Weddingbee Blog

OK, I’m not actually in Afar (a region in Ethiopia) but I am in Ethiopia. Although my work trips are crazy, I do tend to find a lot of down time. Unlike being at home, I don’t have errands to run after work. I don’t have to clean or cook dinner. And if I go to the gym, it’s about 30 seconds of a walk from my hotel room. I’m usually in my room by 6PM and I’m online until about 9:30PM. I’m not necessarily actively doing work in the evenings, more just making myself available to answer questions from my co-workers back in Seattle and emailing with Mr. Joey.

So this leaves a lot of time to get wedding details out of the way. What details, you ask? Well, this evening I have been emailing hotels where we are interested in holding blocks of rooms. We’re hoping to find a hotel that is close to the reception site, is accessible to downtown either by shuttle or public transport, and one that provides interesting amenities. My favorite amenity so far is from a hotel that lets guests borrow bikes. I heard that the Hotel Monaco gives guests goldfish as pets during their stay. Another hotel I emailed does a complementary wine and cheese happy hour.
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Reader chrissatee is selling a custom aisle runner. This white runner is made of high quality cotton and features sewn on red and gold ribbon detailing and has red gems to add sparkle. It is 60 ft X 3.5 ft and has been cleaned. She is asking for $200.

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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Oh my! Lookie here… what’s this?

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We just passed the four month mark before the big day. It is making me a little nervous, because for some reason, three months until the wedding seems a lot closer than four. Last week I looked at our timeline and realized that our unfinished guest list is staring me in the face. My hesitancy to produce the final list has come as a result of some decision-making issues. Let me explain. Beyond our list of definite invites, there is a group of “indefinites” (for lack of a better word). These are friends we were once close to, yet, we have drifted apart from either physically or emotionally: childhood friends, high school friends, college friends, and friends from old jobs. Well, you get the picture. We are on the fence about inviting many of these people. On the one hand, they have been significant people to us at certain times in our lives. On the other hand, these are not people that we interact with every day. A friendly note via Facebook, an email, or running into them at a social gathering is just about the extent of our communication.

Where do you draw the line as to which friends get an invite and which don’t? We have some room on our guest list. Not a lot, but some. I feel conflicted because several of my future in-laws’ friends will probably get an invite (don’t get me started on this subject), and we barely know a lot of them. So why then, should we fail to consider old friends?
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Now, this is an amazing concept. Check out some of these amazing, customizable decals.

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Hi hive, Mrs. Penguin here! Last night we launched our “Honeymoon in My Hometown” series with Miss Peep Toe’s amazing post on San Francisco!  Throughout the next couple of weeks, the Bees will be sharing with you all the awesome things that their hometowns have to offer.  I’ll let Miss Powder Puff take it away with her great post on Western Michigan!

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There is a serious of commercials out right now that make me tear up every time. No, I’m not talking about the Sarah McLachlan, tug-at-your-heart-strings-with-cute-puppies ASPCA commercials. I’m talking about the Pure Michigan commercials.

Huh? There are advertisements promoting Michigan, of all places? You betcha! Grab some tissues and check it out:

OK, it might be just me that gets teary-eyed by these, but I love my home state! Many people don’t realize how absolutely beautiful Michigan is, especially Western Michigan. So, if you’re looking for a place to relax with your honey before or after the wedding, you’re in luck! We are creeping up on the perfect time to visit. And being the Midwest, things are cheap, cheapy cheap! Hooray!

So, here comes Miss Powder Puff’s official guide to visiting Western Michigan!
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As I’ve mentioned before, I got lucky when it came to my dress. It was already made - a cancellation - and it was a perfect fit. I even got a great deal on the price to fit within my budget AND I got to take it home right away. It was pretty early on in our wedding planning when this happened, so for months it hung in the door of my parents’ walk-in closet. I have to admit, I tried it on more than a couple of times at first. I couldn’t help it - it just felt awesome stepping into it! But then eventually I lost interest in the dress as I gained interest in junk food. When I tried it on again months later, I was a sad sight to behold.

How bad, you ask? A good friend provided me with her corset to wear under my wedding dress. She’s super tall and thin, so when I held it up in front of me I didn’t think there was any way in hell that I would be able to fit into it. I didn’t want to risk not being able to close it during my fitting and totally embarrass myself, so I asked Mr. Martini to help me try it on the night before.

A few minutes later, as I stood in front of the mirror horrified, Mr. M tried to make me feel better.

Me: oh. my. god.
Mr. M: You know what? *cough* It’s really not that bad… at least we got it to close…

He then proceeded to take two fingers to try and tuck my fat back into the corset. I wasn’t just spilling out, I was pouring out!

(MR. MARTINI PLEASE DO NOT READ FURTHER)
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Jo-Ann’s is having a sale on the Yudu, a new screen-printing device. I have no experience with the thing, but someone’s got to be gutsy enough to try it out.

Source

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Hello Hive!

First of all, thank you so much for the outpouring of well wishes, good thoughts and prayers on my post on Friday. It meant so much to be able to read each of your comments over the last few days. It was comforting to know that others have had similar medical issues and gotten through it all. And we have so many medical bees! It’s kind of fun to know that you could have almost any sort of problem in the world and you probably have someone in the hive who can be a wonderful source of information!

The surgery went well and they were able to do the whole procedure successfully through laparascopy without making a big incision. The cyst was taken out and they also discovered the beginning stages of endometriosis which they removed as well. The staff at the hospital was so friendly and I felt so comfortable and well taken care of throughout the experience.

I awoke after the surgery to Mr. Ducky and my parents who were able to take me home after not too long. Recovery has been going well so far. I’m just trying to take it easy since it is still pretty painful to move around too much. Mr. Ducky has been the best nurse and has been taking excellent care of me, along with my family. Little brother Duckling even came home from college to see me. So, it’s also been nice to get some quality time with everyone even if I have been on painkillers and a little loopy.
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I swear I think that half of my blog posts have been about this darn candy buffet we’re doing as our favor! It started out long ago as something simple and fun to do, and has spiraled into a point of complete obsession for me!

The other week I found this great black cake stand for a steal on Amazon - I love it and will easily use it post-wedding! Then I happened across an Amy Atlas post where every cake stand/bowl/platter was black, pulling everything together.

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Fabulous, true inspiration at last! But where do I find all of these fabulous black elements without breaking the budget?
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Let the recaps begin!

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.

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When my sister was getting married, we went with my Mom to try on a billion dresses. 3 stores and 8 hours later, we found her an amazing dress. I wish I had pictures of it and how great she looked trying it on. Sadly, she hasn’t worn it yet and she’s been married 2 years. Her husband is in the military and found out that he would be deployed a few weeks before their scheduled wedding. They ended up getting married at the courthouse. My sister still has hopes of having a real ceremony and reception where she can wear her beautiful dress.

When I got engaged, my Mom suggested I wear my sister’s unworn dress. While I love it on her, I don’t think it’s my style. Besides, I could tell that she really wanted to keep it for herself, though if I wanted to, she’d let me wear it. I passed and everyone but my Mom seemed relieved.

My Mom kept asking me what kind of dress I wanted. She sent pictures and links to dresses online. I looked at all of them but all they made me sure of was of what kind of dress I didn’t want and how much money we didn’t have to spend on a dress.

I was at home working one day and decided to take a break to see what was new on Etsy… and there it was.
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I promised my classmates that I’d write a post about the flower arranging class we took last night, but I just got back from a bridal shower and am too pooped to edit the pictures. I already uploaded the pics for the following post though, so here goes!

Mrs. Caramel used to do freelance hair and makeup in LA with her cousin, so her cousin did my makeup for a wedding I attended last summer.  I’m sorry I don’t have a better picture — my pc with all my pictures died!

Mrs. Caramel has since moved to New York, and is starting up her freelance business here with a lovely makeup artist named Jina. So Mrs. Caramel and Jina came over early and did my and Mrs. Penguin’s hair and makeup for the recent Bee Party!
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• Nancy Liu Chin on magazine-worthy floral arrangements
• A football stadium engagement session by Amelia Lyon
• Humor filled save the dates by Flush Designs
• Technology fails Anne Ruthmann
• “Bangs Are the New Black” By Lo and Co
• A rich, red accented wedding by Wiley Valentine
• Cape Cod tri-fold save the dates by Laura Hooper
• Hello! Lucky mingles with celebs at Zac Posen’s fall/winter fashion show
• Punam Bean is moved to tears at a Peruvian-Irish wedding
• Princess Lasertron’s Blues Clues bouquet
• A fun and playful engagement at Crissy Field by Jerry Yoon

I love the idea of this post. I have lived all over the West Coast, and both Mr. PT and I love San Francisco with all our hearts. One could say it’s in our blood; both of our parents honeymooned in San Francisco in the 1960s! They even bought the same souvenirs.

Please bear with me: I love this Golden City! So, buckle your seat belts and come hungry. Here’s an insiders guide to SF:

First up, where to stay: I am totally biased, but my number one recommendation would be Hotel Vitale. The lavender scented hallways and free yoga in the morning are sure to make you feel miles away from everything. Check out their website- they have discounts for locals (starting under $200) and AAA members. If the Vitale is going to break your bank- check out any of the other Joie de Vivre Hotels. Chip Conley, the owner, really knows what he is doing- from chic to budget friendly. All of his hotels are a great bet - and they are Green, bonus!
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