If you’re trying to find an elegant way to include all of your favorite fandoms into your wedding day, look no further! I photographed a wedding that was the perfect balance between geeky and refined.

Becky’s soft tulle A-line dress with lace appliques created an ethereal aesthetic. The handmade shawl she paired it with hinted at fantasy vibes without being too on the nose. She wore her hair half up in a relaxed braided bun that was decorated with delicate little white flowers.

The couple’s venue at the Gallatin River Hideaway in Bozeman, MT was picturesque and looked like it was straight out of a fairytale. The beige and green macrame that they hung in the gazebo perfectly framed the bride and groom. It’s a beautiful piece and could easily be added to their home decor after the wedding.

One of the easiest ways to drop some geeky references on your wedding day is to incorporate them into the signage. For this wedding, they made Dungeons and Dragons and Lord of the Rings puns for their informational signs.

“Welcome to the first day of our adventure together” – DnD wedding welcome sign.

Wedding program: DnD character sheet for the bride and groom.
“Please place gifts and cards here. We will sort them out later.”: Harry Potter sorting hat sign on the gift table.

“Please choose a seat and not a side. We are a fellowship here.”: Lord of the Rings wedding seating sign.

“You can drink your fancy ales, You can drink them by the flagon / But the only brew for the brave and true Comes from the Green Dragon.”: Lord of the Rings menu board for the wedding reception.

I love wedding ceremonies that are completely tailored to the couple. It takes a lot of creativity to stray from wedding traditions, but doing so makes the event unique and memorable. Becky and JR added something to their wedding ceremony that I’d never seen before (and I’ve been photographing weddings for 7 years). Proving that you can take the teacher out of the classroom but you can’t take the classroom out of the teacher, Becky invited “the young and young at heart” to come forward so she could read them a storybook.

“In the circles all around us everywhere that we all go there’s a difference we can make and a love we can all show.” – Brad Montague

The book, The Circles All Around Us, by Brad Montague is about creating a circle of love around you and inviting more and more people into that circle. After she read the book aloud, it was clear that the poem was a big theme for their wedding day. Their officiant touched on the idea of their wedding rings being circles of love and the decor at their reception also featured a lot of circles.

“And so we come to the presentation of rings by which you symbolize and bind your love.”

Speaking of the ring exchange, their ring bearer was a highlight of the event. Per the wedding program, their rings were delivered by R2-X307, though he had a little help from one of the ushers that manned the remote control. It was so funny to go from their officiant’s beautiful speech to this tiny robot with a frilly pillow on its “head”.

A few of my other favorite details from the reception include these books on the bride and groom’s table. Such an easy piece of wedding decor that can be made on almost any budget but it went perfectly with their soft fairy academia aesthetic (is that an official aesthetic already or did they invent it?).

Also, another big highlight of their decor came straight from Becky’s classroom. She had her students answer the prompt “love is…” and then she took those pictures and hung them from twine to make a freaking adorable garland.

Opinions vary on “themed” weddings, but I think there are a ton of creative ways to incorporate your favorite TV shows, movies, or books into your wedding decor. I liked that Becky and JR didn’t choose just one theme: Lord of the Rings or Dungeons and Dragons or Harry Potter. They sprinkled all of their favorite fandoms into their ceremony and reception.

You know, I realized that an outdoor wedding in Montana really lends itself to a fantasy theme. It kind of makes me want to buy an elvish cosplay dress to wear next time I’m going for a beer in downtown Bozeman.

Venue: http://www.gallatinriverhideaway.com/

Wedding Gown: https://www.plumebridal.com/

Lord of the Rings Signs: https://www.etsy.com/search?q=lord%20of%20the%20rings%20wedding%20sign

Harry Potter Signs: https://www.etsy.com/search?q=harry+potter+wedding+sign