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The Offbeat Bride: Kristan
Her offbeat partner: Dr. Nathaniel, Professor
Date and location of wedding: The Point at Sand Beach, Springside Inn, Auburn, NY — October 31, 2015
Our offbeat wedding at a glance:
Our wedding was on Halloween, our favorite night of the year. We wanted to incorporate the feel of Edgar Allan Poe (one of my favorite poets) along with a spooky library feel. We have quite the library at home, so this was an important aspect to the wedding.
We wanted to keep it simple with candlesticks, low lighting, dark colors, and gauzy material. We brought color in with a candy table, and romance with ivory roses in the centerpieces. Black feather wreathes hung on the entry doors, handmade feather-quill pens awaited guests signatures on parchment paper, and black feather garland accented mantels along with alternating ivory and black pumpkins and ivory pillar candles.
All dresses (including mine) were black, or black with nude accents and lace. They were all different, as they were allowed to get them from wherever they wanted as long as they complemented each other. Overall the theme tended to run along the lines of “The Raven.”
Tell us about the ceremony:
We had one of our dear friends, John, (who also happens to be both of our bosses) get ordained so that he could marry us. We both felt as though John was partially responsible for us meeting and being together in the first place, so it was only fitting that he perform the ceremony.
My two daughters (10 and 11) carried candle lanterns down the aisle instead of flowers, and the bridal party all carried/wore instead of fresh or artificial bouquets, a combination of brooch and fabric bouquets/boutonnieres that were custom-made.
We wrote our own vows that somehow fell perfectly into each other. His father walked me down the aisle which was an important moment. Nathen has lost two sisters, and to know that they were welcoming another young woman into their family after losing two… it meant the world me.
The aisle was guided with candle-lit lanterns. I was serenaded down the aisle by the one and only, UK singer/songwriter, Ian Britt and his acoustic version of “The Shape of Us.” He came in for the rehearsal dinner and stayed the weekend. I flew him in as a wedding gift/surprise for my fiancé (little did I know Nathen tried to do the same thing!).
Tell us about your reception:
Cocktail hour was held upstairs on the balcony with a few “deadly” signature drinks while dry ice spilled from the bar. Dry ice also flowed through the cemetery, as well as the entrance in order to set the tone for the night to come.
One of my favorite songs I listened to while eating dinner was “I Want to be Evil” by Eartha Kitt”. Jazz was the overall theme for the music that played during our plated dinner.
Everything took place at the same venue; it used to be an old church but was now used as a venue for a variety of events. Original stained glass windows, cathedral ceilings, creepy staircases, and a really creepy cemetery next door which also happened to be home to a famous murder case back in the 1800s made this a PERFECT location.
The decor stayed the same for the reception with the exception of the seating. Round tables were brought in, with one sweetheart table in the center. We all came together to laugh and to cry. Our friends gave speeches that made me cry, Ian Britt sang, laughed, and joked with us. I have never in my life been as happy as I was in that moment; my two daughters, my new husband, his loving family and all of my closest friends all in one place. It was the best day ever.
Vendors
- Music: Ian Britt
- Photographer: Maggie Gallagher Photography
- Wedding Dress: Ysa Makino from Bijou Bridal
- Makeup Artist for Bride and Bridal Party: Anastacia Mosher
- Hair for Bride and Bridal Party: Megan Imbesi Ramsey
- Ceremony & Reception: Springside Inn
- Rehearsal Dinner & Accommodations: Springside Inn
- Floral Centerpieces: Maida' Floral Shop
- Bouquets & Boutonnières: Mary Brinkerhoff at The Vintage Cabbage
Gallery
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Thank you so much for taking the time to publish this!! This is amazing to see it on here ??
A gorgeous and perfectly fitting wedding for an exceptionally wonderful couple!
LOVE
Than you so much!! I definitely think it complimented both of our styles. We both have very unique personalities so we needed something a little off the beaten path:). You can see in one of the photos there is a black framed picture frame with two skeletons embracing each other… One of my lovely friends made it for us! It is signed by all of our friends- it pretty much sums up the entire theme and feel of the wedding ?. She did a great job on our surprise wedding party too! She should prob put in an application for Offbeatbride!! She’s pretty amazing at what she does!
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Ofbeatbride always come-up with some great and unique posts. perfect wedding… Loved the skull used as a centerpiece. Beautifully decorated, outfits are outstanding. All in all this wedding has a perfect feel of spooky and scary wedding, but fun at the same time.
Thanks Vanessa!
I knew I wanted to use skulls but I didn’t want to stray to far to the “cheesy” realm of the theme. I was shooting to compliment them with soft colors (the ivory/light peach roses and grey ribbon) and a vintage vibe (the antique books and pen set. All of the books are original prints from the 1800’s- early 1900’s).
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AMAZING! Love every bit of it!