A glam & rustic Friday the 13th wedding

Offbeat partner: Sydnei, Pharmacist

Offbeat partner: Kevin, Healthcare Informaticist

Date and location of wedding: Codman Estate, Lincoln, MA — October 13, 2017

Our offbeat wedding at a glance:

Kevin and I wanted to make sure our wedding was a representation of ourselves. We had planned on having the wedding in October once we got engaged and when we discovered there was a Friday the 13th in October 2017, we knew it was meant to be.

Our wedding was Friday the 13th inspired with a dark yet natural vibe. The Codman Estate was the perfect mix of stunning natural scenery and modern convenience (bathrooms inside!). I wore a black dress (my dream) that I got at Macy's for under $150 which was a bonus for a thrifty maven. Kevin balled out on a budget with a custom monogrammed suit from Indochino, custom shirt from Blank Label, and then accessorized at The Tie Bar. My belt was from a fellow Redditor and we found a guestbook at a holiday market in Providence, RI for $3. It was a vintage wood bound guest log from the '50s complete with some entries from the former owners.

Kevin added some flair by giving all of his groomsmen a lightly offensive and personally descriptive Cards Against Humanity card to carry with them the whole wedding. Each card had a sticker of a custom designed fox on it (we both changed our name to Fox). Everybody really appreciated having that little personalized item which they all bonded over. We spent a year planning as a team and could not be happier with how our day turned out.

Tell us about the ceremony:

My father built our wedding arch and signs with salvaged wood from a home he renovated on Cape Cod. My step-sister recently started calligraphy and hand lettering and wrote the beautiful signs. Our officiant was a work colleague of my husband and treasured friend. In this difficult social climate, it felt good to stick it to the man by having a gay man marry us. His boyfriend then sang our first dance song, “Swing Life Away” by Rise Against, with guitar backup by another friend.

Our dogs brought our rings down the aisle escorted by my half sisters. Both of my parents walked me down the aisle despite their differences (they broke up before I was born). I walked down the aisle to “Danse Macabre” by Camille Saint-Saens and our wedding party entered the ceremony to “Snowglobe” by Owel.

Tell us about your reception:

We had a cocktail-style reception with an hour of passed appetizers and an hour of build your own burgers, steak and cheese subs, and Coca-Cola floats. The chicken and waffle bite appetizers had the guests raving. We served donuts for dance floor mobility instead of cake. Our signature drinks were a Kir Royale and a Maple Bourbon Smash to keep the fall fun flowing.

My dad and I danced to an acoustic cover of “Sweet Child O' Mine” and Kevin and his mom had a custom song via Downwrite and written and recorded by Mike Rose. Kevin's best man was his high school friend, Lauren, and she gave a touching speech despite detesting public speaking, which is evident in the photos. My Maid of Honor gave a funny speech about our meeting, stabbing each other learning to give shots, and fasting together for Ramadan despite me lasting about three days.

The music was curated in it's entirety by Kevin, despite having a DJ, and started with dance inspiring modern alternative rock and finished with an all out blitz of emo music from the 2000s in accordance with the Friday the 13th theme. The last song was a wild and screaming sing-along and romantic final dance to “Helena” by My Chemical Romance.

What was your most important lesson learned?

Treat yourself and take more than one day off before your wedding. I only took the day before off due to limited time off in my current position as a Pharmacy Resident. I spent almost all of that day putting together our flowers with the help of my bridesmaids, family, and family friends; as well as handling last-minute packing and planning. The stress did put a slight damper on my excitement.

Hire vendors you trust. All of our vendors came through and performed to our expectations. Not without some slip ups, which will happen, but nothing that ruined the day. Shameless plug for our photographer, who we found through the Offbeat Bride, Michelle made the day so comfortable and fun for everyone involved. Our family and friends adored her and had nothing but praise for her personality and ninja photography skills.

I'm also now a big advocate for taking a honeymoon (or mini-moon!) right away, if possible. We did not due to my schedule (again!) and we both regret not spending that time together enjoying being newly married.