Mrs. Dachshund, Fresno, CAAge and Occupation: 24, Legal Office AssistantFiance's Age and Occupation: 27, Computer TechnicianEngagement Date: April 18, 2009Wedding Date: May 2010Venue: Victorian Gardens of Two SistersAbout Me: I’m a 24-year-old Californian bride-to-be who found love in the most unlikely of places - an online video game! I’m a farmer’s daughter living in rural Central California, but will always have a special place in my heart for the city. My future husband is a 27-year-old extraordinarily tall, exceptionally cute, and undoubtedly Canadian boy who was able to sweep me off my feet and take me for his bride. I love color, folksy songs that make me smile, interior design, kettle corn, my one-year-old puppy, Juno, and my fiance, of course! We’re planning a DIY garden wedding with a laundry-list of projects, all while dealing with the bureaucracy that is American Immigration!
After my first attempt at Gocco printing our invitation sleeves went awry, I was determined to master the screen-burning/printing technique during my second attempt this weekend. I’m happy to report that round two was (mostly) a success!
I did have a few mishaps: Two of the bulbs I used while trying to burn our names onto the screen were duds, causing an uneven master; only one side of the image burned correctly, and because I wasn’t sure if you can expose an original multiple times, I decided to wait until this evening to try again with a fresh copy.
I was, however, able to create a crisp burn of our quote to print on the bottom of our sleeves. Remember last time a few letters didn’t turn out? Well, I followed the advice I received (Thanks guys, the Hive is great!) and mounted my original on cardstock and ironed it (to get rid of excess carbon?). It worked like a charm!
I really, really love the white Gocco ink on this paper. It makes me smile : ) Working with the white ink is a pain, though– it’s so freakin’ thick. I had to use a TON of it to get even prints.
Creative Custom Card Boxes creates custom handmade card boxes and cake table decor to suit your color scheme and theme perfectly! They’ve recently added some great new options for customization, including monogrammed logo plaques. Not only can you add the monograms to your card box, but they’ll give you the digital file for you to use throughout the rest of your wedding! And today they’re offering a $225 gift certificate to one lucky Weddingbee reader!
To enter this contest, check out their custom card boxes and cake table decor and tell us how you’d spend your gift certificate! You have until Wednesday, February 24 at midnight PST to enter. Good luck!
Mrs. Gloss, Boston/MaineAge and Occupation: 24, Designer/soon-to-be ArchitectFiance's Age and Occupation: 26, Systems EngineerEngagement Date: May 23, 2008Wedding Date: August 2009Venue: SS Katahdin/Lakeside TentAbout Me: I don't like nickels or the skin that forms on pudding when it's in the fridge for too long. I couldn't live without Pantone markers, fountain soda (3/4 diet, ¼ regular Coke), run-on sentences, or ridiculously oversized sunglasses. I will try to DIY almost anything and am just OCD enough to make most of it work. I am truly excited about having all my family and friends together, becoming Mrs. Gloss, and having amazing photos to prove it!
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 interrupt the fun of reporting on wedding-related planning and festivities to bring you this warning. If you are using a lot of electronic files to keep track of your wedding progress, or DIYing your own STDs, invitations, and other paper projects that required you to devote hours upon hours to design your projects, and you have spent money on images from places like istockphoto that do not allow you to re-download your images after a week or so… then this warning is for you! Read more…
Mrs. Hot Dog, Cheyenne, WYAge and Occupation: 23, Health Information SpecialistFiance's Age and Occupation: 23, Personal Trainer
Engagement Date: March 2009Wedding Date: August 2010Venue: Family Ranch outside Glenrock, WYAbout Me: I'm a city girl by birth and rural girl by choice. I'm ready to take on the world with a big heart and a big smile! I love all things crafty and DIY. I live in Cheyenne, WY with Mr. HD and our 2 fur babies, our dachshunds, Ollie and Mia. I love travel, adventure, Finding Nemo, '90s music, animals, and laughing. He is the cheese to my macaroni and together we spend more time watching movies than we probably should! I'm an old soul who is super duper excited to pull off our down home-rustic-chic-country wedding (on the cheap)!
H. Dawg and I have made a few changes in our life, and in the wedding plans.
First off, we started doing “The Love Dare”. If you’ve never heard of this, please Google it STAT. And check out the movie “Fireproof”. That movie and this book are the best thing to happen to our relationship since Netflix (hello frequent movie-snuggle night!). We’ve come to really appreciate one another and have learned how to better relate to each other. Also, it is very enlightening as to how the opposite sexes communicate differently, and how to find your partner’s specific communication style. It is A.MAZ.ING.
I’ve made some changes personally, too. First, I DYED my naturally blonde hair… CHOCOLATE BROWN! Yes, BROWN. After I did it, everyone was so floored. “Why would you dye your hair?!” “Your blonde hair was so gorgeous”. Frankly, I just needed a change. And I really love it! So does Mr. HD! I think it does wonders for my facial features and complexion, if I do say so myself.
Join us for a Post a Thon tonight on the boards from 3PM to 10PM PST. Post a Thons are a great opportunity for the entire hive to gather on the boards for chat, advice, and discussion. It’s an especially great time to get lots of feedback on your current projects and ideas!
Please join us tonight for another great Post a Thon. We look forward to seeing you on the boards!
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!
Engagement photo time was coming up soon, and somehow I ended up with about seven different dresses that I couldn’t decide between. Well, what was one more?
Since all my other dresses were patterned or printed, I thought it would be good to get a solid-print dress. I picked up this B. Darlin dress from Ross for $8.99:
Messy house alert!
It’s a taaaaddd tight on me, but hey..it was $8.99 and it has pockets! I couldn’t refuse.
However, it was strapless. And once again - I was scared of the effect gravity may have on strapless dresses, so I wanted to add a halter. 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!
Let me first admit that nearly every thing I’ve decided to be a part of my bridesmaids’ gifts came as a suggestion from a bridesmaid herself or Mr. Pencils. Yes, I am that bad at deciding on something to gift them.
(I’ll go ahead and say: if you’re a Pencils’ B-maid, look away unless you want the surprise ruined!)
That being said, the wonderful people who offered suggestions reminded me that the gifts could be composed of things that really speak to who I am. After all, my girls love me for all my crazy quirks, and gifting them certain things could prove really fun. Read more…
Mrs. Lace, Pasadena, CAAge and Occupation: 29, Elementary school teacherFiance's Age and Occupation: 29, EngineerEngagement Date: September 6, 2009Wedding Date: June 2010Venue: Orange County Performing Arts CenterAbout 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!
I am naturally a sweaty girl. I know, it’s gross. I hate it too, but it’s in my genes. I can’t really help it. So, when choosing a venue, we decided to go indoors with air con. We’re getting married in June, so a strapless dress was the way to go. There’d be no reason to layer on anything else. Until, I came across these shrugs.
I am in LOVE with these adorable ivory, lacey, delicate, flowery shrugs! It makes me want to get married when it’s a bit cooler just so I can have one. Check these beauties out!
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!
It’s a little crazy how fast time goes by. Seriously, it was just yesterday that I was twiddling my thumbs and WISHING I could crank out some paper goods already. Save the Dates. Invites. Something.
And now, suddenly thanks to my little wedding count-down thingamabob, it’s come to my attention that our wedding is fast approaching the 200 day mark! I know, I know, 200 days is still pretty far off, but when you’ve had a long engagement it starts to seem so darn close! Side note—did anyone else make fun of those “counter things” as well as the use of FI, SO, FMIL, DH and the like before getting engaged and starting their own wedding blog? I know I sure did. And now I’ve drank the Kool-Aid.
Anyhow, with around 7 months to go it’s actually time to start making some decisions. Save the Dates are a necessity—we have out of the country, out of town, and just plain popular friends whose dance cards are sure to fill up quick.
The STDs (finally, an acronym I can get behind) need to be two-fold: obviously they need to give people the pertinent info AND they’ll help set the tone for our awesome wedding!
So just what tone is it that we want to set? Well, Fun. Read more…
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.
I fell in love with this hair inspiration from Knottie Mrs. Pdxbride06 pretty early on in my wedding planning process:
I realized more than anything, I loved that hair clip! It turns out they’re custom-made hair pins from August Veils according to Mrs Pdx’s planning page, and I’m guessing they’re most likely based on the Donna style: Read more…
Mrs. Star, New York CityAge and Occupation: 22, ActressFiance's Age and Occupation: 24, Casting AssistantWedding Date: October 2009Venue: Ceremony: The Kraine Theatre, Reception: Midtown Loft & TerraceAbout Me: I’m a professional actress who’s always had New York City in her blood and I'm finally getting the chance to make a home in Manhattan with my fiancé, my dog, and my big dreams! I love polka dots, craft projects, Dunkin’ Donuts’ iced coffee, and anything sparkly. I’m having a blast planning our elegant/dramatic/New York City/acting-themed/largely-DIY wedding and am thrilled to be the youngest current Miss Blogger!
Well, my lovelies, you’re going to have to forgive me for a picture-heavy post. I couldn’t help myself, because these are pretty much my favorite pictures of us from the reception!
When I left you last, we were cabbing it from Grand Central Station to our reception venue, only a few blocks away, but waaay too far for my tired feet and parched self to walk.
So we got to the downstairs lobby of the loft (please note the glam red carpet they rolled out for us!), and my gorgeous bridesmaids, Fairy Bridesmaid and Sassy Bridesmaid, who had accompanied me to my dress fittings, did a quick bustle number on my butt. I still can’t describe the magic that went on back there, but suffice it to say, I loved my dress bustled even more than I did with the long train.
Now that I was bustled, Mr. Star and I took a quick moment to run through our first dance steps, since we had never gotten the chance to have a dress rehearsal of sorts with my dress on, and that dress sure had a life of its own! It went really well, and I changed up one quick step because the poofiness of my underskirt was preventing my feet from moving quickly enough to keep up with the song.
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!
A good long time ago, I decided Mr. Pencils and I absolutely, unequivocally needed napkins at our wedding in our colors with our names and wedding date. Instead of doing what manybees before me have done before me and screenprinting my own with a Gocco, I went the easy way (or as Ms. Potato Chips would say - the SEDIP-er way) and I’m proud of it!
The Knot, while not my favorite of wedding websites, has a decently priced Wedding Shop that turned out some cool stuff for us!
The white coasters are quite sturdy and were better than black, the only other option we had.
I really like the cocktail napkins we got: 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.
Growing up, my dad had a side business in addition to his normal 9-5 job: he was a wedding videographer. This was back in the ’90s when the whole concept was pretty nebulous and not nearly refined as it can be today. A standard video of his contained a photo montage of the couple at the beginning with the tear-inducing growing up pictures, then the bride and groom getting ready, ceremony, after-ceremony portraits, and reception highlights. These were not 10 minute video affairs. Oh heavens no.
I saw too many wedding videos. And montages. Enough to perhaps make me not want a video of my own wedding.
I should mention another “perk” of having this kind of dad is the sheer volume of videos featuring me. Maybe that scarred me, because I hate-hate-hate watching myself on video. I’m just generally humiliated by the process of watching. 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.
All-Inclusion Invitation Suites
