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!
The months seem to be flying by since our wedding. I’m constantly amazed (and annoyed) by how fast the days pass! People used to ask me, “What’s changed since you got married?” and I’d readily admit that nothing was really different before and after our wedding. We still lived in the same place, still saw all the same people, still did all the same things. Now that we’ve been married for a year and a few months, people have stopped asking me that question, but funny enough, things HAVE changed since they’ve stopped asking.
It was a gradual thing, but the huge sense of contentment I currently feel is something that I hadn’t felt in a long time, even right after the wedding. I’ve lived my whole life wanting something, searching for the next big thing or the next big step in life. Where to go to college, when will I meet the man of my dreams, when will we buy a house, when will we get engaged, when will we get married… it’s been a series of “what’s nexts” for me. Over the past year, I’ve come to realize that my “what’s next” list has dwindled to nothing. And it’s a wonderful feeling. Your whole life you’re told to always have goals, to always be looking forward to the next step, in all aspects of your life. Make a 5 year plan. Think of what you want and figure out the steps you need to take to achieve them. Well, at least in my life, the beauty of being married for 1 year is the beauty of having fulfilled the to do list, and living almost frozen in time, content with whatever is happening in my life now. This is the only time in my recent memory that I can remember where my to do list is empty. I’m married to a super duper guy, we live in a space and in a city that is perfect for us, we both have jobs we enjoy, and we live a comfortable existence. This is the first time in my life that if you asked me what I wanted, I’d really have to rack my brain to find an answer. And the answer would be something superficial. Like, I want a new car. Or an HD Tivo. Or a pony. I don’t want anything that is realllly important. And that’s a beautiful feeling. Read more…
Mrs. Ramen, PhoenixAge and Occupation: 26, Optometry StudentFiance's Age and Occupation: 24, Industrial DesignerEngagement Date: January 3, 2009Wedding Date: December 19, 2009Venue: Phoenix Art MuseumAbout Me: I'm an SF-born, Seattle-raised girl, transplanted to Phoenix where I'll be getting married, and planning all the way from Orange County where I go to school (yes, it feels as crazy as it sounds). I loooooove Yogurtland, am slightly very obsessed with all things paper, am heavily addicted to wedding blogs, deeply desire a puppy, thoroughly enjoy cooking, cry when I watch (almost all) movies, thrive on solo car-karaoke, can't stop being sarcastic, am neurotic about taking pictures of almost everything I eat before I eat it, and aspire to travel the world. My super-talented fiance and I are attempting to DIY a majority of our massive (~350 guests) "clean & modern, yet romantic, but completely unexpected, with a teeny dash of vintage" wedding, stay within our not-so-massive budget, and somehow get a really luxe (but still fun!) look/feel at the same time. In music terms (since we're both really into music) think Coldplay meets Motown meets Kanye meets Sinatra.
Knowing that real floral centerpieces were out of the question (budget-wise, as well as style-wise), I became EXTREMELY interested in branches…
I was inspired by this curly willow setup, and wanted to incorporate my beloved paper lanterns. So, my genius idea was to have a tall cylinder vase of curly willow with 3 white paper lanterns, and to paint the table number on to one of the lanterns. Genius, right? Right! 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!
Now that you have seen the bags we are using for our treat/candy bar, I wanted to share with you the things we have decided to include. As I mentioned in my bag blog, one of my bridesmaids’ moms has offered to spend the day baking with me a few days before the wedding to help create the candy/treat bar. I am so thrilled that I will get to spend the day with my BM and her mom and I know it will be relaxing and meaningful. I have been collecting ideas on what to include for months.
Here are the things that I know we will be making:
PROJECT: CANDY BARS
This is an easy project where we will just wrap Hershey chocolate bars.
Mrs. Frozen Yogurt, DallasAge and Occupation: 28, Special Projects CoordinatorFiance's Age and Occupation: 26, Equity TraderEngagement Date: March 19, 2009Wedding Date: April 2010Venue: Marie Gabrielle, DallasAbout Me: I was born and raised in Texas, and have lived in several of the cities across the state, but I currently reside in Austin. I went to college in Boston and have a special place in my heart for the Northeast. I love reading, shopping, wine, reuniting with college friends that are scattered across the country, reality TV, trying out new recipes, and attempting all the DIY projects that come along with wedding planning. I'm a "bleeding heart, save the world type" and thankfully my job allows me to work on legislation and policy to help out those in need. I met Mr. Frozen Yogurt in a bar, though he doesn't even drink! And now we are planning a modern yet vintage wedding in Dallas while dealing with the trials and tribulations of first time homeownership.
I emailed Marie Gabrielle to see if they provide a cake stand for our wedding, and they don’t. I know you can rent one from the place you get your cake from, but typically it’s at least $50, and I could buy one for that price. Also, I don’t think I want the traditional large, silver cake stand that are usually seen at weddings.
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.
All photos below by The Wiebners unless otherwise noted. We purchased a disc of all unedited images from our wedding day, so some post-processing has been done by me for the purpose of sharing the photos with you. Click on any photo to enlarge.
The dancing at our wedding would not have been dancing at all without a little traditional Philadelphia Mummer’s Strutting. When that familiar string band sound started wafting from the speakers, my family couldn’t jump to their feet quite fast enough… Mr. Cupcake’s family (who mostly live in Central PA and New York state) and many of our friends, however, looked on with confusion. It is definitely a Philadelphia thing!
Not sure what I’m talking about? Check out the video of what went down here. Read more…
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.
Whew! Time is winding down until the Stiletto festivities, so every D-I-Y must get D-O-N-E. Fortunately, I’ve been able to spend the past two weekends hunkered down in our condo getting some projects started and finished.
Remember when I shared the pictures Mr. S took for our table numbers? Well, I’ve finally been able to get the project completed!
We had 5″x7″ prints made of the pictures (and ordered 2 copies of each, just in case we had any problems and needed a backup!). I mounted them on white cardstock and created tent cards.
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!
Don’t forget to check out all the professional inspiration from the top wedding vendors in the industry in the PRO Folio!
Mrs. Moonbeam, Los Angeles/San AntonioAge and Occupation: 26, Intern ArchitectFiance's Age and Occupation: 26, Studio Analyst, aspiring ScreenwriterEngagement Date: May 20, 2009Wedding Date: November 2009Venue: Our Lady of Grace Catholic Church (LaCoste, TX) and Mary Gray Events Center (Castroville, TX)About Me: I was born and raised in Texas, but after college I moved to Seattle for a couple of years and loved it. Then I followed my beau out here to LA and we're getting settled in. I've been making things since I can remember. I was raised by crafters. I love to sew, draw, paint, build, cook, bake (anything with a tangible end result is fair game). In that same spirit, I've been hosting since I was old enough to cook and set a fancy table. I kind of take after my grandmother, who believes that your morning OJ always tastes better out of the good crystal.
Here’s a go at the centerpieces. I played around with folding trace paper to wrap on the votives and I made some table numbers out of one of the images I just got from the photographer of our small July wedding. Her name is Leasa Eisele, and you can find her here. Read more…
ClassifiedsFeature Launched: April 30, 2008About: A roundup of the best Weddingbee Classified listings.
MomofBrides is selling a Bill Levkoff Style 966 champagne bridesmaid dress. The size 4 dress was altered for a 5′4″ woman and has a taupe-colored sash. She’s asking $60 plus shipping.
Have a wedding item for sale? Post it with pictures in the Weddingbee classifieds and you might see it featured on the blog!
Mrs. Chick, HoustonAge and Occupation: 28, Rights and Reproduction ManagerFiance's Age and Occupation: 29, Computer ProgrammerEngagement Date: November 15, 2008Wedding Date: April 2010Venue: A farm outside of HoustonAbout Me: Mr. Chick and I met almost ten years ago at Baker Blues, a college jazz party. He was attracted to my intensity, and I was mesmerized by his trivia pursuit skills and his dorm furniture adorned with his initials. We've grown more sophisticated through the years, with our love of wine, owning a house together, and parenthood (of a cat), but we have not lost our silliness or childish sense of humor!
There’s something so annoying to me about sunsets. I’m not sure if it’s the aggressive way the sun beams into your eyes when you’re trying to drive, or the amount of Houston pollen and smog it seems to lift up, but something about it always makes me pray for rain. Don’t get me wrong, I do NOT want it to rain on our outdoor wedding day, (You hear that, rain gods? NO RAIN on our wedding day!) but I wouldn’t mind a couple of decorations to simulate rain. I love the two decorations below because rain and clouds are a bit dark in nature, but the way they look are so cute and sweet!
Mrs. Ramen, PhoenixAge and Occupation: 26, Optometry StudentFiance's Age and Occupation: 24, Industrial DesignerEngagement Date: January 3, 2009Wedding Date: December 19, 2009Venue: Phoenix Art MuseumAbout Me: I'm an SF-born, Seattle-raised girl, transplanted to Phoenix where I'll be getting married, and planning all the way from Orange County where I go to school (yes, it feels as crazy as it sounds). I loooooove Yogurtland, am slightly very obsessed with all things paper, am heavily addicted to wedding blogs, deeply desire a puppy, thoroughly enjoy cooking, cry when I watch (almost all) movies, thrive on solo car-karaoke, can't stop being sarcastic, am neurotic about taking pictures of almost everything I eat before I eat it, and aspire to travel the world. My super-talented fiance and I are attempting to DIY a majority of our massive (~350 guests) "clean & modern, yet romantic, but completely unexpected, with a teeny dash of vintage" wedding, stay within our not-so-massive budget, and somehow get a really luxe (but still fun!) look/feel at the same time. In music terms (since we're both really into music) think Coldplay meets Motown meets Kanye meets Sinatra.
I think if I could, I would have had a million flower girls. Okay, so more like 10 or so… I just LOOOOOVE kids (Mr. Ramen and I could not possibly ever exclude kids, because we love them so much!).
Most of our cousins are older than us, married, and have started families, leaving us with a bunch of sweet little baby cousins, the majority of which are super cute girls! And since I had spent so much time trying to find the best dresses for my lovely ladies, I couldn’t leave my little girls hangin’! I spent TONS of time looking online at the typical FG dresses, but I just wasn’t finding what I wanted…
So… once again, I hit up Nordstrom (hello, Nordstrom Visa). and stumbled upon this GORGEOUS little number by Biscotti in the spring season catalog… (*insert little gasps of delight here*)
Is this not the most PERFECT, beautiful little dress EVER?!?!? Read more…
Sarah Parrott, Rhode IslandVendor: Invitation DesignerWebsite: Parrott Design StudioAbout Me: I am the designer & printer behind Parrott Design Studio, specializing in custom letterpress and screen printed wedding and event invitations, stationery, and paper goods. With a background in non-profit marketing & art history, I began the studio in 2006 in my small apartment in Providence, RI. Since then I have moved to a studio built my fianc, acquired a Golding Jobber letterpress, & have been happily printing ever since. I grew up in Portland, Maine, and I have always had an affinity for the ocean, mountains, birds, gardening, & the simple life. When I am not printing, I can be found somewhere outside with my fianc & playful pup.
Sometimes a week just slips right by, especially when I am trying to get projects out the door. As a follow up to my recent letterpress post, here is the final product! John, the groom, was a friend from college {go PC!}. He and Kelly were both on the sailing team and still love to sail so it was only natural their wedding would be inspired by the sea. They are getting married at the chapel on PC’s campus followed by a reception at the Conanicut Yacht Club.
Mrs. Frozen Yogurt, DallasAge and Occupation: 28, Special Projects CoordinatorFiance's Age and Occupation: 26, Equity TraderEngagement Date: March 19, 2009Wedding Date: April 2010Venue: Marie Gabrielle, DallasAbout Me: I was born and raised in Texas, and have lived in several of the cities across the state, but I currently reside in Austin. I went to college in Boston and have a special place in my heart for the Northeast. I love reading, shopping, wine, reuniting with college friends that are scattered across the country, reality TV, trying out new recipes, and attempting all the DIY projects that come along with wedding planning. I'm a "bleeding heart, save the world type" and thankfully my job allows me to work on legislation and policy to help out those in need. I met Mr. Frozen Yogurt in a bar, though he doesn't even drink! And now we are planning a modern yet vintage wedding in Dallas while dealing with the trials and tribulations of first time homeownership.
So when I met with our florist, she asked me what I had in mind for boutonnieres, and I honestly didn’t know. I knew that we didn’t want something super traditional, but I wasn’t sure what that meant. So, we talked about what flowers we liked, and then Kristen suggested we do eucalyptus with one flower (maybe ranunculus) for the groomsmen and Mr. Fro Yo. Sort of like this one: Read more…
Mrs. Espresso, Corona/Big BearAge and Occupation: 23, Community Services SpecialistFiance's Age and Occupation: 22, Maintenance TechnicianEngagement Date: December 21, 2007Wedding Date: October, 2008Blogging Since: June 25, 2008Venue: Outside a rustic b&b in Big Bear LakeAbout Me: I'm a lover of all things good: coffee, music, travel, rain, and of course- my handsome fiance! I'm a full believer in the "Life is Short," mantra - and therefore, eat lots of dark chocolate. I'm a Geographer by degree and nerd by choice. I cook to the sound of French and Portuguese music even though I speak neither. I love road trips, camping, hiking, and capturing life through the lens of my camera. Take me to Anthropologie and I may never leave. I'm a sucker for pretty packaging, bargain finds, and old movies. Mr. Espresso and I are high school sweethearts and I am so blessed to be this amazing man's future wife.
Before I saw him I knew he was there. Our photographers had spotted him. Photographed him. Our parents had walked down the aisle. And then one by one, so did our wedding party; our friends. They took the steps necessary to start our ceremony, our walk, our declaration to love each other, and only each other, forever. And now it was my turn.
(from Creature Comforts blog)
All-Inclusion Invitation Suites
All photos below by The Wiebners unless otherwise noted. We purchased a disc of all unedited images from our wedding day, so some post-processing has been done by me for the purpose of sharing the photos with you. Click on any photo to enlarge. 
It is definitely a Philadelphia thing!
