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!
Guess what?!?! I’m moving back to Florida! This calls for a meet up!!!!
If you live in the Tampa/St. Petersburg/Clearwater area (or heck, if you want to escape the snowy north and come down to warmer weather, feel free to show up…), some of the hive members and I have been working on scheduling a meet up for next weekend on Friday, February 19!
The location is the Bahama Breeze situated on the Courtney Campbell Causeway, since it would be relatively equidistant for people traveling from Tampa and from Clearwater. Read more…
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.
When it came to the process of settling on “the dress” it felt vaguely familiar. My dress identity crisis has been documented here, here, here, here, here and here. At the time I thought the comfort that I felt once I decided to have my dress made for me was just because it was the right decision. It was/is the right decision but I recently realized that the comfort was also because… I’ve totally done this before and it turned out amazing!
Let me set the stage. It’s winter of 1995. It’s time to go shopping for prom dresses. Off the shoulder looks are VERY big this season, as are heavy fabrics, and big skirts. *All photos in this post are personal photos circa 1995.
Off the shoulder? Check. Heavy Fabrics? Check. Poofy Skirt? Check.
I poured over teen magazines looking at dress styles. Meh… I went shopping with Mama Pretzel a couple of times. Meh… I wasn’t feeling it. Sound familiar?
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!
Creativity is kind of like the Force. And for those creative-Jedi out there, the wedding day is like the final moments before Luke blows up the Death Star. It’s the one day where all our creative endeavors are showcased all at once.
Wedding inspiration websites, then, are our Jedi academy. The place we learn techniques and ideas to best put our powers to use. And there are many, many fine establishments for doing just that.
One thing that may be overlooked though - the best training doesn’t always have to come from “wedding” labeled websites.
Here are a few sources from my own “training”:
-Deviant Art. My instant go-to for artistic inspiration. Anything you can think of, an artist has made. I can spend days here looking through amazingly talented creations.
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.
Recently someone asked us, “What kinds of hobbies do you two have?” and we looked at one another blankly as if trying to search for elegant phrasing for, “We like to say hello to each other at 10 PM when we’re both finally home from work, turn on Unwrapped, and fall asleep before learning how Ding Dongs are assembled.” After moments of awkward silence, Mr. PH blurted, ecstatically, “COOK! We like to cook!!”
“YES!” I chimed in, relieved. “Yes! We do like to cook!”
I’m forever collecting recipes, bookmarking them, clipping them out, and/or blogging about them. I read cookbooks like novels. Mr. Potato Head, due to his jam-packed schedule, does his cooking late at night, fumbling with timers and spices at 1 a.m. What I’m saying is, we need some organization in our cooking lives. We couldn’t find a cookbook that really spoke to us, but MamaChips found a sweet alternative.
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.
Well, except, not really… I grew up in a moderate sized town. I like to claim it was small but then Mr. Gingham reminds me that it was the state capitol and it was not small and it was not very country. I lived in a average size house with a small yard. There were no tractors, no chickens, no cows. I mean, I guess you could say I’m a bit of a country “faker”. 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!
Har har. Sorry, I couldn’t come up with a clever title for this post. Anyhoo. This is a post about a small but oft-overworked facial feature - the eyebrows.
I have Asian brows - brow hair that is simultaneously long and sparse. This makes for some tricky maintenance, since the brow hair root is nowhere near where the hair falls. You can pluck, but that can lead to a vicious cycle of too-thin brows, overzealous pencil and, well… I’m scared of this:
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.
We originally booked our stay at the Wyndham in a Resort View room. Resort View rooms are on the bottom of the totem pole, but we were OK with that because our wedding contract allows for one free room upgrade, and it was the least expensive to book. And besides the obvious moments for a honeymoon, we’re not planning on hiding out too much in our room to begin with! So we would be going from the Resort View (I couldn’t find any pics) to the Bay View…
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.
Once in a while, Ribs will go through our Mint.com account to clean it up and make sure everything is in the right category. Sometimes it tells us we spent $15 on rent and $600 on restaurants, so things need to get reorganized!
Today he was doing just that and asking about uncategorized charges. He was just listing things off when he asked about a Paypal charge for $18. This was my response:
Mrs. French Fries, MilwaukeeAge and Occupation: 27, ParalegalFiance's Age and Occupation: 35, Investments AdvisorEngagement Date: September 20, 2008Wedding Date: June 2010Venue: Ceremony: Catholic Church, Reception: Hotel BallroomAbout Me: I'm a Midwestern girl who longs to live in a warmer climate (my feet would be happy in flip flops any day!). I love travel, impromptu napping, grilled cheese sandwiches, my iPhone, singing with reckless abandon in my car, and Mr. French Fries.
Mr. FF and I have a rather large wedding party, by pretty much anyone’s standards. You see, I have 6 girls on my side — a fair amount, I’m sure you’ll agree. Mr. French Fries? Welp… he has more groomsmen than I do bridesmaids. He has 9 groomsmen. Nine! He’s been in a *ton* of weddings, and has been a best man more than a few times. It’s sort of like 27 Dresses, but with tuxedo rentals. Note: yes, this means that we’re going to have “uneven” sides for our wedding party. Gasp! The shock! The horror! … Uhmm, not really. This isn’t prom court. It’s a wedding. I have bigger fish to fry than to worry that our sides are “uneven”.
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!
This is what Mr. Guinea Pig kept telling me as I stressed about how to address our invitation envelopes.
Yes, I actually spent an entire (snowed in) day going back and forth, begging advice from everyone I could harass on Gchat, worrying and fretting about how to address envelopes. Envelopes that, as Mr. GP pointed out, people are just going to look at for 2 seconds, and then throw away. (Of course, he says that about the invitations too, but I LOVE our invites, so people better be framing those suckers.)
The main dilemma? I did not want to use the traditional ’Mr. and Mrs. John Smith’. I personally don’t like that formal tradition of just using the man’s name and would be a little sad to see an envelope addressed to Mr. GP and me like that. Especially if his full name gets to be on display while I’m relegated to just the one little ’Mrs.’ part? Noooo thank you.
(example of a very formally addressed envelope, source)
On the other end of things, I also didn’t want to go with just first names - that felt a little too informal! I know, I’m making things difficult for myself. Read more…
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.
Not long after my first two dress shopping experiences, I decided to go try on gowns again. I made an appointment at a different shop than the two previous places I had visited. I mostly made this appointment to hit the shops by myself. I actually prefer to shop alone; I get more done and I can weed through the stuff that is not appealing to me. It also gave me a chance to try on some different designers, which I wanted to do. At that time, the wedding was well over a year away, so I knew I had plenty of time to choose a dress.
So, I got to Town & Country Bridal Boutique (which I highly recommend if you’re in the area), and was greeted by a super-friendly staff member. My consultant, whom I love, was so helpful and sweet. So much so in fact, that I made an appointment for her the following Friday so my two best friends could join me on my dress shopping extravaganza. The consultant sat me down to talk about budget, look and feel, and the style I like. She took some notes, got some personal information and we both browsed the gowns together. Because I was the first appointment of the day, we managed to grab about 10 or so gowns for me to try on. After the first four, I had given them all a “Yes” (not kidding) and she wrote them down in my file. I did manage to finally say no to a few.
Many of my favorites were by designer Martina Liana (fantastic designer, BTW), which I’ve shared below. The great thing about her dresses is they are super customizable. Most of her dresses come in either a corset back or zipper, and many different fabrics. She even sells an awesome dress where the skirt removes to reveal a short reception dress.
Imagine this first one without the strap – it’s removable:
Mrs. French Bulldog, Orange CountyAge and Occupation: 28, Administrative Assistant & Interior Design StudentFiance's Age and Occupation: 28, Purchasing AnalystEngagement Date: November 8, 2008Wedding Date: August 2009Venue: Bernardo WineryAbout Me: I've lived in Atlanta, Dallas and Laguna Niguel; although I've lived in Orange County, CA most my life, I'm a Southerner at heart. I work full time for a Commercial General Contractor (aka my father) and I go to school for Interior Design at night. I love modern design, music, wine, crafting, DMailing, my family, my Westies, and of course, Mr Frenchie! Mr Frenchie and I met 3 years ago on Match.com and have been best friends ever since. I love his "old soul" and how he laughs with his whole body, among many other things. We are planning our summer wedding at the winery near his hometown, just 45 minutes south of Orange County.
Despite the rain this past Saturday, seven lovely Southern Cali Weddingbee-ers were able to meet up in Carlsbad, CA.
I’m constantly amazed at how everyone I meet from Weddingbee is so sweet, friendly, and just plain gorgeous! 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!
Oh, the dilemma. What the hell do I gift the man who is one part MacGyver, one part mountain man, two parts sentimental mushy man, and a whole lotta amazing? What the hell do I give him on our wedding day to encapsulate how excited I am to marry him, how in awe I am of him every day, and how much I am looking forward to the next sixty years together?!?!
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!
When you think of being in love and the way a first kiss makes you feel, many people think about the leg pop. When you’re swooning, the leg just wants to pop up. So, when you’re taking pictures with the one you love and it starts to feel more awkward than romantic, here are some pointers for getting a picture-perfect leg pop. Note that the leg pop is best when it creates a triangle.
Tippy Toes! I love the way this looks because it seems so sweet. It also really helps that being on your tippy toes helps to elongate your legs and makes your calves look good.
All-Inclusion Invitation Suites
(Of course, he says that about the invitations too, but I LOVE our invites, so people better be framing those suckers.)
