Posted by
The offbeat bride: Stacy, actor, arty/crafty goddess, and office drone
Her offbeat partner: Bob, musician and farm equipment service manager
Location & date of wedding: Hidden Hill Nursery and Sculpture Garden, Utica, Indiana — September 25, 2010
What made our wedding offbeat: We had a creative hand in almost everything. The dress, the rings, the groom's outfit, decor, and music. We had it outside and essentially in the backyard of Bob's aunt and uncle's house which is also the location of Hidden Hill Nursery and Sculpture Garden.
We wanted it to be casual, musical, and fun. It was going to be a crafting test for my mad crafting skills, as well as for handmade touches by family and friends.
We are over 40 (well, I am anyway) and Bob has been married before, so we didn't want a wedding party or many of the other typical wedding traditions. Instead, Bob's daughter served as our lone wedding party member as Maid of Honor, ring bearer, and vow book holder.
We walked ourselves to the wedding stage that had been built by both of our dads and decorated by moms, friends, and cousins. Everyone walked in behind us. In place of a wedding party, our closest friends and family were “VIPs” and wore ribbon corsage award pins made by me.
We wrote our own vows, had a special moment with the daughter of the groom, and gave her a necklace made by an aunt.
Bob and I had actually gone to high school together and dated briefly back then. We reconnected as adults on Facebook and we knew it felt right. We had love notes from high school and present day hanging in the trees.
We had barbecue from Famous Dave's with pie and cookies instead of a wedding cake. And we were serious about not doing a traditional reception. We had a really great bluegrass band called Relic to start out the entertainment. Then we had an open mic night and talent show. The plan was to have a variety of music mixes at the ready on the iPod but we had so many amazing performances and special toasts that we barely got to play any of them!
We set up a homemade photo booth with mustaches and lips-on-sticks. There was also cornhole bean bag games and a golf “closest to the pin” competition. The two of us performed some musical numbers as well.
Tell us about the ceremony: I really loved when our officiant said:
“Real love is not total absorption into each other; it is looking outward in the same direction together. Love makes burdens lighter because you divide them. It makes joys more intense because you share them. It makes you stronger, so you can be involved with life in ways you dare not risk alone. It should never be said of either of you that you show more concern for a friend than you do for each other. More kindness, gentleness, and concern needs to be shown in the privacy of your own home than anywhere else. Indeed, your home should be a haven from all the confusion and craziness the world will create.”
Then he asked the guests:
“And to all of you witnessing the vows they are about to make, will you do all in your power to support these two persons in marriage?” Witnesses: “We will.”
Our biggest challenge: Doing everything ourselves was a challenge. The morning of the wedding was overwhelming having to get up super early to put everything together ourselves. There were plenty of people there to help us with our vision, but vocalizing what we needed done was a challenge. Finally when it seemed our vision was coming into focus, we left instructions with family and friends for remaining to-dos and went to have massages and get ready. THAT did the trick!
My favorite moment: It was great to just hang out with everyone before the ceremony. Everyone was involved with the wedding from planning and setup to ceremony and reception. And everyone was special, not just a wedding party. Our officiant was a friend of mine from college. Having it at a family location made it feel comfortable and the barbecue and pies were a hit!
Reading our own vows and having a special moment with Bob's daughter was super special and tear-inducing. Hidden Hill provided an abundance of photo opportunities and things to do for everyone.
Lastly, all the Maker's Mark was a gift from Bill Samuels, Jr. (the owner of Maker's Mark), who is a friend of Bob's uncle. That went over really well. And it was special because our first adult date was a visit to the Maker's Mark Distillery.
My funniest moment: We had the officiant say: “If anyone here thinks that these two should not be married, they really don't care.” It really lightened the mood and set the tone for the day.
Then for our talent show, we had a steampunk duo called White City Rippers who performed with a theremin and an accordion. It was a head-scratching hoot!
My advice for offbeat brides: Be ready to give up on some ideas that you don't really need or for which you don't have time or money. For example, we really had a vision of having mismatched vintage plates and things for all the tables. Then it became just for the head table. Then we realized that since we weren't having it at a reception hall or having a catering service, we'd have to clean up all the dishes. In the end, we had nice scalloped-edged plastic plates.
What was the most important lesson you learned from your wedding? Having the love and help of family and friends was what made it the most remarkable and memorable. There are certain things that you dwell on the day of the wedding, but just let it go and enjoy the moment and the day.
Care to share a few vendor/shopping links?
- Vintage fabric banners: Etsy seller Jumpupanddown
- Design your own buttons: Etsy seller Marajane01
- Awesome pies: Williams Bakery (812) 284-2867
- Barbecue: Famous Dave's
- Jam labels: Etsy seller Gersoncurse
- Bands: Relic Bluegrass Band and The White City Rippers
- Groom's outfit: Gentlemen's Emporium
- Bride's dress and petticoat: Audey
- Custom Rings: Etsy seller AdziasJewelryAtelier
About the Author: Offbeat Weditors
Working tirelessly to bring you stimulating content day after day, the Offbeat Wed editors will not sleep until you've gotten your offbeat fix.
Ohhh the old school love notes make me swoon. Crazy adorable! Love all the little personal touches.
i couldn’t BELIEVE he still had his and was so thankful when i found one!! thank you! =)
Where did you get your cute pumps??!
they are Fluevog! sooooo comfy.
Score 15,000 for relaxed and FUN-AS-HECK!!!!
Oh my goodness, this was such a breath of fresh air! I see so many over-40 weddings that are stodgy, 500.00 package deals from Eureka Springs or Vegas. It’s so nice to see the effort and sweet, light-hearted fun that went into this wedding.
Stacy, I just gotta say it. You don’t look a day over 35! I mean that, you are so full of joy and peace that you appear in the prime sunshine of your life. The best years are to come, eh? 🙂 CONGRATULATIONS!
wow! thank you so much. indeed. it was Fun-as-heck! my stepdaughter asked just this weekend if we could do it again this year! =)
Adorable. Everyone looks lovely and relaxed and I love the natural light filtering through everywhere in your photos. I’ve thought about doing the open mike thing myself. And I feel ya on the dishes issue.
Congratulations on throwing a perfectly gorgeous wedding.
thank you so much. you nailed it on the head! we did not want to be stressed out. and we weren’t. it was a perfect day! =)
This wedding was awesome. The type that not only the bride and groom have a great time but everybody felt a part of it in a very special way. Thank you Stace and Robert for a fantastic time and a very blessed event…..Julie
First, let me say that the bride looks gorgeous. I love the tendrils framing her face in the picture of her reading her vows
Second, ooh! ooh! Brooch bouquet FTW!! I am quickly becoming obsessed with brooch/button bouquets.
Gorgeous. Gorgeous. Gorgeous.
All the little personal touches, the details, the favors, the photos…..all of it, simply wonderful!
That bride does NOT look over 40. My goodness. What a stunner.
Those invites are ‘effing TO DIE FOR too. I must have them NAO.
thank you! =) hey, i guess i didn’t mention the invites – they were made at Hatch Show Print in Nashville.
My thoughts exactly! She doesn’t even look 30! What wonderful style. Everything looks beautiful. Congrats!
you are such a beautiful bride! 🙂 while i dont know much about bluegrass, i love the simplicity, love and deep thought that went into the little things.
your minimal makeup – you don’t need it! the venue. the band and their outfits… your awesome chair signs. love love love!
congratulations to the both of you!!!!
thank you everso! yeah, the hubster has been schooling me on the bluegrass…{the old stuff is hard to listen to for very long} but so much bluegrass is infused with different styles and visa versa – you learn to appreciate the musicianship of it. {well, i did anyway} =)
OMG! The talent show! The medals! The buttons! The Makers Mark! 🙂 What an amazing personal ADORABLE wedding!
I’m so glad our labels were a part of this! It just looks like a good-ole fashioned good time wedding!
(Now, if only EVER wedding could be like this :))
Congrats again to you both!
another one of those weddings i see that makes me say “I wish i were a guest at THAT wedding!”
love it. all of it.
thank you! i’ve had a lot of people ask when we are doing it again! =)
I’m sorry, the bride is over 40?! Has she been living in an oxygen tank? Because she looks about 22 – AHH-MAZ-ING!!! Love the fabric banners (I’m making some for my outdoor wedding – I hope they turn out as nice!).
And this lovely wedding was right near my hometown (Madison, Indiana), so it is now my favorite OB wedding ever. 🙂 CONGRATS!
=) wow! thank you! yes..actually i’m 41 & 1/2! since you asked…no, not an oxygen tank but have been using sunscreen & retin-a for a number of years…and i’m pretty sure the extra chub keeps the wrinkles filled in! thank you & best of luck on your wedding! OH, the banners were awesome. we kept a few to hang in the house & to have for outdoor parties and the rest are being made into a quilt! best~stacy
oh and! hidden hill is having a bluegrass festival on september 10th – you should come & see it in person! we’ll be there! =)
This is beyond glorious. Bluegrass! Bourbon! A sweet, sweet dress! Agree with the others that I would have LOVED to be a guest at this wedding. Got to go listen to Mountain Soul now…
Absolutely adorable, I especially the love the photo of the bride & groom in the frame. Super cute idea!! The place where you held it is beautiful! I love the cookies!! Love this wedding!! Congrats!!
Seriously. Favorite wedding EVAR. Mine and the SO’s is going to be similar but with a more Eastern Shore vibe. LOVE the bluegrass and the simple, beautiful, delicate decor. <3
thank you! oooo…love the eastern shores! {i lived in nyc for a looong time}
Oh my. I can’t even tell you how much I adore your wedding. In fact, it’s SO much like I hope mine to be! I’ve already made my brooch bouquet (LOVE it), we’re working out plans with our bluegrass band now (I didn’t realize that “bluegrass” and “old time” music are not the same. Our band is actually considered “old time” music), and believe it or not, while I’m on vacation this week, I’m working on our vintage broadside invitations . . . JUST like yours! I’ve tried to find a vendor to do the invitations, but finally decided I’d have to do them myself. But I see that you found someone? I may try to contact them.
Congratulations. You look beautiful and happy, and you had a stunning wedding.
thank you so much. oh my gosh, i had SO much for making my bouquet – especially since i’d been collecting them for years – and the turquoise one in the center was from my (late) granny’s turquoise collection. we had our letterpress invites done at Hatch Show Print in Nashville. They are awesome! I wish you love and happiness!
If I ever find anyone willing to marry me, I am totally stealing every single element from this wedding! It is, by far, my favorite one yet!
thank you! Go for it! =)
Our wedding was simply beautiful…it could never have happened without the help of our family and friends. Having many crafty and and handy people to help us the week of made this event the unbelievable day it was. Thank you to all that made it the best day ever….
The Groom…
Ahh, I love the “they really don’t care” thing! I mean, I love the whole wedding, but that–I’ll have to remember it so I can make my officiant say it. I always thought that part was kind of ridiculous–I would be SO upset if anyone I cared about enough to invite to my wedding told me not to marry the person I love. Thank you so much for sharing that!
Yay! Another Indiana bride. 🙂 I might have to look into this place. It looks beautiful! I love all the bunting and ribbons.
I am so, so excited to see this! My fiance and I are getting married at Hidden Hill in October, and we are totally in love with the place. Everything you did was just beautiful. It’s great to see some pictures of how it all turned out…makes me excited for our day!
great! janet told us she had one in oct. i wish you all the best. it will be very memorable for you & your guests!
Beautiful! Everything! And a simply stunning bride. Love this wedding!
Yay Offbeat Indiana brides!!!! Always nice to see there are others out there. It can feel pretty lonely here in the cornfields.
Amazing! Please tell me how you did the bunting wedding arch!
thanks! well, there were these stone pillars behind us and our dad’s fashioned pvc pipe into two wood stakes that went in the ground behind the pillars. we used a section of the vintage fabric banners that we had made & used zip ties to attach! pretty easy really. thanks for asking! =)
oh my gosh, that dress – and the bride – are just gorgeous! and a theremin? THEREMIN! my heart swoons. Just the happiest wedding i have seen in a long time! wonderful!
awwww! thank you so much! yes, i don’t think many people can say they went to a wedding and heard fiddle, banjo, accordion AND a theremin! =) thank you! stacy
As someone who got to attend, all I can say is this was the most comfortable and fun wedding I’ve ever been invited to. Thank you Mrs. D!
well of course! and this lady came all the way from the UK as a surprise!!! she helped with a lovely illustration in the program, send a table cloth AND picked & designed flowers for our tables! thank YOU miss Gab!
I loved everything about this!!!!! The details are just fantastic :D.
Whatttt?!? She is NOT over 40!! If I look that good when I’m 30 I’ll be ecstatic!