Rock n Roll Bride - The ultimate guide for alternative brides

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A Backyard Rainbow Wedding: Jason & Gwen

Kat

I Love that Glove

September 9, 2012

Honestly? I struggled with what to write about today. Usually on a Sunday I'll post something non-wedding related that's caught my eye or I'll share something exciting that I've done in the week. But I shared my Photography Farm retreat escapades in this week's Thursday Treats and since then I've basically been chained to my computer replying to the squillions of emails that came in whilst I was away and writing as many blog posts as physically possible. I also spent rather a lot of time on the phone to Cosmopolitan Magazine. NO BIG DEAL (more on this soon!) And then this wedding pinged into my inbox and it all became clear.
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Janel & Eddie’s Action Packed Central Park Wedding

Kat

June 16, 2011

Janel & Eddie were married at Central Park's Conservatory Garden. "As soon as planning started I realized that if I worried about givving people what they expected from a wedding or what would make them comfortable, I would not enjoy my day as much as I should" Janel told me. " So I just went for everything that makes me happy and comfortable and made those the focal points of the wedding. I don't see the point in buying an expensive pair of shoes for a dress that you are going to only wear once, so I got cool sneakers that I can wear again, and again, even if the dress will have to stay hung up forever. I also love our action figure collection and my British Sci-Fi shows (escepcially doctor who), so I threw them in there too with a weeping angel in my bouquet and a TARDIS as my card box."
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Jonnorae’s Nerdy Movie Theatre Wedding

Kat

October 5, 2010

Amorae & Jonny- or Jonnorae as they often go by - wanted a very personal wedding...and they certain achieved that by celebrating their self proclaimed "nerdom"! The pulpit that the officiant stood was a throwback to the pipes that Mario traveled down, and instead of a typical unity candle or sand ceremony, they brewed a potion like Harry Potter! At the reception they wanted to pay homage to their 'nerdiness' with centrepieces of books, legos and miniature games hidden inside the hand painted faux books. They also held a quiz for their guests to play at their tables called “Jonnorae Geekdom Trivia” (by the way, I love this idea - we did it too!)
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Chihuahuas, Cupcakes & Cuddles

Kat

September 30, 2010

Angela, her fiance Luc and their two chihuahuas Minou & Birdie (there's no way we can ignore them!) had a beautiful session to celebrate their engagement. The couple, who will be marrying in Mexico next May, wanted a variety of shots from casual ones with the dogs to ones with ridiculous props and finally to a few on a golf course. "Because my sweetie loves golf we went to a golf course and tried to have a vintage feel to the pics... Don't know how much of a vintage feel we got but I don't care - I love them!" Angela told me."I love that our photographer got pics of my purple fluevogs and Luc's black sabbath converse. She even took pictures of a silly card Luc made for me while they waited for me to get home from work, and pictures of the dogs on the couch posing."
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Rotterdam Rock n Roll

Kat

August 13, 2010

I love these guys! Normen & Priya are from Holland and had their engagement shoot in Rotterdam with Tapas Maiti. This is just pure Rock n Roll and the couple have got a GREAT story. "I met Priya at the Asian Wedding Exhibition last November" Tapas told me. "It was an hour to go before closing and I was about pack up when she came to my stall and we got chatting. Priya & Norman are from Holland, her mother was a Hindu who arrived in Holland via Surinam whilst her father is a Sikh from the Punjab. Many Indian Hindu's have settled in Holland by way of Surinam through the Dutch Indian Empire, its a fascinating story and shows the complexity of the Indian diaspora."
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Laid Back Hawaii Beach Wedding

Kat

July 5, 2010

I think you're going to love Kim & Paul's wedding - its the perfect post for a gorgeous sunny Monday like today! The couple, from Colorado, got married at Ke Iki Beach Bungalows, on the North Shore of Oahu. They went diy crazy and did a lot of the wedding themselves - from the flowers (which they bought wholesale) to the homemade veil. "We really wanted our wedding to be a 'non-wedding wedding' that was as unique as we were and at the same time have a super fun beach party!" Kim told me." We also wanted to involve our family and friends... so thankful we have so many creative people in our lives to help (flowers, hair, make-up, firecrackers!). Even though I didn't buy one bridal magazine or try on any dresses, I definitely perused the wedding-porn online that was tailored for the independent thinking brides. We didn't want to give in to the 'wedding industrial complex' and doing things the way they are "suppose" to be. I think that I've always been a non-traditionalist which is why I chose to forgo the cliche white dress and khaki Hawaiian beach wedding for one that was more colorful, stylish, elegant but still casual enough for the beach. We had an amazing time with all of the special people in our lives in a place that is very special to us."
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“You and Me are Awesome” – A Kick Ass Independent Elopement

Kat

June 14, 2010

I loved Matt & Brandy as soon as I read their email to me last week. "We are f***ingrock n' roll because we had the balls to call off a wedding. We originally got engaged in April 2009 and shortly thereafter set the date for April2010. We wanted a simple affair which of course spiraled out of control. It became about every one else. We lost sight of what the day meant to us as a couple. The guest list kept getting longer...which meant more money...and more problems. In November it hit us...wtf are we doing???? We ended up calling off the wedding...and calling off our engagement. We became a bit disenchanted by the whole wedding planning and wondered if it was something we ever
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Bibliophile

Kat

June 12, 2010

I usually only put one post up on a Saturday, but I have to admit that I wanted to share this engagement shoot as soon as I could...and plus, the submissions have been coming in at such a rate of knots since I posted my How to... Get Your Wedding Featured on a Blog post (which I'm not complaining about of course!) but I do feel like I have a lot to get through this week! Alister & Rachel are having a gothic & diy wedding on a mountain vineyard in a few weeks. The wedding is sure to be super detail-heavy and I can't wait to share it! However their engagement session was actual quite impromptu. "They wanted a Gothic yet bibliophile theme with a twist for the main part of the shoot, hence the books, vinyl and rug. Then for the rest of it, we simply found some killer locations and let them do their own thing; smiling, laughing, whatever went!" photographer Julian told me.
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A Non-Traditional, Family Central, Urban & Industrial LA Wedding

Kat

June 5, 2010

Shannon & Os are both part-time photographers so their wedding photography was really important to them, they found Australian Annevi who came to LA to shoot their informal wedding. They decided to hold their ceremony and reception in Barbara’s at the Brewery, Los Angeles. The Old Pabst Blue Ribbon Brewery is known as the world's largest live-work art colony and offers amazing industrial landscapes and interesting backdrops. So, of course that's where they decided to shoot all their portraits. They decided to skip a lot of the traditional stuff they didn't have a lot of meaning to them so they didn't have any catering in favour of a more casual Sunday picnic, where the guests brought food, cake and dessert dishes to share. They also abandoned the idea to have flowers as they felt they didn't really suit them or their industrial setting. The bride wore a non traditional dress, a yellow number from Arthur S. Levine teamed with white converse. She used her jewellery as a way to represent the people that couldn't travel to be at their wedding - her bracelet was designed by her mother, her earrings and necklace were from her mother-in-law and an antique handkerchief from her great grandmother (price tag still on it: Famous and Barr 25 cents.) The groom dresses in a similarly non traditionalfashio - his jacket was from a charity shop, his shirt and jeans were items he already had in his wardrobe and his braces/suspenders where from his father in law. He also wore red PF Flyers "guaranteed to make a kid run faster and jump higher."
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Buddy Holly & Mother Nature

Kat

March 1, 2010

Amy & Nick's wonderful South Austin wedding had a distinct and very individual theme - perfect for them! Big fans of Buddy Holly and late 50's/early 60's music, it was important to them to really have that as a big part of their wedding. Amy walked down the aisle to an acoustic version of Every Day played live by a friend on the guitar. Nick waited to marry his sweetheart decked out in a grey suit, Buddy Holly glasses and his favorite pair of Converse. Amy wore a dress by Dolly Couture which was perfectly accented by a Magnolia flower created by Amy Barber of Sweettooth Bags.
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Jules & Leighton’s Vintage, Rock n Roll Beautiful Homespun English Wedding

Kat

February 23, 2010

I'm going all out with the fantastic British weddings this week...and loving it I might add. Jules & Leighton's self confessed "oh-so-English-and-slightly-Rock-and-Roll wedding." Living in Kenilworth, Warwickshire they wanted to keep the day locally sourced and so enlisted the help and expertise of some of their favourite local vendors. Jules wore a Pronovias Huella dress and hand made accessories from super talented Etsy sellers Lili Swan and Lulu Splendor. The flowers were supplied by Cindy at Pure Botanics who created vintage perfection with her soft bouquets of ranunculus, roses and freesia that looked liked they could have been picked from an English garden, hand tied and finished off with gorgeous fat ribbons. For the centrepieces Jules scoured charity and thrift stores for mis-matched vintage glassware. The bunting was hired by Hired from Beautiful Bunting. The wonderfully mis-matched vintage china, cake stands and glass trifle bowls all hired from Vintage Teas & RSVPs. "We got married at Kenilworth Castle." Jules wrote, "No, it's not completely a ruin! Luckily the Gatehouse is still standing and it's stunning and as wedding venues go, it's possibly the best kept secret in Warwickshire. It might sound quite grand, getting married in a castle, but actually at Kenilworth it's a really cosy affair. We just had 40 guests and it meant we could keep things really relaxed and informal. We had the speeches there while everyone stood around with glasses of champers, rather than doing them the traditional way during the meal." They held their reception at Parochial Hall, 5 minutes walk away. "It's a really old church hall with a scrubbed wooden floor and a stage and a hatch into the kitchen." Jules told me "It's the sort of place that brings back memories of childhood for everyone who was ever in the Brownies or the Scouts. We loved it as soon as we saw it and it became our whole inspiration for what turned out to be our dream reception - an old fashioned family style get together. It was all very DIY - we had lots of help from friends and family who were fabulously keen to get involved and set about arranging tables and chairs and shinning up ladders. Our caterers Farmers Fayre really got into the spirit of things. Rather than have a formal style dinner we had joints of lamb brought to the tables and one person per table was then nominated carver - complete with chef's hat and apron. Even Leighton was up out of his seat handing round the vegetables - it felt like Sunday lunch with the family. As the evening guests started to arrive we had a cocktail hour complete with big band classics playing and Farmers Fayre bar staff serving up Cosmopolitans and Mojito's." Thanks to Jules & Leighton for sharing their "little-but-vintage-little-bit-Rock- n-Roll' darling British wedding today
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A Schoolyard Elopement

Kat

February 8, 2010

Tiffany & Tyler's images is one I knew I had to blog as soon as I laid eyes on it. I love all the different elements at play here - the doggie, the Converse, the awesome dress...everything! The couple, who met at school, eloped and called their photographer friends Ashley & Stephanie that very morning to pop down and take some shots for them. They chose locations such as their old school to make the photographs really special. These two (and Nikki, their adopted greyhound, makes three!) were a true joy to shoot, and Ashley and I are so happy they chose us–they are the true quintessence of White Rabbit Studios! Fun, artistic, flirty, bright, and definitely a bit offbeat–all things we love. And, really, could we have asked for better sunshine? I think not. We chose two different locations–first, the (unfortunately) soon-to-be-closed East Clinton Elementary School, and then we reconvened for a few quick, fun shots (and delicious gelato!) at the ever-fabulous Sam & Greg’s in downtown Huntsville. Thanks to Ashley & Stephanie for sharing this amazing elopement with us today Credit: White Rabbit Studios
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Vintage Zoo Wedding

Kat

January 8, 2010

Courtney & Michael's wedding is one of those that you wish you could see a fresh everyday. I got so excited when photographer Jacquelyn sent me this wedding to look at! They had a small ceremony officiated by an friend of the bride which took place at Birmingham Zoo Lodge. Pretty much everything about this wedding was DIY. The groom felted the cake topper (two birds sharing an ipod) and all of the bouquets. The brides birdcage veil and headpiece were made by her friend/hairdresser. They printed up tickets to throw instead of bird feed or bubbles. There was a small cake and punch reception afterwards where the guests were greeted by a llama and a parrot. After the reception, the bridal party met at a local restaurant - Rojo - for some eats and then on to the after party! The after party was held at a bar/antique shop called The Garage where there was much laughter shared and alcoholic beverages consumed. Courtney looks amazing in her dress by Unique Vintage and her adorable floral shoes by Not Rated. Credit: Jacquelyn Jackson Photography
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Eclectic with Candlelight

Kat

January 2, 2010

I love this vintage fashion shoot so much! It has such a cool rustic, almost thrown-together feel with all those eclectic details... and who can resist all those candles? Isn't the light they emit just fantastic? Photographer Katelyn explains: What do you get when you put together 1 1/2 tables, 2 table-cloths, over 120 candles, 7 lanterns, 6 windows, some pretty awesome containers (jars), and some really cool books? an AWESOME outdoor photo shoot! I did a country vintage shoot that lasted through the day and into the night! It never got higher than 40 degrees but my model roughed it and did a great job. Thanks to Katelyn for sharing these with us...I need to do a shoot with candles like, now.
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The Original Tattooed Brides

Kat

December 24, 2009

The original tattooed bride photographers, Allebachsent me these this morning and I had to get them up right away. What could be better to gaze at right before Christmas that tattooed beauties looking shaaweeet!? The images came from a 'shoot out' in Philadelphia, where a bunch of photographers gets together and shoot the same situation together to learn from each other and generally get some kick ass imagery themselves... So the Philly Photog Shootouthappened. In case you haven't heard a Photog shootout is an event where photographers meet, photograph models and learn from each other. Anyway Rob "Ninja" Nicholson contacted me because he wanted to get a punk rock bridal theme going and needed a few more models. So I reached out to the most amazing couples in the world (my clients) and got a few responses. Jess an amazing bride (and rollergirl) married earlier this year was one of the first to respond. Patty DeCasere (my old punk rock band's drummer's former band's singer's wife - got it?) did an amazing job giving Jess a mohawk. Another friend Alicia from the 20s flapper shoot we did at the historic Stotesbury Mansion handled the costume design (available for wardrobe at belle_morte66@yahoo.com) Robyn & John an engaged couple took a day and drove up from Annapolis and found the inner model in them. Really they just acted like themselves and everyone got great photos. Erin Proud (wedding planner of Lori & Kevin's Eastern State Penitentiary wedding) channeled her inner anger and teenage angst for the shoot, along with an amazing wedding photographer turned model, Leslie Gilbert. Despite shooting photos in what felt like subzero conditions in Center City Philadelphia, everyone seemed to be having a great time, networking and learning. Thanks to Mike for sending me this little Xmas gift! Credit: Allebach Photography
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Anglophile

Kat

December 18, 2009

One word...Eeeeeeek! I am so excited about this wedding. Not only because it's photographed by one of my favourite photographers, Ben Blood; not only because the couple, Diane & Adam are super cool, lovely and stylish; but because even though the couple are both American and the wedding took place at Lairmont Manor in Bellingham, WA, they expressed their love of all things British with a fabulous English themed wedding. Diana told me all about their retro, funky, British punk rock day: My dress was from Les Habitudes on Robertson Boulevard in L.A.They specialize in getting a lot of their dresses from European designers that they bring in under their label, so most of their dresses are one of a kind. My shoes were Alexander McQueen and the hair comb I wore was a Victorian antique. The necklaces are by Pyrrha, in Vancouver B.C. Their bronze pendants are made from 19th century wax seal molds. The ones I chose say "My life is a prayer," "While I breathe I hope", and" Love conquers all." The blue seal ring on my finger was one I had from Anthropologie. The jacket I wore to leave the wedding is from All Saints in the UK. My bridesmaids are wearing runway dresses from BCBG. Our hair was all done by Shawn Wright, the owner of Ryan Chanel Hair in Anacortes WA. She researched runway shows of Vivienne Westwood and Alexander McQueen for days before and we also channeled a bit of Helena Bonham-Carter's impeccable style. My husband Adam wore a custom grey suit we had made at Nordstrom and grey patent leather Italian loafers. His groomsmen were all wearing tweed vests and hats from J. Crew with "The Who" edition converse all stars because Adam had always wanted Chucks in his wedding. All our music was all British. I walked down to the theme song from "Love Actually," we danced out to Queen's "Don't Stop me Now," and Adam sang Coldplay's "Fix You" in the ceremony. Our band for the reception was Garage Voice from Seattle. We went with our overt Anglophile theme because I'm in love with London and theatre, so Adam flew me there for a weekend in March and proposed in front of Big Ben. We went back in June and collected tube station signs in Notting Hill for the tables, as well as teacups and pots from all over the world. Most of the hanging flags were from WWII. We're planning on moving to London someday soon.
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