Backup Singers. Custom Leather Jackets. Confetti Canons. The tagline for Rebecca and Bryan's wedding was "We're doing it our way!" - and they did just that: by writing a totally original, 8-song rock opera and performing it on stage in front of their friends and family.
Rebecca Bortman and Bryan Garza, who are the lead singers for the bands Happy Fangs and Scissors for Lefty, respectively, first met in 2012 at San Francisco's historic Bottom of the Hill, where Rebecca was doing a show. At the time, Rebecca and Bryan talked about collaborating on songs together, but as the couple admits, "We got distracted by falling in love." Today, the duo forms the rock band Love, Jerks and some of the songs they produced together for their wedding will become part of their upcoming album and live tour.
And producing a spectacular rock show in place of a typical ceremony was no small feat: In addition to all the normal wedding planning, they only had 10 months to write and compose the music, write the script, memorize and rehearse lines with their cast (aka the bridal party) while in different parts of the country, and at the end: put on a kick ass rock show. Every detail was carefully planned out. Instead of a church, they were married on stage. Instead of a wedding coordinator, they chose a stage manager. Rebecca even designed all-access passes for the wedding guests. What tied it all together was the venue: the whole event took place in a San Francisco concert venue aptly named The Chapel. There was nothing about this wedding that didn't rock.
Explicit Language: These two wanted to make sure everyone knew they really meant it when they said "I do!" We love their enthusiasm - just be aware when you hit play!
To say we had fun filming this jaw-dropping, spectacle of a wedding would be a severe understatement. Witnessing the pure and adoring love in the eyes of the bride and groom as they recite their vows to each other was the most beautiful moment of the ceremony. For them to then share their love and their story with us and all of their guests in fun, electric rock opera ballads and upbeat punk rock numbers was absolutely a fitting tribute to their love for each other and the passion they both have for music and performance.
Rebecca and Bryan's opening song contained the lyrics "We definitely don't do things the typical way" and we are so glad they didn't! The show, that is, the wedding, was a beautiful, rockin' celebration of love, music and fun. Thank you, Rebecca and Bryan, for giving us the honor of capturing it all on film. Please stay tuned later this year, as we will be unveiling the entire show from start to finish! We hope you love it as much as we loved creating it.
Original Music by Love, Jerks
Bands: Scissors for Lefty (Bryan's Band), Happy Fangs (Rebecca's Band)
Cinematography: The Adventures Of
Venue: The Chapel
Wedding Photography: Matthew Leland
Concert Photography: Amber Gregory
Stage Manager: Sam Sharkey
Stage Visuals: All Of It Now
Dance DJ: Cosmic Amanda
Hair: Onika Simone
Makeup: Mystie Rodriguez
Wedding Dress: Emerald City Gowns
Bridesmaid Dresses: Rent the Runway
UPDATE: We are so excited that this story and trailer were featured on E! Online (Entertainment Tonight) and BRIDES.com
Want more? Check out the photos featured on Offbeat Bride!