This month’s Fodor’s giveaway is all about warm weather destinations! Sick of the cold, wet, winter weather? Leave a comment below about where you’d like to be spending the winter months for a chance to win one of ten copies of Fodor’s Caribbean 2010.
Not sure where to go? Fodors.com has just launched an 80 Degrees Travel Planner quiz that will help you find your perfect warm weather destination. You can even enter their 80 Degrees sweepstakes for a chance to win a five night stay at the Don CeSar Beach Resort in St. Pete Beach, Florida! 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!
During my trip home for Thanksgiving, there was a wedding at our venue. I was so excited that we were lucky enough to be home during a week with a wedding occurring! The manager told us that we could swing by during the early afternoon, before the guests started to arrive. I couldn’t wait to get there!
When we originally visited the venue, it was set up for normal day-to-day club activity. This time, it was in “wedding” mode. I was so glad to see the differences! Now, I’ll share some before-and-after pictures!
Remember the front entryway?
BEFORE:
Last time, it was filled with couches and a coffee table. For a wedding, they remove these and place a skirted table in the center of the room under the light fixture.
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!
I have this friend. His name is Moe of Moley Photography. We went to high school and college together. He’s also an academic (in bio/chem, not psychology). But he has this hobby. Well, it’s probably more of a talent than a hobby. He likes photography. So when Mr. Hot Wings and I got engaged and I started obsessing over photographers, he helped and gave me some recommendations and questions to ask. In the meantime, we started planning time to see each other and hang out. Our hangout turned into talk of an engagement shoot.
So, our plan was to put together a 1920s-style picnic. Since these weren’t our “official” e-pics, I really wasn’t planning on spending any money on them. Mr. Hot Wings borrowed a wool vest from his Twin Hot Wings. I found a dress in my mom’s closet about 1/2 an hour before Moe came over to pick us up. Cousin Hot Wings (aka freelance makeup artist. Score!) did my makeup. And I ran over to a salon by my parents’ house, Aura Day Spa, and got my hair done. In other words, it was pretty haphazard.
After we got to Torrey Pines State Reserve (where Mr. Hot Wings originally proposed), we realized our lush picnic would look more like Rich Kids during the Prohibition Era.
Yet, look at what our lack of planning turned into?
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. 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!
For the past month or so, I’d been having doubts about whether or not the Louboutin Love Flats in cork would ever materialize. I could find no evidence of their existence, no nothin’. I’ve been waiting for these puppies since November 8th, sight-unseen, and I began to feel like I was just a dumb bride who got the run-around. I was afraid I was wasting time waiting on shoes that would turn out to be a mythical beast.
Yesterday, much to my delight, I found out that THEY DO EXIST! 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.
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.
… want to make another invitation as long as I live. If you’ve been following along, you know that the home party invitations have been quite the paininmylittlearse. But my friends, they are finished, thanks to you!
I decided to make one mock-up on VistaPrint and one on Shutterfly to compare the quality. The mock-up on VistaPrint was pretty much identical to what I had tried to make myself (this is the actual VistaPrint card)…
…except I kept the wording on the inside black because it was an extra charge for color. 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!
Or: how to embarrass your fiance and his best man while they look at tux options
This weekend, Mr. Pencils’ best man A was home from law school and they took advantage of the opportunity to scout some tuxes for their bods. Funnily enough, these guys have been discussing and planning this little outing for a month now. It’s so interesting to watch these guys take all this wedding stuff so seriously—I love it (and them!).
Not so funnily enough, there are only two places that rent suits in the greater DC/MD area. And, being guys, they did put off scheduling the actual day and time for the tux trip, so we ended up going on Sunday, which meant that one of the two tux shops was closed (for Sunday) so we ventured out to one. Luckily, Mr. Pencils liked what this place turned up!
To set the scene, imagine the look Mr. P and I both had settled upon for the gents:
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.
So here we were ready to make our vows to each other. As I mentioned before, we did both traditional vows as well as wrote vows to each other.
Rev. Dease first asked Mr. Swan to repeat after her:
“I, Mr. Swan, take you, Miss Swan, to be my wife, to live with you and to love from this time forward until death separates us. I promise to be understanding, forgiving, and seeking of your happiness as we grow together in God’s grace.”
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!
Brides-to-be start sobbing hysterically when the dream dress is found - when the perfect music is selected, or when the ring lands on the finger.
“It’s really happening!” They gasp through happy tears. Unfortunately, it sounds more like my mother than me. She’s cried at wedding pictures of people she’s never even met, and finds her greatest joy in life is to create sappy slideshows that leave whole rooms bawling.
I’m not an overly emotional person. Maybe it was all the black and white, straight-forward math and science in school. Maybe it was the Asian upbringing. Maybe it’s because I’m marrying a man with the emotional capability of a robot.
But you know what? I had it.
I had it. You know, that moment of extreme, glowy-bridal-gush.
No. It wasn’t from the Victoria Secret Bride-undies from my dear Aunt, though those are quite awesome.
No, it came in the form of a sweet, dear, dear friend of mine. She’s amazingly creative, and made these as an engagement present for Mr. Sewing and me: Read more…
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.)
I don’t think I’ve told you yet about Mr. Spaniel’s wedding ring, so gather ’round; it’s story time!
Once upon a time, Mr. Spaniel was reluctant to go shopping for a wedding band. He’d gotten the idea somewhere that the only acceptable men’s ring is a plain white band.
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!
When I’m stressed, bored, overwhelmed, or any other unfavorable emotion, I pass the time on Style.com—it’s the online version of Vogue. I browse the recent runway shows and I always seem to find something that cheers me up and makes my heart beat a little faster. I absolutely love fashion. A great jacket or a perfect dress can get me out of my rut in no time.
So, when I’m feeling overwhelmed with my own wedding, it’s only natural for me to head over to Style and see what’s gracing the runways. This time though, I did something a little different—I didn’t look at the clothes, I looked at the makeup.
You know how, when you’re in the middle of planning a wedding, you find wedding inspiration everywhere you look? Well, that’s exactly what happened. The look at Gucci was so fresh and bridal, it had me inspired… what if the models were getting made up for their weddings, as opposed to a runway show?
I found inspiring make-p looks from a handful of designers and ran with it. Here’s the result:
(click for full size)
The Classic Bride- She’s getting married at her parents’ big beautiful house, wearing a lacy Monique Lhuillier and white satin Louboutins.
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.
If I were the only one planning our wedding, I would’ve gotten sick of it long ago and handed the reins over to Mama Chips. She likes being in control. I like throwing out ideas and going with the flow.
If Mr. Potato Head were the one planning the wedding, venues and vendors would be booked… but on his own timeline. It’d be down to the wire, but it would get done.
Luckily, we have a good system going. Loosely categorized:
I tippity-tap-tap at the Google machine and research vendors, ideas, and inspiration. I set things in motion.
Mr. Potato Head makes the calls and writes the emails and organizes the contracts. He gets things done.
There I am, toiling away at work! Poor PChipz! (Source)
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!
One thing I’ve been continually putting off is the issue of dressing up the guys. You’d think this would be a rather simple decision… and I suppose it could be. Just throw them in some tuxedos, right?
Mmmm not so much! I think a tuxedo is very nice, but it really doesn’t go with the overall look for the wedding. We want everything to be semi-formal. So… it looks like we’re going to have to opt for some suiting!
I think that having the groomsmen purchase a suit has many advantages! If we time their purchase correctly and get a good sale, it could cost approximately the same price as a tuxedo rental (yeah, those babies are not cheap!!!). Although, unlike the tuxedo, the guys will get to keep them, and potentially wear them again. Both of Mr. Buttons’ brothers wear suits (or at least nice trousers, shirt, and tie) for work, so we are confident that at least two of them will put a suit to good use after the wedding is said and done.
So, we hit the ‘net (and the street) and started to search high and low for some reasonably priced options! 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.)
All-Inclusion Invitation Suites
No. It wasn’t from the Victoria Secret Bride-undies from my dear Aunt, though those are quite awesome.
