Category Archive

I was the editor of the now-defunct Offbeat Families, and owner/photographer at Stephanie Kaloi Photography in Portland, OR.
blue and pink centerpiece alternative wedding ideas from Offbeat Wed (formerly Offbeat Bride)

A geeky garden wedding with enough Doctor Who, Stargate, and space references to make you giddy

If you could dream up a geeky celebration of love and life set in a garden, you’d probably come close to the wedding that Olivia and James had at The Old Rectory Bed and Breakfast in Great Malvern (United Kingdom). These guys had two cakes, one with a Lego Stargate scenario on top and the other was a TARDIS), Olivia wore white Batman-adorned Converse, guests were assigned to a spaceship-labeled table for dinner, and Olivia also carried a TARDIS and a Golden Snitch as her good luck charms. AND our very own Catherine designed Olivia’s dragon engagement ring!

7345105208 6bd42308cb alternative wedding ideas from Offbeat Wed (formerly Offbeat Bride)

Give olive oil as favors (and use as centerpiece)

It’s pretty fantastic when wedding favors serve multiple purposes: in this case, Talia and Charles used these bottles of olive oil as centerpieces and gifted them to wedding guests at the end of the night. No dealing with the ol’ “what do we do with the centerpieces?” wedding saga, AND your invitees get to go home with something they can cook with.

8734169507 ecbefb4e34 alternative wedding ideas from Offbeat Wed (formerly Offbeat Bride)

Light a bonfire after your beach wedding

You know what’s the best way to invite your close friends and family to get warm and cozy after your beach wedding? Build a bonfire! Bonfires on the beach are incredible since you’re combining all those amazing elements (ocean, fire, stars) and adding all the feel-good vibes from a wedding on top of that like Carol and Jonathan did. This is a recipe for post-wedding blissy times, friends.

winged bridal head piece alternative wedding ideas from Offbeat Wed (formerly Offbeat Bride)

A geektastic costume shindig featuring winged shoes, fist bumps, and a groom dressed like Indiana Jones

I’m going to go out on a limb and assume that Sean is a pretty massive Indiana Jones fan — what with the fact that he dressed up as Indy for his wedding and all. His equally costume-enthusiastic bride, Urania, swapped out her full-length wedding gown for a N7 (the special forces in Mass Effect) ensemble later in the night, and costumes donned by guests included Harry Potter, knights, and a Gingerbread Man.