Wedding Blog

Like Mrs. Penguin, I was totally oblivious to blogging before I started looking for wedding inspiration. Sure, I’d heard of blogs, but the internet wasn’t something I spent a lot of time with. At least, not like I do now. And to be perfectly honest, I have no idea how I stumbled across Weddingbee. I just remember thinking how cool these girls were, how creative, and honest, and AWESOME! Soon, I was obsessed. Like, refreshing my browser every 5 minutes or so, needing another hit (you know you do it, don’t judge!). I never really got involved in the boards (and still struggle to keep up). Shortly after discovering Weddingbee, I decided I wanted to share my experiences with the hive. I wasn’t sure where to start, or what to talk about. My first posts are awful… seriously, rambling messes. I still find myself rambling…

When it came time to apply to blog the ‘bee, I filled out the application and waited on pins and needles for days. Instead of refreshing my browser, I was refreshing my mailbox. Then, one day, there was an email from WB. Unfortunately, it wasn’t what I wanted to hear. I had been turned down. Depressed, totally. I even avoided WB for a few days. But seriously, like a true addict, I had to get my fix, and came right back within a few days. So, was I discouraged? At first, yes. But after getting over the embarrassment of being turned down (even though no one knew but me and the bees), I was even more determined than before.

For the next month, I read archives. I mean, like a novel, every night a different Bee. Then I wrote. And I tried to stop rambling. I stopped trying to be someone I wasn’t. It was so much easier to just be me. Yes, I’m a huge dork. I’m awkward and I always have been. But being me was natural and easy. The posts started to come a little easier.

A month passed and I re-applied. I tried not to get my hopes up. I didn’t want to be disappointed again. This time, when the email from the Bee showed up in my inbox, I was ecstatic. I was home alone when I received the email. I spent about 30 minutes jumping around the house, a bundle of energy. I started composing my introductory post, but was a little too excited to focus on it. When Mr. CC got home, I think he was concerned about my mental state. I was talking about a million miles a minute and jittery. I wanted his help picking a character, since he would be Mr. whatever. The shoe generation had just come out, and I considered some of those pretty seriously for a while, but they just didn’t seem to fit. I wanted something that spoke to my Southern side, and Crab Cake definitely did!

Things haven’t always been smooth. It’s hard writing for such a large audience. I wasn’t used to anyone reading my blog except Mr. CC’s aunts. Seriously. I’ve said some things that haven’t gone over well. But that’s me. I don’t always think things through before they come out of my mouth. I do it in real life all the time. I’ve gotten better about proofreading my posts before I publish them, although a few things still creep through. And I try not to take it too seriously. After all, the wedding was just a big party.

I wholeheartedly agree with Penguin’s advice. Write what you know. Blogging has become an addiction to me. As soon as the wedding was over, I started focusing my energy on my personal blog. It’s so much easier now that I’m not bound to one subject! I just write. Don’t try to be someone you aren’t. I try to avoid emotions. I don’t try to be funny (but if it comes out funny, great!). I write about my daughter. I write about my cooking, my knitting, my sewing. I write about how tired I am of being fat (even though I still haven’t lost a single pound… boo). I write about my successes and failures with various and sundry crafting projects.

Writing for Weddingbee has been an incredible experience! I never ever thought I would actually get to do this. My fellow bees are some of the most amazing, kind-hearted, talented women I have ever met. The hive is so supportive and friendly! Y’all were my sounding board for the last 7 months of my engagement. You made decisions that I couldn’t make for myself. You all have influenced me more than you can possibly imagine. Seriously, most of my DIY projects were inspired by something another bee did! (I mean, really, why else would a nurse with no graphic design experience decide to design and print her own invitations other than the fact that she was brainwashed into thinking it would be fun! Oh, wait, it was fun!) I love each and every one of you! Thank you, thank you, thank you!