Chloe & Tank’s Fiery Red UK Wedding

The Offbeat Bride: Chloe – Advocacy Worker (and OBT member “Chloe“)

Her Offbeat Partner: Tank – Student Supervisor and DJ

Location & date of wedding: Registry Office, Pub, Fratry and Tithe Barn in Carlisle, Cumbria, UK — 25th Oct 2008

What made our wedding offbeat: Our wedding was designed by us, run by us and done by us! We saved money and saved our sanity by creating a day that reflected us.

Some traditional elements remained — we all love cake — but everything with a twist! Gorgeous dress, lots of colour, ‘fire' flowers and a very red-headed groom!

We did our paperwork with a registrar, went to the pub in some spare time, got married by a friend in a beautiful building, and then partied the night (and early morning) away.

The weather was ATROCIOUS but like my dad said, “It's the people that make a wedding, not the weather!” My beloved says it was “the best day of my life” and I say it was the “best day of my life,” so that worked out well!

Our biggest challenge: Our biggest challenge (asides from my being a total control freak) was trying to do everything with a small budget, decorating our venue the night before, and of course, the weather. None of which could be helped and all caused laughter – I'm so grateful to our families, umbrella's and my friends helping out — we couldn't have done it without them!

Also, getting people to understand that just because our wedding wasn't in a church and was done by a friend, it still meant we were married, and meant it was more special to us. Defying convention often defies belief apparently!

My favorite moment: Too hard to decide upon one moment…

The second ‘first' dance to Tenacious D's, “F**k Her Gently.” My beloved was convinced my grandparents had left… they hadn't. Or walking to our hotel room at 4am laden with gifts and clothes. Or my dress being around my ears in gale force winds, trying to fit into a small car in a BIG dress, hearing my future husband pace the registry office whilst I was ‘waiting in the wings.' Getting everyone in one room. Trying to eat olives with a steak knife. Going to the pub because we had a half hour to spare. Or “the kiss”… probably the kiss! (Good job we got to do it twice!)

My advice for other brides: Stop reading white-wedding magazines — it's like subliminal messaging and will dilute your ideas.

Don't worry about rain — we had the worst weather of the year that weekend (really, it was) and I didn't care.

Oh, and don't eat olives in basil oil without a napkin handy, its hard to get oil out of silk!

Care to share a few vendor/shopping links?:

• Dress from Stevies Gowns I got it from a local shop called ‘I Do'.
• Veil from Carousel Veils.
• Bridesmaid dresses from Red Herring at Debenhams.
• Bridesmaid shoes (pictured left) from Irregular Choice.
• Cake from Marks and Spencer.
• A lovely lady called Eunice at Vandella Flowers did our floral stuff.
• The bar by Cumbria Bar Hire.

Enough talk — show me the wedding inspo!:

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