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’m an emotional person. I cry. I cry at movies, when I’m happy, when I’m sad, when I laugh really hard. I have no doubt that I will cry on our wedding day. In fact, I’m pretty much certain, considering I cried at our ceremony music run-through.
As we stood in the church that we will be married in very, very soon, and our organist began to play Canon, the song that I will walk down the aisle to, the tears welled up in my eyes and started to fall. I pictured myself staring down that aisle to Burger. I pictured myself finally becoming his wife. It was surreal.
And the emotion didn’t stop there. When our cantor sang the many solos she will perform at our ceremony, especially Ave Maria, I cried some more. It was incredibly beautiful.
I think I cried for a lot of reasons. For one, because the music was so amazing. 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!
If you haven’t seen my previous post about them, I’ve been searching high and low for a set of bird cake toppers. There are SO MANY amazing options on Etsy, and my mind was completely frazzled with the thought of selecting the perfect set of lovebirds for our cake.
It turns out, I ended up finding an amazing cake topper that WASN’T originally on my list…
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!
You sure do know how to make a girl(s) feel welcome! Thank you bunches! I think we were both secretly a little afraid of negative comments raining on our love-fest and the absolute opposite proved true—we were overwhelmed by awesome and encouraging comments all day!
Crisis averted. Fear subsides. The hive is awesome.
So, let’s get this party started, shall we? Read more…
Weddingbee GalleryFeature Launched: April 10, 2009About: A collection of inspirational wedding pictures from readers and bees.
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. 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!
Remember how I planned on screen printing our wedding favors? Well now we’ve got the tool to make it happen!
We bought the YUDU!
One fateful night at the craft store, I saw there was only one unit left, sitting like a tempting siren in the middle of the display stand. I somehow managed to convince Mr. Sewing that it was an investment toward all future projects (and not just one wedding idea), and the next thing you know, I had purchased the big blue box from Michaels for $250. (We received a $50 gift card for the store later as a small consolation prize/rebate.) 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.
Here’s a little diddy about me: in college I was an English major and I completed an honors thesis in creative writing. I was forced to constantly look around and make mental notes about odd or pretty things I noticed. With wedding planning I catch myself doing the same thing — finding color inspiration in random objects and places.
So, this is the new fragrance from Michael Kors. I have no idea what it smells like but the bottle is perfect. Coral pink and gold makes me a little giddy.
Now this introduces a new feel to my wedding scheme - glamour. Read more…
Mrs. Labrador Retriever, Athens/SavannahAge and Occupation: 24, Student/Sports ReporterFiance's Age and Occupation: 29, Physical Therapy Assistant Student/Future Dr. of PT
Engagement Date: December 31, 2008Wedding Date: November 2009Venue: Whitfield Square/Savannah StationAbout Me: I'm working on my second degree from UGA (Go Dawgs!). I'm a self-proclaimed attention-w****. If it involves a camera, I'm in front of it! You'll never meet a girlier tomboy than me. I can go toe to toe with any guy on the subject of college football, and lift more than any girl in my gym, all without chipping a nail. I hope to someday be the only person you want delivering your sports news. My FI and I are the loving parents of three Labrador Retrievers (one of each color) and are planning a "Southern Romantic Charm" wedding in the beautiful, historic city of Savannah. I'm not extreme in anything except moderation... and wedding planning.
Yeeeaaah…. it’s been a minute. You know, I always wondered why some of the bees blamed married life for their absence in the recap world. Aren’t they busiest DURING the wedding planning?!?
Well, now that I’m on the other side of the fence, I suddenly get it! If you think about it, we usually plan our weddings around other life changing events. Our wedding happened to coincide with graduation, a new job, and a move to another city. I’m currently living apart from Mr. Lab (again!) while he finishes his classes and I settle into my new job. A new job that I’m in my 3rd week of and already racked up nearly 15 hours of overtime for…
So my point is, believe the bees when they blame married life for the lapse in posting! (And blame the pro photos taking forever to come in!)
Anyhoo, I’m here to discuss a common topic post-wedding: the CHOP. As in, the post wedding haircut. Yup, I gots me one! But not for the reasons that most new wives do.
I took the plunge for my chosen career path. Read more…
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!
Hi, my name is Miss Pencils and I am a virgin—a quick-learning, dedicated, industrious, perhaps insane-to-think-I-can-this DIY virgin! I woefully lack a sewing background or a handiness with yarn and glue, and they didn’t even offer home ec at my high school. In fact, it seems that my killer skillz at scrapbooking are my only proof that I have the ability to create at all.
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!
Here is the third installment of our reader ring shots! If you’d like to contribute a picture of your ring to this series (you don’t have to be newly engaged!), take a look at Anne Ruthmann’s tutorial on taking great ring shots, and submit your favorite pictures to this thread. We can’t wait to see everyone’s beautiful bling!
Mrs. Scissors, LaGrange, GAAge and Occupation: 25, Photography & Graphic DesignFiance's Age and Occupation: 24, Engineering Grad StudentEngagement Date: January 1, 2009Wedding Date: June 2010Venue: Ceremony - First United Methodist Church; Reception - My parents' house!About Me: I’m a six-foot-three bride with a fifty-foot personality! I love great art, fabulous design, intense color, tons of music, indie photography, watching movies on repeat, and being really awesome. This super-tall, Southern, loud, quirky, neurotic artist is marrying a German, quiet, silly, super-amazing roboticist in an eclectic, funky, fun, snazzy, technicolored June wedding. Anything is game for this shindig, for it is all about us! We’re bringing giant paper cranes, six-foot-tall portraits, fortune cookies, a photo booth, a club-circuit DJ, handcuffs, and possibly a kidnapping to this small Southern town. Watch out, y’all, and try to keep up!
Mrs. Hot Cocoa, Boston/Los AngelesAge and Occupation: 31, JD/PhD StudentFiance's Age and Occupation: 32, Medical StudentEngagement Date: May 30, 2008Wedding Date: March, 2009Blogging Since: April, 2008Venue: Ritz Carlton, Marina Del ReyAbout Me:
I am a professional student by day and an amateur cupcake taster, bargain shopper, and wedding planner by night. I am obsessed with NPR, the Food Network, paper, dance shows, Anthropologie, post-structuralist theory, Weddingbee!, "The Office," and celebrity gossip. When not procrastinating from my dissertation, I spend time catering to Jellyby, our overly anxious shih tzu, and getting to know Mr. Hot Cocoa. We have only been dating for fifteen years, so it's like I'm in love with a stranger! From the East Coast, we are planning a Jewish-Chinese Extravaganza in L.A., where we both grew up.
Alas, I finally have to write the post I’ve been putting off for weeks, the one where Mr. HC and I take a little bow and wave goodbye to the hive.
Our wedding whooshed by so quickly, in such a blur. So it has been especially amazing to have the chance to reexperience it through these recaps. Your warm, generous comments have made us feel like we had a large group of friends celebrating our wedding with us virtually. Read more…
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. Chick, HoustonAge and Occupation: 28, Rights and Reproduction ManagerFiance's Age and Occupation: 29, Computer ProgrammerEngagement Date: November 15, 2008Wedding Date: April 2010Venue: A farm outside of HoustonAbout Me: Mr. Chick and I met almost ten years ago at Baker Blues, a college jazz party. He was attracted to my intensity, and I was mesmerized by his trivia pursuit skills and his dorm furniture adorned with his initials. We've grown more sophisticated through the years, with our love of wine, owning a house together, and parenthood (of a cat), but we have not lost our silliness or childish sense of humor!
First off, let me apologize for running away for so long. Let me start from the beginning.
On our tenth anniversary when we were in Seattle last year, I had a revelation. I felt like everything for our wedding was becoming makeshift because I was holding on to my childhood idea of what my wedding would be: everyone sitting down to dinner, dancing, toasts. From renting the china, glasses, tent, silverware, to all my DIY projects, I was starting to feel overwhelmed and further and further away from what this wedding is about. So I told Mr. Chick that I’ve had a change of heart—that we would do his original dream (which I shot down long ago) because that is so much more “us”. So, long story short, we are getting married in France!
A year and a half ago, Mr. C and I visited Sauternes, a small town in France. We fell in love with the town, and we’ve now booked a chateau in the next town over, Barsac, where we will be staying and having a small ceremony in the gardens.
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.
There’s quite a bit of stuff we need to prepare for our marriage license, and this week, it was like someone lit a fire under my arse. First off, I wanted to get a new copy of my birth certificate because the one I have looks like this…
So I went online and was going to order it and have it mailed to me until I went to checkout and the shipping was almost the same price as the certificate! $15 for the birth certificate + $12.45 for shipping = hellz no. It was worth the drive to get it, so I went to the courthouse after work and picked it up.
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!
After I mentioned I was at a loss for what to do with these lovely flowers for our reception, Mrs. Hot Cocoa pointed me towards Mrs. Bell Pepper’s escort cards and that’s when I knew I had to try it. Escort flowers! Mrs. Bell Pepper made her petals freehand and the part I liked most were the leaves with the seating information. Read more…