The '80s and homebrew meet at this Aussie-American rustic wedding

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The Offbeat Bride: Claire, Event Planner

Her offbeat partner: Chris, musician and communications manager

Date and location of wedding: Weston Red Barn Farm, Weston, Missouri - October 17, 2015

Our offbeat wedding at a glance:

We essentially had a rad, massive cocktail party full of love. In planning it, we avoided anything matchy-matchy, kept it all secular, had 40 cases of wine, and 600 bottles of homebrew. It was child-free, we rocked '80s music, and our two first dances were to INXS and Journey. I gifted and surprised Chris with a Gretsch guitar for his wedding gift; best moment ever!

Tell us about the ceremony:

Our circular ceremony was intimate, and instead of bouquets, my "Dames" held wine glasses, as did our guests to cheer for us once we were officially married. I walked down the aisle to Bon Iver's, "Perth," which is where I am from, so it was really emotional and fortuitous.

My father, who almost passed two years back, was able to walk me down the aisle with a little help from myself and my mum. Chris and I had our dear friend marry us, so we periodically sent him snippets of what we wanted to be included in our vows which were left as a surprise until the ceremony. We also live-streamed the ceremony to the rest of our family and friends who weren't able to make it. It was super special to be able to include them.

Tell us about your reception:

The small details were what I spent hundreds of hours on and I am so glad I did. We planted, we painted, we nailed, we sanded, we grew, and we brewed - and it was all worth it.

We made sure our music reflected us, so an '80s dance party it was! We also threw in some Aussie power ballads for good measure. We love food and our friends and family know it, so we needed to make sure we had a wide variety of options, so we opted for a cocktail-style food station set up. Seeing as we reside just north of Kansas City we had to have BBQ. My favorite is Mediterranean-style food, so we just had both.

We also love our wine and beer so we supplied our guests with five varietals of wine, and Chris and his buddies brewed two different types of wedding beer, a dry stout and pale ale. We had 27 different desserts: 13 Australian and 14 traditional American desserts.

What was your most important lesson learned?

Hire the best photographer and the best coordinator you can. Having those two MASSIVE things covered saved us from any stress on the day. Something will always go wrong but it won't matter. We were supposed to have petal canons delivered, but they never showed up, so the wedding party threw them instead. Surround yourself with your nearest and dearest while you are getting ready, regardless if they are in the wedding party or not.