The Offbeat Bride: Liz, ER Doctor
Her offbeat partner: Billy, bartender
Date and location of wedding: Mutter Museum, College of Physicians, Philadelphia, PA — March 4, 2017
Budget: $25,000
Our offbeat wedding at a glance:
After getting engaged at a historic 1940s San Francisco tiki bar, we decided to theme our wedding to match. Everything including our cocktail choice, wedding party dresses, shoes, centerpieces, boutonnieres, guest book, and drinking glasses had an island vibe with hints of our nerdy and punk rock/rockabilly backgrounds.
The female members of the wedding party wore vintage-style sarongs. The wedding party included two bridesmaids, a groomswoman, and groomsman. Many items were DIYed, including the bouquets, boutonnieres, signs, centerpieces, and cake topper. To keep it all in budget, I chose a black wedding dress from a sample sale from .
Tell us about the ceremony:
Our wedding took place at Philadelphia’s famous Mutter Museum, College of Physicians, which is known for its medical oddities including a wall of skulls! We felt that having our sideshow performer friend officiate (as his alter ego Mr. Deadguy) would fit this vibe perfectly.
I never liked the idea of being “given away,” therefore, instead of the traditional bridal processional, we both came down the aisle together escorted by our parents to The Misfits’ “Hybrid Moments.” We kept our vows short, sweet, and secular as neither of us is religious. Following our vows, we walked back as a couple to Blondie’s “Dreaming.”
Tell us about your reception:
During our reception, we danced to a punk-influenced soundtrack. Following our introduction as a couple to Joey Ramone’s “What a Wonderful World,” we danced our first dance to Morrissey’s “Please Please Please Let Me Get What I Want.”
Our dinner consisted of vegetarian-friendly stations including sliders, salad, and a mashed potato bar with Mai Tais as our specialty cocktail. I DIYed a Simpsons-themed cake topper which matched our new Simpsons tattoos. As a celebration of the Italian South Philly neighborhood that we call home, our wedding cake was layered with delicious cannoli filling.
What was your most important lesson learned?
I’m in a situation that I’m sure many offbeat couples can relate; there are so many cool things that we are geeky about that focusing was difficult. I found that picking a theme really helped keep my ADD in check and let me find fun things that still fit the theme like our Yoda and Darth Vader mugs!
Vendors
- Venue: College of Physicians
- Catering: Catering By Design
- Photographer:
- Hair and Makeup: Makeup Artistry by Stephanie
- Dress:
- Shoes: Lucky Lou Shoes
- Bridesmaid Dresses: Pinup Girl Clothing
