Good afternoon! You are in for a treat today!
Erin & James were married this year and had photos taken in between their service and reception by the awesome Allebach Photography – The Tattooed Bride Photographer. Mike likes to have fun with his couples on their wedding day (Just wait until you see some of the great moments – it looks like they had a ball on the day!)

Seriously, it looks like they had SO much fun!

“We met through a mutual friend while we were in college. James was on his way to a tattoo appointment and I tagged along to keep our mutual friend company. It was Halloween, so we went to a party together later that day and ended up at a diner at 4 in the morning. I was in costume as a Hindu goddess and covered in blue body paint, so I was pretty impressed that he would want to hang out with me all night.

A few weeks later he “officially” asked me out on a date – and we have been together ever since.

“They say the wedding is all about the couple, but really it is about the family. The hardest thing is making the day yours, while also making a comfortable event for your family and friends. The more genuine you are about your vision, the better the result and the more fun you will have. Also pick a few things you really want to do – for instance, we really wanted a photo booth and I was pining for a mimosa fountain. They were silly things but we worked them into the budget, and they were worth it.

“Having everyone you love, in one room for one night, is pretty priceless. The photo booth was also an unexpected hit. We thought it would be fun, but it turned out to be the centrepiece of the party! There is nothing better than photos of your family acting ridiculous behind a curtain. We used the pictures as our guestbook.

“James and I are both artists, so it was important to us that we make or design as much as possible. We worked together on the invitations, and I took a class so I could print them on a letterpress. We scrounged the local thrift stores every weekend for items we could use – vases, platters, teacups, linens. We wanted an event that would really be ours – and I think we got it.

“Our family came out of the woodwork to help, we couldn’t have done it without them . Luckily, we did as much as possible by ourselves before hand, so by the time the big day came, it was in the hands of the caterer and others. I cant say enough good things about our caterer and photographer. They made everything so much easier!

“Dress shopping was one of the hardest things I have ever done! I wanted to stay in my budget, but really didn’t know what to look for. I found my dress by the skin of my teeth, in New York, one hour before I was supposed to leave on the train. It was a crazy day with a good ending.

All of our tattoos have personal meaning, mostly celebrating family and loved ones. It felt good to show them, since they are part of us. James had my engagement stone, a yellow diamond, tattooed on him a few months before the wedding. I plan on getting a matching diamond in the near future.

“We found our venue by accident, and fell in love with it. The space is part of a non-profit art centre in the heart of the city, so we felt good giving money to a good cause to rent the space. Although we only live a few blocks away, all of our family had to travel long distance. We rented space for everyone at the same bed and breakfast, which turned out to be an amazing experience. The American family, the Dutch family and the Italian family hit it off.

Next we will have a reception in the Netherlands for everyone who couldn’t make it. It will be a honeymoon and wedding reunion in one!”

Isn’t Erin’s dress beautiful? And her hair! Love it all!
Don’t Erin & James look like they had fun with Mike Allebach? Be sure to leave them some love!