Rock n Roll Bride - The ultimate guide for alternative brides

Top Stories

Rockstar Retreat: A Joshua Tree Elopement for Rock n Roll Bride Magazine

Kat

Jamie Y

May 4, 2026

With the overall message of issue 67 being ' freedom', the desert felt like a natural starting point for the main editorial shoot. Our models were Sydney and Steven, a real couple who eloped in Vegas a few years ago and whose wedding we previously featured. Their familiarity with each other brought an ease and authenticity to the shoot that simply couldn’t have been manufactured. In fact, many of the accessories they wore were their own!
Read more...

Rock n Roll Bride Magazine Issue 68: Start With What Actually Matters

Kat

April 30, 2026

There’s nothing like a wedding to bring your core values sharply into focus. You start by thinking about dresses and flowers and end up asking yourself much deeper questions: Why does my father ‘giving me away’ not sit right with me? How do we know if our suppliers are actually supportive of our queer relationship? Does it make me a ‘bridezilla’ to be specific about what we want our day to look like? It can hit you like an unexpected steam train and can be a lot harder to navigate than finding the perfect outfit. But it’s also where Rock n Roll Bride magazine is really here to help! We will show you all the awesome alt dress ideas and unique florals while also hitting you with the answers to all your big, existential questions.
Read more...

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!"
Read more...

Wedding Planning Advice

Cleaning & Preserving Your Wedding Dress

Guest Contributor

September 16, 2026

After the wedding, a lot of dresses are shoved into the back of a cupboard without so much as a second thought. Whether you want to sell it, save it for your children, or even have it reworked to wear again, its really important to get it cleaned first. Even if it looks pretty clean, it probably isn’t. Sweat, sugar, alcohol, make-up, and dirt don’t always show up straight away, but they can cause discolouration and fabric damage over time. Times this by a thousand if your dress is white or ivory.
Read more...

When Someone You Love Can’t Come to Your Wedding

Rachel Darwin

Silver and Light Weddings

September 15, 2026

You’re going to have a wedding! Isn’t that the best thing ever? A whole day with everybody you adore, celebrating your beautiful love story. What could be more exciting and thrilling than that? For five years, I have written in this gorgeous magazine about how important it is to embrace this opportunity to have your day your way. I have sung from the rooftops about telling unsolicited opinions where to go. I have urged all rock ‘n’ roll brides to plan their weddings unapologetically. But, all along, I have never failed to add one teensy weensy caveat… Don’t be a dick about it.
Read more...

Las Vegas Weddings

Colourful Vegas Kitsch in Kent

Kat

M & G Wedding

October 9, 2026

Diana and Sean brought their version of retro Vegas to Preston Court in Kent, mixing casino references and motel room keys with an English country setting. Their supplier brief was “Las Vegas, quirky, Sure Thing Chapel and retro.” Having attended plenty of weddings in their 30s, they knew the familiar sequence of events and wanted to give their guests plenty to get involved in. There would be dancing, candyfloss, a carousel and glamping tents to stumble back to afterwards. “We kept the traditions that meant something to us and felt very relaxed about the rest,” they said. “Our main question throughout planning was always, “Will this make the day more fun or more us?””
Read more...

I Got 99 Problems… But this Vegas Wedding Ain’t One

Kat

Zoe Snooks

September 24, 2026

Inspired by Pam and Tommy, a Poison music video, the 80s and early 90s, strippers and rock ‘n’ roll, Jay and Kate’s wedding was wild, free and so very them. It happened in Las Vegas at Sure Thing Chapel, although they told their friends they were attending their joint bachelorette trip! At 3:30pm, after an hour of photos around town, the group found themselves standing outside a wedding chapel. Their photographer had ‘just happened’ to suggest stopping there, but inside Lady Elvis was waiting to marry them.
Read more...

Sacred Hearts Club: Moody & Romantic Wedding Inspiration

Kat

Velvet Alchemy Photos

September 18, 2026

Las Vegas weddings are some of our favourites, but its undeniable that a lot of them have the same aesthetic. Rare Hearts Studio wanted to create something with a different edge - a little darker, with nods to their Latino heritage. Their starting point was the Sacred Heart, reworked through a queer Latino lens and layered with lace, devotional imagery, blood red flowers and incredible cakes. The concept gave the team a way to draw upon their cultural background while creating something for couples who feel detached from the standard Vegas look.
Read more...

Old Vegas, New Rules: A Retro Wedding for the Modern Couple at Sure Thing Too

Kat

Velvet Alchemy

September 10, 2026

Vegas plays host to countless weddings and bridal photo shoots every year. Some rely on colour palette, others the neon lights and bustling casino setting. Yet this one began with a time of day: golden hour. Shot at Sure Thing Too in the downtown area with a real couple, Beth of Velvet Alchemy Photography followed her models as Las Vegas switched from sun-bleached spectacle to after-dark magic.
Read more...

Lucky In Love & The Magic of Old Las Vegas

Kat

Velvet Alchemy

September 8, 2026

Brandea and Dawson looked to old Las Vegas, Elvis, Frank Sinatra, rodeo culture and the rhinestone-heavy work of American tailor Nudie Cohn as inspiration for their wedding. They booked two iconic venues to host the day - the Little White Wedding Chapel for the ceremony and the Golden Steer for dinner. “We really just wanted to lean into the magic of old Las Vegas,” said the bride. “A little Elvis, a little Frank Sinatra, some rodeo, and a lot of sparkle.”
Read more...

Vegas Las Vegas, The Wedding Chapel with 150 Themes, Just Had a Major Glow Up

Kat

July 6, 2026

TThe legendary Viva Las Vegas Wedding Chapel has had a glow up and it's now more iconic than ever! It now feels brighter, more modern and even more immersive while keeping the playful fun that made it famous in the first place. And with their popular Rocky Horror Picture Show-inspired package you can now be married by Frank-N- Furter in front of hot pink neon lips inspired by the cult classic!
Read more...

Tattooed Weddings

This is Your Permission to Re-Shoot Your Wedding Photos

Kat

Ever Thine Film &

October 8, 2026

Ciara and Joe, who met when they were 11 and began their relationship as each other's prom dates, were married in July. Unhappy with how their wedding photos turned out, they decided to do a portrait session in September and they're so glad they did! "Our wedding was never about having a 'perfect' traditional wedding", they said "but weren't initially happy with how our original wedding photographs came out. We'd put so much thought into the look and atmosphere of our day, but the photographs didn't capture it in the way we'd imagined."
Read more...

Gothic Weddings

Designer Spotlight: Midnight Blooms from Percacciolo Collection

Kat

Tom Moore Studios

October 2, 2026

Vintage lace, hand-dyed details and haunting silhouettes come together in Percacciolo Collection’s latest range of veils and accessories. Based in Beacon, New York, designer Nicole Percacciolo creates handcrafted pieces for nearlyweds who want something bolder than traditional bridal. Her work brings together two distinct sides of her personal style: the harder edge of her darkwear line and the softness of lace, draping and classic bridal silhouettes.
Read more...

Dark Romance Meets Witchy Wedding

Kat

Crystal Lotus Studios

September 29, 2026

Alissa and Wesley’s wedding planning began when the bride starting looking for her dress. She wanted something witchy, romantic and inspired by nature, steering clear of anything too Halloween-y. Her answer was a sheer black gown, made to order by NRT Fashions and covered in hand-applied beading. The dress then set the direction for the entire day. Its botanical detailing fed into the use of trailing vines, overgrown flowers, old books and flickering candlelight.
Read more...

Evanescence-Loving Gothic Wedding Planned in Two Weeks!

Kat

Infinite

September 16, 2026

Sahara and Montes met at a club around Halloween 2024. They barely spoke that first night, choosing instead to stand together and listen to the music as though they already knew each other. That shared taste in music inspired their wedding two years later. The wedding came together at serious speed. They booked their venue, Sahara bought her dress and they organised the remaining details just two weeks before the day!
Read more...

Photo Shoots

Sacred Hearts Club: Moody & Romantic Wedding Inspiration

Kat

Velvet Alchemy Photos

September 18, 2026

Las Vegas weddings are some of our favourites, but its undeniable that a lot of them have the same aesthetic. Rare Hearts Studio wanted to create something with a different edge - a little darker, with nods to their Latino heritage. Their starting point was the Sacred Heart, reworked through a queer Latino lens and layered with lace, devotional imagery, blood red flowers and incredible cakes. The concept gave the team a way to draw upon their cultural background while creating something for couples who feel detached from the standard Vegas look.
Read more...

Old Vegas, New Rules: A Retro Wedding for the Modern Couple at Sure Thing Too

Kat

Velvet Alchemy

September 10, 2026

Vegas plays host to countless weddings and bridal photo shoots every year. Some rely on colour palette, others the neon lights and bustling casino setting. Yet this one began with a time of day: golden hour. Shot at Sure Thing Too in the downtown area with a real couple, Beth of Velvet Alchemy Photography followed her models as Las Vegas switched from sun-bleached spectacle to after-dark magic.
Read more...

Read All About It: Newsprint-Inspired Bridal Editorial

Kat

Leesha Williams Photo + Film

September 3, 2026

Usually when we put together a shoot theme, we have a pretty clear idea of where it’s heading from the start. We’re inspired by a particular gown, a fashion trend, a film, a subculture or just a vibe we want to create. Gothic romance… city wedding… desert elopement. But this shoot was different. We knew we wanted colour, but not in a bright, obvious, in-your-face way. We kept coming back to these washed-out tones that almost felt like neutrals. Butter yellow, pale lilac, faded blue, soft green… Colours that felt sun-bleached and understated. And the same time, we couldn’t shake the idea of incorporating newsprint.
Read more...

It was Never a Phase: How to Have an Emo Themed Wedding

Kat

Gem Wright

August 13, 2026

If you're reading Rock n Roll Bride, its highly likely that you had an emo phase... but that actually it wasn't a phase at all. You're probably still loving all things checkerboard, wearing too much black eyeliner and internally debating whether you're team Vans or team Converse. If you love the idea of an emo themed wedding then read on because here's how you can pull it off without it just becoming a mid-2000s costume party.
Read more...

Advancing Accessibility and Inclusion In the Wedding Industry with Maggie Sottero & Hopelynd

Kat

Hetler

July 14, 2026

Bridal designer Maggie Sottero has established itself as one of the few bridal fashion brands that are committed advocates for diversity, equity and inclusion. At the bridal fashion weeks that we've attended, we've always been impressed with their range of models of all sizes and ethnicities. They also always have plus size samples available if we want to borrow them for our shoots. And believe us, they are one of the very few that do!
Read more...