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!
Suffice it to say, I have a new-found respect for film directors.
Anxious to test out my newly-minted 7 scene script, I wrote out a list of “audience questions” to interview my family with at Thanksgiving dinner.
My brother and Mr. Sew’s brother (who flew in from LA for a few days) helped set up the stage—just a blank wall with a chair on one side and a random painting on the other (off-center composition). We set up the camcorder on a tripod, and went to grab our first interview.
The first surprise of the night - not everyone has seen/heard of “The Office”.
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!
So Cal is representing twice this week! Please join me in welcoming Miss Lace to the hive!
Miss Lace, Pasadena, CA Age & Occupation: 28, Elementary school teacher Fiance’s Age & Occupation: 29, Engineer Engagement Date: September 6, 2009 Wedding Date: June 2010 Venue: Orange County Performing Arts Center About Me: Born and raised in Southern California, my fiance and I are marrying in Orange County. We’re planning a vintage wedding with a modern twist. I am an elementary school teacher by day and a wedding planner by night. I love reading, blogging, scrapbooking, trying out new DIY projects, buying awesome finds at incredible deals and spending time with friends and family. Trying new restaurants, traveling and shopping also top my hobby list. I’m anxious to share my wedding ideas and planning with the hive!
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!
Just like the cakes, one band wasn’t enough. I didn’t start out thinking, ‘I’m going to have two bands at my wedding.’ Actually, I didn’t think we’d have live music at all. However, through the generosity of my in-laws, we were able to get our groove on with live music.
For our cocktail hour, we found a great local jazz quartet. Gregory Weaver’s Jazz Congregation set the tone for a very cool and relaxed time of mingling and imbibing. I found an ad on Craigslist, passed it on to my planner, and she solidified the plans from there. I was really glad that our receiving line was stationed so close to the band because I was able to enjoy all the music and my guests at the same time. The quartet was on time, did an amazing job, and we received compliments all around on their performance. A brilliant success, I’d say!
Mrs. Apple Cider, New York/CharlotteAge and Occupation: 27, Corporate Communications ManagerFiance's Age and Occupation: 26, Grad Student – Clinical Mental Health Engagement Date: September 13, 2008Wedding Date: October 2009Venue: Banner Elk Winery & Blueberry VillaAbout Me: I am a North Carolina girl with a New York City spirit. I love crafting, blogging, laughing and dreaming. I know every word to the Anne of Green Gables and Little Women movies. I own every single Martha Stewart Wedding Magazine and have been dreaming of weddings since I was little. I believe life is about doing what makes you happy. If you aren't happy re-evaluate what you are doing. You should never look back on your life and not be proud of what you are doing. If you want to travel - travel. If you want to sing - sing. If you want to start a company - start a company. If you want to blog – blog!
After being silent for a while, I promise I am going to finish recapping the wedding soon. In the meantime, I am sharing our wedding video that just arrived from the amazing Focal Point Cinematic, so hopefully you will forgive my silence!
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!
Mr. Rainbow and I registered for gifts sometime in October, I believe. This was back when our wedding was in May and around 75 people deep. As you know, things have changed quite a bit—we’re now getting married in October with a guest list of a whopping 25. I couldn’t be happier about our decision to have a smaller wedding, but it does, however, put a bit of a damper on our registries that we loaded with fun stuff.
Needless to say, once we decided on a smaller wedding, we scaled back our registries from around 85 items to our current 32—and it’s dwindling still, as we buy things on our registries ourselves. Hopefully we still have a registry by the time October rolls around! We just bought a 12 cup Cuisinart food processor, because I simply couldn’t wait any longer!
Now, because of our small guest list, we kept only our favorite, most wanted items, and whatever we don’t get, we’ll just buy ourselves, if we don’t buy it all before the wedding, that is! Here are our top registry picks at Crate & Barrel (I think I could live there, I love that place).
Mrs. Lightning, Cape Town Age and Occupation: 22, Journalist and Graphic DesignerFiance's Age and Occupation: 23, Computer ScientistEngagement Date: December 27, 2008
Wedding Date: September 2009Venue: Hout Bay ManorAbout Me: I'm a young American living abroad in the beautiful city of Cape Town with a wonderful South African fiance and our crazy kitty Zeus. We're young, driven and madly in love. Together we're pursuing our wildest dreams including our biggest undertaking yet, a vintage retrospective wedding filled to the brim with DIY madness. I have an unnatural attraction to cake, a passion for blogging and a love of good design. While I might be an overly obsessive creative with too many ideas and nowhere to put them, Mr Lightning is my biggest fan and I can't wait to make my true love mine.
While my recap posts are nearing their end, I still have a few memorable pictures to share. These pictures in particular truly represented the fun we had on our wedding day and I am so glad I fought to have the booth at our wedding in the first place (it isn’t very common here in South Africa). I highly recommend you try to have a booth at your wedding, whether professional, DIY or Polaroid… I promise it’s these you won’t forget! Read more…
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.)
If anyone out there does not want to see pics of me in my dress, then scram.
After having experienced some doubt in the one year that I had to wait since purchasing my dress and laying my eyes on it again, I faced my fears and went to the salon for the fitting. I checked in with the receptionist, and was led upstairs. The alterations consultant was waiting for me, and ushered me into a spacious dressing room. The dress was unzipped and taken from its hanger, and I gingerly stepped into it (of course, somewhere in there I got half NAKED–woohoo!!). The consultant zipped it up.
I looked at myself in the mirror. There were the features that I had liked in the dress the first time:
rouched bodice
asymmetrical waistline
slight sweetheart neckline
fit and flare skirt
And I was… well, apparently I was sleepy. Read more…
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!
With lines like that, it’s difficult not to fall hard over Big Poppa E’s poem “Falling in Like”. I’m not quite sure what made me remember this dude, or his poem, but it hit me the other day while thumbing through the pages of I Like You. This poem, while being pretty drastically different in form, given the fact that this is technically “slam poetry”, evokes some of the similar feelings of I Like You. It’s sweet, innocent, and just plain awesome.
Take a little listen and watch… (The poem starts at 2:30, but before that he gives a little background and says some bad words. I like watching the whole dang thing, but skip ahead if you wish.) Read more…
Mrs. Hamster, New York CityAge and Occupation: 28, Finance GalFiance's Age and Occupation: 30, Finance GuyEngagement Date: March 9, 2009Wedding Date: May 2010Venue: The Pierre HotelAbout Me: I'm an original Jersey girl living it up in the big NYC! I love baking for others, hosting brunches, and exploring NYC with my mans. Besides Mr. Hamster (of course), I'm attracted to shiny things, bold colors, snacks, matching and coordination, pork and duck fats, miniature versions of things, corny jokes and puns. We are planning a swanky Spring wedding in the heart of NYC, followed by a second reception in Singapore. From one city that never sleeps to another - I can't imagine a more exciting ride!
Welcome to the fourth episode in an ever-expanding series of Hamster invitations posts (I’m wrapping things up soon, I promise). My last encounter with the main invitation cards left me in tears. I experienced a small victory afterward, successfully Goccoing our RSVP envelopes, RSVP cards, and reception cards.
However, the main cards left me trembling in my boots. Let’s review, shall we?
Not to be bested (at least not yet), I sought out the advice of readers and bees, and gave it one more try. Boy am I glad I did! The result: 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.
Before I get further in recapping the reception, I thought I would show you some of our reception’s little personal details and decor.
As I am sure I have said umpteen times here, I am not a crafter. I’ll show you the scary results of one of my half-way DIYs below. I am also not the most creative person around, either. I am always in awe of the ingenuity and overall badass-ness of my fellow bloggers and you, dearest hive members. Y’all be creative! Since I am pretty much okay with my lack of the crafty gene and visual artistry, I looked at different ways that I could add a personal touch to our wedding details.
Here’s our reception room all set up. I love the floor to ceiling windows and all of the light streaming in. The clean, modern lines of the room really reflected the look we wanted.
Mrs. Paisley, Orange County, CAAge and Occupation: 25, JournalistFiance's Age and Occupation: 31, Spanish ProfessorEngagement Date: September 2008Wedding Date: June 2010Venue: Family Lake HouseAbout Me: From my earliest days I attracted attention, as much for my intelligence as for beauty. I display an originality, a perspicacity, a certain je ne sais quoi that sets me apart. I posses a mysterious authority which compels people to do my bidding. I am a regal blonde with classic features and the daintiness of Dresden porcelain. I am poised, soft-spoken, and well educated... Okay, now that enough eyebrows have sufficiently shot through the roof, everybody can relax---I kid! I'm just a sarcastic NorCal-turned-SoCal girl who loves outdoor activities, books, letterpress printing and of course, Professor Paisley.
Actually, there’s a LOT you can’t do in my hometown, a rural county nestled next to Sonoma and Napa. But no matter, as the setting of our wedding, it’s the natural beauty of this area that counts:
Miss Gingham, Portland, ORAge and Occupation: 27, Creative ProducerFiance's Age and Occupation: 32, MerchantEngagement Date: September 10, 2009Wedding Date: September 2010Venue: The Barn at Neocoxie CreekAbout Me: I grew up in Washington State and moved to Portland, OR after college (Go Cougs). I work for a rather large sport and fitness company as a Creative Producer where I spend my days bringing stories, athletes and products to life in the digital arena. It was at this company (and actually in the same department), that I met my fiance. We’ve been happily together as a couple for almost 2 years and friends for almost 3. We have a 2 year old Yellow Lab/German Sheppard Mix (he’s gigantic), and live together in our 1940s house that we bought together a little over a year ago. When not at work, you can find me in the gym or on the trails, reading a good book, enjoying Oregon Microbrews, learning how to remodel an old house, trying to acquire a green thumb, figuring out how to cook, watching football and basketball, or doing anything “outdoorsy” – camping, hiking, boating. By the way, I absolutely love country music, cowboy boots, bon fires, small towns, and in general, anything "country", which is why we're planning a down-home, casual, country-themed wedding in an 100 year old barn in the small coastal town where my fiance grew up.
Hi hive, this is kind of some bummer info to share but I just wanted to let you know that I’m going to step down from being a bee. While I’ve only been here a short time, I’ve certainly enjoyed sharing my stories and wedding ideas with you. I think I was a bit too ambitious when I applied to be a bee. I love to write, especially about wedding stuff, but with everything that’s going on right now (we all know how much work planning a wedding is) I’ve realized that it wouldn’t be fair to you guys to take up a bee spot. I don’t think I’d be able to really commit to keeping you updated on my wedding plans and I’d hate for you to think I was a bad bee who didn’t write new posts or respond to you in a timely manner.
Plus, I noticed I was spending so much time on the computer writing up my posts that I started to run out of time to do other things I wanted to do—work on my new year’s resolutions to become a better cook, help with house remodel plans, work out, etc. And probably the biggest thing I wasn’t doing was hanging out with Mr. Gingham. After work and dinner we always hang on the couch and watch our shows (whether they be CSI Miami, House, or anything on HGTV). Last week, instead of hanging with my guy I was sitting with my nose in front of my laptop writing for the ‘bee. He never would have said something to me about it, and he always supports things I want to do, but I didn’t want to spend the next 7 months missing out because I committed to being a bee. 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!
Vegans and Veggies please avert your eyes - this is a post full of pork! 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.
I got my wedding band! (And the Black Eyed Peas song ’Ring-A-Ling’ was playing on the radio on my way back to work from the jeweler’s… how perfect!)
Because I’m the nicest future wife ever, I didn’t make Mr. Cola go wedding band shopping with me. Originally we were going to go pick our bands together, but he ended up getting his before mine (which I’ll share in a future post), so I didn’t want to bore him with an hour or two of me drooling over sparkly things! So instead I made an appointment to pop into Steve Padis on my lunch break.
I posted about a month ago on wedding band styles I was eying, but was having trouble visualizing how they would go with my e-ring. This was my favorite ring I’d found online:
Please join me in welcoming Miss Lace to the hive!
All-Inclusion Invitation Suites
