If you’ve been reading this blog for a while, you already know that I have a soft spot in my heart for people who break convention.

For people who say, “I don’t care what the sheeple want — I want what I want, and if it means that the so-called Rule Makers of the Universe — the Simon Cowells and the Joan Rivers and all of the popular girls in all of the high schools in all of the land — point their snide noses in my direction, then I must be doing something right.”

See, in this world, there are good rules, and there are bad rules.

Good rules, like having to wear seat belts in moving vehicles to we don’t pose a danger to ourselves or others by becoming flailing, rubbery, projectile objects during the event of a collision, help protect us from our own laziness and stupidity.

Bad rules, however, like those that tell us we can’t drink at baby showers and we can’t wear a black shirt with brown boots, only exist because someone who was once the slightest bit influential (and is now likely dead, in rehab, or no longer relevant) once said it out loud.

And puh-leez.  Black and brown go with anything.  So why wouldn’t they go with each other?

And we all know how I feel about drinking at baby showers.

So.

Imagine my excitement when I received an invitation — nay, an order, from the Queen of Hearts herself, to follow the White Rabbit to a “simply mad” tea party wedding, where all of the guests would be wearing vintage inspired clothing and hats.

It was going to be like make-believe for grown ups.

I mean, c’mon.  You wouldn’t have to twist my arm to get me to jump down that rabbit hole.

Or any rabbit hole, now that I think about it.

Except maybe a real one.

Anyway.

Hop on in:

The details were out of this world.

I was there, too.  Showing off my mad croquet skills.

This is me.  Winning.

I’m pretty sure they didn’t have cell phones in Wonderland, people.

Yep. That one’s mine.

This part was way cool.  The DJ played music from Tim Burton’s Alice in Wonderland, and the bride’s parents came out as the King and Queen of Hearts.

Makeup change!  She even got her groom to wear the hat for 30 seconds.  Thirty seconds of AWESOME.

Like photographing Grace Kelly on set.

This “bouquet” must have weighed 35 pounds. It was incredible.

There were only 35-or-so guests at this Alice in Wonderland theme wedding, and each one played along, which really made it magical.

Most people scoffed when the bride told them her plans.

All I can say is, I’m glad they didn’t bring her down.

I think it’s Taylor Swift who sings, “People throw rocks at things that shine.”  And shine, that evening did.

So.  Maybe Taylor knows what she’s talking about, after all.