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The Offbeat Bride: Jessi (aka. “Cupcake” or OBT member “Cupcake Pharaoh“) — massage therapist/artist/pet sitter extraordinaire!
Her Offbeat Partner: Sean (aka. “Sweetpea”) — Grocery Store Manager and scooter aficionado
Location & date of wedding: The Albuquerque Press Club (and Highland park below it), Albuquerque NM — May 16th, 2009
What made our wedding offbeat: We wanted four things for our wedding: cheap, green, local and fun! The ceremony was in a local park (free and green), and the reception was in the Albuquerque Press Club which is a really cool log cabin that was built in 1903 (also pretty cheap and definitely fun). We have our monthly scooter club meetings there, so we were very comfortable with the club. Not to mention it has a bar, pool table, ping pong, darts, and arcade game!!
The groomsman, bridesmaids, and bride all rode vintage scooters down to the ceremony. The groom wore a blue/green sharkskin suit, the groomsman wore hounds-tooth, pinstriped and grey suits. The bride hand sewed the Campbel tartan ties for all the groomsman/groom/and dads. The bridesmaids didn't match (aside from all wearing green birdcage veils). The Bride had a artichoke and veggie bouquet. All the decorations were either handmade or vintage. There were pink and green cupcakes. Dinner was a potluck. The bride and groom stamped each other with their future tattoo designs instead of exchanging rings. They did rock/paper/scissors to decide who read their vows first. There was a karaoke video-booth. All the plates/utensils/cups were bio-compostable. The salt and pepper shakers were all vintage. The bride had pink hair and tattoos, and wore a short poofy dress with a pink crinoline… AND MUCH MORE!
Our biggest challenge: Probably the biggest challenge was that we originally wanted to have the wedding up in the mountains where we have our annual scooter rally. I went to book the campsite five months in advance and found that someone had already booked it. I cried a lot, but then we decided to have it in town. I think it was really a blessing in disguise because it would've been a pain to cart all the food, cake, decorations, and people up there. Not to mention we weren't THAT excited about sleeping on the ground in a tent on our wedding night!
Once we decided on our venue in town, everything else fell into place. A co-worker of Sean's gave us our flowers. I had my dress made by a local seamstress. My bridesmaids and I made our bouquets and veils. And really a ton of our friends and family stepped up to help out in many wonderful ways.
My favorite moment: Oh! I can't choose just one!
Getting ready to head down the hill on my scooter to get married, totally nervous, and turning around to see three of my friends from highschool (one toting my godson under her arm like a football) running past me (late to the wedding) trying to be sneaky and thus running down the aisle right before me. SO funny! And made me completely get over my nerves.
Walking up the aisle to my husband and seeing the sweetpea flowers that our friend's mother cut from her garden for his boutonniere.
Completely forgetting that I asked my friend/officiant to say “Mawwage,” ala the Princess Bride, at the beginning of the ceremony and TOTALLY cracking up with the entire wedding party.
Going up the stairs to sign our marriage license in a quiet room and realizing that one of my best friends had set up a karaoke video booth (because i LOVE karaoke and wanted a photobooth SO badly but couldn't afford it) and had been hiding up there the whole night recording people sing our wedding song as our surprise gift! So so awesome!
Hearing the amazingly touching toasts that our friends wrote/came up with on the spot.
Trying to leave the wedding and finding our scooters covered in streamers tying them together thus making it almost impossible to leave without tearing them all off!
Having all our friends and family there to share in our love. 😀
My advice for other offbeat brides: If you want a potluck — DO IT! It was soo soo amazing how generous and awesome everyone was with the food that they brought. There was actually TOO MUCH FOOD! Seriously, it you're considering doing a potluck wedding, I recommend it.
If you have a photo list of all the shots you want — stick to it. At least when it comes to family shots. I don't have a single picture of just my dad and I. And that's kinda sad. I said “screw the list! Let's just take pictures!” to the photographer, and although we got a MILLION awesome shots, the ones we didn't get I really miss.
Also, don't rush. You have time! Take a little time to sneak away with your hubby and get some “just the two of you” photos. Even if it's just for 10 minutes. Seriously, the party won't die without you.
Make sure to EAT! Get someone to pack you some snacks for the wedding room. Cheese and crackers never tasted SO GOOD!
Don't leave your scooter parking light on in the parking lot of the hotel on your wedding night. EVERYONE will call you to tell you that it's on while you're trying to, ahem, SEAL THE DEAL! lol!
Relax, have fun, and relish the love around you. 😀
Care to share a few vendor/shopping links?:
- Cupcakes by Cupcakeology
- Brides Shoes by: Bamboo and Ed Hardy
- eco friendly cups/plates/cutlery
- Bridesmaids pendants
- groom's cufflinks
Enough talk — Show me the wedding porn!:
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.
Oh. My. God.
This wedding is amazing!
I love your shoes! Everything looks fabulous. I'm glad the potluck worked out, because that's what we are doing, as well as non matching bridesmaids.
We are also asked our pastor, to start out the ceremony princess bride style! Loove, true love!
Scooters! Pink hair! Artichoke bouquet! This wedding is all sorts of fantastic.
LOVE that bouquet!!!
thanks so much! i forgot to mention that i had an art show at the reception! i had paintings of scooters, portraits of my husband and i, and other images of love. it was really cool to have my own art up at my wedding! 😀
The bouquet is freakin amazing!!! I am the "Healthy Hippie" and I am using your bouquet for inspiration:)
Lovely wedding, I'd never thought to take a brake from the party.
"Seriously, the party won't die without you." Really made me smile.
Lovely 🙂 So original.