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.
On day three of this project we did a LOT of sanding, puttying and painting. The first step after everything was glued was to sand the edges to remove some of the black singed wood that is a product of the laser cutter. Paint and putty won’t stick as well to the singed parts.
I then started puttying. Below are our supplies, putty, the wood, and a scraper (which I didn’t end up using, as my finger worked best). Read more…
Mrs. Sea Breeze, Vancouver/Dominican RepublicAge in 2008 and Occupation: 30, Communications ManagerFiance's Age in 2008 and Occupation: 29, Experiential Marketing DirectorEngagement Date: October 6, 2007Wedding Date: November, 2008Blogging Since: July 17, 2008Venue: Majestic Colonial Resort, Punta CanaAbout Me: Planning a destination wedding by the sea should be (oh no she di-in't…) a breeze (…*sigh* yep, she did) but when you've never been to the Caribbean, your powers of imagination are really put to the test. Luckily, I'm 90% resourceful, creative optimist (and kooky, neurotic practicalist-if-that's-a-word for the other ten). Other than writing about our week-long celebration of family, friends, laughter and love, I adore books, shoes and… you guessed it… long walks on the beach.
Can it really be true? Are we finally coming to the end of this super long drawn-out DW saga?!? If you’re breathing a sigh of relief, it’s ok… so am I. This has been a looong time coming, yo!
The last little story I have to tell you is about our sorta fabulous honeymoon. No wait, I’ve got that wrong – it was totally fabulous but only a ’sorta’ honeymoon.
What am I talking about? Well, you see, since we got married in the Dominican Republic, one of my many pre-wedding dilemmas started out being where we would go on our honeymoon and turned into whether we would go anywhere at all!
We never did get the newlywed banner put on our door but that didn’t stop us from posing in front of someone else’s.
Mrs. Gloss, Boston/MaineAge and Occupation: 24, Designer/soon-to-be ArchitectFiance's Age and Occupation: 26, Systems EngineerEngagement Date: May 23, 2008Wedding Date: August 2009Venue: SS Katahdin/Lakeside TentAbout Me: I don't like nickels or the skin that forms on pudding when it's in the fridge for too long. I couldn't live without Pantone markers, fountain soda (3/4 diet, ¼ regular Coke), run-on sentences, or ridiculously oversized sunglasses. I will try to DIY almost anything and am just OCD enough to make most of it work. I am truly excited about having all my family and friends together, becoming Mrs. Gloss, and having amazing photos to prove it!
I love shopping, and I especially love shopping with other people’s money ;). Macy’s was having some great sales this weekend (25% off, including sale items!) so I put those wedding gift cards to use and cleaned up some of the items off our registries. Instead of just coming home and putting them away I decided to wrap them and put them under the tree with a tag that read: 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.
Some of you have figured out that the “girl” in the love story is Mama Pudding. You gals (and gents) are so smart, I can get nothing past you!
Mama Pudding and M have been “dating” for a little over a year now. I put the word “dating” in quotation marks simply because it’s hard to actually nail down when they became a couple. M sent his very first email to Mama Pudding in April of last year, and they have been head over heels ever since. Mama P keeps telling me that one day she will give me access to all of their emails so I can write a bestselling novel. I can’t wait to read what was in that first email.
Anyway, back to the story:
About a month and a half ago, M called me on Skype. This sometimes happens, but only because M is not very computer literate, and he often mistakenly calls me when he means to call my mom (foreshadowing?). This time, he had meant to call me. He had a plan: 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.
It seems that many brides, including me, are jumping on the bandwagon of letting the bridesmaids choose their dresses within certain guidelines. But what about the guys? Can you trust them?
See, we aren’t designating which suit the guys have to wear, we’re just telling them that they need to wear a grey suit. However, as I think about it, I’m staring to become a little terrified. OK, a lot terrified.
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.
Cake did not make an appearance at our wedding. Instead, we served up a pie bar (by Denver’s Teacup Bakery) for our guests to enjoy. All eight pies were natural and organic. We had the venue cut the pies into 12 slices, instead of 8, so people could enjoy multiple flavors. You’d want to too, given these flavors: blueberry peach, cherry, apple, pumpkin, caramel apple, chocolate cream, lemon meringue, and banana cream.
Paula from Teacup was so cute when I went in for a tasting. She told me how she goes down to the farmer’s market and buys the fruit at its peak (which was way before October). She froze it when it was at its best so our fruit pies would still taste seasonal.
Ms. Potato Chips, Boston/Narragansett RIAge and Occupation: 29, PhD StudentFiance's Age and Occupation: 30, Personal Trainer/Business Owner/Physical Therapy AssistantEngagement Date: January 1, 2009Wedding Date: June 2010Venue: The Narragansett TowersAbout Me: A semi-professional bookworm, if I could be a literary character I’d be a cross between Jo March and Jane Eyre, only better accessorized and much lazier. My hobbies include sleeping in, seasonal brews, running, Trader Joe’s, and watching Unwrapped and Good Eats with Mr. Potato Chips. I harbor an irrational fear of tulle, crafts, things that are fussy, and overuse of the phrase "Your Special Day". After a year or seven together, down the aisle we go, slouching toward adulthood and planning a Rhodie party with equal parts whimsy, cheer, and pizza.
I’ve been a regular exerciser for as long as I can remember. Gym, training for a marathon/road race, yoga, strength training… it’s always been part of my day-to-day, like brushing my teeth or not making my bed. When your fiance’s a personal trainer, with his own studio where he holds small group classes consisting of all your close friends (Mr. Potato Head even trains my parents!), it’s hard to come up with excuses. Usually I don’t even want to; I like working out. It does a body good. More than that, it does my mind good.
And then this happened. I took a doctor-recommended hiatus from exercise. And then grad school happened. All of a sudden I was awash in papers and classes and teaching and long hours of commuting.
I did what I could: took the stairs up to my fourth floor office. Walked the 1.3 miles to the train station. I probably could have done more. I know I could have done more. But when I did try to “push it”—push-ups and cardio and that extra mile—I suffered from days of soreness in my chest, a sure sign of Too-Much-Too-Fast-itis. 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!
I spent some time during the last month or two getting some quick and easy projects done. Signs are easy enough to make, and finishing anything gives me a sense of accomplishment.
Mrs. Bunny, ColumbusAge and Occupation: 24, Associate Editor/ReporterFiance's Age and Occupation: 27, ReporterEngagement Date: September 23, 2008Wedding Date: July 2009Venue: Everal Barn, WestervilleAbout Me: Organized, but messy. I love art (all kinds). I don't have any secrets. I talk a lot and listen even more. I show love by baking. I'm timid by nature, but brave when it counts.
Mr. Bunny and I work at competing weekly newspapers, which makes it a little interesting trying to describe our work joys and frustrations without giving away too much before the paper comes out. In spite of that little hurdle, we've managed to build a pretty solid relationship in the short one-and-a-half years we will have been together when we tie the knot. I can't wait!
Alright. I’ve stalled out in telling you the story of the Bunny Bridal Countdown, leaving you in suspense after my hair trial, 18 days away from my wedding. I’m sorry.
But there’s a good reason for why I’ve avoided the next step in my tale for so long. This is the part where everything started to go wrong. *covers face in hands*
I could blame it on a lot of things. For one, my little brother had a very serious health issue in the months leading up to our wedding and my family was focused, more than anything, on getting him better. A lot of my DIY projects, started with great intentions, fell by the wayside, only to be remembered in the hustle and bustle of the last two weeks. Read more…
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!
I never knew of so many colors for white until I started shopping for The Dress. “Conventional” bridal wisdom has always suggested going with an ivory dress. In fact, in digging around for some stats on the ivory vs. white debate, I found this poll that was conducted on Weddingbee a few years ago. At least in the world of Weddingbee, 4 out of 5 brides choose ivory dresses. Read more…
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.
It’s official, it’s COLD! I pulled my gloves out the other day when we had our first snowfall here in Chicago, and I’ve discovered a slight problem. How in the world are you supposed to put on gloves and take them off gracefully with a ring on? Especially one with a high-profile? This is new territory for me ’cause I’ve never worn a piece of jewelry that I really cared about and tried to take good care of (most of my previous jewelry came from Target with a price tag of oh, $2). I’ve heard horror stories of people pulling off their gloves and the ring goes with it. Or bending a prong as they pull their gloves off. I got some suggestions from friends and this one from Miss Cola was my favorite…
Mrs. Pug, New York City/Half Moon Bay, CAAge and Occupation: 33, LawyerFiance's Age and Occupation: 32, dittoEngagement Date: July 2008Wedding Date: March 2010Venue: Ritz-Carlton, Half Moon BayAbout Me: The Mr. and I are two 30-somethings who enjoy tasty sweets of all kinds, our neighborhood wine store, and cuddling with our pug. NYC is where we live and the city we love, but we’re doing the deed out in Northern California. We are trying to keep the affair small, intimate, and manageable. Our motto is: the less people, the better! (I’m kidding.)
So, you’ve decided to use a Gocco. You may not be as nervous as I was, but before I started using this magical Gocco machine, I read everything I could about Gocco in order to prepare myself. After all, since Gocco products are no longer in production, you are dealing with a finite amount of supplies and you don’t want to MESS UP (I’m kidding, it’s totally okay to mess up–it’s practically a rite of initiation in using the Gocco. Also, there are DIY Gocco screen options so you don’t have to worry about limited supplies–see below).
When using Gocco for the first time, you are probably going to encounter little issues that make you do this:
Anyway, so let’s say you’ve read all the posts you can on using a Gocco. Want more tips? Of course you do. Here you go. Read more…
Mrs. Rainbow, TampaAge and Occupation: 22, Makeup ArtistFiance's Age and Occupation: 25, Electrical Engineer/ProgrammerEngagement Date: November 27, 2008Wedding Date: May 2010Venue: The Gamble PlantationAbout Me: I'm a quirky (and slightly Type-A) freelance makeup artist who was born in Washington State, raised in Alabama, and now living with my one and only in sunny Florida. I'm fashion and beauty obsessed, and have recently discovered my inner domestic diva extraordinaire. I'm a wannabe chef, decorating addict, and trying desperately to be as crafty as possible---albeit only with a glue gun. I'm hopelessly in love with my fiance, and all things sparkly and feathery. Despite the glittery exterior, I'm a total hippie on the inside. When I'm not making up pretty faces, I love doing what I can to help people, animals, and the environment. Someday the FI and I will change the world, but first we're tackling our modern-vintage-Marie-Antoinette-meets-Alice-in-Wonderland inspired wedding. I just can't wait to be Mrs. Rainbow!
Mr. Rainbow and I have been together officially for 2 years and 6 months, and we have been living together for officially 2 years and 5 months. Crazy, I know, but fortunately, it worked for us. After getting swept away in our whirlwind romance we quickly decided to pack up and start living in sin, as Mommy Rainbow likes to jokingly call it.
I had previously fallen in love with Orlando, so Mr. R suggested that we move there together. He would move from Tampa to Orlando, and I would move from Ft. Lauderdale to Orlando. While Mr. Rainbow was still able to keep his job in Tampa (he was moving a little over an hour away—a huge pain in the butt, but doable), I was not. We quickly decided that he’d be responsible for rent and his car, and once I was able to get a job in Orlando, I’d be responsible for the smaller bills, like power, water, cable, cell phones (we’re on a plan together), etc.
Eventually Mr. Rainbow got a promotion (one of many to come, whoop, whoop!) that required more of his attention, so we made a move to Tampa and I was out of a job, again. Fortunately, I was able to find a new job (albeit, the absolute worst, most miserable job of my life) and our plan for paying the bills stayed the same. Separate finances, separate bills. Although we were living under the same roof, owned pets, had combined our cell phones, and financed a car together, we were still financially separate.
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.
When I last left you on our Urban Pretzel Party search, I had just found out that our venue of choice, Pravda, was booked for all of 2010- with people waiting in the wings in case of cancellation. I was seriously bummed but wasn’t defeated. I reached out to my contact at our catering company to see if she knew of any other spaces which fit my requirements, slightly modified.
Seattle Areaor North Seattle
150+ people
Open Catering
Loft-like
Not a hotel/country club/banquet hall
Ding ding ding! By just scratching off the “North Seattle” requirement I opened up my criteria to the amazing SoDo (South Downtown) and Gerogetown neighborhoods. The catering company suggested one venue in particular, The Engine Room at Georgetown Studios.
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!
While I spent the morning sleeping in and ordering room service, Mr. Sprinkle had to be up early to greet our caterer. She came by the house to pick up all of our alcohol (which was super nice of her) but she could only make it at 7AM! Luckily, Mr. S does much better than me when running on little sleep, so an early morning wasn’t too hard for him.
A few hours later, our photographer’s assistant showed up at our house to chronicle Mr. S and his family getting all dolled up.
I then started puttying. Below are our supplies, putty, the wood, and a scraper (which I didn’t end up using, as my finger worked best).
All-Inclusion Invitation Suites
Ties were adjusted…
