Mrs. Starfish, Boston/NewportAge and Occupation: 25, Operations AssistantFiance's Age and Occupation: 25, SalesEngagement Date: October 8, 2008Wedding Date: October 2010Venue: The Atlantic Beach ClubAbout Me: I'm a perfectionist who is a planner at heart. I don't do well with surprises. I love planning, crafting, Newport RI, family and friends, and most importantly, Mr. Starfish---all of which will be big components in our October wedding in our favorite little city by the sea.
We originally wanted to keep our save the dates low budget, but they ended up costing more than expected. We realized DIY, doesn’t always mean cheaper. But, we are still happy we did go the diy route. I love that the save the dates reflect both of us. They are sort of simple and classic like me, with a bit of humor thrown in, which is so Mr. Starfish.
The most expensive part of the save the dates were the magnets. Because of our indecisiveness, we ended up paying more. We ordered them through Vistaprint during a promotional sale. Free Magnets- the first 10. We ended up having to pay for 5 design fees. If we only had one design we could have cut down on costs.
So how much did they cost? Here’s a breakdown by the sites/stores we used: 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!
Lately, Mr. Sew’s been giving me the eww-you-nasty-girl lip curl whenever I walk around the house in shorts. Read more…
Mrs. Cola, Mountain View, CAAge and Occupation: 27, Product Communications and PromotionsFiance's Age and Occupation: 28, Managing Partner and Senior DesignerEngagement Date: March 5, 2009Wedding Date: June 2010Venue: The Mountain Terrace, Woodside, CAAbout Me: I’m a Washington State native, enjoying life in Silicon Valley California with my fiancé, our three kitties and one leopard gecko. I like reading wedding blogs, Photoshopping wedding design mock ups, making lists, and planning, planning, planning! I’m a bit of an anomaly, on one side I’m a very girlie girl, I collect shoes, I lay out my outfits 4-6 weeks in advance, and I’d never leave the house without my hair curled and makeup on. But on the other side, I’m a total tomboy, I love to go camping and hiking, play drinking games (hey, I’m Irish!) and most of my closest friends are guys. My fiancé and I are planning a DIY-focused wedding with a balance between easygoing (what he wants) and chic and stylish (what I want), and are tying it all together with elements in lavender, sage, butter cream and chocolate.
Now that the pocketfolds were made, I needed to make inserts containing all the information for our guests.
First up was the main invite sheet, which would be glued inside the pocketfold. Enter the fun laser cutter at Mr. Cola’s office! We spent about three full weekend days cutting these onto wood grain paper, since each page took about 23 minutes just to cut out two invites, plus time to set up the cutter for each page.
(A side note here: This laser cut portion was from my original, super awesome, but time consuming invitations design. It was after three 10 hour days of cutting these that Mr. Cola decided he’d had enough, so I scaled back the overall design to the one I’m showing you now. Don’t worry though, I still plan to show off the really cool versions!)
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!
I’ve been thinking about what I wanted to say to you all when I got to the “other side”. For some reason, during the planning process, I couldn’t bring myself to write it because I didn’t want to disappoint certain people or to come across as ungrateful. I talked it over with some fellow bees. I mulled it over while reliving some wedding memories as we reminisced on our belated honeymoon (we just got back and it was delightful - more later). And then I read this today as I caught up at Meg’s blog. Now is the time to let a few things hang out and to keep it real.
You’ve seen the joy on my face that is captured by photographs on my wedding day. I will always treasure that day in our lives. Not captured were the many frowns, the foot stomping and the flat out meltdowns (my Dad calls it O.B.E - overcome by events) that led up to that day. Here, I blogged about details, crafting, funnies, etc. because the blog world was my refuge from what I found to be an all together stressful and frustrating planning process. Much of the stress was self-inflicted as I took all criticism personally, tried to please everyone, and contorted myself to fill the various expectations that I perceived people had of me. However, some of the stress originated from truly stressful situations of navigating family emotions or the growing pains of bringing two lives together.
While I’ve shared most of the work that I did for the wedding in terms of crafting, this post is about the real work that it took to plan the wedding and prepare for a marriage. Read more…
Mrs. Veggie, Raglan, New Zealand/Scranton, PAAge and Occupation: 27, Director of Small Non-ProfitFiance's Age and Occupation: 42, PhD Student & FarmerEngagement Date: June 13, 2009Wedding Date: August 2010Venue: Indian Head Camp, Honesdale Pennsylvania
About Me: I am a tree-huggin' farmer turned enthusiastic wedding-planner. I live in a house truck and wear flip-flops more often than shoes. In my old life I was a high school Spanish teacher in love with a crazy guy who lived off-the grid on a farm in New Hampshire. But, we decided to mix things up a bit, quit our jobs and move to New Zealand. My southern hemisphere lifestyle involves growing veggies, teaching, running our small non-profit, and surfing. I love laughing, singing, playing, and the inspirational Mr. Veggie (of course!). For our wedding, I am committed to throwing a killer party that celebrates our values without breaking the bank. Look forward to an eco-thrifty summer-campy weekend-long extravaganza.
When we last left off I had gotten over my painful breakup with Adele Wechsler by trying on some pretties by Nicole Miller. But I still wasn’t sure that a brand new dress was right for me.
A few weeks later, after visiting several bridal shops in the U.S., I went back home to New Zealand empty handed with a picture of Nicole Miller HG0013 firmly positioned on the desktop of my computer and a better idea of what I was looking for in a dress. I had bookmarked the websites of a few used-dress websites and checked them daily, OK, more like hourly to see what was on offer. It turns out there were more used dress options than I knew existed. They were gorgeous, reasonably priced, and reused. I was sold. This was definitely the route I was going to take.
But then, one day while killing a few hours in Hamilton waiting for Mr. Veggie, something caught my eye. How could I have not seen this store before? It’s only two doors down from the Salvation Army (a must-visit whenever I’m in the big city). And look at this pretty little number. Pay no attention to my angry looking face or body language, I was actually very happy. Note to self: no hands on hips on the big day.
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!
These are rubber slip-on sandals that have inter-changeable ribbon accents. These come with 4 ribbons to match every bride’s needs. Notice the sandal cushions? They have a reflexology massaging foot bed! Perfect for a wedding, right? You can also stick these in your washer! Imagine a beach wedding or beach pictures and rinsing them off right afterwards. Super cute. Read more…
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!
With less than two months until the Guinea Pigs tie the knot, my days as an official “single” lady (taxes = done!) are winding down.
Long long ago, I knew that I wanted to do a fun girls’ weekend as my bachelorette ’party’ so my friends who are scattered across the country could make a trip that was worthwhile (i.e., more than just for one night out) and they could all get to know each other better! With a free place to stay in Tahoe (score!) that my mom stocked with delicious food (and cookies, and fudge… yum), it was pretty much settled and we planned the weekend for mid-March when there would still be snow but it wouldn’t be freezing!
The weather was absolutely perfect. It snowed Friday (the day we got there), and then Saturday and Sunday were sunny and warm - we were a happy group!
(bridesmaids and friends the night we got there — sister GP is taking the photo)
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 was an indecisive person to begin with, and then I began planning our wedding. I am hit in the face with wedding-related decisions every day and I’m finding that every decision I make takes a lot longer than I want it to. It takes so much research, analyzing and thinking before I can make finally make up my mind about something. Don’t believe me??! Please, walk with me…
Clipboards. Yes. Clipboards. I wanted to get my two friends, who will be my day of coordinators, clipboards to hold all the important papers for the day such as contracts, checks, schedules, contact lists, etc. But in order for me to finally pull the trigger, I visited Staples, Target, Office Depot, Office Max and searched online. I finally pulled the trigger on a clipboard case from Office Depot. That decision took me a few weeks when it probably should’ve taken me 5 minutes.
Bridesmaids’ dresses. I probably bought five different dresses that I showed one or more bridesmaids to see what they thought. I settled on a dress, FINALLY, then drove high and low to collect the dresses. After passing out the dresses and having all my bridesmaids try them on, I found another one that I liked more. So, I collected the dresses and returned them all before going to buy the next BM dress.
Sash. Remember that post? Well, for that one, the hive helped me make that decision because I ended going with the option that most people liked which I was leaning toward anyway since it was a bit less cluttered looking. Thanks guys! Can I hire you as my executive decision maker? No? You’re busy planning a wedding too? Darn.
So, I guess I’ll need one of these then - the Original Decision Maker. 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.
The Mr. and I drove to the post office to send off our Save the Dates, and it just so happened to be a crappy and rainy day out. So, up to the mailboxes I pulled to drop them in; and I prayed that they didn’t get rained on during the transfer between my car and the mailbox. Mr. A even so nicely offered to get out of the car and come around with the umbrella to hold it over the space between my car and the mailbox, but I turned down his offer (which was very sweet of him). It only took a few minutes to drop all 180 in the mail, and we were on our way.
Now, don’t think I wouldn’t share them with you!
While the finished product does not look anything like our invitation suite (or like the originals I designed), they still have the same colors and similar monogram. We wanted them to be a bit more fun, and use one of our e-sesh photos so guests can save them.
Mrs. Cheeseburger, Baltimore, MD/State College, PAAge and Occupation: 25, Medical StudentFiance's Age and Occupation: 25, Medical StudentEngagement Date: June 28, 2008Wedding Date: March 2010Venue: Catholic Church Ceremony & Hotel ReceptionAbout Me: I'm a passionate girl from Pittsburgh, currently living in Baltimore for school, who loves Penn State, seeing movies, football, thunderstorms, black and white photos, Christmas, good beer, my amazing friends and family, and of course, my mister! We met, fell in love, got engaged, and will be married at our alma mater (go lions!) in a traditional Catholic ceremony followed by a hotel reception with lots of DIY details. It means so much to have our families and friends meet at our favorite place on earth to celebrate our love for one another - I truly couldn't ask for anything more!
You guys know by now that we’re having a candy buffet/cookie table hybrid. As Mrs. Deviled Egg mentioned, cookie tables are pretty much staples at Western Pennsylvania weddings. Mrs. Bruschetta also told you guys that they’re requisite parts of Italian weddings. So, when you’ve got an Italian girl from Western PA, you best believe there are going to be cookies. Lots and lots of cookies!
Since arriving back at my homestead, Cheeseburger Mom, Cheeseburger Sister MOH and I have made quite a few cookies. Luckily, I received my stand mixer from my fantastic bridesmaids, so we got to put it to good use!
What have we made so far? First on the agenda, pizzelles. I was doing such a good job helping out, that I was able to take all of these pictures :
Mrs. Turtle, Central CaliforniaAge and Occupation: 21, Art Student/TeacherFiance's Age and Occupation: 22, English StudentEngagement Date: August 16, 2008Wedding Date: July 2010Venue: Mr. Turtle's Grandparents' backyard, Arroyo Grande, CAAbout Me: I am a California girl who loves the beach and the mountains, but is quite satisfied living right in the middle where I can enjoy the best of both worlds. I am happiest when traveling to faraway places, wandering through museums, watching old movies, or baking up a storm. Mr. Turtle and I are high school sweethearts and fellow book nerds who both drive Mini Coopers and are most likely to be found browsing in antique stores. We're having so much fun planning our European garden wedding with a vintage twist and can't wait to share more of life's adventures together!
Back in December, right before New Year’s, I got a very exciting, totally unexpected call that my dress had arrived! (I had been told to expect it in February!) Originally, when I had imagined receiving this phone call, I pictured myself hurrying to the dress shop to be reunited with my dress! Instead, I spent almost two weeks walking right past the store with Mr. Turtle on our way for some morning coffee, often saying things like, “How weird is it that my wedding dress is sitting right through those doors?” Or, “Hi wedding dress, I’ll see you soon!” Sigh…
The reunion had to wait, because there was just one important detail holding me back. To go try on my dress for the first time, I had to bring my shoes! And sadly, I had none. (Well, technically I have tons of shoes, but not the shoes!)I hadn’t bought any yet because I was supposed to have a couple more months, right?
So the shoe search began!
As much as they tempt me in every bridal store with cute little sparkly white heels, I’ve known from the beginning that I want to wear pink shoes! Like, amazing, cutest-shoes-I’ve-ever-seen-in-my-life pink shoes. I’m normally not the kind of girl who splurges on crazy designer shoes, but my original thought process was, ’If I’m going to wear a pair of Christian Louboutins, Jimmy Choos, or Manolo Blahniks in my life, wouldn’t my wedding day be the day?’
Mrs. Taco, San FranciscoAge and Occupation: 29, writer/editorFiance's Age and Occupation: 37, editorEngagement Date: May 13, 2009Wedding Date: August 2010Venue: The Green Room at the War Memorial Veterans BuildingAbout Me: I like laughing and talking with good friends over good food and good drink, be it wine, cocktail, or brew. I write and edit things for fun and profit, but I rarely "write" these days without a keyboard and high-speed internets. Favorites include Mr. Taco, my Boston terrier, San Francisco, getting out of town, and the Roaring ’20s. I was kind-of planning a wedding since roughly 2006, when I discovered "Whose Wedding Is It Anyway?" on the WE channel. I ran and didn't look back with a theme I called "urban vintage," and it culminated in the most magical day a taco could ask for.
Mr. Taco asked me one night (after a couple glasses of wine) whether he could just see my wedding dress. “If you don’t ask, you don’t get” is one of my favorite sayings, so kudos to him. But the answer was still no, and it came with a good-natured laugh at his expense. Hey, it’s like we’re married already!
Anyway, I thought it would be fun to post pics of the dresses that didn’t make it. Most of these are from Rin’s Bridal in San Carlos, and the last one is from my first go at Glamour Closet in San Francisco.
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 I said it. You might be a staple department store in the Midwest and you may have great bargains (we got our groomsmen suits from you, remember?) but you are totally in the doghouse with the Pretzels at the current moment.
WTF is up with how you indicate the gift giver on your packing materials?
Exhibit A
On first glance you would assume that the gift in this box came from Aunt Pretzel. That made sense since another gift came the day before from Aunt Pretzel and she had told you that there were two pieces to the gift. With both gifts accounted for I thought it was safe to write a nice Thank You note where I expounded on how cool the gift was and how I couldn’t wait to use it. This sounds pretty safe until you look more closely at the packing slip. Read more…
Mrs. Starfish, Boston/NewportAge and Occupation: 25, Operations AssistantFiance's Age and Occupation: 25, SalesEngagement Date: October 8, 2008Wedding Date: October 2010Venue: The Atlantic Beach ClubAbout Me: I'm a perfectionist who is a planner at heart. I don't do well with surprises. I love planning, crafting, Newport RI, family and friends, and most importantly, Mr. Starfish---all of which will be big components in our October wedding in our favorite little city by the sea.
Our Save the Dates are complete and have been sent!
When we were figuring out what to do, I turned to Weddingbee for inspiration. Through different bees on the site, I realized I wanted to incorporate a few things: tie in our theme/color scheme (navy and white with starfish accents), create a look that is simple, clean and classic Newport, incorporate some fun/humor, and special details. I think we did a pretty good job of getting the exact look we were going for.
We decided against calligraphy for the envelopes. Our wedding is a little more casual, so we didn’t want super fancy save the dates. We’ll save calligraphy for the invitations to make them a little more formal.
I created envelope liners using the Paper Source templates. I absolutely love envelope liners. I feel like they are an added surprise when you open a letter/note/invitation. Read more…
All-Inclusion Invitation Suites
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