Category Archive

Alternative Wedding Ceremony Ideas & Examples

We’ve got SO much wedding ceremony advice like how to officiate a wedding, tons of wedding ceremony readings, a bazillion wedding ceremony scripts, and even wedding vow examples! We’ve also got info about handfasting and other unity ceremonies. You’ll want to start here: Wedding Ceremony 101.

Ryan Brenizer Photography alternative wedding ideas from Offbeat Wed (formerly Offbeat Bride)

Wording from an Unplugged Wedding program

Last year, we introduced the concept of “Unplugged Weddings,” where couples ask their guests to put down their cameras. We even gave you some examples of how to word your request.

Well, a year later, we’re starting to see more and more couples choosing to unplug their weddings. New York’s Ryan Brenizer Photography recently posted this photo of a wedding program on his Facebook wall, with the caption, “I saw this in the wedding program yesterday. Fantastic.” Looks like they read Offbeat Bride!

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Seal your vows with a pinky swear

We’ve seen a couple of high-fives exchanged over the nuptials, but I am loving this pinky swear from Bethany and her groom.

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Jessica & Jacob’s low-key ’50s-Style wedding

At first I was like, “I love that dress!” and then I was all, “I love that hat!” And finally I said, “I love this wedding!” 1950s-inspired fashion, a low-key dinner after some geeky vows (Lord of the Rings and Doctor Who included), fun with a piñata, and a bazillion folded cranes — this is a wedding to savor.

Daddy and me just married Billi alternative wedding ideas from Offbeat Wed (formerly Offbeat Bride)

Blended family wedding vows: 9 wedding scripts + what NOT to do

Over the years, we’ve seen lots of really lovely ways to include children in blended family weddings, but we’ve never featured the vows that were spoken. I’ve enlisted the help of a few of our favorite officiants, asking them to share wording for blended family vows that they’ve written. (Plus, we’ve got one batch of bonus vows from an Offbeat Bride reader!)

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

My secular ceremony wording: lots of equality and silly puns

Like our personalized wedding logo, our ceremony is something we came up with together and personalized as well. We wanted to keep it short, simple, and light-hearted but also emphasizing equality — you will not find the word “obey” in this ceremony, but you will find Calvin and Hobbes and a butchered zombie head.

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How to beat the heat on your wedding day

We already gave you some great ideas on how to keep warm on your wedding day, but what if it looks like your date is smack dab in the midst of a summer scorcher? We’ve got ways to avoid the heat and ways to cope with the heat, including two unconventional uses for your gardening hose.