Rock n Roll Bride - The ultimate guide for alternative brides

Guest Posts

The Nearlywed Diaries: Where It All Began

Guest Contributor

Angel Sanchez

July 28, 2026

Imagine this. You’re sitting outside your hotel at Universal Studios, Florida. You’re jetlagged after your flight in from London the night before, when a random man who turns out to be from Boston walks up and says hello. You spend a couple of evenings hanging out and going through haunted houses together. Then you both fly home, 3300 miles apart. And that random man, that you couldn’t have run into if you tried, will one day become your husband. Unbelievable, right? Well, that is how I met my fiancé, Ryan. Some would say it was fate, and you’ll catch us saying exactly the same thing. Six months after our chance meeting, Ryan made the first of many flights to London for a holiday. We crammed as much as we possibly could into five days. Whether that meant seeing friends and family or exploring the countryside. It was then that I knew he was the one… and that my phone bill was about to become incredibly expensive. Since meeting in September 2023, we’ve been completely inseparable. Or as inseparable as you can be with 3300 miles between you. It’s been a journey of countless flights, hotels, Airbnbs and tearful airport goodbyes. We both know Boston and Heathrow Airport like the back of our hands. Only recently have we been able to say goodbye to the distance and the FaceTime dates, as Ryan has hopped over the pond permanently to join me in the land of tea and red phone boxes. Three matching tattoos later, in April 2025, Ryan asked my father if he could have my hand in marriage. To which my father delightfully agreed. Did I mention this was only the second time they had met face to face? Long distance certainly has its challenges. Then came the big decision: which country do we get married in? When you only see your fiancé for one or two weeks at a time, three times a year, every place you visit together becomes special. We even reminisce about which petrol stations we’ve been to on our adventures. Sad but true! Ultimately, we decided to get married in North Conway in the White Mountains of New Hampshire. We knew straight away that we wanted an autumn wedding. Our love of Halloween is what brought us together. And what better place to get married than the foliage capital of the world? There was very limited time to view venues and lock one in, as most venues in the area for autumn get snapped up over a year in advance. Talk about a time crunch. But Stonehurst Manor stood out to us. Built in 1872, it gave us exactly the vibe we wanted. A haunted manor on a hill, with pumpkins hiding in every nook and cranny. As sad as it is to say, this will probably be the only time both of our families are in the same place at the same time. With a guest list that’s 50% American and 50% British, we have a lot to consider. However, it’s incredibly exciting to know that in just shy of seven months, the people we love most will finally be able to put faces to the names they’ve heard so much about. And we are very excited to be sharing that journey on the pages of our favourite wedding magazine. So, it’s onto the next step of wedding planning… and what the hell are we going to wear?
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Your Wedding Isn’t a Board Meeting: What To Wear if You’re an Alternative Groom With Taste

Guest Contributor

July 22, 2026

For some reason, wedding fashion advice assumes grooms are happy to disappear into a sea of identical suits while all the personality gets reserved for the bride. Grooms tend to get handed the same options: black suit, navy suit, grey suit... or if you're really out there, maybe a bit of tweed. But if your wardrobe already leans towards the darker side, your wedding doesn't need to be the one day you dress like you're headed to a corporate awards dinner.
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The Wedding Details Nobody Puts on Pinterest (But Everyone Notices)

Guest Contributor

Seattle to London

July 9, 2026

Scroll through Pinterest for five minutes and you'll find endless tablescapes, seating charts and floral installations. What you won't find are generators, rubbish bins, extension leads or portaloos. Fair enough. Nobody's pinning photos of a well organised waste collection, but these are the things you really need to think about - especially if you're having a DIY or festival wedding!
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Wedding Dress Shopping Advice That Sounds Wrong (But Actually Works)

Guest Contributor

July 7, 2026

If you've spent any time on wedding TikTok or Instagram, you've probably picked up a long list of rules about finding your dress. You'll know it's "The One." You'll cry. Your mum will cry. Your entourage will gasp. Angels will sing. The boutique will hand you a glass of prosecco and it'll be just like a moment from your favourite Rom Com when everything in life falls back into place.
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Changing My Name After Marriage: The Good, The Admin and The Identity Crisis

Guest Contributor

KD Photographic

April 29, 2026

Mrs Greenfield?" I sat there in the doctors office nonchalantly flicking through a three year old version of OK! Magazine. There was silence in the waiting room as I internally judged the person who had missed their appointment. The NHS is already stretched without selfish people not showing up. "Mrs Greenfield?" I think I like how my new name sounds. I’ve loved him for eight years, he’s my family. There’s something soft and lovely about the idea of sharing a surname, of seeing it one day on a birth certificate next to our baby’s name. It felt like choosing our family name, not just borrowing his. A shared identity. "MRS GREENFIELD!"
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Ask an Expert: How to Choose the Right Type of Wedding Ceremony for You

Guest Contributor

Julia Ellie

April 22, 2026

There are several different ways to get married in the UK, and these vary depending on which country you live in. Couples who are religious may want a wedding led by a vicar, priest, rabbi, or other religious leader. In England and Wales, broadly, this can be legally recognised if it takes place in a building licensed for marriages. If you’re having a religious wedding, do check that your ceremony will fulfil the legal requirements.
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