Mrs. Argyle, St. LouisAge and Occupation: 24, Project CoordinatorFiance's Age and Occupation: 24, PilotEngagement Date: February 15, 2009Wedding Date: September 2010Venue: Jewel Box in Forest Park and Windows on WashingtonAbout Me: I'm a true Midwestern girl (born and raised), lover of red wine, reality TV and the entire J.Crew catalog. I love to dance regardless of who is watching, and enjoy a good laugh with my girls. I have a soft spot in my heart for planet Earth, my two dogs and my fiance. Fall is my favorite season (which is why we are marrying in September), but I love a warm summer day and the Colorado mountains in the winter. We are planning a modern soiree downtown, with lots of bold colors, and fun, eco-friendly elements.
Have any of you brides out there had the same feeling? You know, the one you get when you tell a potential vendor you picked someone else?
It is heart wrenching. Maybe I’m alone on this one, but I feel like the scum of the earth. I figured, out of courtesy, it would be nice to drop all of the vendors I spoke and/or met with to let them know that I was not going with them.
I am definitely not feeling regret with any of the decisions we have made with regards to the wedding to date. I love our venues, our photographer and our day of coordinator. They are fantastic and wonderful and a perfect match for Mr. Argyle and I, and our vision for the wedding.
We booked our photographer back in May 2009. To be nice, I sent a nice little e-mail to the few photographers I met with to let them know I truly appreciated their time and still admire their work, but that we chose a different photographer. I felt like I was canceling a date or blowing someone off. Read more…
Mrs. Hot Wings, Chicago/San DiegoAge and Occupation: 28, ProfessorFiance's Age and Occupation: 32, InstructorEngagement Date: December 20, 2008Wedding Date: August 2010Venue: Ocean View Villas/Jasmine Seafood RestaurantAbout Me: I am a psychology grad student living in Chicago and planning my wedding to a fellow psych grad student. I am a Sunny So-Cal bred gal who trudged across the country to follow her love of psychology and ended up finding a partner in the process. I am overly passionate about anything I involve myself with. I am an activist, a foodie, a reality TV watching junkie, an over-analyzer, a photography obsesser, and am utterly cheesy to the core. This is a story of what happens when a boy and a girl meet, fall in love over academic dorkiness, and a shared love for life. We (mostly I) are planning our semi-destination wedding in my hometown of San Diego. We are excited to bring our families and friends together from across our lifespans to celebrate our future in a grand 400+ person culturally blended affair!
Although we’re having a summer wedding in the peak of all peak weddings seasons, I still sometimes have wedding envy when I think of the things I simply cannot have because it’ll be summertime. My favorite season is fall—the colors, the smell, the feel, the crisp cool air. I’ve especially fallen in love with Fall since moving to the Midwest. Here is some of the what fall has to offer that the Hot Wings can’t have.
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!
We’ve had a couple newcomers to the Raleigh/Durham/Chapel Hill area and we’d love to meet everyone! The ladies in the area have planned two events over the next few months. Our first meet up is going to be next weekend!
When: Sunday February 28th, 2:00 pm
Where: Starbucks @ Renaissance Center at South Point 6813 Fayetteville Road Durham, North Carolina 27713 919-544-4132
One of my favorite combos is a tall vanilla latte with a side of wedding chatter! Leave us a note in the thread or feel free to show up - it will be a very relaxed and fun time.
Also, save the date for our March 20th get together at Mez! More info coming soon!
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.
Can we talk about how Potluck Studios hates me? I have been lusting over this Flirt Ruffle cake stand for some time now, and since we recently switched our cake from square to round I can actually get one!! Are you ready to see the object of my desire?
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.
There were two things that bothered me about my mocked-up centerpieces. The mats of ribbon didn’t lay flat and the dowel that the lantern hung on was very straight up and down. I know, it’s not earth shattering, but I was itching to fix these two problems.
It was easy to fix the ribbon mats. In my trial I used no-sew iron on fusing to tack the mats together. The heat of the iron made some of the ribbon crinkle and the interfacing refused to stick to some of the ribbon. Ughh… it was a PITA. I also used a couple pieces of wired ribbon- it refused to lay flat- grrrr. To fix these problems, I removed the wire from the ribbon and used liquid stitch glue to tack the ribbons together. Easy- peasy-done!
Mrs. Piglet, Virginia/OahuAge and Occupation: 28, ConsultantFiance's Age and Occupation: 29, Entrepreneur/Fashion Apparel Wholesale ImporterEngagement Date: June 22, 2008Wedding Date: August 2009Venue: Ceremony at the Lanikuhonua Phase II private estate, reception at a historic hotel in WaikikiAbout Me: I'm an East Coast gal with intense road rage and an addiction to romantic comedies, fast food, gadgets, Korean BBQ, and my wiener dog George aka Georgia May. I carry mustard packets in my purse and I love perusing the aisles at discount stores. A self proclaimed shopaholic, I impulsively buy electronics, software, and craft tools; none of which I know how to use. I'm excited to dust
these babies off and immerse myself in DIY projects galore in
preparation for our DW in paradise!
It was almost time. The boys had already arrived at Lanikuhonua, guests were trickling in, and all of the setup was near complete. After receiving the go ahead from Gina, our day-of coordinator, we scuttled through the hotel lobby to make our way to the wedding arena. The nerves were overwhelming, and I was bouncing off the walls, full of nervous energy. I was worried I’d faint, have a sweat attack, or trip over the train. You name it, I thought it. I wanted to relax, it just wasn’t happening.
We held in our hands the decor for our ceremony. We went light on floral. No aisle markers, no adornments on our wedding arch, no arrangements on the reception table, and no loose petals covering the aisle. Just our bouquets and the guys’ boutonnieres. We made all the bouquets teeny tiny by the way, but we loved them, petite and all. 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.
Last week, I mentioned that we asked to have our room upgraded and they did it for us. Woohoo! And since then, I took my own advice and asked for something else I wasn’t sure I’d get, but I figured it never hurts to ask!
I had been waiting for payday to order our home party invitations, and left my order sitting in my cart. In the week I waited, the Shutterfly promotion had ended and the invitations were going to cost us $25 more than I had planned. Poops. So I wrote a little letter to the Shutterfly fairies explaining the situation and I asked if there was any way they could honor the discount that was no longer available.
And poof, they did! I received an email letting me know that they were crediting me 15% of the total order that was in my cart. So once again it goes to show that it never hurts to ask!
Have you waited to buy something, only to have it come back and bite you?
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. 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.
Here is an inspiration board I created featuring our wedding colors, peach and aqua. The peach along with the homey and handmade details bring warmth to the pale aqua palette. My pops and I have decided to undertake an insane amount of DIY, and are already hard at work making many elements you’ll see at the wedding by hand, including 16 long rustic farm tables, 8 walnut burl benches (from the orchard across the street from the house where I grew up), an arbor made out of driftwood that came ashore at my grandma’s house, a dance floor, table numbers and wedding signage. My dad is the best!!!
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.
Before we get down to the decision-making part of this post, let me give a little back-story…
Since we had hired our caterer and picked a menu without doing a tasting, she offered to let us try a bunch of different appetizers before making a decision. Mad props to Debbie of Spice of Life Catering for doing this for us because it was a whole lotta food-n-fun!
So Mr Trail Mix and I journeyed north from the big city up to my parents’ house, where Debbie laid down an array of appetizers we had asked to try from her list of what felt like hundreds of options.
First off, the highlight of the weekend happened within five minutes of us arriving (we were a bit late… blame my three glasses of wine at a girls’ dinner the night before… whoops). Mr Trail Mix sat down on one of our kitchen chairs, ready to eat, and before any of us could say ’Boo,’ there was a loud crack and suddenly my honey was on the floor with the chair looking like this:
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.)
Aside from a few blips and the natural problems associated with wedding planning while law schooling, not too much has really gotten to me in the planning process. I have never been to a “perfect” wedding—have you?—so I wasn’t really that concerned with throwing one. This made it easy for me to avoid stress about the details and most of the vendors.
Which of course meant that when the dresses came in late, I freaked out completely.
It all started with the bridesmaids’ dresses, which I ordered from House of Brides back in September because they were at least $25 less expensive per dress than any other retailer I visited. I got notification from them that the dresses would arrive in their warehouse at the end of November. Plenty of time!
And then the end of November came. The dresses did not. 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!
Our church does a holiday women’s luncheon every year, where they have a guest speaker, delicious catered food, and plenty of favors. This past year I was tasked with making the devotional booklets, which I thought came out pretty darn cute. If I put on my wedding-hat (not that it’s ever off these days), I could easily see these become snazzy little program books.
First we start with a bunch of pre-made cards. These are actually all samples from some printing company… such a great way to recycle!
Mrs. Argyle, St. LouisAge and Occupation: 24, Project CoordinatorFiance's Age and Occupation: 24, PilotEngagement Date: February 15, 2009Wedding Date: September 2010Venue: Jewel Box in Forest Park and Windows on WashingtonAbout Me: I'm a true Midwestern girl (born and raised), lover of red wine, reality TV and the entire J.Crew catalog. I love to dance regardless of who is watching, and enjoy a good laugh with my girls. I have a soft spot in my heart for planet Earth, my two dogs and my fiance. Fall is my favorite season (which is why we are marrying in September), but I love a warm summer day and the Colorado mountains in the winter. We are planning a modern soiree downtown, with lots of bold colors, and fun, eco-friendly elements.
It is no secret to my friends and family that I like to channel my inner Martha Stewart. I like crafting and cooking, and coming up with all these tidbits for around-the-house tips and tricks. Hell, in college, I was voted the “Next Martha Stewart” by a fantastic sorority sister (whom I love dearly, you know who you are).
So, when Mr. Argyle proposed, my closest friends DIED of laughter because of what my married last name would be. It could not be a more perfect fit (cliche, I know). In September, my last name will change, to Stewart. Yup, you heard me right. My new last name will be Stewart and I will love every second of it for many reasons (with the top one being that it is the last name of my future husband, and the second being that I get to share my last name with THE Martha Stewart).
Flashback: Several years ago, a friend of my mother’s gave me the nickname of “Martha”. And, a bunch of us gave her the nickname of Paula Deen because of her Southern roots and Southern-style cooking (the woman makes some awesome chicken ‘n dumplings).
Mrs. Hot Wings, Chicago/San DiegoAge and Occupation: 28, ProfessorFiance's Age and Occupation: 32, InstructorEngagement Date: December 20, 2008Wedding Date: August 2010Venue: Ocean View Villas/Jasmine Seafood RestaurantAbout Me: I am a psychology grad student living in Chicago and planning my wedding to a fellow psych grad student. I am a Sunny So-Cal bred gal who trudged across the country to follow her love of psychology and ended up finding a partner in the process. I am overly passionate about anything I involve myself with. I am an activist, a foodie, a reality TV watching junkie, an over-analyzer, a photography obsesser, and am utterly cheesy to the core. This is a story of what happens when a boy and a girl meet, fall in love over academic dorkiness, and a shared love for life. We (mostly I) are planning our semi-destination wedding in my hometown of San Diego. We are excited to bring our families and friends together from across our lifespans to celebrate our future in a grand 400+ person culturally blended affair!
Today, we explore the world of brideswomen’s dresses that are in the $50-$100 range. You’ll notice that in this range, the dresses tend to have a bit more detail and use a slightly nicer fabric. Let’s start with some of the same online sources I shared with you in the $50 and under range. Starting with Lulu’s, you can see the fun, young, and flirty look. They seem to be a tad on the short and slinky side still. They’re very cute for nighttime, youthful parties.
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!
First off- I hope everyone had a Happy Valentine’s Day! We had big romantic plans to go roller skating (yes, at a roller rink) but some kid’s birthday put the kibosh on that idea and we had to settle for a lovely brunch in the sunshine instead. Seriously peeps—it was 82 in Los Angeles yesterday! Anyway, back to the matter at hand: The great shoe dilemma. After checking out Miss Argyle’s post yesterday morning I began thinking about my shoe dilemma again. Ugh.
So here’s the thing—when I was thinking about proposing to F Stripes and when I did, and when I was slightly drunk and celebrating and peeps were already asking about my dress all I could think/say was, “I don’t really care about the dress, but I’m gonna rock some amazing shoes!” You’ll excuse my brand snobbery, but I spend my days (for work) in Barney’s, Saks, Neiman’s—you know, the places shoe dreams are MADE of. I see a lot of beautiful shoes and while I won’t lie—my taste ain’t cheap, I’m not exactly Louis-made either.
AND then we picked our venue. And for all it’s loveliness, it’s a beautiful shoe’s worst nightmare. Grass. Dirt. Gravel. Yikes!
And so I’ve resigned myself to finding a cute platform or wedge… oh the horror! Read more…
All-Inclusion Invitation Suites
