Posted byThis bride made her own cake and shared her tips with us. Now here's the whole story on her wild punk wedding that went along with it.
The Offbeat Bride: Heather, Research Scientist (and Tribesmaid)
Her offbeat partner: Charlie, Obstetrician
Date and location of wedding: United Kingdom — November 3, 2012
Our offbeat wedding at a glance: Charlie and I met at a pub talking over punk rock and skulls, so we included those in our wedding. We love colour and outlandish decor, so our wedding represented all of that as well.
We lived in Melbourne the year before we got married, so we organised everything from across the world, and our friends and families really helped us there. I wanted to DIY as many projects as possible, so our house was pretty craft-heavy. I made skull candles, emergency kit wedding favours, wands, and the cake.
I was in charge of DIY, and Charlie was in charge of entertainment, including the rock cover band from our first holiday together and dodgems (bumper cars)! The dodgems were really fun, but many people were very bruised the next day! We also had a “first bump” instead of a first dance.
The rock cover band was also a great addition. We ended up in a massive mosh pit somehow, which was really fun. I think I was permanently on someone's shoulders or being crowd surfed the whole evening!
Tell us about the ceremony: I walked in to The Cure's “Close to me.” One of the readings was by our friend Daz, and was called “Scientific Romance” by Tim Pratt. It included zombies, skulls, and sandwiches, which was perfect for us.
During the signing of the register, we played The Gaslight Anthem's “Old White Lincoln,” Reel Big Fish's “Good Thing” and Johnny Cash's “I Walk the Line.”
Our biggest challenge: The biggest challenge I had was baking the cake, but it all ended up fine. A friend made one tier for me, and the rest was down to me and my little sister. I was so scared of having it driven 45 minutes down the road, but it made it there safely!
My favorite moment: My dad's speech sent me to tears. To see him, a big rugby-playing, motorbiking daddy, speaking his feelings made me realise how awesome he is. I also loved seeing my Australian friends who flew in. It meant so much to us that they were there. The most amazing surprise that made me cry was when my boss, Ravi, showed up all the way from Melbourne. He got a massive hug from me.
Was there anything you were sure was going to be a total disaster that unexpectedly turned out great?
I know Charlie was nervous that I wouldn't like his pre-wedding present: a tattoo! The morning of the wedding, two tattooed men come to my room and said, “Hey, we have your present.” He picked out a blue diamond, and I got it done right there. Charlie was so scared that I wouldn't like it, but it made the whole day that much more fun.
What was the most important lesson you learned from your wedding? I learned that it's not worth stressing out when things go wrong. We had a load of rain before the wedding and thought that the dodgems were not going to be used, but it wouldn't have been the end of the world.
I also recommend a pre- or post-wedding party to make sure you get some time with your out-of-town guests. It was a little bit of work, but I really appreciated having the extra time with guests at our Friday evening hog roast.
Care to share a few vendor/shopping links?
- Photography: James Rouse
- Hair: Flamingo Amy
- Dress: Vivien of Holloway
- Charlie's suit: Anton's
- Headpiece: Sarah Black
Enough talk — show me the wedding inspo!
About the Author: Offbeat Weditors
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YES! Awesome wedding. Huge congrats!
gorgeous! love the shade of the bride’s hair too. is that the gate street barn in guildford?
No its Elms Barn near Norwich, but that one is lovely too! And thanks for the hair love!
I adore everything about this wedding. Absolutely gorgeous hair, make up, dress, wedding party, bride and groom.
Absolutely gorgeous! This is exactly the kind of wedding my fiance and I are trying to plan for September. It makes such a difference when the bride and groom stay true to themselves! Also, I have been looking all over for decorations for my wedding, like the starbursts hanging in the reception area! So pretty! Where are they from?
Hey there, thanks for all the love! The stars were provided by the venue Im afraid, they were like giant Christmas baubles, if I find some Ill let you know!!
Aww, well that’s a fun surprise! Either way, they were gorgeous!
That is absolutely awesome that they had bumper cars at their wedding! The black and white shot at the end is magical.
I friggin love your hair, do you happen to have a close up of it? I want to steal it for my wedding!
Thanks my love, check out my stylists galleries, she has so many vintage styles on her website, her name is flamingo amy
Good luck with your wedding
OH MY GOD..Your dress is exactly like the one I want. Where did you get it please hun? xx
Hey there, I got mine from viviene of holloway, I got it altered a little so it fit round my boobs a bit better! Also they are well cheap …. so you can invest in an expensive petticoat!!
Good luck!!