Rock n Roll Bride - The ultimate guide for alternative brides

Retro

Rustic Retro with a Diy Charm

Kat

May 25, 2010

Fanni & Ben got married in April at Cripps Barn in Gloucestershire. Bored by the usual wedding stuff they found in magazines and at wedding shows, the pair turned to the internet for inspiration and luckily for them stumbled upon not only Rock n Roll Bride but a plethora of amazing ideas via some awesome American wedding blogs. "Back at the drawing board, I found myself scanning an array of American wedding blogs. All of which featured jaw-droppingly gorgeous weddings that looked amazing but had little or no information about weddings in the UK, and then I stumbled across your site!" Fanni told me "From that day on, Rock n Roll Bride truly was a breath of fresh air for me from everything else I had seen out there previously. Your site was reassuring that we didn't have to be confined to the norm or do things a certain way because it was tradition. Our wedding was our day, our way. We wanted our guests to have the best time and not be left thinking that they were just at....'another textbook wedding.' So, with much planning and evenings spent beavering away we managed to pull it all together."
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Night of the Living Wed

Kat

May 17, 2010

This ghoulish, retro horror themed wedding may not be everybodys cup of tea but I can't help but be a little over-excited about it. So. Much. Originality! Photographer Al, who has just been shortlisted for 'Tattoo Photographer of the Year' was keen to tell me all about Ash and Michelle Ghoulmore's (oh yes!) friday the 13th wedding. The couple run retro rebels store and the horror-themed clothing company Kreepsville 666 so their wedding was always going to be a spooky special. 'Ghoulmore' actually is Ash's surname and they pretty much live Halloween everyday, so it was fitting to pick a horror / b-movie inspired Wedding theme. "This meant I had to light the formals in a slightly different way to ensure I got that punchy highly saturated contrasty feel that fits with the mood" photographer Al told me. "This was the first time I've seen a smoke machine used during the ceremony! The archway was decorated with skulls and light like a stage. As you can see form the photos the cake was a skull and all the attendees got to take home a set of cast-silver effect fangs to say 'fangs for coming' [groan]. Zombina and the Skeletones provided the live music for the reception, again fitting the horror-rockabilly theme."
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Retro Movie Themed Kansas City Wedding

Kat

May 15, 2010

You're going to love Erica & Ryan's homespun, diy wedding...and you're certainly going to love their story. I was over the moon to receive these gorgeous images from photographer Katie and even more chuffed when Erica got in touch with all the juicy details. "Ryan and I originally thought we would just have a courthouse wedding, and then have a big party. Of course, our parents were not so thrilled with the idea. We also did not want anyone else planning or making decisions for OUR wedding/party, because we did not want it to be the same old wedding and the same old reception that we've all attended twenty times before. Nothing against traditional weddings, we're just not traditional. We also were looking to keep it cheap simply because we think it's silly to spend tens of thousands of dollars on a few hours. All we really needed was the two of us looking snazzy and an amazing photographer."
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Antique Market Dreams

Kat

May 7, 2010

I have much love for Chicago photographer Jeremy Lawson and it's always a pleasure to feature his Rock n Roll weddings - especially when they are as awesome as the one of Mary & Alton. The wedding took place at the uber cool Salvage One, which, with it's awesome signage and rustic, almost derelict, antique market interior provided the perfect backdrop to the event. Mary's vintage look was provided by local Chicago design Jess Audey who custom made her beautiful dress and Antje Kastner at Tigerlilie who did her retro/rockabilly style hair and make up.
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A Sunday Kind of Love ~ Julia Boggio

Kat

May 2, 2010

Behold - a new feature! From the various emails, tweets comments I've received over the last few months I've come to the conclusion that you love regular posts - in particular Thursday Treats and I love writing them so I thought I'd try to do a few more... I was lucky enough to be invited to Julia Boggio's grand studio opening (full report and exclusive piccies coming soon!) on Thursday and after much schmoozing with the glitterati of the British wedding industry I came to realise that I know so many amazing, talented and generally fabulous people here and all over the world. My plan is that every Sunday I'm going to share with you someone who's been particularly fabulous to me that week or someone who's work has blown me away. It's my way of saying 'I heart you' as well as hopefully letting you know about some people you might not have heard of before. I hope you can put them all to good use in your own weddings. I also hope this feature will be a popular one as I know a lot of awesome people and I'd like to be able to share them all with you!
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French Vintage Glam

Kat

April 25, 2010

Rebecca & Michael wanted a French/Hollywood vintage glam style shoot to signify their engagement. They loved the idea of having a whimsical, vintage feel and Rebecca’s inspiration was that she wanted a shoot that really meant a lot to them as a couple. The fascinator she wore belonged to her grandma when she was young for example. "We were able to create some old Hollywood romance in a local cafe" Australian photographer Tenielle told me. "It looksed as if it belonged in the French countryside. The Cafe we shot at was called ‘Cafe Bouquiniste’, and the owner Meredith has a love for Paris, Books and all things French as you can tell."
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A Punk Rock Kinda Day

Kat

April 23, 2010

The majority of the weddings and photo shoots I feature are sent to be by photographers or recently married couples, however occasionally I'll come across a session so damn cool that I have to email the photographer right away and demand to feature it! This was one of those sessions. I'd followed William Massey's work through a group on flickr for a while now yet it was only now that I really stood up and took notice. Philip & Anela were one of those couples that I instantly knew would suit Rock n Roll Bride to a tee - punky, retro, vintage, quirky, cool...they suited all these words that I overuse everyday on my blog.
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Elegant & Classy 1930s Inspired Boudoir Sesh

Kat

April 19, 2010

I don't feature a whole lot of boudoir on Rock n Roll Bride, not because I don't like it or approve or anything like that (hell, I did one!) But it's quite rare that I get sent boudoir submissions that have a Rock n Roll edge. A lot of what floats around the internet is all sexy, see-through underwear, airbrushed to perfection, lying on a messed up bed...page 3 inspired...you catch my drift. Anyway, when this session from Jessica Zais landed on my desk I saw none of that. Courtney showed up to her boudoir session ready to go with two vintage swimsuits (the black one belonged to her grandmother and was actually a lifeguard uniform - sexy!) The result is a classic, 1930's elegance that I just can't get enough of.
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Oh I Do Like to be Beside the Seaside

Kat

April 17, 2010

Whenever the sun shines in London about 80% of the population speculate going to the beach and Brighton is usually the first port of call. It's quirky, it's quaint, it's nostalgic, it's hilariously British and it has a killer night life! So when it came for Charlie & Ross to have their 'Cherish the Dress' wedding shoot, where better to descend then this wonderful beach location!? The couple actually got married in December so they thought the juxtapositionof having some lovely, warming, outdoor shots would be absolutely perfecto.
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London Chic

Kat

April 9, 2010

There is something so endearing and glamorous about a Central London wedding. I fell in love with Lia & Gerard's portraits and soon as I saw them - which just proves how fab photographer Chloe Browne is as the couple only allowed 5 minutes for photographs. They didn't want any family formals either! The whole day was really laid back, relaxed and chilled with a great party atmosphere. "I was so excited to photograph Lia & Gerald at the Haymarket Hotel in London for their wedding in March" Chloe told me. "They were my first couple who weren't keen on spending time on portraits, so I had to persuade them gently to come outside with me for a few minutes. It was still freezing cold, but I managed to convince them to spend 3 minutes with me outside on the street-I really wanted their photos to reflect that they got married in Central London. We then dipped downstairs to the pool room for a couple of photos before I let them get back to the party. Their style was so timeless, I wanted to have a few frames that felt like they were from the Rat Pack era-I hope the black and whites have that kind of feel. They were so cool to photograph-I loved every one of our five minutes!"
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What a Small World…

Kat

April 8, 2010

I love a shoot with a great story behind it...especially when it revolves around people I know! When bride-to-be Laura checked in on Rock n Roll Bride a few months ago she fell in love with the work of UK photographer, David McNeil. She promptly contacted him to arrange an engagement shoot in Brighton. Her fiance Nick and her turned up on the morning of the shoot, only to discover that unbeknownst to both of the boys, they already knew each other! David and Nick actually used to work together long before David tried his hand at wedding photography and Nick got engaged...but wait the tale gets stranger because when David sent me these images it turns out I used to work with Nick too! What a small world...
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Carnival Love

Kat

April 6, 2010

Hayley & Brett's funfair/carnival themed love shoot makes me feel all playful. Gotta love a couple who can have a blast together! Together for a little over 2 years, this pair found comfort in each other through some difficult times at the beginning of their relationship. They decided to do their pre-wedding shoot at a carnival to symbolize their fun personalities and has a celebration of their love for one another. Her dress is vintage which she found at a thrift store and their flowers were done by Mignonne Handmade.
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British Boudoir

Kat

March 31, 2010

This fabulous Boudoir/Pin up style shoot was set up by British photographer Shaneen Rosewarne Cox. "My Make up artist is fabulous at creating that seductive, lashtastic pin up look" She told me "She also styled the models hair and I loved how the retro bouncy curls turned out. Accessories are all mine and are mostly props from the studio. The STUNNING blue Manolo Blahnik shoes are actually my "something blue" from my own wedding day. All in all it was a really fun day full of bucks fizz, pearls, blue shoes and vogue magazine!! A perfect way to spend a Sunday in my opinion. "
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Under the Spotlight – Newell Jones & Jones Photography

Kat

March 24, 2010

Anna & Aaron of Newell Jones & Jones Photography are one of those photographic teams you'll come back to time after time. As soon as I discovered them I scoured their website almost religiously, impatient to see what they were all about. The Denver-based pair's style is quintessentially Rock n Roll - fresh with a vintage, ethereal, nostalgic, organic, soft and dreamlike feel - subtle in its execution but dramatic when seen as a whole. I adore the photographs timeless feel, which will keep your memories alive for a lifetime.
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