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)!
My answer to this question is almost always a resounding YES! But when it came to planning a honeymoon, the Hottie and I were undecided.
It’s not that we didn’t want to go on an uber-fun vaca after all the stress of this year and a half. We just didn’t know if it was worth it to drop the moolah after spending so much on the wedding. There are plenty of “more important” things we could do, like finish paying off our debt so we can buy a house!
BUUUUT, our fun-lovin’ side won this time. We both realized how much this stress is taking a toll on us and decided that a honeymoon would be the perfect way to unwind and start our lives “together” (I use that term loosely, since we’ve been together for over 4 years and living together for 3 1/2!).
On to the fun part… picking a place! The only stipulations we had were tropical and all-inclusive. That doesn’t really narrow the search down at all!
Initially my mind went to the uber-honeymoon spot, Bora Bora. I have been dreaming of vacationing here for years, before I even met Mr. HD, and thought this would be a perfect excuse!
Mrs. Chick, HoustonAge and Occupation: 28, Rights and Reproduction ManagerFiance's Age and Occupation: 29, Computer ProgrammerEngagement Date: November 15, 2008Wedding Date: April 2010Venue: A farm outside of HoustonAbout Me: Mr. Chick and I met almost ten years ago at Baker Blues, a college jazz party. He was attracted to my intensity, and I was mesmerized by his trivia pursuit skills and his dorm furniture adorned with his initials. We've grown more sophisticated through the years, with our love of wine, owning a house together, and parenthood (of a cat), but we have not lost our silliness or childish sense of humor!
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.
When I graduated from 5th grade (which was as big a whoop as you can imagine), I wore some makeup. Granted, I was 11 and it was 1992, but it kind of soured me on blush. Even when sick, sweaty, or overheated, I never turn that color. So the idea of wearing it for my wedding put me on edge. Nonetheless, I gave it a shot during my makeup trial with Vanessa.
In sum, I loved my eyes. I loved how even my skin tone was and I loved how it stayed on all day. I loved Vanessa and her encouragement to try new things, but her willingness to stay with what made me happiest in the end.
I didn’t love the blush after an all-day wear and several self-portraits later. I didn’t love the lips, either, so both of those items will be toned down on the day of. Also, I did not love how gluey it felt when I washed it off later (gross, right?), but it’s par for the course.
Big dramatic eyes make me happy, though. Old Hollywood, here I come.
Mrs. Piglet, Virginia/OahuAge and Occupation: 28, ConsultantFiance's Age and Occupation: 29, Entrepreneur/Fashion Apparel Wholesale ImporterEngagement Date: June 22, 2008Wedding Date: August 2009Venue: Ceremony at the Lanikuhonua Phase II private estate, reception at a historic hotel in WaikikiAbout Me: I'm an East Coast gal with intense road rage and an addiction to romantic comedies, fast food, gadgets, Korean BBQ, and my wiener dog George aka Georgia May. I carry mustard packets in my purse and I love perusing the aisles at discount stores. A self proclaimed shopaholic, I impulsively buy electronics, software, and craft tools; none of which I know how to use. I'm excited to dust
these babies off and immerse myself in DIY projects galore in
preparation for our DW in paradise!
As cocktail hour came to a close, the guests entered the reception room through the lanai-balcony doors while Mr Piglet and I hung with the bridal party at the opposite lobby entrance awaiting our introductions. We know the emcee usually does this, but since our emcee was part of the bridal party, we turned to our very good friend Dan to take on the intros.
You can always count on Dan for some unpredictable behavior. That day, it was him being MIA. We didn’t have to wonder/worry for too long, because friends spotted Dan walking from the beach, surfboard in tow, finger to his lip in the *shh* gesture. I have no idea how he did it (sprinted I imagine), but he made it with time to spare, looking quite dapper no less. He was greeted with some punches and kicks courtesy of the groomsmen. Feel the love?
With mic in hand, Dan kicked it off.
“Ladies and gentlemen… please give a warm welcome and round of applause as we introduce the wedding party…”
Each pair had a little number planned for their intro, and they totally rocked it!
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 may not be crazy about Tiffany’s, but Sister Starfish is.
I may not have mentioned that Sister Starfish and I were engaged within the same year. She and BIL Starfish were engaged in March and Mr. Starfish proposed in October. We spent an entire year of planning two weddings at once! It was crazy, busy, and a lot of fun. Her wedding was this past October, and it was my first time in a wedding party. I was her Maid of Honor and I have to say it was pretty awesome going through it all with her the year before my own wedding.
I had so much fun planning her shower and helping her with DIY projects, that I thought I’d share them with the hive! So hopefully you’ll enjoy some projects from her shower and wedding and it won’t be too confusing when trying to follow along with the Starfish wedding!
BIL Starfish bought Sister Starfish’s engagement ring from Tiffany’s and randomly surprises her with jewelry from there for no reason. Lucky girl! So I it was fitting that her wedding shower was inspired by the one and only Holly Golightly. That’s right… her bridesmaids and I pulled off a Breakfast at Tiffany’s theme.
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!
“Oh, thank you! Just what I always wanted! This jewelry box that will only hold two pairs of earrings will go really well with the other 6 I’ve collected from graduations, sweet 16s and Christmases!”
None of the Lambaids would ever say that in real life, but I knew that if I got a jewelry box with my initials on it, that’s what I would think in my own head. I love the 6 I already have, but I just feel that my collection is complete now. In light of this, I had a hard time figuring out what I thought the Lambaids would all appreciate. I had thought of personalizing each gift and began to ask them what they wanted. I’m practical like that. My family asks what I want for Christmas, they get what I asked for, and though there are few surprises on Christmas morning, everyone seems happy that they didn’t waste a million hours shopping and we all got something we liked. The Lambaids’ consensus was that they wanted something sentimental and would leave it up to me.
I really wanted to treat the girls to something nice, sentimental, that would appeal to all of them, that had a tinge of vintage appeal, and that was within my budget. I’m not going to lie, this was a tough tasking for me.
Working on the assumption that if I should choose something that I would love to have for myself, I narrowed it down to a few options. 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!
A few weeks ago I came out at Paper Source. Yup. I was snagging my envelopes and paper for our STDs and got to chatting with the Paper Source girl and she told me that if she ever lost her (freakin’ ginormous) diamond she wanted to get a ring like mine. I had no choice but to take this as a compliment. She then asked if it was “his” idea and I said, “no, it was her idea,” and without skipping a beat we continued our conversation about which way my wrap around labels should go. No big deal right?
Now as you all know, I pretty much picked out my ring myself so I could very easily have completely avoided gender specific pronouns and just stuck with a simple “I actually picked it out myself” type response. Read more…
Mrs. French Fries, MilwaukeeAge and Occupation: 27, ParalegalFiance's Age and Occupation: 35, Investments AdvisorEngagement Date: September 20, 2008Wedding Date: June 2010Venue: Ceremony: Catholic Church, Reception: Hotel BallroomAbout Me: I'm a Midwestern girl who longs to live in a warmer climate (my feet would be happy in flip flops any day!). I love travel, impromptu napping, grilled cheese sandwiches, my iPhone, singing with reckless abandon in my car, and Mr. French Fries.
There are certain things that I’ve determined that I will never wear. Contained on this list?
Crocs. I know, they’re “super comfortable!” But, I just can’t.
Rompers/Jumpsuits that American Apparel is desperately trying to sell. They look like adult onesies to me.
Empire waist tops/dresses/etc. They’re flattering on many women, but I just look like I’ve had one too many quesadillas.
Harem Pants. I’m sorry, these should have been left in the early ’90s, along with MC Hammer.
A Bluetooth headset and/or my cell phone clipped to my pants. No. Just… no. I’m not in the CIA.
Acid washed anything. ‘Nuff said.
If you would have asked me, aprés wedding, if hoop skirts were on this list, I would have channeled Napoleon Dynamite and responded with a resounding ”heck yes!” After all, what do I look like, Scarlett O’Hara? But, the unthinkable has happened. Kids…I’m wearing a hoop skirt. You can call me Scarlett.
Mrs. Oyster, DallasAge and Occupation: 30, Music TeacherFiance's Age and Occupation: 46, Art TeacherEngagement Date: January 9, 2009Wedding Date: July 2010Venue: The Tower ClubAbout Me: I'm a Texa-Californian with a penchant for sparkly things and a tendency to think a lot. I've been known to sing random songs or dance when there is no music on. My fiance and I love world culture, we love to travel, and we have an incredibly eclectic taste in music. We’re thrilled to have the opportunity to celebrate our marriage with our family & closest friends. We're planning an “urban black-tie” wedding and hope to incorporate our personalities and some of our own interests. We look forward to a life of love, laughter, good music, beautiful art, and to creating our home together with our four (!) cats.
An uncomfortable issue, for sure, but one worth talking about: wedding insurance.
The quickest way to get me to have a panic attack is to show me the wedding budget, and compare it to what’s actually in our accounts. Sure, we have plans to save up (a whole schedule, in fact), and we aren’t going into debt for our wedding (hooray!) and we have it all planned out. But you know what they say - God laughs when you make plans!
So, now that we’re about to put down some hefty deposits (therefore committing to pay large amounts), we hope God is not laughing too hard. I’m thinking about wedding insurance. 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!
Disclaimer: The stats in the statistics regarding marriage and divorce are not accurate. I looked it up here and here. The info on Ph.D. are sadly pretty close to accurate in my opinion.
Anyone ready PhD Comics? It usually makes me feel better about my sad life as a grad student that never seems to come to an end.
Anyways, this comic reminded me of the difficulty and rewards of being in a relationship with another academic. And seriously, there are crazy rewards AND crazy difficulties.
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!
Finally! I’m on spring break! But no crazy cruises for me… I’ve got more important things on my agenda. This is the week I’ve been waiting for since Christmas break, the one that I’ve been pushing everything on the Turtle wedding to-do list toward. “I’ll figure that out spring break.” “I’ll just wait and make that decision spring break.” “I have plenty of time to make those, during my spring break!” Well here it is, and it’s time to get deciding and DIY-ing!
So far, I am feeling pretty overwhelmed and can already feel this week beginning to fly by! I have a crazy amount of decisions to make, and inconveniently enough, I have been quite indecisive. There are a couple decisions in particular that I am about ready to pull my hair out over! And then it hit me… take it to the hive!
The first thing I’m just dyyyying to check off my to-do-list: our groomsmen’s attire!
Hypercrazy38 is selling a gorgeous pair of never-worn Haute Bride earrings. They are style ss-EC405 and are encrusted with swarovski crystals and rhinestones. She’s asking $110 firm.
Have a wedding item for sale? Post it with pictures in the Weddingbee classifieds and you might see it featured on the blog!
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!
After the successful makeup trial, I sat for my hair trial. I asked my stylist Bethany to not judge my split ends or my sadly printed inspiration photos and did my best to describe what I was looking for.
I’ve been steadily letting my hair grow since we got engaged in July of 2008 with hopes of a somewhat romantic but not overly soft, feminine but not too “weddingy”, slightly flower child half updo. Not too much of a feat, yeah? Here were the photos I brought along for inspiration:
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.
I can’t wait to walk down the aisle, but the big question is: which one?
I love my Church. Love, love, love. It has a pretty unique layout, especially for a Catholic Church. For weekly Mass I find the layout interesting but for our wedding I find it frustrating. After months of contemplation, I think we have finally figured out a solution but at times I felt like I was working on a logic problem.
Back in December, Mrs Lamb’s post 1 Aisle, 2 Aisle, Bride Aisle, Groom Aisle inspired me to thoroughly document (in PowerPoint) the layout of my Church and the different options that we had for seating and processional. At first glance you might say that my Church is in the round, except there is nothing round about it. 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.
Phew! My bridesmaids and brother Fro Yo’s girlfriend put together the most amazing bachelorette weekend ever, and I wanted to tell you all about it yesterday, but my head was pounding and I needed a day to recover. Well, I’m recovered and ready to spill the deets.
We started out with a delicious brunch made by bridesmaid Sydney:
But when it came to planning a honeymoon, the Hottie and I were undecided.
Unique Wedding Favors
She then asked if it was “his” idea and I said, “no, it was her idea,” and without skipping a beat we continued our conversation about which way my wrap around labels should go. No big deal right?
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