Tina & Shadow’s economical coastal tattooed wedding

The Offbeat Bride: Tina, Photographer

Her offbeat partner: Shadow, Foreman

Date and location of wedding: San Luis Resort, Galveston, Texas — April 4, 2014

Our offbeat wedding at a glance: We wanted a small and intimate wedding. Our family is separated from California to Louisiana and we both knew not many would be able to join. We had eight guests, and including our family, it was a total of 12. We love our tattoos and wanted to incorporate them into the wedding with the bridal bouquet, necklace, and groom's tie. Our love for the all things nautical was pulled into the ceremony decor and cake.

Our ceremony overlooked the Gulf of Mexico in Galveston, Texas with a gorgeous view from the San Luis Resort. We were working with a budget so our goal was to spend no more than $3000. We ended up spending about $4,300.00 total, which was higher than we were hoping, but manageable.

After the ceremony, we had a lovely dinner at the resort's restaurant. Once our daughters left with my father-in-law for the night, we were able to hang out at the bar at the resort. We spent the entire weekend at the San Luis Resort up on the Club 10 level in a suite.

Tell us about the ceremony:
The ceremony was very simple, maybe a little too simple for others, but it fit Shadow and me perfectly. Since Shadow was in the Navy prior to us meeting, and since we love the ocean and all things nautical, we wanted to include that in the ceremony. We did the Fisherman's Knot, and I found vows online that I loved and changed a few things to fit.

Our vows:

My love for you is steadfast, unwavering, timeless, and forever. As the sea slowly slips upon the shore, so will I always hold you dear. As the sun appears with every dawn, so will my love always shine on you. Forever will my life be one with yours and I will share with you laughter, tears, and tenderness. I promise to respect and honor you, to encourage your dreams, and to be aware of all your desires. Constant will my compassion and kindness be in time of frustration and in fear. We walk side by side, our journey together.

Our biggest challenge:
Our biggest challenge was that we wanted an intimate wedding with gorgeous views on a budget. We had a vision of how we wanted it to look, so we searched venue after venue in Galveston. I gave the San Luis Resort one last call and explained my situation. They were able to work with me and with what we wanted. It was not entirely planned to have my wedding at a resort hotel, but it worked perfectly for our budget and what we wanted.

My favorite moment:
The most meaningful moment of our wedding had to have been our ceremony. My father-in-law became certified to officiate the wedding. He also walked me down the aisle. Our daughters participated in the ceremony by handing us the rings, the rope, and announcing us as one. Our daughters being able to be part of the day was amazing.

My funniest moment:
Shadow and I have been together for seven years, and I never really thought I would be emotional during our wedding day. We pretty much have been married for seven years other than with paperwork. But the moment I knew my father-in-law and I were about to walk down the aisle, I was a mess. I walked down the aisle with tears rolling down my face and it followed through to saying our vows. Words were getting scrambled and mixed. I look at the photos now and see all the silly faces I was making because I was so embarrassed and shocked that I would be the one in tears. It's very funny to me now.

Care to share a few vendor/shopping links?

• Photography: JackieSue Photography
• Bridal hair and makeup: Stephen Smith from T'Saltas
• Decor and setup: The Total Wedding Experience — they did an awesome job
• Bride's dress: handmade by the bride
• Dress top: Amazon
• Birde's birdcage veil: handmade
• Bride's red heels: Target
• Bridal bouquet and necklace: handmade from different pendants and brooches from vendors on Etsy and Hobby Lobby
• Girl's dresses: Target with handmade tulle skirts
• Girl's black flats: Target
• Groom's attire: JCPenny
• Groom's shoes: Sperry Top-Sider
• Groom's tie: Carolina Wildflowers
• Groom's ring: Maggi Designs
• Cake: Sweet Creations
• Invitations: created by the bride

Enough talk — show me the wedding inspo!

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