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Whether you’re a conservative bride or an offbeat bride, choosing your wedding attire is all about your personal style. If, in your lifetime, you have indulged in the inking of the flesh, this may pose an interesting dilemma for you. Unfortunately, weddings (like many of life's big celebrations) come with more strings than a symphony orchestra. The list of expectations is often endless, and no matter how brave you may be, it is likely that the opinions of parents, grandparents, friends and colleagues will have some baring on your decisions. |
Perhaps you decided on a whim in the eighties that having “Whitesnake 4eva” tattooed on your left breast was a smashing idea… now you’re a hotshot lawyer, bucking for partner in a big legal firm… you’ve just met Mr Right, and you’re about to walk down the aisle in front of a crowd full of your colleagues… next move, skip the rack with the strapless dresses and head straight for the halter neck gowns…
If you’re sporting a visible tattoo that you wish you didn’t have and would like to cover it up for your wedding you have several options. These include using stay-fast makeup, strategically placed jewellery, a shrug, jacket or long sleeved dress, or even laser removal (if dollars aren’t a problem)… However, if you’re quite fond of your body art and instead think it would add an element of intrigue to your wedding day… read on! For many brides, the decision to tattoo their skin was made with much thought and consideration. After speaking with some of the brides featured in this gallery, the common theme was one of both joy and pride in their body art, and acceptance and admiration from family and friends. These tattoos hold significant personal meaning to each of these brides, and as such they were proud to incorporate them into their weddings. In honour of these brides, we bring you the Style Collective tattooed bride gallery. Special thanks to the photographers who captured these gorgeous brides on film, and to the brides themselves in all their tattooed glamour! |
Melissa and Garrett's Story About a year and a half ago, I was at a charity event called the Penguin Plunge. It is an annual event to raise money for the Special Olympics and involves cutting a hole in the ice of a frozen lake and people jumping into the water. I was only a spectator that day, but I noticed this guy who was getting ready to jump into the freezing water. He was in his swim shorts so right away I noticed that he had lots of muscles and lots of tattoos! I was smitten! Long story short, we started dating and knew within just a few months we wanted to spend the rest of our lives together. After Garrett and I got engaged, the inevitable question of whether or not I would choose to cover my tattoos for the wedding came up. Of course, Garrett would support whatever I chose to do. I began questioning if my tattoos would be a distraction, if they would make me look weird in my wedding dress, or if conservative family members would be offended. I wasn’t really sure what I would do. I began searching the internet for other women like me. I was so surprised and happy to see that there are tons of tattooed brides all over the world! Not only that, but they were absolutely stunning in their wedding dresses! It really inspired me and made my decision much easier. I realized that the way a woman carries herself speaks louder than the ink on her skin and if people really care for me, they will accept me exactly how I am. Ultimately, I just wanted to be myself, ink and all. I picked a beautiful strapless dress that allowed all of my favorite tattoos show. The wedding day was better than I could ever dream. I was comfortable, stress free, and felt great. When I was getting ready for the ceremony, my dad told me that he was glad I decided to show my tattoos and that he couldn’t wait to walk me down the isle. The best part of the whole thing is when I got down the isle to Garrett; he looked at me with deep love in his eyes and whispered to me that I looked beautiful. After all, the day was about me and him. That is all that really matters. |
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Steph and Garreth's Story Gareth and I met in England through our tattooist! I then moved back to the United States in June 2007 and he and I kept a constant relationship speaking daily. We decided to make the leap and apply for a fiance' visa. We applied in January 2008 and he was able to come to the US in October 2008. We then had 90 days to get married! Luckily I had found a great site called Offbeat Bride based off the book I had purchased of the same name. I was surrounded in cyberspace by ladies that fully accepted my tattoos and even thought they were gorgeous! I had fully planned on covering them up and even bought a little shrug sweater to wear...but I loved the look of my arms so much in my traditional white dress that the sweater did not get worn once...not even around my grandparents haha! Gareth and I married at a Bed n' Breakfast where the ceremony was performed by a humanist female minister and it was just perfect! We then had a reception after our 3 night stay at the B'n'B. I made all our centerpieces for the tables, set up a candy/snack bar, bought a custom very unique cake topper off of Etsy, garter from etsy, made favors, etc... |
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