The majority of weddings I have attended lacked creativity by strictly adhering to clichés. Like cloned cavalcades of bridesmaids in hideous satin, expensive white bridal gowns worn once then off to storage and every square inch of the venue filled to the gills with pricey flowers.

When my BFF announced that she was to marry in October, I was overjoyed. I looked forward to collaborating with her in the creative process of wedding planning. And what I mean by that is planning a non-traditional event that many would consider subversive.

My BFF, Mini, decided to base her wedding theme on Stanley Kubrick’s macabre and terrifying psychological horror movie, ‘The Shining.’ Not only is this my favorite Kubrick movie, but one which continues to intrigue and terrify me with its layers of cryptic symbolism.

As a graphic designer, I lent a hand designing the invite and thank you card. In my January 2015 blog post, I shared the twisted design for the SAVE THE DATE card, wishing you could have witnessed us brainstorming twisted and degenerate ideas for the card. Tears streamed down our faces from hysterical laughter. Mini had to rein me in, as she was afraid that we would give her conservative older Brit relatives , coronaries.

WITNESS OUR WEDDING ART:

(Invites printed by Gotprint.com. Their prices are wonderful and the quality is great. They will even mail you samples. Envelopes were purchased at Vistaprint.com).

Email me if you would like me to consult/design your wedding invites. magdalena@prettycripple.com.

The Shining wedding theme went beyond designing invites. In tribute to this oeuvre, we considered asking guests to dress in period costumes from the 20s, one of the most elegant decades of the past century. In the final scene of the movie, a black and white photo hanging in the hotel hallway depicts the lead character, ‘Jack Torrance’, played by Jack Nicholson, grinning amongst maudlin partygoers in a ballroom, July 4, 1921.

Now you must be thinking, “Oh my God, please tell me what else can be done to throw a ‘Shining’ subversive themed wedding? How much blood and guts are suitable for the happiest day in a woman’s life?”

A ‘SHINING’ THEMED WEDDING to-do list:

Have your guests stay in a historic hotel like Timberline Lodge in Oregon, where parts of the movie were filmed. We stayed at the Berkeley Hotel, a historic boutique seaside hotel in Asbury Park, NJ which has a boardwalk and historic homes. They do not serve breakfast, but have a bar which stays open until 2am on weekends. Brunch is served within walking distance at the Supper Club.

Ask your guests to dress retro, preferably from the 1920s.

Sprinkle props from the movie throughout the wedding venue. We feasted at the Supper Club, a bar and restaurant on the Asbury Park boardwalk, which has a retro vibe reminiscent of speakeasy days.

Play music from The Shining while introducing the bride and groom right before vows are being exchanged. The main title song is very eerie, dramatic and gives me goosebumps.

Dance and drink all night long since you never know when you’ll be axed.

I can’t begin to tell you what a glorious weekend I had with friends I have known since high school and college. I love the beach during the fall and was able to enjoy this special event with creative and like-minded people whom I adore. Weddings should be creative, fun and amusing. If you have always longed to have a wedding which is subversive and will make your mother cry, then JUST DO IT. Mini and Charles delivered such a wedding and so much more with aplomb and humor. And please, ladies, lose the sloppy, drunken wedding speech from family and friends, the cutting of the cake and please, for heaven’s sake, THE SHOWER.

The American wedding racket needs to be ‘axed’ once and for all.

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