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Offbeat Bride: Create a Wedding That's Authentically YOU Paperback – September 17, 2019

4.4 4.4 out of 5 stars 68 ratings
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Newly updated for a new audience of independent, out-of-the-bridal-box thinkers, Offbeat Bride is today's go-to source of support for couples who dare to walk off the beaten aisle

Unenthused by a white wedding gown and bored by the hoopla of the Hollywood-style reception, Ariel Meadow Stallings found herself absolutely exhausted by -- and horribly distanced from -- the nuances of traditional nuptials. So, she chose the aisle less-traveled for her own wedding day.
In this newly updated edition of Offbeat Bride, Stallings humorously recounts the story of the original offbeat wedding -- hers -- and shares anecdotes and advice from dozens of other nontraditional couples. She provides plenty of insider tips for avoiding extra costs and cumbersome obligations, along with a clever planner to help you create your own special day. Both practical and enjoyable, Offbeat Bride validates choosing the funky, different, and offbeat over the traditional, and leads couples through the planning process--from unique ideas on how to announce the engagement all the way to answering the question, "So, how's married life?"
Stallings is the ultimate guide to the alternative wedding of your dreams, encouraging every bride and groom to create their own distinctive celebrations of partnership and love.
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Previous page
  1. Print length
    288 pages
  2. Language
    English
  3. Publisher
    Seal Press
  4. Publication date
    September 17, 2019
  5. Dimensions
    5.45 x 1 x 8.2 inches
  6. ISBN-10
    1580059244
  7. ISBN-13
    978-1580059244
  8. See all details
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Editorial Reviews

Review

"Offbeat Bride should be required reading for every couple struggling to create a wedding that uniquely reflects who they are. With wisdom and humor, Ariel Meadow Stallings reminds you that you need not buy into the wedding industrial complex in order to have a kick-ass celebration."
--Lori Leibovich, founder and editor of Indiebride.com

"A wedding book that won't make you puke. Whatever your idea of nontraditional may be, Offbeat Bride is here to tell you that it's all gonna be okay."
--Wendy McClure, author of I'm Not the New Me

Finally, a wedding guide that doesn't assume you've been waiting your whole life to act out tulle-swathed princess fantasies. Stallings deftly shows independent women how to embrace their inner bride without losing themselves in the process."
--Hana Schank, author of A More Perfect Union

"Here's one book the wedding industrial complex doesn't want you to read! Offbeat brides aren't just creative and thrifty (though they're often both)-they're taking weddings back and reinventing them in the ways that matter most."
--Kamy Wicoff, author of I Do But I Don't

About the Author

Ariel Meadow Stallings is the founder and publisher of Offbeat Empire, a digital publishing company that reaches about a million readers a month. Her work has been featured in TheNew York Times and The Guardian and on the Today Show.

Product details

  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Seal Press; 3rd edition (September 17, 2019)
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Paperback ‏ : ‎ 288 pages
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 1580059244
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1580059244
  • Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 10.6 ounces
  • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 5.45 x 1 x 8.2 inches
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.4 4.4 out of 5 stars 68 ratings

About the author

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Ariel Meadow Stallings

Ariel Meadow Stallings

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Author of "From Sh!tshow To Afterglow," "PROS BEFORE BROS," and three editions of "Offbeat Bride," Ariel Meadow Stallings is a writer who likes to poke at the soft places of overlap between culture, identity, relationships, and personal development.

Ariel got her start in the mid-'90s editing a rave magazine, graduated the Columbia Publishing Course in 2001, and spent the early '00s as a copywriter for companies like the Seattle Times, Microsoft, and Amazon.

Since 2009, she's focused on her bootstrapped digital media company, the Offbeat Empire LLC. Ariel's work has reached over 55 million people in the last decade through the Offbeat Empire's web and social media properties like offbeatwed.com and offbeathome.com.

Ariel lives in Seattle with her son, and spends her spare time dancing and happy-crying. You can follow her most current writing at arielist.medium.com

Customer reviews

4.4 out of 5 stars
4.4 out of 5
68 global ratings

Top reviews from the United States

Brittany Hiser
5.0 out of 5 stars A great tool for both Off Beat & Traditional Brides
Reviewed in the United States on August 22, 2020
Verified Purchase
I love, love, love this book! It has so much practical advice. I bought it when I was getting married and then passed it on to another bride after. I have another friend who is getting married and I just bought it for her as a gift to get her started. It a fun read and can help you look at your day from a different perspective. Even if your wedding isn't that off beat, it's still a great tool and I highly recommend it. I also love the updated cover, not that that really affects anything. Lol.
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5.0 out of 5 stars Love this book and the website
Reviewed in the United States on February 7, 2014
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I was venturing on different weddings about eloping and weddings. My boyfriend and I have different ideas for when we decide to legalize our life together. I want a marriage and he wants to elope... but that's besides the point. I first stumbled across the offbeat bride website and loved all the ideas. It is not specific about weddings or elopements. The other is very good at showing how you can make your day the way you want it and it doesn't matter what anyone else thinks. After perusing the site I found that prior to there was a book so I bought it for my tablet and love it! The author has great ideas and advice and is very down to earth which I love.
2 people found this helpful
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kerryanndunn
4.0 out of 5 stars A bridal book for the rest of us!
Reviewed in the United States on July 17, 2013
Verified Purchase
I never thought I would ever get married. That said, it's amazing how meeting the right person can completely change your perspective on EVERYTHING. He popped the question, I said yes. Now we plan a wedding? I don't know where to start! A friend linked me to offbeatbride.com and I felt like I found a refuge from cheese and schmaltz. These are girls like me having every kind of wedding you can imagine! It made me feel like we can DO THIS! Naturally, I ordered the book that launched the website and I devoured it. Ariel writes her own wedding story with copious amounts of humor and honesty and practicality. She tells you like it is and is encouraging and supportive in your vision of a non-traditional wedding. I loved all the tips and advice and I know I will return to this book again and again over the process of planning our wedding. I took off one star because, come on! You wrote an entire book about your gorgeous offbeat wedding and didn't include any pictures??? I feel ROBBED.
4 people found this helpful
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Darcy Weiss
5.0 out of 5 stars A laugh out loud book
Reviewed in the United States on April 25, 2013
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I could not put this down. I was not sure what I was getting into but when I downloaded the sample I could not stop laughing. Ariel has such a great sense of humor and a delightful way of telling her story. I loved reading about her view on marriage and why she made the decisions that she did. I found myself cackling and tearing up. Such a fun read I suggest that anyone getting married or thinking about getting married read it. Many interesting ideas and viewpoints. :) Thank you Ariel for sharing your story!!!
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T. Dao
5.0 out of 5 stars Love the book & website
Reviewed in the United States on July 23, 2011
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I bought this book because I consider myself an offbeat bride. I am having a Super Mario wedding in the next couple of months so this book helped me to find my niche and how to create my dream mario wedding like creating a wordsearch for the ceremony program with Mario characters. The book is well written and funny. I couldn't put it down and there were so many ideas you can use for your own wedding.

I also love the website and part of the tribe:)
2 people found this helpful
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Nicole Morragan
3.0 out of 5 stars A Relieving Memoir
Reviewed in the United States on June 30, 2013
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This book is mostly memoir of the author, with a few paragraphs thrown in from other "offbeat" brides (and a few grooms). It offers little to no actual planning advice that can not be found easily and elsewhere.
This book was awesome and making my wedding plans seem less plain and less strange. Which was a fantastic relief from a lot of other bridal books out there with their ultra formal, super traditional, ridiculously huge budgets; complete with paying families, and no actual family dramas. But with that relief also came a bit of inadequacy from not having a completely strange and wonderfully weird affair. Visiting her website only brings similar vibes of not having my wedding be quirky enough to be a part of their "tribe".
If you're looking for a break from the bridal business of planning and budgeting a wedding that may be less than traditional and a lot less expensive, this book will probably provide a sigh of relief. Also, if you're looking for some limited but interesting ideas this may be the ticket. But if you've been planning for a while and know how to surf the web not much new is presented here.
The strongest points in this book focus on friends and family. The authors support of the gay community is refreshing, as is her views on marriage. Other than that, not much new or exciting here, folks.
12 people found this helpful
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Sherry S.
5.0 out of 5 stars This book is Da Bomb!
Reviewed in the United States on November 7, 2012
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I'm not only an Off Beat Bride but also on my third try at this. I understand how difficult it can be to stand up to societal and family pressure to be very traditional and vanilla despite what is on the inside. This is a guide for doing things that reflect the couple you are and not what society say "should" be done. Communication, handling tough situations etc. Very good read for those who do not fit the round hole we are "supposed to" fit.
One person found this helpful
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Kim V.
4.0 out of 5 stars Finally
Reviewed in the United States on February 6, 2014
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If you are getting married and the thought of large, pink, fluffy things horrify you, or your groom wants to help with the responsibilities (gasp), or if your idea of a cake is in the shape if the Millenium Falcon and not a circular cake pan, this is the book for you. A guide to owning your own definition of a wedding FTW, Ariel tells her story with honesty and humor. A great read.
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Top reviews from other countries

Holly Brockwell
4.0 out of 5 stars Good inspiration and lots of food for thought
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on January 9, 2011
Verified Purchase
'Offbeat Bride' is a good compilation of all the things you need to think about when planning your wedding. It covers all the stages of wedding planning, right through to the lull after you've got married, and it's full of useful suggestions about how to cut costs.

I'm a fan of the Offbeat Bride blog, and so I was hoping for pictures in this book along the lines the 'Wedding Porn' section of the site. However, there are none. No pictures of the author's wedding, no pictures of cool offbeat dresses or settings - no pictures full stop. I think this is a huge shame as the site's full of glorious pictures of people's unusual ceremonies, and I was hoping for an 'editor's cut' of the best ones. Admittedly, on Kindle they'd all have been rendered in black and white, but it would have been better than nothing. It's frustrating not to see even one picture of the author's big day after she talks about her theme and outfits so much.

Another couple of downsides: the Kindle version has a lot of missing spaces between words. Not sure why that is, but it hasn't been proofread properly.

Also, Ariel Meadow Stallings uses the word 'delicious' far too often (not referring to food), and could do with learning some more adjectives before her next book. But that's just a nitpick, really.

Overall, the book made me laugh and made me think about a lot of aspects of weddings that hadn't crossed my mind yet. It also made me very sympathetic to my sister, who's getting married this summer. So I'll be keeping it on my Kindle for future reference, and would recommend it to anyone considering tying the knot in a slightly unusual way.
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