Spooky Kitten Couture offers a range of handmade “costumes”, which are more elaborate than they sound. Spooky Kitten Couture is the shop of a Californian costume designer and she says:

“if you have an idea, or twelve, we can moosh them together into your dream wedding gown.”

The use of the word “moosh” has me sold

She’s got Victorian gowns, medieval gowns, Southern Belle costumes, and more. She uses quality fabrics and embellishments, and – although these are relatively simplistic gowns - the attention to detail shows.

Spooky Kitten Couture’s costumes would make excellent bridesmaid dresses, or even bridal or mother-of-the-bride outfits. She loves custom orders, so convo her if you have an idea, or twelve.

She donates a portion of her funds to animal charities, which is also totally awesome.

So, Victorian brides and medieval wenches, check out Spooky Kitten Couture on Etsy!

I know Wedding Skulls readers love anything a little different from the “normal” wedding stuff, so I’ve been thinking about alternatives to the boring guestbook. At our wedding, we have a notebook my mum found in a hippy shop, with a resin cover moulded like a demonic Necronomicon, and a skull pen magnetically attached to the cover. It’s awesome.

A guest book is meant to be a memento for you, so you can look back and remember who came, and read the lovely wishes they wrote for you on your wedding day. I’m a big fan of guestbooks that let guests be as creative as possible, because I think that makes for a fun book to look back on. Perhaps you’ll enjoy one of these ideas:

Wedding Platter

You can buy plain white platters from many sources (check your local Ikea) and draw on them with ceramic pens, which you should be able to find at a craft shop. If you have a lot of guests they won’t be able to do much more than sign their name, unless you want an entire wedding crockery set (which sounds like fun, especailly if you have some artistic friends). In order to set the markers, you normally need to bake the platter in the oven, so make sure you buy one that’s oven safe!

Wedding Pillowcases

Buy two unpatterned pullowcases and have your guests sign these with fabric markers. This idea works with other functional items, like aprons, photo frames and matt boards, canvases, cushions, vases and tapestries.

Playing Cards

I always think playing cards are the oft-overlooked classy, simple decorating tool. For the retro couple, why not buy a packet of playing cards and have your guests scrawl on them? That way, whenever you play strip poker, you can be reminded that grams thought you were a beautiful bride.

Wedding Collage

If you’re a bit of an artist, design a wedding collage, (just design it, don’t make it yet) which will include some of your wedding photos and mementos, and some means of guests signing it (little bits of paper cut out as skulls, or leaves, etc). leave the cut outs on the guest table with lots of multi-colored pens and

Sweet Tooth

Have a cupcake or cookie-decorating station, and have each guest make up an edible with their name on it, or a short message. Arrange the yummys on a table and take several good photos. Now eat your wedding guestbook for dessert!

Garden Feature

Have your guests write their names on a rock with a pen that won’t wash off. Seal the rocks with varnish and arrange in your garden. Plant a flower that reminds you of your relationship, and watch it grow together.

The Steampunk Book

Have a friend sit at a table with an old typewriter. Your guests dictate messages which she can then type out. Use these typed messages to create a steampunk-themed scrapbook or other art item. For extra fun, have your guests dictate messages as telegrams.

Another great steampunk idea is to have guests sign an old vintage travelling trunk. Filled with your worldly possessions, you’ll be ready for airship adventures!

Pumpkin Patch

At your halloween wedding, have your guests carve their names into a pumpkin, and take a photo of them all lit up. How wicked would that be? Give out a prize to the most artistic pumpkin.

Horrible Guests

Buy a calico zombie doll, and have your guests sign that. Awesome!

Recipe Guest Book

On your wedding invitation, ask each guest to bring a favorite family recipe. Compile these recipes into your own family cookbook. You could even have the book printed through Lulu, and give copies back to your relatives for birthdays and Christmas.

I hope I’ve inspired you with a few alternative wedding guestbook ideas. Remember, a guest book is meant to be a memento for your wedding reception, so choose one you’ll be able to hold onto forever.

Steampunk – the meshing together of Victorian sensibilities and science-fiction. The aesthetic of aether and brass, of steamships and Air Pirates, of death and glory and mother England.

In the last few years, Steampunk has taken to world by storm – not just as a subgenre of science-fiction movies, books and games, but as a lifestyle and a subcultural aesthetic. Like Gothic, but more adventurous and playful, steampunk fuses whimsy and darkness in a perfect blend of awesome.

So it’s no wonder that Steampunk weddings are the hottest subcultural event since the class visit to the train museum. All over the world, couples are embracing the magic of the Victorian age to marry in old railway carriages, airships and hot-air balloons.

The centrepiece of a steampunk wedding is always the clothing. Steampunk fashion takes Victorian styles and re-casts them as the Victorians might have imagined futuristic aliens might have dressed.

Steampunk fashion features an element of dress-up: you create a persona for yourself based on who you would be in a steampunk world: a dishevelled air-ship captian? A steam-powered warrior from Napolean’s robot army? A mad scientist working for the Queen of Hearts? Literature, Science, Religion, Polities – take what you love from Victoriana and mesh it together into a character that’s uniquely you, but.

The Brides Outfit

A Steampunk bride should be both beautiful, mysteriouss and completely otherworldly. Think about your steampunk persona – those aspects you wish to emphasize with your outfit – your sense of adventure, your passion, your humour, your whimsy.

Steampunk is not a fashion of minimalism – it’s flambouyent, <> and <>. You need to wear something you’re comfortable in, but at the same time, you only get married once, in one outfit, so you might as well make it as awesome and crazy as you can, right?

The flexibility of the steampunk style allows us to experiment with different colours and textures. Victorians loved the combination of several layers of textured, patterned fabric, lace and jewelry. Combine stripes and squares, damask and ivy, silvers and gold for a distinctly Victorian feel. Add modern sub-cultural elements like rivets, safety pins, spikes, leather, PVC, tattoo designs and , to give that modern / old fusion.

The Groom’s Outfit

The steampunk groom is a figure of dapper sophistication. Unlike most other fashion styles, steampunk offers men ample chance to really let their creativity run wild: you could be a lion tamer at a menagerie, an Air-ship pirate or sea-going privateer, an adventurer, a pioneering archaeologist, or a decorated soldier with a mechanical arm.

No steampunk groom would be complete without a hat – bowler, top hat, soldier’s beret or cap and goggles.

The Attendants

Renting outfits from a costume shop or army store might give you the option of choosing desirable outfits on a budget. Where else could you find four matching Civil War uniforms?

Think about tying your attendants into your theme and characterisation? What about an airship crew with hand-designed insignia? Or a group of parlour ladies? Or soldiers from the Queen’s royal guard, complete with futuristic ray guns strapped at the hip?

Perhaps you could let your attendents create their own outfits based on their steampunk personas. You’d certianly have one of the most creative bridal parties ever.

Accessories

Accessories define the steampunk look. Fob watches, goggles, jewelry made from old watch parts, taxidermy, memento mori and curios, glass bottles filled with arcane liquids, military uniforms, lace handkerchiefs, monocles and huge silver keys. Hunt the many steampunk shops on Etsy or the thift stores in your own town to find the necessary gems. I love army surplus stores for a huge array of authentic knick knacks.

Creating the perfect steampunk wedding outsits means a lot of hard work: deciding on your aesthetic and your steamy personas, then scouring thift shops and car boot sales for those essential accessories. Late night DIY projects to make goggles and sew lace and attach watch parts to his cufflinks. But I think perhaps the best thing about a steampunk wedding is the chance to be boldly, crazily creative in a way you often don’t get to in everyday life, and that you get to share that creative process with your partner. How awesome is that?

It’s been a long time since I featured a steampunk business here on wedding skulls, but that time is at an end. Aerin of Royal Steamline contacted me months ago, but I’ve been horribly slack about putting this interview together. But finally, here it is. I know you’ll love Royal Steamline’s collection of vintage-inspired dark, macabre and steampunk wedding invitations.

Who is Royal Steamline and what do you do?

Royal Steamline is a husband-and-wife design team based in Portland, Oregon. We create wedding invitations that have a dark, clockwork or otherwise retro/vintage flavor. Through a subtle (and sometimes anachronistic) combination of shadows, textures and vintage illustrations, we aim to convey a sense of eras strange and forgotten. Sea monsters mingle next to robotic ravens, and gentlemen scientists have tea with rockabilly rebels.

What is steampunk to you?

We thought you might ask something like that! Well, it can be many things, but it often involves a reordered history, usually with a novel mixing of noteworthy technological concepts or historical figures. And, yes, it often evokes the people, manners, and building materials of the Victorian period. So you might have Sherlock Holmes working with William Fox Talbot to develop infrared photography as part of an effort to identify and apprehend the Ripper. But it goes way beyond this and the common penchant for corsets and goggles: it can involve elements of the Old West or totally fictitious times and places. It’s kind of like Justice Stewart’s famous quote, we’re not sure how to define steampunk, but we know it when we see it!

What drew you to the culture/style initially?

Hmm…a particular sense of adventure? Always asking “What if…?” The dusty, muted colors. The elegance of brass, glass, and the era of the gentleman scientist? Poe and the birth of the modern detective story? Sprawling fin de siècle country manors where strange dinner parties occur? Jim and Artemus foiling the mad diminutive doctor? The contradiction of it all. Plus, we adore Victorian wallpaper design!

How did you or will you incorporate gothic and steampunk features into your wedding?

We often tend to prefer the subtle. So when it came to our wedding, we tried to incorporate a lot of small details and touches that suggested instead of overpowered. For instance, we created table “installations” that featured objects from our collection of curios: glass eyes, Victorian travelogues, antique stereoviews of seances, examples of 19th century quackery. Our guest book was a stack of antique postcards that people used to “send us” their best wishes. J. wore an antique silver brooch (reputedly haunted) as a tie bar, and I wore a unique shrug and veil that I had handmade for the wedding; I also wore long gloves and a ’30s-inspired gray dress. In our readings, we quoted everyone from Poe to Shelley to the Gothic Archies (again, it’s all about new combinations!).

Tell us a little about your design process – how do you choose materials/motifs/inspiration for your pieces?

Our designs start and end with a story, usually sparked from a book or artifact on our shelves. J’s been deep into Victorian pulps and I’ve been collecting mourning buttons and early 20th century advertising and science imagery. We’re inspired by the stories of retro technology, textures of old paper…the look of outdated fonts…some crazy ornate border flourish. The combo of the different worlds usually leads to some interesting aesthetics.

Why do you think Royal Steamline appeals to so many people?

It seems that more and more people are realizing that weddings can and should reflect themselves, their styles and tastes. And, for what seems like a growing number of people, this means choosing wedding invitations that evoke a dark, gothic or Victorian or misplaced-science-type feel. It’s created a whole new definition of what a wedding should be. We just want people to enjoy their wedding day — and if they’re into the idea of people landing on the Moon in 1901, then please come see us!

Name a couple of bands/songs that are on your stereo at the moment?

Music plays a huge role with regard to who we are and what we do (or, maybe, just how we do it). We actually met when we were both living in San Francisco and our first date was basically one big argument about music (but it was great!). We genuinely enjoy a huge range of music: I grew up loving bands like Bauhaus, Ministry, Joy Division, Clan of Xymox, and The Smiths while J listened to stuff like the Misfits, Neurosis, Hawkwind and Einstürzende Neubauten. These days, we’re still all over the place! Recently, shows we’ve seen include Earth, Stereolab, Vagabond Opera, the Horrors, Thrones, the Handsome Furs, the Ghastly Ones…We haven’t even mentioned J.’s love of early Americana (Harry Smith is a big influence) and my collection of hard bop and sad bastard vinyl.

What’s coming up for Royal Steamline?

More invitation designs, of course! Oh, and we recently released a line of what we’re calling “dress badges.” By combining vintage seam binding, buttons, military pins and insignia, we’ve created accessories appropriate for weddings, balls, cotillions, museum dedications or just everyday wear.

Any advice you could offer to Wedding Skulls?

We just hope brides and grooms go with their hearts. If you don’t want to wear a white dress then don’t! If you want to walk down the aisle to Ernest Tubb or At the Gates, then do it! Your wedding is about you and your partner — make it a day you both will love to plan and remember.

So Skully brides and grooms, if you fancy a little steampunk-inspired wonder to adorn your wedding invitations, I suggest you head over to Royal Steamline and check out all their designs. While you’re there, you should take some time to read the Royal Steamline blog, which is packed with great steampunk articles.

What dark alternative wedding website would be complete without a little corset porn?

Nina, by Angels Carrying Savage Weapons

Angels Carry Savage Weapons is a UK-based corset company founded in 2005 by designers Lindsay and Lee Fidler. All the patterns are cut in their Nottinghamshire studio. Each corset is handmade to order and designed to minimize your waist between 2-4 inches. You won’t find any ill-fitting, plastic-boned, faux-corsetry here.

Angels Carrying Savage Weapons’ corset designs give a beautiful silhouette. The elegant, unique designs hint at the erotic.

Ava, by Angels Carrying Savage Weapons

Their bridalwear collection contains several stunning emsembles, like the Siren and Nina pictured here. As each piece is made to order, you can essentially mix and match your own design, adding or subtracting materials, trims and adornments.

Seeing these amazing corsets makes me wish I could have a whole wardrobe full of beautiful gowns. Le Sigh.

Amazing steampunk wedding couple!

I saw this amazing wedding on Offbeat Bride today – Ingi and Jay’s neo-Victorian, Steampunk, black and white, garden wedding. I know lots of you are planning Steampunk weddings, and I love seeing pictures of how they turn out.

This particular wedding was held at the Edgar Allen Poe Museum – how rad is that? It’s full of wonderful steamy detailing and loving friends. I especially love the brides wonderful answer to the question “What was your biggest challenge?”

I must say the biggest challenge of the day was when I managed to set myself on fire during the cocktail hour. My dress caught flame while I was in the kitchenette placing the wedding cake pulls into the wedding cake and just like in those now-not-so-funny videos on AFV, I was quickly engulfed in flame. I’m proud to say that I remembered to stop, drop and roll, which saved both most of my dress and myself. I quickly ran to the bridal room with my bridesmaids where we hacked off the burnt portions of my dress, pulled the melted thigh highs out of the burn wounds on my leg, ingested pain pills, chugged a glass of wine and rejoined the party. And know what? It was still the best day ever. He said yes and I couldn’t have been happier.

The amazing dress came from Bound By Obsession (see them on Etsy) and the cute hair fascinator is by Pinup Girl Clothing. I can’t believe I’ve never discovered either of these classy shops before, and I’m looking enviously at the Bound by Obsession corsets and emsembles. yummy!