It's been a year since we had our last Q&A with Milestone Images, and we thought we'd check back in with New York based photographer, Angela, and see how a year full of Offbeat Brides has been treating her…

From Lesley and Todd's wedding.

We love hearing from the photographers that create offbeat wedding porn. Would you tell us about some of your favorite OBB weddings from last year?
The weddings I shot for people who found me through Offbeat Bride have been amazing. These celebrations have ranged from everything from a Wednesday morning elopement in Central Park to Lesley and Todd's beautiful New England coastline wedding to Jen and Ken's autumnal, DIY, summer camp wedding with campfires, cabins and a treasure hunt and Laurie and Sam's cocktail party wedding in a Manhattan loft. They essentially threw a great cocktail party, halfway through which they exchanged simple vows before a justice of the peace, then went right back to a cocktail party. It was great.

From Emily and Jeremy's wedding.

Emily and Jeremy's wedding was pretty unforgettable too, come to think of it. My favorite part was probably the water gun ambush in the middle of the best man's toast. Ha!

Oh! and Henry and Stephanie's wedding!…

From Henry and Stephanie's wedding.

Henry was the most involved groom I've ever met. In between cutting limes for the centerpieces and arranging flowers, he helped his bride get into her dress.

Wow. So it looks like your experience with OBBs (and grooms!) kinda kicked some ass! Any other encounters of the Offbeat kind?
I had the awesome experience of randomly running into a member of the Offbeat Bride Tribe who was at a luau on her honeymoon! I was at the luau with my family, a party of six, and the venue had assigned a random twosome to round out our table.

Fonda and Paddy were so nice, bubbling over with excitement as they described their wedding. As Fonda was talking about their amazing rockabilly-inspired event, I kept thinking that it all sounded very familiar. It was like deja vu … and then I saw her tattoo, and I was like, "Oh my God, I know you from the Offbeat Bride Tribe!"

Much girly excitement and and camaraderie ensued, and then, because I always have my camera with me we did a quick "mini-session" right there at the luau…

You mentioned in our Q&A last year how sensitive you are to bridal body issues … how'd that go down with the OBBs?
The brides who booked me after reading the Q&A last March almost all mentioned being moved by what I said about body image issues and opened a real dialogue about what they were worried about showing up in pictures: from skin and complexion issues that worsen in times of stress (hello, wedding countdown) to vision issues resulting in strabismus (eyes pointing in different directions). So many of these things can be de-emphasized simply by shooting at different angles, coming up with creative solutions or eliminated in post-production.

These conversations touched me! I was really moved that these men and women opened up to me in this way. The trust established in these conversations absolutely translated to the couple's comfort level with me during their weddings, and I think the photos reflect that, I'm proud to say.

With that, I will take one for the team and show you a Before and After example of retouching I did on a photo of myself from my wedding in 2008…

So, what was your favorite thing about spending a year shooting Offbeat Brides?
The best thing about this year has been the give and take of creative ideas and energy. Offbeat Brides are often artists in their own right, and it's just downright inspiring to be around them. I've branched out in all new ways in terms of lighting and techniques, and because of their patronage, I've been able to open my own boutique studio.

That's awesome news! Thanks so much for chatting with us again, Angela.

Offbeat Discount:
10% off for Offbeat Brides from Milestone Images

Thanks to Milestone Images for letting us know about her awesome experiences with a year full of offbeat weddings! Angela will be sharing more about her studio sessions, including boudoir photography inspired by the glamour of old Hollywood and vintage pinup girls in a future entry! 

Until then, if you want to see more from Angela and her amazing photos.

But better than looking at her photos, f you're planning an East Coast wedding, Milestone Images is offering 10% off to all Offbeat Brides. So head over to her website and, book her to shoot your wedding!

Her offbeat partner: John, musician

Location & date of wedding: My Backyard, 7pm, Portland, OR — July 26th, 2009

What made our wedding offbeat: Well, we scraped the formal wedding idea after I broke my ankle, and money was tight. [Let's hear it for healthcare in America! Boo. -AMS] Instead of renting out a venue, we decided to have it in our backyard, and suddenly a huge weight was lifted off our shoulders.

Hot boys -- cool boutonnieres.

We spent some of the money we would've spent renting a venue, doing some nice landscaping. We got all our vases and mason jars (for candles) at Goodwill bins for less then twenty bucks. I made the boutonnieres with antique keys and feathers, folded all the paper fortune tellers, and grandma helped with some killer flower arrangements. (Who needs a florist?!)

I kept freaking out that I would be limping down the aisle after having ankle surgery recently, but all was well and I was a dancing bandit on my wedding day.

A bathtub full 'o booze!

We had fun making the wedding our own, including writing the whole ceremony ourselves.

We used most our budget on food and booze, making sure our friends and family were partying it up right. Our friends are musicians and artists, and our wedding was splashed with colorful tattoos, and smokin' hot outfits.

We didn't have a real "wedding photographer," but our friend who takes band photos took some amazing shots, and we had so much fun at our rock 'n roll wedding to remember.

Our biggest challenge: Things ran so super smooth! I felt at times that I needed more help because we live so far from our family — but our friends pitched in when we needed them and we pulled it off.

The only scare was pretty minor; my dress first came in missing it's lining. But it was sent back to the designer (Jenny Yoo) and fixed in a rush, and sent back with just enough time for alterations.

My favorite moment: Two amazing moments:

John gave a toast to his parents and said, "My dad's probably never seen so many tattoos in his life. Dad, have a few more drinks and I promise we will all start lookin more normal!"

After the wedding we had an after party at a bar. We were tired and drunk, and John pulls me aside and he's like, lets get outta here! We get in a cab in our wedding attire, and all our friends outside started cheering. Then, as we are about to tell the cab driver where to take us, she says, "I know where you live, I drove your mom earlier!"

My offbeat advice: Have fun with it! Be true to who you are, and keep the wedding within your real personality.

Care to share a few vendor/shopping links?:

• Dress: The English Dept – Lucy dress by Jenny Yoo
• Ruffle Bolero and Veil: Elizabeth Dye, the English Dept.
• Hair: Susan, Rock Paper Scissors PDX

Enough talk — show me the wedding porn!:

Well, it's Friday. That means it must be time for me to have my regularly scheduled freak out over wedding shoes.

This week I'll be pawing over wedges, which I figure are extra appropriate for those of you planning a destination wedding, beach wedding, or casual summer thang.

As always I aimed for a range of colors (white wedges! red wedges! blue wedges!) and costs (from forty bucks affordable to zomg those shoes cost as much as my entire wedding budget).

Yet again I went maybe a little overboard with my selections. Gird your shoe loins, ladies. We're going in…

Click to learn more about a given shoe. Oh, and if you can't see the images, try disabling your ad blocker.

Pour La Victoire – Divia (Royal Blue Satin) – Footwear

Theresa, a PhD student, vegan and rad Australian, posted this short and sweet tutorial about how she made super-kitschy "parental flowers," little giveaways her parent's could take with on their trip back to the states after the wedding. They're just too easy AND adorable not to share. Take it away Theresa! – Offbeat Shrie

We wanted to have something special to give our parents at the wedding, but we didn't want to pay an arm and a leg for flowers from a florist — especially since my parents wouldn't be able to take real flowers home with them to the US.  So we decided to make them ourselves, and all for less than $10.

So, behold our parental flowers, awesome and flippin' cheap!

Materials:

• Fake-flower lei ($2)
• A small pack of seed beads ($2)
• A small pack of larger beads ($1)
• Fake greenery ($1.50)
• Brooch pins ($1)
• Hair clips ($2)
• A butt load of craft glue
• Fishing line

Step 1:
Cut up the flower lei.  Glue flowers to each other in stacks of 4 to 8, depending on how fluffy you want them. We got six flowers out of one standard lei.

Step 2:
Make stamens. We did this only for our mums' flowers. Take short lengths (about 2 cm) of fishing line and dip one end in craft glue, then slip a seed-bead onto the end.  We had eight stamens per flower. Then take a larger bead and fill its hole up with glue; place the non-bead end of the stamens into the hole and arrange them so they are spread out.

Step 3:
Attach some greenery. We used a plastic fern, which was kind of hard to attach because it was quite stiff; fabric leaves would be easier to work with.  For the fascinators we used a whole fern-ring, while for the dads' buttonholes we cut them in half.  Glue to the back of the flowers.

Step 4:
Jazz up the middle of the flowers. Put a big blob of glue in the middle and place one large bead on the pre-made stamens.  Sprinkle smaller beads over the rest of the glue and let this set for several hours.

Step 5:
Attach the finished flowers to hair clips or brooch pins.

1. Flasks: This was the winning decision generated from my friends Twitter inquiry. Someone suggested "monogrammed flasks! Boys get them, why shouldn't the girls?!" I like this hot pink one that can be engraved. But yet another friend of mine pointed me in the direction of these funky flasks from Pylones USA which are SUPER unique.

2. Stationery: I know, I know, kinda boring, but at the same time, super useful. And you can find tons of sources for unique stationery pretty much anywhere, and it's not hard to make yourself.

3. Fascinators and hair accessories: They can wear them in wedding as well as a every day life. Etsy has an incredible selection of 'em. Or the DIY inclined make them themselves using our tutorial.

4. Custom pottery: In our last post about bridesmaid gifts a couple of commenters mentioned "text bowls" from Esty seller Paloma's Nest. At $22 each, it's a cute and affordable way to tell your girls that you love them. Plus it gives them a place to put all the baubles that you won't be buying for them.

5. The gift of adventure: What about something like surf lessons or take the girls zip-lining. This idea would be perfect for a destination wedding — find something to do unique to the area and take your gang on a group trip. Not ones for adventure? Do a spa day or something — mani-pedies, or massages for all! Your friend will have fun and it's great for group bonding.

6. A scarf [with pockets!]: I nominate the Julian Scarf for the best invention of '09. What's not to love about a colorful scarf with waterproof pockets!? I bought these for all ma' lady friends for the holidays. I wear/use mine all the time. And they come in all sorts of different color combos to fit everyone's personality, or to coordinate with your wedding colors. And for every two scarves you buy, they take $5 off your order.

7. Pampering products: Pretty much any Lush product is awesome, hand-made and cruelty-free. Create a basket full of goodies for your girls and include things like an effervescent bath bomb. I am reminded of that one episode of Weeds: "My advice is to let it bubble between your legs. The carbonation effect… it's really… enjoyable. And, it smells nice."

8. Snuggies!: No seriously, I know they're silly and all but they're also comfy! And if you get the pink one the purchase benefits the Breast Cancer Research Foundation. Also, how funny would it be to get them monogrammed? Ooh! And maybe this is just the photographer in me, but think of the crazy photo opportunities at the wedding! Go on — think about it — I dare you.

9. Earth-friendly, reusable tote bags: Perfect to fill with your own personal "wedding survival kits," or all the gear they're gonna need to get ready for the wedding. And then when the festivities are over they can keep 'em in their car to use when they go antiquing on the weekends or general shopping outings. I like Green Concept's reusable bags and they come in packs of three or four for under $20 on Amazon.

10. A "personal massager": Remember when Ariel included the Hitachi Magic Wand in her groomsmen gift round-up? Yeah, well it's here too. And these babies should make for one happy, and less-stressed, bridal party.

11. A tattoo: Something small and awesome, maybe even matching? Something that's indicative of your friendship or just something that she's been wanting for a while. I bought my best girl friend's first tattoo — a tiny lady bug sized lady bug and it was a super fun bonding experience for me, and a life changing experience for her! (Since then she's gotten too many tatts to count!)

12. Buy them their shoes: Go on a group shoe shopping spree, or make it a one-on-one hunt for some fun bonding time with your friends. Budget brides can bring their party to raid a Payless, Ross or Target for fun and affordable choices. I had a beach wedding so I bought my entire wedding party Rainbow sandals and they thank me to this day.

13. Buy them their bridesmaid dresses: Same thing with the shoes… take 'em out shopping as a group if you're going for a the same dress for everyone look, or make it a one on one outing where they get to chose the dress of their choice (in a certain price range of course). And who doesn't love a new dress!?

Of course it goes without saying that every one is different, and no one knows your buddies better than you. So, if they'd be happier getting a Lightsaber USB Thumbdrive than a bath bomb, keep that in mind. But whatever you get them (if you even get them anything) I'm sure you're bridal party will be touched no matter what.

You might recognize these two from when when we showed off their sexy, gothy wedding porn a few months ago. Well here's the whole story on this vegan winery wedding.

The offbeat bride: Alyssa, Crafty Concierge

Her offbeat partner: Brian, photographer

Location & date of wedding: Alexander Valley Hall, Geyserville, CA — October 3, 2009

What made our wedding offbeat: Brian is a photographer specializing in zombie/horror/faux crime scene photography for which I do all of the make-up and effects, so it was assumed from the beginning that any wedding we would have was just going to be offbeat by nature. With that in mind I really didn’t want the whole thing too look too “gothy” or “halloweeny” which could have been very easy for us seeing as we are just naturally drawn to anything black/spooky/scary/bloody, etc. Even though we have a lot of offbeat interests we still wanted the wedding to feel like a WEDDING rather than a Halloween party. In the end the color theme was black and grey but with some natural colors and textures to accent.

There were many offbeat aspects to the wedding: We both wore all black and our small wedding party wore black and grey. We decided to write our own ceremony and had our very close friend Michael officiate. We had no less than six active photographers at any given point during the ceremony/reception because we just happen to be friends and family with some really amazing photographers that were kind enough to document our day from every angle. Even in Super eight and a photo booth!

A friend of ours made the vegan cupcakes and we had a delicious catered vegan Mexican buffet. Brian chose all of the music (with a little help from me for the ceremony and first dance) and a good friend was our DJ for the evening. We had so much help from all of our friends and family and couldn’t have done any of it with out them.

We also chose to give a donation to an organization that supports marriage equality rather then spend money on favors.

We also chose to give a donation to an organization that supports marriage equality rather then spend money on favors. I wanted to include our LBGT community (and FAMILY) into our special day since it does break my heart that not everyone in the US can experience this life changing event legally. We simply put place cards on each table saying what we did and why, and everyone loved it and no one missed getting a favor instead.

Our biggest challenge: We were both amazed at the lack of things that went wrong during the planning process and on the day of the wedding.

There were, of course, a few small things that got fixed easily. The biggest issue was with my dress. I knew I never wanted to get married in white; the thought never even crossed my mind. But then the question became, do I wear black? Because the fact that everyone always just assumed I would made me want to rebel and show up in something different. So I found the perfect dress at a bridal store, asked if they had it in slate grey an ordered it. We when it arrived, it was not grey, it was some weird hybrid of turquoise and sienna colored treads. It was soo not me. The women at the bridal store were so helpful and understanding and with the help of the ladies in my life I decided to reorder the same dress in black. As soon as the 2nd dress arrived I knew I made the right choice and this was the dress I was meant to wear on my wedding day.

Another personal challenge was that originally I had a million different DIY projects that I envisioned myself completing all on my own. Eventually I had to let go of the thought pattern of “Is this unique enough? Will people be impressed by this?” yadda yadda. And you know what? Our wedding was wonderfully unique and definitely the best event I’ve ever been to. Not because of the handmade items that I had spent hours on, it was because of the people that were there. Because of the love everyone had for each other. And because, in the end, none of those little details matter is everyone has a drink in their hands, food in their bellies and good music playing through the speakers.

My favorite moment: The best parts of the wedding were really all just fleeting moments that I will never forget: the sweet things my brother said to me before I walked down the isle. My three-year-old nephew turning around during the processional saying “You’re a princess.” (He still thought of me as a princess even though I was dressed in black, I love it.) Coming back down the aisle with my husband to one of my favorite Oingo Boingo songs. Dancing with my best girl friends and just having everyone we know and love in one room having a great time. The entire day was filled with love and loveliness.

My offbeat advice: Everyone always told me to accept the help that was being offered, and I admit that I didn’t as much as I could/should have. I did all of the DIY projects myself (invites, photo booth backdrop, hair pieces, wreaths, napkin rings… the list goes on) but I had fun with them for the most part and saw it all as a challenge. I used all the help everyone offered the day before and the day of the wedding so I didn’t have to do almost anything, it was so worth it. So my advice is to take people up on the help they offer, but use it wisely in the ways that will matter the most.

This is not really advice but something I didn’t realize before the wedding, but am so happy we did it — having a person that knows each of us so well join us in marriage was so meaningful and made the ceremony seem much more intimate. Brian and I read some sample ceremonies and outlines, sat down one night and wrote the whole ceremony. We discussed it over Skype with Michael (our BFF/Officiant) and didn’t even rehearse before our wedding day because we trusted that even if we stumbled on our words (which we did) and forgot lines (which we did) it would be that much more “real.” There is also something really wonderful about having your officiant be just as nervous as the bride and groom before the ceremony.

Care to share a few vendor/shopping links?

• Photographer: Jessamyn Harris (Getting ready, details, family portraits, additional shots during reception, photo booth)
• Photographer: Sara Sanger (Ceremony photos, black and white portrait)
• Catering: Are you Being Served Catering
• Vegan Cupcakes: Vegan Baked Goods By Grace
• Dress: Bridesmaid dress from The Wedding Warehouse

Enough talk — show me the wedding porn:

I love my fiance but GOD, he's such a fucking GUY. It seems like all the wedding planning stuff ALWAYS FALLS TO ME. He says things like "Oh but honey, you're so good at it." Why won't he help me!? -Jen

Jen, this is a perennial question, and it seems to be almost as much of an issue with offbeat grooms as for more, well, stereotypical ones.

I wish I could completely skip over the gender issue on this one, but I have to at least acknowledge it. I don't know what there is to say about the fact that some men don't enjoy planning weddings. Is it an embodiment culture-driven gender influences? Probably. Could your guy be lazy? Maybe. Is making gender generalizations about it self-reinforcing these very gender influences you're decrying? Most likely. Are there lesbian couples who deal with this same interest-in-wedding-planning imbalance who don't reduce it to a gender issue? Yes.

We could debate why it happens and what it means and who's to blame for a long time. But really, that's not accomplishing much — what can you actually DO about it? What can you actually LEARN from it?

Let's get big picture about the issue. What it comes down to is that the two of you are hitting against an imbalance in your relationship. I'm not going to conjecture what that imbalance actually IS for you. It could be an imbalance of communication skills. (You're so good at making those vendor calls! They always clam up.) It could be an imbalance of time management skills. (You take care of your to do items right away. They always leave stuff 'til the last minute, meaning you have to do what every wife supposedly is doomed to: NAG.) It could be an imbalance of interest (You really want your vows to be artfully written. They just want to say "I do" and kiss.)

While the devil's in the details, ultimately they don't really matter. The fact that it's a wedding you're planning is almost irrelevant. The reality is that, from five years down the marriage road, I can tell you this:

YOU ARE GOING TO HAVE PARTNERSHIP IMBALANCES.

The reality is that couples in long-term commitments will deal with constant bumps and land-mines as they navigate living a life together.

If you're hitting one for the first time while wedding planning, then I'm seriously impressed. The reality is that couples in long-term commitments will deal with constant bumps and land-mines as they navigate living a life together. You'll have imbalances of communication, time management, and interest. You'll have imbalances of skill, proclivity, and inclination.

One of you is going to REALLY care about the garden and one of you is going to care less and be embroiled in a video game. One of you is going to be obsessed with the stain on the carpet and one of you is going to shrug and go back to knitting. On a Saturday night, one of you is going to want to go out and see a play and the other one is going to want to inhale a novel and work on their bike.

Your skills and concerns are not always going to match. Sometimes it'll be over the little stuff like gardens and video games. Sometimes it'll be over big stuff like when to put the dog to sleep or move across the country. Sometimes the little stuff will suddenly become the big stuff, and while you thought you were just imbalanced over who cleaned the kitchen, but you actually were imbalanced over whether you still wanted to be together at all.

But one thing is for certain: imbalances are guaranteed. What's key is that the imbalances actually balance out. I'm better at logisticating, so I take care of that stuff in my and Dre's life. Andreas is better at being emotionally grounded, so he takes care of keeping our home feeling sane. We have different skills, but we have roughly the same number of contributions to make to the relationship over-all, even if we're imbalanced on the specifics.

The key to dealing with these imbalances is appreciation. I'll be the first to admit that sometimes thinking about my strengths makes me want to think about my partner's weaknesses. I'm so good at logisticating — GAH, IN PART BECAUSE I HAVE TO BE BECAUSE HE SUCKS AT IT OH MY GOD REMEMBER THE TIME HE FORGOT HIS DRIVER'S LICENSE ON THE WAY TO THE AIRPORT!?!

Deep breath.

One thing is for certain: imbalances are guaranteed. What's key is that the imbalances actually balance out.

OK, so there are some skills that I've developed more than he has. Rather than think about the ways he sucks, I'm going to model my own strengths, and appreciate his.

I'm going to marvel the next time I watch him change someone's day through one of his yoga classes, and take the time to appreciate how amazing it is that when he comes home from teaching his ass-crack-of-dawn class, he always offers to make me breakfast.

I'm going to say this ridiculous thing to him that we've been saying to each other for over a decade now:
I appreciate you.

Yes, we actually say it like that. It's the most literal, straight-forward relationship statement ever.

I appreciate you.

Every time I get frustrated with an imbalance — something that I'm way better than him at — I try to take the time to appreciate the spaces where I occupy the other end of the imbalance. Like feeding myself. If it weren't for Andreas, half my meals would involve scraping microwaved cheese of a plate with my finger. He might not be the one who hunkers down with Turbo Tax to untangle the riddle of family budgets when everyone's self employed. But he's the one who brings me cups of tea, folds the laundry, and always drives when I'm too frazzled to pay attention.

Ultimately, the issue isn't whether they're helping you with the wedding. Change your perspective: are they helping you out with your LIFE?

There will be imbalances, but hopefully through practicing gratitude and taking a step back from the specifics, you can find the larger balances in your relationship. Your partner may not like planning this wedding, but do they fill your other needs? Are they great at dissecting fantasy novels or comparing obscure plot points of cult films? Are they excited to move across the country with you so you can finish your Masters? Do they hold you when you cry over the latest drama with your family? Do they support your visions? Do they uphold your values? Do they have strengths that perfectly match YOUR weaknesses?

You can hope so.

Ultimately, the issue isn't whether they're helping you with the wedding. Change your perspective: are they helping you out with your LIFE? For many of us, an imbalance in wedding planning is the perfect storm of imbalanced skills — gender issues, communication issues, interest issues — but when you take it out to the bigger picture and practice gratitude, hopefully you can see the ultimate balance to your relationship. If you don't, then that's a much larger issue than wedding planning. If there's a large scale imbalance, then you need to stop looking at wedding blogs and start looking at your relationship.

But chances are, when you take the time to truly appreciate your partner's strengths, when you take the time to stop what you're doing, take them in as they're working whatever magic it is that they rock so hard, and say to them "I appreciate you," chances are you're going to find the larger scale balance despite the immediate imbalances.

Oh and to bring it back to wedding planning: it should be FUN, at least some of the time. This is ultimately a party, and if planning a big party isn't fun at least SOME of the time for ONE of you, then you shouldn't do it. If both of you hate wedding planning, then scrap the plans and do a simple family-only ceremony or elope. The goal here is celebration — not drudgery. If your partner doesn't care, and you only care because you feel like you should — stop it!

Academic Librarian, Copyright Specialist and OBT member "Mollyali" has written an impressive post on copyright issues and how they relate to your wedding photos. Read on and learn!

I'm really excited by the amazing success we had negotiating with our wedding photographer around copyright, and I wanted to share what we did with OBB.

Disclaimer: I am not a lawyer, I'm a librarian with a background in publishing who frequently does outreach and education about USA copyright issues. None of this is legal advice, etc.

Okay. So before I explain what our photographer is doing for us, you need a very very abbreviated introduction to copyright. (I'm sorry, I'm a librarian, I have to teach you things, I can't help myself)…

1) The purpose of copyright law is to promote the progress of science and art. Hardly anyone knows that anymore. So many people think it's about generating profit for the music industry and giving individual artists total control over their work, but that's just not true. Once upon a time, copyright law was balanced between the needs of creators and the needs of the public. Things have gotten really unbalanced over the last 40 years, but the goal of serving the public and promoting progress is still in there.

2) Copyright protects creative works that are fixed in a tangible medium of expression. This means that in order for something to be protected by copyright, it has to be recorded some way, on paper or on a hard drive some other physical thing. There are several classes of creative work that qualify for copyright protection: literary works, musical works, dramatic works, choreographic works, pictorial, graphics, and sculptural works, motion pictures and other audiovisual works, sound recordings, and architectural works.

3) Copyright does not protect ideas or facts. Those are free for anyone to use, even if it makes them look like they're biting someone else's style. A work has to be at least a little bit creative to qualify for copyright protection. Something that is purely factual, like a phone book, does not have enough creativity to be copyrightable even if it takes a lot of effort and hard work to make it.

4) Copyright attaches to a work automatically the moment it is recorded. There is no need to register the copyright, or to put a little (c) on it, or even claim it. If a work is relatively new (created in the last 50 years or so) creative, and recorded in some way, it's almost definitely copyrighted. Copyright also lasts a really long time (currently, life of the creator plus 70 years after the creator dies). This means that most of what you find online is under copyright, even if there is no copyright symbol and no attribution and no source listed.

5) Copyright comes with a set of exclusive rights. These are things the copyright holder can do with the work that other people mostly cannot do (there are some important exceptions, but it would take way too much space for me to go into them here). The rights that come with copyright are:

• The right to make copies.
• The right to distribute copies.
• The right to make derivative works.
• The right to perform or display the work.

The copyright holder may keep these rights to herself, or she may give some or all of them away, usually with a contract or a license.

…the photographer you hire to shoot your wedding holds the copyrights in your wedding photos. She is free to sell them, publish them, Photoshop them, and share them. You are not.

So what does any of this have to do with your wedding photos? Everything. The way the default rules of copyright ownership work, the photographer you hire to shoot your wedding holds the copyrights in your wedding photos. She is free to sell them, publish them, Photoshop them, and share them. You are not. I hear all the time from people who believe that because they are the subjects of the photos, or because they are the ones who hired the photographer, then they are the ones who hold the copyright in the photos. In fact, it's just the opposite. Those exclusive rights are hers, not yours.

But that's just the default. You can change all that with the contract you sign when you hire your photographer. Most wedding photographers these days do retain the copyrights in the photos they take of your wedding, but they may give you a license to make personal, non-commercial uses of your photos. This is especially common when photographers offer a CD or DVD containing the high-res files of all your pictures. You usually have to pay extra, but a license like this means you can print copies yourself, post your pictures on Facebook, and send them to your friends, without asking for permission and without violating your photographer's copyright. These are all good rights to have, and I highly recommend reading your contract carefully to see if you get them, and if you don't, to ask.

For me and my boyfriend, a personal license was absolutely the bare minimum of what we would accept from our photographer. We're both copyright nerds, and we knew we needed a license to use our own wedding pictures. But what we really wanted – and ended up getting – was more.

A couple of weeks ago in the post about the XKCD save the dates, Ariel alluded to something called Creative Commons. Creative Commons is a system that allows creators to attach a license to their work that gives certain permissions to the whole world. There are several Creative Commons licenses to choose from. All the licenses require that whoever uses the work must attribute the creator and provide a link back to the original. Other options permit only non-commercial uses, forbid derivative works, or require people who build on a work to share the new work under the same license as the original.

Many photographers, artists, musicians, and authors – including the ones who make a living from their art – now use Creative Commons licenses because they recognize that it is good for them. They always get credit as the creator, and it's easier for people to discover and fall in love with their work when fans are free to copy and share it.

I love love love Creative Commons because it has made possible a huge pool of new creative material that we are free to use and build on without worrying about copyright infringement. This is especially exciting to librarians and educators like me and my boyfriend, but anyone who loves remixes or mash-ups or funny cat pictures on the internet should appreciate how much better life is when people feel free to build on the creative work of others.

I really didn't think we'd be able to convince a professional photographer to license our photos this way, but we did, and it wasn't even that hard.

So, back to wedding photos. Instead of a license that would just allow me and my boyfriend to use our wedding pics, we wanted a license that would allow anyone in the world to use our photos. We wanted a Creative Commons license. I really didn't think we'd be able to convince a professional photographer to license our photos this way, but we did, and it wasn't even that hard.

First, we found an amazing photographer who already offers a personal copyright license along with the CD of high-res files. This way, we already knew we had someone who didn't feel the need to retain complete control over the images. Once we'd gotten past the initial email exchange figuring out whether she was available, telling her how much we loved her work, describing our offbeat wedding plans, etc., I explained in an email a little bit about Creative Commons and why it was important to us, and I provided a couple of links to information where she could learn more. I was afraid we'd lose her right there, but to my surprise, she was just excited to be working with people who actually understood copyright law, and was totally open to hearing more about CC.

Then we set up a phone call where we could talk about all the usual stuff you talk about with a photographer, but in addition we discussed the CC license. I explained again why it was important to us, and talked about ways in which it could be good for her as well. We agreed that it would have to be a non-commercial license – anyone who wanted to make a commercial use of a photo, like for advertising, would have to contact her for permission. Her biggest concern was that if the license was attached to high-resolution versions of the photos it would be too easy for people to make infringing uses, especially in print.

Ultimately, we compromised with an agreement that we would be allowed to attach a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial license only to low-res versions of the files. This is enough to allow for web-based reuses of our photos, but was limited enough that our photographer was comfortable giving it a try. We edited the language in her standard photographer contract to reflect the new license, and that was it.

Contracts can be intimidating and full of legalese, but it's really worth taking the time to understand what is in your agreement with your photographer, and to negotiate for more rights if they're not in the standard agreement. I was surprised by how much we were able to get just by asking.

If you want a concise overview of what Creative Commons is and why it is valuable, I highly recommend this video.

Her offbeat partner: Andreas, WEB 2,0 Master, PR-Officer, music expert

Location & date of wedding: Kettwig-Rathaus, Germany; "3/4 Zehn" Kettwig; "Veranda" Odessa; the Crimea trip — 6th August 2009

What made our wedding offbeat: I am from Ukraine. My husband is German. So all clichees are there at once.

I met him during my studies in Germany. After being friends for several years it came to us, we were no longer friends.

In Prague, he proposed me, to the great happiness of us both and our families who were dying to be on a next wedding, so the new challenge was on. How? Ukrainians, Germans, other far friends…

We found the way: 1st part Essen, 2nd part Odessa, 3rd part Crimea honeymoon wild trip with all who would come with us.

We created our own wedding blog.

I had really limited resources as to where to get a dress. My sister made me a dress according to the tv show How I Met Your Mother (Ted's girlfriend). We bought new Chucks and twittered the wedding right from Andreas' iPhone.

Our friends organized us their old "wedding Volkswagen" full of roses, champagne in the wedding yard, cake party at mom's, pictures at Zoll Verein, puddling at the lake, after-wedding party at friends' home in Essen.

One week later we met in Odessa, at the beach restaurant Veranda, entering the place with the Imperial March, celebrated again, swam drunk in the night Black Sea, then partied at a rented apartment in Odessa.

Three days later we rented a bus and went to the Crimea — backpackers, water-hunting, swimming, night fire, singing. Then coming home to my parents; twenty-one wild dirty people sleeping all around the place and flying back to Germany, UK and the US.

Our biggest challenge: There were too many and at the same time… none.

My favorite moment: Standing at a pier at the nightly Black Sea beach, hugging my husband, smiling, hearing wild shouts and music from the restaurant, knowing we made it and being sure we are so offbeat.

My offbeat advice: Do what you want! You can do it!

Enough talk — show me the wedding porn:

Robert and Kelly Gash are an adorable husband and wife team that make up Gash Photography in Seattle, covering all of Seattle, Washington, and beyond. These two crazy kids get their kicks out of working with couples who enjoy "breaking the rules" much in the same way they've done with their business.

Their idea was simple… build a relationship by committing their time to each client. And don't ask people to make sacrifices just to fit a budget. They threw traditional "limited" pricing out the window to give everyone the same great photography coverage. In a sentence: they cater to offbeat brides by being offbeat photographers.

Gash Photography has shot several offbeat weddings, but said that the wedding of Seattle couple Genna and Adam stood out as the one to share with our beloved Offbeat readers. Keep reading to see more porn from Gash Photography's favorite offbeat wedding and to take advantage of their big FAT offbeat discount…

Genna and Adam did a great job of incorporating traditional elements into a very non-traditional service, but the one thing that stood out is how they integrated their love of music into everything they did: engagement photos at a record store underneath Pike Place Market, a friend who performed the music live on guitar at the ceremony, to one of the most energetic dance parties at a reception that Gash Photography had ever encountered.

Genna and Adam's friends even went to the trouble of creating a custom record sleeve and selecting one of their favorite records as a group gift to them. Combined with a great supporting staff, and some pretty adventurous photo sessions at the market and in the park, it made for a beautifully individual Northwest wedding that was completely offbeat, but the beat was never off.

And that's also a really great way to describe Gash Photography: "offbeat, but the beat is never off." And what's even better than their fabulous photos? Their even more fabulous discount…

Gash Photography's "Offbeat Wedding Stimulus":
A complementary upgraded package for everybody, even our entry package! (For weddings in 2010-11, that's a $500 discount!).
Every package includes:

• 2 Photographers
• Full day coverage (no hour limits)
• Engagement session (on location)
• Full resolution DVD
• No minimum print requirements: you decide how much to order

I met Kelly at the Offbeat Bride book reading last weekend, I can totally vouch for the fact that she's not only adorable, but she'd be a hoot to hang with at your wedding. So, if you're in the Northwest area, get in contact with Gash Photography and know that all your wedding is in good hands.