426- Alt Weddings with Kat Williams of Rock N Roll Bride

Leah Haslage:

Welcome to the Bridechilla podcast. I'm your host, Leah Haslage. Whether you're just starting to plan or you're counting down the days, I'm here to help you stay cool, calm, and collected throughout the wedding journey. So let's get this wedding party started and embrace your inner Bridechilla.

Hey, Chillas. I am here with one of my favorite people on the globe. Kat Williams of Rock N Roll Bride Magazine. Kat, I'm so happy to see you.

Kat Williams:

Wow, what an introduction. One of your favorite people on the globe.

Leah Haslage:

It is. You make my heart happy. It's true. Following your Instagram, if I have a down day, just gotta look at Kat's stuff.

Kat Williams:

So sweet, thank you.

Leah Haslage:

How have you been?

Kat Williams:

I'm good, thank you. Yeah, very good

Leah Haslage:

For those not familiar with you, it's hard to believe that there are people that don't know who you are yet. Tell us about a brief history of you in Rock N Roll Bride magazine.

Kat Williams:

Sure. So cast your mind way back to the dark ages of the Internet, which was 2007. I basically got engaged to my now husband and started a blog basically to write about our wedding planning. So this was like, you know, before Instagram, before Pinterest. Facebook existed but it was very different to what it is now, like Myspace was kind of dying out but still a thing, but it was a completely different landscape. When I got engaged I joined a lot of forums, so there was a couple of wedding magazines, a couple of online forums for brides or grooms to sort of join and talk about their weddings, like message board type forums. I joined a couple of those and then I started noticing some people making their own blogs. So literally free blogspot.com blogs, where it was like a very basic template. And it was just sort of talking about their own wedding and their ideas and everything.

I don't really know what the reason for it was. It was more just like another way of talking about my wedding, you know, in a different platform because social media wasn't really what it is today. So I started a free blog. And then the short version of that story is once we got married, April 2008, I didn't really want to stop talking about weddings. I just loved it. The landscape of the wedding industry was very different then too. There wasn't really an alternative industry at all, but I loved the community of talking to other brides and sharing things I found on Flickr or Google or all these archaic places that people don't look anymore. And like uploading photos and just being like, this is so cool. I really want to have these bridesmaid dresses. And so I basically sort of carried it on. And it naturally eventually evolved into being a hub of more alternative ideas, just because that was my aesthetic.

And it wasn't ever really like, I'm going to start a business and it's going to become a magazine and it's going to be my whole life. It was more just like, I really enjoy talking about weddings and I like this kind of stuff and I'm just going to share it. And then over time, you know, it started gaining a bit of a following because it was a little bit different and people started emailing me that were like in the wedding industry being like, how can we get involved? Can we advertise? Blah blah blah and then yeah, it just like snowballed into this crazy thing.

Leah Haslage:

It really did flow organically.

Kat Williams:

Very much so yeah.

Leah Haslage:

Kudos to you too because you're one of the first publications that I know ever can think of that embrace the LGBTQ plus community, that have had people in wheelchairs being featured on the cover and inside the magazine, which you don't ever get to see. And that is a shame, you know. So thank you for making sure that it's super inclusive.

Kat Williams:

Yeah, it's funny because I started it. Well, when I kind of came up with what it was going to be more than just me talking about our wedding, I wanted it to be alternative and I wanted it to be different because I looked at the cookie cutter traditional industry and I didn't feel like I fit in. I was like, I'm not super traditional but I'm not super out there either like I'm not doing like jumping out of an airplane or getting married in a cemetery or something really crazy like I'm quite in the middle of it. And I always felt like an outsider like I wasn't cool enough but I also wasn't like fancy enough or traditional enough. So it started as a place for like outsiders to find each other but what it evolved into was a place where everybody was welcome and for me it was never ever a conscious decision to be like oh we're going to make sure we feature LGBTQ weddings we're going to make sure we welcome disabled people like to me that was just okay obviously like it was never supposed to be exclusionary in any way it was always supposed to be for everyone. So it's funny that, you know, it started about being an outsider and actually what it ended up turning into was like welcoming everybody. And it's just been very natural the way that's happened. And I think that's why people gravitate towards it because it feels authentic. Like it doesn't feel tokenistic, I mean, I hope it doesn't feel tokenistic, like, oh, it's pride month. We better feature some gay people. Like, you know, it's not really our thing.

Leah Haslage:

So how can someone get that confidence if they feel like they don't fit in, if they're in the similar boat that you were in?

Kat Williams:

For me, it's always been about finding my people. It's something that comes over time. I think confidence is very much a muscle. I think a lot of the time people think you're either confident or you're not. And I actually don't think that's true. I think everybody is like, there's like different levels of it. And the more you act slash fake it before you make it, pretend to be confident, the more confident you will be. Like when I first started my blog in 2007, I was very different to how I am now. Like I was not a confident public speaker. You know, I wasn't, I didn't have a big group of friends. I couldn't ever imagine of being a leader of any kind. I was not that kind of person at all. And I've totally just like morphed into it. Like I've become this caricature in a way that I created, but it felt again, very natural and very authentic.

So I think it's more about like, rather than being like, oh, you know, putting a label on yourself, like I'm not confident or I am confident. It's more just like pretending to be confident and leaning into that. And like, you'll find your people that way. And also realizing that you don't have to please everybody. And I think when you try and please everybody, you end up, like, doubting yourself more because you're like, well, this person doesn't like this or this person doesn't like this. It's impossible to please all those people. And you end up losing that sense of self-worth.

Leah Haslage:

Can we emphasize that again, by the way, because it's so easy to get trapped into that when wedding planning, because you have so many people in your ears.

Kat Williams:

I think like when it comes to planning a wedding, particularly, people are always going to tell you what to do or they're going to have an opinion. And if you've got a very people pleasing tendency, you can end up leaning into more of like, what do they want rather than what do we want? And being like, you know, I need to do this because Aunt Sally needs this or my mum wants this or this person is paying this and they need that. And it will just drive you crazy.

At the end of the day. I think a lot of couples will come to this as they're going through their planning. They need to realise they need to put their foot down and be like, actually, what the fuck do we want? Like, this is our wedding. And I think it can get complicated when, you know, different people are paying for things or things like that. But at the end of the day, it is your wedding. You have to do what's right for you.

Leah Haslage:

How about finding your vendors when you're finding your people? How do you find the vendors that are going to match your energy and vibe and flow?

Kat Williams:

Well, I think the best place to start is by reading Rock N Roll Bride magazine.

Leah Haslage:

I agree.

Kat Williams:

Go through the magazine and the website and find cool people. But wherever you come across them, whether it's, you know, on Instagram or Pinterest or TikTok or a magazine, I think it's about looking at the stuff that they put out on their platforms and seeing if you're aligned. Because if they're posting things that don't align with your values, you're probably not going to vibe with them on the day.

So, you know, for example, an LGBTQ couple, if you're picking a photographer that has no gay people on their account, you probably don't want to work with them. Like they might not be homophobic, but they're not making an effort to include people like you. So I think it's important to make sure you're seeing yourself represented in the people that you work with.

Leah Haslage:

What's your take on online reviews? When people go to Google, not WeddingWire, like wherever. What's your take on reviews?

Kat Williams:

I would say take it with a grain of salt. I would take reviews from people whose opinion you actually care about. So people like your friends who have been married or people you maybe follow online that are like influencers, but you followed them a really long time and you, you know, appreciate their opinion. I don't really know how those not reviews work. You don't know if they're fake. You don't know if they're old. I think it's better to put stock in real connections rather than reading reviews and being like, oh, this person's got five-star reviews. They must be great.

Leah Haslage:

Yeah. So we talked about alt weddings. What exactly does that mean? What's considered an alt wedding?

Kat Williams:

I would say an alternative wedding is basically any wedding that doesn't fit the cookie cutter traditional mold and that can look or feel however you want. It could be that you're having a really low budget DIY wedding, it could be that you're having a really elaborate gothic wedding and it's completely themed and epic. I think it's more about just having a wedding that feels right for you. And I think a lot of businesses and wedding industry people have co-opted the sort of alternative vibes without actually being that alternative. It's almost become a lot more mainstream than it used to be. But I think the short version is it's just having a wedding that feels right for you and that feels authentic to you.

Leah Haslage:

So with that, how can a couple choose their wedding vibe? Like where's a good place to start, especially if you're all over the place and you have all these different ideas?

Kat Williams:

I would say the best way to choose your wedding vibe is to just, like, look at what you like in your everyday life. Like, look at what your house looks like, look at what your decor and tastes are like, look at what you like to wear, and just make that the starting point, because that's, you know, the wedding should be a reflection of you and your relationship, and that's going to be the most fun and the easiest way to plan a wedding. Like, just picking a theme out of a hat, or just picking something because it's trendy is, you can do that if you want, but I think you'll probably end up with something that doesn't really feel very authentic.

Leah Haslage:

I love that, that’s a great way to start. Look around your home, look in your closet. Where do you and your partner like to go out to eat? Where do you like to go out and do for date night? That’s such a good point.

Kat Williams:

Yeah, and then start a Pinterest board. Pin loads and loads of shit that you like. It could be anything from weddings to parties to, you know, events you’ve been to. Just pin visuals of things you like and then hopefully a sort of overarching theme will start to come through. And then make another pinboard that’s a more curated vision of everything

Leah Haslage:

Once you start weeding out what you’re liking and not liking. Yeah.

Kat Williams:

Because initially when you start planning, you'll be like, oh my God, disco balls. Oh my God. Neon lights. Oh my God. A bridal party of 27 people. Like you'll go crazy and you'll need to refine it a bit as time goes on or you'll go mad.

Leah Haslage:

We're going to get to disco balls and wedding parties in a second. But since we're still on the Pinterest thing and you're getting your visuals being in magazine and working editorial, you not only feature real weddings. We're not as consumers only looking at real weddings. There's also photo shoots. There's planned shoots. Discuss with us the difference between having the two in the magazine and why it's important. and what the point of having the stylized shoot is.

Kat Williams:

So I personally love doing shoots myself. It's one of my favorite things to do because it's my way of being creative. It's my way of working directly with different suppliers and letting them be creative and then showcase what they can do to our audience. I think it's very important that it is clear to the audience consuming the content when something is a shoot and when something is a real wedding. And I think when that line gets blurred, that's when things get muddy and that's when people get pissy about it.

Because if somebody's doing a shoot, but passing it off as a real wedding, that's putting unrealistic expectations on the couples consuming that content. Because, you know, at a shoot, all of the vendors, all of the suppliers will probably have worked for free. They probably would have contributed what they do in exchange for the imagery and the promotion that comes alongside that. But you know, a florist doing a shoot might spend loads and loads and loads of money, but just on one table setting, for example, to make this really elaborate, gorgeous table setting. If you're going to have that in your actual wedding, you're going to need 50 of them, right? And that's going to end up being a lot more expensive. So I think especially with sort of decor and visuals, it can end up getting out of control if you're looking at just styled shoots as inspiration, because especially when it comes to flowers, those can be really, really expensive.

Also, you know, the suppliers need to make money. So when you're working with them as a bride and a groom, you're going to be paying for their services as well as the cost price of the product. So, yeah, basically the short answer is that it just needs to be clear when something is a shoot and when something is a wedding. The shoots that we do for the magazine are generally fashion focused. I like to showcase fashion trends in the shoots that we do because I think a lot of the real wedding content we get is so great. I don't need to publish shoots because the weddings are so amazing.

Leah Haslage:

What are some fashion trends you're seeing in weddings for twenty five, twenty six, moving in the next couple of years?

Kat Williams:

I would say colorful dresses are definitely having a resurgence or people having a second dress or a second outfit and doing something a bit more daring in the evening. Bigger dresses are a thing again. Throughout the pandemic, people pared things back a lot. They went much simpler. Gowns, short dresses, things were a lot more low key, whereas I think now we're going more the other way again and wanting to have something a bit more extreme, especially in the States. You guys love a big dress.

Leah Haslage:

Apparently.

Kat Williams

Yeah. Yeah. And lots of sparkles and big, big, big, bigger. Everything's always bigger in America.

Leah Haslage:

I can't deny it.

Kat Williams:

What else? Jumpsuits or two pieces. continue to be popular, whether it's like pants and a top or a skirt and a top or a whole one piece like continues to be popular. But people doing multiple outfit changes throughout the day is definitely a big thing. So they'll have a ceremony outfit. They might have a reception outfit and they might even have a third outfit for the party.

Leah Haslage:

I'm not sure if it's trending there in the UK, but here in the States, taking your mom's wedding dress and having it restructured to be your rehearsal dinner dress or the second dress that you wear for your wedding. Sara Rothan, who's an amazing alterations expert, we've had her on the show. She just did one where she made like a sexy slip and matching robe from the mom's dress for the bridal night. Is that popular in UK and Europe?

Kat Williams:

I can't say that I've personally seen it a lot for the UK, but maybe it will come through a bit later. It also very much depends on people's budgets. Like if it's a lower budget wedding that they might do that, but then that's the only dress rather than like a second dress or anything.

Leah Haslage:

Yeah. So back to vibes, retro vibes have been super trending. Like before it was to me just kind of like more of like an alt thing. You might have a nostalgic thing here and there in a traditional wedding. But the disco balls, very 70s, Bridgerton being a hot show, because, you know, shows can tend to map out trends. The whole Bridgerton, we have the Basque waist for the wedding dresses. And you're talking about the bigger, fuller gowns coming back. What are you seeing with that? And why do you think couples resonate so much with nostalgia and retro?

Kat Williams:

That's very true that that is definitely happening across the board, especially the disco ball, tassel curtains, seventies fun vibes. I think ultimately nostalgia just feels good. Like if you're in your thirties and you think back to your childhood, like that wonderful childlike wonder when things were, you know, it was a simpler time and you just danced in the street and nobody locked their front doors. Like it gives you that lovely sort of glowy nostalgic feeling.

The other thing is that all trends always come back around. Like every 30 or 40 years, the trend cycle comes back around. It's like there's almost nothing, not that there's nothing new, but everything is influenced by something else. And there's that cycle that just comes around. And people love to romanticize the past. So like, you know, you see kids these days wearing their Y2K inspired outfits. And like, we never wore stuff that was that cool in 2001. But like, you can see the inspiration. But then, you know, you see these kids on TikTok being like, oh my God, it must have been so cool to go clubbing in 2004. It's like, it didn't look like that. It was really uncool. But yes, we did wear butterfly tops and wide leg jeans.

Leah Haslage:

Yes. Oh my God, the butterfly tops. Or we had like that weird business in the club where it was like the vest over the t-shirt with the palazzo pants like I don't understand what we were doing.

Kat Williams:

Like a peplum top with an A-line skirt? Not A-line, a pencil skirt?

Leah Haslage:

Yes, what were we doing? Dancing to Nelly…

Kat Williams:

I know. And like little shoe boots, like Jeffrey Campbell boots. They're definitely coming back. I've seen them around a lot. It's wild.

Leah Haslage:

I wish the 90s wedding stuff would have held on a little bit longer. I think it's kind of faded really fast, but such a bummer to me because that's my favorite era of wedding. So my favorite weddings, obviously, is like Cindy Crawford to Randy Gerber and Carolyn Bessette Kennedy to JFK Jr., which is one of the most iconic, right? That kind of simplicity and the Calvin Klein, Ralph Lauren, stripped down Vera.

Kat Williams:

I think the 90s and the early 2010s had a lot of similarities, like the kind of Indy Sleaze 2010s aesthetic is very 90s core. So apparently 2010s are now coming back because we really are that far in the future. So maybe the 90s will come back in that sort of way again, like big fur, like faux fur jackets and like more simpler dresses and fishnets or whatever it is, you know, chokers, they'll probably come back around.

Leah Haslage:

Bring back the Spice Girls look. Just keep it here. OK, so when we're seeing all this stuff on social media between Instagram, Pinterest, everything like that. It can become a rabbit hole. It can become all-consuming. So how do we have a healthier relationship when it comes to social media and wedding planning? I know you have a great the who, what, where filter.

Kat Williams:

Social media. Yeah, I think social media is obviously great and it's amazing to get inspiration, but the comparisonitis is just off the charts. And it's similar with styled shoots. It's like the small window you're seeing into somebody's wedding to what, like, based on what they're sharing on social media is not the whole story. And you just have to remember that. But like the stuff they're sharing is very, you know, they're being very particular about what they're sharing and what they're keeping to themselves.

And also the other thing to remember is that the people that are sharing a lot of social media content about their wedding are probably not shooting all that content in one day. they may be doing shoots or social media filming for days or even weeks before and after their wedding to share that content. So it's completely unrealistic to look at like an influencer, for example, who's sharing all this wedding content and think I can get all that content, too.

But the other thing is, if you're so obsessed with shooting content for social media, you're not going to be in the moment and you're not going to enjoy the day. So you just have to have that fine line between I want to get this for my memories and for sharing with my friends or whatever, but also remembering if you're off filming a TikTok for an hour, that's an hour you're taking away from actually being in and enjoying your wedding.

Leah Haslage:

We'll be right back after a quick break.

Leah Haslage:

What do you think of the trend of hiring a content creator for your wedding?

Kat Williams:

I love it personally. I am a big, obviously I love making content for social media, that's what I do. If that had been a thing when I got married, I 100,000% would do it. I think it's a great idea. Again, there's a fine line between having them there, capturing what's happening, maybe doing a few TikToks or transitions for fun, and not being so obsessed with getting everything that you're not enjoying the day. And also making sure that the content creator doesn't take over the wedding entirely, because you might also have a photographer, you might also have a videographer, they're going to have to work together. You know, I have seen conversations of wedding videographers being like, I don't like this because it's taking away blah, blah, blah.

Leah Haslage:

Oh, it is such a new concept in the space. But do you think over the next year or two with weddings, it's going to become more cohesive and they're going to get on board and even hire their own?

Kat Williams:

Oh, people are already hiring their own. I've seen some photographers who are offering it as part of their service now. So they're hiring the content creator and like co-opting them through their package so that they have the control of it, kind of, rather than it being an unknown element coming in. It's very smart.

And I think it's like with anything in business, you have to evolve or you're going to die. You're going to get left behind because people do want that content. They do want that stuff filmed on their day. And the great thing about people just filming content on their phones is that you get it instantly. And people want that. They just do. Like, you can't fight it. We want it. That's the world we live in. So get on board or shut the fuck up.

Leah Haslage:

Right? Well, it makes me think of one of my favorite books of all time is Who Moved My Cheese. And it's a very similar concept. Like if you don't chase the cheese, you're just, you're going to die.

So one of the things instantly, another big trend in weddings, it's been happening for a while, but now I think it's pretty much just like a standard, is having the QR codes for your guests to upload their photos to. What do you think of that trend? Do you think it's going to keep going?

Kat Williams:

Yeah, I think that's a great idea too. Like you want to see all that content from your day, so why not? It's a great way to have it.

Leah Haslage:

Do you think it's replaced the photo booth?

Kat Williams:

I don't think it's replaced the photo booth. I think it's replaced the disposable cameras on tables. Oh, yeah, kind of idea. I think people still like a photo booth. They're always fun. They're always silly. The photo is always really fun to look at afterwards. I would just, you know, make sure that to advise that people aren't just doing that to make sure they do have the photographer, they do have the videographer. They're not just relying on their guests taking photos because you'll end up with a lot of crap. They’re not going to be very good.

Leah Haslage:

Facts. Drunk, blurry crap.

Kat Williams:

Yes. Yes.

Leah Haslage:

And I think the photographer, videographers, to me, it's next to getting your venue. It's the most important thing.

Kat Williams:

I agree.

Leah Haslage:

Your day goes by so fast. It's such a blur and they're going to capture everything.

Kat Williams:

Right. People won't remember what the dinner was like. I don't remember what we ate on our day. I think we had some sort of chicken.

Leah Haslage:

I don't even remember. So another article of yours recently that I really enjoyed is When More Becomes Too Much. And at first, when I read that title or byline, I instantly thought about being a maximalist with your wedding. But then actually reading the meat of the article, it is so much more, so to speak. So can you talk to us about what it means when more becomes too much in planning? Because I think it's so easy for us to do this.

Kat Williams:

The main message of that article was just about like not trying to do too much on the day or in the planning like not trying to please too many people or have too many things or tick all the boxes that you want that could possibly happen on your wedding day. Like you don't need to have you know, the canapes and the fancy drinks and the dessert table and the three course meal and, you know, favors like you don't have to have everything.

And I think, you know, a lot of the time people start planning and they're like, oh, I need to do this. I need to have this. I need to have this. And actually, you don't like you can pick and choose exactly what you want, like as long as at the end of the day, you are married. That's the most important thing. So you know, just pick the things that feel good to you, pick the things that aren't going to add extra stress to your life and your planning. And like, just forget about the rest. Like, it has to be fun. Otherwise, what is the point?

Leah Haslage:

And you can do this with staying in your budget. Don't bust your budget. Don't go into credit card debt as a couple. It's the worst way to start.

Kat Williams:

Right. I mean, unless you want to, because again, it's your choice. If you want to have a hundred thousand dollar wedding and you want that to be your big blowout and you're really excited about that, then no one should shame you for that either. So it's just about, again, making the right choices for you guys.

Leah Haslage:

But don't feel that pressure, like you have to. But I do agree. I mean, if you have baller cash, do it.

Kat Williams:

Yeah, go for it. We'd love to see the pictures. Send them my way.

Leah Haslage:

Oh, yeah. And we just talked with Meghan Ely about getting published in magazines, publications. And so you know Meghan and follow with this. And what do you think is the biggest mistake people, whether it's couples or professionals, make when submitting to Rock and Roll Bride?

Kat Williams:

I honestly think the biggest mistake people make is they send us weddings that aren't the right fit. Most of the time I say no to people is because the wedding either doesn't have a lot of details, and of course I love the simple weddings and I love elopements as well, but there has to be something and it's like that inquantifiable je ne sais quoi. There has to be something about the wedding that is exciting or interesting enough to want to share. And it might not be stuff, it might just be, you know, the feeling or the photos are really beautiful or they had a really amazing backstory.

But some of the weddings, and this sounds bad, I don't know how to say it, that doesn't sound mean, but some of them are just a bit boring. Like they're just not, I'm sure it was an amazing day and you had a great time, but it doesn't mean it has to be published. And like people are looking for inspiration for their own weddings. And when they come to Rock and Roll Bride, they want alternative inspiration. So they want something different, unique, fun. If it's a wedding that's very similar to a lot of weddings you see on The Knot or Star Me Pretty or any of these other platforms, it's not going to be something that we publish. And I feel extremely, extremely mean saying that, but we have a certain niche and that's where we're sticking. Like we can't say yes to every single type of wedding. So that's probably the biggest mistake. But by all means, do send them to us and we'll say yes or no. And if it's a no, you can send it elsewhere.

But then the other thing is similar to what Meghan said, is that sometimes it's focused too much on the photos that are like the smiling photos or laughing with your gran or 27 dancing photos. Like they're great, but we don't need to see those kinds of things. Like we might have one or two of those kinds of photos and then the rest of it will be more about, you know, the details or things that tell the story of the wedding rather than just being those parts. I feel I hate saying this because I I hate like it feels like I'm passing judgment on people's wedding and it's it's not about that it's not about pleasing rockandrollbride.com or the editor of a magazine have the wedding that feels right for you but if if getting published is extremely important to you then these are the things that I think about.

Leah Haslage:

No, it's good to know. It's honest advice. You don't want to sugarcoat it.

Kat Williams:

But everyone's wedding is beautiful and I love you all equally, I promise.

Leah Haslage:

Yeah. But you have to also consider, if you haven't caught the episode with Meghan yet, as Kat was saying also, it's all in these editorial, it's an editorial mindset. It's not an emotional mindset, you know.

Kat Williams:

Yeah, and I do love sharing more emotional stories as well.

Leah Haslage:

That's in the content of the article. That's not in the photo.

Kat Williams:

Yeah, it's in the content of the article. And also, when you're sharing stuff online, there has to be a hook that's going to hook people in to click and want to view

Leah Haslage:

Like a graveyard ceremony.

Kat Williams

Yeah, unfortunately, that's just the way it is. It's like, yeah, things that are dramatic or different are always going to get more views than something that's a little bit middle of the road. And it's not saying your wedding was bad or terrible. It's just that's that's human nature. And, you know, as a magazine or a publication, we're looking for content that's going to get people to click at the end of the day.

Leah Haslage:

So trends, back to trends. What are you seeing moving forward that you're really excited about and hope sticks around for a while?

Kat Williams:

Well, I was going to say one thing which we've already discussed, which is content creators. I love it and I think it's not going anywhere and it's a great idea. And we also already discussed this but outfit changes is something that's definitely more of a thing. Potentially having a more wackier outfit in the evening whether it's colorful or patterned or sparkly or something. Also seeing people doing like big, big look changes throughout the day like getting your hair cut before the reception was definitely a thing a few months ago.

Leah Haslage:

And now the dress, I saw a dress one yesterday.

Kat Williams:

Once those weddings happen then they start getting shared online, they'll start to be happening again because that's how the inspiration works. So I think we'll get a lot more of those next year.

Something else I like is people being a lot more unique with their color palettes. So rather than just doing like, you know, everything is white and then we've got one or two shades of like red or we're doing blue and green or something like doing more of a tonal considered palette that's a bit more fluid, I suppose, rather than just like white and red or red and pink or something like lots more colors, which I love. I love that. Obviously, colorful weddings are my jam. So I really like that.

Leah Haslage:

Are you still seeing bigger wedding parties or are you seeing a more stripped down paired wedding party or no parties at all?

Kat Williams:

Both very much depends on the wedding. You know, we feature a lot of elopements where it's literally just the couple. We still feature a lot of micro weddings where it's like the couple and just their parents and maybe one bridesmaid or groomsman. So yeah, I mean, the thing about Rock N Roll Brideis we've always featured a huge range of weddings. So we do feature big ones. I was working on one this morning where they had a really big bridal party. I didn't count, but it looked like maybe sort of eight or 10 that the bride had with her. And they were all in different colors of the rainbow. And it looks so sick.

Leah Haslage:

Oh, that's awesome. So what trend or trends do you hope dies a swift death and you never have to deal with again? Or it could just take a time out.

Kat Williams:

I mean, I don't like and this has probably been a quote unquote trend forever, but like people doing things just because they're trendy. I hate it. Like you see something go viral on TikTok and then six months later you see every single wedding had that same thing, whether it's like, you know, the champagne tower or the certain style of dress or the certain pair of shoes or whatever, like everyone ends up with the same stuff. So I don't really like that. I prefer seeing weddings where it's so clear that the couple have taken their own aesthetic and made something weird and wonderful for themselves. I'm also a little bit over smoke bombs. Don't hate me.

Leah Haslage:

So I thought about that when prepping to talk to you today, because when I was first seeing that as a trend, which I think is when I last talked with you on Weddings Unveiled, like three or four years ago, that was like everywhere. And I feel like it was so all over Rock and Roll

Bride. And then it started penetrating the rest of the wedding world. It was like the new sparklers.

Kat Williams:

Yeah, I think we probably first started featuring smoke bombs in like 2014. Like they're still going. But the thing is, the thing is, we have to remember when we're in the industry, we see this stuff all the time because we're in the wedding industry. But people that are getting married, this is their first or maybe second time of doing it. So, you know, if they see it and they like it, crack on, have it. Like, don't let some like snooty wedding industry people be like, oh, that's not cool anymore. You can't do that. But in terms of like getting excited about seeing a really cool, unique wedding, like the smoke bomb picture is a little bit OK, we've seen it.

Leah Haslage:

It's up there at the Champagne Tower.

Kat Williams:

Yeah, I know that disco balls are the same, but I'm a complete hypocrite because my house is full of disco balls. So when it comes to weddings, it's like, oh, yeah, of course I've got disco balls, but that's because they're great.

Leah Haslage:

I know. And it's kind of funny, though, because like people that it's like not their thing have done it. And I'm just like, I plan on getting married again. And I like disco balls.

Kat Williams:

I don't think they're going anywhere.

Leah Haslage:

I mean, they're rad.

Kat Williams

It is what it is. You know, it's the same with like, you know, the painted leather jacket or the denim jacket with Mrs. or Mr. or a phrase on the back. We see them a lot because they're cool. People love it. One trend I do like is wedding crocs, and I think more people should wear crocs.

Leah Haslage:

What? I have not seen the wedding croc yet. I'm not surprised by this, but I have not seen the wedding croc yet.

Kat Williams:

I've seen it a few times. Mostly it's when they will change into them in the evening, so they'll get white ones and then they'll put the different little giblets on like we saw. whatever they said their missus or something. I think it's so cool. And we featured, in fact, it's a wedding going in our next issue, which comes out in November and the bride is in a wheelchair. And I think she has a stick as well and she's wearing Crocs and that is a great accessibility option for people that have mobility issues as well. Like they're comfortable, they're easy to walk in, they look rad, like, yeah, love it. I love the wedding Croc.

Leah Haslage:

That’s awesome, I want to see this.

Kat Williams:

I'll send you the pictures.

Leah Haslage:

I didn't know this was a thing and I'm here for it. Because back in the day, I'd see the Converse sneakers and, you know, ballet flats trended for a while there.

Kat Williams:

Or Nikes.

Leah Haslage:

Nikes. Yeah. All right. Last question. Which band or artist, so which rock and roll wedding is your all time favorite?

Kat Williams:

So I have terrible taste in music. I think people always think I'm like really cool and I'm like really down on like alternative bands. I'm like, I'm just not like I used to be very much like a nu metal gal, but now I'm just not really a music buff. So it's all a lie.

But some celebrity weddings that I really did like, I loved Kat Von D's wedding. I thought her wedding was amazing. She wore a red dress and a red veil. They had like a heaven and hell thing where one room was all white and one room was all black and then the reception room was red. It was absolutely incredible like their aesthetic. I just loved it so much.

I also think Travis Barker and Kourtney Kardashian's wedding was really cool, whatever you think about them as people, I don't know. But I thought their wedding was really, her veil, that was-

Leah Haslage:

That was all Dolce, right?

Kat Williams:

She was in Dolce. It was all Dolce in Italy and her veil with the Madonna embroidery and stuff. Definitely made a huge impact on the wedding industry and I've seen that replicated so many times since. I thought they looked really good. And I also really like, they're not musicians, but there's an actress called Beanie Feldstein. I think she's the sister of somebody else that's famous. Jonah Hill or something. I don't know. It's something around that. So she married somebody called Bonnie Chance. I think it was last year and it was like a seventies camp rock type wedding. And she was in a dress and her wife was in a pink suit. And oh, my God, it was so. That's the kind of wedding I would have loved to have featured. It was just epically beautiful. I loved it so much.

Leah Haslage:

What do you think about like now they're retro, but the Bianca Jagger and Mick Jagger wedding, the Yoko Ono and John Lennon, because they both kind of set trends when it came to yoga with the mini dress and the jumpsuit for Bianca. What do you think about those and how they've impacted?

Kat Williams:

They definitely have. I mean, you know, I see people doing the jumpsuit and the big hat and stuff still to this day. I think there's a very fine line of doing it in a way that is authentic to you and not too cheesy or costumey. But those weddings will always hold up. I think like those Elvis and Priscilla is another one that will always hold up and always look great.

Leah Haslage:

Yeah, I think I just saw on Rock and Roll Bride, Elvis and Priscilla Vegas inspo wedding that looked really awesome.

Kat Williams:

Yeah, we feature a lot of Vegas weddings, so. There's a lot of inspo there.

Leah Haslage:

I mean, because it's just cool. Kat, thank you so much for being with us today and for all this great advice. How can we get more info on you and Rock N Roll Bride magazine?

Kat Williams:

Thank you so much for having me, that was really fun. You can find us at rocknrollbride.com That is our website that we update every single day with different articles and advice and real wedding stories. You can also buy our magazine there, rockandrollbride.com slash shop. We ship it worldwide. If you're in the UK, shipping is free and it's a bi-monthly print magazine, actual real life print magazine that you can open to the door to devour in front of the fire with a cup of tea. It's all very cool and retro. And then on social media, I'm just rocknrollbride everywhere. On Instagram, we also have rocknrollbride magazine, which is our official brand account. So if you're looking for lots of visual inspiration, head there, and I think you will like it.

Leah Haslage:

I love it. Thanks, Kat.

Thanks for joining us today! Be sure to subscribe wherever you get podcasts so you never miss an episode. Give us a follow on social media and visit thebridechilla.com. To leave a question you'd like to hear answered on the show, head to speakpipe.com/bridechillapodcast, also linked in the description.

Bridechilla is a production of Evergreen Podcasts. Thanks to our producer and engineer, Gray Sienna Longfellow, and our executive producers, Brigid Coyne and Gerardo Orlando. And of course, a special thanks to Aleisha, our OG bridechilla, and Meghan Ely of OFD Consulting. I'm your host, Leah Haslage. Until next time, Chillas!