Category Archive

Features

When we want to get more thoughtful, this is the spot for our feature articles. Sometimes we talk big-picture philosophies, other times we discuss wedding trends, and every once and a while we just go ape-shit over a wedding WTF?!

butch wedding planning on offbeat bride alternative wedding ideas from Offbeat Wed (formerly Offbeat Bride)

A butch bridentity crisis: pretending I don’t care

I am butch. I have short hair and don’t wear bling, or dresses, or sexy underwear, and love button-downs, and am a martial artist… I occupy “masculine” on the public radar. I am very excited for the wedding. but at the end of the day I am damn excited to put on fancy clothes and say nice things to my gentleman and eat awesome food and have our parents meet each other and get my relationship validated by our families. So, why am I so determined to pretend I don’t care?

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Am I still offbeat if I love white chair covers? (Hint: YES.)

Not long after I joined the Offbeat Bride Tribe, another member posted her feelings about the more traditional elements of her wedding. Ariel posted a reply stating that this issue comes up every year or so and she finds it’s best to let Tribe members figure it out for themselves.

Wise words, Ariel. I didn’t get it at the time, but the last six months have been a journey for me, a journey of discovery about myself, about my future husband and about the US we have created. If I could sum it up in one line, it would be:

I LIKE WHITE CHAIR COVERS AND I CANNOT LIE.

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

Camias Jewelry Designs: bridal accessories right out of Renaissance, Celtic lore, and fairytale epics

If you’re having an Elvish, Celtic, or whimsical wedding theme (like Lord of the Rings!), Camias Jewelry Designs would be the PERFECT addition to your outfit. And if you’re thinking “there’s something vaguely familiar about Camias Designs” that’s because there is!

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Why do couples borrow cultural elements for their wedding, and how can you do so respectfully?

Many Anglo-Americans have such a mishmash of culture that they have few or no traditions that hold significant meaning for them. Perhaps people are inclined to like culture, symbolism, rituals, and traditions. Maybe they seek these out in other cultures because they don’t have any of their own. Perhaps people seek to set themselves apart from a family or culture that they don’t wish to be a part of or celebrate.