Mrs. Cub, Chile/PortlandAge and Occupation: 26, AstronomerFiance's Age and Occupation: 28, AstronomerEngagement Date: May 10, 2008Wedding Date: September 2009Venue: Westwind YWCA campAbout Me: I'm a small-town girl who's making a living in Chile, with her heart in the Pacific Northwest. I grew up in Southern California, went to high school in Texas, grad school in New Mexico, and now I can't wait to settle down in Oregon! I love pears, hazelnuts,
knitting, traveling, running, baking, and long talks on the phone with
good friends. I'm planning my Oregon coast summer camp wedding while
abroad with my best friend - I'm always at home when I'm with him!
Hi! Let me introduce myself. My name is Mrs. Bear Cub, and once upon a time, I blogged (relatively) consistently for this super-rad wedding site called Weddingbee.
How did it all pan out? It was crazy, wild, emotional, torrentuous, healing, but most importantly, perfect in every way for us. And although our wedding day was certainly and undeniably one of the happiest moments of my life, I’m very glad it’s over. It’s just a day, and now we get to cherish our memories, while building our future together.
Before I jump into the recaps, I have a little slideshow to show you that one of our wedding photographers made for us. I almost (almost) don’t need any other token from our wedding; this selection of images completely encompasses the feeling of our wedding weekend - community. Read more…
Ms. Stripes, Los AngelesAge and Occupation: 29, Costume Designer/StylistFiancee's Age and Occupation: 29, ChefEngagement Date: June 23, 2009Wedding Date: September 2010Venue: Heritage Square MuseumAbout Me: I’m a type A creative with a messy streak, a loud mouth, and an uncanny knack for combining clashing patterns. I can usually be found with my nose in a book, my feet (or at least my toes) on the ground, my head in the clouds, and my arm around the prettiest girl you ever saw- aka
Fiancee Stripes. Together we’re planning a FUN vintage/modern French carnival wedding extravaganza and rockin’ dance party on a dime. (Say that three times fast!) Good coffee, long lists, Uniball pens, and my iPhone keep me sane, and making art, making trouble, and making out keep me happy! I love urban adventures, bike rides that end with afternoon drinks, breakfast for dinner, beautiful light, photography, travel, my furry family, and of course, my beautiful fiancee! I’m super excited to be here and can’t wait to share all our adventures as we craft a joyful, budget-friendly, design-savvy and all-around AWESOME wedding!
What about you? Any wedding-related weekend activities?
Mrs. Hot Wings, Chicago/San DiegoAge and Occupation: 28, ProfessorFiance's Age and Occupation: 32, InstructorEngagement Date: December 20, 2008Wedding Date: August 2010Venue: Ocean View Villas/Jasmine Seafood RestaurantAbout Me: I am a psychology grad student living in Chicago and planning my wedding to a fellow psych grad student. I am a Sunny So-Cal bred gal who trudged across the country to follow her love of psychology and ended up finding a partner in the process. I am overly passionate about anything I involve myself with. I am an activist, a foodie, a reality TV watching junkie, an over-analyzer, a photography obsesser, and am utterly cheesy to the core. This is a story of what happens when a boy and a girl meet, fall in love over academic dorkiness, and a shared love for life. We (mostly I) are planning our semi-destination wedding in my hometown of San Diego. We are excited to bring our families and friends together from across our lifespans to celebrate our future in a grand 400+ person culturally blended affair!
Since getting engaged over 12 months ago, I have yet to figure out what is the proper protocol for thy e-ring care and storage. Other bees have bought ring holders. You can read about that here, here, here, and here, to name a few.
Do you ever take off your engagement ring? I felt bad for not taking it off when I would wash dishes, shower, or go to bed. So I take it off and put it in its case when I shower or go to bed.
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.
With the wedding day fast approaching, I thought I’d share some of my tips to getting hair in top shape for the big day. So here it goes…
1.Use professional shampoo and conditioner.
This is my number one rule of thumb and here’s why… some cheap shampoos and conditioners coat your hair with wax, so while they may initially leave your hair feeling silky and smooth, that wax will build up after a few weeks and make your hair dull, heavy, and greasy. Don’t fall for the Pantene commercials! Those women do not use Pantene, they are hair models getting paid to wave their healthy hair in front of a camera. Other cheap shampoos will dry out your hair. Scary Miss Nachos fact #2937: Prell shampoo has the same pH as Drano. Not kidding.
Professional shampoo is everywhere these days, so you have no excuse! Yes, it’s definitely more pricey than your $1 bottle of Suave, but it. is. worth. every. penny. Although if you see pro products at your local drugstore or chain store, I’d be wary. Scary Miss Nachos fact #48: those stores do not have a license to sell those products so what the bottle says may not actually be what the bottle contains. Plus, they jack up their prices higher than the salons do. Fun Miss Nachos fact #8487: cosmetologist friends can get products for you for HALF the price of what you’d pay in a salon. If you personally know a hair stylist (I’m not talking about your own stylist, do not bother them, I’m talking more like a friend with a cosmetology license), ask him/her to get your products for you the next time they hit the professional beauty supply stores for stylists (like Beauty Alliance, Victory/Cosmo Prof, and Marshall Salon Services, not Sally’s). My favorite brand of all time is Redken and I get it for my friends and family regularly.
Mrs. Buttons, Clearwater, FLAge and Occupation: 24, "Working on it"Fiance's Age and Occupation: 28, Financial ServicesEngagement Date: June 13, 2009Wedding Date: May 2010Venue: Carlouel Yacht ClubAbout Me: I'm a self proclaimed perfectionist and a professional nomad (seriously, I've lived in TX, WI, MI, FL, NC, and now VA!). I love wine, cooking, curling up with a good book (nerd alert!), spoiling the furbaby, and of course, the wonderful Mr. Buttons! We are planning a lighthearted and whimsical wedding (with a good deal of DIY projects) in Clearwater, Florida, but from a distance of 800 miles away! We are looking forward to sharing our day with our family and friends, and most importantly, starting our lives together as husband and wife!
So, you are aware at this point that I selected my wedding gown. What you may or may not have noticed was how I failed to describe my overwhelming feelings of joy and excitement at finding “THE dress”.
Oh… wait… that’s because I DIDN’T have those feelings.
Ms. December stands on ice during her gorgeous trash-the-dress photography session.
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. 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.
Our (actually my, who am I kidding?) plan was for everyone to sing ’Prayer for the Road’. Read more…
Mrs. Sewing, San Mateo, CA/Honolulu, HIAge and Occupation: 24, Electrical EngineerFiance's Age and Occupation: 24, Electrical EngineerEngagement Date: June 27, 2009Wedding Date: July 2010Venue: Anela Garden Chapel & Japanese Cultural Center, HonoluluAbout Me: I'm an easily entertained, compulsive idea-scheming machine who loves good art, good food, and a good engineering challenge. I'm planning a half-destination wedding on the beautiful island of Oahu - imagine a plethora of movies, art and games; savory Hawaiian food; blended Chinese and Japanese cultural details; lush, fragrant tropical flowers and all the air conditioning a NorCal native could want! And once I marry the love of my life, we'll come back to the 'mainland' to party it up all over again in my hometown of Salinas, the salad-bowl capital of the world!
I never really thought the marriage process would change me much as a person. Mr. Sewing and I have been together nearly six years now; what’s one day going to change?
A lot.
There’s a ton of changes that come with being engaged. There’s a whole new vocabulary to learn, a new internet niche to explore, and expectations and relatives I never even knew existed.
One positive change, however, is the introduction of manners. Etiquette, prompt thank you cards - once a nuisance to my spare time, are now something I kind of enjoy.
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!
Every Christmas since I was a little girl, I’ve made my parents and brother a collage of things I want (and definitely do not need). It started with My Little Ponies and Lisa Frank stationery and has progressed to this crazy thing you see below. I would stop, but they ask for it every year, and who am I to keep secrets?
(It’s slightly embarrassing how greedy I am. I’ll comfort myself in knowing this was two Christmases ago, and I’ve scaled it down since then. Kind of.)
Mrs. Ribbons, Washington D.C./Bloomington, INAge and Occupation: 23, Research Associate for an international development firmFiance's Age and Occupation: 25, Proposal Coordinator for contractor
Engagement Date: May 2, 2008Wedding Date: June 2010Venue: Indiana Memorial UnionAbout Me: I'm an Indiana transplant living in DC with my fiance and our pretty kitty. I enjoy the color pink, I'm obsessed with the Dior New Look and tulle, and I heart my level 80 paladin. I'm a sucker for bad TV, literary theory, and cakes of all persuasion. I also happen to be marrying the cutest closet nerd around! It's all about Bloomington for us because it's where we met -- on the college paper. If there's a theme for our small summertime wedding, it's Dior meets Dorothy Draper on a lark in Bloomington; think poofy, plus graphic prints, bold colors, and a whole lot of prettiness.
My wedding day accoutrements are slowly piling up. My first stop was, naturally, Etsy.
I was looking for something shiny and perhaps a little vintage. Since my dress has so much crap going on, I’ve decided to play down my accessories quite a bit.
So I started with the hair. While I would’ve liked to get something like this:
Mrs. Pencils, Washington DC/Frederick, MDAge and Occupation: 24, Program Director, Education Non ProfitFiance's Age and Occupation: 24, Administrative Assistant, Ocean Conservation Non ProfitEngagement Date: July 26, 2008Wedding Date: May 2010Venue: Morningside InnAbout Me: I'm a nerdy Northwestern girl who always knew she was meant to live in the East, harboring a deep love of ice cream, underwear, Diet Coke with a splash of Coca-Cola, pashminas, scrapbooking, stationery, wall calendars and books written for preteens. I think every day should include good thin crust pizza, chocolate, an obscure historical monument, lots of laughter, a dash of wedding planning and, of course, amazing Mr. Pencils! I'm loving the adventure of planning a Maryland wedding and Rocky Mountain reception, and most of all, I just love love!
Mr. Pencils received his degrees, and used to work, in conflict resolution. One day, over a year ago, he came home from work with a new tool: Mindmeister. You know that I am a words person—I deal in letters rather than images. Mindmeister is made for brains like mine. It’s an online website that allows you to build mind maps for your projects, plans, feelings, thoughts, issues, budget—whatever! (Mr. Pencils tried explaining how they use the tool in conflict resolution, but it was like I was listening to Papa Pencils—a nuclear physicist—explain how nuclear reactors measure… something… there was a buzzing sound and I forgot it all. Apologies!)
Mr. Pencils recommended that I use it to help me flesh out my ideas for the wedding, as we were in the very initial stages of planning and I had lots of ideas floating around. I spent a night creating my initial wedding mind map, and this is what I had (you can click both photos for larger versions):
Calling all Phoenix bees! Join us for a meet up TOMORROW at the Havana Cafe in Phoenix!
Where: Havana Cafe, 4225 East Camelback Road Phoenix, Arizona 85018
When: 6PM tomorrow (Saturday, January 30)
Wear yellow if you can so we can spot each other! Head on over to the board thread for more info and to let us know if you’ll be able to make it!
See you there!
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!
Whelp, we got our pro pics back and now is as good a time as ever to kick off the Lambapalooza recaps! I had been planning on methodically recapping in chronological order, but I’ve had a change of heart. My post-wedding self pretty much delights in doing anything except wedding related tasks (napping, scouring decorative blogs, Craigslisting, watching HGTV, baking, reading, running), so I’m tricking myself into the recappage. I told myself that I would only have to write what I wanted. I spun the wheel of topics round in my head and today we landed on the subject of holiday hubbub and the wedding.
Honestly, we didn’t think that much about choosing a holiday weekend for our wedding. After deciding that it would drive me insane to plan a wedding in less than 6 months, get married, finish my graduate school degree, go to my brother’s graduation, buy a house, and move all in the same month, we began considering fall and winter date alternatives. My woolly counterpart started school in August and there was a very small window of opportunity to schedule the wedding and take a honeymoon in between semesters (more on that story later!). New Year’s Eve it was, then. We went to a NYE wedding a few years ago and thought it was the most brilliant thing ever - Great party, free booze, NYE with friends!
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.)
I love skincare/beauty product posts. Don’t you? My turn!
While perusing bridal magazines long before I had met Mr. Pug (embarrassing but true—whatever, you did it too!!), I remember reading about prepping your face for the wedding by getting monthly facials for at least 6 months ahead of time (or something like that).
Now, back when I used to work at a corporate law firm in midtown making a fat-ass salary, I would have totally been all over that. I even got excited, thinking of having a valid excuse for getting so many facials! Wheeee!!!
By the time I got engaged, however, I had left the firm and started working for the government. Which, let me tell you, pays significantly less (that’s an understatement).
What does this have to do with skincare? Read more…
![Where to Put Thy Sparkles? : wedding rings Image2 image[2]](http://www-static.weddingbee.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/01/28/image2.png)
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