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!
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’d like to credit my sources up front for this one - it was ALL done by my amazing Mr. Sewing!
With our leftover muslin pieces, he decided to try and make the top corset with our pattern:
He extended the bottom of the pattern by about 2 inches, since I wanted it to fall at my hips rather than my waist. We also decided that instead of buttons, we’d modify the pattern to use a corset-style, lace-up back.
Excuse me while I gush a bit - Isn’t it beaaauuuttifulll? 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.
Our wedding is definitely going to have a bit of a ’50s vibe. That’s undeniable. I’ve been completely smitten with the Dior New Look for as long as I can remember.
The most iconic silhouette was the cinched-waist and crazy full skirt. Dior, coming from a decade of war shortages, played with the excesses of the ’50s. It’s super feminine and, well, pretty!
For the sake of preventing my wedding from resembling a sock hop, I’m infusing a few other elements. 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.
Since we’re tackling all the wedding day flowers ourselves, I didn’t want to have to add the rehearsal dinner centerpieces into the mix; we would be busy enough arranging flowers as it was. So even though I just know David Tutera* will be shaking his head in disappointment at me, I decided to pre-arrange the centerpieces using silk flowers. (*He tends to mock the use of silk flowers in weddings on his show.)
I already accounted for the cost of the blue LED lanterns that I bought from Luna Bazaar in my post about decorating our rehearsal dinner location, like this mock up I designed:
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!
Sometimes my MOH/Brother Pencils (BOH) does things that truly shock the crap out of me and remind me how lucky I am to have him—in general and in our wedding.
Last December, BOH called to chat a while and catch up. I was berating him for not going down to Louisiana for the holidays with the rest of the family and he was taking it pretty well. I mean, I was bringing out my best sad, whiny voice that I thought would remind him of my fourteen-year-old self (and in return, his twenty-year-old self that wanted to drown me), but he was patient and sweet. He even said, “I know you’re giving me such a hard time because you’re going to miss me and you love me.”
WHA?!?! Who are you and what have you done with the boy who used to smother me with pillows, fart in my face, and disconnect the phone while I was on it?!?! Read more…
Mrs. Meatball, HollywoodAge and Occupation: 30, Actor/Writer/Office MavenFiance's Age and Occupation: 28, Actor/WriterEngagement Date: October 7, 2007Wedding Date: May, 2009Blogging Since: September 16, 2008Venue: Private Garden/The Bungalow ClubAbout Me: I love melty cheese and diet coke almost as much as I love my man. I'm from Chicago, he's from NYC, and we both miss public transit and great pizza. We have an adorable muppet dog called Paco. I'm part hippie with a healthy dash of hip hop superstar, have excessive empathy for animals, and have not one, but two bionic eyes (long story). We're broke and it ain't no joke. It can't stop us from planning the bold and whimsical wedding of our dreams, but we've had to get pretty creative to make it work, yo!
It had been a year since I first tried on my dress, an ill-fitting runway sample that still made me feel like some bridal angel from heaven. I spent hours daydreaming about it over the year, sneaking peeks at the sample in Deborah’s studio during my work-trade hours, or using it as motivation to sweat my back fat off. Putting it on was the holy grail of my pre-ceremony prep, and I was dizzily giddy with glee when the time came to step into that swathe of frothy, creamy, lacy confection.
Even though Deborah (my fairy godmother/dress designer) was there to help me change, I didn’t want my mom or maid of honor to miss out on their part in the dressing honor. So I invited them up to get me started…
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!
Alright, hive! The time has finally come to talk centerpieces. I told you in my flower post that I was going the fake route, and I hadn’t really revisited it again. Until now, that is! First off, let me show you my main pieces (i.e. the pieces that will hold our tick-tock table numbers).
Mrs. Cowboy Boot is selling brand-new vintage-inspired Carolee earrings from Max & Chloe. They feature faux diamonds on a silver setting. She’s asking $50 (including shipping).
She’ll also throw in a free pair of never-worn Robert Chiarella earrings.
Have a wedding item for sale? Post it with pictures in the Weddingbee classifieds and you might see it featured on the blog!
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.
I watch wedding TV shows like I watch car wrecks. I watch them like I watch news about Lindsay Lohan’s little sister. I watch them like I watch Miley Cyrus’s inevitable descent into early adulthood and bad decisions. Like I watch Jon Gosselin to see when he’ll stop wearing Ed Hardy T-shirts. That is to say, I watch them with equal parts fascination, schadenfreude, and revulsion.
Enough with the normal-sized “bulging” brides and their ridiculous trainers! Enough with the platinum brides and their diamond-encrusted shoes! Enough with the ’zillas! Enough with the suggestion that a wedding needs to be a grand event, a show-stopper, dripping in uplighting and matching Vera-Wanged bridesmaids. Enough with the idea that there is One Right Way to plan a wedding or One Right Way to be a bride.
Here are the shows I’d actually like to watch. You listening, WeTV?? Read more…
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.
Remember the waxy votives I got from my future mother-in-law’s basement?
I took your advice and threw them in the dishwasher… 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!
A big hello from Los Angeles! Miss Stripes here. I’m trying to keep it together but…
Yowza! I can’t believe I’m writing my very first Weddingbee post and I couldn’t be more completely, totally, ridiculously thrilled!
All of your fantastic blogs and insightful comments have been such an inspiration to me and I feel privileged to be the newest addition to the hive! I can only hope that you’ll enjoy following along (or keeping up) as we plan our quirky, FUN (all caps intended), totally us and totally awesome vintage/modern two-bride wedding!
Like many bees before me I exhibited strange and potentially crazy (to the outside world) behavior upon receiving my acceptance email. That’s to say I screamed, shrieked, and did a little happy dance in my car which undoubtedly alarmed a few of my fellow drivers on the 110! And hush- I know it’s both illegal and dangerous to check my email on the freeway, but I’d just sent off my application THE DAY BEFORE and when my phone beeped I couldn’t help myself… Read more…
Mrs. Swan, New York CityAge and Occupation: 31, Legislative RepresentativeFiance's Age and Occupation: 33, Finance GuyEngagement Date: August 9, 2008Wedding Date: August 2009Venue: Battery GardensAbout Me: I am an un-crafty but resourceful, Caribbean-born but New York-raised woman who's been known to analyze "Dancing with the Stars" and “So You Think You Can Dance”, buy stinky cheese, and use way too many parentheses. I keep lists for fun, am constantly daydreaming of my next international travel adventure (four continents down, three to go), debating sports (let’s Got Mets/Giants!) and dancing around my apartment to stay sane. I am excited to share our wedding planning journey as I hope to plan a streamlined, personal, and fun wedding with the greatest life partner I could ever imagine, Mr. Swan.
Mr. Swan and I were finally together and used some time before the ceremony to have a mini-photo shoot. We got a chance to take lots of purty pictures of ourselves. I wasn’t sure if we ended up with enough. Actually, how much is enough, really? I’ve been going back and forth about this. As much as I love wedding photography (and Dante, our photographer), I didn’t want our wedding day to turn into too much of a photo shoot. I guess since we did do our photos before the ceremony and since we had a late morning start, there was really only so much time we could spend in front of the camera. Sometimes I wonder if we should have taken more pictures, but I feel like we did enough. I know Mr. Swan’s patience can be a little um… short… and I think we might have reached his limit, anyway. This post contains some of my favorite pics of the two of us.
We moseyed down the promenade in Battery Park and figured we’d just let things unfold from there.
It was such a clear morning that you could see the Statue of Liberty pretty easily.
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!
OK, I know that I can’t be the only one who feels this way! Do you ever look at other brides’ inspiration or ideas and think, “holy crap! That is EXACTLY what I was going for!?!?”
I am have experienced that sinking feeling in my stomach during my planning thus far. I cringe because I don’t want to be viewed as a copycat! Read more…
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!
The only downside of a minimoon is painfully obvious; it’s mini. Though I love many a mini thing - travel sized toiletries, personal sized airplane food, bite size snacks, doll houses, baby clothes, etc. - I definitely wished our minimoon could have been extended to a full one month honeymoon. Ah, to be in the olden days where a month was the norm (without the hunting/gathering and other such worries that came along with it)!
Since Virginia is for Lovers, we decided to extend our stay past the wedding weekend. I knew that I wanted to explore more of Charlottesville with my woolly counterpart ever since visiting the town for a girls weekend wine tasting trip. Much like the Sprinkles, we opted for a B&B in Charlottesville. I couldn’t convince the Lambster about the pig sanctuary, though (gah, I love animals and really, really wanted to pet those pigs!), so we booked two nights at the Dinsmore House Inn.
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!
But I still had to buy the silk flowers, which I got from Save On Crafts.
All-Inclusion Invitation Suites
