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.
Mr. A and I have been waiting until after this past Christmas to register (see: why you need an olive pitter). Once the New Year rolled around, we waited for the perfect opportunity (i.e. an open weekend) to register and signed up for one of Crate and Barrel’s Wedding Registry parties. Now, why’d we do this? One reason – you get the store to yourself. Well, sort of. You get the store to yourself in the sense that the only other people in the store are other engaged couples registering, too (so about 25-30 people max). AND, you get food and mimosas. Score.
So, armed with my registry spreadsheets (you read that right), our scanner and my camera, we took off and started scanning away.
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!
Remember our large wedding party including 8 Wingmen, 8 Hottie Women, and 2 Little Wings? One consequence of a large wedding party is the number of bouquets and boutonnieres you’ll need. I quickly decided that I could DIY some bouts, perhaps even from faux flowers.
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.
A while back I shared that Mr. Cola and I will be staying in a private house on the beach in Kauai for our honeymoon. But due to the cost of flights, we’ve had to update our plans slightly.
I’d been stalking the flight prices from San Francisco to Kauai since last summer, always hoping they’d go down. The lowest I’d ever seen the one direct flight go was to $749 per person, which was last August or September. Still, we held off, hoping they’d go lower.
But now that we’re about three months away, we knew we had to pull the trigger on buying our plane tickets, but obviously we waited too long. As of last weekend, the direct flight we’d been wanting was at $1,212 per person! Seriously?
So we reluctantly started looking at flights with a connection. Usually if I’m flying by myself, I don’t mind a connection, but with Mr. Cola it’s another story. Every single time we fly together it seems that either my luggage gets lost, or we end up with delays the cause us to have to sprint through the airport to make our connection (And you know I’m never wearing comfy shoes! Heels just aren’t fun to run up escalators in!).
As it turned out, none of the other flight options worked very well for us on the way back from our honeymoon. Read more…
Weddingbee GalleryFeature Launched: April 10, 2009About: A collection of inspirational wedding pictures from readers and bees.
BenJerrysBride’s bright bouquet popped against her white gown.
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. Jellyfish, Pleasanton, CAAge and Occupation: 27, Law StudentFiance's Age and Occupation: 26, Air Force PilotEngagement Date: February 21, 2009Wedding Date: September 2010Venue: Casa Real at Ruby Hill WineryAbout Me: In a nutshell, I’m the most optimistic worrywart you’ll ever meet. My family emigrated from Romania to San Jose, CA when I was 8, and I've been a Nor Cal girl ever since! My fiancé is also a Bay Area native, so it’s funny that we met at UCLA, as college freshmen living on the same floor (go Bruins!). Between his career as an Air Force pilot and my path to becoming a lawyer, our relationship has been anything but typical. We currently live together in Berkeley with our puppy Stinson. In addition to spending time with the loves of my life, I enjoy crafting, attempting complicated recipes, environmental law and non-law school reading (Us Weekly, anyone?). Follow along as I plan an elegant 200-person winery wedding, graduate law school, take the Bar exam, get married and get used to the always unpredictable but never boring life of a military spouse!
Ever since we got engaged, one of my favorite wedding items to browse the internets for is wedding cake toppers! I’ve found a few that I really like, and I want to see what you all think!
First up, the “bride feeding the groom” cake topper. We saw this one in a magazine before we were engaged and Mr. Jelly liked it so much he made me rip it out of the magazine and keep it for future reference. We like how it sits on the side of the cake, instead of the top.
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.
Sometimes life just isn’t fair… like when your computer breaks and then your fiance has to go away to a conference for a week and he leaves the same day that your monthly friend comes along and you have cramps so bad you can’t even stand up and then the wedding venue sends an email saying that oops—they’ve double booked your venue.
Wait. What?
Oh yeah, I had a meltdown this week. Well, technically several meltdowns. One via Skype with little Veggie Sis, one via phone with Mr. Veg, and several on my own. These lapses in sanity were prompted by an email from our wedding venue letting us know that our date was no longer available.
Their timing is impeccable. I had actually sent out the last few Save-The-Dates that morning.
This post was supposed to be about our amazing Save-The-Dates, created by the incredibly talented Shari Amos. It was supposed to be about how I was so excited to send them out that I couldn’t sleep the night before. It was supposed to be about doing our first wedding project and having it come out perfectly and just how we (I) imagined. It was supposed to be about getting emails from people telling us what they were going to grow for our big day. But it’s not. Read more…
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!
I’ve loved the trend of decorating the bride’s and groom’s chairs at weddings since the first time I saw it. Here are some inspiration pictures I’ve saved over our engagement:
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!
Building up from the bottom, let’s create some manvites!
We’ll start with some black 8.5″ x 11″ linen card stock. Cut it down to 6.25″ x 11″ and slap a nice bold stripe of red washi paper on. Since the washi paper is so-very-thin, use spray glue to keep it from warping.
Cut out a 6.75″x 3.25″ pocket with notches and everything. I’m so glad I don’t have to do this part, just looking at all the angles gives me hand cramps! 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.
Thank you Miss P.Chipz for the title inspiration! Shooting our engagement pictures in Newport was a blast! Part of me has worried that we are over-obsessing with Newport when it comes to the wedding (it’s where we met, we got engaged, where our engagement shoot was, and where the wedding and thus all wedding photos will be), so for about a minute I questioned whether we should shoot our engagement pictures there. Well, actually, Sister Starfish questioned it. I briefly thought maybe we could take them somewhere else, but I couldn’t think of one place I’d rather take them than Newport.
I am so glad we stuck with Newport. It was a fun walk down memory lane. We started at our college campus. Read more…
Mrs. Penguin, Northern CaliforniaAge and Occupation: 27, Weddingbee Editor in ChiefFiance's Age and Occupation: 30, Doctor of Physical TherapyEngagement Date: January 29, 2007Wedding Date: June 7, 2008Blogging Since: September 14, 2007Venue: Winery in the Gold CountryAbout Me: I love the Spice Girls, dogs with underbites, bean burritos, making messes, high fives, avoiding showers, crossword puzzles, blogs, weddings, and blogs about weddings!
I’d like to not only welcome Miss Turtle to the hive, but also wish her a happy birthday today! Please join me in a round of happy birthday for our newest sea creature: Miss Turtle!
… and many moooore…
Miss Turtle, Central California
Age & Occupation: 21, Art Student/Teacher
Fiance’s Age & Occupation: 22, English Student
Engagement Date: August 16, 2008
Wedding Date: July 2010
Venue: Mr. Turtle’s Grandparents’ backyard, Arroyo Grande, CA
About 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. Sprinkle, Los AngelesAge and Occupation: 26, Preschool Teacher
Fiance's Age and Occupation: 30, Television Production/WriterEngagement Date: December 24, 2008Wedding Date: September 2009Venue: The Marvimon HouseAbout Me: I'm a Bay Area native trying to create a life for myself (and my fiance, and our three cats!) in the vast city of Los Angeles. I love vegan red velvet cupcakes, pilates ,and mid-century furniture. Mr. Sprinkle and I met when my band toured through his city (we bonded over cake and a mutual love of Morrissey) and we are getting married on the four year anniversary of our first date. When I am not teaching preschool (or blogging!) you can find me perfecting recipes, petting kittens, hiking in Griffith Park, and overusing exclamation points. We are planning a vegan, green-as-possible, DIY wedding, and I couldn't be more excited to share all of the details!
Dance dance DANCE. Really, that is all I wanted to do at our wedding (besides the obvious, getting married part). Way back in the planning stages, when I was thinking about evening entertainment, I considered other things to keep people occupied. Like, performance artists and portrait drawers and such. But that would have been overkill. We had a great DJ, a photo booth and tons of booze. That was enough! Read more…
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!
We then progressed to saying maybe, just maybe, we could have a honeymoon registry because we sure would like to travel. 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!
This past weekend, the Morningside Inn held an open house tasting for all of the couples with upcoming weddings. We went to the same tasting in March of 2009 because the anal retentive Pencils booked their venue 18 months out. The second time around was just as good—and this time I got pictures!
To begin with, I met amazing fellow Weddingbee-er stephbolt! I sat down at the same table that she and her family were at, and I was so excited when she recognized me! I asked for a picture with our fiances, and she was kind enough to obliged my paparrazi-ish demand:
Mr. Pencils, Ms. Pencils, Stephbolt, Mr. Stephbolt
The venue had lots of amazing food on hand and my hungry self paused just long enough to take a few photos of hors d’oeuvres. Well have to use stock photos for the rest of the menu.
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!
The Salvation Army has been doing me right lately. I stopped in and found 72 votives for 15 bucks! That’s about 20 cents per votive. My wallet is happy since we were looking at new ones at almost a dollar apiece.
However, a few of these babies had used candles in them and I went back to a previous post about cleaning out votives and tried out all the suggested solutions. I tried, unsuccessfully to pop them out. I got a couple of smaller ones out by digging a knife into it and turning the blade, but that didn’t work on all of them. I microwaved one for a few seconds, but that turned into a goopy mess. While I returned to my try-to-pop-it-out-with-a-knife method, Mr. Lace came up with his own solution.
“Put them in the freezer,” he said. In my mind, I thought it wouldn’t work. I was pretty sure I could do it with a little more elbow grease. But, I reluctantly listened, since he’s an engineer and his job is to solve problems AND my methods had been unsuccessful thus far…
After a few minutes, I went back into the freezer and pulled out my very cold votives. 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)!
OK, so I like to think I’m pretty good at DIY. There hasn’t been a project yet that I haven’t at least succeeded at doing (even if I ended up not liking it!). Last night, however, this changed.
All I wanted to do was create this fluffy thing of beauty like Mrs. D’orsay and Mrs. Spring Roll. Maybe it’s just me, but this little devil is NOT as easy as it looks!!
All-Inclusion Invitation Suites
Dance dance DANCE. Really, that is all I wanted to do at our wedding (besides the obvious, getting married part). Way back in the planning stages, when I was thinking about evening entertainment, I considered other things to keep people occupied. Like, performance artists and portrait drawers and such. But that would have been overkill. We had a great DJ, a photo booth and tons of booze. That was enough!
