But first, I have to plug Offbeat Bride. I don’t remember how I stumbled upon it the first time, but B. and I weren’t engaged at the time. A like-minded friend, however, was. So I forwarded her the link. She reported back that it was a pretty funny site with some useful information.
After B. proposed, and the (unprecedented, for me) giddiness wore off, I knew right where to go. I headed to the Offbeat Bride blog and poked around. It was created by a local writer, Ariel Meadow Stallings. She had also written a book which I purchased immediately. It was hilarious and candid and tremendously helpful for girls who hadn’t actually been planning “their big day” since they were 5. I never even touched a bridal magazine. I never stepped foot in a bridal shop. Ariel’s book, (and the countless women who’d followed her advice before me), confirmed my suspicions that I didn’t need to. B. and I should be true to ourselves. We wanted our wedding day to reflect who were were as people. And it just so happened that it was a hell of a lot cheaper that way too! :)
Midway through our engagement, Ariel started the Offbeat Bride community. I joined, filled out my profile, and added the forum topics to my RSS feed. The useful tips and leads poured in and I was also able to offer some ideas of my own. I am convinced that if it weren’t for O.B., I would have been at a loss regarding the ceremony, rings (which we ended up getting from Etsy) and hairstyles among other essential things. I know how to plan a party. That I could do in my sleep. But this was a little bit more than that. And one thing I have in common with every other bride in history is that I wanted the day to “be perfect”. Fortunately, my criteria for “perfect” is simple: my man, my friends and family, some karaoke and plenty of booze.
The Offbeat Bride blog profiles weddings to inspire other couples who are planning their day. So when it was all over and done, I knew I wanted to submit a profile for us. I definitely owed it to O.B. to share the love. Ariel is really doing a great service to future couples who want to rail against the cookie cutter wedding and make something as uniquely theirs.
Thanks for everything, O.B.
And now, back to our previously scheduled program…
Effed by the Wind 