Posted by
The offbeat bride: Hollie, Ad typist (and OBT Member)
Her offbeat partner: Caleb, auto mechanic
Location & date of wedding: Grace Covenant Church and Twin Creeks Pavilion, Texarkana, AR — May 8, 2010
What made our wedding offbeat: Well, I'm a black bellydancing indie kid and my husband is an old fashioned country boy mechanic. We live in the scariest place on earth for a young interracial couple. A town that stretches across two great southern states: Arkansas and Texas, in a little town called Texarkana. Eh, it's not that bad. But we are the most offbeat thing you will come across on this side of the Ringling Brothers Circus. 
We had a cute little private ceremony at our church and then had a huge open invitation, hootenanny of a wedding reception at the Twin Creeks Pavilion in Texarkana, AR.
The very first thing that I declared at the beginning of our wedding/reception planning was that we shall have no flower girl or ring bearer, no cake cutting, smashing of the cake in the face, no weird champagne swapping thing, no tossing of my perfectly good flowers, no wedding party “uniforms” and no boring, traditional boo-boo bridal music. 
We shall have The Beatles, drumming, Irish songs, cupcakes, home-brewed beer and all-night dancing instead!
Our biggest challenge: The nay-sayers….. OOOOoohhh the traditionalist nay-sayers.
Was there anything you were sure was going to be a total disaster that unexpectedly turned out great? Two days before the wedding I remembered that I forgot to burn the CDs for the ceremony and reception music. I don't have a CD burner so I called up a good friend of mine (an usher and also ex band mate) and asked him if he could please help me. He said he was out of town and the moment but should be able to help. PHEW!! I hurriedly told him what I generally needed and lo and behold he came up with the best mixed CD's I have ever heard. From Johnny Cash to Michael Jackson. The reception turned out to be the non-stop dance fest I hoped for!
My favorite moment: After we all danced down the aisle, Caleb and I grabbed one another, held each other so tight and cried in the church foyer. We were supposed to all walk back down the aisle to be presented but we didn't care. When I wiped my tears away to look around I saw that two groomsmen were standing together with their backs turned to us, blocking people and quietly shooing people away from interrupting our very special moment.
My advice for offbeat brides: Remember that this is “our” wedding. Not “MY” wedding. He might be a guy, but he cares too. The original plan for our wedding that I came up with was a tropical punk rock porange thing. I was hell-bent on it. My FH never uttered a word about it until he saw just enough hot pink and orange and said, “That's enough!” It hurt my feelings that he didn't like it and I thought he was being a traditionalist jerk at first but then I realized, you know this is HIS wedding too. He's not punk and by-golly, neither am I. So I included him in every single bit of wedding planning after that and never regretted it. He had a lot of good ideas and very valuable input. 
What was the most important lesson you learned from your wedding? Oh my gosh. Do NOT wait until the last minute! From mailing invitations to planning the honeymoon, it is never too early to start doing anything!
Care to share a few vendor/shopping links?
- Hair piece: Etsy – Chantal Eveleen
- Photography: Our friend Zack Huggins
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.
Let me just say your wedding was beautiful! I am having my wedding next spring in Mt. Pleasant, TX, about an hour down the road from you guys, and I had some concerns about how off-beat it was going to be, but you guys seem to have melded everything perfectly and I hope to do the same. Thanks for the post.
You guys are such a beautiful couple!! And I’m in love with your dress. Good luck in days to come!
Aw, what an absolutely gorgeous wedding! Although Hollie, why taunt us with no info on your dress? It’s stunning and I desperately want to copy you…:)
Wow, what an adorable couple! I love your whole wedding. Congratulations to both of you! 🙂
Your dress is stunning! Where did you get it?
discountdressup.com
YOu guys make a great couple. I love that you included him on the decision making and made sure that your wedding reflected your style.
I looove the reception idea! We are looking for a ceremony/reception site that will allow for us to have an all-night party, so your lit up, out door dance hootenanny is our DREAM! LOVE! And thanks for the advice about it being “our” wedding vs “my” wedding. Just last night, I was having a conversation with my fiancé and I literally had the thought “oh crap – he’s a traditionalist!” After reading your advice, I know now I was being unreasonable for thinking my way is the ONLY way to make our wedding amazing. Thanks again!!!
wowza. You two are gorgeous. Congrats.
Very nice wedding, looks like alot of folks having fun at the reception!! The dress is to die for!! lovely dress…. congrats to the couple!!
The wedding looked incredible!!! And if you don’t mind me saying…..your hubby is HOT!!
Exactly what I was thinking!
The BOTH of them are hot. Those are going to be some drop-dead gorgeous kids.
AMEN!!! LOL thanks!!!
Amazing! Your wedding looked beautiful and it seemed like everyone in the pictures were having so much fun. Congrats!
As an Arkie (recently-transplanted-to-Oklahoma) and also in an interracial relationship, I LOVE this post. LOVE IT. It looks like it was a blast, high five!
Where did you get the dress?? It’s beautiful!!
Wow. You and your husband are so much like my fiance and I! You both look awesome!
owe…maii. gawd you are absolutely stunning and i think im in love with your dress. can i marry your dress? wow
Wow! What a small world… Zack and I went to high school together! 🙂
Another wow! What a small world…Hollie and I went to high school together too!
Congrats Hollie!
Molly? Molly whoooooo???
Yay! Hottie Black got married! I guess I missed it on the Tribe, but I’m glad I caught it here! Congrats to you both, Hollie and Caleb!
now, the fact that that dress is absolutely stunning has been covered. But can take a moment to appreciate those shoooooes! drool….
Really? What’s your name??
Thanks ladies! The dress is from a website called discountdressup.com
It was only $80 and very boring. I removed the little brooch that was on it, added the cleavage cover insert and wore a revamped crinoline under it.
I just have to say, what an amazing wedding top to bottom! I’m in Texas too and we will be getting engaged very soon…after a long non-traditional co-habitation/common law/ already have 2 kids, 3 cats, etc! I’m very inspired by your ideas! Thanks for posting your wedding porn!
I’ve been looking for a brown vest EVERYWHERE! Any hints on where the groom got his? PRETTYPLEASETHANKYOU!
Ah he already had it. I have no idea where he got it from. Probably a thrift store.
The picture of the kid with the kazoos on his fingers… that just made my whole week 😀
And yeah, let me echo that y’all are one gorgeous couple. Awesome wedding. Congrats!
It looks like you two had so much fun, and you can tell from all your photos that you two are so in love with each other. Your photos are beautiful, your wedding looks like it was a blast. Congratulations!
The wedding brawl picture is hilarious, great moment.
What beautiful, joy-filled wedding porn! Congrats and many, many happy years together. I grew up in Lufkin, down the road from Texarkana, and the only thing more controversial than an interracial couple in that notch of the Bible Belt would have been an interracial GAY couple! That’s why my husband and I rarely venture from our new home in Los Angeles back to East Texas!