Posted by
The offbeat bride: Grace, Library Clerk
Her offbeat partner: Thomas, Warehouse Material Handler
Location & date of wedding: Inniswood Metropark Westerville Ohio – October 3rd, 2008
What made our wedding offbeat: After plans for a low-key affair with family and friends didn't quite materialize as we had envisioned it, we decided to buck tradition and “elope,” so to speak. We didn't, however, want to sacrifice any of the romance or ritual we loved in wedding ceremonies. So we agreed to get married at an absolutely gorgeous local park.
In attendance there was just three of us…the groom (Tom) the bride (Grace) and our officiant/photographer, Greg Murphy-Dillow.
I wore a purple corseted dupioni silk wedding gown my mother and I spent months making together, and walked down the aisle barefoot (a detail I'd wanted in my wedding since I was 12 or so). Our wedding ceremony included a fairy tale reading, and we read our handwritten vows while holding a stone to symbolize a point in the story.
After the wedding, we went to dinner at a local romantic restaurant with patio seating overlooking the Hoover Reservoir. The reaction of our fellow patrons was priceless!
Our biggest challenge: Our biggest challenge was making family and friends still feel like they were part of the day, despite the fact that they wouldn't be there for the actual ceremony.
Although the wedding was pared down to just a few elements, we got as much family help as possible. His sister made my bouquet, and my mother and I made my dress together. Our photographer was very accommodating with a fast turn around on photos, so that we could share them with family and friends immediately.
My favorite moment: The wedding ceremony was so very special to us. Because there was no audience, we were able to joke and laugh at goofs (Tom couldn't get my ring on), and take our time (the minister interjected how much he loved one portion of our ceremony before reading it) without any worry about how we looked to anyone except each other.
My offbeat advice: Don't feel obligated by any guidelines. And by this I mean the offbeat guidelines as well as the traditional ones. Before you add an element to your wedding, the proper question to ask should not be “will this be different from most weddings?”, but instead “does this truly represent who we are as a couple?”.
Enough talk — show me the wedding porn: Click the photo below to see lots of intimately beautiful shots from Grace & Thomas' romantic earthy wedding!!
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.
Hi Grace, I’m another bride (to-be) who’s ‘eloping’ due to a zillion different reasons.
It’s nice to see you two had a beautiful day together and that a very very intimate wedding isn’t the ‘sad little affair’ some horrible people have told me it’ll be.
You both look so happy and relaxed. it was lovely reading your write up.
Thanks =)
I’ve said it before, but that dress is stunning.
awww. this is a great story. I am in love with that flowing red hair.
WOW. I love the dress color and her hair color. It makes the greenness standout so much.. and she looks like a real princess!
PS: For other offbeat elopments, check out this tag.
The link leads to a big ONOZ! 🙁
Try this link.
yay! thanks 🙂
That dress is amazing. Just gorgeous!!
I just can’t get enough of your dress. Beautiful bride + beautiful dress = Stunning! Amazing the groom was able to function. 😛
Congrats to a fellow library-worker. I noticed, and enjoyed, that she called the other customers at the restaurant “patrons.”
They both look amazing and their wedding is a great idea! I especially love her dress and her hairstyle. GO REDHEADS!!! :o)
@~>~~
I just have to say I think red hair is so beautiful and it went amazingly well with the gown and the fall colors. Your wedding looked very nice!
Your dress is BEAUTIFUL! I absolutely love it 🙂
Wow. That’s absolutely amazing – you look gorgeous – relaxed and happy, and you both look so lovely. Congratulations!
YOur Dress and hair are beautiful! I love the fall leaves!
You look lovely. I also live in Columbus, and Inniswood is certainly a beautiful place to get married! Congrats!
Inniswood is about a mile from my house, and it is a beautiful location (that I kind of wish we’d considered). Congrats to the couple!
Grace,
I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again, but you are one of the most stunning brides I’ve ever laid eyes upon. Seriously. I remember when all the frustration was starting to unravel (caramel apples *gasp*!), and it’s such a pleasure to see it end with a beautiful marriage. Many congratulations!
Annabelle Blue
Hi, where did you get the pattern for the gorgeous dress? I would like something similiar–maybe in a different color! Thanks
Yay, you’re finally in here! Ah, Grace. I know you know this, but I’m so happy to see how everything turned out just perfectly. Seeing all of it again in sort of a different setting (OffBeatBride) just makes it seem all the more beautiful and wonderful! Congratulations to the perfect couple. May you live a long, wonderous, magickal life together.
Love,
Othersidhe
my god… MOST. GORGEOUS. HAIR. EVER!
you look like a botticelli!
Wow! Thank you for the feature on here, and thanks for all the awesome comments! 🙂
Ariel, I’ll have you know that Tom and I were on our honeymoon and we stopped by a “pay-by-the-minute” internet station to kill time between events. I squealed so loudly when I saw this that everyone in there must have heard me. 🙂
Jennifer, you crack me up…I didn’t even notice I had written “patrons” until you pointed it out. Employment hazard I suppose 🙂
Thank you thank you everyone!!!
Absolutely goregous. I am so proud of you and I don't even know you. Any of your family and friends must feel love and pleasure from your photos. They must get a good sense of inclusion. As a stranger, I feel fortunate to have shared your experience; your family and firends must, too. The emotion coming from your photos is amazing. Congratulations. I think you did a perfect job.