Rock n Roll Bride - The ultimate guide for alternative brides

Wedding

Jules & Leighton’s Vintage, Rock n Roll Beautiful Homespun English Wedding

Kat

February 23, 2010

I'm going all out with the fantastic British weddings this week...and loving it I might add. Jules & Leighton's self confessed "oh-so-English-and-slightly-Rock-and-Roll wedding." Living in Kenilworth, Warwickshire they wanted to keep the day locally sourced and so enlisted the help and expertise of some of their favourite local vendors. Jules wore a Pronovias Huella dress and hand made accessories from super talented Etsy sellers Lili Swan and Lulu Splendor. The flowers were supplied by Cindy at Pure Botanics who created vintage perfection with her soft bouquets of ranunculus, roses and freesia that looked liked they could have been picked from an English garden, hand tied and finished off with gorgeous fat ribbons. For the centrepieces Jules scoured charity and thrift stores for mis-matched vintage glassware. The bunting was hired by Hired from Beautiful Bunting. The wonderfully mis-matched vintage china, cake stands and glass trifle bowls all hired from Vintage Teas & RSVPs. "We got married at Kenilworth Castle." Jules wrote, "No, it's not completely a ruin! Luckily the Gatehouse is still standing and it's stunning and as wedding venues go, it's possibly the best kept secret in Warwickshire. It might sound quite grand, getting married in a castle, but actually at Kenilworth it's a really cosy affair. We just had 40 guests and it meant we could keep things really relaxed and informal. We had the speeches there while everyone stood around with glasses of champers, rather than doing them the traditional way during the meal." They held their reception at Parochial Hall, 5 minutes walk away. "It's a really old church hall with a scrubbed wooden floor and a stage and a hatch into the kitchen." Jules told me "It's the sort of place that brings back memories of childhood for everyone who was ever in the Brownies or the Scouts. We loved it as soon as we saw it and it became our whole inspiration for what turned out to be our dream reception - an old fashioned family style get together. It was all very DIY - we had lots of help from friends and family who were fabulously keen to get involved and set about arranging tables and chairs and shinning up ladders. Our caterers Farmers Fayre really got into the spirit of things. Rather than have a formal style dinner we had joints of lamb brought to the tables and one person per table was then nominated carver - complete with chef's hat and apron. Even Leighton was up out of his seat handing round the vegetables - it felt like Sunday lunch with the family. As the evening guests started to arrive we had a cocktail hour complete with big band classics playing and Farmers Fayre bar staff serving up Cosmopolitans and Mojito's." Thanks to Jules & Leighton for sharing their "little-but-vintage-little-bit-Rock- n-Roll' darling British wedding today
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Quirky & Stunning, British Wedding

Kat

February 22, 2010

Forgive me, but I literally almost wet myself when I saw these shots from the hottest, newest photographer on the block, Emma Case - and can you believe it, this is only her first official 'Emma Case wedding'! (I've featured a wedding she shot for a friend before she decided to pursue it full time.) I got a very excitable email from the lady herself this morning and I couldn't wait to get home to share these right away. "Well, here it is, my very first, official, didn't know the couple before, professional, as 'Emma Case Photography' wedding!" She began. "Christie contacted me back in November and straight away I knew just how ace she was. Not only did she mention fake moustaches and knee-sliding as part of the wedding plan but she was funny and honest and completely on my wavelength. We emailed back and forth in a 'know each other already' type of way and by the time me and Pete were driving up to Devon on the 30th January I was a little nervous but so excited to finally meet her (we didn't get the chance beforehand) and her soon to be husband... the Berninator! The wedding was held at the most amazing Huntsham Court... oh man the bathroom in the bridal suite was AMAZING, oh and the library... and the... well you can see for yourselves, the whole house is stunning! The ceremony (that I wasn't allowed to photograph.. grumble, grumble) was beautiful with a really heartfelt speech from both Christie and Bernie's sisters (I'm gonna have to man up in this profession as I could feel myself going) and then food was served followed by a wonderfully proud speech from the Father of the Bride and a particularly funny song by the Best Man and his guitar! Instead of a wedding cake they had a 'pig'nata (pinata) and for the evening entertainment 'Gabby Young & Other Animals' played their socks off (you need to check this band out) and EVERYONE was dancing! Finish it all off with about 3 hours of The Photo Booth which had me literally in pain through laughing too much and you have all the ingredients for one hot wedding." Thanks to the lovely Emma for sharing these, and I KNOW we'll be seeing a lot more greatness from this girlie (and I can't wait to finally meet her soon!)
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A Nerdy, Geeky & Darling Wedding

Kat

February 22, 2010

Dana & Patrick's wedding is certainly Rock n Roll to the max! I adore her cute shoes that show off her gorgeous foot tattoos (I'm so shallow) and that fabulous dress which was Madison by Priscilla of Boston "It had a belt and pockets!" Dana told me " so I just HAD to have it! I even kept my iphone in my pocket and snapped photos with it during the day" The bridesmaids matched the yellow and grey theme by wearing various grey dresses from Alfred Angelo. The pair were married in the oldest catholic church in Philadelphia (Old St. Joseph's) and had their reception at an old bank that was the Philadelphia Real World House which has now been turned into an art gallery called Trust House. My favourite part of Dana's email to me was her 'wedding highlights' so I wanted to share them with you ♥ Taking my bridal portraits in the burial ground where Ben Franklin and several other founding fathers are buried. It is traditionally good luck for brides to throw a penny on Ben's grave for prosperity! ♥ Taking a taxi to the church which was 4 blocks from the hotel where i got ready and mom freaking out ♥ The art in the gallery. It was a total surprise because they had just hung a brand new show that week. ♥ There was an amazing portraits of a nude Kim Kardasian upstairs and a painted version of Lindsay Lohan's mug shot. Our family both young and old loved it and thought it was so us! ♥ Also being a bride who rocks glasses! ♥ Ending the night with a group singalong to queen!!
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Beautiful Brides

Kat

February 22, 2010

Not only have I been lucky enough to be sent a whole lot of amazing same sex weddings recently, but I've received emails from readers who have been loving the posts, so it is with great pleasure that I present Erin & Lauren's beautiful wedding today. I really love the simple, clean lines of their dresses and all the emotion behind these images. Be sure to also check out their slideshow after the 'jump'. Thanks to Daniel for sharing these today Credit: Daniel Krieger Photography
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Ashley & Hunter’s Brightly Coloured Wedding

Kat

February 19, 2010

Ashley & Hunter's wedding had me smitten as soon as I saw it. They went for a fun fair theme with brightly coloured and fun pinwheels, noise makers, rock candy, pumpkins and a BBQ from Buz n Neds Barbecue. This pair both have a self-confessed obsession with shoes so Ashley wore an amazing pair from Betsey Johnson with a Marylin Monroe portrait on the sole and Hunter wore red, black and white high top Vans that matched their brightly colored wedding...the bridesmaids even wore red pumps to match. Ashley dress and veil were XX and teamed it with an amazing antique brooch which she found at Ant Hill Antiques in Carytown in Richmond, Va. Their flowers were vibrant and sunny to match the theme and the bridesmaids all wore their own purple mis-matched dresses.
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1920s Stylee Speakeasy Wedding

Kat

February 17, 2010

I've got a second British post for your today - and this time it's Miriam & Bruce's art deco/speakeasy/1920s-30s inspired wedding. The event took place at The Brickhouse, Brick Lane, London which is in the heart of the city's uber cool East End and was complete with monochromatic colour scheme, gambling tables and cheeky burlesque entertainment. Miriam & Bruce had a humanist ceremony in front of their guests before kicking off a night of unashamed debauchery! Female guests were treated to a black or white feather fan on arrival, and the gents mini bottles of Jack Daniels and chocolate cigars. Miriam wore a dress and ostrich feather shrug from the fabulous Joanna Fleming Design and birdcage veil from Jane Taylor Millinery. Credit: Eye Imagine Wedding Planners: Grant-Riley Weddings
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Anthropologie & Rustic Farm Elegance with a Rock n Roll Twist

Kat

February 15, 2010

Oh squeeeeal! I'm not sure I can say anything more intellectual about Luke & Charis' wedding, in fact I think only 'squeeeal' will cover it. So. Much. Awesome! "This couple was married in a barn at Sharon Rose Farm in Greenville SC" photographer Anna told me "The bride is a hair stylist, the groom is a drummer - so the music and the style was fabulous and original. I thought what was so rock n roll about this wedding was that the bride made surprise stick-on tattoos to replicate her new husband's favorite tattoo on his arm, and all the guests had a mini tattoos during the reception just like the groom!" Charis wore a dress from David's Bridal and she asked her bridesmaids to simply pick their own black dress. When Charis and her bridesmaids walked into the venue someone said, "It looks like an anthropologie catalogue just walked in!" The ceremony and reception were held in a beautiful red renovated horse barn. It was such a nice mix of rustic farm, elegant chandeliers and vintage flare. There were mason jars with wild flowers, and baskets of peanuts on cocktail tables as guests mingled and sipped lemonade before the entering the barn. An old typewriter was used as a to write notes to the bride and groom, and a sweet bird cage to put them in. Just sit back and enjoy these - I know you will! Thanks to Anna for sharing this amazing wedding with us Credit: Anna Naphtali Photography
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Woodland Nymphs

Kat

February 13, 2010

How do I even begin to describe a wedding like this? Eco? Hippy Chic? Organic? Ourdoorsy? Woodland nymph-like? Musical? Midsummer Night's Dream-esque? None of these words seem to do any kinda of justice to this beautiful wedding. Samuel & Jessica were married in Moravian falls at Pennel Horse farm. They wanted they day to have a raw and natural feel with a bit of mystical charm and simplicity. "They defined their wedding by what they love and not what tradition says to do", photographer Shelley told me "so they combined some common elements of the wedding ceremony, seasoned with of a little bit of hippie, funk, vintage and organic charm. Every little thing was a reflection of who they are as individuals and as a couple." Their bridal/groomal parties were huge and the woods were filled with light and music from the lanterns they all carried and the drums they played. The ceremony was a really emotional one (as you can see from the video below) the pair washed each other's feet and Sam even sang and played guitar to his new wife. The reception looks like a blast! The guests ate great organic food and they danced into the night around a giant bonfire. Jessica's dress was by Amalia Cararra. She bought her dress at "Stardust Celebrations" in Dallas, Texas, where she she was spotted by the creators of a new reality show on WEtv called "Girl Meets Dress." The couple's love story will be aired March 9th as the premier episode! Be sure to check out a snippet of their wedding video below as a little sneaky peak! Thanks to Shelley, Jess & Sam for sharing their a.m.a.z.i.n.g ceremony and wedding with us (and yes, there are over 100 photographs in this post but I had to include them all!)
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All Because of Rock n Roll

Kat

February 12, 2010

Bonnie & Rod's 195os inspired wedding was held at Malcolm's Of Maleny in Queensland, Australia. When I asked photographer Julian what made this pair rock n roll, he had the perfect answer for me... "Bonnie was born and raised in Australia and in short, is a singer. Rod was born and raised in Mississippi and had never been to Australia before -- They met over the Internet through each other's music, Rod being a Guitarist in a band without a singer. Bonnie was asked by Rod to record a singing part to a piece he had recorded. And the rest, as they say, is history. He flew over and met her, they dated and then, obviously, married. All because of Rock And Roll, literally." Thanks to Julian for sharing this fabulous wedding with us
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Modern Marie Antoinette

Kat

February 9, 2010

Simone & Matt were married at the Historic Mission in San Diego. Simone wore a Monique Lhuillier dress from and Christian Louboutin shoes. After the ceremony all the guests headed over to the Prado restaurant at Balboa Park for an outdoor cocktail hour with hors d'ourves and live jazz. Before entering the ballroom the couple entertained the guests with giant Bride and Groom pinatas which were attacked by kids and grownups alike. There was no formal sit down dinner. Instead guests were welcome to use the sushi bar and the mini kobe burger and fries bar. Big band jazz and vocals entertained. Later in the evening the band packed up and a DJ took over while a separate room was opened up with a taco bar and a 'Tostitoes' bar. The inspiration for the our wedding came after I found my dress. Simone told me It is a Monique Lhuillier gown, but i found it at the Neiman Marcus outlet! My mom works for Neiman Marcus, so I got an even better discount too. It was the first and only dress i tried on. It fit me perfectly. The dress inspired my "Marie Antoinette but modern" theme that I wanted for the wedding. I wanted it to just be like a candle lit party with gold accents and ostrich feathers, something I imagined Marie Antoinette would have done. I also wanted my guests to have fun, so I made the food interactive, I had the photobooth, and the little bride and groom pinatas for everyone to have fun with. The food was all matt and my favorites, especially the tosti locos which are a mexican snack. Thanks to John, Simone & Matt for sharing
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Hannah & Ali’s Quirky, Art Deco and Too-Damn-Freakin’-Cool British Wedding

Kat

February 8, 2010

Do you remember Hannah & Ali's awesome 'at home' engagement shoot complete with their awesome kitty cat? Well I was over the moon to receive an email full to bursting with their quirky, vintagey wedding goodness from their photographer Steve Gerrard just the other day. I am loving Hannah's Jenny Packham dress and headband (le swoon indeed) and the bridesmaids look just too damn cool for school in their All Saints dresses. Their wedding took place just before Christmas at The Daffodil in Cheltenham, a fantastic converted 1920’s Art Deco picture house Steve tells us, The vintage theme continued throughout the wedding and I have to say I wish more couples would go down this route. I think it’s so cool and stylish. Hannah and Ali both looked amazing, but their guests also made a huge effort and win the award for best dressed guests ever! Yep this is defiantly one of the coolest UK weddings I've seen in a while (well...a few days maybe - I get sent a HELL lot of cool weddings!) Thanks to the wonderful Steve for sharing with us. Credit: Steve Gerrard Photography
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Carnival Crazy

Kat

February 7, 2010

Dina & Gary's 1920's vaudeville carnival themed wedding makes me wanna squeal. I wish wish wish we'd done something as fabulous as this when we got hitched. The wedding took place at Asbury Park, New Jersey and the pair really went to town with their theme - from popcorn and candy for the guests, a sideshow performance, goldfish in bowls... in fact everything you might expect to find at a carnival! Dina wore a custom dress (made by a friend) and wore jewellery and carried a candy bouquet made by another friend Melissa Heid. Just. Wow. Thanks to Brandi for sharing this awesome day with us. Woooo!
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Eco Touches for this Snowy British Wedding

Kat

February 5, 2010

You know I'm usually all about the rock chicks, but there is just something about a quirky, DIY, eco, British wedding that I just can't resist...and that fact that the bride wore Vivienne's (I have them in yellow)...well I'm sold! Photographer Mark told me the whole story: Marie and Karl chose the personal, DIY approach to ensure their wedding reflected their eco-conscious principles, where possible, combined with their love of elegant, vintage styles, nature and music! The day was based in two venues in the Northern English Forest of Bowland on a snowy day in late December. The invite package contained screen printed and hand stamped bunting on recycled card and a button badge! The couple also set up a website was to encourage electronic RSVPs. Marie’s uncle’s 70’s cream ford galaxy 500 was the chariot of choice which delivered the pair to the organic farm for their reception- a gorgeous 17thcentury barn with heated floors and wood burning stove. Guests were greeted with mulled wine, hot vimto and the bride’s own homemade spiced biscuits served in an array of mis-matching vintage tea cups and saucers. Most of the deco was Marie’s own DIY effort -table centres were constructed on slabs of fallen pine/oak trees with arrangements of flowers she picked and dried over the year, vintage glass medicine bottles (car boot sales) and potted herbs in painted pots/vintage clay pots. Soy candles were arranged in charity shop finds- sherry glasses as votives and old glass jars covered in 1920s musical manuscript. Bunting was made by Gregg McDonald using off-cuts from the bridesmaid’s dresses (fabric from a brilliant mill in Bradford called Bombay Stores). Marie hand made some paper birds to sit on the edge of champagne glasses as place names and napkin rings were a ring of two-tone ribbon finished with a button. Karl designed and made “cootie catchers” which were placed on the dining tables featuring a selection of the couple’s favourite lyrics for entertainment between the courses of soup, pie and home-made cup cakes (courtesy of Marie’s mum and auntie)! The couple had been secretly attending swing jive dance lessons to surprise their guests and performed their first dance to Ray Scott’s red hot R n’ B number ‘Silk, Satin n Lace’. Later in the evening Karl’s band, including grooms men, ‘Super Johnny K and the Bang Bangs’ played a short set of vintage psyche n surf rock tunes. Marie teamed a stunner of a dress with her Vivienne Westwood shoes. She chose Daven by Pronovias and wore upcycled hair accessories ( from dress cut-offs and old sparkly bits) from Rebeccastone on Etsy and earrings which she also found on Etsy. Her bridesmaids wore dresses by Raouli. Karl wore a 1960's suit which he found on Ebay and a printed tie & hankerchief from Liberty. Thanks to photographer Mark and Marie & Karl for sharing this beeeautiful day with us
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Brighton Belle

Kat

February 5, 2010

I just wanted to share a few images from Jed & Sarah's funky yet classic Brighton wedding. Brighton is a really eclectic town on the South coast of England. Brighton is full of eccentric characters and this wedding was so fun and quirky, even the registrar had kooky shoes and piercings. The bride and groom were very cool - her mother in law made the dress and I think she looks fab, they got wed in the pavillion, then onto a double decker to the Grand Hotel for some food and drinks....It was all about their colourful personalities and the offbeat alternative nature of Brighton which I made sure to feature in as many of the shots as possible. Thanks to Joanna for sharing these
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Amy & Jay and Their Way too Awesome New York Wedding Day

Kat

February 4, 2010

I may well be stating the obvious here, but Amy & Jay's wedding is freakin' awesome. Hell to the yeah...I love to blog this stuff! We were married on 01/02/10 in Brooklyn, NY. We really love our neighborhood and wanted to keep it local, allowing our guests to fully experience the day in Williamsburg Brooklyn. We had our ceremony and three course vegan meal at a place called Monkey Town. As a wedding gift, one of our best friends/dancer/aerialist/choreographer, Sarah Wollschlager, did an aerial performance to Etta James' "At Last," which contributed to the uniqueness and beauty of our ceremony. Our officiant, from the Brooklyn Society of Ethical Culture, Tasha Paley, also made the ceremony even more personal- she brought laughter to our guests and made several of us shed a tear while reading an excerpt from "The Little Prince." We then had the reception at Trophy Bar, which included an open bar, dancing, vegan cupcakes, and a photobooth. For the photobooth, two of our best friends created a caution tape backdrop and set up a wireless remote, allowing the guests to get ready and pose! As far as vegan cupcakes in NYC go, Babycakes is the absolute best...we were so relieved that all of the non-vegan guests really loved them! They also made us a 6" cake, where we put our super cute monster cake toppers, created by Leslie Levins. It was absolutely an incredible day and it wouldn't have been what it was without our amazing friends! Amy had two dresses - the ceremony dress was found on Ebay and was a similar design to Maggie Sottero's Rasharna dress, which she loved but when she saw the less-fussy Ebay version she was sold! Her reception dress was from Betsey Johnson's Spring 2008 collection. She carried a felt bouquet by Jennifer Rae of Ribbons n Bows Boutique (who she discovered through Rock n Roll Bride!) Wanna see more? Check out their slideshow! Oh...and their wedding invitation video is too damn cool for words (check it out after the jump...)
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