Posted byOkay, we've been teasing this one for a while — first with the hair and then with the fashion — now here's the entire scoop!
The offbeat bride: Avalon, makeup artist
Her offbeat partner: Daniel, computer programmer
Location & date of wedding: Mansion at Ridley Creek State Park, Newtown Square, PA — April 4, 2010
What made our wedding offbeat: We had a black, red and white color theme. Our wedding outfits were entirely black and red, and I had a white fauxhawk. Daniel and I both wore makeup. 😉
Our ceremony mentioned the divine powers of the Flying Spaghetti Monster.
We were already married, so we staged the big wedding, with a our close friend as a fake officiant and no bridesmaids, groomsmen, etc. No one gave me away, Daniel and I walked up the aisle arm in arm. Our DJ was forbidden to play any typical wedding songs (Celebrate Good Times) and, instead, played lots of Magnetic Fields, Depeche Mode, Death In June, The Cure, Bjork, KMFDM, Flight of the Conchords, etc.
We have black tungsten carbide wedding bands, and I refused any kind of engagement ring (not girly enough for that shiz).
Tell us about your ceremony: Daniel and I actually got legally married about a month prior to the wedding, so the serious part was over. With the help of our “officiant” (good buddy) Mark, we wrote a silly ceremony mentioning the divine powers of the Flying Spaghetti Monster. We walked down the aisle to the string quartet version of the Smiths “Please Please Please Let Me Get What I Want.”
We had two readings, one by Edwin Muir and one by the wonderful Neil Gaiman. Our friend Craig recorded the ceremony for us and which you can find watch below… the sound quality is low, but oh well:
Our biggest challenge: Our biggest challenge occurred early in the day, after picking up our flowers and starting the drive to the venue, Daniel had sudden chest pains. We ended up in the ER for two plus hours getting EKGs and bloodwork while our friends (fake officiant and P.O.C.) frantically called us to see where we were, as our car contained all of the table settings, centerpieces, guestbook, some of the food, liquor, etc.
Fortunately, his tests came back ok (maybe it was just stress?), and our friends overcompensated for our delay once we arrived. We only had to rush getting dressed and doing hair/makeup. Whew. We are so grateful for our friends Mark, Rita, Mae and Jared. They really saved us!
My favorite moment: Seeing friends I hadn't seen in over five years all gathered together in one place, and hugging each of them after the ceremony (only crying point of the day. Seeing my beautiful sister who'd flown in from Chicago to attend the wedding. Reading the vows I'd re-written at least eighty times to Daniel and hearing the vows he'd written for me. Daniel's father's heartfelt toast during the reception. Slow dancing with Daniel to “All is Full of Love” by Bjork and “Fade Into You” by Mazzy Star, and so on.
What was the funniest moment of your wedding or reception? The funniest moment, for me, was the toast Daniel's friends AJ and Craig made during the reception. Unfortunately, no one recorded that part, but I do remember it mentioning the words, “Let's face it, who knew Danny would actually marry a GIRL.”
What was the most important lesson you learned from your wedding? Let whoever is going to judge, judge. Do things your way or else you won't feel comfortable and you may not look back on it quite so fondly. Initially, I questioned the silliness of our ceremony, not getting vanilla cake, etc, but in the end I was so happy we stayed true to ourselves. I think my dear friend Erin put it best in our guest book when she wrote, “Keep defining love in your own terms!”
My advice for offbeat brides: Instead of stressing yourselves out trying to do everything on your own, recruit some of your closest friends and family to help out. You will honestly be overwhelmed by the love and support they have to offer. Also, never underestimate the usefulness of a mild sedative!
Care to share a few vendor/shopping links?
- Fascinator: Cierramontes
- Earrings: EJPcreations
- Black tulle skirt
- Red dress: Macy's
- Bride's sleeves, groom's buckle shirt and rose tie: Heavy Red –the people who run this site are SO sweet and helpful..really love them!
- Photographer: J.R. Blackwell — She is incredible, she's the one who introduced me to OBB and stalks it just as much as I do! Ha!
- Makeup: Urban Decay
- Caterers: Lee Bailey Reed, LOVE these guys! So friendly, communicative, and accommodating, not to mention amazing food!
Enough talk — show me the wedding inspo!
About the Author: Offbeat Weditors
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*drools*…This wedding was local to me, too! LOVE IT!
So gorgeous! Newtown Square is right around the corner from me, so may lovely locations 😀
Nice work, Avalon. You were smart to decide on the black tungsten!
Congratulations!
Everything looks very nice. I like your red dress and the cake looks really rad.
I love this wedding! The bride and grooms clothing is so wonderful! I love how elegantly the color scheme came together!!
Avalon
your photos are stunning.
so glad to hear that you and Danny had such a great day (even after an ER trip)
x
Congratulations Avalon! What a great profile. The weather was so beautiful and both of you looked amazing. (And still do!)
And it’s totally true – I do stalk the posts of Offbeat Bride. I can’t help myself!
Aww, we love you so much. I still can’t believe we were fortunate enough to have you as our photographer.
And I can’t help it, either! Ask Danny– my Offbeat Bride stalking is a bit of an addiction at this point!
Ha! You two are a photographers dream! I’m lucky I got to be there!
I love the FSM parts of the ceremony! I’d love to know what Neil Gaiman piece they used in the ceremony… I’m always on the look out for wedding appropriate Gaiman.
Seconded!
Yes! Please! I was about to leave the same comment!
It’s from Neil’s blog and a section of a book called “Four Letter Word: New Love Letters”.
I wanted to know what Gaiman piece they used too! I have a friend getting married next spring and I know she’d love to have a Gaiman reading in her ceremony. Loved the cake too.. I’m kind of over flowers on cakes, but the curly willow with the red roses was really lovely.
You guys are stunning! Really, you two should be modeling. When OBB finally starts it’s own magazine (planting ideas!!) you two should totally not only be on the cover, but through the whole mag! Congratulations!!
I second the magazine.
That’s the nicest thing I’ve ever heard! Thank you!!
That is the most crazy Biggest Challenge I’ve ever read!
The quote is from Neil’s blog and a section in the book “Four Letter Word: New Love Letters”.
I love the centerpieces. Congrats on a truly beautiful event. 🙂
Congrats on getting on the “main” page, Avalon! I already complimented everything on your update on the OBBT, but I just wanted to say (again, more or less) that you two look beautiful and wonderful and perfect. 🙂
Oh wow. I just can’t click through these photos fast enough.
this …is one of my favorite weddings on here.
first, because i think dark wedding attire looks effing awesome. even better on such a gorgeous couple.
and second, because i adore pictures where the couple looks not just happy to be married, but like they absolutely and completely ADORE each other. which you can totally see in these pictures. I LOVE IT.
You’re really sweet. This post made me smile big time!
An especially attractive wedding. I was particularly impressed with the table centrepiece deign – inspired.
I don’t want to sound creepy but you two are gorgeous.
Oh my. You two are SO ADORABLE. Not only are both of you beautiful, but your wedding looks so relaxed, yet aesthetically gorgeous. This is definitely one of my two favourite weddings I’ve ever seen on the site– not least because the vibe reminds me of my own (though more finished), but not solely, by any means. I honestly think it takes first place.
And I swear it’s not *just* because both of you are beautiful.
Thank you SO much!! I would love to see photos of your wedding if you’re willing to share!
I agree – so cool! Love the picture of you doing your make-up together. Way to share the day 🙂 Congratulations to you both!
Love love love your wedding, your wedding makes me want to marry my love, even though we don’t really believe in the institution. Love that you included the flying spaghetti monster although I think my boy and I would go with her holy hoovedeness the invisible pink unicorn. Love the song you walked down the aisle , Love that frikin song, everything about your wedding was beautiful and it inspired me. Sending you my positive thoughts for you and your love. Best of luck.
I’m out of space on Flickr for the month, but here are two more pictures our friend Craig Billow took that I absolutely adore.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v98/hyperballad/artstuff/Avalon%20etc/hold.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v98/hyperballad/artstuff/Avalon%20etc/love.jpg
I actually bookmarked TWO pages from this wedding… the Smiths string quartet?! YES! Neil Gaiman wedding reading?! I THINK SO.
Cool wedding! I love it!
Hey, what DJ did you use? We’re getting married at Ridley Creek this summer and we’re looking for a non-sucky DJ.
@ Margaret: We used a friend of a friend, DJ Travis. He was cool, totally open to playing whatever we wanted. Here’s his FB:
http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=1245703163&ref=profile#!/profile.php?id=100000808871491&ref=search&sid=1245703163.3306538520..1
LOVE the center peices
Fantasic. I love it! My partner and I are getting married next year but we don’t want a traditional wedding because it’s really not us. We want a gothic/Tim Burton style wedding and this gave me so many ideas. Beautiful wedding, absolutely gorgeous!
How faerie-licious is that bride??!!
Love the hair!
They truly captured a style that is all their own ^_^
That’s what I’m going for too! Something that is ridiculously “us” <3
Wow. This whole wedding is beautiful. Also, AMAZING music choices! 😀 My girl and I have “Fade Into You” on our “weddingish” playlist-in-the-making already, haha, and I’m pretty sure the string quartet versions of some songs that otherwise might elicit some “huh?”s are getting in there (one of them is about zombies…but it’s pretty!).
I’ll have to admit, this is the sort of thing you don’t see everyday, but it’s wonderful. I adore alternative weddings and someday I wish I could have one that isn’t like a traditional wedding.
Soo pretty! Thanks for sharing the heavy red site, I may have found my dress on there 😛
Your wedding was beautiful!
I hope my halloween wedding turns out just as lovely!
While far from the typical wedding in terms of color and theme (aside from YAY WEDDING!), there’s something that is still so classic about this wedding. I haven’t seen so much black and red look so classical before. I don’t mean to mistake the word with classy. I’ve seen classy in all colors. But the old-fashioned classical beauty I don’t see often. Black’s so easy to do to the point of emo-goth (versus Victorian-goth), but this is just gorgeous.
I also love how in love, a tender love, they so clearly are.
And Avalon is an amazing name!!
I cried so much watching your wedding pictures! Its absolutely beautiful! I’ve dreamed with one like yours! Loved the shoes, the dress, the groom, decor…all of it! <3 T.T Fantasmagoric pictures btw!
Thanks, love! You’re so sweet. It was put together in two months! It CAN be done! 😉
Wow! two months! It doesnt look like it. Thnks forthe reply 😉 not many take time to do so. Best of wishes for the married couple <3.
The Smiths “PPPLMGWIW” was a most beautiful choice, Avalon. Such a pretty little song.
Flight of the Conchords should also be played at more weddings; too awesome for words.
I love Avalon’s hair. I love the featured weddings on OBB, they’re always filled with love and unique elements of the people involved. They feel more like real weddings rather than photo-shoots so it makes it so much easier to use them for inspiration for my wedding.
I love her hairstyle! Amazing!
Wow… I love it that black/red colour scheme is fantastic! The bride looks absolutely rocking and oh my what a bishonen you are marrying lucky lady!