Long before the huge success of her 2023 The Eras Tour, Taylor Swift was a Paul McCartney fan like the rest of us, telling TIME Magazine in 2019 that Macca is her biggest influence (beside Tumblr and her cats).
She and the former Beatle have a lot in common. In the conversation that accompanied their November 2020 Rolling Stone cover photo, Tay Tay and Paul spoke about the need for, and trying to manage, normalcy and privacy in their personal lives and in their relationships, while still giving their fans what they crave.
Couples following the anti-bride wedding trend can surely relate. Having a traditional wedding, with all the attention, time commitments, stressors and demands can be very overwhelming.
Making everyone else happy by following the norms and the traditions of yesterday, when all your troubles seemed so far away (ha, couldn’t resist) can get real problematic real fast.
Solution: Anti-bride wedding!
At Electric Sugar Elopements, we‘re big fans of the trend. (We’re also big fans of Taylor and Paul.)
We’ve been offering alternative elopements and micro wedding packages for rebels and mold-breakers for years. Many of our favorite venues are right up the anti-bride alley.
In fact, one of them is a literal alley! Check out our list of perfect anti-bride wedding venues in Las Vegas. You’ll see why they make for perfect anti-bride wedding locations.
What is an anti-bride wedding? Simply put, it’s having an alternative style for your wedding. Going against traditions and making your own choices is anti-bride. Pro-you is anti-bride.
Punk Rock Museum
This new Las Vegas attraction celebrates the history and legacy of the head-banging and crowd surfing music genre that is anything but traditional. The chapel located at the Punk Rock Museum lets you add your love story to the narrative, culture and absurdity of rock ‘n’ roll’s bastard step-child.
Saying “I do’ in the same building that houses a tattoo parlor will certainly shock your parents, and that’s kind of the whole point. The museum also houses a bar (two warm beers, please) and a punk rock merch shop and a room where you can actually play some of the instruments donated by legendary musicians.
- Ample opportunities to explore the artifacts on display while visiting for your wedding.
- Photography options at the most punk rock locations in the nearby Arts District.
- Enough authentic punk rock vibes to make you want to go stage diving.
Midcentury Manor
If you’re rebelling against a traditional wedding but still kinda like the old school classic vibe prescribed by Frank Sinatra and the Rat Pack, this spot might be for you.
Las Vegas came into its own during an iconic time in architecture and design history, which gave rise to the legendary Midcentury style. The Midcentury Manor celebrates this history allowing you to embrace some serious Vegas cocktail culture vibes on your wedding day.
- Authentic architectural design elements.
- Vibrant outdoor ceremony site surrounded by rose bushes.
- Frank, Dino and Sammy would be proud.
Furgusons Downtown
If we were trying to pair this venue with a Taylor Swift era, we’d go with either “Speak Now” (Taylor’s version) or “Folklore” — the first for its country roots mixed with theatrical elements and glammed up, grown up fashion, and the latter for its alternative indie vibe, which give off major escapism energy.
This revitalized hotel block at Fergusons Downtown offers a modern couple the chance to be amongst like minded makers, doers and creators. The minds behind Fergusons have put together a curated and welcoming community perfect for couples wanting to feel part of this unique micro-neighborhood while escaping the traditional wedding.
- Shops, artwork and gathering places built by local artists.
- Coffee shops and restaurants to revitalize your soul and tame your cravings.
- Enchanting spaces provide eclectic photography options.
Downtown Alley
The aforementioned alley is actually a network of them located in the downtown area. The urban jungle is dotted with a mix of flowering street art, brightly colored murals and the perfect amount of grit and grime.
The street scenes in Downtown, the Arts District and East Fremont make for a perfect anti-bride wedding venue because it isn’t actually a venue — it’s its own kind of beautiful.
Our team knows the hidden away, secret spots guaranteed to give your elopement instant street cred and mega urban vibes. Cracked pavement, rat’s nest telephone wire filled skies, broken windows…what’s not to love?
- Get hitched amidst the photogenic scenes of a gritty urban environment.
- Unconventional choice perfect for unconventional people.
- Lots of bars and restaurants in the vicinity for pre- or post-ceremony outings
Eldorado Canyon
Canyons are often described as natural cathedrals, in part because of their towering walls and the feeling of grandeur. This canyon evokes some of the same emotions — especially if you worship Americana, legends of the old west or the natural beauty of the American Southwest.
Eldorado Canyon is one of our most beloved anti-bride wedding venues.
Chic, vintage, stylish and wild, it’s a blend of stunning nature and erratic man-made structures — plus the most beautiful cholla cactus field we’ve ever seen. The sight of the sun setting against these cacti is unreal — it makes for the perfect photo op.
- Located just 45 minutes from Las Vegas.
- Three ceremony areas to choose from: Cholla Cactus Field, Chapel or Big Barn.
- Great for intimate elopements and expansive enough for larger micro weddings of around 100 guests.
Neon Museum
Eloping is totally on trend with the anti-bride wedding, and doing so in Las Vegas is even more so. The Vegas experience is always changing, being imploded and rebuilt.
But, thanks to the Neon Museum, many of the rich and wonderful examples of the totally-tubular signs that once beckoned visitors to the establishments of Glitter Gulch are still around for our enjoyment and for some pretty kick-ass anti-bride wedding photography.
If you’re looking to include some real Vegas history in your elopement, the Neon Museum is for you. Say “I do” surrounded by iconic neon signs that blazed up the Strip in years gone by and enjoy an offbeat ceremony site that is truly unique and full of playful photo opportunities.
- Located in Downtown Las Vegas, close to trendy restaurants and bars for your reception needs.
- Ceremonies and photoshoots are best held in the private North Gallery, aka the Sweetheart section.
- Private area closed to the public to ensure an intimate, uninterrupted true elopement experience.
7 Magic Mountains
Lastly, we offer you an enchanting venue complete with stone towers, colorful artistry and the opportunity for contemplation and reflection. No, it’s not a gothic cathedral with flying buttresses, stained glass windows and rows of church pews…it’s large-scale public art in the middle of nowhere!
Internationally renowned Swiss artist Ugo Rondinone’s 7 Magic Mountains dominates the desert landscape 10 miles South of town and gives couples looking for an anti-bride wedding venue a one-of-a-kind ceremony experience, resulting in beautiful and truly distinctive wedding photos.
Punctuating the Mojave with a poetic burst of form and color, according to the artist, this display represents a creative expression of human presence in the desert.
- 30 to 35-feet high dayglow totems composed of painted, locally-sourced boulders.
- Attention-grabbing and very Instagramable!
- A vibrant work of art, reminding us that wonder can exist wherever we choose to create it.
A Venue For Every Couple
If you’re considering following the anti-bride wedding trend, we hope you’ve found our venues inspiring. Just remember to be yourself. Following this trend is all about giving traditions the ring finger and doing it your way.
If there’s anything we can do to help you plan your anti-bride wedding in Las Vegas, reach out.
