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.
Sorry about the absence, I’m still waiting on pro photos and happily I got a new job after the wedding, but it’s been busy.
Well, here it is folks… The Flower Wall!
And to be honest, I love it. The wall itself was gorgeous and we got some super fun photos out of the whole thing, but there were some lessons to be learned. Read more…
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!
Well, folks, we’ve now come to my favorite part of our wedding ceremony: the promises and the bling. Since we both decided to write our own vows independently and not share them until the big day, the thing I was most looking forward to (even more than drinking wine and eating chocolate!) was hearing what Mr. Star had written as his marital promises. And let me tell you, the man did not disappoint.
Now, I am not a crier. I did not expect to cry. I did not expect to chuckle. But he made me and everyone else who was there do both.
I made cute little booklets in about five minutes just so we wouldn’t be reading from ugly scraps of paper. You have no idea how hard it is to make vows you’re not allowed to read into a pretty booklet!
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.
I did it, everyone. I had to. It was down to my waist and I couldn’t stand the static, tangles, and hair-always-in-my-way. It was heavy, unhealthy, and ready for a trim.
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.
So now that I had the beads and the votives, I needed to find me some vases. I put together a spreadsheet and figured out how many of each piece we’d need for each table. We decided to only put them on the tables in the main dining room, so there would be none for the booths or the patio, which put us at 15 tables. I then went online and looked for inexpensive vases and I came across these…
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.
Guess whose fingers are fully outfitted for the big day? That’s right, Mr. Fro Yo and I both have our wedding rings! You may remember that I bought mine on Black Friday for a really great deal. Well, it came in and I was in love. Unfortunately, I love it so much that I’m having a hard time leaving it in its pretty box in our wedding closet. Though I’ve been told that it will be a lot more special on our wedding day if I can manage to leave it alone, so I’m trying.
As for Mr. Fro Yo, I really wanted him to get the fingerprint ring, but he wasn’t really feeling it. His argument was that no one would ever see the fingerprint on the inside, so why should we pay extra to do it? Although I was disappointed, I realized that it was his ring and I should let him pick the one he wanted to wear. So where did I go? Right back to Etsy to find another great seller. After searching and searching, I came across Titanium Knights. They have a great selection and they were very sweet and easy to work with. We picked out the ring and were able to change the width to the size we wanted (6 mm). So, are you ready to see them? 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.
My bridesmaids pretty much rock the house. They put up with all my neurotic obsessions (shoes, table numbers, guest list, etc.) and calm me down whenever wedding anxiety strikes. They’re in the process of planning what is sure to be a crazy-fun bachelorette party and are also helping my aunt plan my shower. I can’t imagine getting married without these mamacitas standing up there with me and I don’t think the journey to the altar would be anywhere near as fun without them.
For being such awesome ladies, of course I want to express my gratitude for all their help and support during my seemingly-endless engagement.
I also take presents very. very. seriously. You think I’m kidding? I’ve been known to throw actual temper tantrums about gifts (not my finest hour, believe me, I’m aware of this… just ask Mr Trail Mix about the time he somehow forgot to get me a present for my 24th birthday—wait, on second thought, don’t ask him, it wasn’t pretty *shudders…). I’m also known in my group of friends to be the giver of pretty kick-ass presents. It’s kind of like my “thing”.
So you know for the bridesmaid’s gifts I’ve been planning and thinking and obsessing about what to get them pretty much since I asked them to do the deed.
Bridesmaids D, J, JW and MOH Pip, if you’re reading this, get outta here!! Half the fun of giving presents is the surprise and I don’t wanna spoil it for yas.. so g’wan now, git! 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!
I’ve got chili on the stove, a cold Stella in my hand, and just enough time before dinner to tell you all about the best part of the proposal story—the part where she said yes!!!
First, a little back story. You remember there was the search, there was the perfect ring, and now the proposal.
And in between there were secret emails, best friend approvals, a very complicated financial transaction – see I was in a tiny, tiny, tiny ski town in Canada working after ski season. Seriously, we could barely find an open restaurant, let alone a bank that could do a wire transfer. Finally I worked it all out and the ring was mailed to Lil’ Stripe. She didn’t break it to me until a few days before I came home that she thought maybe a tiny, tiny diamond was missing! AUGH!
It was. And so the ring went back to Fay Cullen, and was promptly returned, all diamonds intact, to wait in my jewelry box until the perfect morning.
June 23 was that morning. I woke up super early and very nervous. I had plans to take our little bistro table/chairs out onto our roof, where I would have breakfast and coffee ready and the champagne (for mimosas, of course) chillin’ in the fridge.
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.)
I don’t know if you’ve heard, but we Angelenos are facing some uncharacteristically inclement weather this week. Luckily, I am prepared!
In 2009, I think we totaled about three days of rain (two of which you could probably characterize as a drizzle), but I went ahead and ordered some rain boots on Zappos in the spring anyway since my campus practically flooded from it and ruined my favorite ballet flats. (By the way, I am still in mourning and trying to determine whether there is a cause of action against the designer of the parking structure for negligent infliction of emotional distress… no?). So as I stomped and sloshed my way around school today in my spiffy new(ish) rain boots (with dry jean hems, hooray!), I suddenly made the connection: 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!
The first attempt was from a book I have called Kokoro No Te, but it’s a little too pointy…
The book example used a lighter fabric, and was only a few inches tall. This one is, well, nearly a foot and made with canvas!
Next I went online to look at different DIY flowers, and walked away with a ton of tutorials: 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, being engaged for 20 months gives you a ton of time to come up with ideas for your wedding. You collect your inspiration, do the research, sometimes you even buy the materials for projects… but you know what they say about the best laid plans.
Now that we’re officially 10 weeks out (eeeeek!), it’s time to start cutting things that I know are not going to happen. I’ve even written about some of these things! Since blogging is all about being honest, it’s time for this Cheeseburger to come clean.
Things that are officially OFF my to-do list, and why:
Lighting - yeah, that’s right. I reeeeaally wanted uplighting. Still do, in fact. But the only vendor in town really let me down at our recent meeting. Their gel selection was lacking, they were really unorganized, and actually a little rude. Plus, once I got to the ballroom and saw that the remodel was in full effect, I was so in love with the new creamy, ivory walls that I couldn’t bear to change them (given the circumstances).
Custom water bottle labels - I thought these would be great during the cocktail hour or in the OOT Boxes. In reality, they probably would be! But I just don’t see it happening - my 10 year old printer is barely hanging on as it is. I even bought a bunch of waterproof printable adhesive paper about 9 months ago - anyone want it?
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.
Last weekend I finally tried on my handmade wedding dress to show all of you how it looks like on me. Well, I ran into a very unpleasant surprise: It does not fit comfortably, like it did when I made it.
My idea from the beginning was to make a very very comfortable dress, because I LOVE to dance, and was planning to do a lot of dancing on our wedding day!
I had to wear an uncomfortable dress when I was 13, so from then on I knew I wanted a comfortable wedding dress.
YES! That’s me at my first wedding! – I’m just kidding!! But the funny thing is that when I showed this picture to Mr. Poodle’s brother, he asked me how long my first marriage lasted! LOL – The truth is that I was the Spring Queen of my school, and they asked me to wear a white dress.
Mr. Poodle: you know about my problem, and the rest of this post will be about rainbows, butterflies, ponies and ladybugs, so I don’t think you would want to read it! Read more…
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!
I may or may not have implied that there was a bit of stress involved with putting together our Save the Dates…
Don’t worry, it all turned out fine! I just like to be dramatic. You see, this is how it went down:
On a Thursday in November, Mr. Buttons and I picked up some clear Avery labels… return address and 2″x4” shipping labels. For convenience’s sake, I had determined that we’d just print sheets of address labels with pretty font. I found a great font and downloaded it for FREE on Fontspace.com. Done and done.
44117cgs is selling her gorgeous ivory modified-mermaid Vera Wang gown. The silk-organza and French-tulle dress with floral embroidery is a size 8. She’s asking $2000.
Have a wedding item for sale? Post it with pictures in the Weddingbee classifieds and you might see it featured on the blog!
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.
When we started discussing the possibility of getting married, I jumped right into ring browsing. I couldn’t help myself. And like basically all women, I fell hard for this ring:
I ogled it for a good week until realizing the price of such a rock. It seemed diamonds were pricey — how strange!
So one day when I was flipping through an older issue of Vogue, I came across a wedding spread. And in that wedding spread was the most glorious ring I had ever seen. 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.
Bay Area readers, don’t forget that our Weddingbee meet up is happening tomorrow night!
Join us in the bar at 6:30PM at Cosmopolitan Restaurant & Bar, 121 Spear Street, just off the Embarcadero in San Francisco. Share your wedding planning experiences and get to know other local brides!
Join us in the bar for good conversation and happy hour specials! Parking is free with validation in the garage, or it’s only about a block and a half from the Embarcadero BART station.
All-Inclusion Invitation Suites
The book example used a lighter fabric, and was only a few inches tall. This one is, well, nearly a foot and made with canvas!
But the funny thing is that when I showed this picture to Mr. Poodle’s brother, he asked me how long my first marriage lasted! LOL – The truth is that I was the Spring Queen of my school, and they asked me to wear a white dress.
I may or may not have implied that there was a bit of stress involved with putting together our Save the Dates…
