Meet the new Offbeat Bride character: Betty!

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betty web resolutionRemember last fall when we launched the new Offbeat Bride header illustration characters? Remember this comment thread?

[blockquote]Lisa said
Can one of the next pictures be a fat bride? There are a lot of fat brides reading OBB and featured in posts so it would be great to see that reflected in the header.[/blockquote]

Ariel said
Funny you should mention that, Lisa.

Geeky was supposed to be plus size. Here’s a quote from my emails to my illustrator Iris, responding to the first sketches:

My only immediate feedback is that the geeky honey needs to be more visibly plus-sized. Bigger, including larger arms! As two of my plus size staffers put it: “SHE NEEDS TO BE FATTER. JUST TELL IRIS *FATTER*!!!”

When the final version of the drawings came back, my exact words to the illustrator were, “Oh man, I LOVE GEEKY — but she’s still not big enough!”

Unfortunately, at this point the lines were hand-drawn and it was going to take a significant time/dollar investment to redraw Geeky’s complex outfit. Since I knew that we were already planning to do more bride characters in coming months, I opted to just say “Good enough,” and press forward.

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(But my illustrator Iris and I had an extensive chat about the issue, because it was my top priority for the character and no, the final version didn’t reflect that. These things can happen during a design & revision process, especially when everyone’s working under tight timelines.)

So for now, Geeky is more “sturdy” than the plus-size she was intended to be. As I said in my post, it’s still an improvement over the illustrations we had, which were skinny, skinny, and slender… but, yes: the next bride will be likely be an apple-bodied blondie with glasses and a red retro tea-length dress.

Well, her day in the sun has finally come — meet BETTY! Her dress ended up pink (it’s a branding thing!), but other than that, she’s exactly as I originally envisioned her: retro-fabulous, sassy as hell, and rocking her gorgeous apple body. Many thanks to the illustrator, Iris Chamberlain for bring Betty into this world.

Tomorrow night we’ll be updating the Offbeat Bride header to rotate the four characters (Lite, Geeky, Dapper, and Betty) through the three header slots. So you’ll be seeing lots more of Betty on Offbeat Bride soon. Hooray!

About the Author: Ariel

@arielmstallings

Author of three editions of the Offbeat Bride book and From Shitshow To Afterglow, Ariel Meadow Stallings acts as the publisher of all the Offbeat Empire websites.

Comments on Meet the new Offbeat Bride character: Betty!

  2. Ariel picked those shoes specifically. I remember the very clear “she has to be wearing these shoes” part of the discussion. So happy to see Betty getting her debut!

  3. I’m still hoping for one that looks even a little relate-able to me! lol But this is cute! Great job to the artists! Yay Betty!

    • With a readership as diverse as Offbeat Bride’s, how could we ever possibly reflect even a tiny fraction of our awesome readers? Ultimately, I’ve tried to reflect as many little bits as possible, so that even if you don’t see yourself exactly, you can find pieces of yourself. Are you Latina, Asian, Mixed Race, or White? Then you’re represented. Are you femme, androgynous, or trans? Then you’re represented. Are you skipping a veil? Then you’re represented. Are you wearing flats? You’re represented! Wearing glasses? Tall? Short? Busty? Flat? We got you!

      There’s no way we could capture all our special snowflakes, but I’m hoping that between these four characters, we at least get a tiny something for at least half of y’all to relate to. 🙂

      Oh and if you want some background from the artist about creating the illustrations, check Iris Chamberlain’s blog: http://startheredesigns.com/post/33453631932/first-glimpse-at-the-newest-faces-of-offbeat

  4. I love it! It’s awesome that we will have a plus-size representative in the header now 🙂

    *Still waiting for a rennie bride with wings though >.>

  7. love love love. i just happened to find obb a few months ago and finally feel like it’s okay to plan a quirky wedding and betty is just art illustrating life at this point since i’m a nerdy glasses-wearing plump bride and the dress i picked is pink and tea length. i feel so lucky i found your site 🙂

  9. This is pretty darn cool. I did like that Geeky is plus sized, but I do agree that she never really felt like I could relate to her shape. She kinda looks like she’d have that plus size model shape where everything is bigger, but “all the curves are in the right places” or whatever. Betty looks more like me and I bet many other brides. Also, she gets to rock the vintage look which wasn’t represented yet, that’s cool too. (I know every look can’t be represented or there would be 20+ characters!)

    • (I know every look can’t be represented or there would be 20+ characters!)

      …or 200! Or hell, 2000! 🙂 🙂

    • The part I prefere is the legs, I think there is something really true in this shape

  14. Yay for the plus size bride pic. Betty rocks. As a plus size bride it is great to see her. That is a big part of what I love about OBB, so many brides , so much variety. Thank you all of the OBB people.

  15. I love her bouquet! Is Betty supposed to be “older” (late thirties maybe)? Looking back at the other pictures, it seems like Geeky is in ler late 20’s/early 30’s and the other two look younger. If I’m not reading things into the pictures that aren’t there, it’s awesome that you’re showing a range of ages.

  16. As a soon to be plus size bride who loves retro/vintage/rockabilly and who constantly uses betty as part of her screen name as well as having a Betty Rubble pin up style tattoo on her back…..I wholeheartedly approve this foxy lady!

  17. I’m really glad she has glasses! I know a disabled bride would be hard to capture (since there are so many different kinds of disabilities) but glasses at least make me feel like I’m represented a bit 🙂

      • Oooh maybe the next character whoever she/he is, could be pictured sitting? Read into that what you want: they’re taking five, they have an issue like ME or the likes, they have a physical impairment. Many birds, one stone

  18. Betty is in the Offbeat Bride header now! She rotates through with the others, so you might not see her all the time, but as you stop by to read over the course of the day you should see her peeking out of the header.

  20. Ooo…she is lovely. I love all the OBB characters. I would love to see one with natural black hair someday ^_^ Keep up the amazing work…Betty is lovely.

  21. Nice to see a retro fashion gal as part of the Offbeat Bride header. She looks like she’s blowing kisses to us Offbeat people. LOL!

    P.S. Pink is my favorite color too. 🙂

  22. I’m fairly certain she’s a librarian, by way of day job, btw!! The glasses and shoes give it away 😉

  23. I love Betty but I miss Dapper. 🙁 I had a huge crush on that image. You have NO idea.

    Edit : Oh neat, I can refresh the page for more Dapper, but then I don’t have Betty. Agh….I wish all four could hang out together.

    • There are three header graphic trios in rotation:
      * Lite, Geeky, Dapper
      * Lite, Betty, Geeky
      * Lite, Dapper, Betty

  24. Wow, I noticed her for the first time last night and for a moment I was afraid I was going nuts! I love her, she’s super cute, and I kinda want her shoes.

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