Mrs. Frozen Yogurt, DallasAge and Occupation: 28, Special Projects CoordinatorFiance's Age and Occupation: 26, Equity TraderEngagement Date: March 19, 2009Wedding Date: April 2010Venue: Marie Gabrielle, DallasAbout Me: I was born and raised in Texas, and have lived in several of the cities across the state, but I currently reside in Austin. I went to college in Boston and have a special place in my heart for the Northeast. I love reading, shopping, wine, reuniting with college friends that are scattered across the country, reality TV, trying out new recipes, and attempting all the DIY projects that come along with wedding planning. I'm a "bleeding heart, save the world type" and thankfully my job allows me to work on legislation and policy to help out those in need. I met Mr. Frozen Yogurt in a bar, though he doesn't even drink! And now we are planning a modern yet vintage wedding in Dallas while dealing with the trials and tribulations of first time homeownership.
So, I’ve been trying to figure out what I want to put in our out of town guest bags. But as I procrastinate what to put IN them, I’m trying to figure out what to put the treats in. I found the sweetest glassine bags from Etsy seller In the Clear:
I think these are adorable, and 100 for $5 is such a bargain. 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.
Other than Daffodils, there aren’t too many specific flowers I really love, other than hydrangeas. I love flowers in general, I think they are all pretty much beautiful, but the only two I tend to really love and favor are daffodils and hydrangeas. I know exactly where my love has come for both.
Starfish Dad always planted daffodils in my front yard. I grew up picking them and bringing them in for Starfish Mom. Then when I went to college and was homesick, I was so comforted the next spring when daffodils were in bloom all over down town Newport.
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!
You are probably already aware that Grandma Buttons can sew like a champ. She’s a crafty gal! She even wants to open her own Etsy shop… and I really hope that she does!
Grandma Buttons has Facebook. Yep! Seriously… and she uses it! When I talked about my bridesmaid shoes the other day, she sent me a message saying that she needed a pair in a smaller heel for herself - sassy, wouldn’t you say? Also, Grandma Buttons reads my blog, and has gotten into the “Miss Buttons” moniker.
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!
But ohhh wait a sec, our colors are bright blue and pale yellow! Right.
Remember when I mentioned it was important to stress that blue flowers actually be blue? Well I thought I’d do a test run, and yup, it’s important!
Last week I had our final meeting with the florist just to make a few adjustments, and I got to take home a centerpiece mockup (shown above and below): Read more…
Mrs. Mouse, AustinAge and Occupation: 25, Weddingbee Editor/AttorneyFiance's Age and Occupation: 31, Civil EngineerEngagement Date: December 19, 2007Wedding Date: September 2009Venue: Barr MansionAbout Me: I just graduated from law school and will be taking the bar, getting married, going on a honeymoon with my guy, and then trying to figure out what I'm going to do with the rest of my life. I was born and raised in a small East Texas town, but I'm no country girl! I'm obsessed with British accents, fantasy (including Harry Potter, of course), and classic rock. My fiance and I consider ourselves both music and beer snobs--but every once in awhile we love to hear a crappy band and drink a cheap brew or two. We're planning an eco-friendly, casual, English garden affair for the end of summer, and we can't wait for it to get here!
I actually purchased the guestbook and pens months before the wedding, but for some reason I never blogged about them. And, we ended up not getting too many photos of them at the wedding, either.
But that’s OK. I took some yesterday just for you guys.
Instead of the traditional plain white guest book with lined pages, I chose this repurposed hardcover children’s book that Etsy seller Ex Libris Anonymous turned into a journal. To the original book were added 60 pages of unlined, acid-free paper: perfect for sweet little messages from our guests. The messages ended up looking more like a yearbook than a wedding guest book, but that was OK with us. 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!
When I discovered Martha Stewart during my high school years, I was addicted to her show and would watch it as often as I could. My favorite segment? Good things. She’d teach you one really cool trick to a problem that you never knew was a problem. In addition to learning how to fold a fitted sheet (what? You’re saying folding it in half and rolling it up isn’t right?), I learned how to tie a perfect bow. After that episode, I remember sitting there practicing and practicing until I figured out how to tie a perfect bow. I can’t remember if my bow is the same as Martha’s, but it works, so here’s what to do.
First, tie a knot. I go left over right. I like to try to keep the ribbon flat.
Make a loop with the ribbon end that is lower, in this case, it’s the right side. You’ll notice from here on out, I use my ring finger to hold the knot down and tight. Read more…
Mrs. Pudding, Greater Toronto Area/VermontAge and Occupation: 26, High School TeacherFiance's Age and Occupation: 26, Computer EngineerEngagement Date: August 2008Wedding Date: July 2010Venue: Catholic Ceremony, Cultural Hall ReceptionAbout Me: Quite literally a citizen of the world, I was born in Poland, grew up in Canada, and now live in the beautiful state of Vermont. I love reading historical biographies, multi-tasking, teasing my hair, and, despite my height, wearing high heeled shoes. I am the ultimate klutz with an uncanny ability to put on a graceful front. Mr. Pudding and I have been dating for over six years, and are very excited to finally merge our (very large) families. We are planning a traditional Polish-Catholic wedding that is anything but predictable.
In the last week or so, I have been a DIY wedding machine! I feel very energized and inspired, and I think that this might have something to do with the beautiful weather. Crafting with the windows open to let the breeze and sunshine in is so much more enjoyable than trying to work in a cold, dark room.
I will be unveiling some of my crafting in the weeks to come, but I wanted to start with a project that I finally managed to complete. That’s right, bees: our table numbers!
I took your advice about having more than one pattern serve as the backing, but I really wanted to keep all of them a uniform yellow. So I used the stripes, a damask design, and two different embossed patterns. Read more…
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.
Photog and buddy Kevin (from Right Angle Images) along with second shooter A (one of my beloved bridesmaids) went on a marathon 10-hour engagement photo shoot around our favorite places in San Francisco. You’ll hopefully be seeing some of these (and others) on our save-the-dates, guestbook, and honeymoon registry. Here are some of our favorites:
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!
I was doing a little shopping for work on Monday when it happened. I found my wedding shoes. THE wedding shoes. In a sea of red-soled romanceabilities it was lust love at first sight! The fervent sighs, the quick caresses, the delicious smell, the quiver in my voice when I asked for them in my size…
Anyhoo, after our quickie in the Sak’s shoe department I had ‘em bagged up, AND just like that I had wedding shoes.
Seriously, they just jumped off the shelf and with a little enabling encouragement from my boss* (yup she’s awesome!) I took ‘em home. Yesterday I tried them on with my dress, and—giant squeal—I LOVE them!
I know they’re not sky high. I know they’re not chunky kick-ass platforms. I know they weren’t even a contender in either of my previous posts. And to top it all off, they are, gasp, flats!
Yes. I’m really going to wear flats at my wedding, people. Take that grass/gravel! And hand me another cocktail—I won’t be teetering around in sky high heels. Nope. Now I can drink with confidence on the most important day of my life.
And I feel (mostly) comfortable with both the price and the future wearability of these little ladies. Read more…
Mrs. Dumpling, Las VegasAge and Occupation: 27, FinanceFiance's Age and Occupation: 34, Real EstateEngagement Date: March, 2008Wedding Date: March, 2009Blogging Since: August 26, 2008Venue: Catholic church ceremony & golf course receptionAbout Me: I grew up in the Deep South, and while most people say I have a thick southern accent, I tend to think it only comes out when I need to use it. Living in Las Vegas has definitely been an adventure and Mr. Dumpling and I are loving every minute of it! We are planning a traditional Catholic wedding ceremony and a reception with lots of DIY! We might even get Elvis to show up! I'm a HUGE Beatles fan, love The Office and can't wait to become a Mrs.!
We named the Southern dishes on our dinner buffet after family members on my side, but we also wanted to think of a way to honor Mr. Dumpling’s family as well. We knew that we wanted a cookie buffet as our wedding favors for a few reasons. First, we could send our guests—-most of whom were from out-of-town—back to their hotel with a midnight snack. Secondly, we knew that if we had a variety of cookie choices that it would be a great place to incorporate his side of the family.
Mr. Dumpling emailed a few of the most important women in his life—Aunts, SIL, Mom, Grandma, and close friend—and asked them to participate by bringing their favorite cookie or treat to the rehearsal dinner (so I would have time to “make” the buffet). They all emailed back ahead of time to let me know what they were planning to bring so I could make the labels for our cookie buffet. This was actually a very easy project, and I’m happy to report that it didn’t enter into my “DIY screw up” file.
Here is the cookie buffet:
Here’s how to make your own cookie buffet—this would also be good for candy buffets. Read more…
Mrs. Trail Mix, New YorkAge and Occupation: 26, PE TeacherFiance's Age and Occupation: 27, MBA StudentEngagement Date: March 2009Wedding Date: June 2010Venue: Tannery Pond at the Darrow SchoolAbout Me: I'm a country girl who somehow found herself living in the Big Apple and loving every minute of it. I'm planning a rustic, country-chic wedding in my hometown in upstate New York and it's going to be a Party with a capital P. White wine, flea markets and running keep me happy and my friends, family and fiance are my world. I'm a little bit crafty, a little bit crazy but mostly just crazy in love.
I’ve been working a few mini-projects (BTW, adding ’-ita’ to the end of a word to signify ’little’ is my favorite Spanglish idiom) that aren’t really own-post worthy but I still wanted to share. None are very complicated and most were made using materials I already had around the house.
First, our “Thank You” sign. I’m hoping I’ll remember to actually use this at some point during the bride and groom portraits (note to self: appoint one of the bridesmaids with the task of remembering it!) since I think it will make for a very sweet thank you note picture. This ridiculously easy project came to me via our dear Martha Stewart. You can get several different templates of the letters here and then just print ’em, cut ’em, hole punch ’em and thread ’em with some ribbon. Add hot glue for reinforcement and snap, crackle, pop! A thank-you sign is born…
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!
It’s taken me months to put together the pieces of our guestbook, mainly because I refused to spend more money that necessary on each piece. I’ve stalked eBay for good deals on postcards that fit our travel theme and spent months thinking about the perfect receptacle for the postcards. Finally, I have pictures!
I am now the proud owner of 180 blank postcards (and 100 some odd used ones—there are some cool old stamps!) for guests to use to write us a well wishes on on our wedding day.
There are a variety of black and white and color postcards, as well as ones reppin’ the US, Europe, Asia and South America. Read more…
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!
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.
Mr Pretzel and I bought a townhouse this summer and then promptly got engaged. While we’d love to do some renovations before I move in after the wedding, the likelyhood of us getting around to it is slim. But in the meantime, we discovered a couple of amazing home improvement salvage stores. The RE Store and Second Use in Seattle are two of our favorite places to browse on a Sunday afternoon. They both stock reclaimed building supplies, doors, windows, kitchen cabinets, granite, fireplaces, light fixtures—you name it—diverting it from the landfill and offering it for a fraction of the price. We actually already scored two full size lockers that we are refinished into extra coat storage from the RE Store..
Pretzel, what on earth does this have to do with weddings? If I had been more savvy, I would have been keeping my eyes peeled for things that could be re-purposed for our wedding. Sure, we’re using milk glass and re-purposing old beer boxes, but I could have been a “Salvage Bride”.
This weekend Mr Pretzel and I attended the “Salvage Bride Workshop” at the RE Store. Read more…
ClassifiedsFeature Launched: April 30, 2008About: A roundup of the best Weddingbee Classified listings.
All-Inclusion Invitation Suites
that aren’t really own-post worthy but I still wanted to share. None are very complicated and most were made using materials I already had around the house.
