Rock n Roll Bride - The ultimate guide for alternative brides

Top Stories

The Nearlywed Diaries: Where It All Began

Guest Contributor

Angel Sanchez

July 28, 2026

Imagine this. You’re sitting outside your hotel at Universal Studios, Florida. You’re jetlagged after your flight in from London the night before, when a random man who turns out to be from Boston walks up and says hello. You spend a couple of evenings hanging out and going through haunted houses together. Then you both fly home, 3300 miles apart. And that random man, that you couldn’t have run into if you tried, will one day become your husband. Unbelievable, right? Well, that is how I met my fiancé, Ryan. Some would say it was fate, and you’ll catch us saying exactly the same thing. Six months after our chance meeting, Ryan made the first of many flights to London for a holiday. We crammed as much as we possibly could into five days. Whether that meant seeing friends and family or exploring the countryside. It was then that I knew he was the one… and that my phone bill was about to become incredibly expensive. Since meeting in September 2023, we’ve been completely inseparable. Or as inseparable as you can be with 3300 miles between you. It’s been a journey of countless flights, hotels, Airbnbs and tearful airport goodbyes. We both know Boston and Heathrow Airport like the back of our hands. Only recently have we been able to say goodbye to the distance and the FaceTime dates, as Ryan has hopped over the pond permanently to join me in the land of tea and red phone boxes. Three matching tattoos later, in April 2025, Ryan asked my father if he could have my hand in marriage. To which my father delightfully agreed. Did I mention this was only the second time they had met face to face? Long distance certainly has its challenges. Then came the big decision: which country do we get married in? When you only see your fiancé for one or two weeks at a time, three times a year, every place you visit together becomes special. We even reminisce about which petrol stations we’ve been to on our adventures. Sad but true! Ultimately, we decided to get married in North Conway in the White Mountains of New Hampshire. We knew straight away that we wanted an autumn wedding. Our love of Halloween is what brought us together. And what better place to get married than the foliage capital of the world? There was very limited time to view venues and lock one in, as most venues in the area for autumn get snapped up over a year in advance. Talk about a time crunch. But Stonehurst Manor stood out to us. Built in 1872, it gave us exactly the vibe we wanted. A haunted manor on a hill, with pumpkins hiding in every nook and cranny. As sad as it is to say, this will probably be the only time both of our families are in the same place at the same time. With a guest list that’s 50% American and 50% British, we have a lot to consider. However, it’s incredibly exciting to know that in just shy of seven months, the people we love most will finally be able to put faces to the names they’ve heard so much about. And we are very excited to be sharing that journey on the pages of our favourite wedding magazine. So, it’s onto the next step of wedding planning… and what the hell are we going to wear?
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This Is Not a Wedding: Drag Queens, Surrealist Florals & The First Same Sex Union in Montecosaro

Kat

Fotosam

July 24, 2026

The concept behind Alessandro and Francesco's wedding came before anything else, they called it "This Is Not a Wedding". For them, the words had several meanings. The first was a nod to René Magritte and his surrealist work The Treachery of Images, with its famous declaration, "Ceci n’est pas une pipe” (this is not a pipe). The second was due to the legal reality of their relationship.
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Your Wedding Isn’t a Board Meeting: What To Wear if You’re an Alternative Groom With Taste

Guest Contributor

July 22, 2026

For some reason, wedding fashion advice assumes grooms are happy to disappear into a sea of identical suits while all the personality gets reserved for the bride. Grooms tend to get handed the same options: black suit, navy suit, grey suit... or if you're really out there, maybe a bit of tweed. But if your wardrobe already leans towards the darker side, your wedding doesn't need to be the one day you dress like you're headed to a corporate awards dinner.
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Why Your Core Values are Actually the Best Wedding Planning Tool You Have

Rachel Darwin

Jessika Christine Photo

July 21, 2026

Did you know that Claudia Winkleman took a nap half way-through her wedding? Yes, that’s right! Our beloved Patron Saint of Fringes, Great Telly, and The Colour Orange snuck off for forty winks in her wedding dress. Naps are non-negotiable for her, according to her memoir, Quite. Sleep is something she values above basically anything else. So, why on earth wouldn’t she have scheduled in a quick snooze on her big day? In this issue, all about self-love and having the confidence to do your wedding your way, I’m here to tell you to Be More Claudia when it comes to your wedding-planning… by making sure your day is a true reflection of the things that you and your partner really, actually value.
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Designer Spotlight: Wild Romance from L.O.M

Kat

July 17, 2026

Inspired by enchanted forests, gothic romance and dreamlike celebrations after dark, this new collection blends theatrical silhouettes with intricate hand craftsmanship. L.O.M is a UK based fashion and print brand creating handcrafted bridal and eventwear for people who don’t want to dress like everyone else. Their latest collection, Wild Romance, draws from gothic storytelling, woodland folklore and celebrations that unfold after dark.
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Colourful High School Disco Meets Mardi Gras

Kat

Andre Meloni

July 17, 2026

Alexandra and Matthew discovered that wedding planning became much easier once they stopped trying to plan a wedding at all. Instead, they created a day around the things they actually cared about. They knew they wanted their dogs there and most importantly, they wanted their friends and family to have a good time, good food and lots of drinks. Everyone could wear what made them feel comfortable and the whole thing would be over in time for dinner.
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Most Popular

Wedding Planning Advice

The Wedding Details Nobody Puts on Pinterest (But Everyone Notices)

Guest Contributor

Seattle to London

July 9, 2026

Scroll through Pinterest for five minutes and you'll find endless tablescapes, seating charts and floral installations. What you won't find are generators, rubbish bins, extension leads or portaloos. Fair enough. Nobody's pinning photos of a well organised waste collection, but these are the things you really need to think about - especially if you're having a DIY or festival wedding!
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Wedding Dress Shopping Advice That Sounds Wrong (But Actually Works)

Guest Contributor

July 7, 2026

If you've spent any time on wedding TikTok or Instagram, you've probably picked up a long list of rules about finding your dress. You'll know it's "The One." You'll cry. Your mum will cry. Your entourage will gasp. Angels will sing. The boutique will hand you a glass of prosecco and it'll be just like a moment from your favourite Rom Com when everything in life falls back into place.
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10 Wedding Readings Ideas for Elder Emos, Goths & Alternative Couples

Guest Contributor

Natalescha

June 16, 2026

Finding a unique wedding reading can be surprisingly difficult. The internet is full of the same handful of poems, movie quotes and Bible verses that have been appearing at weddings for decades. They might be beautiful, but they don't always resonate if your teenage years were spent in band tees, lurking on music forums or writing questionable poetry in the margins of your school books. Wedding readings don't have to come from traditional wedding sources and the best wedding reading is rarely the most famous one. Look through the books on your shelves, revisit the novels and movies that shaped your teenage years, read the lyrics that got you through difficult times. If you're planning a wedding that leans a little darker, a little stranger or simply a little more you, here are some places to start.
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Las Vegas Weddings

Vegas Las Vegas, The Wedding Chapel with 150 Themes, Just Had a Major Glow Up

Kat

July 6, 2026

TThe legendary Viva Las Vegas Wedding Chapel has had a glow up and it's now more iconic than ever! It now feels brighter, more modern and even more immersive while keeping the playful fun that made it famous in the first place. And with their popular Rocky Horror Picture Show-inspired package you can now be married by Frank-N- Furter in front of hot pink neon lips inspired by the cult classic!
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Fun & Flirty Vegas Wedding at the Neon Museum

Kat

Jamie Y

March 2, 2026

Beth and Elliott, who travelled to Vegas from the UK for their wedding, described their day as “Fun, flirty, and so Vegas!” They brought some close friends and family members with them and treated the whole experience like a holiday. “Honestly, we just know what we like and ran with it." Beth told us. "We work so hard in our everyday lives we just wanted a big break. A day for us, about us and overflowing with love!”
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‘Til Death Do Us Punk

Kat

Christina Srorzah

January 26, 2026

Casey met Dwayne in 2005 while looking for a tattoo artist. Appointments turned into years of friendship. In November 2022, when they realised they were both single, Casey invited Dwayne to a local venue to watch a friend’s stand up set after a session. Sitting in the booth, he reached over, grabbed her face, and kissed her. “He said he’d been waiting to do that for a long time and we’ve been inseparable ever since."
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Tattooed Weddings

Cottagecore Meets Queer Joy

Kat

Bon Harder

July 15, 2026

A few years ago, Griffin was performing at a drag show when Jay became the first person to tip them. Griffin winked at him, then a couple of years later they matched on a dating app! From then on, they were inseparable. They were lucky enough to win a free wedding at The Vow Room in Spokane so they planned an intimate celebration that brought together cottagecore styling with astrology, queer joy and a palette of green and orange.
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Fairy Forest Whimsy, Fruit Tables & Country Music in Austin

Kat

Solasta Media

May 29, 2026

Stephanie and Mason wanted their wedding to feel timeless and modern, but softened with unexpected details. Flowers became the biggest investment and the thing they focused on the most. As an avid gardener and tattoo artist, Stephanie spends plenty of time drawing florals, knew exactly where she wanted the budget to go. They worked with Ashton of The Spotted Poppy Floral who properly delivered on the visoin.
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Gothic Weddings

Forbidden Love: Red Velvet Drapes, Pearl Chains & Clouds of Dry Ice

Kat

Fien Vonk

May 22, 2026

Birgitte and Anthony met when they were teenagers, but didn't stay to fall for each other until a lot later in life. They went to a theatre with mutual friends, and sparks started to fly. "The theme for our wedding was forbidden love", Anthony told us. "This is because our love was a little secret in our early days. We we didn't want anyone to know about it from day one so we had a lot of secret dates."
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Til Death Rooftop Micro Wedding

Kat

Electric Honey

May 20, 2026

Kimmy and James planned a 14-person micro wedding with a black, gold and orange palette inspired by Halloween Horror Nights in Orlando, where James proposed during their annual trip. The ring came in a black velvet coffin box and featured an opal stone surrounded by skulls and roses. From there, the aesthetic unfolded naturally. Matte black stationery with gold foil lettering sat alongside tiger lilies, skull candles and a coffin-shaped card holder.
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Photo Shoots

Advancing Accessibility and Inclusion In the Wedding Industry with Maggie Sottero & Hopelynd

Kat

Hetler

July 14, 2026

Bridal designer Maggie Sottero has established itself as one of the few bridal fashion brands that are committed advocates for diversity, equity and inclusion. At the bridal fashion weeks that we've attended, we've always been impressed with their range of models of all sizes and ethnicities. They also always have plus size samples available if we want to borrow them for our shoots. And believe us, they are one of the very few that do!
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The Importance of Freeze Framing Your Wedding Memories

Kat

Lilia Abrahamsen

June 30, 2026

Getting married is such a crazy, whirlwind of a time - engagement celebrations, planning the biggest party of your life, dealing with family politics.. you know the score! There is so much happening all at once but then suddenly, almost as quickly as it all started, it's over. You're married and onto the next chapter of your lives. Many couples say the wedding day itself goes by in a flash, but that run-up period does too.
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Woodland Disco: A Wedding Shoot Full of Queer Love, Body Diversity & Gender Expression

Kat

Espy Creative

June 17, 2026

Wedding themed photo shoots and editorials often follow a very particular formula, but when wedding planner Catalina Rojo of Celebrations by Catalina set out to organise one, she knew she'd be taking a very different route. Rather than focusing on a couple, or a single bride model, she called in help from a diverse collection of models and suppliers who she knew would help her celebrate inclusivity, creativity, and some really bold design ideas.
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This is What Can Happen When You Stop Waiting for Your Wedding to be Perfect

Kat

Emily Avila

June 10, 2026

A few weeks before this shoot took place, the venue wasn't exactly wedding ready. The lease for Continental Square Ballroom in York, Pennsylvania, had only recently been signed. Furniture left behind by previous occupants was still scattered throughout the space and construction was ongoing. Most planners would have waited until the dust settled before bringing in photographers and models but Kyla Edwards of Eternal Moment saw it's potential.
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Rockstar Retreat: A Joshua Tree Elopement for Rock n Roll Bride Magazine

Kat

Jamie Y

May 4, 2026

With the overall message of issue 67 being ' freedom', the desert felt like a natural starting point for the main editorial shoot. Our models were Sydney and Steven, a real couple who eloped in Vegas a few years ago and whose wedding we previously featured. Their familiarity with each other brought an ease and authenticity to the shoot that simply couldn’t have been manufactured. In fact, many of the accessories they wore were their own!
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Woodland Witch: A Queer Love Story for the Lobsters for Life Alternative Wedding Fair

Kat

Marieke Maakt Foto's

December 2, 2025

The Lobsters for Life Wedding Fair in The Netherlands pulled in makers, creatives and couples from across Europe last month and gave us a look at how alt weddings are evolving outside the UK. We were so excited to be invited along and spent the day meeting vendors who are pushing ideas forward with real intention. If you missed it and you are planning something unconventional on European soil, this shoot brings that same vibe straight to you! Every look, prop and detail was created by vendors from the show and most of them work with couples all over the continent.
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