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Author of three editions of the Offbeat Bride book and its sequel (From Shitshow To Afterglow, the ultimate offbeat breakup book) Ariel Meadow Stallings is the publisher of all the Offbeat Empire web properties. She lives in Seattle with her son. To read her latest writing, follow @arielist on Medium.
groom changing last name alternative wedding ideas from Offbeat Wed (formerly Offbeat Bride)

Advice for dudes changing their last names

I know a couple men who’ve taken their wives’ last names in two different ways (one got rid of his last name, the other hyphenated), so I pestered them for some name-changing advice.

walking down the aisle no flowers alternative wedding ideas from Offbeat Wed (formerly Offbeat Bride)

Walking down the aisle without flowers

I’m getting married in September and am thinking about not carrying anything (flowers, etc.) when walking down the aisle. I love flowers, but I don’t really feel like having something that I will only hold for about 10 minutes. What are your thoughts?

chandelier alternative wedding ideas from Offbeat Wed (formerly Offbeat Bride)

Chandelier trend

Chandeliers are showing up in indie weddings lately — and I don’t just mean literally. I mean sure, there was this amazing (and amazingly expensive) display from photographer Elizabeth Messina’s wedding. I also love these shots of chandeliers in trees. But chandeliers are also showing up on invites, like the handmade ones here the left […]

unicorn cookies 1 alternative wedding ideas from Offbeat Wed (formerly Offbeat Bride)

Offbeat-er than thou

I belong to a community of brides on another site. One of the brides prides herself on her uniqueness and originality. No one has a problem with that. But she really puts down a lot of the other brides who are more traditional. She calls their weddings ‘cookie cutter’ — which really hurts some people’s feelings! How can I tell someone to chill with their “I’m so original and different” superiority trip?