Mrs. Bruschetta, PhiladelphiaAge and Occupation: 25, Communication ProfessionalFiance's Age and Occupation: 25, Physical Therapy Graduate StudentEngagement Date: November 30, 2007Wedding Date: August 2009Venue: St. Thomas of Villanova Church & the F.U.E.L. HouseAbout 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.
After we found the F.U.E.L. House, the mister and I quickly realized we were jazzed about almost everything a city reception had to offer. A counterpoint to the polished area surrounding our suburban ceremony site. A structure that’s on the Philadelphia Register of Historic Places, down the road from several significant sites connected to the birthplace of the United States and in close proximity to some our favorite restaurants — so we can celebrate in a neighborhood that’s special to us, and share this area with our family and friends.
The only thing we didn’t love? The parking situation.
We set the date, signed the contract to secure the F.U.E.L. House — and knew we wouldn’t be able to stretch the budget to include valet parking for our guests. (Given our estimated guest count, we’d have to pay two or three attendants, which would come to at least — but most likely more than — $1,000 for the night.) Instead, Mr. Bruschetta and I pounded the pavement in Old City to complete some parking research. (To help you get your bearings, our cocktail hour and reception locations are flagged on the map below in shades of blue. The hotels at which we’ve secured room blocks are in green.)
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. Gloss, Boston/MaineAge and Occupation: 24, Designer/soon-to-be ArchitectFiance's Age and Occupation: 26, Systems EngineerEngagement Date: May 23, 2008Wedding Date: August 2009Venue: SS Katahdin/Lakeside TentAbout 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!
I knew my girls had been planning something fabulous for my bachelorette party (even though I had NO IDEA we were actually doing), so I wanted to get them a little something to kick the weekend off right and thank them for doing all that planning for little ol’ me .
Enter the Bachelorette Party Pack:
I should’ve taken a picture of the contents before we devoured them, but I didn’t… so, sorry!
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!
With one trial behind me, I decided I’d opt for one more! A few days ago I stopped at the Union Square flower stand to pick up more beauties for another bouquet experiment. This time, I took home 9 stems of peony roses in cream, 15 pinky astilbes, two bunches of sweet peas - one white and one lavender - 7 stems of white wax flowers, a last second grab, and 9 stems of white ranunculus. Read more…
Mrs. Poodle, Santiago, Chile/San Bernardino, CAAge and Occupation: 27, Industrial & Web DesignerFiance's Age and Occupation: 24, Firefighter & Mountain PatrolEngagement Date: February 25, 2009Wedding Date: January 2010Venue: Mr. P's Grandparents’ RanchAbout Me: I’m a Chilean girl who's crazy about nature and swimming. I enjoy carving, drawing, reading and sewing; I drool over computers, fabric, pretty paper, purple and patterns. To me, chocolate should be one of the seven wonders, right next to lemon pie. I never thought an exchange work experience program was going to change my life forever, but while working in California, I met Mr. Poodle, and ever since my days are better and brighter. We are two goofy souls that, after finding each other, couldn’t help but want to be together forever. It has being a long and sometimes hard road, since we have to deal with such a long distance between us, but we are now facing the last stage of our Fiancé Visa, and soon we will be together. You know the best part? We will be married! So I’ll be blogging from Chile until just a few months before our “green and purple” wedding.
Ever since I saw this wedding sign in my favorite wedding featured on OnceWed, I’ve been thinking about different and cute ways to help our guests not miss the road to the ranch. Read more…
Mrs. Bunny, ColumbusAge and Occupation: 24, Associate Editor/ReporterFiance's Age and Occupation: 27, ReporterEngagement Date: September 23, 2008Wedding Date: July 2009Venue: Everal Barn, WestervilleAbout Me: Organized, but messy. I love art (all kinds). I don't have any secrets. I talk a lot and listen even more. I show love by baking. I'm timid by nature, but brave when it counts.
Mr. Bunny and I work at competing weekly newspapers, which makes it a little interesting trying to describe our work joys and frustrations without giving away too much before the paper comes out. In spite of that little hurdle, we've managed to build a pretty solid relationship in the short one-and-a-half years we will have been together when we tie the knot. I can't wait!
Please watch the swinging carrot … Yes, that’s it …You’re getting veeerrry sleepy … When you wake, it will be May 30, when Miss Bunny was the newest bee and most of you were reading about the preparations she’d been making between January and May. Read more…
Mrs. Cupcake, PhiladelphiaAge and Occupation: 27, Graphic DesignerFiance's Age and Occupation: 29, Construction Project ManagerEngagement Date: February 10, 2007Wedding Date: September, 2008Blogging Since: December 7, 2007Venue: The Desmond Hotel in Malvern, PAAbout 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.
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 fine summer day a few weeks ago, I was naively walking towards a lunch date with a few of my bridesmaids and chatting on my cell phone with my mom about how my brother was down in Florida visiting her and all the clothes shopping they were doing for his birthday.
I met up with a couple of my friends and they lead me towards our table in the back of the restaurant, where I found 25 of my closest friends and family waiting to shower us with love and gifts. This is how I felt about that:
Sorry for the fuzzy picture, but that face is too priceless to not share
Mrs. Sprinkle, Los AngelesAge and Occupation: 26, Preschool Teacher
Fiance's Age and Occupation: 30, Television Production/WriterEngagement Date: December 24, 2008Wedding Date: September 2009Venue: The Marvimon HouseAbout Me: I'm a Bay Area native trying to create a life for myself (and my fiance, and our three cats!) in the vast city of Los Angeles. I love vegan red velvet cupcakes, pilates ,and mid-century furniture. Mr. Sprinkle and I met when my band toured through his city (we bonded over cake and a mutual love of Morrissey) and we are getting married on the four year anniversary of our first date. When I am not teaching preschool (or blogging!) you can find me perfecting recipes, petting kittens, hiking in Griffith Park, and overusing exclamation points. We are planning a vegan, green-as-possible, DIY wedding, and I couldn't be more excited to share all of the details!
Our reception will have a kids’ table. There was no way around it, and although I don’t think the children will actually stay at their table through dinner, I am having SO MUCH FUN planning it out. This has been my favorite project so far, but it is a hard one. How do I keep 10-20 children (kids were 20% of our guest list!) entertained for a few hours, or at least through an hour-long dinner?
Making anti-bored-boxes for the tiny ones is so easy: the girls like Disney princesses, the boys like Spiderman, etc. But what do I put in a box to occupy two twelve-year-old girls? Maybe they will just giggle over the cute waiters or something. I think that’s what I was doing when I was 12. Actually, I probably still do that now…
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Mrs. Cowboy Boot, Santa FeAge and Occupation: 25, Magazine EditorFiance's Age and Occupation: 29, Artist and Whitewater Rafting GuideEngagement Date: April 28th, 2008Wedding Date: October 2009Venue: Devil's Thumb Ranch, ColoradoAbout 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.
For a while, there was radio silence. But that was actually my fault. I kept heading back to my photographer, Tec Petaja’s, blog but nothing had been updated. Apparently, I was going to the wrong blog. He’s moved, redesigned and updated over and over again without my knowing!
Now that I’ve stumbled upon him all over again, I can’t help but swoon. You all might recognize him from the iconic duo Chelsea and Tec, who were all over the wedding blogs. To be honest, the weddings he shoots are so darn cool I’m worried ours might not live up to the standards! I guess that helps to keep me motivated when it comes to finishing our creative DIY details.
Between real weddings, though, Tec shot this Nashville Lifestyles wedding edition story. Oh. My. Can we talk about adorable? She’s making me want to wear my hair down.
Flush Designs, PasadenaVendor: Invitations, Event & Floral Design, PhotographyWebsite: Flush DesignsAbout Me: Flush Designs is run and owned by me, Courtney C. Keefe de Jauregui. It is all encompassing, from the custom & handmade invitations seen at my website, to full exploration in event styling and design, to flower arranging, to playing sidekick and second shooter to my husband's wedding photography. I am working on becoming a wedding "One stop shop". :) I am a graduate in fine art painting, but a self taught graphic designer. As I still needed to get my hands dirty, I started taking letterpress classes, thus becoming my new love. When I am not busy working (usually still in my pajamas) and telling myself to remember to buy a new chair (this one hurts), I am singing to my 3 cats and enjoying a cold pint with my husband at our favorite local Irish pub. Maybe it's in the reverse order. :)
Remember this save the date? Well, the invitation just went out, wine stains and all. This is a mixed media piece, the wine stain is digitally printed by me and then letterpress printed by Spark. I love the simplicity of the border but it is spiced up with the wine stain and some more silly wording on the reception card and the RSVP….
Mrs. Swan, New York CityAge and Occupation: 31, Legislative RepresentativeFiance's Age and Occupation: 33, Finance GuyEngagement Date: August 9, 2008Wedding Date: August 2009Venue: Battery GardensAbout Me: I am an un-crafty but resourceful, Caribbean-born but New York-raised woman who's been known to analyze "Dancing with the Stars" and “So You Think You Can Dance”, buy stinky cheese, and use way too many parentheses. I keep lists for fun, am constantly daydreaming of my next international travel adventure (four continents down, three to go), debating sports (let’s Got Mets/Giants!) and dancing around my apartment to stay sane. I am excited to share our wedding planning journey as I hope to plan a streamlined, personal, and fun wedding with the greatest life partner I could ever imagine, Mr. Swan.
When I wrote about having a bachelorette party way back when, I didn’t think I would actually have one. I am not into particularly “bride-y” things, and the idea of penis pops, a tiara, and boa didn’t sound fun to me. I will admit though I love watching ladies out on bachelorette parties at night doing those things. I really just wanted to have a nice, low-key evening with my friends, especially since my girl time has been in pretty short supply lately.
After writing my post, I got a great suggestion from Weddingbee reader, Jenny. I’m gonna have to give a special shout out to her because she recommended that I check out Body by Brooklyn. It’s a new spa in Clinton Hill, Brooklyn, not too far away from my apartment.
I loved the idea of their private room for my ladies to chill out. In addition to the private room you also have access to their wet lounge/sauna area with two types of saunas, a jacuzzi and a plunge pool. My primary motivation for going there was that I wanted us to have a private space (plus if I can make people come out to Brooklyn I will… hee hee)!! I think what sets it apart is the fact that they have a bar. You can even have brunch there! (Although it’s my understanding that Great Jones Spa in Greenwich Village has one too.) We didn’t really have the food except for the snacks they gave us, which were alright by me. It consisted of great cheese, grilled veggies, crackers, strawberries, petit fours and some sparkly wine… YUM! 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!
For the most part, I’d say we’re pretty much done with all of our wedding tasks except for the flowers, delivering things to venues, and a few other minor details.
Over the last few months, I’ve been picking up random silver platters and picture frames at Goodwill with no real idea of how to use them. We’re doing a modern-vintage wedding, so I figured I could use these pieces somewhere.
I finally found a place for them in our wedding. Behold…
I painted the silver trays and old picture frames yellow and grey, then put scrap fabric and paper on top of them. We’re going to use them on our breakfast bar.
With one trial behind me, I decided I’d opt for one more! A few days ago I stopped at the Union Square flower stand to pick up more beauties for another bouquet experiment. This time, I took home 9 stems of peony roses in cream, 15 pinky astilbes, two bunches of sweet peas - one white and one lavender - 7 stems of white wax flowers, a last second grab, and 9 stems of white ranunculus.
All-Inclusion Invitation Suites
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This is a mixed media piece, the wine stain is digitally printed by me and then letterpress printed by Spark. I love the simplicity of the border but it is spiced up with the wine stain and some more silly wording on the reception card and the RSVP….
