Posted byRemember last week's tentacular steampunk octopus cake? Now we've got the whole snowy steampunk tale to tell!
The Offbeat Bride: Sheyne
Her offbeat partner: Glenn, Biologist
Date and location of wedding: Pine Rose Cabins, Twin Peaks, CA — November 11, 2012
Our offbeat wedding at a glance: Glenn and I are both members the Steampunk performance group, “The League of S.T.E.A.M.” We are both costumers and performers who attend over-the-top costume balls and events in and around the Los Angeles area. We decided on “The Scientific Investigation of Love & Romance” as our theme. Bringing drama and a well-executed theme was very important to us.
Glenn and I worked on DIY projects for months leading up to the wedding day. Our save-the-dates and invitations were DIYed by me and some friends. We hosted an invitation-making party where 12 of our friends got over 100 invites made in four hours.
I created a key wall for guests to find their table place cards. Each guest had a tag tied to a Victorian key bottle opener (one of their wedding favors). These keys and tags were hung from vintage and vintage-like frames to which I had attached chicken wire.
Our handmade centerpieces represented element of our love theme: “love” chemicals (like Dopamine), chocolate, roses, and minerals. We also stretched a bit and expanded our table themes to subjective ideas like “Dance,” “Pursuit of Knowledge,” and “Spirit of Adventure.” Using a tutorial we found online, we transferred the chemical diagrams on glass chandelier crystals and hung them from manzanita branches.
With the help of a homebrewer/infuser friend, we created a custom rum infusion that all our guests received in potion bottles. We attempted to re-create a lavender basil lemonade Glenn and I discovered while venue hunting.
Signage was an important way to convey the theme and inform guests of what was to come. My favorite sign recommended our two favorite cocktails, and had a warning that being at 5800 ft. elevation would make drinks hit twice as hard than at sea level.
We also created a Mad Scientist-themed candy table with jelly-filled gummy brains, gummy fingers, sugar rats, and many other sweet and creepy treats. The table was decorated with spooky props such as a zombie hand in glass, a glowing human heart, and a brain being distilled in a jar. We also used dry ice to create a spooky fog that crept across the table.
Tell us about the ceremony: My heritage is Norwegian and Jewish (“Jewegian”). Although both Glenn and I are atheists, we decided to honor my Jewish family and their traditions with our own twist. Duane (our officiant) had his friends made us a fragile glass drinking horn. We both drank honey mead from the horn (a Viking wedding ritual), and then we placed it inside of a bag and broke it underfoot.
We had a robot ring bearer built by our friend, Grant. He was named Heisenborg, and he delivered our wedding rings in a test tube and Erlennmeyer flask. Later in the evening, using the remote control, Grant had Heisenborg danced with a few friends on the dance floor.
Our biggest challenge: I commissioned an amazing artist friend, Brian, to draw a secret portrait of Glenn and me. The illustration was printed on our wedding program, and on the welcome sign to our wedding. Keeping this image a secret from Glenn in the weeks leading up to the wedding was very difficult, especially since Glenn and another friend, James, designed the wedding program. I had to secretly contact James to let him in on my plan so he could help execute the job he was doing and not spoil the surprise. While Glenn had a clue something was going on, he was happy at result of my scheming.
My favorite moment: Some of the most meaningful moments where things I had little control over. The words our friend and officiant, Duane, said during the ceremony moved me deeply. We had meetings with him, and exchanged emails, and we knew the basic framework of what he was going to talk about, but we couldn't tell how great it would be until we saw it in action. He was an instrumental element of our ceremony.
Listening to the speeches made by our friends might have been one of the most meaningful moments in my life. Friends said such kind and wonderful things about us. When my father tried to read his speech at the microphone, he ended up getting a little speechless and cried.
My funniest moment: During the reception, one of the groomsmen (and fellow League of S.T.E.A.M. member) was lighting cigars with a flamethrower, and I ran down to see what was going on. Some of the funniest photos of the reception came from that interaction!
Was there anything you were sure was going to be a total disaster that unexpectedly turned out great? The wedding ceremony and reception was at 5,800 ft, in an all-outdoor venue. The weekend before, the venue was at around 60 degrees with 40 or so at night. Days before our wedding, an Arctic storm blew in, and that Friday the first snow of the season happened. We had to rush to rent every single heating lamp on the mountain! We warned our guests about the cold, and it did get quite chilly (21°F/6°C) by the time the party ended. We got to take advantage of the light layer of snow for pictures, though!
My advice for Offbeat Brides: A tip I would tell other non-traditional types is to not be afraid of some traditions. I ended up treasuring experiences at wedding showers and dress shopping.
Even though I wanted a custom dress, going to a bridal bouquet with my mother and trying on a bunch of dresses was a wonderful mother/daughter bonding moment.
What was the most important lesson you learned from your wedding? Having a very DIY-heavy wedding, I learned when to just declare something done. Learning to be happy with what we created the first time and not re-making it to death saved my sanity. For personal prop and costume projects I tend to fidget and constantly change/update things. I had so many lists of so many things to achieve, I couldn't afford that habit.
I have many amazing seamstress friends, some even made offers of making me a dress, but I was very happy with my decision of going to my amazing corset maker, Exquisite Restraint, and engaging in a business exchange. Because money changed hands and paperwork was signed, I had full confidence that dress would be exactly the way I wanted it and in my hands before the day of the wedding.
Care to share a few vendor/shopping links?
- Dress: Exquisite Restraint
- Groom's Coat: Salacious Hydes
- Photographer: Pixie Vision Photography
- DJ and Photo booth: Arrowhead DJ
- Caterer: Graystone Catering
- Hair and makeup: Splendor Beauty
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.
OH MY GOD MYTHBUSTERS GRANT MADE YOUR WEDDING ROBOT.
DAY. MADE.
Oh yea, just another normal day for Elle and Coyote… I mean Glenn and Sheyne. They really are the nicest, funnest, smartest, most down to earth people you’d ever want to meet.
Now how come I wasn’t at this wedding???? ha ha ha
Dr Brassy
He also did some modeling on a clockwork couture I think
wow. all I can is, wow, to everything. love it all.
also, is that Grant from… Mythbusters??
That’s Grant Freaking Imahara, all right. They had a Mythbuster-built robot for their ringbearer. Life is TOTALLY unfair!
I love every part of your wedding. The trapped bride. And the cake. And the tables’ signs. And the robot. And the rest. I am overwhelmed. And I’m a big fan of your friend Brian and his octopuses.
i just…i…can i say, you have amazing friends? brian kestinger, and grant? your life is a steampunk dream come true, dear, and i am so very glad you shared this with us all!
HOLY FRACKING KRAKEN.
(I have no words. I’m out. Nothing I, or anyone else, ever do will ever be this cool)
Everything about this is just… So cool. The dress, bouquet, candy buffet, adorable hugging octopi cake toppers, and a freaking ROBOT!? I am in love with all of this. Congratulations Sheyne & Glenn, you fabulous couple you.
That’s it. Shut it down. Shut it all down. This is the offbeatiest offbeat wedding possible. We can’t top this people.
And Grant + Grant made robot? WUT?
FAVOURITE! WEDDING! EVER! Just… all the awesome. All of it. So many talented friends! Only able to type in sentence fragments I am that blown away!
I LOVE the drawing of the bride and groom! So sweet, and it’s cool that they were able to use it in more than one way too. Always good to get extra mileage out of something so cool.
THE ROBOT RULES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
LOVE that drawing of the two of them, and just realized that the artist’s brother is a friend of mine! Small world!
I wanna be friends with Grant Imahara too!!
OMG. That secret drawing surprise of the two of you? Amazing. Simply amazing. I LOVE the style!
He doesn’t happen to have a website, or be taking commissions, is he?
Why yes Brian Kesinger does take commissions (when he has the time)
http://briankesinger.deviantart.com/
also his facebook page is very active
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Brian-Kesingers-Tea-Girls/212094505475204?sk=photos
you can also buy some of his prints from http://www.clockworkcouture.com
LOVE your wedding 🙂 Your dress is amazing and your bridemaids are adorable!!!
the dress was a work of art!!!!!
and I am so lucky to have such gorgeous good friends!!! this is prob the only time in my life when being with them in a group where I was not out-shown by their cuteness!
two things, who was the artist that did your pictures? totally awesome and those photos of the wedding party are totally BADASS!
Thank you Elixia~ 🙂 It was an honor to be their photographer. Such an amazing wedding! Congrats Sheyne & Glenn! 🙂
Now that I can see more of the pictures, I am in awe of your talent. If I ever get married, I am so hiring you!
Brian Kesinger did the drawing!!
check out his work at
http://briankesinger.deviantart.com/
also his facebook page is very active
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Brian-Kesingers-Tea-Girls/212094505475204
you can also buy some of his prints from http://www.clockworkcouture.com
AHHHHHHH!!!!!!!
I don’t think you can be anymore perfect and YOUR DRESS ZOMG I’M IN LOVE <3
OH MY GOD.
Mind = blown.
Grant. Freaking. Imahara. Robots. DRESS. FIRE!!
Katja had it right. This is THE wedding of Steampunk weddings. No more allowed, everyone find different themes now!
This is the most epic epicness that ever epicked, what with the octopodes and the fierce bridal party and GRANT IMAHARA OMG I’M SO TOTALLY GEEKING OUT!!!!!
I am so glad that you posted this wedding! When Shenye and Glenn got engaged, your site was the first I thought of. When I went to the wedding I thought it was the most epic event I have ever been to! The pictures are to die for and write up is amazing! Many kudos to them on their amazing, off beat, funky, fun, epic wedding.
And it is positively stunning from start to finish!
This wedding was a fricking work of art and I wish I was friends with you fabulous, amazing people! May your marriage be even more beautiful, creative, and community-supported than your wedding was!
I have absolutely LOST MY MIND!!!
This whole thing is so amazballs I can’t even describe the awesome using normal words…
amazing. rocked my socks. Holy crap.
congratulations!!!
Dress = awesome, decorations = awesome…well, honestly everything in this wedding = AWESOME! So cool – and my FH is going to flip when he sees that Grant made your wedding robot!
I totally want Grant Imahara to build me a ring bearing robot.
I love everything about this! Congratulations!
Where are those bridesmaid dresses from? Are they custom made? Everyone looks super adorable in them 🙂
the bridesmaids dress were from http://www.lightinthebox.com/
they were ordered months ahead of wedding to give everybody enough time to alter if wrong sizes where ordered.
Oh my god it’s Grant from MythBusters!! He made such an amazing robot ring bearer. Also I love the caketopper!
It figures that I’m watching Mythbusters when I see this post! I am SO JEALOUS! If I could find the will to do my wedding the way I wanted, this would be it from start to finish! LOVE IT!
Oh. My. God. Your wedding looked AMAZING, and I’m sure finally getting to say your vows and do the damn thang was even more amazing!
AND Brian Kesinger drew you and your husbands portrait?! WHAT!!!!!
Did Brian Kesinger make all the signs? I need to find them! LOVE!
I commissioned Brian to create the bride/groom portrait, and then I made the signs using that image.
AMAZING!! I love it all, Where did you get your table decorations, I’m looking for something just like them! Hazel x
Which table decorations are you asking about? we had a verity, and there is a bunch represent on this post!
the “Chocolate” table was a stupid expensive (THANK GOD A BRIDESMAID HAD DISCOUNT) Anthropology test tube decoration thingie
the little silver trees which held the table cards were from Michaels, and cards themselves where printed by myself, & modpoged onto thick poster board paper.
I will answer any more questions!!!
The birdcage (that had a globe in it) was a Ross or Marshalls find, the “steampunk train” was borrowed from a friend.
the black manzanita branch center pieces where made by myself & a bridesmaid. branches & “crystal” dangling bits bought in Downtown LA. the flowers were from Michaels.
Everything about this is just so spectacular! Although, I was a little disappointed to discover that Grant wasn’t in fact Sir Reginald von Bartlesby, as I had initially assumed.
Absolutely love eet! You two are adorable and you have great style. Nice job pulling so many style elements together into one cohesive “show”, it looks like it flowed really well. Blessings on your union, may your marriage run like clockwork. Ha! Ha! *cough*
Congratulations on your wedding! I would love to know who made your cake topper, because I love it so much and (something like) this is what we’ve been looking for. Even my fiancé is excited about something put on top of the cake (usually just about the flavor). Thanks!