Introducing Altar Electric – Little Weddings That Rock!
Altar Electric sure know how to create little weddings that completely rock!
When they burst on the wedding scene, they came out with a bang, and ever since, Altar Electric have been rocking weddings for an abundance of couples in stylish, Melbourne inner-city venues.
So who are Altar Electric? What makes them rock? And what exactly do they offer?
We sat down with the the terrific trio that make up Altar Electric (Anthony, Sarah and Dee), and learned all this and so much more!
There’s a formidable force of talent behind the Altar Electric, tell us a bit about yourselves.
Sure! So there’s our resident Queen of Quirk, Dee Brinsmead. She’s a little bit kooky and little bit creative and a whole lot of fun. She brings some seriously electric vibes to her ceremonies. Our man about town is Anthony Cribbes (Cribbesy) – he’s a little fella with big energy and boundless amounts of enthusiasm. He is a total go-getter and probably about 90% energiser bunny. And then there’s Sarah Dobson. She has an impressive head of hair and loves a jumpsuit. And she also loves a great story – she loves hearing them and she loves telling them (that’s why she loves this ‘celebranting’ gig #allthestories) We’re all experienced celebrants with a similar ethos about weddings and how they should rock (and roll). And so, we banded together to create something a bit fun, a bit different and A WHOLE LOT of awesome.
In the simplest terms, what is The Altar Electric?
In a nutshell, little weddings that rock. We’ve teamed up with some of Melbourne’s coolest, most iconic bars to offer couples a wedding in a totally rad space that’s big on all those amazing feels but low on fuss and all the other ‘rah-rah’ that can come with planning a wedding.
Little weddings DO rock, how did the Altar Electric come about?
Basically, we just wanted an excuse to hang out together! Jokes! In all seriousness, in our role as individual celebrants we were meeting with a lot of couples who didn’t want a big shindig. They wanted something small and simple but were after something with a bit more rock and roll than what was on offer at the registry office. So, we thought, ‘let’s create something that’s totally awesome, in an amazing space that reflects the vibe of a contemporary generation and see how it goes…’ And so far, so good!
Are your ceremonies personalised or does everyone get the same thing?
Our ceremonies are short and sharp, but we still inject a personal vibe. We meet with couples for half an hour pre-ceremony, which gives us plenty of time to get a low down on their story and what makes their love awesome. And then we basically riff off the cuff about the couple and their love. They are totally amazing experiences – we’ve all nearly cried at pretty much every Altar Electric wedding. There’s something so romantic and so completely special about small weddings. The rawness of it all kinda takes your breath away #bringkleenex.
Can a couple still write their own personal vows?
Yep. And it’s totally encouraged.
Can a couple select their celebrant or is it just whoever is available?
Whoever is available. We all have the same vibe and vision, so we are really confident that our couples have the same experience, regardless of who does the gig.
Post ceremony, where can a couple and their guests kick on?
So many places! Some couples and their crew have kicked on in the bar at Ferdydurke. They can do food and drink packages on request. Otherwise, some couples have partied on downstairs at Section 8. Otherwise, The Altar Electric at Ferdydurke is in the heart of the CBD. It’s literally heaving with venues. Perfect for post-ceremony bar hopping.
What kind of couples does the Altar Electric attract?
All different types – we’ve had couples who have been together forever who finally decide to make things legit, couples who don’t like a crowd, couples who are getting hitched overseas and need the legals done before they jet off, couples who’d rather spend their dough on an awesome holiday/or put towards a house deposit, couples who want an intimate ceremony but a big party afterwards. Basically ALL TYPES. But the one thing they all have in common is being totally rad types.
What can couples expect from the venue, what sort of vibe does it have?
The loft at Ferdydurke is such an amazing space – a bit hip, a bit edgy, a bit industrial and totally cool. We also do ceremonies at Murmur in the CBD. It’s dark, moody and kinda sexy. We are shortly launching Wedding Wednesday’s there – get married, or renew your vows and have one of Melbourne’s best drag performers, Bumpa Love, sing some classic tracks in your honour. It’s going to be epic!
You recently hosted one of the first same sex marriage ceremonies as the clock ticked over on January 9 2018, tell us how that momentous occasion played out and felt?
That was honestly one of the most incredible experiences to be a part of. Dee married Teegan and Tie in a commitment ceremony back in 2016 and promised them that once marriage equality was law she’d make them legit for free. So, once Parliament finally got on board, we set about organising the best party for two of the best girls going around. Some of Melbourne’s most revered wedding suppliers jumped on board and donated their time and incredible expertise to make sure this was a night to remember. It was honestly so epic. We all counted down to midnight belting out the classic tune ‘I fought the law and I WON’ and then it rained confetti as the girls said I do. It was an extraordinary celebration of love and community. And we are all still recovering, to be honest!
So, we’re completely sold on the Altar Electric, how does one sign up?
Get on over to our website www.thealtarelectric.com.au and get on board!
