Weddingbee Blog

Way back in ancient times, when I was getting married, I thought it would be wonderful to have custom apparel for our bridal parties (yes… guys included). But there was one huge problem with this scenario: cost. Sure, custom embroidery and screen-printing both look great, but there was no way I had the funds or means to do something “extra” like that as a graduate student planning a wedding.

In order to fulfill my desires, I went ahead and found a way to buy cheap shirts at wholesale prices and DIYed my screen-printing, and 2 years later, people are still sporting around their t-shirts & tanks around town.

(Details on the ROSE tank tops can be found here, and the TEAM t-shirts here)

Recently, I stumbled upon a couple other fun methods of making t-shirt designs: bleach & crayons! In case you’re interested, here are some more details on the process and the outcome:
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Let me make this clear. I looove cupcakes. I live cupcakes. I’d like to be reincarnated as a cupcake.

(Um, how sweet are these cupcake cars from the Maker’s Faire?
With matching cupcake helmets? I’d trade my wheels for these any day.)

NYC has Magnolia’s, which does have all da bomb frostins (and even better banana pudding). Boston has Kick Ass Cupcakes, which has a mojito cupcake that is dreamy. Our wedding, however, is in LA, so while I was out there this week I had the task of finding a delicious cupcakery to provide the baked goodies for our wedding. It was hard work, but someone had to do it.
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Though I live in a contemporary home, with contemporary/modern furnishings, I love the juxtaposition of old and new. Like Philippe Starck’s Ghost chair. I really like whimsical, unexpected touches. And he freshens the Rococo Louis (XVI) chair with a slant on the material: polycarbonate plastic.

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I have yet another secret to share with you. If you, like me, are trying to have a great home or backyard wedding on an extreme budget, you will love me.

It’s a fabulous place where you can get basic stuff that you need for very little money; so little, in fact, that you might be tempted to buy your glassware and tableware rather than mess with renting them. Because, dear friend, while renting dishes sounds like it’s the best thing ever, it’s not. Before you return said dishes, you have to wash them. Um, what? Yes. Wash. Well, okay, technically not “wash”, since you don’t have to use soap, but you must remove all food particles and ensure that they are “eye clean” before returning them. Swear.

WTF?

Given that, spending a fraction more to avoid dealing with it all seems worth it, at least to me. And we all know what a cheapo I am.

Anyway, back to my point: this place is awesome for gals trying to plan simple, meaningful, straightforward weddings with a minimum of madness (and thus, vendors).

And when it’s all said and done, you can keep them. You never know when you’ll need to throw another party for 80 people, or when you will just want to throw a dish.

Here, I’ll show you.
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I received the loveliest email today from Laura, who won a stunning Lukab & Motwani clutch in a giveaway we hosted last summer.  I love seeing how brides end up using the items they win in our giveaways on their wedding day!

Hi Mrs. Bee!

Just before my wedding last August I won a beautiful Lukab & Motwani clutch from Weddingbee, and I’m finally getting around to sorting through all my pictures and sending some to you.

I splurged on my wedding dress, so I planned very budget accessories–and definitely never thought that I would own and carry such a fabulous and luxurious purse. I knew the clutch would be beautiful from the pictures posted online, but when I opened the box–it took my breath away! The computer truly doesn’t capture the sparkle and the rich texture of the sequins and pearls. It was a perfect size for my wedding day necessities and so gorgeous that I loved having it sit next to me at the reception. I know this will be the something borrowed for many of my friends’ future weddings!
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“The creative is the place where no one else has ever been. You have to leave the city of your comfort and go into the wilderness of your intuition. What you’ll discover will be wonderful. What you’ll discover is yourself.” -Alan Alda

Quite often, I run across message board posts and blog posts from brides lamenting the amazing weddings they have attended or seen on the internet. I hear “I could never pull that off”, or “I am just not that creative”. Not true, my friends! Creativity is all about confidence.

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Guess what I picked up this afternoon?! That’s right peeps, our BEAUTIFUL handmade invitations. They are amazing. Judy and Arnold, the incredibly talented artists who created these little works of art for us, are even MORE amazing. Not only did they work their tushies off to craft each piece in time for our February 1st deadline, but they also gifted Mr. Lemonade and me with a little treat to celebrate the upcoming nuptials and to take the edge off the mounting stress we’ve been feeling.

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This contest is now closed!  Congratulations to the winner PrettyKitty!

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Cudge is one of my favorite resources for affordable candles.  I’ve ordered from them in the past, after Mrs. Daisy told me they were great, so I can definitely vouch for the price and the quality!

Today we’re giving away 144 white votive candles, and your choice of 144 clear, frosted, or assorted color candle holders!

To enter this contest, please tell us which candle holder you’d choose, and how you’d use all these candles!

You have until 9pm PST Friday to enter.  Good luck!

The Mr and I have been in LA for the past week - he’s here for work, and I’m here for vacation. Despite being on vacation, I have a tough time sleeping in, regardless of what time I hit the sack. It’s really frustrating because I can see the tired-ness on my face, particularly, under the eyes. Mr. Piglet swears by Korean saunas and convinced me to go this past weekend. I was more willing to go since I was in another state; therefore, the chance of me running into a familiar face was pretty darn low (the naked factor scares me).

Image source

We went to Natura spa on Wilshire, which is located in the basement of a Korean mall. No frets if you don’t speak Korean.
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A good friend of mine is off to Hawaii on Monday for her wedding in Maui, at the Four Seasons, no less! In order to send her off in style, a friend organized an afternoon tea for the three of us at Lovejoy’s Tea Room.

I am not much of a girly girl, but this was the perfect place for us to catch up and talk about all things wedding.

You walk in and your table is reserved just for you:

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Reader trinny is selling her Vera Wang wedding gown. It is ivory, and made of light silk taffeta. It comes with an optional dark green velvet sash. It is a size 10 and has been altered. She is asking for $2500.

Have a wedding item for sale? Post it with pictures in the Weddingbee classifieds and you might see it featured on the blog!

Other great items for sale:
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The other day I discovered inchmark, a ridiculously and wonderfully pretty blog written by a former senior art director of Martha Stewart Kids and Martha Stewart Living. Her name is Brooke, just like mine, so naturally, I love her. (We Brookes gotta stick together, ya know?) This blog is chock full of beautiful visuals and lots of yummy wedding ideas (even if they’re not all specifically intended for weddings).

After looking at so many wedding cakes over the last year and a half and thinking that fondant was the only solution to making a cake look pretty, reading this inchmark post was a refreshing reminder that plain old icing can still look really pretty (and not necessarily like a weird store-bought cake wreck). This cake for Brooke’s 3-year-old daughter, Bee (yes, Bee!) is absolutely darling and lovely, but totally simple, and it could absolutely be translated to a wedding cake.

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I’ve always loved the idea of using mason jars as wedding decor. Martha Stewart Weddings featured these mason jars a few issues ago and I instantly fell in love:

Aren’t they pretty? I plan on adding a bit of sand to the bottom and using poppy ribbon!

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Sorry for the corny title, but I HAD to. I’m just like that!

I would really love for Berkely (my dog/my parents’ dog) to be our ring bearer. I’d also love for him to be there while Mr. D’orsay and I are getting ready. There is just one itsy bitsy problem…

The venue doesn’t allow dogs in the house.

Berkley in a VERY shaggy state…

So, poor Berkely could come for the ceremony, which is outside, but then he’d have to head home right afterward.
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I lurve feathers. They conjure up visions of Jean Harlow and old Hollywood! I really like how they can either be big, epic, and grand, or quiet and soft. They’re everywhere in the fashion ether these days. And they would work wonderfully into a vintage wedding aesthetic!
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