2009 March | Weddingbee

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.

DIY Veil With Lacey Afterthoughts

March 24th, 2009 @ 5:54 pm by Mrs. Perfume

DIY Veil With Lacey Afterthoughts : wedding diy veil 2009032 I didn’t think I wanted a veil. But shortly after I found my dress, my mother decided to experiment with making me a simple and unadorned one.

She purchased a wide (about 108″) width of soft tulle (from our favorite cheapy fabric store) to practice, along with some clear plastic combs from Michaels. She cut a straight edge across the bottom (rather than rounded–it’s easier and was my preference) by folding the fabric lengthwise twice, then cutting it.

Then she attached the tulle to the comb by first gently gathering the fabric on one of the long ends, and then stitching it to the comb with some clear thread.
Read more…

Tags: diy, veil | 35 Comments

Mrs. Duckling, San Diego Age and Occupation: 23, Psychology Grad Student, Youth Diversion Specialist/Marriage and Family Therapy Trainee and an Executive Assistant Fiance's Age and Occupation: 25, Marketing and PR Coordinator Engagement Date: May 17, 2008 Wedding Date: September 2009 Venue: Rancho Bernardo Inn About Me: I'm currently living in Orange County, but planning our wedding in my hometown of San Diego. We are a DIY wedding "2fer", as I'm the crafty one and Mr. Ducky is in charge of all of our graphic design and technical aspects. When not wedding planning or reading wedding blogs, I'm attending grad school and rotating between two different jobs to keep things exciting. My favorite things include shoes, Post-Its, Labrador Retrievers, traveling, psychology, delicious food, photography, reading, craft gadgets/supplies, and of course, my wonderful Mr. Ducky!

Laura Nadeau to the Rescue!

March 24th, 2009 @ 5:26 pm by Mrs. Duckling

The week before I took my engagement pictures, all of a sudden I started worrying about my makeup. On a daily basis my makeup is pretty natural, and knowing that I was going to be taking pictures, I wasn’t sure what to do. I didn’t want to look washed out, shiny, or so made-up that it wasn’t me. Hiring someone to do it for me was out of budget, and I didn’t want to take my chances at a random makeup counter at the mall.

I don’t know about you, but I’ve been loving Weddingbee PRO and all the vendor tips and insights. Laura Nadeau has been one of my favorites, as I’ve been slowly accumulating a product wish list from all of her incredible posts. Well, since Laura is in New York and I’m in California, it wasn’t exactly a possibility to have her do my makeup or for me to visit her studio. So, I instead left a comment on one of her posts asking for tips, and she replied with an email asking for a picture, what I wear daily, and the look I wanted to achieve. I was thrilled when she sent me the email, and immediately sent her a breakdown of all the information. Check out her post here to see what my email said.

A few days later I opened my inbox and found an email from Lo, also posted on her blog, telling me step by step what to buy, what to do, and some general tips.

Miss Duckling,

You are a beautiful woman and I think that with a few changes in your makeup routine we can easily make you even more photogenic! If you think of your makeup like your wardrobe, then I would say you have all of the classics. Now, we’ll just fine-tune it with the proper accessories, and I’ll show you how to dress up your look!
Read more…

Tags: makeup, trial | 17 Comments

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!

Friendly Future In-Laws

March 24th, 2009 @ 5:00 pm by Mrs. D'orsay

I’ve seen lots of posts about difficulties with future in-laws, or the general pain that they can be. TV shows like “Everybody Loves Raymond” really promote the stereotypes of them. I understand that Mr. D and I have gotten to know our in-laws a bit better since we’ve lived with them, but I like to think it’s more than that. I really can’t say enough great things about my in-laws, as they’ve made me feel so welcome in a foreign country, and I enjoy spending time with them.

Friendly Future In-Laws : wedding family relationships Mother

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Tags: family, relationships | 35 Comments

Mrs. Lemonade, Austin/San Antonio Age and Occupation: 28, Bureaucrat Fiance's Age and Occupation: 28, Music Management Engagement Date: December 21, 2007 Wedding Date: April, 2009 Blogging Since: August 22, 2008 Venue: Country Club ceremony, ballroom reception About 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.

You’re Invited: The Whole Package

March 24th, 2009 @ 4:33 pm by Mrs. Lemonade

You're Invited: The Whole Package : wedding invitations stationery 13 1

The invitation package that we sent to our guests had 7 total pieces (including envelopes). The envelopes, mail invitation, rehearsal dinner invitation, and RSVP card were hand letterpressed onto the super yummy Arturo paper in two colors - a deep midnight navy and a more mellow French Blue. The map and accommodations card (not pictured) were printed on the same paper on a laser printer. I want to go ahead and apologize now for the poor picture quality (truly, the pictures do not truly reflect how lovely the invites really are!) and all of the blurring of the personal information. I tried to keep it at a minimum…

Tags: invitations, stationery | 26 Comments

Featured on Weddingbee

All-Inclusion Invitation Suites

“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. Lovebird, New York/Cancun Age and Occupation: 25, Attorney Fiance's Age and Occupation: 25, Medical Student Engagement Date: September 22, 2006 Wedding Date: July, 2008 Venue: Dreams Cancun Resort & Spa About Me: Born and raised New Yorker planning a destination wedding in Cancun, Mexico. Got proposed to in Cancun, so it’s only fitting we are going back to get married. I love trivia, board games, bargain shopping, asian dramas and eating yummy food!

Wedding Day Part IX: The Ceremony

March 24th, 2009 @ 4:05 pm by Mrs. Lovebird

Wedding Day Part I: The Girls Getting Ready
Wedding Day Part II: The Boys Getting Ready
Wedding Day Part III: The Guests Getting Ready
Wedding Day Part IV: Bridal Portraits
Wedding Day Part V: Moments Away
Wedding Day Part VI: The Processional 1.0
Wedding Day Part VII: The Processional 2.0
Wedding Day Part VII: Here Comes The Bride

After what seemed like an eternity, it was finally time for us to get married! Well, it wasn’t an eternity, it was more like seven and half years after we started going out…

Okay buddy, this is it!

Tags: cancun, pictures, recap | 20 Comments

Mrs. Bruschetta, Philadelphia Age and Occupation: 25, Communication Professional Fiance's Age and Occupation: 25, Physical Therapy Graduate Student Engagement Date: November 30, 2007 Wedding Date: August 2009 Venue: St. Thomas of Villanova Church & the F.U.E.L. House About Me: I’m a self-proclaimed grammar geek who loves singing (like, really belting it) in the car. My mister and I are planning a vibrant summer soiree celebrating our passions – including food and Philly – and when we make it official, we’ll have been together for eight years! Being super competitive is in my nature, and talking excessively is in my genes. I’ve got a terrible sense of direction, but can always easily find my way into Mr. Bruschetta’s arms.

Something Blue

March 24th, 2009 @ 3:39 pm by Mrs. Bruschetta

It’s tough to realize that summer is rapidly approaching. But the mister and I can practically taste the warmer months — perhaps because we’re starting to select our signature cocktails to be served at the wedding!

With under six months to go, we’re still debating between some of our favorite potent potables. Gin and tonics, though, are definitely in — featuring Philly’s own Bluecoat gin.

Something Blue : wedding alcohol Bluecoa

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Tags: alcohol | 25 Comments

Create the honeymoon of your dreams.

Mrs. Flamingo, Montreal, Canada Age and Occupation: 25, Graphic Designer Fiance's Age and Occupation: 30, Nursing Student Engagement Date: December 2004 Wedding Date: June 21, 2008 Venue: Imperia Hotel (modern chic hotel) About Me: I am a passionate designer who loves anything pretty. I heart all paper products (eco-friendly of course). My passion revolves around anything considered glamour; vintage and modern. In my free time, I love reading Martha mags, designing jewelry and making a pit-stop at Starbucks for a chai latte. I'm also a chocoholic at heart and my family drools over my homemade truffles.

Glamnuptials: Groom Posing

March 24th, 2009 @ 3:11 pm by Mrs. Flamingo

The morning of, the photographer stopped by the best man’s house to take pictures of the boys getting ready and to snap a couple of shots here and there. Both Mr. Flamingo’s parents were there as well to help him get ready for the big day.

Not many shots were taken, and the photographer didn’t seem to catch the little moments/details that were so important to us. It felt like he was more in a hurry to be where the bride was (according to Mr. F).

Tags: pictures, recap | 12 Comments

Beehive Feature Launched: Aug 31, 2006 About: A forum for readers to post questions and get feedback from the hive, aka the weddingbee community.

Hot Thread: Too Early to Start Planning?

March 24th, 2009 @ 3:00 pm by Beehive

When did you really start buying things and setting things in motion for your wedding?

We are 1 year 1 month 12 days ( I had to check a counter. I am not that obsessed… YET) out from the wedding. I really want to start on some things, but I feel like maybe it is too early.

I have my invitations designed. We know where and when we want to get married. So can I go ahead and start on them? The guest list is written, but not 100% yet. You could say it’s 90% there.

I guess I am just scared to start setting things in stone and making things happen. Is this normal? I am going crazy aren’t I?

Firefighter Praz Girl

~~~

Please comment on the thread here.

Tags: Features | Comments Off

Mrs. Cowboy Boot, Santa Fe Age and Occupation: 25, Magazine Editor Fiance's Age and Occupation: 29, Artist and Whitewater Rafting Guide Engagement Date: April 28th, 2008 Wedding Date: October 2009 Venue: Devil's Thumb Ranch, Colorado About Me: I grew up in Los Angeles and have since lived in San Diego, Boston, Italy, Hawaii, New York City, and Santa Fe. I speak Italian and love pasta. My real passion is the outdoors, though. When I'm not at work, I'm snowboarding, hiking with my two dogs, mountain biking, surfing, cross-country-skiing, or boating New Mexico's rivers. Despite my boyish love for adventure, I'm a girly-girl at heart and am overly-excited to pull off the romantic, vintage-inspired, country wedding of my dreams.

Mission: Vintage Stamps

March 24th, 2009 @ 2:32 pm by Mrs. Cowboy Boot

When I went on the US Post Office’s website to look at postage options for our save-the-date postcards, I was let down. All they had in terms of 27-cent postage was a sheet of tropical fruit stamps. While these look awesome on Miss Kitten’s island-wedding save-the-dates, we’re getting married at a ranch in Colorado with a subdued color scheme. Tangerine orange, banana yellow, hibiscus pink, and honeydew green stamps with star fruit and papaya on them don’t exactly match the mood we’re going for.

Mission: Vintage Stamps : wedding invitations Vintage

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Originally, I wanted vintage stamps. But when I started doing research, they seemed to be quite a bit above and beyond the price of postage. I couldn’t justify spending $4.00 on 4 22-cent stamps when they should cost 88 cents.
Read more…

Tags: invitations | 20 Comments

Mrs. Gloss, Boston/Maine Age and Occupation: 24, Designer/soon-to-be Architect Fiance's Age and Occupation: 26, Systems Engineer Engagement Date: May 23, 2008 Wedding Date: August 2009 Venue: SS Katahdin/Lakeside Tent About Me: I don't like nickels or the skin that forms on pudding when it's in the fridge for too long. I couldn't live without Pantone markers, fountain soda (3/4 diet, ¼ regular Coke), run-on sentences, or ridiculously oversized sunglasses. I will try to DIY almost anything and am just OCD enough to make most of it work. I am truly excited about having all my family and friends together, becoming Mrs. Gloss, and having amazing photos to prove it!

Monogram Inspiration

March 24th, 2009 @ 2:06 pm by Mrs. Gloss

I’ve been trying to come up with THE PERFECT monogram to help tie all our wedding-y paper goods together. I want something classic, that will still be useful after our wedding - so I’m not sure I want to tie in too many nautical details, because I have a feeling by the time our wedding rolls around I’m going to be SO over rope and compass roses. But I also want our monogram to feel at home on all our wedding items.

While searching for inspiration, I found these monograms from Monogram Design—and there are plenty more! I really love the simplicity of the Ws in the lower right.

Tags: invitations, stationery | 12 Comments

Mrs. Crab Cake, Columbus, GA Age and Occupation: 25, Registered Nurse Fiance's Age and Occupation: 31, Director of Education and Living History for a museum Engagement Date: April 6, 2008 Wedding Date: June, 2009 Blogging Since: November 26, 2008 Venue: Holy Family Catholic Church, reception: National Infantry Museum About Me: I'm a perfectionist trying to balance two jobs, motherhood, my craft obsession, and wedding planning. I am obsessed with all things wedding, especially creative ideas for saving money and DIY projects. A Southern Belle at heart, I love anything southern, especially sweet tea, grits, afternoon thunder storms, crab cakes, and good old Southern hospitality. Mr. Crab Cake and I are planning a vintage inspired wedding with tons of Southern flare (can y'all say that with a thick Southern drawl?).

The Great Plate Debate

March 24th, 2009 @ 1:40 pm by Mrs. Crab Cake

In all honesty, I never thought plates would cause such a stir around our house.

They weren’t even an issue until we fired our caterer and I decided to cater the thing myself. Okay, not myself, but whatever. No caterer, no linens, no dishes… you get the idea.

So, I started looking into our options. I discovered that there were three.

Rent
Buy
Plastic/paper

Let’s start with plastic. Blech, right?! They’re bad for the environment, not terribly cute, and certainly not classy. But, they would be convenient and easy. For a girl with no caterer, it seemed like a logical idea to go with plastic. I even found some super cute square plates that really floated my boat, if you will.

The Great Plate Debate : wedding decor reception 13 black-and-square-equals-sexy

(source, 120 ct. for $79.95)

Black and square equals sexy, even if it is plastic. I especially loved these mini pastry dishes.

Tags: decor, reception | 23 Comments

Mrs. Cupcake, Philadelphia Age and Occupation: 27, Graphic Designer Fiance's Age and Occupation: 29, Construction Project Manager Engagement Date: February 10, 2007 Wedding Date: September, 2008 Blogging Since: December 7, 2007 Venue: The Desmond Hotel in Malvern, PA About Me: Mr. Cupcake and I hit it off at a Halloween party and immediately began a long-distance relationship. After two years, he moved to my neck of the woods, and a year and a half after that, he proposed at the “place we fell in love.” I am a true perfectionist who enjoys designing and creating more work for myself, so wedding planning is my perfect outlet. Mr. Cupcake and I are both old souls, and we hope to weave that aspect of our personalities into our wedding day.

Love is All About “We”: Ready For Our Close-Up

March 24th, 2009 @ 1:10 pm by Mrs. Cupcake

All photos below by The Wiebners unless otherwise noted. We purchased a disc of all unedited images from our wedding day, so some post-processing has been done by me for the purpose of sharing the photos with you. Click on any photo to enlarge.

After our wonderful ceremony, we had a somewhat small window of time to get some formal photos taken. Around 4:40, we herded our families back into the sanctuary to get some traditional group photos. The Wiebners did a magnificent job speeding through everything painlessly, and we’ll now forever have these traditional photos to document the family members who were there with us on our big day. But truth be told, in all reality, the pics are kinda boring. You know — everyone standing in the same spot smiling…. aaaaand that’s pretty much it. It was definitely something we wanted to do, and we’re glad we did it, but there’s not much to tell you about them. So I won’t bore you with those cookie cutter shots.
Read more…

Tags: pictures, recap | 42 Comments

Classifieds Feature Launched: April 30, 2008 About: A roundup of the best Weddingbee Classified listings.

Classifieds

March 24th, 2009 @ 12:59 pm by Classifieds

Reader sakagoo is selling an Alvina Valenta Couture wedding gown. It is a mermaid style dress that should fit a bust size 34, waist size 24-26. She is asking for $500.

Classifieds : wedding features Class class

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:
Read more…

Tags: Features | No Comments

Mrs. Mascara, Chicago/Upper Michigan Age and Occupation: 25, Biomedical Engineer Fiance's Age and Occupation: 25, Process Engineer Engagement Date: July 27, 2008 Wedding Date: September 2009 Venue: Catholic ceremony, reception at local armory About Me: A lover of Mr. Mascara, crafting, baking, Gossip Girl, diet soda, and all things wedding. A Yooper girl somehow displaced in the Chicago suburbs, planning a wedding from a distance, and counting down the days until I marry my best friend.

An Excuse to Drink Wine

March 24th, 2009 @ 12:35 pm by Mrs. Mascara

I saw these vases a little while ago after finding a new blog (well new to me, at least) called VintageGlam.

An Excuse to Drink Wine : wedding decor reception Wine Bo Here are a few reasons why I like them:

They will work with simple flower arrangements (think 1-3 stems of one type of flower).
The green ones would go perfectly with our color scheme.
I can make them myself!
It’s a way to recycle old wine bottles.
They are made out of wine bottles… so it’s a good excuse to drink more wine!

I happen to love wine. I also happen to have a favorite wine that comes in a olive green wine bottle. Coincidence? I think not.

Are you recycling anything and incorporating it into your wedding decor?

Tags: decor, reception | 14 Comments

Mrs. Peep Toe, San Francisco Age and Occupation: 29, Policy Analyst Fiance's Age and Occupation: 36, Olive Oil Production Manager Engagement Date: December 16, 2007 Wedding Date: May, 2009 Blogging Since: November 26, 2008 Venue: Hotel Vitale About 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.

My Hair and Makeup Trial

March 24th, 2009 @ 12:09 pm by Mrs. Peep Toe

When I last left you, I was deciding between a soft and romantic, or sleek and modern look for my hair trial. When I got to the salon I had pretty much decided that I loved this picture:

My Hair and Makeup Trial : wedding hair makeup trial 1 1