Dedicated to promoting individuality in the somewhat cookie-cutter, pastel pink, poufy dressed wedding world, Rock 'n Roll Bride is packed with inspiration for unique, alternative, rock 'n roll weddings. With a tag line that reads, "Your big day the rock 'n roll way," Rock 'n Roll Bride brings out the rocker chick in all of us. Read on to learn more about Kat Williams, the fabulous pink haired, legging loving, tiara wearing creative mind behind Rock 'n Roll Bride.
Weddings Unveiled: Tell us a bit about Rock 'n Roll Bride.Kat Williams: Rock 'n Roll Bride is a wedding blog for kick ass, individual, alternative and Rock 'n Roll weddings. I love featuring quirky, different weddings and gorgeous, unique photography.
WU: How did you decide to start a blog? How did Rock 'n Roll Bride develop?KW: I started Rock 'n Roll Bride when I began planning my own wedding. It really started as an online diary - a place to gather all my wedding ideas and inspiration. However, after our wedding I really didn't want to give up blogging, so I decided to evolve the blog into a place to share off-the-wall, alternative, unique Rock 'n Roll wedding inspiration. During our own planning process, I fell in love with all the American wedding blogs -the way they shared ideas and real weddings that you wouldn't necessarily see in wedding magazines - however there was no blog out there that shared the exact things I was passionate about - think tattooed brides, rockabilly styling, kitsch ideas and budget diy weddings with a huge stamp of personality. Rock 'n Roll Bride was re-launched in January 2009 to focus on just these things - the weddings I loved and hoped others would too.In the last 12 months the blog has really taken off, with the traffic increasing dramatically and photographers and wedding vendors wanting to advertise on the site. All this has enabled me to basically have fun doing the stuff I love - writing about and featuring awesome weddings every day, doing photo shoots with some fabulous photographers and writing for and being featured in some amazing magazines all over the world!
WU: Describe your average work day.KW: Well I still have a full time job where I work evenings (although I'm going part time soon to focus more on the blog - woo!). So on a usual day I get up at 9 or 10 check my emails, read my Google reader and write some posts. I schedule my posts throughout the day and try and plan and write everything at least a day in advance. If I have time I get going on some of my other writing commitments like if I'm guest posting for someone or writing for one of the magazines I work with. Then I have a bath, some food and get ready for my 'day' job. I work as a television producer for a shopping channel here in the UK so I head off to work, plan the show and produce 3 and a half hours of live tv! I head home at either 7, 10 or 2am (depending on what shift I'm on). When I get home I either go right to bed (if it's 2am) or otherwise I eat, give my husband a kiss and turn my computer back on. The emails have undoubtedly built up so I get cracking on them and plan the next few days' posts before heading off to bed!I love seeing so much diversity, uniqueness and inspirational work and weddings! No two days are ever the same!
WU: How do you keep Rock 'n Roll Bride's content fresh for your readers?KW: I'm very lucky that I get so many amazing submissions from photographers, vendors and recently married couples. I try to make sure I don't feature the 'same old same old' that you see on every other wedding blog so I make sure everything I now feature is an exclusive. I look out for unusual or quirky details and fantastic portraits as this is what my readers seem to love looking at the most. I also regularly review my ideas and try and come up with fresh new regular blog posts - for example my round up 'Thursday Treats' posts and my 'How to...' posts have been really popular.
WU: Describe your style.KW: Pink, crazy, accessories heavy and a little bit vintage and kooky. I tend to wear plainer coloured clothes (I love black, white, grey) and go mad on the accessories - headbands, bracelets, necklaces, shoes. My favourite brands are Vivienne Westwood and Topshop. I always wear a skirt or a dress with my leggings or tights (patterned or plain!) and hardly ever wear trousers except when I'm mooching around the house in my PJs! Right now I'm living in my tan Bertie boots and my vintage faux fur coat.
WU: What inspires you?KW: Stunning imagery and happy, individual, ballsy people.
WU: What do you look for in a real wedding feature?KW: Unique ideas, rock 'n roll/alternative couples. Tattoos, coloured hair, piercings (although that's just my personal taste). I also love featuring hippy chic, eco, rockabilly, retro and vintage weddings/photo shoots - anything goes as long as it's not too traditional or boring and the photography
has to be fabulous! I wouldn't feature a wedding if the photography was awful as that is my other biggest passion. Please note - selective colour is a NO NO! I want to share fantastic wedding ideas and imagery that you wouldn't see anywhere else on the web so the more details the better. My readers want to see ideas and know how to make them their own.
WU: What was your favorite real wedding feature and why?KW: That's pretty much impossible to choose! How could you? I'm not kidding, every week I get a new favorite. Currently however I'm still swooning over this amazing punk rock wedding So Punk Rock It HURTS! {Part 1} and So Punk Rock It HURTS! {Part Duex}, in fact so much that I used it as an example of awesomeness in one of my recent magazine articles! Best of Blogs - Issue 6.
WU: What are the most important elements for a great wedding design?KW: Being true to yourself and letting your imagination run wild!
WU: Tell us three things you can't live without.KW: Husband, kittens, computer
WU: What are some of your favorite online shopping and resource sites for brides?KW: Catbird NYC, Etsy, whichgoose, ModCloth, Tatty Devine, ban.do. Don't necessarily stick to shops that are specifically 'bridal' go with what you love!
WU: What is the best advice anyone has ever given you?KW: Fortune favours the brave.
WU: What is the best advice you can give to an engaged couple?KW: Be yourself. Don't be dragged along by the wedding industry who may want to give you an easy, generic, 'cookie cutter' wedding. Stand strong and carry on! And at the end of the day...the minor details really won't matter on the day so don't stress that your napkins don't match your bridesmaid dresses!
WU: Tell us about some of the biggest moments of your career. KW: Getting my monthly column in Photo Pro Magazine, the UK's biggest photography magazine. Meeting the editor of Cosmopolitan Bride and being featured in the magazine. Being photographed by Julia Boggio Rock 'n Roll Bride Vintage Boudoir. Being invited to attend the b-list in Washington - where all the elite wedding bloggers in America gather to talk about all things blog (although unfortunately I can't go this year)...and there's much more to come!
WU: What does the future hold for you and Rock 'n Roll Bride? Are you working on any upcoming projects?KW: Lots! As I said before I'm going part time at my 'day job' very soon so I'm going to have a lot more time to focus on other projects. I want to do more writing, some public speaking (eek!) and generally just getting to know a lot more people in the industry. It's a very exciting time!
Image Credits: (1) This Modern Life Photo
(2-3) Aaron Delesie
(4) Assassynation
(5) Circle 23
(6-7) Jessica Monnich Photography
(8) Jill Devries
(9-11) Our Labor of Love
(12) Julia Boggio
(13) Marianne Taylor
