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!
Post Wedding Depression (PWD) is a real thing, people. It creeps up on you, and latches on quietly to your ambition. It hides around the corners of your wedded bliss and pounces in sneak-attack fashion, dragging you down into stagnation. It hides under your covers, a cold bedfellow, suckling the warmth in your heart until you shiver.
Well, that may be a bit dramatic. But still…
I’m sure the Post-Wedding Blues affect everyone differently, but mine has been coming in the form of laziness, stagnation, overindulgence and non-motivation. I’m sure it’s been made more powerful by the fact that for 3 weeks I’ve been on crutches, limping ungracefully through life, unable to exercise, unable to even walk without pain. That’s definitely a bummer. Mr.M has been battling it too (word up to sensitive groomsies), but his is mildly more assuaged by the relief that all the planning is over.
It seems so silly, after just living the happiest day of our lives, to be whiny, complaining babies. But it also makes sense, after all that anticipation, excitement, attention and payoff, real life doesn’t glitter quite the same way.
This is so not the way I want to begin my Wife-Life. So, this week, I’m hopping back on the horse, taking the reigns, and trying to reclaim my life. The issues: Read more…
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!
“I know you can be overwhelmed, and you can be underwhelmed, but can you ever just be whelmed?”
“I think you can in Europe?”
What a timely and accurate movie quote for my life (can you name the film?!). While in England, I was mostly “whelmed”. I had contacted all our vendors (except for alterations and MUAs), sent inspiration pictures, and generally felt on top of things. We were focused on the visa; after all, what more was there to do?
Turns out, the answer to that is “LOTS”, or “MANY” or even “SEVERAL”. I’m admittedly not the best decision maker, and it takes me a while to decided, undecided, re-decide and repeat that pattern a few times. Which is why 3 months out, I’ve gone from “whelmed” to overwhelmed. Suddenly, I need to figure out where we’re getting cakes for the cake buffet from, send out the US invites, re-decide on centerpieces, figure out hair and makeup, find shoes for BMs, design DIY paper and other craft projects… the list goes on and on.
So, what to do when you’re feeling overwhelmed? Read more…
Mrs. Apple Cider, New York/CharlotteAge and Occupation: 27, Corporate Communications ManagerFiance's Age and Occupation: 26, Grad Student – Clinical Mental Health Engagement Date: September 13, 2008Wedding Date: October 2009Venue: Banner Elk Winery & Blueberry VillaAbout 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!
Everyone is talking about this wedding dress on the blogs, and i will admit - it is stunning! But check out those bridesmaid dresses!!! Those are the same ones that I am having, and in the exact same combination - 2 with straps, and 3 strapless. Mine aren’t in this color, but wow, wow, wow! They look great! I love the 2 different colors here, but am excited for our “marine” color.
Mrs. Latte, Boston/NYCAge and Occupation: 29, College Admissions CounselorFiance's Age and Occupation: 30, Elementary School TeacherEngagement Date: August 23, 2008Wedding Date: July 2009Venue: Stage 6 at Steiner StudiosAbout Me: I am an East Coast girl marrying a West Coast boy. After 2 years of over 3,000 miles between us, Mr. Latte and I are looking forward to finally living in the same time zone/coast/city/home and living “normal couple” lives. I am a crafter at heart and enjoy dragging my friends into new craft projects. I love my Mac, baking cupcakes, wrapping presents, my BlackBerry, naps, good NY style pizza, Jack Bauer and of course, Mr. Latte. I love him a latte. :)
Mrs. Mary Jane, Grand Forks, NDAge and Occupation: 26, Instructional DesignerFiance's Age and Occupation: 26, Lead ProgrammerEngagement Date: February 28, 2009Wedding Date: September 2009Venue: City HallAbout Me: I'm a career woman on the surface and a homemaker at heart. I love fast cars and high heels, and my favorite food is cake. Mr. Mary Jane and I are both full-time employees and students, and we just bought our first house. We love to curl up on the couch with buttery popcorn, Sour Patch Kids, and the latest Netflix arrival -- whenever we can get a break from everyday life.
Remember when the Champagnes accidentally went to the jail for their marriage license? Well if they’d been marrying in Grand Forks, they’d have been in the right place.
When I was writing my Bee Budgets post, I decided to call the Grand Forks County Courthouse to ask about any fees for having a ceremony there. I looked up the marriage license information online and called the “For More Information” number.
The gal on the line told me that the courthouse “doesn’t marry people. You marry at the jail.”
Mrs. Mouse, AustinAge and Occupation: 25, Weddingbee Editor/AttorneyFiance's Age and Occupation: 31, Civil EngineerEngagement Date: December 19, 2007Wedding Date: September 2009Venue: Barr MansionAbout Me: I just graduated from law school and will be taking the bar, getting married, going on a honeymoon with my guy, and then trying to figure out what I'm going to do with the rest of my life. I was born and raised in a small East Texas town, but I'm no country girl! I'm obsessed with British accents, fantasy (including Harry Potter, of course), and classic rock. My fiance and I consider ourselves both music and beer snobs--but every once in awhile we love to hear a crappy band and drink a cheap brew or two. We're planning an eco-friendly, casual, English garden affair for the end of summer, and we can't wait for it to get here!
The Dude and I took our engagement pictures a couple weeks ago with our wedding photographers, the Nichols. They’re a husband + wife team based here in Austin, and they are amazing! When we told them we wanted a vintage-inspired shoot, they were right on board. Jennifer emailed me asking if I had anything in mind for the shoot, and I told her there was this old car junkyard that we had walked past one day and were curious about. I thought it was a long shot, but she loved the idea, and it actually ended up working out!
Mrs. Star, New York CityAge and Occupation: 22, ActressFiance's Age and Occupation: 24, Casting AssistantWedding Date: October 2009Venue: Ceremony: The Kraine Theatre, Reception: Midtown Loft & TerraceAbout Me: I’m a professional actress who’s always had New York City in her blood and I'm finally getting the chance to make a home in Manhattan with my fiancé, my dog, and my big dreams! I love polka dots, craft projects, Dunkin’ Donuts’ iced coffee, and anything sparkly. I’m having a blast planning our elegant/dramatic/New York City/acting-themed/largely-DIY wedding and am thrilled to be the youngest current Miss Blogger!
After seeing some amazing inspiration on Etsy, I decided that it would be fun and cost-effective to make the guys’ boutonnieres myself. I spent a few weeks collecting the supplies from various places:
Purple ribbon - eBay - $8 including shipping
Guinea deathers - Etsy Seller Mojaziemia - $5 including shipping
Miniature camellias - eBay - $12 including shipping
Black beaded rose - Trim Store in NYC, W 38th street - $2
Mrs. Kitten, Austin/Grand CaymanAge and Occupation: 25, Law StudentFiance's Age and Occupation: 27, Dental StudentEngagement Date: October 19, 2006Wedding Date: April, 2009Venue: The Grand Old House, Grand CaymanAbout 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!
I know, I know! I’ve been a little absent lately! Life has definitely gotten in the way of my blogging. Since my last post about our wedding movie preview I have finished up my spring semester classes, gone on a fabulous two-week honeymoon to Italy, graduated from law school, moved to a new city with my husband, and hit the ground running preparing for the bar exam (all the while writing lots and lots of thank you notes)! Whew! I’m exhausted just thinking about it all!
Anyway, back to wedding-related topics! Last week I received my DVD of wedding photos from our photographers The Nichols and I am SO excited to share them with you!
Mrs. Deviled Egg, PittsburghAge and Occupation: 27, Public RelationsFiance's Age and Occupation: 28, AccountingEngagement Date: December 24, 2007Wedding Date: May, 2009Blogging Since: October 21, 2008Venue: Historic auditorium and meeting hall in one of Pittsburgh's commuter citiesAbout Me: I am obsessed with all things crafty, especially scrapbooking, knitting, jewelry-making & cake decorating. I also love being an aunt, wrapping presents, watching football (Go Steelers!), shopping at yard sales and consignment stores, procrastinating, singing and learning to play the guitar. When it comes to wedding planning, I'm excited about working on DIY projects and finding creative ways to stay under budget. Of course, nothing is more exciting to me than knowing that the wonderful Mr. Deviled Egg will be my husband.
The weekend before our wedding, Mr. Deviled Egg and I were roped into having bachelor and bachelorette parties. Mr. DE joined the guys at Dave & Buster’s for dinner and games followed by a trip to a couple of places where photography was prohibited. I, on the other hand, was able to capture most of my evening, in all of its embarrassing glory, in photos.
First up, we (my bridesmaids, a college friend, my FSIL and my mom) met up at a hotel in downtown Pittsburgh to prep for the evening. I was gifted with a few accessories and then we all piled into the hotel’s courtesy shuttle for a ride to the Hard Rock Cafe in Station Square for dinner.
While waiting for our food, I was given some more gifts.
A nice light-up sash and big bling ring to accompany my hot pink boa and plastic tiara
Disclaimer: The following pictures may not be suitable for viewing at work. View at your own risk.
Mrs. Stiletto, ChicagoAge and Occupation: 26, Non-Profit/FundraisingFiance's Age and Occupation: 26, Engineer and PhotographerEngagement Date: March 2, 2008Wedding Date: September 2009Venue: The 19th Century ClubAbout Me: My fiance and I love living in the city of Chicago with our cats Basil and Linus, and vow to never move to the suburbs if we can possibly avoid it! We’ve poured ourselves into planning a wedding that reflects our personal style - modern and high contrast with a vintage twist. Blogging keeps me creative, baking keeps me happy, and grande nonfat no foam sugar free vanilla lattes keep me sane.
Mr. S and I enjoyed a fabulous long weekend in San Francisco… he needed to travel there to shoot an engagement session with an absolutely fabulous couple, and I simply tagged along and we made a long weekend out of it (and I got to play photographer’s assistant around SF’s fun Mission neighborhood, ending with a super tasty “Mission Burrito”). Miss Peep Toe’s “Honeymoon in my Hometown” post was great inspiration as we planned our trip!
However, in the midst of our mini-vacation loveliness, my dreams were filled with wedding doom… duh, duh, DUH.
Over the course of one night, I had two frustrating dreams, one after the other. Read more…
Mrs. French Bulldog, Orange CountyAge and Occupation: 28, Administrative Assistant & Interior Design StudentFiance's Age and Occupation: 28, Purchasing AnalystEngagement Date: November 8, 2008Wedding Date: August 2009Venue: Bernardo WineryAbout Me: I've lived in Atlanta, Dallas and Laguna Niguel; although I've lived in Orange County, CA most my life, I'm a Southerner at heart. I work full time for a Commercial General Contractor (aka my father) and I go to school for Interior Design at night. I love modern design, music, wine, crafting, DMailing, my family, my Westies, and of course, Mr Frenchie! Mr Frenchie and I met 3 years ago on Match.com and have been best friends ever since. I love his "old soul" and how he laughs with his whole body, among many other things. We are planning our summer wedding at the winery near his hometown, just 45 minutes south of Orange County.
Two weekends ago my fantastic bridesmaids threw me the cutest shower ever! I may be a tad bit biased, but I’m sure once you get a look below you’ll believe it ranks pretty high up there.
BM F hosted the shower at her parents’ beautiful beach house and we could not have hoped for better weather.
Isn’t the view from their house to DIE for? It is the stuff postcards are made of! Read more…
Mrs. Cub, Chile/PortlandAge and Occupation: 26, AstronomerFiance's Age and Occupation: 28, AstronomerEngagement Date: May 10, 2008Wedding Date: September 2009Venue: Westwind YWCA campAbout Me: I'm a small-town girl who's making a living in Chile, with her heart in the Pacific Northwest. I grew up in Southern California, went to high school in Texas, grad school in New Mexico, and now I can't wait to settle down in Oregon! I love pears, hazelnuts,
knitting, traveling, running, baking, and long talks on the phone with
good friends. I'm planning my Oregon coast summer camp wedding while
abroad with my best friend - I'm always at home when I'm with him!
I’m not as obsessed with shoes as Kelly is, but I’m definitely particular. Most strappy heels don’t really appeal to me, and 90% of the time you’ll find me on the streets in some mod ballet flats.
When I bought my dress last year, I had a month to buy my wedding shoes for my fitting (I had to finish my alterations before the move!). That meant I had to get some shoes, and I had to get them fast. Luckily, J.Crew is always there to help a sistah out. Even luckier - her ugly stepchild eBay is always willing to cut you a black market shoe deal!
I’m short (a whopping 5’2″), and the Mr. is nearly 6’, so I definitely needed a shoe with a heel. The J.Crew Hadley d’orsays were simple and effective - just what I needed! And at a steal on eBay (even less than this listing!), I considered my shoe case closed.
A girl is never “done” with buying shoes. No. It just doesn’t happen. Read more…
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.
As soon as Mr. Taffy and I settled in after our minimoon, I came down with a nasty case of strep throat. Getting doctor’s orders to sleep in separate beds is not what this newlywed wanted to hear! At least I didn’t get sick before the wedding. I’m halfway through my antibiotics, and ready to post more projects!
I really wanted to blog about our seating cards before the big day, but things were just too crazy. For most of my planning, I had been scheming about ways to include the blue ribbon that I would be wearing on our wedding day into other projects. I was heavily inspired by Mrs. Avocado’s awesome color coded button escort cards, and decided to use ribbon for ours, continuing our circle / dot theme. If we didn’t have some type of coding system for our cards, we would have had to letter the back of each card to let the servers know where to place the entrees. After choosing our three colors for our food choices and clearing them with the venue, we made these:
Mrs. Apple Cider, New York/CharlotteAge and Occupation: 27, Corporate Communications ManagerFiance's Age and Occupation: 26, Grad Student – Clinical Mental Health Engagement Date: September 13, 2008Wedding Date: October 2009Venue: Banner Elk Winery & Blueberry VillaAbout 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!
I shared a sneak peek of my soap project last week and I am now here to share the directions. This project is simple and cheap. You can up the creativity and challenge by actually making your own soap (I knew that I didn’t have time) but that is a great idea.
First things first -
Buy your soap. I decided to go with dial soap bars and bought 36 of them for $14. If you are planning to make more, you can purchase soap at places like Sam’s Club or other wholesale stores. Here is one that I found online: Kitchen Supply Direct.
You want to go with a soap that is already wrapped but not boxed. I found that the boxed soaps seemed more like presents than soap bars. I tried Ivory soap first. Read more…
(click for a closer look!)
All-Inclusion Invitation Suites
Isn’t the view from their house to DIE for? It is the stuff postcards are made of!
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