Thinking Different: Themed Weddings

When you picture a wedding in your mind, what do you envision? Is it red rose centerpieces, crystals delicately cascading from the ceiling, or identical bridesmaid dresses?

What if it were mad hatters for groomsmen complete with goggles and tails, an aisle full of zany guests each holding a pastel parasol, hedges in the shape of whimsical animals, or a wedding cake designed with a pocket watch and tea pot along the exterior?

The whimsical wedding of Jessica and Wade took place a couple hundred feet beneath the rabbit hole. The wedding was filled with wonder and imagination, something only a truly unique couple could dream up. The Alice in Wonderland themed wedding was held at the Bok Tower Gardens, a true wonderland on earth. A location surreal yet fitting, eccentric yet romatic, lavish yet personable.



A garden fit for the Queen of Hearts and Mad Hatter themselves



The colorful and madly imaginative personalities of the bride and the groom were reflected in every detail of the wedding





The groomsmen took top hats and coattails (literally- tails) to a whole new level. Goggles and pocketwatches were the accessories of choice.



A table to feast your eyes and stomachs







Every aspect of the wedding was exploding with wonder and imagination







Follow this guest down the rabbit hole!



In a wedding full of non-sensical chaos, one thing was clear, the bride and groom were mad about each other!

If you're looking for inspiration for a wedding theme the most important thing is to talk as a couple and decide what makes you unique.

Are you beachy, laid-back people?

Old fashioned?
Love fairy tales? Have vivid imaginations?

Have a favorite movie or book as a couple?
Want to transform your wedding to your favorite place or time of year?
The potential is infinite!

Research can help you get inspired! You can get ideas from crafty, DIY, websites like Pinterest, other wedding blogs (I've included a couple awesome ones below), or take a look at our blog and pictures, we've shot some pretty out of this world shindigs!

Themed weddings reflect the unique personalities of the bride and groom, and can be as eccentric as falling down the rabbit hole or have a more subtle feel.

The wedding of Molly and Josh was set along the quaint Lake Formosa in Orlando one sunny afternoon, and had a vintage picnic ambiance. The wedding featured milk men as servers, hula hoops for the little tykes, vintage attire, and a romantic boat ride as the happy couple left the reception. The wedding and reception were filled with care-free smiles and sheer bliss, reminiscent of a simpler time.



One of the most detailed, elegant gowns to date





The down-to-earth couple created a sense of comfort and family with ease through their choice of venue, decor, and dress





Gorgeous, vintage bridesmaid dresses





The wedding took place in the father of the bride's backyard on lake Formosa, it was pleasantly inviting and delightful



Love was in full bloom at Molly and Josh's charming wedding

Whichever theme route a bride and groom may choose to take, it will always represent their personal flair and transform their big day into a celebration of their imagination.

Check out other blogs on themed weddings for more ideas!
Classic, chic, vintage, Australian wedding
Eco-Friendly Wedding
Eclectic Anthropologie Wedding
Georgia Vintage Handmade Wedding
A Neo-Victorian, Steampunk Wedding
Rapunzel wedding
Rainbow Rockability Wedding

The UK Wedding Magazine Features Pilster Photography (As part of a Rock n' Roll Bride bit)

Our favorite rocking web blogger Kat, the Rock n Roll Bride, just started a column in Wedding Magazine (Yes that's really it's name), one of the UK's premier wedding publications. She did an article featuring mix and match styles for your wedding and guess who is one of the photographers she decided to feature!

The top page may be a little busy, but here is a closer look! There we are right in the middle.



This article talks about the colors and styles that are, and will, be sweeping the wedding industry this year. We are so excited that our Alice in Wonderland wedding made the list!

Featured on Rock n Roll Bride!!!!

Kat over at Rock n Roll Bride fell in love with Jess and Wade's Alice in Wonderland wedding. But then again, who couldn't love it? It's all so outside the box and unique! We love Kat's style and were super excited when she wanted to feature our work. To see more awesomeness from Jess and Wade's big day check out all three chapters here. They also did an amazing vintage e-session with us that you can see here.

Columbia Museum in Ybor City, Tampa, Florida-Chapter 3: The Mad Tea Party: The Alice in Wonderland Wedding of Jessica & Wade

(Your regularly scheduled "Outside the Ballroom" is being put on hold until Friday to bring you Chapter 3 and the conclusion of our Alice in Wonderland wedding!)


Don Vicente, Ybor City, Tampa, Florida





Have you ever stepped into a place that feels like a dream, but you pinch yourself and you don't wake up. You look around and there are others like you who don't quite fit in, but they are there with you. Then there are those that totally look like they are in the right place, but everyone is mingling and it really starts to feel like it's not a dream. What if this world was a reality and where you thought you had come from was the dream?

During Jessica and Wade's ceremony, Mandaddy, the officiant, said something to the point of "When you responded to that RSVP, you did not know what you are getting into."

What Jessica and Wade told me at our first meeting excited me, but what actually transpired went beyond what I had imagined. I am so thankful they invited me into their world to capture it, it was an amazing place.

One of my favorite things in life is skipping from one place to the next, one experience to the next, one reality to the next. Sometimes the many experiences will look the same and other times, the times that I enjoy the most, they are like nothing you could have imagined. Jessica and Wade turned their dreams inside out, fed all of their guests something from a little bottle that said "shrink," and suddenly everyone was there together.





With five different locations it only added to the experience of never really knowing where you were at. Three of them were venues, and two were hotels. By the time we showed up to the last one, we had found our rabbit and he was telling us how late we were for a very important date. Then he just ran off!





















































Did you notice Jessica's outfit change? Two amazing dresses in one day!















Did you notice that those are playing cards being thrown at them. This was something we had talked about the night of the engagement session, so it was really cool to see it happen!

If you missed the first chapters or the engagement session you can find it here.



The Characters -
Event design by Jessica and Wade
Wedding Consultant/Day of Coordinator - Erica Petramala with Occasions
Videographer - Eric Von Billington
Photography - Pilster Photography
second photographer/assistant - Tara Sproc (I can not say enough amazing things about her, she did a fantastic job!)
Ceremony- Bok Tower
The Mad Hatter Tea party was at Chalet Suzanne
The girls got ready at the Holiday Inn Express and the guys at Bok Tower
Second Reception- Columbia Museum
Hair and Makeup by Holly Nazaro from Collective Creations
Ceremony Music by guitarist Bobby Koelble
Officiant- Chuck "Mandaddy" (Who kept the crowd crying and laughing at the same time and is also available for Death Metal Performances)
Floral done by Events in Bloom
Music provided by DJ Hellroy
Cakes by A Piece of Cake & Cupcake Spot
Catering by Columbia Restaurant
Rentals from Coast to Coast
Awesome artwork by Travis Louie



Thanks you two for inviting me to some amazing parties and letting Pilster Photography be a part of your day!



I don't think this will be my last meeting with Jessica and Wade or the white rabbit.