Weddingbee Blog

How did I find Weddingbee?

Way before Mr. Hammy proposed, one of my married friends mentioned this site about weddings and insects and bloggers named after vegetables - I was so confused. I promptly forgot all about that conversation; I was just not in that mindset. Fast forward to 3 months later - I was newly engaged, really excited, and absolutely clueless about where to begin. I asked my friend about the “insect wedding site” and this time I was all ears.

This site has been invaluable in learning about new ideas (I had never heard of a candy buffet, and was only vaguely familiar with save-the-dates) and finding tons of inspiration. DIYing your own invitations? I hadn’t even considered that. I was mispronouncing Gocco up until last week for goodness’ sake. Bad bee, I know. But here it was, DIY paper crafts up the wazoo, bees creating their own flower arrangements, or even making their own dresses. What was this wonderful world I had stumbled upon?

My application story:

About 6 months into our engagement, I started blogging about our wedding planning. I used to have a food blog that had fallen to the wayside, and I missed writing. I thought if anything, a wedding blog would be a good way to preserve some memories. I also had a tiny inkling of hope that one day I might apply to be a Weddingbee blogger. Whenever this hope manifested itself, I quickly quieted it - after all, what were the chances? If I didn’t apply, I wouldn’t be disappointed.

Then, through a Weddingbee contest, I got to attend the Martha Stewart Weddings 15th Anniversary party. It was so exciting to meet my cake designer and see a grand venue like the Plaza Hotel all dolled up. But the highlight for me that night was meeting a bunch of fabulous bees - that night, I met Mrs. Bee, Mrs. Penguin, Mrs. Apple Cider, Mrs. Onion and Mrs. Canary. How surreal! I mean, I’d been reading about their wedding plans, both current and archives, for the past few months and now to meet them all at once - it was a little intimidating! But I got over that quickly when it became obvious that every one of them was down-to-earth, approachable, and just pleasant to talk to. I wanted to be a part of that group! I wanted in! I mentioned to Mrs. Apple Cider that I had just started a wedding blog, and she encouraged me to apply. So, 2 days later I submitted my application, and lo and behold - I was in!

On being a Weddingbee blogger:

It takes a ton of time. Every week I spend at least 7-8 hours writing up posts, editing them, finding super hi-larious pictures (or pretty ones, at least) and fighting an ongoing battle with my picture-uploading software. Do I stay up late writing at times? Yes. Do I stress when I hit blogger’s block? Definitely. Had I known all this, would I still want to be a bee? Absolutely! The community of bees that welcomes and supports you is overwhelming, and they’ve definitely inspired me to reach outside of my comfort zone during this process. Additionally, I love the level of interaction I’ve had with readers - I’ve received so many great suggestions and such encouragement from all of you. And I must admit, every time I get a comment, I get a warm fuzzy feeling.

Hammy’s tips for writing for the ’bee

1. Be yourself
I know, this is the most cliched piece of advice, and here I go giving it *again*. When I considered applying, I spent a bit of time wondering what type of bride I was. I knew I definitely wouldn’t be the DIY extraordinaire. I wasn’t the young bride. Or the budget one. In fact, I was the late-20s Asian bride from New York - yeah, that’s kinda been done before. So what did I rely upon? The one thing that made me original - myself. If you have a shiny new type to add to the hive, that’s great! If you feel like you might not, don’t worry - it’s your personal voice that makes you stand out.

2. If you don’t love it, don’t do it
Being a bee can be a huge drag if you don’t love it. Why dedicate so much time and energy to blogging when you could be um, planning your wedding, for example? If you find that posting 3 or more times per week is just not fun, no shame! But in that case, being a bee might be more stressful than rewarding to you.

3. If you DO love it, go for it! And even if you don’t become a Bee, keep blogging.
If you love blogging and would love to share your ideas on the bee - don’t hesitate to submit that application. I almost didn’t follow this advice - I was too concerned about whether I was “Weddingbee material”. Don’t be similarly paralyzed - as you can see from the diversity of bloggers, the site is looking for all different types of brides (and grooms). And if you aren’t selected, please keep blogging. If you love it, why should you stop? I enjoy following the wedding planning process of various bloggers, both on Weddingbee and off.

So that’s the deal, pals. I feel so blessed to be a part of the Weddingbee blogging community. Thank you for reading my posts and all the supportive feedback, comments, and suggestions - it means the world to me!

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See all the posts in the “Becoming a Bee” series here!