Hey all… Is it just me, or are so many of the wedding forums out there rather typical – and so often a mirror-image of one another? *[Kind of like wedding photography in my opinion as well!]* This doesn’t mean these sites [or those photographers] aren’t ‘good’… It just means that they maybe aren’t quite as exciting, unique or fun!! Perhaps there just isn’t anything remarkable that stands out being shown, shared, or captured…
Well breathe that sigh of relief – because I’ve found some less-trendy, atypical, and much more enticing wedding boards out there! Here’s the list – with a short description for what I personally like about these boards – and what you stand to gain as well… My belief is that the wedding board shouldn’t lead us to becoming wedding-bored.
#1) Let’s start with a fab-find in this regard! They encompass any and all aspects of non-traditional wedding planning – AND LIFE – which happens to mean fully-inclusive. Really anything outside of tradition – without limits – is a prime candidate for inspiration here. We’re talking weddings in the wild, weddings with a twist, weddings that are beyond personalized to the max, and weddings that cater to all human beings – such as wheel-chair-bound individuals and our friends within the GBLT Community! (I have even come to learn during my research that they share in my ‘language’ – using terms like “kick-ass” and “non-boring”…. It must be LOVE!)
It’s none other than the outlandishly lustrous Offbeat Bride! They take the unconventional and give it a glorious spotlight – with all kinds of amazing features, tips, ideas, and shizz you probably haven’t even thought about! I personally enjoy reading about some of their Real Wedding features – and getting a glimpse into each wedding. You actually get to SEE what they did to make the celebration their own – (rather than being left with 2 or 3 teaser images). Here is one such posted, rockin’ wedding, that serves as an ideal example; I happen to really appreciate what the bride says (near the end of the post) to answer the question, “What was the most important lesson you learned from your wedding?” {I also clap-to how they incorporate narrative directly from the couple.}
Just when I thought they couldn’t be any more original, rebellious and fun (sound familiar?)… They also have an Offbeat Home & Life forum – for life after the wedding. Your offbeat, non-conformist, and personalized lifestyle just got even more inspired! {Swoon!}
#2) Another variety-enhanced inspiration-generating board is Emmaline Bride! This site places their emphasis on the hand-made and truly original finds that you just can’t locate in the typical ‘wedding market’ — (at least not without tons of online searching and time!) It provides a hub to combine originality and utterly unique design, as well as many DIY tips and treasures to be made, found, and had. They seek to find those wedding day items and people who just stand out from the overly-saturated and under-varietous wedding market trends. *{One of the things I appreciate about this site – is that when they first began in 2009, THEY contacted ME – saying, “You’re exactly the kind of thing we’re looking for!”} Yay! Me too, me too! Be sure to check out my 2 Featured Weddings on their site! Jenny & Tom’s Lakeside Wooded Wisconsin Wedding AND Megan & Tony’s Snow-Kissed October MN Country Club Wedding (Disclaimer – We hadn’t yet figured out proper image-sizing for this one.) Thank you Emmaline Bride! {Heart}
#3) Third place goes to another ideal resource for my nature-loving-side – and surely it will appeal to yours as well! It’s the Rustic Wedding Chic guide, and they know how to do that down-home wedding up right! If the terms “rustic wedding”, “barn-wedding”, “wooded-wedding”, “lakeside wedding”, “ranch-wedding”, “farm-wedding”, “country wedding”, or generally “outdoor wedding” come to mind – you’ve found the right site. In addition, if descriptions such as rustic-elegance, laid-back, woodsy, or vintage are part of your repertoire – you’ll find a plethora of ways to make the most of your earthly-love and bring the outdoors to the inner-most portions of your wedding day! It’s truly your top source for all things outdoors in the way of weddings. So kick up your boots and wrangle yourself a few new idears to celebrate… All their tabs are loveable! {Yeehaw Cowbride!}
#4) My final wedding resource suggestion is for a forum called Rock n Roll Bride. Although many of their acknowledgements and connections stem from or are located in the UK, it lends itself well at spotlighting couples who step outside of tradition, and the details that help them make their weddings into very personalized and meaningful celebrations. (Delish!) You can eat up a lot of this inspiration too – and get your mojo rolling for your own nuptial-nuance! Loads of fun to scroll through! (TIP: Click on the actual title of the post to see greater detail, and then scroll to the bottom to look through the full ‘gallery’ of images selected for that highlight/ post.) {Cheers!}
These forums should definitely help to get those creative juices flowing – especially for those of us who know we want something different. There are no rules. It’s YOUR day, and should be reflective of your style in every way! These boards won’t leave you feeling like you just chomped on some more cardboard cut-outs… Au contraire – ’tis Much more YUM! I hope this provides you with all kinds of new and meaningful means of fully representing on your wedding day.
Denise Mack Photography – providing kick-ass candid wedding documentary services in the Twin Cities of Minneapolis and Saint Paul, greater Minnesota, Wisconsin, and beyond!
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