Mrs. Cookie, DenverAge and Occupation: 25, Nonprofit Fundraiser/Theatre DesignerFiance's Age and Occupation: 27, Financial AnalystEngagement Date: September 2007Wedding Date: September 2008Blogging Since: May 8, 2008Venue: Ten Mile StationAbout 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.
From left to right: keelycorin, curlysue, suzanne1880, mojito’s friend, mojito, me, and mojito’s friend.
Honestly, I think the best way to spend a Saturday evening — besides chillin’ with the hubby — is meeting up with other Denver bees!
Thanks to the efforts of curlysue, we all met-up down south of the Metro at the Rio in Lone Tree for margaritas (there is a very good reason why the limit you to only 3) and wedding talk. Read more…
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.
Hive, I have a lot of wedding stuff to write about, I really do. But it’s all pretty much starting later this week. So in honor of a certain song that’s been storming our radio stations as of late (and is hence, stuck in my head like whoa), I decided to share with you a massive collection of bookmarks I have related to the kind of ring that I love best: those that have a diamond “halo” of sorts around them. If you’re a “halo” girl like me, I’m sure you’ll enjoy.
Warning: TONS of pictures of photos of beautiful sparklies ahead!
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!
One of the other unforeseen age-related issues that we have run into while planning our wedding is one that many of you brought up in your comments: getting vendors to take us seriously as adults.
As I’ve mentioned before, not only are Mr. Star and I actually young-ish, but we look even younger. I have been able tell from the look on their faces that a lot of these Manhattan vendors have not taken us seriously from the moment we walked in. A few vendors have actually said something out loud about it.
There’s one really simple fix for this: don’t give them your money. I have walked away from one florist who didn’t seem to be taking me seriously, and there are so many amazing vendors out there who will be thrilled and excited to be working on your wedding (there really are, it’s great)!
If, however, there’s some reason why you can’t just pick up and change vendors (like there’s only one florist in town or you’re really in love with your venue like we are), there are a few things you can try!
1. Professionalism in your interactions. A lot of us use half a dozen exclamation points or misspelled wordz (haha, I can’t pull that one off) in our Facebook wall posts or instant messaging. I am totally guilty of this myself. But when it comes to emailing a potential wedding vendor, that kind of stuff has to go. This may seem obvious, but I think it really makes a big difference when you take the time to write a cohesive, edited email.
2. Dress up! I’m a big proponent of dressing nicely to get people to take you seriously. Sad as it may be, people do judge you by the way you look and how you present yourself. I never went to meet with a vendor without making sure I looked nice. I even made Mr. Star throw on a nice shirt and coat to come with me to put the deposit down on our loft:
I didn’t get him out of jeans, but he’s at least wearing a sportcoat!
Mrs. Mascara, Chicago/Upper MichiganAge and Occupation: 25, Biomedical EngineerFiance's Age and Occupation: 25, Process EngineerEngagement Date: July 27, 2008Wedding Date: September 2009Venue: Catholic ceremony, reception at local armoryAbout 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.
Mrs. Cheese, KnoxvilleAge and Occupation: 29, Engineering ManagerFiance's Age and Occupation: 27, CAD DesignerEngagement Date: July 31, 2008Wedding Date: May, 2009Blogging Since: October 16, 2008Venue: Our home and the two acres it sits onAbout 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.
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!
Excuse the cheesy title, but seriously—who doesn’t love a good banner? They’re festive, sometimes kitschy, always fun. Perfect for a wedding or rehearsal dinner! And with the power of Etsy, you can have just about any style banner that you can think of.
This seller makes banners out of vintage fabrics, so they’re totally reusable—you’re welcome, planet.
Miss Candy Corn, PhiladelphiaAge and Occupation: 27, Freelance Writer, Photographer and IllustratorFiance's Age and Occupation: 25, Front End Web DeveloperBlogging Since: May 6, 2008Engagement Date: November 10, 2011Wedding Date: September 2012Venue: Our backyard!About Me: I’m a 27-year-old photographer, writer and illustrator who enjoys shooting weddings, catching typos in magazines, geeking out with Google Reader, watching Wonder Years marathons with my fiancé, and hanging out with our menagerie of pets. I’m an encore bride planning an intimate, offbeat backyard wedding with my fiancé (known around these parts as “The Ginger”), as we explore our adventures of homeownership.
You’d think I could have made it through the ring exchange without causing a scene, but that would’ve been too easy! The officiant asked our maid of honor and best man to hand her the rings so we could get the show on the road. For some reason, I had my maid of honor hand me the ring and then realized she was supposed to give it directly to the officiant. Whoopsies! Of course, this resulted in me mumbling to myself and apologizing for being such a space cadet, which made the wedding party burst with laughter. I told myself I would get through the rest of the ceremony calm, cool and collected with no more outbursts. Yeah, that didn’t happen… Read more…
Mrs. Joey, SeattleAge and Occupation: 28, Project Administrator for Public Health NGOFiance's Age and Occupation: 30, High School History TeacherEngagement Date: June 24, 2008Wedding Date: August 2009Venue: Eastside Catholic Chapel and Lake Union CafeAbout Me: I'm a Seattle girl through and through except for the fact that I don't drink coffee. I love my job most of the time because I get to travel and work with brilliant people who are trying to prevent Malaria. I love DIY projects of all sorts, cooking, and watching sports. I'd wear anything at Anthropologie and could spend all day on Etsy. I love to travel but shouldn't because I always get myself into unbelievable situations!
No, this isn’t a sea urchin. This is my attempt at making paper poms. Making these suckers wasn’t as easy as I thought it would be. Come on, tissue paper and wire? I can do that. Nope.
We hope you’ve enjoyed our Real Bee Budgets series! We’re wrapping it up today with, what else, but honeymoons! Be sure to check out all the posts in our Real Bee Budgets series!
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The Peep Toes’ Honeymoon
Location: Panama for 14 nights and 13 days
Flight: Air miles. First class the whole way on American Airlines
In country flights (three legs): $350.
Rental Car for 3 days: ~$200
Hotels: Between 150-220 a night: ~$2,500
Meals: Breakfast was always included in the hotel. Lunch ~$20 per day
Dinner and drinks: $50 a day. Total: ~$900.
Activities: zip line, massage, boat tours, snorkeling, hiking, touring, the canal, taxis, gifts (coffee and chocolate): $450
Total about $4,400
“We lived like royalty on our honeymoon. We ate A LOT and stayed at some really great places. Panama wasn’t really cheap, but the dollar did go a bit farther in Panama then in the States. Overall, I think we spent more than we anticipated, but we also knew we had the money in the bank to do it.” Read more…
Mrs. Sunbeam, San Francisco/Grove City, PAAge and Occupation: 26, Grad Student & Office ManagerFiance's Age and Occupation: 27, Motion DesignerEngagement Date: May 10, 2008Wedding Date: September 2009Venue: Harbison Chapel & The Maple Lane FarmAbout Me: Mr. Sunbeam and I are high school sweethearts. We both come from a small town in PA but are growing to love the California lifestyle. He loves wine and I love cheese... the perfect combination! When I'm not drooling over wedding blogs, I'm attending grad school, out being a foodie, or attempting to "walk" our cat at the park. Two things guaranteed to excite me are wedding cakes and breaking out my suitcase to travel. Mr. Sunbeam and I are personalizing our hometown wedding to celebrate our high school sweetheart status and PA roots with a few CA touches. After ten years of dating we couldn't be more excited to call each other husband and wife!
A big hello to all of you in the hive from Miss Sunbeam! Wow, this is surreal! I would have never guessed I’d be chosen to become a bee! I’m thrilled to share my wedding plans with you and hope I can be a sunny source of inspiration and conversation! Exclamation points abound!
As you can see, I am Miss Sunbeam! Why such a sunny character? I’m that girl that that’s often smiling and boppin’ along down the sidewalk, looking on the bright side as much as possible. Meet me and my FI celebrating our engagement day, one year later in sunny Napa Valley:
I live in San Francisco with Mr. Sunbeam and our newest furry family member: our cat, Sophie. Read more…
Kristin Brancaleone, Rancho Santa Margarita, CAVendor: Floral DesignerWebsite: The Treasured PetalAbout Me: The Treasured Petal is a reflection of my love for scrumptious flowers, yummy textures, colors, ribbons, and all the other girly splurges that being a florist allows me to enjoy on a daily basis. Although I don't discriminate when it comes to flowers, my two favorites would have to be cattleya orchids and gloriosa lilies, which I carried in a ginormous bouquet on my wedding day. When I'm not crafting wedding florals and consulting with brides, I am usually at the dog park with my dogs Pesto and Basil, cooking healthy vegan dinners, watching Seinfeld with my husband Joe, at Bible study, or scouring craigslist for antique furniture to fill up my new house. I am also kind of a home-body and really love sipping tea in my pajamas while working my way down my google reader blog list!
I think it’s fun when wedding planners divulge what’s in their emergency kits. Sometimes the stuff they stock seems so random and meticulous to me, proving how Type A these planners need to be! Angel from Love and Splendor wrote a terrific post for Weddingbee PRO about her emergency kit, and Liene from Blue Orchid Blog enlightened me with some of her unusual tools.
We florists also need to come prepared. When working with fragile, perishable artwork on a time crunch in sometimes brutal weather, things can definitely go wrong. But with florals, there is always a way to make it work. Through trial and error, I’ve built an arsenal of tools that has seen me through some snafus. Here are a few that I just packed up yesterday morning for a fabulous LA wedding:
wire and floral tape: to make last minute corsages or bouts, or repair ones that are looking less than perfect
small and large pearl headed pins
crowning glory or finishing touch spray: when misted onto the florals, these sprays help lock in the moisture and keep them fresh- an absolute must for California summers.
extra ribbon in the wedding colors: to rope off the aisle so guests don’t stomp your aisle petals to smithereens
Mrs. Flamingo, Montreal, CanadaAge and Occupation: 25, Graphic DesignerFiance's Age and Occupation: 30, Nursing StudentEngagement Date: December 2004Wedding Date: June 21, 2008Venue: 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.
Though we didn’t do many traditional wedding things, the garter toss and bouquet toss were a must. Not because we had too… but because it’s something I’ve always looked forward to at my own wedding.
Plus, with the unique garter I made my new husband…. I had to have him go fish.
So, I stood on a speaker, turned around to look at the DJ, and with a simple nod of the head, he knew it was time to cue the Superman Theme. Yup, that’s seriously what we played. Read more…
Mrs. Labrador Retriever, Athens/SavannahAge and Occupation: 24, Student/Sports ReporterFiance's Age and Occupation: 29, Physical Therapy Assistant Student/Future Dr. of PT
Engagement Date: December 31, 2008Wedding Date: November 2009Venue: Whitfield Square/Savannah StationAbout Me: I'm working on my second degree from UGA (Go Dawgs!). I'm a self-proclaimed attention-w****. If it involves a camera, I'm in front of it! You'll never meet a girlier tomboy than me. I can go toe to toe with any guy on the subject of college football, and lift more than any girl in my gym, all without chipping a nail. I hope to someday be the only person you want delivering your sports news. My FI and I are the loving parents of three Labrador Retrievers (one of each color) and are planning a "Southern Romantic Charm" wedding in the beautiful, historic city of Savannah. I'm not extreme in anything except moderation... and wedding planning.
Mrs. Penguin, Northern CaliforniaAge and Occupation: 27, Weddingbee Editor in ChiefFiance's Age and Occupation: 30, Doctor of Physical TherapyEngagement Date: January 29, 2007Wedding Date: June 7, 2008Blogging Since: September 14, 2007Venue: Winery in the Gold CountryAbout 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!
I just got notice that Rue La La will be opening their KitchenAid boutique this Wednesday, July 15! Rue La La is similar to Gilt Groupe, but features brands that are a little bit more “accessible”. You’ll usually see discount boutiques of brands that are featured at department stores like Nordstrom and Bloomingdale’s.
And what else did I see in the preview, but…
Ooh! Sometimes when I’m buying a wedding gift for a friend and notice that their KitchenAid mixer hasn’t been purchased off their registry and their showers have passed, I get a little bit sad for them. If you didn’t receive the mixer on your registry, or you want to buy one for a friend at a deep discount, Wednesday will be your chance!
Rue La La is invite only.
To join up, you can use my personal invitation link to get access to all the deals! Just go here:
Mrs. Cloud, RichmondAge and Occupation: 25, Sales RepFiance's Age and Occupation: 26, Customer Service Manager/DJEngagement Date: February 14, 2008Wedding Date: November 2009Venue: Cathedral of the Sacred Heart & The Jefferson HotelAbout Me: Mr. Cloud and I are Yankees planning a Southern wedding to show our families from Boston and New York our fabulous city. We are complete opposites, resulting in a wedding to include bridesmaids in pearls and groomsmen in Adidas shell toes. I’m a sorority girl at heart with strong addictions to my blackberry, cherry Chapstick, Coach purses, the Boston Red Sox and our fur baby, Bella. I can’t wait to the throw the party of our lives and of course, marry my best friend!
Our tasting was weeks ago, so we have really had these selections for a while, but I have to admit I was just downright overwhelmed by the whole thing and didn’t write one single dish down. Or take a picture. Not one. There was a fully charged camera hanging out in my purse the whole time and not once did I bother to pull it out. The food was JUST THAT GOOD. I’m sure the catering manager was astonished by how quickly I was willing to shovel it all into my mouth! But regardless, we did make a decision, and when I got the email with the “official descriptions” my mouth began to water again.
Salad
Virginia field greens with pickled onions, Belgian endive, cherry tomatoes, shaved asiago cheese and lemon thyme vinaigrette
Entrée Choice
Beef: horseradish crusted beef tenderloin with Shenandoah apple and potato pave, baby sunburst squash and asparagus, marchand du vin
Fish: roasted Atlantic salmon with a maple and pecan glaze, whipped sweet potatoes, haricot vert
Vegetarian: crispy gnocchi with braised spinach, oven roasted cherry tomatoes, asparagus and gorgonzola cream
Dessert
Wedding Cake: vanilla sponge cake with raspberry marmalade
Yummmm-o! Since guests will be picking from basic choices on the invitation response card (they just say Beef, Salmon, or Vegetarian) I wanted to do menus for the tables so they know what they will be eating as soon as they sit down. I love the look of pocket fold napkins with the invitations tucked in but am still all over the place on the design. The table with be mostly black and white with the only color of red being in the flowers, so I am hoping to have a little red pop in the menus as well. After combing the internet and some of my favorite resources for inspiration this is what I have found so far… Read more…
All-Inclusion Invitation Suites
So, I stood on a speaker, turned around to look at the DJ, and with a simple nod of the head, he knew it was time to cue the Superman Theme. Yup, that’s seriously what we played.
If you didn’t receive the mixer on your registry, or you want to buy one for a friend at a deep discount, Wednesday will be your chance!
