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.
I booked the church without ever actually stepping foot inside. This is a little out of character for me. I typically research up a storm on everything wedding related. The weekend after making it official, I just had to go and see it, partially to ease my mind, so I’d have no worries. So, the following Sunday after booking, I had two of my bridesmaids come on a mini road trip to Newport… to go to church.
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.
So, back when Mr. Argyle and I were trying to figure out what we were going to do for our centerpieces (see: no flowers), we couldn’t agree on a design.
I had this brilliant idea to use lanterns. He agreed (Yes!). Now, the question was, how do we use these lanterns? Do we hang them, connect them to dowels? What?
So, we agreed to hang them. But after much thought, we still felt that our tables were going to be bleh if we hung all of them. So I scoured the web for some good ideas, and found this:
I loved the idea of semi-hanging them from dowel rods, so they had the appearance of a true centerpiece, but were still hanging. Read more…
Mrs. Strawberry, SeattleAge and Occupation: 25, Radio DJ, Advertising Sales, Day of Wedding CoordinatorFiance's Age and Occupation: 26, EngineerEngagement Date: 07/04/2006Wedding Date: September 1, 2007Venue: Lake Union Cafe, SeattleAbout Me: I'm a Navy brat that has lived all over the world. I love reality shows that are in poor taste, going to new restaurants, and trying to be crafty. Emphasis on trying!
Although, I am worried it will be peed on. No, I’m not going to go ride the subway with it on. I’m participating in Tuxes and Tails—a benefit to raise money for the Seattle Humane Society. So I have to get all dressed up and walk my little monsters down the runway. Here are said monsters—Dr. Newton and Mrs. Beasley. She’s training to be a lion tamer/dental hygienist. More cuteness here by the way. Totally pimping out my pets. I’m okay with that.
Anyway, I love doing anything to support animals so I am so excited for this event and a chance to wear my wedding dress again. I think I’m going to throw a fun cardigan on though so I don’t look like I’m about to run to the chapel. Here is my dress to refresh your memory: 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.
I finally pulled the trigger on ordering the bridesmaids’ dresses! Thank you so much for all of your support and encouragement in making this very difficult decision. I really couldn’t have done it without you!
How gorgeous are my Ladies?
Where did this hesitation come from? I am usually a very decisive person - very “down to business”. So what caused me to go so loopy?
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!
Maybe you’re DIYing every last detail. Maybe you don’t even know what they acronym means. Either way, I guarantee that you will need some adhesive. For something. Something will come up during the course of planning that needs to be attached together. Glue - it’s just another one of those unspoken things that come along with weddings.
I admit, I had a glue-box before I was engaged:
But I find my stock of the sticky stuff has started increasing tremendously. Here’s what’s been accumulating: Read more…
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’ve got shoes issues. Apparently it’s the trend around these parts, huh? Check Miss Cola and Miss Stripes.
My requirements were quite simple. HIGH! I’m 5 feet tall and Mr. Hot Wings is 6, so it can be difficult to dance together and such. Mama Hot Wings also insisted on height. Don’t worry, I wear heels all the time, and I think my figure skating days made my feet OK with pain. I also wanted them to be of a color.
Right after I found the dress, I rushed around thinking I wanted gold shoes. They would match my coral Ao Dai for the tea ceremony and would go with our color scheme.
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!
One of the things I really, really want to have at our wedding is the saber arch. The saber arch is a privilege that only military personnel get to have and I think it’s so cool! Here are some pictures:
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.
We finally registered for the wedding at the end of February (more on this soon). We were putting it off for a number of reasons, mostly because we wanted to wait until after the holidays. We had a feeling some of our family members would buy us wedding gifts for the holidays, so we opted to hold off. Plus, it was still a bit early.
For a while I have been making a list of things we already have, things we want to replace and things we do not have, but want. Now, I’ll tell ya, there are a few items that just seemed unnecessary. Included on this list was an olive pitter. You see, I like olives. A lot. So much so in fact, when I was a little girl I used to put black olives on each of my fingers and then eat them off (you can ask my mother about this). I pretty much LOVE black olives. Green olives? Not so much.
Well, the other night, Mr. Argyle came up with this recipe on his own (kudos for him for getting kitchen creative, since that’s always my job). He wanted chicken breast, a mixture of olives and tomato sauce. Easy enough. So, we set out to the grocery store to get the items we did not have – olives and tomato sauce. 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 have to admit, there have been very few pleasant surprises during this wild ride of wedding planning, particularly when it comes to the cost. Most unexpected discoveries have been along the lines of:
“Oh, crap/dangit/fudge/other stronger expletive, that event insurance I thought cost $50 is actually $350.”
Or
“We need to rent a golf cart so our guests can use the bathroom? And that costs how much?”
Or
“After adding up the cost of decorating our OOT bags, I realized that it was officially double what we budgeted.” 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.
Back in January on Ribs’s birthday, we visited Philly for our engagement photos. Ms. Candy Corn had advertised that she was doing a few pro bono sessions to build her portfolio and I jumped at the chance. Our wedding day photographer, Heidi, is based in Atlanta, so we probably would have skipped these if it weren’t for Candy Corn’s generosity!
When it came to picking out the wardrobe, I will admit there wasn’t much rhyme or reason. I wanted us to look coordinated, but not matchy matchy. This is the breakdown!
My outfit
Long-sleeved black onesie from American Apparel (necessary for the short skirt!)
Tweety3474 is selling four damask themed clear stamps, the clear large stamp block that the stamps adhere to, and a large Jet Black Ink pad. The entire lot is $20 plus shipping.
Have a wedding item for sale? Post it with pictures in the Weddingbee classifieds and you might see it featured on the blog!
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.
A few months after the proposal, a couple of friends threw us an amazing engagement party.
They held the party at The Estate, a fancy nightclub in Boston. The bachelorette scene from Bride Wars was filmed there. Apparently, Kate Hudson is a huge fan of the club.
I’m a new fan, too! It was the perfect setting for the party. My friends reserved a private room. It was actually two rooms, one had a bar and music, and the other side was a little more intimate. Read more…
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.
We knew early on that we wanted to have a kids’ table with all sorts of goodies for the kids. I also knew that I wanted to make a special activity book for the kiddos to keep them occupied. Luckily, making an activity book was a lot easier than I thought it might be. I just Googled “coloring book wedding” and all sorts of wonderful free images popped up. I used Microsoft Publisher to put everything in a book template and I was set to start printing. I used white cardstock, twine and a hole punch to pull it all together. Here was my end product:
I wanted to use some of the larger ribbon I had leftover from my ribbon wands to tie through the hole punch, but I found that when the kids would open the books to start coloring, the ribbon would get in the way. It was cute, but not practical.
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.
Remember my Camp v. Farm dilemma? Well, the more farms I looked into, the more wise to the “farm wedding” industry I became.
Most of the farms that I found that hosted weddings were not working farms any more (of course there are exceptions). While many of them used to be farms, they now exclusively do events. Some have a small veggie garden, and a few are actually working farms, but many don’t grow any food at all.
I asked one of the owners about this. He had been farming for 40 years and just started doing weddings 5 years ago. “The truth of it is, I can make more money on a wedding weekend than I can in practically a whole season of growing food. It’s a better investment for me to keep renovating for events than to put money into growing food.” Huh? Wow.
So, if the food wasn’t going to be grown on the farm (in most cases), what were we getting for our money? A beautiful venue. A finely catered meal (generally organic, some local). Great service. All this for a fairly high price tag.
Mrs. Parfait, ChicagoAge and Occupation: 26, TeacherFiance's Age and Occupation: 24, Senior Online ConsultantEngagement Date: February 14, 2009Wedding Date: April 2010Venue: Signature EventsAbout Me: I have a soft spot for all things sweet and romantic. Desserts, love songs, sappy movies? Yes, yes, and ohh yes. My fiance and I enjoy singing to our dogs, creating crazy ice cream sundaes, and generally being lovey dovey cuddle bunnies. We also do socially acceptable things like dancing, throwing Frisbees, playing high stakes board games, and taking unreasonably fun road-trips. We're planning a Korean/Serbian wedding with plenty of playful, personal touches!
Hello, all! Sorry for being ridiculously MIA lately. After our spontaneous move and all of the resulting craziness, Mr. Parfait’s work treated us to a much-needed vacation! We spent a week under the sun in Costa Rica and just flew in last night. When we walked into our condo, we suddenly remembered all that we had left behind. Namely, this:
The week before we left was extremely stressful and sprinkled with a few all-nighters. Our goal was to finish our invitations before we flew off, and it seemed like the closer we got to the finish line, the more obstacles appeared. To be honest, we really had the easy part—my cousin Julie designed every piece, The Aerialist Press printed them, and our families finalized the guest list. So what kept us up ’til the wee hours every night? Read more…
All-Inclusion Invitation Suites
