This junk shop rodeo wedding slays with country meets glam style

The Offbeat Bride: Meredith-Gray, Hair Stylist

Her offbeat partner: Eric, Software Developer via PhD in Chemistry

Date and location of wedding: The Georgetown Stables in Seattle, Washington , — October 25, 2015

Our offbeat wedding at a glance:

We love older buildings and vintage, kitschy decor, and we wanted the venue to have an eclectic, cozy vibe. Eric's family has a background in Rodeo and I'm from the South, so the venue's western details were a personal touch.

Georgetown (the neighborhood the venue is in) has a great industrial, creative culture which we wanted to share because we like to build things and aren't afraid to get dirty. We also incorporated some of our favorite vintage pieces into our formal wedding attire. A lot of friends provided their talents to the wedding (the officiant, the baker, the DJs, the wedding photographers, the hair stylists), which made everything feel much more intimate.

We got ready for the wedding at our house so everyone could relax. The day of wedding, I also let one of our cats pick out what jewelry I was going to wear. I laid a bunch of old pieces out on our bed and she sat by the ones she liked. Eric also helped design my engagement and wedding band, which was very sweet.

Tell us about the ceremony:

Our ceremony was a bit of a paradox. We are very private people and have broad spiritual beliefs and backgrounds and we knew guests at our wedding had varying beliefs, too. We decided to do two back-to-back ceremonies: one private (just Eric, myself, and our officiant in a secluded back room), and one public with our family and friends. We knew for the public version we wanted the ceremony to be short, sweet, and meaningful. We kept our bridal party very small, one family member and friend for each of us.

Bonus: I got to walk down the aisle to a Nick Cave song that has significance for me. I totally bawled during my handwritten vows and Eric stayed calm and composed while reading his. Our officiant planned most of the ceremony as a surprise, so that was super fun. Afterwards, we divided the succulents in the bouquets and boutonnieres up among the bridal party, so we could all replant them after the wedding.

Tell us about your reception:

The reception immediately followed the ceremony in the same space. It rained most of the day, so people could choose whether they wanted to enjoy the lovely drizzle outside on the back patio or hang out inside.

We hired a food truck for many reasons. We wanted a broad, fun, delicious menu that catered to a number of dietary needs and Jemil's Big Easy (Authentic Cajun) totally delivered. We didn't want formal seating and this saved us quite a bit of money. An “umbrella line” organically formed while people waited to order food. Once you ordered, you passed the umbrella to the person behind you.

We kept decorations minimal. The venue was so unique we didn't want to take away from it: pillar candles, succulents, tablecloths, and star garlands on the stage (which I could reuse after the wedding) were basically the only decor we provided. The “itinerary” for the evening was loose: eating, toasts, dancing, and we left the venue through a glow-stick gauntlet. We played pinball for a bit after the ceremony with some of our friends then hopped in our truck and headed back to our house to eat celebratory ice cream.

Vendors

• Photographers: Bethany and Dan Photography
• Venue: The Georgetown Stables
• Food Truck: Jemil's Big Easy
• Cupcakes: Kara's Cakes
• DJs: That Darling DJ Duo
• Star Garlands: CocoBella84
• Succulents/Bouquets/Boutenierres/Haircomb: Succulently Urban
• Hair: Pinup Salon
• Reception Beer: Georgetown Brewing Company
• Custom Rings: Greenlake Jewelry Works

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@offbeatbride @offbeatwed

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