The Offbeat Bride: Stephanie

Her offbeat partner: Travis, Engineer

Date and location of wedding: Dover, PA - May 24, 2015

Tell us about the ceremony:

My background and beliefs are French/Arabic/agnostic, and Travis is Irish/German/Christian. We agreed on a nonreligious wedding that would just represent our love and not our religious (or lack thereof) ideals.

We walked down the aisle to music played by two of our friends. Instead of drinking wine during the ceremony, we drank a bottle of Chimay Red we had saved since the first week we began dating. The cork flew off a good 20 feet when we opened it, so it was probably good we ended up drinking it.

Tell us about your reception:

Our first dance was to Johnny Cash and June Carter's "If I Were a Carpenter," and our reception was full of Arabic music and chair-lifting (my family is Jewish, and we wanted to share that tradition).

We also had a bonfire, photo booth, and an open bar to add to the fun. Travis danced with his mother, and I danced with my father to the same song. My dad bawled as we danced to The Beach Boys.

What was your most important lesson learned?

Do not invite people who you truly do not want to share in your special day. It is about you and your love, not impressing people or doing what you think you must. Wedding planning can be really fun if you take your time and don't let it overwhelm you.

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