Rock n Roll Bride - The ultimate guide for alternative brides

Retro

Junk and Glitter Themed Farm Wedding: Ellie & Ed

Kat

Emma Case

September 6, 2013

Ellie and Ed wanted their June wedding to not only reflect them - their likes and loves - but to be a fun day for everyone, full of DIY details. The day started with an emotional ceremony at Aldenham School, Elstree and the reception was in tipis on Buckettsland Farm, Well End. "We said the whole way through the planning process that we didn't have a theme but looking back it was essentially junk and glitter", began the bride. "If you ever saw our flat, you would know that we’re not matchy-matchy people in the slightest. I love tack and have a big collection of oddities, plus I have an obsession with the stars and the moon and anything glittery, so I always knew they would end up making an appearance."
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Outdoorsy Americana Themed Wedding: Amy & Steve

Kat

Camera Hannah

September 2, 2013

Amy and Steve got engaged while on a road trip around America and so an American themed wedding seemed like the most perfect option for them! These guys didn't go for a subtle homage though, they went all out! "Our wedding was a little slice of American pie", Amy began. "We got engaged two years ago on a road trip around the southern states of America. Steve got down on one knee over a BBQ of ribs and beer in the mountains of Virginia. It was the perfect setting and was amongst many aspects of that trip that made it one of our most memorable journeys together."
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Retro Cartoon Wedding: Daisy & Leigh

Kat

Tux and Tales

August 20, 2013

Daisy and Leigh's retro wedding themed came about because they knew they wanted anything but a traditional day. "We decided to go down the retro/ vintage theme, but I also didn't want it to be the typical ‘vintage’ wedding style that is everywhere at the moment!" Daisy wrote. "I also didn't want a traditional sit-down meal so we had afternoon tea complete with cocktails served in teapots. The wedding eventually became about all of the things we love from the 1950s to the 1990s! I wanted our wedding to be really unpretentious and for everyone to have lots of fun."
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DIY Day of the Dead, Lobster and Rabbit-Themed Romantic Garden Party Wedding in London: Kirsty & Steve

Kat

We Heart Pictures

August 5, 2013

When Kirsty and Steve planned to marry they knew they wanted tradition to play no part in it. This started with their surname. Instead of keeping their own names or one of them taking the other's they decided to merge their two names to create a brand new one. So Kirsty Foster and Steve Pate became Mr & Mrs Fate! When it came to capturing their wedding day they wanted photos that were bright, romantic, playful, with a little kooky edge. They found We Heart Pictures through Rock n Roll Bride and couldn't have been happier with their choice! They wedding took place on June 7th at Hoxton Hall, London.
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Hairspray and 1960s Inspired Retro Wedding: Louise & Pete

Kat

This Modern Love

August 1, 2013

Louise and Pete's Belfast manor house wedding was full to bursting with cute, quirky and retro DIY details. The bride wore a polka dot Candy Anthony wedding dress and looked every but the mid-century starlet with her beehive hair do and classically gorgeous make up. "We definitely had a retro themed wedding", Louise explained. "I took inspiration from Hairspray (especially when it came to my hair!) and had a pink polka dot 50s style dress. Pete had a teddy boy-esque suit. We played 60s garage songs during the drinks reception and 60s girl groups afterwards. We asked all our male guests to wear bow ties, which they did, including my 5 month old nephew!"
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1950s Old School Glamour Wedding: David & Kelly

Kat

Let's Frolic Together

July 30, 2013

David and Kelly's wedding was held at The Riviera Palm Springs Resort. The day have a classic 1950s retro vibe with monochrome details and elegant and timeless glamour throughout. "The inspiration for our wedding was classic, retro glamour", explained Kelly. "I love everything that embodies the 1950s: the cars, the clothing, the glamour. Women were so put together in such a classy way. I'm a sucker for the old glamour and how people dressed to a 'T' back in those days. People dressed up when they went out. They took pride in their appearances. Short shorts and flip-flops did not cut it when going out on the town. I'm just very classic and 'old school' when it comes to these types of details. I feel that I represent this ideal everyday (even though I do own a pair of flip flops and do wear them every once in a while!)"
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Romantic Queensland Wedding & A Blue Haired Bride: Ben & Kate

Kat

Shutter + Lace

July 3, 2013

Ben and Kate were married in August at Flaxton Gardens, Queensland, Australia. They wanted a romantic wedding but one that was a little bit different, to reflect their personalties. " I struggled to begin with to decide what to do and how to do it", began the bride. "I read a lot of magazines and blogs but it wasn't until I found Rock n Roll Bride that I realised that it really didn't matter what everyone else was doing, we should do what represents us best. So we did what made us happy, didn't worry about tradition so much and did things that weren't so ‘wedding’. I kept my hair short (I always thought I’d grow it), I kept it coloured (blue) and we wrote our own vows that made everyone laugh as they really reflected us."
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Candy Land Madonna Inn Wedding: Liz & Bryan

Kat

Looking Glass

June 21, 2013

Liz and Bryan were married at the famous Madonna Inn in California. The day was a beautiful mish-mash of a vintage candy store and a retro tattoo shop. "We really wanted to keep our wedding upbeat and light-hearted", wrote the bride. "I think the temporary tattoos, candy, giant wood cut outs and photo booth helped create a really fun environment. Halfway through the night the photo booth props became a part of the wedding and we had groomsmen in capes and dresses as the Hulk and Spiderman on the dance floor. It made the pictures hilarious."
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Retro Polish Wedding: Iwona & Piotr

Kat

Piotr Spigiel

March 1, 2013

Iwona & Piotr wanted a simple and fuss-free wedding, one that reflected their Polish heritage but also showcased their love for all things retro. The day had a lot of DIY elements, from the brides dress to her brooch bouquet and the majority of the reception details. "We wanted a simple wedding", wrote Iwona. "We love Rock n Roll and retro styles and we both have very old souls and like the old minimalist styles. Our colours were cobalt, black and white and we kept things simple. We also DIYed a lot."
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Retro Christmas Wedding: Marian & Michael

Kat

December 10, 2012

I don't know about you, but I've been feeling exceedingly festive this year. I love Christmas, but usually the build up isn't my favourite bit - I tend to get a bit bored of it all! But not this year! I'm loving all things Crimbo and I'm so excited for the 25th December already! Now, I hope I don't have any Christmas Grinches reading, but on the off chance that I do, Marian & Michael's retro Christmas wedding is sure to banish those blues and get you SLAP BANG into the holiday spirit...
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Retro Bowling Club Wedding with an Ocean View: Nat & Sam

Kat

November 30, 2012

The retro wedding of Nat & Sam is perfect... literally perfect. I just know you're going to go nuts for Nat's nostalgic bridal style, their ocean view ceremony and the reception that looks like it stepped right out of the past. "Our ceremony was at Burrows Park Headland, Sydney", explained Nat. "The ceremony spot was a beautiful cliff edge looking over the Pacific Ocean and located right next to the Bowling Club where we had the reception. We loved that the only way to get to it was via a very long, natural aisle sheltered on one side by trees, which we decorated with Chinese lanterns. For our reception we chose Clovelly Bowling Club. It was cheap as chips to hire, the drinks prices stuck in the 1980s, and the tacky bright blue carpet and a strange old picture of the Queen flanked by two Aussie flags above a stage which houses an ancient piano (which we tuned up and used!) were AWESOME! As soon as we walked in we looked at each other and said 'Yes!'. Oh, and it had 180 degree ocean views!"
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Americana Kitsch in London’s East End: Anna Lee & Paul

Kat

November 28, 2012

Anna Lee & Paul were married in London in September. Their ceremony was held at Saint Etheldreda’s Church, and their reception - in two parts - took place at The Modern Pantry in Clerkenwell and All Star Lanes in Brick Lane. "We dined on a mouthwatering fusion menu for dinner, and mini burgers, hot dogs and classic American cocktails at the after-party", wrote the bride. Anna Lee looked stunning in her gold gown by by Roland Mouret. Called 'Wallis' and inspired by Wallis Simpson, the opulent diamond-embossed design looked amazing on her. Clearly Anna Lee wasn't going for a traditional bridal look. She wore Beatrix Ong shoes and instead of a veil or any jewellery, she had pearls glued down the nape of her neck. I just LOVE this idea. "I didn't wear jewellery or a veil", she explained, "but wanted pearls in my cropped hairstyle. So Angela, my hairdresser, had the idea to fix pearls down the back of my neck using super-strength wig glue! They held fast all, and were a real talking point."
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Retro Mod Wedding: Nikki & Paul

Kat

October 25, 2012

Brought together by a mutual love of the 1960s and mod culture, Nikki & Paul met at a 1960s themed club. "I was inspired by wedding blogs like Rock n Roll Bride that talk about weddings that are slightly left field", began the bride. "I was inspired by weddings with bright colours (we had orange and electric blue with grey) and we wanted to make sure each part of the day was reflective of who we are. We also didn't take anything too seriously - it was meant to be fun!"
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A Retro Glastonbury Wedding: Beth & Jonny

Kat

October 22, 2012

Oh Anna Hardy you do have a way with that camera of yours. A way that makes everything dreamy and beautiful and cool all at the same time... although to be fair, I think you had it pretty easy with Beth & Jonny, like, how totally smokin' are these two!? And Beth's second dress by the epic Delphine Manivet is AMAZING. I love me that high collared cape thingy! The wedding took place in Yorkshire in June. They had an informal registry office wedding in the morning with just a handful of their nearest and dearest, then got changed and had a big Glastonbury themed ceremony & reception with all their friends and family. As devoted Glastonbury goers, Beth & Jonny chose the weekend that the festival should have been on this year so that all their future anniversaries can be celebrated there! "Originally we wanted to marry in the woods, and have a tipi reception in a field", began the bride. "This turned out to be seriously and surprisingly expensive, and finding a field for rent in the north of England was pretty much impossible. When we went to see the venue at Broughton Hall it was a miserable day to say the least, but even in the rain, the place looked awesome."
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A DIY Wedding at a Safari Park: Jodi & Dave

Kat

October 5, 2012

I'm not gonna lie, where was something in particular that swayed me when it came to featuring this wedding... Stan, the ever so slightly disgruntled looking cat. Of course when I saw the rest of the photos, I just happened to fall in love with Stan's owners, Jodi & Dave as well, but if I'm going to be 100% truthful, Stan did help their cause. This couple didn't want to spend a fortune on the wedding and so by DIYing as much as they could the day came in at under £9000. The ceremony was held at Swiss Gardens, Shuttleworth with the reception taking place in the Safari Lodge at Woburn Safari Park. "We looked at about 12 venues from a marquee where I keep my horses to a vintage factory ballroom but nothing quite ticked all the boxes", wrote Jodi. "But when we found Swiss Gardens we knew instantly this was the one. We originally booked it for August 2013, but then were told the venue would be shutting down for 18 months for a lottery funded renovation so we could only postpone, cancel or move it forward! So we moved it forward giving us only 6 months to plan and make everything!" "We were married in the tiny thatched house in the centre
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