Rock n Roll Bride - The ultimate guide for alternative brides

Kat

Mimes at the Circus: Neill & Niamh

Kat

November 9, 2012

This is a little bit freaky... so if you're scared of clowns, mimes or circus freaks I suggest you look away now! For their engagement shoot, fancy dress loving Neill & Niamh decided they wanted to dress as mimes. This quirky pair didn't want a traditional or boring engagement session - they wanted to add some personality! So they gathered some inspiration from the internet and went shopping for their outfits. All the props were all their own and as fate would have it, the circus came to town just down the road from where they live, so they asked the owner if they could shoot there.
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Thursday Treats: Back to the Future Wedding Cake & Overpriced Wallpaper

Kat

November 8, 2012

I've had a busy week this week, kicking off with the Eclectic Wedding Extravaganza in Birmingham on Sunday. Now I'm not one of those blgogers who looooves wedding fairs, but I have to say this was - by far - the best one I've ever been to. The exhibitors were fabulous (you can see photos of some of my fave things on my instagram - hello! Back to the Future wedding cake!) and the brides & grooms-to-be that were wondering round were all so cool I could have died. It was so awesome to meet so many readers and fans in such a short space of time. I was humbled by all your kind words and your hugs. Thank you, thank you.
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Intimate Beach Party Wedding Inspiration

Kat

November 8, 2012

There's something so magical about a styled shoot with substance - a shoot with a real sense of a story and of adventure. A shoot that showcases something simple but true, honest and real. Those are the exact words that came to mind when I saw this shoot. There are cute wedding ideas and details of course, but that's not what it's only about - it's sharing the story of a group of wedding suppliers in Spain coming together to create something special.
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An October Lovefest in The Philippines: Ray & Yan

Kat

November 6, 2012

I love my Filipino readers. This tiny island has been full of Rock n Roll Bride fans pretty much since I began the blog which totally blows my mind. I've never visited, but I'm sure one day I will... I can't wait to meet all those awesome like-minded peeps! I love getting submissions from The Philippines too - not least of all because they always sign off with 'more power to you!' which I love, but also because their weddings are damn cool. Obviously Ray & Yan's submission was no exception - as soon as I saw that dress, which was hand painted by the bride's mother, I melted into a pool of wedding lust heaven.
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Is Guest Writing a Waste of Time?

Kat

November 6, 2012

In the late 80s, with the popularity of chat shows on the rise, television producers would always have 'go to' standby guests in case somebody pulled out at the last minute. After a while it seemed that any time this happened it would be Christopher Biggins who filled in... I guess because he was always available (aww)! Biggins swiftly became known on the circuit as a 'professional guest', and needless to say, was a bit of a running joke. When I heard this story this week, I immediately started thinking about guest blogging and whether it's a good thing to be so readily available all the time...
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Tattoo Britannia Wedding: Lisa & Paul

Kat

November 6, 2012

"Being the Jubilee year as well as the Olympics, a red, white & blue themed wedding seemed fitting", began newlywed Lisa who married Paul this Summer. "I sat with my bridesmaids and mum the night before the wedding watching the opening ceremony with great pride. The bright colour options coupled with my love of rockabilly styling and 1940s glamour added such vibrancy and fun to the day. Paul and I also both love tattoos so we wanted to bring this into our day. The swallows on the wedding cake, invitations, table decorations and gifts were all tied together with tattoo images."
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Beautiful Beach Wedding: Jmie & KC

Kat

November 5, 2012

It's getting seriously cold over here in the UK so what could be a better way to warm up than lusting over some beach wedding goodness? Jmie & KC's beautiful beach wedding is just what I needed! You might remember Jmie & KC from their boxing engagement shoot. Those that do will already know that these guys don't go for the conventional so a laid back and fun wedding was just what I expected. The wedding was held in the idyllic location of the Virgin Beach Resort in San Juan, Batangas.
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A Dirty Fabulous Circus Wedding: Caroline & Peter

Kat

November 5, 2012

Running her own vintage boutique, Dirty Fabulous, in Dublin, Caroline was in the perfect position to plan her DIY circus themed wedding. She and fiancé Peter knew from the outset that they wanted something fun and unusual, and they had the perfect place in mind to host it. "We go to flea markets at the Dublin Food Co-op building and we always loved it", the bride began. "It’s not particularly pretty by any stretch of the imagination but it always has a lovely vibe. We were at the market one Sunday and we both said that if we were ever to get married that it would make an awesome venue. It just went from there really, it took me about 6 months to convince the co-op to let us do it and we didn't have a back up plan if they said no."
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A Simple & Beautiful Irish Wedding: Anna & Mirko

Kat

November 3, 2012

Anna & Mirko wanted a simple wedding with tons of personality. The day was held at Fallon & Byrne, a restaurant in the heart of Dublin. "We met 12 years ago and we never talked much about marriage until two years ago", wrote the bride. "I was getting dressed one Sunday morning and we were chatting away when he just came and out and said 'Do you want to marry me?' I didn't realise it was a genuine question and replied 'Ah yeah why not'. He grabbed me and we start jumping around in a circle laughing. Mirko was shouting 'We are getting married!' and I was like 'Oh Really? Yay!!' It was so funny and this situation sums us up really."
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Glam Rock Meets Tradition: Ben & Joslyn

Kat

November 2, 2012

I knew I loved Ben & Joslyn's Washington wedding as soon as I saw it. Never wanting to do what was expected of them, this couple wanted a wedding that was both sexy and glamorous but with small hints of tradition. "My style has never been typical so from the beginning I knew I wanted to do something fun and off the wall but at the same time mix it with traditional elements", wrote Joslyn. "I absolutely NEVER wear white so to me it was kind of fun and rebellious to wear a fancy white gown. Also I did not want my bridesmaids to look boring and from the beginning I had a vision of them in sexy leopard print dresses and hot pink heels. My girls were pure glam and total bombshells! I would say our wedding theme was glam rock meets traditional. I definitely made a point of having our style shine through. The overall theme though was fun, fun, fun!"
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Behind the Scenes at The Blogcademy

Kat

November 1, 2012

"I know this sounds crazy, but I really feel like The Blogcademy is going to be a massive game-changer for all three of us," Gala said to Shauna & I the morning after the workshop, "and I really hate that phrase..." But you know what, I think the girl might be onto something. A heady mix of nerves, anticipation and excitement seeped through my trip to New York this month. Lisa & I had a few other things planned, but we knew our visit was concluding with the biggie. Organising this event was a labour of love and a project of passion - squillions of emails flew back and forth over the course of just a couple of short months while Gala, Shauna & I planned every last detail whilst thousands of miles apart.
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A Woodland Party Wedding: Kat & Mat

Kat

October 31, 2012

"Woodland party circus!" replied newlywed Kat when I asked her to describe her wedding. "At least that was the three things we kept saying to people when they asked what our wedding was going to be like." Kat & Mat were married at The Hideout, a bar and music venue in Chicago. "We really didn't want to have a traditional banquet wedding, and we both wanted something that was very relaxed", the bride continued. "The ceremony was an important part of the day for us but we also knew the party was equally important! We saw the reception part of the evening an opportunity to really celebrate with all the friends and family who had come from both close (a few blocks away) and far (as far as Australia). We racked our brains and both of us have some great memories of The Hideout. We spend a lot of time going to shows there and we even first met at one, so it seemed like a natural fit. I think the venue was what really made our wedding special and started to really define how we were going to work in the rest of the details."
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Don’t Tell The Bride: The Real Story aka Mike & Becky’s Mexican Wrestling Wedding

Kat

October 31, 2012

I have a love/hate relationship with the BBC Three show Don't Tell the Bride. On the one hand, I love a voyeuristic nosey at other people's weddings (hello! Wedding blogger criteria number one) but on the other, the obvious sensationalism of shows like this can often get a bit much. I usually sit watching the show wondering if the groom really plans the whole thing himself and if the real truth of the matter is that the production company tell him exactly what to do so they can have the usual drama that seems to follow the programme around. But mostly I wonder if the brides really have no say on ANYTHING. I mean surely you'd give him a few subtle hints beforehand, right?!
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A Mountaintop Homespun Wedding: Allison & Scott

Kat

October 30, 2012

Allison & Scott were married at 4,629 ft, at their favourite place - the top of Max Patch Bald, NC. They hosted their reception in their own home. "The décor of the ceremony was the panoramic view of the Smokey/blue Ridge Mountains and the wild buttercup flowers", they began. "At the reception, drinks were served in mason jars, farm tables were used for dining, and the flowers were roses and hydrangeas mixed with sunflowers in mason jars. Vintage plates and napkins were used and little jars of local Tennessee wildflower honey and dippers were at each table setting as favors. Our home was built in the 1800s and we wrapped the columns in garlands and roses."
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5 Lessons Learnt by Bunking Off Work

Kat

October 30, 2012

"Breathe. Let go. And remind yourself that this very moment is the only one you know you have for sure" - Oprah Winfrey What a whirlwind! First up thank you so much for allowing me to take a few weeks off the Green Room while I was away. I had good intentions to get some guest posts up, but when it came down to it I just didn't have any in the pipeline that I thought we're strong enough... and so I figured, quality over quantity, and let it go. A moment of honesty - the few weeks running up to me going away were tough. I was seriously lacking inspiration and my blogging mojo was waning. The endless treadmill that can be running a blog full time, with the constant pressure to update daily (or in my case multiple times daily) was starting to loose it's sparkle. Don't get me wrong, I am forever in love with my job, but I was just feeling like the posts I was publishing we're only okaaaay. Like I was just going through the motions and that the standard of what I was writing was slipping. I needed this break. Badly. We all know that those moments where you're sit staring at your computer screen just willing the inspiration to come are the least productive. Then add immense tiredness and a crap load of deadlines to that mix and it's a recipe for disaster.
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