Sarah & Patrick’s laid-back space jump wedding

The Offbeat Bride: Sarah, accountant

Her offbeat partner: Patrick, cook

Date and location of wedding: Tulsa Air and Space Museum and Planetarium, Tulsa, OK — October 1, 2011

Our offbeat wedding at a glance: Patrick and I consider ourselves low-key people, and we wanted our wedding to reflect that. We didn't want a big wedding, or many of the traditions that go along with it. We were able to create a fun night for our family and friends without spending a ton of money!

One thing that was really important to me was that I didn't want my dad to walk me down that aisle (even though my dad is the best!). I didn't feel like that's the kind of relationship my dad and I have. Not only had I been married previously, but also Patrick and I already lived together and owned a home so there was no “giving me away.” Instead, Patrick and I decided to walk down the aisle together because we felt that was a better reflection of our relationship.

• Related post: Who should walk me down the aisle?

One of the perks of getting married in a planetarium was that we were able to be married under the moon! As soon as we toured the museum, I knew it was the place for us. The staff was so laid-back and amazing. They worked really hard to make sure we had a stress-free ceremony and reception. Another benefit was that there was a planetarium show to end the reception. I hope all our guests loved learning about black holes!

One of the best suggestions we got was from the museum staff. They suggested we come in a few weeks before the wedding to do our pictures. Having a lot of the pictures already done meant we got to spend so much more time actually being a part of the reception! There was no missing bride and groom for the first hour.

We wanted to make sure our wedding was fun for our son, so we rented a Jupiter Jump (bounce house) for all the kids. As soon as the ceremony was over, Patrick and I headed outside and had our “first jump” as husband and wife.

I loved the astronaut cut-out that was in the main part of the museum, but sadly, it could not be moved into the planetarium for our wedding. So we just decided to make our own! Patrick and his dad built the wooden astronaut and I painted it.

Tell us about the ceremony: Patrick's cousin was kind enough to officiate. We kept the vows short and sweet, and decided to keep religion out of our ceremony.

Our biggest challenge: The biggest challenge was that our photographer moved to a different state a few months before the wedding! At first, I was nervous about it, but Josh Neil was very professional and made it work for us. He had to come back to Oklahoma a month before the wedding, and we ended up taking our early wedding photos while he was in town.

My funniest moment: We made the backdrop for our ceremony, which I loved. Our photographer offered to turn it into a photo booth during the reception. It was such a great idea, and it actually produced some of my favorite and the funniest photos.

What was the most important lesson you learned from your wedding? You don't have to spend a lot of money to have a great wedding. It's hard to turn down some little details, but in the end you might not remember them anyway.

Care to share a few vendor/shopping links?

• Photography: Josh Neil
• Venue: Tulsa Air and Space Museum and Planetarium
• Caterer: Three Sisters Kitchen
• Star hair piece: Jennifer Laursen
• Groom's clothes: Express

Enough talk — show me the wedding inspo!

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