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Kelly & Jacob’s retro carnival wedding

At a Glance

We’ve seen some amazing carnival weddings, but this one may be in contention for the most epic decor ever. We’re talking popcorn, Cracker Jacks, pinwheels, faux flash tattoos, circus-themed centerpieces, a hot dog stand, a huge and gorgeous candy buffet, and a retro circus cage photo booth! It will make you want to hop on a ferris wheel and get hitched, vintage carnival-style.

Kelly & Jacob's Wedding

The Offbeat Bride: Kelly, hairstylist

Her offbeat partner: Jacob, support worker

Date and location of wedding: Winnipeg Art Gallery, Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada — August 15, 2014

Our offbeat wedding at a glance: I have always had a thing for carnivals. When we thought about our dream wedding, the traditional options just didnt seem like us. I stumbled onto carnival weddings on Pinterest and went nuts from there. Most of my items were custom made on Etsy, such as the pinwheels, backdrop curtain, many more. I spent a year and a half collecting items that could play out the theme. It was so great to be creative.

Kelly & Jacob's Wedding

Kelly & Jacob's Wedding

Kelly & Jacob's Wedding

Kelly & Jacob's Wedding

Kelly & Jacob's Wedding

Kelly & Jacob's Wedding

Kelly & Jacob's Wedding

Kelly & Jacob's Wedding

Kelly & Jacob's Wedding

Kelly & Jacob's Wedding

Tell us about the ceremony:
We had a close friend marry us, which was such a personal touch and made us feel right at home. I wanted to include our own vows, since Jacob has a 5-year-old son, and I wanted to say something special to include him.

Kelly & Jacob's Wedding

Kelly & Jacob's Wedding

Kelly & Jacob's Wedding

Kelly & Jacob's Wedding

Kelly & Jacob's Wedding

Our biggest challenge:
The biggest challenge was trying to transform an art gallery into a carnival. There were many limitations as far as items used, lights and such, so I did best with and it ended up perfect for us. Limiting the guest list to 75 was also a big challenge. We didn’t want to hurt feelings, but we kept it to family and friends who are in our lives all the time and we both know, as a couple.

Kelly & Jacob's Wedding

Kelly & Jacob's Wedding

Kelly & Jacob's Wedding

My favorite moment:
Having all of our family come from all over the country was so touching. It made the day so special. We didn’t have a traditional dinner, we just got married at 7:30 and went right into speeches and first dance at 8:00, so that we could focus on the party and spend that time with our guests. We had a burger and hot dog stand come out at 9:00. It was so casual!

Kelly & Jacob's Wedding

My funniest moment:
We had a retro circus cage set up as the photo booth. It was hilarious watching the grandmas get in there and go for it!

Kelly & Jacob's Wedding

Kelly & Jacob's Wedding

Kelly & Jacob's Wedding

What was the most important lesson you learned from your wedding?
We only want one of these, so we didn’t compromise our vision. And for us, in the end, it was all worth it.

Kelly & Jacob's Wedding

Kelly & Jacob's Wedding

Kelly & Jacob's Wedding

Kelly & Jacob's Wedding

Care to share a few vendor/shopping links?

Enough talk — show me the wedding inspo!

9 responses to “Kelly & Jacob’s retro carnival wedding”

  1. Jecka Avatar
    Jecka

    a) Your tattoos are GORGEOUS, bride!
    b) The temporary tattoo favors are fucking brilliant!
    c) I love the overall feel of this wedding! The mix of chill and elegant, funky and beautiful… it’s just jaw-dropping!

  2. Amanda Avatar

    It was such a fun wedding to be a part of! Kelly had such great ideas for her wedding, it was so neat to bring it all together, and in this case get to play with all the flowers too!

    Thanks for the feature! xoxo

  3. Janet Avatar
    Janet

    This is just the bee’s knees. Every picture made me smile.

  4. Dayna Avatar
    Dayna

    This wedding is SPECTACULAR.

  5. toad Avatar
    toad

    All awesomeness! Those shoes – the groom’s blue suit – the car – the bride’s hair – the (permanent and temporary) tats – I love it all!

  6. Olivia Avatar

    I love Carnival Weddings and Parties, so colorful, so much fun. Just Wow!

  7. Julio Avatar

    Please tell me where you got that blue suit, brah. It’s gorgeous!

    1. Jacob Avatar
      Jacob

      I actually had it made by Eph Apparel. I originally picked a suit called true blue which was a darker shade but they had run out of the material and it wouldn’t be ready in time for the wedding. They had this material newly in stock and I was a little apprehensive about it because it is intense, but I quickly fell in love with it and it really popped in the pictures.

  8. Marissa Avatar
    Marissa

    How did you get or make that awesome circus cage??!!

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