My Big Fat Engagement – Engagement Advice & Warnings

Independent Wedding Fairs

independent [ɪndɪˈpɛndənt] adj

Free from control

Capable of acting for one’s self or on one’s own

Here is Elvis singing ‘My Way’ as the soundtrack for this article all about independent weddings…

In recent years the idea of an ‘independent’ wedding has become increasingly popular. Sometimes independent means that the couple is paying for the wedding by themselves (no parental or family help), sometimes it means the wedding is a crafty do-it-yourself or self-planned event.

Sometimes ‘independent’ means that a few things (or maybe everything) about the event is going to very different from a traditional wedding. Indie brides might wear a nontraditional wedding dress or select a non-traditional engagement ring or wedding ring.

Indie Wed

Last month’s Indie Wed in Chicago “cater[ed] to not only unconventional couples who are taking a more modern, edgy, or eco-friendly approach to their special day but also the more conservative couples who simply want to add some special touches.” The event featured”independent designers specializing in various wedding related fields including stationery, cakes & pastries, fashion, catering, floral design, photography and more.” Check out the video below (from 2010′s event) or their website (indieweb.com).

Indie Wed from I Do Films on Vimeo.

Something New

Minneapolis’ Something New wedding fair takes place on February 5th this year – check out independentwedding.com for more information. The event is offering mini-courses on the following topics: eco-friendly weddings, signature wedding drinks, invitations, selecting bridesmaid dresses and more. It is organized by the Independent Wedding Association, which prides itself in it’s strict criteria for membership- independent of the large wedding industry associations.

Indie I Do

By far the funnest looking wedding fair I’ve seen so far, the Indie I Do takes place in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. It is described as an event that connects “independent artists with independent-minded consumers.” This year, exhibitors included HellCat Beauty (providing “stellar hair and make-up applications for ‘Bombshell Brides’ and the ‘Matrimonial Entourage’) and Memphis Mike’s barbecue catering.Visit the site indieido.com for more details.

If you know of any other alternatives to the typical wedding fair, please let me know in the comments below and I may feature the event in a future article. Also, are you planning an indie wedding? If so, what are you doing differently?

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