The offbeat bride: Alissa, Program Manager at a nonprofit
Her offbeat partner: Amanda, Pediatric Physical Therapist
Location & date of wedding:Unitarian Universalisty Society, Market Restaurant in Stamford, CT and Hotel Palomar in Washington, DC — December 30, 2009
What made our wedding offbeat: Since we could not get married in Washington D.C., we charted two buses and took all of our family and friends to Stamford, Connecticut. We called them the Love Bus.
We arrived in Stamford on a Tuesday and had the most amazing ceremony on Wednesday. It was heartfelt and so emotional. One of our good friends wrote an original song for our wedding. After the ceremony we had an amazing brunch which included bottomless mimosas. After brunch we got back on the bus and headed back to Washington D.C. We had a dance party that night at the Hotel Palomar. 140 of our friends and family danced the night away in celebration. We included the Electric Slide, of course.
Our biggest challenge: Our biggest challenge was coordinating an out of state wedding that included buses, mugs, and a lot of logistics. We worked together and reminded our friends that this was an unusual wedding that would require a lot of patience and teamwork. We recruited our friends to help us. We had Love Bus Captains and a Master of Ceremonies who kept everyone in line.
My favorite moment: When Amanda was walking down the aisle, I (Alissa) pulled out a camera and took her picture. No one knew about my plan. But I wanted to capture her through my eyes, not everyone elses. Everyone laughed and it really set the tone for the rest of the day. 
My advice for offbeat brides: Stay calm. Make sure you agree on a vision and theme and then stick to it. You can’t have everything you want so be willing to compromise. No matter what happens it will be the most amazing day of your life.
Enough talk — show me the wedding inspo!
