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.
Ugh. For some reason I’ve been having a really hard time coming up with something awesome and inexpensive for favors. All I know is there has to be an edible aspect, since that’s the one thing I love most about favors.
When we first started planning the wedding, I thought, ‘Oh, just throw some purple M&Ms in a box and be done with it.’ You might remember this from my Photoshop Goodness post:
Quick, simple, easy, and edible. But curses to all the wedding websites and blogs out there! The more I researched, the more stories about great favors I read. Everyone has, for example, different Cajun spices because they met at a Cajun restaurant, or so-and-so candy because they both love it, or Starbucks mugs because they both used to work there, or maple syrup from their parents’ maple trees, etc. 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!
There’s no other way to say it: I. Love. Feathers. They might possibly be my favorite thing in the world. If it has feathers on it, chances are, I want it. I first fell in love with feathers my junior year of high school. I was shopping for a junior prom dress when I saw THE dress: it was light pink and beaded with a feathery skirt—and I was in love.
*personal photo*
It was too special to wear to my junior prom, so I waited and waited and finally bought it to wear for my senior prom. Yes, that’s right, I found my senior prom dress a whole year in advance. Crazy much? 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!
Online! Yup, on the interwebs. Mr. Guinea Pig and I met on Match.com, as I mentioned in my intro post. Don’t get me wrong, I knew there were plenty of crazies ‘out there’ (as one friend put it). It’s just that I also thought there were plenty of crazies in the real world, too. So I figured, why not give it a shot? It can’t be any more awkward than meeting someone in a bar.
Overall I’d say the experience wasn’t so bad. To be honest, I’d dabbled in online dating before, but had never really thrown myself out there and been willing to actually meet someone.
It started with Homer (names have been changed to reflect the person’s most… captivating… quality). He was the kind of guy I completely expected to find on an online dating site:
Mrs. Canary, New YorkAge and Occupation: 24, MarketingFiance's Age and Occupation: 25, Journalist/EditorEngagement Date: February 16, 2007Wedding Date: July, 2008Blogging Since: October 19, 2007Venue: Pier Sixty, Chelsea PiersAbout Me: I'm a born and raised New Yorker who loves all things crafty and artsy, food (cheese and dessert!), magazines, and shoes. I'm a power shopper always on the lookout for good deals or great quality-- sometimes I'm lucky and I find both! I love to dance and "shake what my momma gave me" but can also really enjoy a quiet night in with Mr. Canary and a good episode of Seinfeld or curl up with a good book.
I’m going to have to interrupt my recaps so that I can share the wonder of amazing photography and fun holiday cards. Like other married bees, Mr. Canary and I caught the photography bug and decided to commemorate every wedding anniversary with a photo shoot. That way, we’d always have at least one good photo of ourselves and when we start a family, we can also use them as family portraits.
The hard part was deciding on a photographer. When I began my planning, I was inspired by many brides, but one who really stood out was Yvonne Wong, who I wrote about here. After her wedding, Yvonne started her photography business in Seattle. Mr. Canary and I had a wedding in the Pacific Northwest in August and after a few emails we learned that Yvonne was available at the same time and was totally on board with a couple’s shoot. So, on a beautiful summer afternoon, we met with Yvonne and her husband, David, in Redmond, WA and frolicked through the open fields, laughed, and snuck into an old warehouse and the results were these fantastic shots.
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?).
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.
Flowers are not high on our priority list, but I’m going to have to pick a bouquet and boutonniere based on the following flower choices. I’m not much of a flower person so I really have no idea which would look best in a bouquet. Here are our choices…
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.
As was evidenced by the two weddings that we attended in Poland this year, a Polish wedding is not complete without alcohol. Wodka is a traditional Polish favorite, but us Poles don’t discriminate. We are equally fond of tequila, gin, rum, whiskey, wine, beer and many others. All of these multicultural guests will make an appearance at our wedding. Cutting out the open bar to save on costs was just not an option for us.
Despite the “merriment” at our reception, I have asked that love be the groom’s intoxicant of choice. I made him promise that he will not drink.
You see, despite the fact that Mr. Pudding’s alcohol consumption is above average for an American, he sometimes forgets that he is only 1/4 Polish. He tries to keep up with my family, and it doesn’t always end well.
Because I love all of you at the hive dearly, and trust that you will not sell me out to Mr. P, I am going to tell you a secret: Read more…
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.
In the week before the wedding we had some ladies over to help finish up some crafts. Sister MB, Momma MB, Grandma MB, Aunt Eileen, flower girl Abby and Aunt Annie were there to help, and so was Mom’s friend Linda. Thanks for all of your help, ladies!
I felt it was only fair to give my workers provisions. I made panzanella and minestrone—both were a big hit. 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!
So, I’m obviously no graphic designer. That’s Cheeseburger Brother. Anything I make is done in PowerPoint. Yeah, that’s right - I’m really high-tech.
I started thinking hard about “branding” our wedding. It sounds silly, but really, it’s the one day in our lives that we get to make things all about us (within reason ,of course). An easy way to make even little things reflect a little bit of “you” is by creating a monogram.
I had seen lots of gorgeous monograms all over the internet - I even searched for programs that designed them for you. I came up short. That’s when I began experimenting with different free fonts in PowerPoint, and I came up with something that I kind of liked:
Ideal Favors carries a huge collection of wedding favors and party decor, and recently introduced 4 new prints and 3 different styles of stylish favor boxes, all for $1 each. Today we’re giving away 100 favor boxes in any print and style to match your wedding color scheme and decor!
To enter this contest, please tell us — what are your wedding colors? You have until 12PM PST tonight to enter. Good luck!
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.
I struggled with this in the beginning, and considered several different options to try and create a perfectly even wedding party. See, I wanted 6 girls and Mr. Fro Yo only wanted 4 guys.
I considered just including my sister, and he just his brother, but the more I thought about that, the more I realized that it really wasn’t what I wanted. What about the girls I’d known and been friends with since junior high? Or the grad school friends I made? I wanted to include all of them! I kept suggesting people Mr. Fro Yo could include, but then I realized that by making him include people he didn’t want to, it was essential the same as my not being able to include girls I wanted. So I decided that an uneven wedding party wasn’t that bad. Read more…
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.)
When I left you last, I had just tried on Allure Bridals 8601 (she really needs a better name, doesn’t she?). I didn’t come out of the fitting room right away in my third dress, my long-time favorite. I really looked at it first.
I hadn’t been sure the first time, but I was sure now. Yes, the dress was many sizes too big, but the giant clamps were used appropriately, and the manager I was working with explained to me how the fit would be different in the appropriate size. Amazingly, in a less beat up sample and with more skillful handling, the dress looked beautiful on. It looked perfect. And I loved the dress. It’s kind of hard to get away from that fact, sometimes. I stepped out of the dressing room, decided and determined, no matter how Mama Spaniel reacted. Read more…
Mrs. Mouse, AustinAge and Occupation: 25, Weddingbee Editor/AttorneyFiance's Age and Occupation: 31, Civil EngineerEngagement Date: December 19, 2007Wedding Date: September 2009Venue: Barr MansionAbout Me: I just graduated from law school and will be taking the bar, getting married, going on a honeymoon with my guy, and then trying to figure out what I'm going to do with the rest of my life. I was born and raised in a small East Texas town, but I'm no country girl! I'm obsessed with British accents, fantasy (including Harry Potter, of course), and classic rock. My fiance and I consider ourselves both music and beer snobs--but every once in awhile we love to hear a crappy band and drink a cheap brew or two. We're planning an eco-friendly, casual, English garden affair for the end of summer, and we can't wait for it to get here!
I wanted to wait until my recaps to show you guys the gifts that we got for our wedding party. Some of them read Weddingbee, so I didn’t want any spoilers!
After everyone had their fill of BBQ, we made an announcement for everyone to gather under the carport (it was still raining) so we could dole out thank you gifts.
My girls got each got a little package like this.
Ever the re-user, I packaged two of the girls’ gifts in these kraft boxes that some of my Etsy purchases had come in. The third girl got a green gift box that I’d been saving for a while from a Bath & Body Works set I received as a gift. The green ribbon was also saved from old gift packaging–I just used some double-sided tape to fashion the bow shape.
When the girls opened their packages, here is what they found inside: 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.
As much as I would love to keep writing about random inspirations or my beautiful dress, it’s time to move on with all my other little projects (at least until the dress comes in and I can discuss alterations!).
With all the talk between my mom and I lately about flowers, I thought I’d share this little 10 minute mock up with you.
She was having trouble understanding what I was looking for in the ribbon on my bouquet, and I couldn’t find the picture I’d seen in a magazine somewhere. These images were pretty close:
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.
Despite the Mariah Carey classic, I’m one who keeps my feelings close to the vest.
You know that scene in Sex and the City (Am I six years too late for SATC references?), when Miranda gives a teary speech at Charlotte’s wedding only to hold the notes too close to a candle? Resigned, exhausted, she says something like, “I’ve caught on fire, I’ve shown emotion in public… I think I’m done here.” Ahhh that resonates, my friends! That resonates hard.
I’m okay looking happy and smiling in front of people, sure, but when it comes to the harder stuff, I make like Lady Gaga with the poker face (Am I six months too late for Poker Face references? Side note: does “poker face” mean something sexual? I am using it in the non-sexy form).
All-Inclusion Invitation Suites
I felt it was only fair to give my workers provisions. I made panzanella and minestrone—both were a big hit.
