Leah & Jaime’s Friday the 13th dance-fest wedding

The Offbeat Bride: Leah, Registered Nurse (and Tribesmaid)

Her offbeat partner: Jamie, Electrician

Date and location of wedding: Capricorn Resort, Yeppoon, Australia — January 13, 2012

Our offbeat wedding at a glance: We got married on Friday 13th, and love horror, but didn't want it to overpower the day. Having a wedding on the Friday meant we saved money, but most importantly, it meant being able to spend the weekend with our guests.

I had one bridesmaid and one bridesman as my side of the bridal party. I bought a zombie cameo necklace for the wedding which became our wedding “logo” of sorts, and was included on our save-the-dates, invitations, programs, seating chart, buttonholes for the boys, and hair pins for my bridesmaid. This also was our inspiration for our matching tattoos.

We had a non-floral wedding, as I am allergic and never particularly loved flowers. Instead we had candles and ostrich feathers as our main decor, and my husband handmade mine and my bridesmaids' button bouquets.

Tell us about the ceremony: Back before we got engaged, I came across this beautiful reading about zombies on Offbeat Bride. I wanted to adapt that when we eventually got married because of the meaning behind it and because we love zombies!

I had my brother walk me down the aisle and give me away. This was not because I believe that you have to have someone give you away, but because it meant a great deal to me as our father passed away when we were young, and it has been just the two of us for a long time. We also asked Jamie's grandparents to do a reading (“These Hands,” revised by Rev. Daniel L. Harris), as they have been married 50 years and are our role models for a lasting, happy marriage.

These are the hands of your best friend, young and strong and full of love for you, that are holding yours on your wedding day as you promise to love each other today, tomorrow, and forever.
These are the hands that will work alongside yours as together you build your future.
These are the hands that will passionately love you and cherish you through the years, and with the slightest touch will comfort you like no other.
These are the hands that will tenderly hold your children.
These are the hands that will help you to hold your family as one.
And lastly, these are the hands that even when wrinkled and aged will still be reaching for yours, still giving you the same unspoken tenderness with just a touch.

Our biggest challenge: Weddings are prime territory for family drama, and we were not immune. We had to deal with some family members deciding not to attend. As much as this hurt us, it eliminated unnecessary drama on the actual day.

We were very set on saving up and not getting a loan for the wedding, as we were paying for everything ourselves. Our wedding budget blew out to double what we originally planned, but because we set ourselves enough time to save up (14 months) we found that we did not struggle with the amount. Even though we saved a lot by using Etsy, eBay, and DIY, we didn't feel like we needed to skimp on things that we felt were important to us such as attire, catering, and the venue.

My favorite moment: Finally getting to say “I do” after nine years together. When we first got together in high school, people continually doubted that we would make it. Everyone told us that first loves don't last, and that our relationship wouldn't survive high school, as we had too much going against us. Many of our guests were people that had supported our relationship from the start, and we made a point to thank them throughout the day in the ceremony, on the programs and in the speeches.

My funniest moment: We love to dance, so we hired the Dance Dance Revolution arcade game, an LED Dance floor, and we asked our guests to include their favorite dancing song on their RSVP card. During the reception, the Grease Mega Mix played and many of our guests came on stage. We split the boys to one side and the girls on the other, and proceeded to sing and dance to the Grease songs. Some of our guests thought that it was planned.

My advice for Offbeat Brides: Because we waited nearly nine years to get married, we were in a position to be able to afford to get married basically how we wanted. If we had gotten married straight out of high school, we wouldn't have been able to afford the wedding that we did. So don't be afraid to prioritize other things, or make your engagement longer to allow you to plan the wedding you really want.

I also recommend hiring a wedding videographer! Photos are beautiful, but a video is an exact copy of what was actually said and seen. The day goes fast, and you cannot be in five places at once, so you don't see every aspect of the day or from your guests' perspective. I am so glad that we had a videographer that captured all of the important moments of the day, but also those moments in between.

Care to share a few vendor/shopping links?

• Photography: Tanya Lynch
• Invitation: Royal Steamline
• Bride's dress: Henry Roth from Bexley House, Bundaberg, QLD
• Bride's reception dress: Bettie Page Clothing from That Shop, Coolangatta, QLD
• Bride's hairpiece: Etsy seller Sustyle88
• Bridal party jewelery, zombie cameo brooch, buttonhole brooches, and hairpins: Mysweetn0vember
• Cake topper: Etsy seller DNAcreations
• Zombie button favours: Etsy seller HowNice
• Garters: Etsy seller PerfectGarter
• Men's suit: Male Manor
• Cake and cake pops: Cake ‘n' Candy
• LED dance floor: Pimp My Party

Enough talk — show me the wedding inspo!

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