Rock n Roll Bride - The ultimate guide for alternative brides

Wedding

A South African, Eclectic, Red-Infused Spectacular

Kat

June 7, 2010

I didn't plan today's post this way but when I was uploading all the images for the weddings I selected I realised we're going to be taking a little trip all around the world - starting with this amazing red themed wedding from South Africa! Philip & Jay's wedding took place at Le Franschhoek Hotel and Spa, overlooking the spectacular South African landscape. The location made for some really unusual and fun places for their portraits. The incredible decor was all organised by Andene of Aleit Wedding Planners who was able to perfectly capture their vision of a eclectic, red-infused spectacular! I am totally nuts about those red glasses hanging from the roof and the ornate chandelier lying on the table - just amazing and so so original!
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A Non-Traditional, Family Central, Urban & Industrial LA Wedding

Kat

June 5, 2010

Shannon & Os are both part-time photographers so their wedding photography was really important to them, they found Australian Annevi who came to LA to shoot their informal wedding. They decided to hold their ceremony and reception in Barbara’s at the Brewery, Los Angeles. The Old Pabst Blue Ribbon Brewery is known as the world's largest live-work art colony and offers amazing industrial landscapes and interesting backdrops. So, of course that's where they decided to shoot all their portraits. They decided to skip a lot of the traditional stuff they didn't have a lot of meaning to them so they didn't have any catering in favour of a more casual Sunday picnic, where the guests brought food, cake and dessert dishes to share. They also abandoned the idea to have flowers as they felt they didn't really suit them or their industrial setting. The bride wore a non traditional dress, a yellow number from Arthur S. Levine teamed with white converse. She used her jewellery as a way to represent the people that couldn't travel to be at their wedding - her bracelet was designed by her mother, her earrings and necklace were from her mother-in-law and an antique handkerchief from her great grandmother (price tag still on it: Famous and Barr 25 cents.) The groom dresses in a similarly non traditionalfashio - his jacket was from a charity shop, his shirt and jeans were items he already had in his wardrobe and his braces/suspenders where from his father in law. He also wore red PF Flyers "guaranteed to make a kid run faster and jump higher."
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One Night Only – Beautiful Bali Wedding

Kat

June 4, 2010

I challenge you to find anyone who's heard of Jonas Peterson and doesn't love him. His meteoric rise to 'rockstar photographer' status has been quite frankly ridiculous but with the credentials and talent he has behind him,I can't help but know that this success is nothing short of deserved. So popular is Jonas now that I usually don't even ask if I can blog his weddings anymore because more often than not they are snapped up by other bloggers quick smart but when I saw Sian & Barry's beautiful Bali wedding I knew I had to give it a go...and what do you know, he said yes!
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Victorian Sci Fi & Steampunk Love

Kat

June 1, 2010

Following on from yesterday's Steampunk-esque wedding, I wanted to share another - and this time, an all out authentically styled Victoriana wedding fest! Stacy & Eric got married in April and had one of the most incredible weddings fitting this theme that I have ever seen! The whole wedding was filled with circles - from old type writers, clocks and top hats to that truly incredible (and fully edible!) cake (made by Let Them Eat Cake in California - seriously go check out their website, they have cakes and designs like you've never seen before!) You are going to go nuts for these details - I am loving the typewriter/flower combo. It's like nothing I've ever seen. The centrepieces consisted of flowers, old books books, typewriters, gears, light bulbs, test tubes and had a real authentic Steampunk vibe. Stacey collected all the props throughout their planning and then gave them to florist Debbie Fields who put everything together on the day. The place names, which were made of old-looking train tickets (found at a craft store) had individual keys stuck to them that with significant words on them like 'life' and 'dreams'. The keys and gears on the place cards were found at a local craft store-they come from a scrapbook line by a guy named Tim Holtz.
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Sue & Shonagh Whimsical & Wonderful Wedding – A Touching Tribute

Kat

June 1, 2010

Sue & Shonagh actually got married in May 2008, however following the sad passing of Sue's Mum Hilary to Cancer just recently, with the full co-operation of the couple, both myself and photographer Caroline thought it would be a fitting tribute to share their whimsical and wonderful wedding with you today. Sue (in the tartan dress) and Shonagh (in the blue dress) were neighbours of Caroline and as soon as she heard the couple we getting married she jumped at the chance to photograph it. Another friend, who also lived in the same building, Vonny Mullock, made both the brides' dresses. Sue got ready in their flat and Shonagh got married in Vonny's flat. The couple met on the landing between when they were both ready and headed out together to get married.
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Victorian Steampunk & Fancy Dress Fun

Kat

May 31, 2010

Caroline & Connor's wedding had a distinctly Victorian/Steampunk vibe. As well as the bridal party, all the guests really got into the spirit and dressed up for the occasion in vintage dresses and attire which was practically much all put together by the amazing Trish Roush at House of Nines Design. Not only did she help out the guests with their outfits, but she dressed the bride and groom - including making those incredible hats!
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Pink, Bows, Music & Radical Wedding Love

Kat

May 28, 2010

So I was going to blog this next week but I literally can't wait. I saw Annette & Brian's totally gorgeous wedding on my friend Micheal Antonia's (aka the dj extroidinate behind The Flashdance) blog and like the lightning bolt that I am (when I come across something that's as awesome as this) I was straight in there with my request to feature it. So, alongside Micheal, the photographers Our Labor of Love and Annette & Brian themselves, I am more than ecstatic to share this way-too-rad wedding with you today.
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Multi-Coloured Skittle-Fest

Kat

May 28, 2010

Bright colours at weddings make me smile. We actually had a black & white themed wedding ourselves, but if we were to do it again (it feels like I'm always saying this!) a multi-coloured skittle-fest might well be the way we'd do it. "Andy & Colleen met at a rock festival several years ago" photographer John told me. "For the wedding, Colleen wanted to incorporate lots of color. She didn't want to limit her options and therefore decided on a 'Skittles' theme." The couple wanted to add bright splashes of colour wherever they could and chose to have all bridesmaids wear different styles and colours of dresses. The cake may be one of my new favourites to date - have you ever seen anything so spectacularly awesome?! It was made by Icing Dreams who helped bring Colleen's design and vision to life.
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Rustic Retro with a Diy Charm

Kat

May 25, 2010

Fanni & Ben got married in April at Cripps Barn in Gloucestershire. Bored by the usual wedding stuff they found in magazines and at wedding shows, the pair turned to the internet for inspiration and luckily for them stumbled upon not only Rock n Roll Bride but a plethora of amazing ideas via some awesome American wedding blogs. "Back at the drawing board, I found myself scanning an array of American wedding blogs. All of which featured jaw-droppingly gorgeous weddings that looked amazing but had little or no information about weddings in the UK, and then I stumbled across your site!" Fanni told me "From that day on, Rock n Roll Bride truly was a breath of fresh air for me from everything else I had seen out there previously. Your site was reassuring that we didn't have to be confined to the norm or do things a certain way because it was tradition. Our wedding was our day, our way. We wanted our guests to have the best time and not be left thinking that they were just at....'another textbook wedding.' So, with much planning and evenings spent beavering away we managed to pull it all together."
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A Pop of Colour

Kat

May 21, 2010

II love Jeff & Manya's wedding for so many reasons. The first has got to be Manya's gorgeous 'McKenzie' Modern Trousseau dress complete with swarovski crystal belt, Betsey Johnson shoes and hair piece by Lani Fisher (who works with Jill of Darling Bride who did her hair) and the second is those gorgeous flowers by Jen K Floral Designs. Seriously, aren't those yellows just amaaazing. The wedding overall had a yellow and blue theme - and it really works! The colours of the bridesmaids dresses looks awesome next to the uber 'pop' of the citrus blooms...and don't even get my started on Manya's fuchsia pink lipstick. Epic!
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City Chic Fashionista Wedding

Kat

May 19, 2010

Lee & Rose got married in Liverpool in a super duper stylish way. Rose's outfit is literally off-the-hook! Have you ever seen a bride look so damn funky? Plus (and you're going to love this) it is all from the British high street! Be sure to check out the full list of where each item was found after the photographic goodness. I am just mad about those tights... "There was no real theme as such, but the sort of couple we are means that we wanted something relaxed, informal and fun" Lee , the groom, told me "We wanted a simple wedding, we wanted to wear the outfits we wanted, we wanted to pay for everything ourselves, and more importantly, we wanted our friends and family to come and have a good time, not feel like they had to behave in a manner they normally wouldn't, i.e. no strict seating arrangements, not worrying about which knife to use to cut the bread roll, etc. We're not show-offs, and we're not millionaires, and we have our own sense of style, so we couldn't see the point in all this so-called 'traditional' excess that means the marriage starts off with £30,000 worth of debt! It just wouldn't be us.”
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Night of the Living Wed

Kat

May 17, 2010

This ghoulish, retro horror themed wedding may not be everybodys cup of tea but I can't help but be a little over-excited about it. So. Much. Originality! Photographer Al, who has just been shortlisted for 'Tattoo Photographer of the Year' was keen to tell me all about Ash and Michelle Ghoulmore's (oh yes!) friday the 13th wedding. The couple run retro rebels store and the horror-themed clothing company Kreepsville 666 so their wedding was always going to be a spooky special. 'Ghoulmore' actually is Ash's surname and they pretty much live Halloween everyday, so it was fitting to pick a horror / b-movie inspired Wedding theme. "This meant I had to light the formals in a slightly different way to ensure I got that punchy highly saturated contrasty feel that fits with the mood" photographer Al told me. "This was the first time I've seen a smoke machine used during the ceremony! The archway was decorated with skulls and light like a stage. As you can see form the photos the cake was a skull and all the attendees got to take home a set of cast-silver effect fangs to say 'fangs for coming' [groan]. Zombina and the Skeletones provided the live music for the reception, again fitting the horror-rockabilly theme."
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Retro Movie Themed Kansas City Wedding

Kat

May 15, 2010

You're going to love Erica & Ryan's homespun, diy wedding...and you're certainly going to love their story. I was over the moon to receive these gorgeous images from photographer Katie and even more chuffed when Erica got in touch with all the juicy details. "Ryan and I originally thought we would just have a courthouse wedding, and then have a big party. Of course, our parents were not so thrilled with the idea. We also did not want anyone else planning or making decisions for OUR wedding/party, because we did not want it to be the same old wedding and the same old reception that we've all attended twenty times before. Nothing against traditional weddings, we're just not traditional. We also were looking to keep it cheap simply because we think it's silly to spend tens of thousands of dollars on a few hours. All we really needed was the two of us looking snazzy and an amazing photographer."
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Vintage Lace & Rock n Roll

Kat

May 14, 2010

Check out Ursula & Chris' fantastically cool wedding. I fell in love with it as soon as I saw her Claire Pettibone dress (I wrote about these dresses a while back beacause they are called the 'rock n roll bride' collection!) Oh holy black tulle! "'I fell in love with my 'Midnight' gown from Claire Pettibone's rock and roll bride range the moment I tried it on. The mix of vintage style, beautiful beading, delicate embroidery and edgy black train make it a very special dress. I just loved the way my long veil looked against the slightly gothic black train. Breathtaking!" Ursula explained.
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The Security Guard & The Cocktail Waitress

Kat

May 13, 2010

Amanda & Byron got married in April at The Lake House Inn - Perkasie, PA. The couple met while working at the Trocadero Theater in Philadelphia. He was the though security guard and she was the box office girl/cocktail waitress. Their proposal story is so adorable I had to share it before you see their awesome tattooed wedding. "On a hot summer day in July 2008 we decided to drive to Hamburg, PA and hike up to the Pinnacle, which overlooks the vast Lehigh Valley" Amanda told me. "We are not avid hikers - we just like nature.
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Jessica & John – DIY Vegas Wedding

Kat

May 12, 2010

Stand by for Las Vegas awesome - part deux! Jessica & John's diy fest. of a wedding makes me happieeee indeed. Not only does Jessica look ridiculously haaawt in her Oleg Cassinidress and homemade jacket but the whole affair was so personal and diy fabulous - who said Vegas wedding were tacky? Jessica spent a lot of time getting her diy projects just right. She made everything from the decor to the flowers, from the gift bags to the table runners and photo booth. Here is a run down of the whole shebang..
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Three Dresses & The Wedding of the Century {part 1}

Kat

May 11, 2010

As a general rule, I don't like to feature weddings that have been seen on other blogs. I figure that if they're on one blog you'll have seen them and there is nothing more boring than seeing the same wedding/story over and over again...plus that's why I started Thursday Treats, to give you a definitive round up just in case you've missed anything epic in blog land. However, rules are made to be broken and when I saw Kestrin & Jonathan's wedding, firstly on photographer Noa's facebook and then on uber blog Style me Pretty I knew I'd have to share some of these images with you too. Incredible doesn't even cover it.
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