Mrs. Cola, Mountain View, CAAge and Occupation: 27, Product Communications and PromotionsFiance's Age and Occupation: 28, Managing Partner and Senior DesignerEngagement Date: March 5, 2009Wedding Date: June 2010Venue: The Mountain Terrace, Woodside, CAAbout Me: I’m a Washington State native, enjoying life in Silicon Valley California with my fiancé, our three kitties and one leopard gecko. I like reading wedding blogs, Photoshopping wedding design mock ups, making lists, and planning, planning, planning! I’m a bit of an anomaly, on one side I’m a very girlie girl, I collect shoes, I lay out my outfits 4-6 weeks in advance, and I’d never leave the house without my hair curled and makeup on. But on the other side, I’m a total tomboy, I love to go camping and hiking, play drinking games (hey, I’m Irish!) and most of my closest friends are guys. My fiancé and I are planning a DIY-focused wedding with a balance between easygoing (what he wants) and chic and stylish (what I want), and are tying it all together with elements in lavender, sage, butter cream and chocolate.
After my (almost) math screw up, it was time to add one last touch to the STD cards: belly bands! You knew all that ribbon had to have some purpose!
In comes the handy ruler, brand new scissors, and the ribbon I got from Michaels:
11 inches x 82 of the chocolate grosgrain ribbon cut: Read more…
Mrs. Hot Cocoa, Boston/Los AngelesAge and Occupation: 31, JD/PhD StudentFiance's Age and Occupation: 32, Medical StudentEngagement Date: May 30, 2008Wedding Date: March, 2009Blogging Since: April, 2008Venue: Ritz Carlton, Marina Del ReyAbout Me:
I am a professional student by day and an amateur cupcake taster, bargain shopper, and wedding planner by night. I am obsessed with NPR, the Food Network, paper, dance shows, Anthropologie, post-structuralist theory, Weddingbee!, "The Office," and celebrity gossip. When not procrastinating from my dissertation, I spend time catering to Jellyby, our overly anxious shih tzu, and getting to know Mr. Hot Cocoa. We have only been dating for fifteen years, so it's like I'm in love with a stranger! From the East Coast, we are planning a Jewish-Chinese Extravaganza in L.A., where we both grew up.
Being a bride and groom is a bit like being a cute baby: people applaud you for doing completely banal things, like entering a room. After garnering huge applause for managing to get onto the dance floor without falling on our faces, Mr. HC and I snuggled up for our first dance.
We did the sixth-grade sway to Springsteen’s “Drive All Night,” which we selected as a romantic allusion to our fourteen years of long-distance dating.
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.
Alright, now that I’ve got all the bad off my chest, let’s get to the good. I won’t go into too much detail, so that I can save stuff for the recaps which will be a while from now, when I get the pro pics, but here goes.
The Ceremony:
Though it was late and I goofed on the first kiss, it was absolutely perfect. Our priest did an amazing job; it was personal, he got the guests involved and everybody loved it. Even the non-Catholics didn’t whine about how long it was. (Though I have no idea how long it was, I’m assuming that a full mass is longer than some are used to.) I couldn’t have been happier with our decision to have the whole wedding in the LaCoste/Castroville area solely because of the priest.
My Bridesmaids:
Sister MoH was there for me whenever I needed her and made my cake with her friend. Little Cuz ’maid was a makeup and hair maven for all who needed it and helped me out with last minute projects whenever her class schedule would allow. London ’maid traveled way far to be there with me and rocked out the dessert table and helped folks out with the photobooth. And a shout out definitely goes to London ’maid’s momma; she was such a help. Seattle ’maid also did some traveling and was there to take care of everything she could think of. This lady gets things done.
I could not have picked a better crew! And even though most of them had never met each other, we all got along famously. Read more…
Mrs. Cheeseburger, Baltimore, MD/State College, PAAge and Occupation: 25, Medical StudentFiance's Age and Occupation: 25, Medical StudentEngagement Date: June 28, 2008Wedding Date: March 2010Venue: Catholic Church Ceremony & Hotel ReceptionAbout Me: I'm a passionate girl from Pittsburgh, currently living in Baltimore for school, who loves Penn State, seeing movies, football, thunderstorms, black and white photos, Christmas, good beer, my amazing friends and family, and of course, my mister! We met, fell in love, got engaged, and will be married at our alma mater (go lions!) in a traditional Catholic ceremony followed by a hotel reception with lots of DIY details. It means so much to have our families and friends meet at our favorite place on earth to celebrate our love for one another - I truly couldn't ask for anything more!
Wedding dress shopping - playing dress up in fancy gowns, being catered to by an attentive staff, getting your first real taste of what it will actually feel like to be a bride.
Or, if you were thinking (freaking out) like I was…
Imagining feeling too large for the gorgeous gowns, being ignored by staff because of a budget that is too small and a waist that is too big, and having a totally, miserable time.
Yes, that is actually how I thought shopping for a wedding dress would be.
In my defense, I had read other brides’horror stories about shopping for “the dress”, and they had sufficiently scared me out of my mind. I wanted nothing more than for dress shopping to be absolutely fantastic, but the thought of it being a disaster was all I could envision!
Cheeseburger Mom started asking about going dress shopping about 5 months after Burger and I were engaged and had about 15 months until our date. Being as nervous as I was, I tried very hard to delay. I told her it was too soon, that I was trying to lose some weight first, that I wasn’t sure what I wanted, etc. Finally, during my winter break from school when visiting home in Pittsburgh, she convinced me to go shopping - “just to look.”
(If you’re reading, Mr. Burger, it’s time to stop now.) Read more…
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!
I saved this post for last because, well, we’re the Stars. Honestly, the main reason why we picked Greece as our honeymoon destination is because it is, quite literally, the birthplace of theatre. And we are still theatre kids at heart, even though we’re old married theatre kids now.
Sure, the food was incredible, the sunsets were to-die-for, and we saw some really amazing ancient sites, but what we were really most excited about was definitely seeing the place where it all began — showbiz, that is.
Mr. Star insisted on taking about a million pictures of me in front of the Roman Odeion in Athens. I still can’t believe that they have performances here in the summertime and we weren’t able to see any. How cool would that have been??
Mrs. Spaniel, Los AngelesAge and Occupation: 28, Law StudentFiance's Age and Occupation: 29, PsychologistWedding Date: March 2010Venue: Calamigos RanchAbout Me: I'm a third-year law student trying to balance graduating with starting my career, keeping up a relationship, and, oh yeah, planning an Old World, multi-cultural, "mountain lodge" wedding for 180 guests! A South Asian Jewish girl getting ready to marry my handsome Catholic Dane, I'm hoping to blend our cultures in our wedding just a bit more gently than by providing samosas as appetizers and offering æbleskiver for dessert. (Although that would also be awesome.)
I absolutely love my engagement ring, and I did enough shopping around to know that I got the only style of ring that could possibly have given me butterflies in my stomach (although maybe if he’d picked something before my endless nagging and surprised me with it, it would have achieved the same effect!).
But the truth is, after over seven months of wearing it, I am realizing that it’s just a little bit impractical. Reasons being:
1. I work in a really sketchy neighborhood. The blessing and the curse of my ring is that it’s quite eye-catching! I’ll only be here until December, and, since I’m an intern, no one expects me to be here past 5:00 PM, ever (at least, this is true in my field and at my site; I know that’s not true for interns across the board!). But by the time daylight savings ends, it gets dark pretty early and the “locals” around here are hardly the most upstanding of citizens. Of course, it’s less likely that any of them would try to steal my ring, and more likely that I would be accosted by an agitated schizophrenic who thinks I’m trying to rob him (this has happened before, when I worked here regularly and not just as an intern, and it was very weird). And there’s a good chance I’ll be in this neighborhood after I graduate, too, which will not have a definite end date (hopefully) and won’t necessarily have a 5:00 quitting time. Read more…
Mrs. Pudding, Greater Toronto Area/VermontAge and Occupation: 26, High School TeacherFiance's Age and Occupation: 26, Computer EngineerEngagement Date: August 2008Wedding Date: July 2010Venue: Catholic Ceremony, Cultural Hall ReceptionAbout Me: Quite literally a citizen of the world, I was born in Poland, grew up in Canada, and now live in the beautiful state of Vermont. I love reading historical biographies, multi-tasking, teasing my hair, and, despite my height, wearing high heeled shoes. I am the ultimate klutz with an uncanny ability to put on a graceful front. Mr. Pudding and I have been dating for over six years, and are very excited to finally merge our (very large) families. We are planning a traditional Polish-Catholic wedding that is anything but predictable.
Alternate Title: How Growing Up in Communist Poland is Influencing Our Wedding
I am sorry to say that I will not be posting pictures of my dress pre-wedding. The reason for this has nothing to do with wanting to surprise Mr. Pudding - he is so oblivious to clothing that I don’t think he would notice the dress even if I wore it while scrubbing the bathroom. Like the alternate title of my post suggests, it has to do with communist Poland. Huh? What does the political state of a central European country between the years of 1945 to 1989 have to do with my wedding dress? Stay with me, while I explain:
I was born in Poland in 1983. Without giving you a history lesson that would take hours to write (and read), I will just say that Poland in the 1980s was not a very happy place. If you have the interest and the time, you can read all about it here. Basically, the government made sure that anyone who was against communism was interrogated and punished. All it would take was for a neighbor or a (bad) friend to suggest that you were anti-government and you could be in grave danger. As you can imagine, this caused major paranoia. People were afraid to trust anyone outside of the family (or in it for that matter, as children were encouraged to snitch on their parents).
Mrs. French Fries, MilwaukeeAge and Occupation: 27, ParalegalFiance's Age and Occupation: 35, Investments AdvisorEngagement Date: September 20, 2008Wedding Date: June 2010Venue: Ceremony: Catholic Church, Reception: Hotel BallroomAbout Me: I'm a Midwestern girl who longs to live in a warmer climate (my feet would be happy in flip flops any day!). I love travel, impromptu napping, grilled cheese sandwiches, my iPhone, singing with reckless abandon in my car, and Mr. French Fries.
Like a lot of people, Mr. French Fries and I have a hectic work week schedule. We both have an hour commute to and from work, and by the time we get home, we’re tired! Throw into the mix that we have two dogs and a cat that want attention and need to be fed/let outside/taken for a walk, and that we’re usually juggling multiple wedding-planning projects (and sometimes vendor visits) in the evening hours, and it can feel like there just isn’t enough time to get everything done.
Sometimes I feel like Jessie Spano on Saved by the Bell in the episode where she takes caffeine pills to sing with Hot Sundae at the Max… “There’s no time! There’s never any time!”
… OK, so I don’t really feel like Jessie. But the point of all of this is that weddings = time management, and “what to make for dinner” falls pretty low on the priority list these days. Read more…
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 the budget for our wedding bands is pretty miniscule, as in, $350-$400 combined. We found one that will fit in that budget for Mr. Fro Yo, but we’re still searching for mine.
Mrs. Nachos, Chicago/St. ThomasAge and Occupation: 33, Commercial Real Estate & HairstylistFiance's Age and Occupation: 36, Radio ProducerEngagement Date: May 22, 2009Wedding Date: April 2010Venue: Wyndham Sugar Bay Resort, St. ThomasAbout Me: I'm a happy, laid back city girl that can find the silver lining in any situation. An optimist at heart, my motto is to turn your "what ifs?" into "so whats!". My fiance is a radio producer and the biggest Cubs fan you'll meet - our apartment decor definitely shows it. He and I grew up next door to each other and because of it, we have the best home videos and easiest holiday dinners. We are planning an intimate wedding in the Virgin Islands and a cocktail party in June for 150 of our closest friends.
I was two years old when my parents bought their house. My mom was pregnant with my little sister and we needed more space to accommodate the growing family (I would eventually become the second oldest of four girls). The neighbors to our right were a smaller family, a mom and two boys a few years older than me. Their house was identical on the inside, with the same setup, just different finishes and color schemes. Being next door was like one of those strange dreams where you’re standing in your living room, only it’s not really your living room, but it’s supposed to be.
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 flower girl, Alma, was the band’s cue. When they saw that little mop of red curls coming down the aisle in her pink cowboy boots, they knew it was time to switch songs. The song I chose to walk down the aisle to actually comes from a surf film called Shelter. No, it doesn’t resemble the Beach Boys, nor is it rhythmic strumming like Jack Johnson (although, he was the cinematographer for the film). It’s an instrumental piece by a musician and surfer named Jon Swift. Our band, Elephant Revival, learned the small tune for me and played it perfectly. Or at least, I think they played it perfectly. To be honest, it was hard to focus on anything as I came into that light-filled room filled with so many loved faces.
P.S. I followed your advice, hive, and took the J.Crew belt off for the ceremony. But can you spot the cap sleeve that came with my dress (hint: my bouquet)?
Mrs. Beagle, AustinAge and Occupation: 26, Electrical EngineerFiance's Age and Occupation: 28, FinanceEngagement Date: July 12, 2008Wedding Date: October 2009Venue: Church Ceremony/Reception at The Waterford HouseAbout Me: I am a true, but rare, Austinite---I was born, raised, and continue to live in this great city! Although
I am an engineer by day, I feed my inner creative side through crafting, sewing, and obsessing over Martha Stewart. I love coffee, my mister, NPR, and exploring all the nooks and crannies of Austin.
I can't wait to share my adventures in DIY and wedding planning with all of you!
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.
Oh, J.Crew, how I love thee. I could easily rhapsody for hours about their sweet jersey dresses or their comfortable, embellished tees. I love the clothes but hate how much money I spend there! I think the vast majority of my wardrobe has been furnished by the Prepsters of Preppy Goodness. So it’s no surprise to me that a lot of my wedding attire has been made possible by the fabulous Ja Crue!
For example, my bridesmaids’ dresses are all from JC, remember?
Mrs. Cola, Mountain View, CAAge and Occupation: 27, Product Communications and PromotionsFiance's Age and Occupation: 28, Managing Partner and Senior DesignerEngagement Date: March 5, 2009Wedding Date: June 2010Venue: The Mountain Terrace, Woodside, CAAbout Me: I’m a Washington State native, enjoying life in Silicon Valley California with my fiancé, our three kitties and one leopard gecko. I like reading wedding blogs, Photoshopping wedding design mock ups, making lists, and planning, planning, planning! I’m a bit of an anomaly, on one side I’m a very girlie girl, I collect shoes, I lay out my outfits 4-6 weeks in advance, and I’d never leave the house without my hair curled and makeup on. But on the other side, I’m a total tomboy, I love to go camping and hiking, play drinking games (hey, I’m Irish!) and most of my closest friends are guys. My fiancé and I are planning a DIY-focused wedding with a balance between easygoing (what he wants) and chic and stylish (what I want), and are tying it all together with elements in lavender, sage, butter cream and chocolate.
Alright, I’ll be the first to admit, I suck at math. Seriously! It wasn’t always that way; in fact, in 7th grade I got straight As and they let me skip a year in math classes. And that was probably my downfall. I skipped pre-algebra and went straight to 8th grade algebra… and proceeded to go from an A, to A-, to B+, to B… until come college and I was totally stoked to get a C- in my business calculus class.
I already mentioned that Mr. Cola is a really smart dude, so if I’m trying to figure out something other than budgets or accounting stuff, I usually ask him. This generally happens when we’re laying in bed, trying to fall asleep.
So the point of this whole post is, double check your math when figuring out how much to buy for your DIY projects. Obviously, this isn’t a new concept. You’re probably thinking in your head, ‘duh, I always do!’ But thank god I did, cause I was thinking that I needed to buy 600 yards of ribbon for the belly bands of our STDS! Read more…
We did the sixth-grade sway to Springsteen’s “Drive All Night,” which we selected as a romantic allusion to our fourteen years of long-distance dating.
