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The offbeat bride: Jennifer Stockert
Her offbeat partner: Bruce Stockert
Location & date of wedding: In our driveway, Hollywood, CA — November 6, 2010
What made our wedding offbeat: We got married in our driveway and had the reception in our carport — cheapest, most fabulous vintage, Jedi, low budget, driveway wedding ever.
We hijacked our neighbor's pretty backyard as a background, as our apartment and carport is ALL concrete and asphalt.
One of my friends made the cake as our gift!
We rented tables and chairs cheap, and bought fabric in downtown LA for $2.00 a pound and made our own tablecloths.
We got the flowers and vases in downtown LA cheap, too.
My dress cost $54.00 at a vintage store.
We walked out to “Once Upon a TIme…Storybook Love” by Mark Knopfler from The Princes Bride.
We were introduced as Mr and Mrs Bruce Stockert to the music from the throne room Medal Ceremony scene in Star Wars by John Williams.
Then we played Rat Pack era music for the reception.
Tell us about the ceremony: The words “God” and “Obey” were not in our wedding.
We asked the minister to make sure he mention that we met in a light saber class and to please make nerd references.
He held up the rings like a Venn Diagram and listed all the things we had in common:
Tiki, Disneyland, Star Wars, vintage clothes. Then, he listed the things on the outside of our shared interests, like Rubik's cubes, giant Japanese robots, and Super Mario.
My favorite moment: Marrying under the light saber arch to the person I am perfectly matched with!
Having our best friends there to share it with us!
My funniest moment: There were several big laughs and Star Wars/Star Trek/Gundam/Super Mario/Rubik's cubes and general nerd references through out the ceremony, but the funniest moment came at my design.
I told the minister to say this as we walked away after being introduced as Mr and Mrs:
The Bride and Groom will be right back, they are going to go change their facebook statuses…they ask that you start eating and drinking…
This got a HUGE, HUGE laugh, as the invitations were sent out via facebook, and every single guest was on the site.
Was there anything you were sure was going to be a total disaster that unexpectedly turned out great? The cake. My girlfriend offered to make it and I left it completely up to her. I thought I was getting a sheet cake with “Congratulations” scrolled in gel. Instead I got a gorgeous, three tiered real deal wedding cake!
My advice for offbeat brides: Forget the pomp and circumstance.
Make sure you have love and friends and things that mean something to you!
Have you been married before and if so, what did you do differently? Yes. I went to Vegas. This wedding meant so much more!
What was the most important lesson you learned from your wedding? Love and friends, not money, ruled the day.
Enough talk — show me the wedding inspo!
About the Author: Offbeat Weditors
Working tirelessly to bring you stimulating content day after day, the Offbeat Wed editors will not sleep until you've gotten your offbeat fix.
Light saber class? That might just be the coolest (and yet simultaniously geekiest) thing I’ve ever heard of!
Second would be this wedding. 😀
I love everything about this, the various ‘themes’ all going together (big worry of mine, trying to fit too much in), the light sabers, the getting married in your own driveway…everything about it is great.
Also that’s a hell of a cake to get as a suprise!
Now, if you’ll excuse me I’m going to go google ‘light saber classes’ and rethink the first dance vs. first duel question.
Thanks so much, Danikat!!!!
I want to know more about light saber class, sounds amazing!! I also can’t believe a non-pro made that cake, what an incredible gift!
Looks like a lovely, fun wedding, bride and groom outfits are fab.
Thanks, Josie!
That class does not exist anymore!
But that’s where we met!!!
Two nerds, meant to be together!
And yes, that cake was amazing!
It was fun, thanks and thanks!
This is an amazing wedding! Way to keep it real… Your dress is fabulous!
Thanks so much!
It was $54.00!
I always keep my eyes open while Thrift/Vintage store shopping!
Beautiful! I love it!
I. Love. This. So much. I love how they combined all their unrelated interests in a way that everything blends seamlessly. Getting all dolled up in your swankiest vintage gear & playing with light sabers just seems like the thing to do, after seeing this wedding! I’m always worrying that the random things we want to include in our day “won’t make sense” to other people, so thanks for the reality check!
Thanks, Sara!
Yeah, the wedding was for US.
Keep that in mind, not your parents, not even your friends, but for you and your man!
Luckily, all of our friends are either nerds and/or in the Vintage scene.
So it ‘made sense’ to everyone!
Congratulations!
The chart nerd in me loves how your minister used a Venn Diagram as part of ceremony!
Thanks everyone, I am the bride!
I am just thrilled to be on this site!
The wedding was a blast….I may add to the flickr photostream over the next few days- i only put up 28 pics…
Cool wedding!
Where did you guys get those light sabres? I want them for my wedding?
We got them online.
NERD ALERT- BE WARNED:
Those are Master Replica Force-fx sabers.
You can get identical Force-fx sabers but they are now made by Hasbro. They are plastic versions of these heavy metal sabers.
You can get them at thinkgeek.com, the Hasbro ones.
However, I recommend you do an online search for lightsabers and find the Master Replicas.
They will cost more, but are stronger, more heavy duty and will last longer.
My gift to the bride/groom – was to help setup and man the drinks table. Helping behind the scenes is something that anyone can offer
Great photos and a beautiful wedding. I met my wife the old fashion way-in a bar. Ha ha
you two(2) look awsome and are a perfect match. Live long and prosper
L.A. weddings, YAY! Your friend makes a pretty awesome cake! If it had been me, you definitely would have gotten something worthy of Cake Wrecks.
holy force fx! you have so many lol my fi just died of jealousy
I love everything. The dress is beautiful. I really like the groom in a fedora too. We’re planning on having my fiance wear a fedora. I really like the cake. I want to save the picture and show it to the bakery when I book the cake. That’s exactly what I want except I want all red flowers. I won’t do it without your permission, Jennifer.
I have no problem with it!
I am not the cake creator, though, but I say go for it!
(I don’t know cake etiquette.)
Thanks so much!
Welcome to the Offbeat Bride club, Stockerts! My hubby, Mr. Epic Fez-Wearing Minister of Venn Diagrams, and I were thrilled to be part of your planning and “wedding team” and fiesta. Look how rad y’all look! 😀
Thanks Monica!!!!
It was a great time, Jen.. Happy to b there and lend my son as ring bearer.. =]
And we were happy to have him, AND you there!
I wish I had been there!!! I didn’t know that’s how you two met…how fitting. 🙂
Great wedding!!!!
Found it googling Bruce, from the old Gamefan Days!
I had a bit of a hard time seeing Bruce in the photos. It wasn’t the short hair. It wasn’t the age or the extra couple of pounds (looks good on you). It was that all those years ago in Agi=oura I had never seen Bruce so perfectly happy!
Many blessings!
David White – Albuquerque, NM
You sent invites via facebook? Yay! I won’t feel so bad now for family!!! lol Thank you for not making me feel alone in trying to save money and simply telling people via facebook and phone! 😀