Shannon & Tim’s Neo-Victorian steampunk wedding

The offbeat bride: Shannon, Retail Store Manager and Zumba Fitness Instructor

Her offbeat partner: Tim, Sprint Technical Consultant

Date and location of wedding: Cave Creek Museum in Cave Creek, AZ — November 11, 2011

Our offbeat wedding at a glance: We had only a few months to plan, on a practically non-existent budget. We chose a steampunk theme, with some Neo-Victorian flare. We got to work on a ton of DIY projects as a couple, which was a lot of fun. I cannot tell you how many Nerf guns and parts I had all over the house waiting to be primed, painted, and put back together for some reception fun.

I was pretty adamant about personalizing this wedding and not following any traditions that weren't important to us since this is wedding number two for both of us, and both previous weddings were too traditional for our tastes.

Tell us about the ceremony: Our friend Allison was our officiant, and it was her first wedding. She was amazing, and exactly what our ceremony needed. It opened up with some lines from Phantom of the Opera, and also had some readings from Mr. Rogers and Vicki Feaver.

We wrote our own declarations of love and vows.
My declarations of love:

He has unconditional love for me, even when I don't deserve it. He has a kind and generous heart, and he supports me in my many endeavors. I'm a jack-of-all-trades, but a master of none.

His declarations of love:

She sees the best in me and what I can become. She has a smile that can brighten even my darkest day, and she has the ability to be positive in the most hectic situations.

We also included a ring warming ceremony wherein family and friends could say a thought or prayer for us as they passed around our rings. It was deeply personal and moving.

Our biggest challenge: The biggest challenge was how to write our ceremony. We had some trouble finding good examples. Luckily, we had an amazing officiant who put together one of the most heartfelt ceremonies I've ever heard.

My favorite moment: Hearing the vows my husband wrote completely on his own was definitely so powerful and meaningful. And the fact that this big, burly man with a giant beard couldn't stop himself from getting emotional.

My funniest moment: The aisle of the church was extremely small, and I had a giant hoop skirt. That hoop skirt got in everyone's way. And it continued at the reception, where people kept getting their ankles hit, and couldn't figure out why — that is, until I walked by.

Was there anything you were sure was going to be a total disaster that unexpectedly turned out great? Having over 70 people in my house for the reception was a terrifying thought. I was stressed about having enough of everything: chairs, tables, food, seating, etc. But my 1400-square-foot home ended up being just fine. It was a gorgeous night in Phoenix, lots of people milled around outside, while family and old friends got to see each other again and catch up. It was wonderful to see all the people I loved all in one place.

What was the most important lesson you learned from your wedding? Time management! We were up until the wee hours of the morning the day of the wedding trying to finish a million projects. If we had taken more time earlier, we wouldn't have been so rushed at the end.

Care to share a few vendor/shopping links?

• Photography: Stephanie Ashby
• Corset: Etsy seller LouiseBlack
• Skirt and bustle set: Lovechild Boudoir
• Top: Body Central
• Shoes: Target
• Hat and hoop skirt: Easley's Costume Shop. The hat originally had black roses, which I took off to add red roses instead.
• Jewelry (the clockwork owl necklace and gear plugs): made by my husband, Tim

Enough talk — show me the wedding inspo!

About the Author: Offbeat Weditors

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