Mrs. Meatball, HollywoodAge and Occupation: 30, Actor/Writer/Office MavenFiance's Age and Occupation: 28, Actor/WriterEngagement Date: October 7, 2007Wedding Date: May, 2009Blogging Since: September 16, 2008Venue: Private Garden/The Bungalow ClubAbout Me: I love melty cheese and diet coke almost as much as I love my man. I'm from Chicago, he's from NYC, and we both miss public transit and great pizza. We have an adorable muppet dog called Paco. I'm part hippie with a healthy dash of hip hop superstar, have excessive empathy for animals, and have not one, but two bionic eyes (long story). We're broke and it ain't no joke. It can't stop us from planning the bold and whimsical wedding of our dreams, but we've had to get pretty creative to make it work, yo!
Sometimes it’s the little things that make events memorable, and I’ve got a few exciting tricks up my sleeve for our big day!
When I first saw this awesome lotus-shaped origami napkin bonbonniere on Polka Dot Bride (via Dandi), I nearly died. The lotus goes perfectly with our Magic Carpet Ride theme, and it’s such a unique and beautiful way to fold the napkins! I also love the bonbonniere aspect.
Mrs. Lemonade, Austin/San AntonioAge and Occupation: 28, BureaucratFiance's Age and Occupation: 28, Music ManagementEngagement Date: December 21, 2007Wedding Date: April, 2009Blogging Since: August 22, 2008Venue: Country Club ceremony, ballroom receptionAbout Me: I’m a total wonkette who is lucky enough to be surrounded by her favorite things on a daily basis – awesome music, the great State of Texas and of course, Mr. Lemonade! I find any excuse I can to craft something and am completely infatuated with the 1950’s, all things Kennedy, and my furbaby Vida.
I don’t really see a lot of movies. It’s hard for me to devote that much time to something so seemingly frivolous. Well, I’m in the mood for some frivolity!
This weekend my sweet little sister is coming to visit, and guess what we’re going to be doing for about an hour and a half on Saturday?
Mrs. Taffy, Ann ArborAge and Occupation: 28, Color and Materials DesignerFiance's Age and Occupation: 29, Automotive DesignerEngagement Date: May 9, 2008Wedding Date: May 2009Blogging Since: September 14, 2008Venue: University of Michigan UnionAbout Me: I’m a girl who is crazy about Mr. Taffy, sewing, dancing, almost all types of sweets, and our cute pet canaries. I dislike touching fuzzy fabric of any kind, eating somewhat squishy food, and Michigan winters. Mr. Taffy and I are having a blast planning our Ann Arbor wedding, and cannot wait to share our day with friends and family.
When I first blogged about my fitness situation, I was feeling quite confident that the exercise I was doing would be enough and that I would not have to alter my diet. Well, that was before the holidays, and now all of the delicious food and desserts that I scarfed down are catching up with me! Since our wedding is now 5 months away, I am starting to freak out a bit. Okay, a lot.
I have an enormous sweet tooth (Miss Taffy, indeed!) and a serious love for ice cream. This is not helpful! I am finally deciding to make some alterations in order to keep some sweet stuff in my diet. A “this versus that” game, if you will.
Mrs. D'orsay, Baltimore/Lancaster UKAge and Occupation: 24, nonprofit communications Fiance's Age and Occupation: 29, Web site developer and designer; co-owner of men's skincare shopEngagement Date: August 10, 2008Wedding Date: August, 2009Venue: Oakland ManorAbout Me: I'm a Maryland raised environmental policy wonk/activist/organizer and communications aficionado. In the past year I've lived in Baltimore, MD, Tucson, AZ, Miami, FL and Lancaster, England. In my not so spare time I enjoy planning trips with Mr. D' Orsay, visiting friends and family and crafting like a mo-fo. I also enjoy modern dance classes, rugby and soccer but have been banned by my mother, MOHs, and Mr. D' Orsay from playing till after the wedding. I have an unnatural addiction to cheese and shoes, but love Mr. D' Orsay more than either and can't wait to become Mrs. D' Orsay!
Mrs. Quiche, Chicago/Montego BayAge and Occupation: 28, Interior DesignerFiance's Age and Occupation: 42, Telecom GuruEngagement Date: July 2, 2008Wedding Date: May, 2009Venue: Coyaba Resort, Montego BayAbout Me: I love Chicago and can’t imagine living anywhere else (Well, except Paris. Or anywhere in France, for that matter!). I’m a full-time worker, part-time student, soon-to-be-step-mom, indie music lovin’, architecture and design fanatic, macaroni and cheese addict, vegetarian, Francophile, Ohio State football obsessed, wedding planning girl. Mr. Quiche and I are “Partners-in-Crime” and cannot wait to celebrate our marriage surrounded by our family and closest friends. I plan on DIYing my little heart out (or as much as a suitcase to Jamaica will hold).
Mr. Quiche and I decided that we weren’t comfortable with booking our wedding sight unseen. So we decided to take a trip to do “research” (natch). We spent hours, days, weeks worth of online research to narrow down our choices. Our four options included a small resort in Montego Bay, renting private villas in Discovery Bay, the place where my mom and Pete were married in Ocho Rios, and a less expensive, small “resort” in Negril. I’ll start with our first two.
We chanced a trip during hurricane season, but other than one, albeit short, downpour, we were pretty lucky. Our first stop was in Montego Bay at the Coyaba Resort. We were immediately impressed, as we were greeted with a cool towel and a rum punch upon check-in! The perfect start to a Jamaican vacation - I mean RESEARCH trip. After dropping off our bags in our gorgeous suite, we met with one of the wedding managers. He was great! We went on a tour of the grounds and loved it.
Mrs. Glitter, Los AngelesAge and Occupation: 27, Research Consultant/WriterFiance's Age and Occupation: 29, AccountingEngagement Date: May 6, 2007Wedding Date: June, 2009Venue: Millenium Biltmore HotelAbout Me: I was born and raised in West Los Angeles, California. I spent eight years in the Northeast working and completing my education. Having split time between two sides of the country has given me a true appreciation for both coasts. It has also provided an overabundance of cross country drives, flights and long distance relationship fun/misery! I love my family, my doggy Emma, fabulous wine, Anthropologie, politics, reading, being outdoors, exploring new cities, and good movies! My fiance and I are complete opposites, but somehow we have managed to fall completely and hopelessly in love.
For the past few years, Mr. G has become a master at booking nice hotels at cheap rates. His secret? A little tool called Priceline.com. If you haven’t used Priceline’s bidding system, let me tell you, you are missing out… BIG TIME.
Due to our two years + long distance relationship, we’ve driven cross country from LA to NY and back a number of times (pre-despicable gas price era… though per gallon rates have fallen quite a bit lately, don’t you think?) Along the way, we’ve stayed in luxurious 4 and 5 star hotels in Denver, St. Louis, Chicago, San Diego, etc. for 1 star prices (often much less than $100 per night)!!
There are some downsides. These mentioned deals are not always readily available in big cities like New York City, LA, San Francisco, and others. Additionally, it takes a bit of trial and error. You need patience to maneuver through the process. Depending how you bid, days can go by before your bid is accepted. But all in all, Priceline.com has made it possible for us to spend several wonderful nights in high end hotels all across the country. So, I’m not one to complain.
For example, a few weekends ago, Mr. G and I had the good fortune of spending our time at the Trump International Tower in Las Vegas. If you aren’t familiar with the Trump Hotel (I know I wasn’t), check out these pictures: Read more…
Mrs. Pomegranate, SacramentoAge and Occupation: 27, Technical SpecialistFiance's Age and Occupation: 27, Software EngineerEngagement Date: August 23, 2007Wedding Date: October, 2008Blogging Since: June 5, 2008Venue: R.H. Phillips WineryAbout Me: Hi, I'm Miss Pomegranate and I'm a shopaholic. I have a weak spot for the chic cheap - especially anything I can re-create on the DIY. Shoes are my vice, music is my passion in life and technology is the medium by which I live and work. When I'm not scoping out a sale, I'm spending my quality time training for a marathon, playing Wii with my fiance and snuggling with my Silver Labrador and Teacup Panther - and oh yeah, planning my wedding!
Hello again! I’m so sorry to have been away for so long! Married life has swept me off of my feet and I landed running. Then came the holidays and then came the common cold. I’m starting to recover—and I’m utilizing this time to catch up on my tasks at hand—namely, our wedding recap!
To be honest, it hasn’t slowed down since the week before the wedding. Which was, in fact, one of the most stressful times in my life. It shouldn’t have been, but a few things put a wrench in our sides—and I’ll be the first to say that even with those small setbacks, everything went off without a hitch!
Now, I think I have mentioned before that Mr. Pomegranate and I were paying for the entire wedding ourselves. We had scrimped and saved every single dime and had arranged for just about every last vendor payment, house bill, and tip. We were ready for our wedding day—or so we thought.
Mr. Pomegranate is self-employed and while we were completely ready to pay for the last of vendor balances, we still had to rely on our normal income to pay for the basics of life like rent, utilities and food. This proved difficult once we discovered that due to the failing economy, one of Mr. Pomegranate’s clients would decide to back out on the promised payment of an already past due bill. We’ve still not received this substantial payment to date.
Panic rose and thoughts of canceling as much of our honeymoon as we could in order to pay our rent popped into my head. Read more…
Mrs. Peep Toe, San FranciscoAge and Occupation: 29, Policy AnalystFiance's Age and Occupation: 36, Olive Oil Production ManagerEngagement Date: December 16, 2007Wedding Date: May, 2009Blogging Since: November 26, 2008Venue: Hotel VitaleAbout Me: I am a west coast lady who loves the San Francisco Bay Area. I love living with Mr. Peep and our animals: Huck the Dog and Ferris the Cat. I work to save the environment in San Francisco, while Mr. Peep makes ridiculously delicious Olive Oil. On any day you can find me reading the latest book I have gotten my hands on, eating Swedish Fish, and perusing wedding blogs! We are both champagne drinking foodies on a Bud Light budget. We are planning an eco-chic, intimate, and interfaith San Francisco City wedding.
YET there was one part about wedding planning that I totally feared: Dress shopping. Read more…
Mrs. Bee, New YorkAge and Occupation: 29, Weddingbee PublisherFiance's Age and Occupation: 33, InternetEngagement Date: May 7, 2004Wedding Date: March 5, 2005Venue: Westside Loft, New YorkAbout Me: Yes, my name really is Bee! I love my blogging, wikis, and tabasco sauce!
Please hop on over to Weddingbee PRO to say hello to our newest PRO, San Francisco based photographer Jerry Yoon! Jerry had the funniest application, and his passion for life and love translates in his photographs. Though he’s only been in the biz since 2006, I think he’s definitely going to be one of the next superstars in the wedding photography world!
Esther+Richard in Bali
Mrs. Powder Puff, ChicagoAge and Occupation: 25, Preschool TeacherFiance's Age and Occupation: 25, Career ServicesEngagement Date: May, 2008Wedding Date: July, 2009Blogging Since: November 12, 2008Venue: Outdoor ceremony, banquet hall receptionAbout Me: I am your typical Midwestern girl attempting to plan a sane, budget-friendly, fun wedding to the man of my dreams. I love shoes, laughing at “Platinum Weddings”, crafts, inspiration boards, candy, and basically anything I can DIY. While weddings can certainly be all-consuming, I honestly can’t wait until the ceremony is over and I can finally call Mr. Powder Puff my husband!
This is a topic that I’ve been musing over for quite a while. Ever since Mr. Puffy and I got engaged, to be exact. And I would like someone else’s input besides the voice in my own head (”There’s only one… that speaks English.” Bonus BFF points if you can name that quote!).
The question that’s been the source of so much angst? What to call my in-laws after the wedding. Read more…
Mrs. Pinot Noir, New York/Napa ValleyAge and Occupation: 24, Health EducatorFiance's Age and Occupation: 31, Market ResearcherEngagement Date: November 10, 2007Wedding Date: October, 2008Blogging Since: June 25, 2008Venue: Auberge du SoleilAbout Me: I am a Minnesota raised, NYC transplant planning a destination wedding in Napa. I'm balancing my love for the environment and my hubby-to-be's love for tradition to create our "green wedding in disguise." Our wedding will include local food and wine, antique touches and lots of love and laughter. When wedding planning isn't taking up my free time (and money) I love to read, cook, workout, watch baseball and travel! Follow along in my adventure as I attempt to plan an eco-friendly and socially responsible wedding (with eco-oblivious Mr. Pinot Noir).
After our first dance, my father gave a short welcome toast. He welcomed Mr. PN into our family and thanked all of our guests for coming. He did a great job—especially since I only asked him to do it the week before. I was hoping that the short notice would prevent him from getting too nervous (probably not a good idea!).
Mrs. Jasmine, Chicago/LAAge and Occupation: 25, AttorneyFiance's Age and Occupation: 26, AttorneyEngagement Date: March 24, 2007Wedding Date: June 7, 2008Blogging Since: September 20, 2007Venue: Hotel on the westside of Los AngelesAbout Me: I'm a happy-go-lucky, imaginative spirit trapped in the body of a lawyer. I love reading, shopping, dining out, and exploring my beloved adopted city of Chicago with my fiance. We're planning the wedding of our dreams in my hometown of Los Angeles and we're excited to incorporate our cherished Indian/Pakistani customs and traditions.
After our wedding in June, I forced myself to stop buying wedding magazines. Over the course of our year-and-a-half engagement, I had amassed a truly enormous collection of bridal magazines that mildly alarmed Mr. Jasmine. So I made a big show of dumping all the magazines and slowly weaning myself from my obsession.
But I recently made a small exception for the newest issue of Martha Stewart Weddings…
Mrs. Canary, New YorkAge and Occupation: 24, MarketingFiance's Age and Occupation: 25, Journalist/EditorEngagement Date: February 16, 2007Wedding Date: July, 2008Blogging Since: October 19, 2007Venue: Pier Sixty, Chelsea PiersAbout Me: I'm a born and raised New Yorker who loves all things crafty and artsy, food (cheese and dessert!), magazines, and shoes. I'm a power shopper always on the lookout for good deals or great quality-- sometimes I'm lucky and I find both! I love to dance and "shake what my momma gave me" but can also really enjoy a quiet night in with Mr. Canary and a good episode of Seinfeld or curl up with a good book.
The welcome note that accompanied a bottle of chilled prosecco on the first day of our tour.
Examined as one, complete part of the trip—”glorious blur” is probably a more accurate term—the six nights and five days of biking through Tuscany (which we booked with Bike Riders) were almost ethereal in how they affected us: a panorama of countryside browns, yellows and siennas (this being fall, and time of the harvest), amused farmers moving steadily down rows of grapes, hunched-over nonnas waving hello as they strolled leisurely on dusty roadsides, and a most extraordinary collection of secluded inns, sprawling villas, and postcard-worthy wineries—including two of the world’s most renowned—was where we’d rest our heads after long days of pedaling.
Mrs. Green Tea, SacramentoAge and Occupation: 30, Tea AnalystFiance's Age and Occupation: 31, Coffee CriticEngagement Date: November 17, 2006Wedding Date: August 23, 2008Blogging Since: June 10, 2008Venue: Vineyard on the DeltaAbout Me: I'm just your average obsessive compulsive, arts & crafts loving, funky-on-the-inside/boring-on-the-outside girl, who dares to say 'Hey! I can make that!' Nerdy professional by day, goofy won-ton by night. The won-ton sometimes comes out during the day when I'm fed the dollar breakfast at Ikea. Since our engagement, wedding planning has put me on high alert for bargains and I've been pushing my nimble fingers through callous building experiments!
The brothers, guy I married and guy who married us, are quite close. Apparently they were giggling about matching up the left foot-right foot march down the aisle right before these pictures. Proof that marriage and maturity don’t always go hand in hand.
Reader mandre is selling her Marisa 737 wedding gown. The dress is silk organza, size 6, with a slight sweetheart neckline and slight trumpet/mermaid skirt. Touches of French Alencon lace detail finish the dress. She is asking for $1050.
Have a wedding item for sale? Post it with pictures in the Weddingbee classifieds and you might see it featured on the blog!
All-Inclusion Invitation Suites
The question that’s been the source of so much angst? What to call my in-laws after the wedding.
