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!
I also mentioned how I could quite possibly break an ankle (or two) by walking in 4 inch heels in the grass. Frankly, it’s a sacrifice I’m still willing to make. Love makes you do crazy things, doesn’t it?
Now, while I’m willing to sacrifice my comfort and safety for walking down the aisle and the first dance, I will not be working those heels all night. Oh, no, no, no, definitely not. I quickly debated going the flip flip route but… nah. While I’ve seen some cute flip flops, I can wear flip flops every other day of my life, so I’ll have to take a pass for the wedding.
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!
Everyone was able to pick a dress that they will feel pretty and comfortable in, and (hopefully) didn’t break the bank while doing so. All of my bridesmaids are ridiculously gorgeous, and I know they’re going to look even more beautiful on the big day! Read more…
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.
I’ve been feeling a little antsies in my pantsies lately about the wedding. Truthfully, this has been a frustrating week where I’ve accomplished almost nothing, wedding-wise (or really other-wise, for that matter). I’m kind of just wishing the wedding were here already!
Don’t misunderstand, I have really enjoyed the planning process thus far and deep in my soul know that I am glad the wedding is still 6 months away since I will be sad when it’s all over and done with (and there’s still so much to do!). Read more…
Mrs. Guinea Pig, Baltimore, MD Age and Occupation: 26, PhD student Fiance's Age and Occupation: 26, Operations Director at a non-profit Engagement Date: December 25, 2008 Wedding Date: May 2010Venue: The Chesapeake Bay Beach Club About Me: I'm a tomboy science nerd whose girly side has made a startling appearance thanks to wedding planning! I love to bake, knit and sew but I also ride a motorcycle (that Mr. Guinea Pig wouldn't touch with a 10 foot pole). We live with our three crazy cats and love to read, travel, watch movies, and do home improvement projects together! My parents/family are Canadian but I'm definitely American, although I've lived in 5 different countries, 6 different states, and speak Russian fluently. Mr. GP and I met online (did I mention I'm a scientist?) and had a whirlwind romance - now we can't wait to get married & celebrate with all our friends and family in a blue and yellow waterfront affair!
Before I get to how Mr. Guinea Pig and I started out, I’ll begin this post by saying that when you first sign up for an online dating site, the possibilities seem very exciting. ‘You mean, I can just check these boxes and a list of guys will pop up with every quality I ever wanted?!’ So I immediately went through the ‘Advanced’ options of the search feature and created my dream guy. Let’s see, he had to be 6’3” or taller, dark hair, blue eyes … you get the idea, I’ll spare you my whole long, 25-point list (which included ‘must speak Russian’).
(Peter Facinelli, although I’ve never actually seen Twilight)
I anxiously await as the spinning wheel of my browser takes me closer and closer to the list of guys just waiting to hear from me. Hold breath. Nervously clap hands. Hum. There it is!
“Sorry, there are currently no profiles that meet your criteria within a 250 mile radius of your location.” Read more…
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.
I took these pictures earlier this summer, after reading a Weddingbee PRO article on the best ways to capture the beauty of your engagement ring in a photo. The main key is to take your ring off, and then experiment with the macro setting on your camera. I thought I’d post these pictures of my ring sparkling in the summer sun.
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.
Mrs. Crab Cake, Columbus, GAAge and Occupation: 25, Registered NurseFiance's Age and Occupation: 31, Director of Education and Living History for a museumEngagement Date: April 6, 2008Wedding Date: June, 2009Blogging Since: November 26, 2008Venue: Holy Family Catholic Church, reception: National Infantry MuseumAbout Me: I'm a perfectionist trying to balance two jobs, motherhood, my craft obsession, and wedding planning. I am obsessed with all things wedding, especially creative ideas for saving money and DIY projects. A Southern Belle at heart, I love anything southern, especially sweet tea, grits, afternoon thunder storms, crab cakes, and good old Southern hospitality. Mr. Crab Cake and I are planning a vintage inspired wedding with tons of Southern flare (can y'all say that with a thick Southern drawl?).
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. 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.)
Given my chosen profession, one would think that I would be a bit more on top of (1) reading wedding-related contracts, and (2) voicing my concerns when discrepancies arise between the contract and oral representations made before receiving the contract.
Can you tell from this introduction that this is not always the case?
When Mr. Spaniel and I visited our venue for the first time, the site coordinator told us that the room that we were most interested in was available with a 100-person minimum. It was usually a 150-person minimum, but since our wedding was in the off-season, they could work with us. Great! We were hoping for 130 people at the time (with a 150-person guest list), so that would suit us just fine. She also told us that a champagne toast would be provided “as our gift to you”. Nice! We really wanted a champagne toast, and were happy to receive it for no additiona0l cost.
When I returned to the venue with Papa Spaniel, the coordinator had not relayed to the rest of the staff that the minimum was being waived (or reduced). We weren’t willing to spend nearly $125 per person when said person was not in attendance, so it was a do-or-die kind of clause: if they couldn’t meet our requirements, we weren’t having our wedding there. Luckily, we received a call from the coordinator—misunderstanding, of course we’ll honor…
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.
A few people have asked me if I plan on wearing my wedding dress to the cocktail party we’re throwing back at home in June. I thought about it since a decent amount of money was spent on it and not many people will get to see me in it aside from in pictures. I decided not to though, mostly because it’s a bit much for the party we’re planning. The party will be dressy, but definitely not formal, and definitely not the right venue for a wedding gown.
I knew I wanted to wear white so I searched online for a cute dress that would be kind of wedding-y but still fun and flirty. I was also hoping to find something I could wear in St. Thomas after the ceremony, too. After a little searching, I found it online at Prom Girl (not a store most 32 year olds would usually frequent, but hey, it works!).
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.
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!
After our night of partying, no one was in a huge hurry to get up early that Friday morning and we didn’t have a whole lot left to do, so we took our time and got a late start. Mr. Star headed off to work for a bit and Momma Star, my MOH and I all headed off to pick up my dress at the salon. Because Mr. Star was going to be around until the night before the wedding, I had put off picking it up for as long as possible and even two days before the wedding, I still couldn’t take it back to our place.
My MOH’s family generously offered to serve as protectors of my dress in their hotel room until the next day, when Mr. Star would be skedaddling. It was a surreal feeling to be walking into the bridal salon for the last time and walking out (finally!) with my dress, my actual wedding dress, in my arms. Well, in both my arms and my MOH’s arms. It was waaaay too much dress for me to carry on my own. We made it downstairs and hopped in a cab, with what my MOH joked was a white body bag. Man, that dress is heavy! Who knew sparkle was so heavy? I sure didn’t. We got it back to her family’s hotel room and opened the bag up so the train wouldn’t wrinkle and spread it across their TV. You guys didn’t need that, right? Didn’t think so…
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 already started talking about the research that I had completed to find the best flowers for the lowest prices. I was pretty satisfied with my selections, but I wasn’t really sure how things would pan out at our meetings with the vendors. Knowing that florals can occupy a significant portion of the budget, I was nervous to see what we would be quoted by the local florists for what we wanted.
I had made this list of things I thought we would need:
Bridal bouquet
MOH bouquet
8 bridesmaid’s bouquets
Groom’s boutonniere
Best Man’s boutonniere
(Wondering where the rest of the boutonnieres are? You’ll see)
Mothers x 2
Grandmothers x 3
Godmothers x 1
Centerpieces = 3 different kinds (high full, low full, minimalistic) x ~10 each
Family table = 1 large centerpiece + 8 small (bud vases)
Cake table arrangement (or bridesmaid bouquets)
Gift table arrangement (or bridesmaid bouquets)
Place card table arrangement
I brought these pictures with me as inspiration, and I was able to talk about my likes and dislikes of each as we went. Read more…
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!
After our giddy first look, our “limo” showed up to drive us off to our next photo shoot location. We rented a school bus to go along with the fact that we were high school sweethearts and it arrived at the chapel to pick us up right on time. Sadly, the rain prevented me from decorating it with my little red tissue paper poms that I had spent so long making. Sigh. It was still a sweet ride, but you’d have had no idea there was any sort of wedding party inside. If you are worried about rain, make your poms out of yarn!
Mrs. Lamb, NorfolkAge and Occupation: 25, Homeland Security ConsultantFiance's Age and Occupation: 27, Graduate StudentEngagement Date: January 2009Wedding Date: January 2010Venue: Trinity Presbyterian Church/Harrison Opera HouseAbout Me: I’m a Homeland Security Consultant with a tendency towards pulling office pranks, taking lunch breaks, and drinking Wawa shakes. I’m also an English major with a serious obsession with alliteration and rhymes. While I’m not keeping America safe, I’m training for half marathons and the Escape from Alcatraz swim. Or moving for the third time this year. Or baking. Or wedding crafting. Or crying about wedding planning. All the while, I’m getting myself into Lucille Ball-esque scrapes and making Jim Carey-esque faces. Our big fat Czech/Baptist/Jewish/Italian wedding is a combination of vintage eclectic, DIY, and little spoonful of sugar from our Event Coordinator. It’s going to be a Norfolk flavored wedding with the verve of an only-daughter-blow-out bash!
I’m a closet horror flick junkie. Old stuff. New Stuff. Silly stuff. Gory stuff. Doesn’t matter. One of the Lambster’s roommates had a pretty big DVD collection that included a lot of horror movies. When Woolly Lover Boy would have to stand duty on his boat, I would get up in the morning to say goodbye and then pick out a stack of movies to pass the day away. Nothing like Texas Chainsaw Massacre at 5:30 AM. One trick they almost always use to enhance the fear is an open door for the antagonist to return for a (what will surely be a terribly executed) sequel.
My wedding shoe search is pretty much like a lame-o horror flick series. I dealt with the Tom Cruise mental block. I dealt with the oppressive people pleasing. I thought everything was calm and right in the world again. We shot our gorgeous engagement photos. Duh, duh, DUH!
Lamma-ramma-ding-dong saw the photos and asked me if it was too late for me to get a pair of flats to wear to the wedding.
All-Inclusion Invitation Suites
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