Quick Update

Just a quick update:

The wedding has been postponed.  Kate had to undergo emergency surgery in August, and though she's doing much better than she was before the surgery, there is no way that she will be healed by September 15th.  The wedding, therefore, is postponed...not cancelled, mind you, but postponed.  The new wedding date will be dependent upon when the hall is next available.  Pictures, costume updates, and the like will continue to pop up on the blog until the day of the wedding.

Thank you.

Costume Pics: Jervis Tetch/The Mad Hatter

Here's one character who confuses people more than he should--The Mad Hatter.  Introduced first in Lewis Carroll's immortal children's classic Alice in Wonderland, the Mad Hatter was "borrowed" by Bob Kane and Bill Finger in the late 1940s for use as a villain in the Batman universe and reimagined as someone so obsessed with Lewis Carroll's work that he actually starts to think that he is the Mad Hatter.  So, while the character is indeed a character from Alice, he is also a villain in the Batman comic books.

That said, we wanted our own Mad Hatter to look like an amalgamation of Lewis Carroll's Hatter, Jim Aparo's Hatter, and the Hatter from Batman: The Animated Series.  To this end, we compiled the costume from a number of different sources, most of which were online costume shops.  The end result is presented below, with our friend Eric under the hat.

 

The Mad Hatter, circa March 2012

   

 And again on July 15, 2012

Costume Pics: Edward Nigma/The Riddler

One thing we're really starting to notice as we post these pictures is the sheer volume of Batman villains who were introduced in the 1940s.  Eddie, here, was introduced to the world in 1948, but really came into his own when portrayed by Frank Gorshin on the 1960s Batman television show.  Of course, the classic Riddler is often costumed in a green bodysuit covered with black question marks.  For our Riddler, we decided to go with the more formal portrayal that modern artists seem to favor.  In the costume is our friend Mike.  The costume itself was compiled from a number of different sources.  The derby is a genuine green wool hat that was purchased online, with the question mark added later (it's black adhesive-backed felt).  The mask is a simple venetian-style mask that we painted purple.  The holes have been covered with two layers of white cheesecloth, allowing Mike to see out while covering his eyes--an iconic look for the classic Riddler.  The cane is wooden and well-made, though a bit fragile, as the head itself has snapped once already.

Indoors shot of the Riddler with proper shirt and hat.

 

And outdoors.

Costume Pics: Dr. Jonathan Crane/The Scarecrow

Another character that first appeared in the 1940s, Dr. Jonathan Crane aka The Scarecrow has had many subtle variations to his costume over the years.  Arguably the most popular is the version from the 1970s through the 1990s, as used by Denny O'Neil and drawn famously by Jim Aparo and Kelly Jones.  This Scarecrow, unlike the others, is pretty much faceless, giving a sort of 80s slasher-film quality to the character.  To help us bring this iconic version of the Scarecrow to our wedding, we asked Katherine L. Brown of Lakewood, Ohio.  She's a school teacher, and doesn't do costuming or sewing professionally--but in our opinion, she should.  She did one hell of a job.  Our friend Rufus is the one in the costume, by the way.

Scarecrow from rough shoot in mid-June.

Scarecrow in natural light - July 15, 2012

Costume Pics: Harvey Dent/Two-Face

Two-Face isn't exactly an insignificant character in the Batman mythos.  He's been around since the early 1940s, and is probably second only to the Joker in terms of popularity among diehard fans (ironic, considering Two-Face's obsession with the number two).  So, we knew from the beginning that he would play a prominent role in our reception.  The choice of my friend Tommo to play Two-Face was an obvious one for me, since he somewhat resembles Harvey Dent in both personality (pre-disfigurement) and appearance (post-disfigurement--just joking, T). 

There are, oddly enough, two components necessary for a successful Two-Face costume.

The first is convincing make-up for the scarred half of Harvey's face.  For this element, we went to Tommy Pietch--a special effects make-up artist formerly of Columbus, Ohio who is a contender in the third season of SyFy's hit reality series "Face-Off" (the third season begins August 21, 2012).  Both Tommy Pietch and Emily Holt (of www.emilyholtproductions.com) have worked extensively on the prosthetic that Tommo will wear on September 15, and the hard work definitely shows in a spectacular comic-accurate sculpt. 

The second component necessary for a successful Two-Face costume is the suit.  The suit has to carry on the theme of "duality", and so we decided to go with the classic black-and-white suit from "Batman: The Animated Series".  For this element, we went to Miko and Emma of Gold Star Tailoring in Westlake, Ohio--two people who did an incredible job of creating the ensemble from several elements that we brought into their shop.  The suit and shirt have been combined seamlessly and, frankly, look as though they were purchased that way. 

Kate and I couldn't possibly be happier with how these two elements turned out.

 

 

Tommy Pietch and his girlfriend Rachel working on Tommo in late April, 2012.  Tommo's head was encased in plaster for forty minutes.

 

 Miko working on the jacket, shirt, and pants.

 

Really awesome lighting shot from the July 15th meeting, showing off the great workmanship on the suit.

   

  Tommy Pietch and Emily Holt doing a rough application to make sure the prosthetic fits.

    

The prosthetic in natural lighting.

The Setting

The setting of our performance is not Arkham Asylum proper, but rather Arkham Manor--the original house around which the asylum has been built.  Thus, we've chosen for our wedding and reception the Glidden House, a hotel located on the edge of University Circle in Cleveland, Ohio.  Originally built in 1910 as a mansion for the owner and operator of the Glidden Varnish (and paint) Company, we feel confident that the old house has the aesthetic necessary to bring the atmosphere of Amadeus Arkham's manor to our guests.

Rough map of Glidden House

Hall to Rooms and Ballrooms

Tent - Facing Magnolia Room

Tent - Impression of Table Arrangement 1

Magnolia Room - Interior

Magnolia Room - Facing Tent

Hallway to Bar - Facing Entrance

Bar

Hallway to Bar - Long Shot

Loggia

Dining Area

From Loggia Doorway - Into Dining Area through Library

Dining Area - Fireplace

Entrance Hallway - Clock

Dining Area - Woodwork Sample

FAQ - The Basics

Ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls, children of all ages:

We are proud to finally adorn our blog with some content!

-----------------------------------------


1. Just what is this thing?

This is a blog created by Kate and Randy to chronicle the events leading up to our wedding on September 15, 2012.  Once the wedding has happened, this blog will contain photos and video from the joyous day.

 2. Aren't all weddings pretty much the same?  Why would you need a blog for that?

Well, we aren't necessarily going "traditional".  Instead, we've decided to do a wedding with a Batman theme--more specifically, an Arkham Asylum/villains theme.  A couple of people we've told about this theme think it's pretty cool, so...yeah.  Blog.

3. So you'll be dressing in costumes?

Other theme weddings have involved costumes, and ours will, too.  But where other theme weddings used costumes as nothing more than window-dressing for an otherwise traditional event, we've decided to push the envelope.

We pride ourselves on being different--creative, inventive, and perhaps more than a little eccentric and/or crazy.  It’s simply who we are, both as a couple and as individuals.  So our theme wedding won't just involve costumes.  It’s going to involve a bit of performance art during the dinner course.

4. So this is like a play?

We prefer to think of it as an improvisational experience framed in a play structure.  The majority of the performance will be done tableside for the guests as a character works through his or her ten-to-fifteen minute interactive routine.  What sort of routine this is will depend upon the character, but each is sure to be memorable.  These performances will be placed between a scripted introduction and choreographed final confrontation with none other than the Dark Knight himself.

5. So, sort of like “Tony and Tina’s Wedding”, but with Batman villains?

Sure.

6. How long will this thing last?

The performance in total is likely to last an hour in total.  As it stands right now, each character will perform for three tables, but this will ultimately depend upon how many guests attend.

7. Where will you hold the ceremony and reception?

Both are being held at the Glidden House, a turn-of-the-century mansion in Cleveland, Ohio that’s been transformed into a hotel.  It has just the aesthetic we need to bring the atmosphere of Arkham Manor to our guests.

8. When can we expect this blog to update?

Sporadically.