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.
After I figured out my flip-flop debacle, I was feeling like I could conquer any DIY project that was dreamt up in my little noggin! But I have to tell you, our home party invites have seriously become a pain in the pooper. My original plan was to make them myself to save a bunch of money. If you remember, they started like this…
Then they morphed from this, which I don’t think I’ve shown you…
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 really should have posted this back in early November, right after Halloween, but I just came across the box of props again last night. And I know there are a lot of newly engaged ladies out there who may have year long engagements, so keep this in mind: if you’re having a photobooth and want props, hit up the party stores the day after Halloween for fantastic deals. I got a ton of props and everything was 50-90% off! (And I’m guessing you might have similar success in the after Valentine’s Day and after St. Patrick’s Day sales, especially if you’re looking for props in pink, red or green.)
And here is all of my loot, which I got for a whooping $36 on sale!
(beards, sparkly and feathered hats, clown wig, rainbow mohawk wig, 3 feather boas, feather mardi gras masks, glasses with noses attached, a tiara, king’s crown)
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.
See that title up there? It was an exact quote from a girl who was supposed to help one of my bridesmaids find a dress. But I’m getting ahead of myself, let me start from the beginning. See, at the beginning of my planning I went through quite a few colors and ideas for what I wanted the bridesmaids to wear. Then suddenly it hit me. Grey! All of this was before I found the wonderful world of wedding blogs, including Weddingbee, so I didn’t realize just how popular that choice was. I thought I’d stumbled onto something unique and different. Read more…
ContestsFeature Launched: Oct 5, 2006About: Weddingbee contests and giveaways.
Papeterie, stationer extrordinaire, has launched their sister store L’Atelier this year that offers gorgeous bridesmaid’s dresses with beautiful details, including pockets! In celebration of their launch they’re giving away a $100 gift certificate to one lucky Weddingbee reader!
To enter this contest, check out their premiere line and let us know which dress you’d choose in the comments! You have until midnight PST on Monday, January 25th to enter. Good luck!
Mrs. Penguin, Northern CaliforniaAge and Occupation: 27, Weddingbee Editor in ChiefFiance's Age and Occupation: 30, Doctor of Physical TherapyEngagement Date: January 29, 2007Wedding Date: June 7, 2008Blogging Since: September 14, 2007Venue: Winery in the Gold CountryAbout Me: I love the Spice Girls, dogs with underbites, bean burritos, making messes, high fives, avoiding showers, crossword puzzles, blogs, weddings, and blogs about weddings!
Thank you to all our members and readers for taking the recent Weddingbee survey! Because we’d never ask you to complete a lengthy survey and not follow up, we wanted to take the time to comb through the responses, and collectively respond to the results.
Here are some of the highlights:
94% of you said you were “satisfied” or “very satisfied” with the site.
84% of you gave 4 or 5 stars to the site for having useful information.
76% gave 4 or 5 stars for “the quality of community interaction”.
Thanks for the vote of confidence in the site, our hardworking bloggers and our awesome community! We’ll keep working to get those numbers even higher in the coming year.
We’re humbled by the overwhelmingly positive numbers—we’ve worked hard to put out features that we think will benefit everyone! We’re grateful for your responses, as they’re shaping our goals for the coming year. While it’s a bit of a moot point to focus on the positive, we wanted to open up to the hive about where members felt we needed improvement, and brainstorm ways that we can make those improvements happen in the near future!
Boards Organization: Many of you requested better organization of the boards. 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!
Well folks, I hate to disappoint, but I think it’s gonna look just like any other wedding.
Um. Scratch that. It’s OUR wedding, so it’s gonna be awesome.
Here’s one of the first inspiration boards I made after we decided on a venue. I’m still pretty in love with it, although it has definitely evolved a bit.
What do I like about this board? Well it’s fun, it’s festive, it’s a little girly and it’s pretty laid-back. It’s a very pretty party that I’d like to be a part of! (Say that 3 times fast.)
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.
After hanging out at the gas station, Mr Pretzel changed into a more casual outfit. You know in hindsight, Mr P changed clothes more than me during our photo shoot. We also grabbed some sunflowers (Mr Pretzel’s favorite flower) before heading to the iconic Pike Place Market. We hammed it up in front of the Market sign, in back of the flower stalls, and in nearby Post Alley where we encountered Seattle’s Gum Wall.
Mrs. Poodle, Santiago, Chile/San Bernardino, CAAge and Occupation: 27, Industrial & Web DesignerFiance's Age and Occupation: 24, Firefighter & Mountain PatrolEngagement Date: February 25, 2009Wedding Date: January 2010Venue: Mr. P's Grandparents’ RanchAbout Me: I’m a Chilean girl who's crazy about nature and swimming. I enjoy carving, drawing, reading and sewing; I drool over computers, fabric, pretty paper, purple and patterns. To me, chocolate should be one of the seven wonders, right next to lemon pie. I never thought an exchange work experience program was going to change my life forever, but while working in California, I met Mr. Poodle, and ever since my days are better and brighter. We are two goofy souls that, after finding each other, couldn’t help but want to be together forever. It has being a long and sometimes hard road, since we have to deal with such a long distance between us, but we are now facing the last stage of our Fiancé Visa, and soon we will be together. You know the best part? We will be married! So I’ll be blogging from Chile until just a few months before our “green and purple” wedding.
Remember how I actually made another dress for our e-session? I teased with the fabric here, and I showed off the dress here. This is what it looks like:
Well, after realizing that my wedding dress didn’t fit, I ran to try this dress on, and well, it was just as uncomfortable as my wedding dress.
What a bummer!!! So I had to come up with a plan B, because our e-session was going to be that week!!! My MOH and I researched for something similar for a good price but had no luck. So we went to Forever 21 and found this cutie: Read more…
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.
I’ve avoided this subject for a bit because it’s the only part of the wedding with which I’m a little disappointed. When we first started planning our Bloomington wedding, we really wanted to have the reception here:
It’s the Tudor Room at the IMU. I’ve had many a Sunday brunch here and just pretty much assumed there would be no issue. Well, there was an issue: our reception is only going to have 50-60 people. They were unwilling to book the room for such a small party. I. was. peeved.
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!
A while back Mr. Sew’s brother had decided to come visit us for his Thanksgiving break (he goes to school in L.A.), so I thought it would be good for Mr. Sewing and our 2 brothers to go suit shopping.
All three men are fairly skinny. One is tall AND skinny. So I think we’ll be needing a more “fitted” suit. These go by many different names: modern fit, European cut, slim cut, etc. And they are really snazzy looking! Here are some samples:
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.)
For 32 years of my life, I absolutely did not want children. I know I’m not alone in this. Walking through crowds of children at a museum or on Halloween would literally make my heart beat faster and send involuntary shivers up my spine. When I thought of children, this is what I would picture:
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!
AR0307 is selling her beautiful Enzoani Accra gown from the 2008 Collection. The size 8 dress has been altered to a street size 2-4. She’s asking $900.
Have a wedding item for sale? Post it with pictures in the Weddingbee classifieds and you might see it featured on the blog!
Mrs. Dachshund, Fresno, CAAge and Occupation: 24, Legal Office AssistantFiance's Age and Occupation: 27, Computer TechnicianEngagement Date: April 18, 2009Wedding Date: May 2010Venue: Victorian Gardens of Two SistersAbout Me: I’m a 24-year-old Californian bride-to-be who found love in the most unlikely of places - an online video game! I’m a farmer’s daughter living in rural Central California, but will always have a special place in my heart for the city. My future husband is a 27-year-old extraordinarily tall, exceptionally cute, and undoubtedly Canadian boy who was able to sweep me off my feet and take me for his bride. I love color, folksy songs that make me smile, interior design, kettle corn, my one-year-old puppy, Juno, and my fiance, of course! We’re planning a DIY garden wedding with a laundry-list of projects, all while dealing with the bureaucracy that is American Immigration!
Despite the fact that our venue was the first decision we made, and the first wedding check to be written, I’ve yet to blog about it! I could never decide just how to attack my venue search posts, because at the time I had decided that I had the absolute worst experience searching for a venue in all of wedding-planning history. It wasn’t a story I wanted to revisit. Now, I’ve realized that our venue search was actually fairly simple, with very few speed bumps. Because it was the basis for my first wedding related disappointment, and my first (and only, I hope) wedding planning tears, the whole ordeal left a bad taste in my mouth. But I’m over it, and I’m ready to share my experience with you!
I started planning our wedding with the assumption that I wouldn’t find anything I liked, venue-wise or other, in this Podunk-middle-of-nowhere-town. I had little hope before I even started to look, simply because I didn’t know what was available. So I turned to Google. “Tulare wedding venues”, I typed. Wouldn’t you know it, my only two business results were International Agri-Center and Tulare County Fairgrounds.
Blech and blech. Google, you didn’t help subside my doubts at all!
So, I endured a few weeks of my parents trying to convince me to go with the banquet hall at the Intl. Agri-Center, and I was almost fed up. Read more…
Mrs. Mary Jane, Grand Forks, NDAge and Occupation: 26, Instructional DesignerFiance's Age and Occupation: 26, Lead ProgrammerEngagement Date: February 28, 2009Wedding Date: September 2009Venue: City HallAbout Me: I'm a career woman on the surface and a homemaker at heart. I love fast cars and high heels, and my favorite food is cake. Mr. Mary Jane and I are both full-time employees and students, and we just bought our first house. We love to curl up on the couch with buttery popcorn, Sour Patch Kids, and the latest Netflix arrival -- whenever we can get a break from everyday life.
I’m not going to do a round-up of trends… this blogger already did. But I will give you a little bit of my own $0.02 about it.
A small wedding isn’t for everyone, I definitely know that. Some (OK, maybe a lot) of couples really have the need and yearning to throw a huge party and celebrate with everyone: from their second cousins to former coworkers to their parents’ mailman.
See this? This is the entirety of our wedding guests. I love this picture.
All-Inclusion Invitation Suites
