedding! And a surprise wedding + pool party!? EPIC! But this wasn't actually a real wedding (sad face) although it was set up as a recreation of the actual wedding of some friends of the photographer who were married 30 years ago. Jessie & Kenny had this actual wedding, in this exact same spot in 1982 (some of their wedding photos are at the end of the gallery - how amazing are they?!) So to celebrate, and to have an their anniversary party with a difference, they decided to relive the whole thing. This is a styled shoot with a difference and, yes, they really had the big party afterwards!
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Vegan Vintage Sideshow Wedding: Andi & Brian

Kat

November 16, 2012

After four years of dating, Andi & Brian were engaged while on a trip to Australia. Brian proposed while they were visiting Luna Park in Sydney, which is affectionately referred to as the 'Coney Island of Australia'. So when it came to planning their wedding this was their starting point. "We really wanted to have a wedding that was very fun and non-traditional, so we kept with a vintage Coney Island/sideshow theme", explained the bride. "It was perfect for us. Having the right décor was key in making the vintage-y, Coney Island feel that we were hoping to accomplish. We were so lucky to work with great vendors who were excited to help, especially Obnoxious Antiques who we rented the vintage carnival and sideshow pieces from. They also provided the sideshow banners that were hanged throughout the venue. A friend even painted a custom sideshow banner of Brian, me and our dogs!"
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A Very Mod Wedding: Paula & Mark

Kat

November 14, 2012

London. The 1960s. Mod. These were the inspirations for Paula & Mark's big day. The couple met at a rhythm, blues & soul night run by Mark in a bar in Bethnal Green, so the theme was very 'them'. "We bonded over our love of vintage fashion and music", wrote Paula, "I couldn't believe my luck when we were introduced, we hit it off immediately. The bar has changed owners since, but we always smile when we go past it. It holds happy memories of parties and beautiful friends in immaculate vintage fashions dancing to great music and having fun."
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A Dirty Fabulous Circus Wedding: Caroline & Peter

Kat

November 5, 2012

Running her own vintage boutique, Dirty Fabulous, in Dublin, Caroline was in the perfect position to plan her DIY circus themed wedding. She and fiancé Peter knew from the outset that they wanted something fun and unusual, and they had the perfect place in mind to host it. "We go to flea markets at the Dublin Food Co-op building and we always loved it", the bride began. "It’s not particularly pretty by any stretch of the imagination but it always has a lovely vibe. We were at the market one Sunday and we both said that if we were ever to get married that it would make an awesome venue. It just went from there really, it took me about 6 months to convince the co-op to let us do it and we didn't have a back up plan if they said no."
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A Simple & Beautiful Irish Wedding: Anna & Mirko

Kat

November 3, 2012

Anna & Mirko wanted a simple wedding with tons of personality. The day was held at Fallon & Byrne, a restaurant in the heart of Dublin. "We met 12 years ago and we never talked much about marriage until two years ago", wrote the bride. "I was getting dressed one Sunday morning and we were chatting away when he just came and out and said 'Do you want to marry me?' I didn't realise it was a genuine question and replied 'Ah yeah why not'. He grabbed me and we start jumping around in a circle laughing. Mirko was shouting 'We are getting married!' and I was like 'Oh Really? Yay!!' It was so funny and this situation sums us up really."
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A Retro Glastonbury Wedding: Beth & Jonny

Kat

October 22, 2012

Oh Anna Hardy you do have a way with that camera of yours. A way that makes everything dreamy and beautiful and cool all at the same time... although to be fair, I think you had it pretty easy with Beth & Jonny, like, how totally smokin' are these two!? And Beth's second dress by the epic Delphine Manivet is AMAZING. I love me that high collared cape thingy! The wedding took place in Yorkshire in June. They had an informal registry office wedding in the morning with just a handful of their nearest and dearest, then got changed and had a big Glastonbury themed ceremony & reception with all their friends and family. As devoted Glastonbury goers, Beth & Jonny chose the weekend that the festival should have been on this year so that all their future anniversaries can be celebrated there! "Originally we wanted to marry in the woods, and have a tipi reception in a field", began the bride. "This turned out to be seriously and surprisingly expensive, and finding a field for rent in the north of England was pretty much impossible. When we went to see the venue at Broughton Hall it was a miserable day to say the least, but even in the rain, the place looked awesome."
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Alice in Wonderland Wedding: Adam & Louise

Kat

October 19, 2012

Alice in Wonderland themed weddings have been pretty popular since the Tim Burton version of the story was released in 2010, but that doesn't mean I don't still love to see them! I mean who wouldn't want to look at photographs that transport you into a much more psychedelic world? When Adam & Louise got engaged, and despite the fact that they thought the theme had 'been done' quite a bit, they knew it was perfect for their wedding. Louise had been a huge fan of the story for her whole life, and had always dreamt of an Alice themed wedding... so why go changing?
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A Quirky Railway Museum Wedding: Emily & Rob

Kat

October 18, 2012

Having visited East Anglian Railway Museum since she was a little girl (and in more recent times, every September for their beer festival), Emily always knew it was the place she wanted to get married. In her own words, they chose the Town Hall for the reception, and the pub for the lunch "out of necessity", but luckily for them the sun shone for the whole day and in the end all venues were equally stunning. "People loved that we had three venues throughout the day", she explained. "We even had the miniature railway running for the children at the railway museum."
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A DIY Wedding in Downtown Santa Ana: Candice & Nathaniel

Kat

October 17, 2012

One of the things that bums be out about living in the UK is that we can't get married anywhere we like - of course many couples these days opt for a humanist ceremony at the spot of their choice with the 'legal bit' taking place a few days before or after, but it's not really the same. And when I see ceremonies as gorgeous as Candice & Nathaniel right in the heart of Downtown Santa Ana, I'm even more envious! The wedding took place on June 3rd. The couple organised everything themselves and did so for less than $5000. The ceremony was held on 2nd Street Promenade, and the reception was at Memphis at the Santora, just round the corner. The couple met online and had their first date in the area, and Nathaniel proposed on New Years Eve at Memphis at the Santora,. Basically it was the obvious location for them to have their wedding too!
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Zoe Lem’s Vintage Wedding Fair, London

Kat

October 16, 2012

With 15 years experience as a fashion stylist, Zoe Lem, who pioneered the concept of dressing to suit your shape, has now turned her hand to wedding fashion and design. Zoe was controversially revealed by The Daily Mail in 2006 as the brains behind Trinny and Susannah’s ground breaking show ‘What Not to Wear’ so as you can imagine, she knows her stuff! Zoe's passion for style and weddings (she used to run the iconic My Sugarland wedding boutique in London) has converged to create the brand, Zoe Lem – Vintage Shape Mistress and to launch Zoe Lem’s Vintage Wedding Fair.
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A Colourful Multicultural Wedding: Piyush and Bex

Kat

October 12, 2012

Gosh where does one begin with a wedding like Bex & Piyush's? This is pretty much what wedding bloggers dreams are made of... at least mine are anyway! Bex & Piyush wanted to celebrate the heritage of both families in their wedding. The wedding was an Indian/Western fusion celebration at Heaton House Farm near Macclesfield. Unlike many mixed-background couples, they opted to have just one ceremony incorporating both a Western civil ceremony alongside Indian traditions. Bex & Piyush didn't want to have two separate ceremonies, preferring to represent both their heritages together. "Our wedding was a bright, colourful, inclusive, multicultural and non-religious, light-hearted day, providing an alternative to the inherent narcissism of traditional wedding", began Bex. "We had the wedding on an English farm, complete with views of rolling hills, wellies and rain showers."
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