Mrs. Perfume, DC
Age and Occupation: 36, Consultant (and Part-Time Professor)
Fiance's Age and Occupation: 41, Consultant
Engagement Date: May 13, 2008
Wedding Date: May, 2009
Venue: The Homestead, Hot Springs, Virginia
About Me: I'd like to think that I'm a modern day Little Edie Beale. Only not as..."talented". More realistically, I'm a foodie who can't bake; a dancer and dilettente; an art collector with a penchant for the whimsical and subversive. I live in the city and adore the country, but not much in between. I like smart design, great craftmanship and good value. Most of all, I love the new vintage aesthetic: classic, sweet, delicate, bespoke. If I had to do it all over again, I'd go for a culinary arts degree rather than a PhD; but wouldn't trade Mr. P for the world.
…are VERY difficult to walk in.
Jenny Packham
GRRRRR! I went for my second fitting this weekend (with my second pair of bridal shoes) and found that I could barely walk in the dress. Mind you, it wasn’t the shoes, it was the dress! The three layers of very delicate silk crepe, along with the long train, kept getting tangled around my feet! So, we’re going to have to hem the dress another 3/4 of an inch. So that begs the question, by how much should a wedding gown be hemmed?
Apparently, if you have anything other than a ball gown with a hoop or crinoline, you’re going to have to take into consideration (especially with sheaths) how close fitting the fabric is, as it may end up getting caught in your step.
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Mrs. Meatball, Hollywood
Age and Occupation: 30, Actor/Writer/Office Maven
Fiance's Age and Occupation: 28, Actor/Writer
Engagement Date: October 7, 2007
Wedding Date: May, 2009
Blogging Since: September 16, 2008
Venue: Private Garden/The Bungalow Club
About 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!
I’m sorry to have been so incommunicado lately, but I’m back from MaPo’s simply spectacular wedding!
Rehearsal dinner shenanigans
Here are a few teasers, to whet your proverbial palates!
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Mrs. Cheese, Knoxville
Age and Occupation: 29, Engineering Manager
Fiance's Age and Occupation: 27, CAD Designer
Engagement Date: July 31, 2008
Wedding Date: May, 2009
Blogging Since: October 16, 2008
Venue: Our home and the two acres it sits on
About Me: I’m an emotional girl who loves sentimental things, parenthetical asides, and trying to do things herself. I can cook, sew, am a whiz at planning, terrible at delegating, and totally in love with my fiancé (who will be my second husband but first love of the rest of my life). For our home/ garden/ DIY wedding, we’ll be moonlighting as interior designers, home improvers, and gardeners with the help of our fabulous friends and neighbors. We can’t wait to be married, and are learning how fun getting married can be.
(Yes, we took this picture during our e-pic session. Foreshadowing? Let’s hope not!)
I want to talk about the thing nobody talks about: fighting with your fiance during your engagement.
I don’t know why we all don’t talk about it more. Do we worry that it means we’re with the wrong person? (*raising hand sheepishly even though I know better*) Do we wonder if other people will tell us we’re making a mistake if they know that we fight as often as we do? (*raising hand*) Are we hoping that it will all be better once we’re married and the silly stressors like napkin colors and the dreaded words “and date” have gone away? (*raising both hands*) Are we afraid to believe that life together might be as full of petty disagreements and frustrations as it is now? (*standing up and waving both arms in the air*)
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Mrs. Cookie, Denver
Age and Occupation: 25, Nonprofit Fundraiser/Theatre Designer
Fiance's Age and Occupation: 27, Financial Analyst
Engagement Date: September 2007
Wedding Date: September 2008
Blogging Since: May 8, 2008
Venue: Ten Mile Station
About Me: With a degree in Theatre I never realized that planning a wedding was a lot like Theatre Management, until I started planning my own. I am a coffee addict, especially Starbucks' Grande Mochas, yummy! I love to cook (especially chocolate chip cookies for my honey), travel to exotic places, and be creative. As a couple, Mr. Cookie and I are extremely practical, down to earth, and children at heart. We live in a cozy abode with our adorable Pomeranian, and love to play board games and watch movies into the evening.
After the Father/Daughter dance our DJ didn’t miss a beat. He popped in “Shout” by the Isley Brothers and our guests flooded the dance floor. Now that the formalities of the day were over, everyone was ready to let loose, take off the formal wear, kick off the heels, throw their hands up, and D-A-N-C-E!
Hey-Hey-A-Hey!
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Featured on Weddingbee
“Make an elegant invitation statement without the fuss. Stylish invitation sets with matching envelopes, reception and response cards included.”
Featured Product: Laura Ashley Delicate Damask Invitation
Mrs. Powder Puff, Chicago
Age and Occupation: 25, Preschool Teacher
Fiance's Age and Occupation: 25, Career Services
Engagement Date: May, 2008
Wedding Date: July, 2009
Blogging Since: November 12, 2008
Venue: Outdoor ceremony, banquet hall reception
About 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!
Do you remember prom? How you searched for the perfect dress, the perfect shoes, the perfect hair, the perfect date. And you went to the dance, and it was fun and all, but at the end of the evening you were left standing in your room thinking, “Uh… that was it?! It’s over already?!”
Best night EVAH! Source
That is exactly the feeling I want to avoid with our wedding.
Mr. Powder Puff and I have been discussing lately what we would like to do after the reception is over. Do we just want to go to our hotel room? We’ll probably be tired, but it seems so anti-climactic. Especially since our reception will be over by 11PM.
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Mrs. Penguin, Northern California
Age and Occupation: 27, Weddingbee Editor in Chief
Fiance's Age and Occupation: 30, Doctor of Physical Therapy
Engagement Date: January 29, 2007
Wedding Date: June 7, 2008
Blogging Since: September 14, 2007
Venue: Winery in the Gold Country
About Me: I love the Spice Girls, dogs with underbites, bean burritos, making messes, high fives, avoiding showers, crossword puzzles, blogs, weddings, and blogs about weddings!
Our first fall bee has arrived! Say hello to our newest tasty bee, Miss Apple Cider!
Miss Apple Cider, New York/Charlotte
Age & Occupation: 27, Corporate Communications Manager
Fiance’s Age & Occupation: 26, Grad Student – Clinical Mental Health
Engagement Date: September 13, 2008
Wedding Date: October 2009
Venue: Banner Elk Winery & Blueberry Villa
About Me: I am a North Carolina girl with a New York City spirit. I love crafting, blogging, laughing and dreaming. I know every word to the Anne of Green Gables and Little Women movies. I own every single Martha Stewart Wedding Magazine and have been dreaming of weddings since I was little. I believe life is about doing what makes you happy. If you aren’t happy re-evaluate what you are doing. You should never look back on your life and not be proud of what you are doing. If you want to travel - travel. If you want to sing - sing. If you want to start a company - start a company. If you want to blog – blog!
Create the honeymoon of your dreams.
Mrs. Hot Cocoa, Boston/Los Angeles
Age and Occupation: 31, JD/PhD Student
Fiance's Age and Occupation: 32, Medical Student
Engagement Date: May 30, 2008
Wedding Date: March, 2009
Blogging Since: April, 2008
Venue: Ritz Carlton, Marina Del Rey
About Me:
I am a professional student by day and an amateur cupcake taster, bargain shopper, and wedding planner by night. I am obsessed with NPR, the Food Network, paper, dance shows, Anthropologie, post-structuralist theory, Weddingbee!, "The Office," and celebrity gossip. When not procrastinating from my dissertation, I spend time catering to Jellyby, our overly anxious shih tzu, and getting to know Mr. Hot Cocoa. We have only been dating for fifteen years, so it's like I'm in love with a stranger! From the East Coast, we are planning a Jewish-Chinese Extravaganza in L.A., where we both grew up.
Wanna see our invitations?! If you’re a little wedding voyeur like me, of course you do! Well, they are finally out to our guests, so I can show you:
When looking for invitations, I wanted to find a design that would be representative of both Mr. HC’s and my heritages and give our guests a taste of the Chewish goodness that was in store for them at our wedding. After some deliberation, I zoned in on papercutting, which is, as Miss Perfume pointed out in an earlier post, an art form that is shared by both the Jewish and Chinese cultures.
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Mrs. Kitten, Austin/Grand Cayman
Age and Occupation: 25, Law Student
Fiance's Age and Occupation: 27, Dental Student
Engagement Date: October 19, 2006
Wedding Date: April, 2009
Venue: The Grand Old House, Grand Cayman
About Me: In 2009 I will get married (after a two and a half year engagement!), become an Army wife, graduate from law school, take the bar, move from Austin to Washington, D.C., and start my career as a lawyer! With all this going on, Mr. Kitten and I decided to have a tropical, "stress-free" destination wedding. Nevertheless, my micromanaging, detail-oriented, perfectionist side has prevailed---I am currently obsessed with every last detail of my "stress-free" destination wedding! But most of all, I'm beyond excited to become Mrs. Kitten on a fabulous Caribbean vacation surrounded by my friends and family!
Dear Melissa Sweet/Priscilla of Boston/purveyors of wedding and bridesmaids dresses everywhere:
Why, oh why does it take FIVE MONTHS for you to make a dress? I know I procrastinated on picking out bridesmaids dresses, but I just decided on my wedding dress! And how could I have picked out the bridesmaids’ dresses until I knew what I, the bride, was wearing? If I could have foreseen that the salespeople at your bridal salon in Dallas would LAUGH AT ME when I asked, in December, if I could order bridesmaids dresses for our April 4th wedding, I would have ordered them sooner! But, really, how was I supposed to know? You’ve already designed the dresses, and most of you only come out with a handful of dress designs per season (Melissa Sweet, I’m talking to you). You already have the materials and a factory of people to make them. So why does it take five months for a dress to be delivered once it has been ordered?
I have two theories about the cause of such delay:
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Wedding Bios
Feature Launched: September 12, 2008
About: Wedding bios of real brides.
Weddingbee PRO
Feature Launched: January 29, 2009
About: A roundup of great Weddingbee PRO posts
Mrs. Green Tea, Sacramento
Age and Occupation: 30, Tea Analyst
Fiance's Age and Occupation: 31, Coffee Critic
Engagement Date: November 17, 2006
Wedding Date: August 23, 2008
Blogging Since: June 10, 2008
Venue: Vineyard on the Delta
About 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!
I’m finally finished with my thank you cards! It takes only 4 steps to create this simple pop-up, here’s how:
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Mrs. Dumpling, Las Vegas
Age and Occupation: 27, Finance
Fiance's Age and Occupation: 34, Real Estate
Engagement Date: March, 2008
Wedding Date: March, 2009
Blogging Since: August 26, 2008
Venue: Catholic church ceremony & golf course reception
About Me: I grew up in the Deep South, and while most people say I have a thick southern accent, I tend to think it only comes out when I need to use it. Living in Las Vegas has definitely been an adventure and Mr. Dumpling and I are loving every minute of it! We are planning a traditional Catholic wedding ceremony and a reception with lots of DIY! We might even get Elvis to show up! I'm a HUGE Beatles fan, love The Office and can't wait to become a Mrs.!
Or, Dumpling’s makeup trial.
I really want to look like me on our wedding day. Well, me, only slightly enhanced.
I went to MAC last Saturday to test out some of their products and a makeup artist I had heard so much about. She told me she charges (insert something I can’t afford) for brides, so I automatically assumed she was good. I’m one of those people. If it costs too much, it must be good.
That was such a big mistake and I am an idiot for thinking that. I liked the products and I’ve always loved using MAC lipstick and eye makeup when I wanted to look extra special, but this particular “artist” did not listen to a word I said. I asked for a “natural glow” but instead I got “Halloween chic”.
I think it looks 10 times better in pictures, but it is still WAY more makeup than I wanted to wear. I felt like a clown.
Ladies, I love you, and I know this is where I’m supposed to insert the before picture, but no. Sorry. These after pics are even after I washed half of it off. I still felt painted.
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Mrs. Ballet Flat, New Orleans
Age and Occupation: 24, Geographic Information Systems Analyst
Fiance's Age and Occupation: 26, IT Analyst
Engagement Date: March 16, 2008
Wedding Date: May, 2009
Blogging Since: September 25, 2008
Venue: St. Charles Borromeo Church/Jefferson-Orleans North
About Me: I absolutely love wedding planning, spending time with Mr. Ballet Flat, various crafts, watching football, baking, pop music, bargain hunting and ice cream. My idea of a great date night is dinner and clearance shopping with Mr. Ballet Flat! I currently live below sea level in the suburbs near New Orleans, where I make maps all day, everyday for my job. I'm slowly becoming more and more obsessed with anything New Orleans related for our wedding, and I can't wait for the big day!
I’ve noticed that we’ve had a lot of trouble finding balance when it comes to planning big day.
Image source
One of the biggest decisions that a couple makes is where they are going to live post-wedding. For Mr. BF and I, the decision was simple. We both loved Baton Rouge, and despite my New Orleans roots, I was ready and eager to move out there permanently. The problem was in timing. When should I make the move? My dilemma was difficult… I had a great job in NOLA, I had the vacation time needed for the honeymoon, and really got along well with some of my coworkers. However, I realized I didn’t want to change jobs and get married at the same time, so last fall, I decided to put my resume out there.
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Mrs. D'orsay, Baltimore/Lancaster UK
Age and Occupation: 24, nonprofit communications
Fiance's Age and Occupation: 29, Web site developer and designer; co-owner of men's skincare shop
Engagement Date: August 10, 2008
Wedding Date: August, 2009
Venue: Oakland Manor
About 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!
I don’t get bridal envy often for things I know I can’t have, but this particular item has been quite the struggle for me.
Brides - by MsUsUk
(all photos via Rock-n-Roll Bride)
What do these brides have that I can’t have?
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Mrs. Piglet, Virginia/Oahu
Age and Occupation: 28, Consultant
Fiance's Age and Occupation: 29, Entrepreneur/Fashion Apparel Wholesale Importer
Engagement Date: June 22, 2008
Wedding Date: August 2009
Venue: Ceremony at the Lanikuhonua Phase II private estate, reception at a historic hotel in Waikiki
About Me: I'm an East Coast gal with intense road rage and an addiction to romantic comedies, fast food, gadgets, Korean BBQ, and my wiener dog George aka Georgia May. I carry mustard packets in my purse and I love perusing the aisles at discount stores. A self proclaimed shopaholic, I impulsively buy electronics, software, and craft tools; none of which I know how to use. I'm excited to dust
these babies off and immerse myself in DIY projects galore in
preparation for our DW in paradise!
We really wanted the engagement photos to capture us as a couple. We’re low-key and love the outdoors. Well, I’ve learned to love the outdoors. Mr. Piggy was born and raised in Baltimore (poor Ravens!), and will always consider it his home base. He planned out the entire day of our engagement shoot. While I would’ve loved to have seen myself in a fancy dress and Mr. Piggy in a nice suit, we decided to leave that for the wedding! 
We’re both the jeans and t-shirt types and we unintentionally have started to match our clothes more often than not. This is the outcome… we love our photos and feel that they truly capture our personalities! Here’s a quick visual recap of our day.
The day started off at Park School in Baltimore. Mr. Pig attended this school from kindergarten through high school and we loved the nature-type setting it provided.
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Hey-Hey-A-Hey!
All-Inclusion Invitation Suites
