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!
I found a pleasant little surprise in my mailbox today and I am just so freakin’ excited about it, that I can hardly handle it! My fabulous bridesmaids, headed up by my amazing MOH, have been scheming and planning a very mysterious bachelorette weekend in Baltimore, MD. I’ve been curious from the beginning, but now I have a super cute invite with some very strange instructions to make me wonder even more!
Mrs. Yorkie, Miami Age and Occupation: 30, Graduate Admissions CoordinatorFiance's Age and Occupation: 41, Asst. Professor Engagement Date: July 3, 2008Wedding Date: June 2009Venue: Red Fish GrillAbout Me: I’m an East Coast girl with a crafty streak who loves traveling, photography and being outdoors (barefoot, if possible). When I do have to wear shoes, I prefer Mizunos, and have worn out a few pairs running marathons. I have a thing for chai, crossword puzzles, Apples to Apples, The Office and my real-life Yorkie, Bella. My West Coast transplant, Mr. Yorkie, roots for the Buckeyes, loves baseball, and climbs mountains for fun. We’re planning a fun little seaside wedding filled with handmade details and vintage charm. I can hardly wait!
Hi there… um, it’s me again. It’s been a bit longer between posts than I expected. Life is just now starting to settle into a comfortable routine, so I expect to begin posting again with more frequency. (I promise!)
In case you could use a little reminder, I last left off sharing about the days leading up to the wedding and the half-finished wreaths that needed wrapping up. Well, another one of our last-minute list items included assembling and delivering our out-of-town bags. (This was one detail that I’d actually considered nixing as the clock counted down.)
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.
I believe that just about every bachelorette party I have ever been to has one thing in common. No, I’m not thinking of drinking, although that is usually a part of them, as well. I’m thinking of the “paraphernalia”, as I like to call it. Tiaras, veils, giant light-up rings, and the ever-so-important sashes designating the bride-to-be as the bachelorette.
Sporting my very own bachelorette sash made by my MOH Dona.
Since I am somewhat familiar with a sewing machine, and very well-versed in puffy paint application, I have been previously called upon to be the Maker-of-the-Sash.
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.
After crafting the rough mock-up I didn’t even like, I decided to try for something a little more fancy. A little more stylish. And a lot more tedious and time-intensive.
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!
Thanks for all the input you all gave me on my last shoe post. The vast majority of you voted for the nude, ruffly Steve Maddens. I agree, they’re adorable. However, I’ve decided they are just not right for my wedding. (Don’t worry, though. I’m keeping them, and I plan on getting lots of wear out of them!)
I decided not to go with the Seychelles, either. I love them, too, but they’re not perfect. The fit is a little awkward in the toes, and I’m not sure how the patent leather really fits into my wedding day look.
This past weekend, I started thinking again about this post I read on East Side Bride a few weeks ago. And this rocking photo of a bride wearing a short dress and black shoes.
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.
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.
I wanted to share the inspiration boards that have been my major inspirations. Some of them I found when I first started collecting wedding ideas, and others I’ve just run into recently. I love them!
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!
My nephew-in-law just married the gal of his dreams in a shady meadow under a perfectly clear Oregon sky. This was definitely a homemade affair on a super tight “college kid” budget. Joe stepped in as the photographer (thank you to my friends Jasmine Star and Trista Lerit for their last minute pep talks!), I pulled together some simple florals, and a friend cooked enough chicken pesto pasta to fill all our tummies. I do love me a fancy fete, but sometimes two lovebirds surrounded by family and friends under a big tree is all you really need.
On the plane ride up, I was a little nervous about doing florals in a strange city with no real workspace, recipes, tools, assistants… but upon entering the laid back city of Eugene, I couldn’t help but chill out. Eugene is sometimes called a “little Berkeley”, where college students, coffee shops (I’m talking REAL coffee), trees, native gardens and bikes rule. I was whisked back to my Berkeley days and felt right at home there. In fact, if the weather was ALWAYS as sunny and fresh, I might be tempted to leave California behind. Alas, I don’t like sporting the drowned rat look 80% of the year.
The big adventure of our trip: We decided to pick flowers from a U-Pick flower field at the base of Mount Pisgah instead of going to a wholesale mart. Imagine a magical place where you can come with your clippers and fill your bucket with whatever wildflowers catch your eye! It was pure bliss. Not to mention the whole scene was beautiful beyond words. Thank you to the folks at Sparhawk Farms for being so kind! We paid 4.00 per handful, and 6 buckets FULL of wildflowers was only 50.00. I personally think the farm was very generous with what they consider a “handful”.
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!
For me and Mr. Star, wedding day transportation was pretty much a no-brainer. One of the wonderful parts of having our wedding in the middle of Manhattan is that it’s never hard to get around. In fact, transportation abounds for those of us without our own wheels!
It was never a part of my wedding dreams to have a big, fancy limo or a sleek vintage car to drive us around that day; although don’t get me wrong, peeps, those options are gorgeous, too! But a part of having our wedding in Manhattan was sacrificing the things that weren’t a top priority in order to fund things like our beautiful, but expensive loft space!
And what form of transportation could be more classic New York City than a yellow taxi cab? Read more…
Mrs. Lightning, Cape Town Age and Occupation: 22, Journalist and Graphic DesignerFiance's Age and Occupation: 23, Computer ScientistEngagement Date: December 27, 2008
Wedding Date: September 2009Venue: Hout Bay ManorAbout Me: I'm a young American living abroad in the beautiful city of Cape Town with a wonderful South African fiance and our crazy kitty Zeus. We're young, driven and madly in love. Together we're pursuing our wildest dreams including our biggest undertaking yet, a vintage retrospective wedding filled to the brim with DIY madness. I have an unnatural attraction to cake, a passion for blogging and a love of good design. While I might be an overly obsessive creative with too many ideas and nowhere to put them, Mr Lightning is my biggest fan and I can't wait to make my true love mine.
With plenty of time to go, I have almost everything booked. I am incredibly proud of this achievement, considering I started planning this year with only a handful of Saturdays at my disposal.
Even with so much organized already, the one thing that everyone asks about is the dress. To be honest, it is a question I often dread. Mainly because when I explain what I intend to wear, I often receive slightly negative responses like: “but you can’t wear that!” I first encountered this response when I did an initial exploration of nearby bridal stores. While I didn’t quite expect to find the right thing at a bridal store anyway, I figured it was worth a look. Apparently I should have stuck with my initial judgment. With my determination not to wear something that resembled a traditional bridal gown, I managed to frighten away a few shop attendants. I think I was too “difficult” a bride for them. I think I should have found a better way to describe my request to “not look like a bride”.
In the end, I resigned myself to having something made. Something I don’t really believe in, either. Read more…
Mrs. Duckling, San DiegoAge and Occupation: 23, Psychology Grad Student, Youth Diversion Specialist/Marriage and Family Therapy Trainee and an Executive AssistantFiance's Age and Occupation: 25, Marketing and PR CoordinatorEngagement Date: May 17, 2008Wedding Date: September 2009Venue: Rancho Bernardo InnAbout Me: I'm currently living in Orange County, but planning our wedding in my hometown of San Diego. We are a DIY wedding "2fer", as I'm the crafty one and Mr. Ducky is in charge of all of our graphic design and technical aspects. When not wedding planning or reading wedding blogs, I'm attending grad school and rotating between two different jobs to keep things exciting. My favorite things include shoes, Post-Its, Labrador Retrievers, traveling, psychology, delicious food, photography, reading, craft gadgets/supplies, and of course, my wonderful Mr. Ducky!
The last few years have been filled with the weddings of our friends. It just seems to be that time in life. At each wedding, it is so fun to catch up with friends and celebrate a couple that we are blessed to have in our lives. Recently one of my MOHs got engaged. I was thrilled for her! She told me to save the first weekend in October for her wedding, since they were going to have a short engagement. I’m so excited! We’ve known each other since high school and it’s amazing to see how much we have been though together. Not to mention, I had someone to share my mountain of wedding magazines and must-read blog list with!
Well, a week later, Mr. Ducky’s best man also got engaged! And he was also planning a short engagement to be married sometime in the fall. Woo hoo! Two weddings! Mr. Ducky’s BM went to high school with him and we all went to the same college so we have a lot of mutual friends. Yeah for a reunion plus a wedding! Well, imagine our surprise when he also picked the first weekend in October to be married, as well. And thus, why I need a clone or a way to teleport magically. Read more…
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!
Sassy b2b is selling her J. Crew “Vivian” ivory silk wedding dress in a size 4 petite. The dress is a-line, with an empire waist and a built-in bustier. She is asking $75.
Have a wedding item for sale? Post it with pictures in the Weddingbee classifieds and you might see it featured on the blog!
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!
Mr. Sunbeam and I used to belong to a gym. Strangely enough, about 5 months into our engagement we canceled our membership. Mr. Sunbeam’s job was no longer just down the road from our gym and I wasn’t motivated to go alone. Besides working full time and wedding planning, I am a part time student working on a Master’s degree, and there’s a lot of juggling for time going on here. So we quit. But wait, isn’t that a completely contra-wedding thing to do!? Sounds like it, but we didn’t give up on fitness! Read more…
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.
I’m pleased to meet you, two-month mark. Do you know what you mean? Eight weeks. Literally. That’s right, we’re eight weeks out and to be honest, I’m feeling pretty good about our to-do list. It’s dwindling down to the tiniest of details like finishing up a few DIY projects, making sure the stragglers get taken care of (Mr. CB’s ring? Just a tiny detail), and booking our honeymoon.
One of these details might seem like minutia, but I can’t seem to decide and I need your help. Calligraphy. Oh, it’s many swirls and whirls.
You’ve seen our seating cards. These will either be hanging from a clothesline on gold organza ribbon or tied to a bunch of horseshoes on a table (once I get the courage to open my bucket of used horseshoes). I may end up using the clothesline for fun pictures of Mr. CB and me with our guests throughout the years, which is why I’d opt to go the horseshoe route.
Either way, our guests’ names have to be scrawled on these escort cards for them to even be useful. And since the Etsy seller we’re buying the cards from isn’t doing it, I’ve enlisted Pretty Pen Jen to, well, pen these for us.
She has many, many styles of lettering and my favorites are the really script-y ones. Which, of the four below do you prefer? Read more…
All-Inclusion Invitation Suites
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Three year old Sprinkle!
