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!
Time to transition into dance mode! At this point in time, our guests will be full of yummy cheeses, wine, and delicious little fall-inspired small plates. They will be craving some sugar and needing some music to keep them from slipping into food coma. No worries, guests! The dance music is on its way!
We’ll be slicing our delicious (soon to be revealed sketches) cake by Wendy Kromer to Little Sack of Sugar:
Then Mr Sunbeam and I will take the floor. Based on your feedback, the fact that it has a beat that is easy to dance to, and because it was my #1 all along, muahaha, we are going to dance to Iron & Wine’s Lady’s House. Swooooon. 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.
Our “acceptance” percentage? The final tally falls into the 45% range. That means we have a total of around 65 guests attending our lil’ shindig. You’d think I’d be disappointed but, to be honest, I’m excited for the intimate experience it will now be. I’ve talked a little bit about our food-and-beverage minimum. That, combined with our lower-than-expected head count, means that we have to fill out our order to match the price minimum. Otherwise, we’ll end up paying a lot for very little, when we could be getting more.
And, since we last spoke about our menu, it’s also been updated with Black Bean Burgers with Chipotle Aioli instead of BBQ chicken legs, and a tomato, mozzarella, and basil salad as our veggie.
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.
The dress in the picture is too big, so I ordered a smaller size. Unfortunately, even that size was too big on top, and since that doesn’t work with a strapless dress, it had to be returned. I did love the architectural pleating and the warm gray color, but if it doesn’t fit and it’s over $200, it goes back to the store. Read more…
Wiley Valentine, CaliforniaVendor: Invitations and Paper ProductsWebsite: Wiley ValentineAbout Me: Wiley Valentine is named for our artistic grandmothers, Mary Wiley and Norma Jean Valentine. Our company is 4 years old and growing strong. We specialize in invitations, stationery, and all sorts of paper delights. We love the forest, vintage books, thunder storms, butterflies, fairy tales and the smell of rain. We strive to think of our environment first when creating our paper products, and only use 100% recycled or 100% cotton papers.
As you may have noticed by now, I can’t get enough of girly, pink, lovely color palettes. The combination of pink and black reminds me of a slightly naughty ballerina look, which I adore for a wedding or party. I have a vision of these fabulous love poem books given as favors, as guests sip on Sofia pink champagne and can I please wear that fabulous fairy skirt!!? Sigh…
Mrs. Ballet Flat, New OrleansAge and Occupation: 24, Geographic Information Systems AnalystFiance's Age and Occupation: 26, IT AnalystEngagement Date: March 16, 2008Wedding Date: May, 2009Blogging Since: September 25, 2008Venue: St. Charles Borromeo Church/Jefferson-Orleans NorthAbout Me: I absolutely love wedding planning, spending time with Mr. Ballet Flat, various crafts, watching football, baking, pop music, bargain hunting and ice cream. My idea of a great date night is dinner and clearance shopping with Mr. Ballet Flat! I currently live below sea level in the suburbs near New Orleans, where I make maps all day, everyday for my job. I'm slowly becoming more and more obsessed with anything New Orleans related for our wedding, and I can't wait for the big day!
I remember 7 years ago sitting in my college dorm room, hooking my laptop up to the Internet for the first time ever. That’s right folks, my freshman year of college started my whole Internet experience. Prior to that, I thought the computer was for writing English papers and fighting with my siblings as to who could play Oregon Trail next.
I was slowly introduced to the Internet with my first email account and AIM screen name. I then learned how to search the Internet, which was just amazingly cool to have a wealth of information available to me without running to the 1964 encyclopedia set my parents had, or the library. I was hooked from then on!
The wonderful world of blogging
The first time I heard about a blog was when I was a resident assistant in the dorms. I was talking to this resident about classes, and he told me his English teacher made them all start a blog. I remember thinking, ‘Huh? An online journal? What a dork!’
After a few months of hearing my freshman residents talk about their little blogging community on LiveJournal, I took an evening to finally start my own blog. It was mainly about how much I loathed studying, fun campus activities I went to, and just normal, hormonal college girl vents. Looking back on my writing style then, I’m pretty embarrassed. Let’s just say this math/science geek was not good in her English composition classes. 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! The Stilettos finally have their act together - we’ve chosen all of our special songs for the day, from ceremony to reception. I have to say, it wasn’t an easy task choosing some of these songs - Mr. S and I went back and forth quite a bit.
Soontobemrsp is selling a stunning Maggie Sottero gown. The strapless A-line dress is organza over satin, with a sweetheart neckline and built-in corset. It has never been worn. She’s asking $500 or best offer.
Have a wedding item for sale? Post it with pictures in the Weddingbee classifieds and you might see it featured on the blog!
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.
When money is tight, your wedding party is large, and everyone comes in different shapes and sizes, a Little Black Dress can make decisions so much simpler—especially if you already have one in your closet. I had 7 bridesmaids. The tallest was 6′ tall and the shortest 5′ tall. The same dress can look very different on both. So early on, I decided to let each of my girlfriends pick their own LBD. My only request was that it had straps. Some wore dresses they already had, others went out and bought one, but it was their choice. It reflected their styles, and they actually could/would wear them again.
The moms decided to hop on the LBD bandwagon as well. And I’m so glad they did. Here is the beginning procession to our wedding. The parents walked down to Orange Sky by Alexi Murdoch and the wedding party walked to “It’s Good to Be in Love” by Frou Frou.
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.
Call me crazy - I bought my bridesmaids’ dresses before I had even finished asking them to be my bridesmaids. Not that I have officially asked them yet, either —I’m getting around to it. I have one project to finish up, and then it will be official!
So, having been a bridesmaid once (going on twice) myself, I know that it is nice if the dress is affordable, cute, comfortable, and makes them look like the sexy women they are.
Trust me - I’m not a deluded bride who thinks that the hideous bridesmaid dress will actually be re-worn - I KNOW mine will (right, girls?)! But, I suppose beauty IS in the eye of the beholder. Very early on (in the pre-engagement days) I decided that I wanted my girls to wear cute little black dresses of their choosing. They’re slimming, re-wearable, and who doesn’t need another LBD? I know I could always use more! I also decided to be extremely lax about hair/makeup, shoes, jewelry - I mean, hey, they know what feels good and looks good on them, right?
So I started the long tortuous online search for potential bridesmaid dresses back in January. I originally was thinking of just finding some cute dresses to show my girls as ideas, and let them run wild. Until I found it. The most perfect, unique LBD ever. Seriously.
I hurried up and ordered this beauty from Nordstrom for my MOH (my beloved younger sister) to try on: Read more…
Weddingbee GalleryFeature Launched: April 10, 2009About: A collection of inspirational wedding pictures from readers and bees.
Soft pink bouquets stand alone in these gorgeous photographs by Christine Farah Photography.
Don’t forget to check out all the professional inspiration from the top wedding vendors in the industry in the PRO Folio!
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 I had my first appointment with a florist and I wasn’t really sure what to expect. I was sort of worried because I had a hard time finding inspiration for things that represent exactly what we want. Maybe it’s just not out there, and we have to just talk about what we want with the florist so that they can make it. I still took some pictures of things I like. Here are some that I shared:
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.
I cannot even begin to tell you all about the craziness of last weekend. My internet was cut off accidentally on Thursday, and by Friday I was running around like a madman. And before I knew it I was married and on my way to Egypt. It all happened so quickly… kind of, well, like lightning!
I have many stories to post and projects which I managed to complete right up until the morning of. I had grand plans to share it all right up until the big moment, but it seems no amount of organisation can
prepare you with the mammoth task of coordinating your own wedding, no matter the size.
It didn’t all run smoothly, but it was truly magical every step of the way (Okay, perhaps the third degree burn I sustained to my right ear during a curling tong incident wasn’t so magical. I chalk that up to the price of beauty).
I’m currently on my way down the Nile. So far, Egypt has been a truly wonderful adventure. We lost our luggage on the first day but finally got it in time for the cruise we are now on. The incident did put a damper on things, but we stuck through it and I don’t think I could have done it without Mr Lightning, who maintained that I still looked lovely even after wearing the same clothes for three days.
The newlywed glow still surrounds us and it doesn’t show signs of fading yet. 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.
Moving is never an easy task. I’ve moved more than 10 times in my life, but only once before to a different country—back then, I was only 7 years old and I could not understand why I had to leave all of my toys here in Chile. Well now, 20 years later, I KNOW!! Read more…
Mrs. Peep Toe, San FranciscoAge and Occupation: 29, Policy AnalystFiance's Age and Occupation: 36, Olive Oil Production ManagerEngagement Date: December 16, 2007Wedding Date: May, 2009Blogging Since: November 26, 2008Venue: Hotel VitaleAbout Me: I am a west coast lady who loves the San Francisco Bay Area. I love living with Mr. Peep and our animals: Huck the Dog and Ferris the Cat. I work to save the environment in San Francisco, while Mr. Peep makes ridiculously delicious Olive Oil. On any day you can find me reading the latest book I have gotten my hands on, eating Swedish Fish, and perusing wedding blogs! We are both champagne drinking foodies on a Bud Light budget. We are planning an eco-chic, intimate, and interfaith San Francisco City wedding.
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!
It occurred to me a few days ago that I have mentioned several times how we’re not using floral centerpieces, but never actually let you all in on what WILL be gracing our tables.
I knew right off that big, lush floral centerpieces wouldn’t be in our budget, and I have always loved candlelight, so I admit that I was pretty drawn to candle centerpieces right from the start. I wanted to make them dramatic, though, and I figured that the best way to do it would be to have tapers at each table, but didn’t have any idea how to make enough of a statement with them. That is, until I ran across this picture in a magazine probably at least a year ago:
All-Inclusion Invitation Suites
(Photo credit for Martha, of course)
