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.
Mr. Mary Jane and I hadn’t planned on having a reception. But Mr. Mary Jane’s parents offered us a picnic! I created save-the-dates and invitations for the picnic, and they were sent to much of the Mary Jane family, a few of our friends, and friends of Mr. Mary Jane’s parents.
The picnic was to start at 6, and Mr. Mary Jane and I arrived at his parents house a little before five to help greet any early arrivals. The Mary Jane household had been buzzing all day as MIL Mary Jane and a few friends and family members scrambled to get everything set up. When we arrived, it was all mostly done.
I did my makeup in pretty much the same way I had done it for the wedding day. I wore blue jeans, a pink tank-top and a ruffly white pin-striped shirt I’d found at TJ Maxx for $14. The white, I figured, made me ’bridal’. (I didn’t want to wear a dress because I knew the mosquito and flies would be bad — and I was right!)
Mr. Mary Jane snapped this shot of me just before the guests started to arrive.
Mrs. Hamster, New York CityAge and Occupation: 28, Finance GalFiance's Age and Occupation: 30, Finance GuyEngagement Date: March 9, 2009Wedding Date: May 2010Venue: The Pierre HotelAbout Me: I'm an original Jersey girl living it up in the big NYC! I love baking for others, hosting brunches, and exploring NYC with my mans. Besides Mr. Hamster (of course), I'm attracted to shiny things, bold colors, snacks, matching and coordination, pork and duck fats, miniature versions of things, corny jokes and puns. We are planning a swanky Spring wedding in the heart of NYC, followed by a second reception in Singapore. From one city that never sleeps to another - I can't imagine a more exciting ride!
My love affair with Super8 began 5 years ago (I know, longer than my relationship with the mans) when I was researching videographers for my sister’s wedding. Just when I thought I couldn’t watch another 5 minute recap of a stranger’s wedding, I came across Wilson Fontaine and immediately fell in love with her work – see for yourself on her site:
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.
Last week our photographers stopped by our apartment on their way back from Disneyland for Kimi’s birthday (HAPPY BIRTHDAY KIMI!) and dropped this off…
Mrs. Pretzel, SeattleAge and Occupation: 32 Learning, Training, and Development SpecialistFiance's Age and Occupation: 28 Manufacturing EngineerEngagement Date: September 2, 2009Wedding Date: July 2010Venue: Catholic Church & The Engine Room at Georgetown StudiosAbout Me: I’m just a thirty-something girl who never dreamed of weddings, poofy dresses, or ritzy receptions. I am a rabid knitter, except recently, wedding projects have replaced my yarn and needles. I’ve been fiercely independent since the age of 2 and 30 years later I think my family and friends had given up on me settling down and getting married.
Ironically, I had to go all the way to Seattle to find a boy from Purdue. We fell in love over Seattle Beers and cooking together. I love NASCAR, he loves Legos. I can talk like a Muppet and he can fit a whole McDonald’s cheeseburger in his mouth. We are a two reception couple, currently planning a brewery inspired bash.
With such a bright color palette, you might imagine finding bridesmaid’s dresses would be hard. It was… strike that, it is (we aren’t 100% on the BM dresses yet). If a dress maker had a pretty bright pink, they didn’t have an orange, or they had a green, but not the right green. I knew exactly what I wanted and didn’t really find it until I stumbled on Dessy.com. I personally like the After Six and the Alfred Sung lines.
Two main things that I love about the site? Hundreds of dress options in tons of colors, and dresses that have “accent” colors so you aren’t limited to one color. Seriously—I spent hours this summer, taking screen shots of dresses I liked, editing out the background in Photoshop (not always easy!) and putting them into PowerPoint so I could see all the dresses together and so I could share with Mr Pretzel. Lots and lots of hours… the result looked something like this:
Early attempts at a PowerPoint inspiration board for my maids
Mrs. Trail Mix, New YorkAge and Occupation: 26, PE TeacherFiance's Age and Occupation: 27, MBA StudentEngagement Date: March 2009Wedding Date: June 2010Venue: Tannery Pond at the Darrow SchoolAbout Me: I'm a country girl who somehow found herself living in the Big Apple and loving every minute of it. I'm planning a rustic, country-chic wedding in my hometown in upstate New York and it's going to be a Party with a capital P. White wine, flea markets and running keep me happy and my friends, family and fiance are my world. I'm a little bit crafty, a little bit crazy but mostly just crazy in love.
While most of the decisions regarding our wedding have caused me some serious stress (I hate making decisions!), our Save The Dates was one of the first and easiest ones we made. About 2 weeks after getting engaged, a friend of mine from college sent out an email describing her new children’s card shop on Etsy. After perusing her designs, I knew a custom Save The Date from her was a must. They were all so simple and sweet, just the theme I wanted to convey.
Seriously, how could I not fall in love with these?
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!
It’s time for some recaps! It took longer than expected to get all the photos gathered up. We hired a photographer, but had few talented friends with fancy cameras there as well, and I couldn’t go on without the whole lot at my fingertips. After sorting through the 3,500+ photos and having a new found love for Mobile Me, I’m ready for some sharing!
Mr. Sunbeam and I went home a week before our wedding day and the week became a whirlwind of activity, sprinkled with a few hiccups—one of which was the weather forecast, which toyed with me by having conflicting reports of rain, sun, and downpour on each of the three weather apps I downloaded! Read more…
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.
We were fortunate enough to get hand-me-down bubbles from friends who recently got married and didn’t use all of their bubbles. We’ll put the basket of bubbles (with cute little bells tied to them already) next to the programs at the ceremony, with a note for our guests to start blowing them right before we walk back down the aisle.
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.
Okay, so I already have my shoes squared away, but that doesn’t mean that I don’t love looking at shoes and all the little shoe accessories. Shoe accessories? Yep, I found the sweetest shoe clips on Etsy. B Poetic makes these amazing clips to dress up any shoe, and they are super affordable.
Take a look:
And, if you want something with a little more color: 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.
*This recipe actually belongs to Bridesmaid Georgia’s mom and was only featured in The Cowboy Boots’ out-of-town bags. Luckily, The Georgias were generous enough to share it with us! Believe me, this is good, people! There were trades going on like taffy for more granola, because people loved it so much.
Greenie’s Granola: The Cowboy Boots’ Special Batch
Mrs. Snow Pea, New YorkAge and Occupation: 26, Architectural Engineer and studentFiance's Age and Occupation: 26, Web DesignerEngagement Date: July 4, 2005Wedding Date: August 18, 2007About Me: I am a DIY gal. From cooking, home improvements to wedding. Mr. Snow Pea and I met in college, and since then we've been like peas and carrots! Love cooking, traveling, and fishing.
Eh hem, eh hem. Is this thing on? Hello hive! I must hold the record for most procrastinated wedding recap in history. My apologies to you all. So, I’ll top it off with the quickest wedding recap in history, and hope you all forgive me.
Keep on loading your inspirational wedding pics to the gallery to see them featured here on the blog! Remember, your images must be under 1MB in size, or they won’t load.
Mrs. Parfait, ChicagoAge and Occupation: 26, TeacherFiance's Age and Occupation: 24, Senior Online ConsultantEngagement Date: February 14, 2009Wedding Date: April 2010Venue: Signature EventsAbout Me: I have a soft spot for all things sweet and romantic. Desserts, love songs, sappy movies? Yes, yes, and ohh yes. My fiance and I enjoy singing to our dogs, creating crazy ice cream sundaes, and generally being lovey dovey cuddle bunnies. We also do socially acceptable things like dancing, throwing Frisbees, playing high stakes board games, and taking unreasonably fun road-trips. We're planning a Korean/Serbian wedding with plenty of playful, personal touches!
Now that I have some ideas for my wedding day makeup, it’s time to move on to the hair! Here’s what I have to work with:
A little dry. Random bumps. Wispy hairs around my face.
That’s how it looks after a wash-n-go. It takes well to a blow dryer and curling iron—both of which erase the bumps and make it shinier. Read more…
Mrs. Lovebird, New York/CancunAge and Occupation: 25, AttorneyFiance's Age and Occupation: 25, Medical StudentEngagement Date: September 22, 2006Wedding Date: July, 2008Venue: Dreams Cancun Resort & SpaAbout Me: Born and raised New Yorker planning a destination wedding in Cancun, Mexico. Got proposed to in Cancun, so it’s only fitting we are going back to get married. I love trivia, board games, bargain shopping, asian dramas and eating yummy food!
Cinderella Semi-Mount Diamond Ring - $4,380 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!
I am so excited to start my recaps. I think this will be really fun. I am also going to continue to post projects and if you see something that you want to see more of, just let me know!!
How did I choose “It’s Time” as a theme for the recaps? If any of you are Steel Magnolias fans, you will remember the part just before Shelby (Julia Roberts) walks down the aisle and says, “Daddy, it’s time.” He asks, “What?” and she repeats, “It’s time.” Then he says, “Oh… IT’S TIME.”
Be sure to check out all the posts in our Relationship Series here!
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Who in the relationship is frugal and who is spendy? How does it affect your relationship?
Mrs. Deviled Egg - I am the more frugal one in the relationship. Not that Mr. DE is a big spender, but I am the one more likely to purchase the lesser-priced version of stuff we buy often. And, I am the coupon queen, so I cringe when he buys stuff like toothpaste and deodorant without using one. (You can totally get that stuff super cheap or FREE by combining coupons and sales! I stock up when I can.) I’m usually OK with checking out consignment shops for clothing and accessories, but he’s more likely to head to the department store for his wardrobe. Of course, I always make sure to bring along any necessary coupons! Overall, I’m glad that both of us have a good understanding of where we stand financially and are able to evaluate purchases without going overboard or piling on any debt. Read more…
All-Inclusion Invitation Suites
Makes 8 cups of Granola
Mrs. Deviled Egg - I am the more frugal one in the relationship. Not that Mr. DE is a big spender, but I am the one more likely to purchase the lesser-priced version of stuff we buy often. And, I am the coupon queen, so I cringe when he buys stuff like toothpaste and deodorant without using one. (You can totally get that stuff super cheap or FREE by combining coupons and sales! I stock up when I can.) I’m usually OK with checking out consignment shops for clothing and accessories, but he’s more likely to head to the department store for his wardrobe. Of course, I always make sure to bring along any necessary coupons! Overall, I’m glad that both of us have a good understanding of where we stand financially and are able to evaluate purchases without going overboard or piling on any debt.
