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Features

When we want to get more thoughtful, this is the spot for our feature articles. Sometimes we talk big-picture philosophies, other times we discuss wedding trends, and every once and a while we just go ape-shit over a wedding WTF?!

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Offbeat Bride, Divorced

Oh hi there, it’s me. Ariel. You know, the publisher of offbeatwed.net. The author with three names who wrote that book, Offbeat Bride: Creative Alternatives for Independent Brides, a decade ago? The founder of a publishing business built on the back of her 2004 wedding?

Yeah, that’s me. And as of this week, I’m divorced.

Society fucked up my perception of weddings, my gender, and my disability -- wedding perceptions as seen on @offbeatbride

Society fucked up my perception of weddings, my gender, and my disability

I just obtained a marriage license. In the state of Massachusetts, this means that I have sixty days to become a Married Lady™. I’m currently binge watching “Say Yes to the Dress” on TLC. One might assume that the reason I’m doing this is because I’m a BRIDE so I am doing BRIDE things because BRIDE.

Not so much.

Feminist wedding choices as seen on @offbeatbride #weddings #feminism

Skeptic turned bride: The 5 feminist wedding choices I made

Like many feminists, I have always regarded the institution of marriage with some skepticism. While at one point in my life I thought I would never get married, I changed my mind when I met my husband, Chuck. Being with him made me feel like I wanted to experience everything life had to offer, including marriage and whatever that entailed. I wanted to celebrate our love and our life together with the people we care about the most and honor our commitment to each other.

But marriage will always be a tradition borne out of the patriarchy. So there I was on our wedding day, a feminist dressed in ivory, clutching my father’s arm while he walked me down the aisle.

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We NEED to see someone get married in one of these wild suits

Grooms and dapper brides take note: these patterned, geeky, and short suits are making our lives. We’re so jonesing to see someone rock one of these suits at a wedding. Wild suit brand OppoSuits has an array of patterned suits, short summer suits, and ultra colorful suits to match anyone willing to stray from that basic black suit. And by stray, we mean really stray. But hey, it’s your one chance to look as rad as you like… do it! Let’s peek (and pun!) at some of their seriously awesome, seriously weird, and just plain kick-ass suits.