Each of us had both of our parents escort us down the aisle. I walked down the aisle not to some stiff traditional bridal march but instead to Death C

Each of us had both of our parents escort us down the aisle. I walked down the aisle not to some stiff traditional bridal march but instead to Death Cab for Cutie's "I Will Follow You Into the Dark."There was really no bridal party to speak of,Celebrity Dress, just my sister who served as the maid of honor and Benjamin's brother, the best man. Oh, and let's not forget the most important member, the ring bearer…my handsome dog, Leroy! Our good friend, Adam, served as the officiant, something that was very special for us.Oh, and we had biscuits and beer at the reception and our wedding bands are engraved with passages translated and transcribed into Elvish. I'd say that's pretty offbeat.Our biggest challenge: The distance was our biggest hindrance, coupled with the shortened planning time. We were engaged June 28th and married October 28th of the same year. We wanted a fall wedding and just didn't want the long,Sheath Wedding Dress, drawn out year-long engagement, so we just went for it. Also, we live approximately 300 miles from the actual wedding site, so tracking down vendors was difficult.My mom served as wedding planner/coordinator in WV and took care of the food and helped with the decorations as well. We took lots of pictures of our space so that we could plan the decorations well ahead of time. And at one point, I caught her dumping a candy dish full of Halloween M&M's into her purse!My offbeat advice: Do not, I repeat, do NOT let anyone else dictate how your wedding should be. This wedding is yours, so own it. Make it real and personal and you. Don't put things in your ceremony just to make certain family members happy or omit things to placate others. Decide how you want your day to be; find your vision and go with that. If you want casual and small, do not let someone else talk you into a big, poofy dress and a sit-down meal for 150. Stand your ground!For anyone wanting to take the quick route like us, I say go for it! Don't listen to those who will tell you it can't be done because we are proof that it can be. You don't need a whole year to plan a wedding, trust me. Just find a timeline that works for you and follow it. Also, having a resource of friends and family willing to take on tasks is a big help as well.Try not to mention the "W" word when talking to vendors. Just say you're planning a party or reception; prices tend to escalate once the word "wedding" is uttered.Weddings don't have to break the bank, so be a bargain hunter! DIY as much as you can. Try not to mention the "W" word when talking to vendors. Just say you're planning a party or reception; prices tend to escalate once the word "wedding" is uttered.And realize that there will be things that will go wrong,Evening Dresses, things you can't control.