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.
Alright, now that I’ve shared the saga of just how annoying these bags were to make, I’m happy to share how I made them and the final result!
My materials included white paper shopping bags ordered from Paper Mart, yellow grosgrain ribbon, a basic hole punch, a custom stamp worth more than its weight in gold, the only light blue 6″ stamp pad in the entire world, and most of my patience and sanity.
(Personal Photo)
The giant, aqua stamp pad that I ended up using for the majority of the bags is not shown here because it had not yet arrived when I decided to give these a go…
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!
Minted.com makes these adorable Yearline Save the Date cards. They look like a postcard but open up to reveal a timeline inside. You can personalize it to tell your couple story, to outline the events of the wedding weekend, etc. We’ve known each other since 2002 so I think it would be fun to include our story on our STDs.
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.
Our rehearsal dinner has been stressing me out lately. You see, with so many out of town guests, we are looking at having a big guest list for the dinner. And when I say “big”, I mean HUGE. And when I say “HUGE”, I mean bigger than many wedding receptions.
The guest list is currently approaching 100.
We don’t have much planned for the rehearsal dinner yet. We have decided that since the wedding will be “Polish light” (we want both of our cultures incorporated), the rehearsal dinner will be a Polish bonanza. We will be serving Polish favorites such as pierogi, cabbage rolls, and barszcz.
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.
I have to approach wedding topics gingerly with Mr. Veggie, lest I be greeted with a roll of the eyes or a throwing up of the hands. (Has Mr. Veggie turned into a teenage girl?)
Attempt #1 (while walking to the beach for a surf)-
Me: So, have you thought about what you might want to wear to the wedding yet?
Mr. Veggie: I thought I might just wear this. (”This” meaning a pair of bright green board shorts with hot pink stars on them that he got for free at the dump.)
Maybe that wasn’t the right moment.
Attempt #2 (early one morning)-
Me: Have you thought about what the groomsmen might wear?
Mr. Veggie: Maybe they could all wear sarongs that match this one.
Did I mention that said sarong is so dearly loved and thin that it is see-through in some conspicuous places? Read more…
Mrs. Pug, New York City/Half Moon Bay, CAAge and Occupation: 33, LawyerFiance's Age and Occupation: 32, dittoEngagement Date: July 2008Wedding Date: March 2010Venue: Ritz-Carlton, Half Moon BayAbout Me: The Mr. and I are two 30-somethings who enjoy tasty sweets of all kinds, our neighborhood wine store, and cuddling with our pug. NYC is where we live and the city we love, but we’re doing the deed out in Northern California. We are trying to keep the affair small, intimate, and manageable. Our motto is: the less people, the better! (I’m kidding.)
What, you didn’t think there would be only one post from me about trains, did you?
At one point or another, most brides have to decide what to do with the train/bustle of their dress. Especially if you’re making your own, like Miss Sewing (jeesh, showoff).
I hadn’t thought much about the train when purchasing my dress, but like most wedding gowns, it came with one:
Ms. Potato Chips, Boston/Narragansett RIAge and Occupation: 29, PhD StudentFiance's Age and Occupation: 30, Personal Trainer/Business Owner/Physical Therapy AssistantEngagement Date: January 1, 2009Wedding Date: June 2010Venue: The Narragansett TowersAbout Me: A semi-professional bookworm, if I could be a literary character I’d be a cross between Jo March and Jane Eyre, only better accessorized and much lazier. My hobbies include sleeping in, seasonal brews, running, Trader Joe’s, and watching Unwrapped and Good Eats with Mr. Potato Chips. I harbor an irrational fear of tulle, crafts, things that are fussy, and overuse of the phrase "Your Special Day". After a year or seven together, down the aisle we go, slouching toward adulthood and planning a Rhodie party with equal parts whimsy, cheer, and pizza.
Last week was my Spring Break. Over the weekend I took time off from tequila shots, hopped off my mechanical bull, and went dress shopping with three of my four bridesmaids.
Sistah Chipz and I are notoriously bad shoppers. We get hungry and cranky if we have to go to more than one store. So, we decided to keep it simple and head to the J.Crew. Luckily our local J.Crew has a wedding section!
Mrs. Yorkie, Miami Age and Occupation: 30, Graduate Admissions CoordinatorFiance's Age and Occupation: 41, Asst. Professor Engagement Date: July 3, 2008Wedding Date: June 2009Venue: Red Fish GrillAbout Me: I’m an East Coast girl with a crafty streak who loves traveling, photography and being outdoors (barefoot, if possible). When I do have to wear shoes, I prefer Mizunos, and have worn out a few pairs running marathons. I have a thing for chai, crossword puzzles, Apples to Apples, The Office and my real-life Yorkie, Bella. My West Coast transplant, Mr. Yorkie, roots for the Buckeyes, loves baseball, and climbs mountains for fun. We’re planning a fun little seaside wedding filled with handmade details and vintage charm. I can hardly wait!
I’ve been thinking a lot — OK, too much — about interesting ways to start my recaps. (For as long as it’s taken me to get them going, I figure I should at least try to make them entertaining to read!) After all of the brainstorming, I’ve come to the realization that there’s really only one way to go. I honestly can’t tell the story of the days leading up to our wedding without first sharing the words that guided and grounded me through the eleven months of our engagement and planning.
The words themselves are simple: Don’t let the details become bigger than the purpose.
In them I found clarity and focus, a reminder of what truly mattered. The phrase instantly became my wedding planning mantra which I repeated daily, sometimes hourly. I even scribbled it on Post-It notes and stuck them around my house and office. Read more…
ContestsFeature Launched: Oct 5, 2006About: Weddingbee contests and giveaways.
Congratulations to our winners: realeastcoaster, farmersdaughter, MaryBon85, BostonHelen, and Leche4evr!
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With its pink-sand beaches and clear-blue waters, it’s easy to see why Bermuda is a dream honeymoon spot. Today we’re giving away 5 copies of Fodor’s 2010 Bermuda guide!
If you’re considering a trip to Bermuda, check out Fodor’s helpful tips here! To enter this contest, just leave a comment below! This contest ends Saturday March 14 at midnight PST.
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!
When we left off, we had just transformed our white gold into a blackened, elongated strip of metal. We had annealed (thanks member GreatDay!) and milled it until it was long enough to create two separate rings for Mr. P and me.
We took that long strip to another station in the shop, where we milled it into the “comfort fit” mold that would slide easily on and off our hands (and feel comfy on!). Now we had a definite “inside” and “outside” to our rings!
Mr. Pencils rolling our metal through the comfort strip mill. Notice that blue marking on Mr. P’s hand on the left? Yeah, he had to write down my ring size to remember it and I did it all on my own. (Funnily enough, we ended up sizing my ring 1/2 size down from where it was originally thought to be—I ended up with a 5 3/4 size ring!)
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 am a huge Etsy fan. One of my most recent finds is seller CaptureCapeMay. I am in love with their work!
We are going for a classic New England feel—a romantic beach elegance vibe for the wedding. I saw Capture Cape May’s stationery and think it fits the theme! We really want to do photo or magnet save the dates, but I think these would perfectly set the tone for our wedding:
This is such a cute Save The Date idea!
I also love the thank you notes. I love DIY, but these are so cute! They could be for guests, parents, readers, or the wedding party! Read more…
Mrs. D'orsay, Baltimore/Lancaster UKAge and Occupation: 24, nonprofit communications Fiance's Age and Occupation: 29, Web site developer and designer; co-owner of men's skincare shopEngagement Date: August 10, 2008Wedding Date: August, 2009Venue: Oakland ManorAbout Me: I'm a Maryland raised environmental policy wonk/activist/organizer and communications aficionado. In the past year I've lived in Baltimore, MD, Tucson, AZ, Miami, FL and Lancaster, England. In my not so spare time I enjoy planning trips with Mr. D' Orsay, visiting friends and family and crafting like a mo-fo. I also enjoy modern dance classes, rugby and soccer but have been banned by my mother, MOHs, and Mr. D' Orsay from playing till after the wedding. I have an unnatural addiction to cheese and shoes, but love Mr. D' Orsay more than either and can't wait to become Mrs. D' Orsay!
I spoke with our accountant today, and thankfully Mr. D won’t have to pay double taxes. Since he will remain a citizen of Her Majesty, and not the US he will file his taxes in the UK.
Thankfully, the US and the UK have laws of reciprocity, essentially meaning that we don’t have to be taxed twice, though there are several countries where that isn’t the case. Mr. D will remain in the pension system for the UK, and pay UK taxes - which makes sense considering all his income is British. Whereas I will pay US taxes, as usual. He *could* choose to pay US taxes instead of UK, but that appears to make the process 369857698456 more complicated. If he has a US job, with US employers it could make more sense for him to file in the US. Since he doesn’t, we’ll be filing with two countries this year. Or rather, we’ll only be taxed once in each country.
I also worried that we would not count as a married couple this year for tax purposes. I thought this was a bit bogus since the US wouldn’t allow Mr. D to work here, AND they wanted to shirk my marital tax benefit? Jerks. Read more…
Mrs. Scissors, LaGrange, GAAge and Occupation: 25, Photography & Graphic DesignFiance's Age and Occupation: 24, Engineering Grad StudentEngagement Date: January 1, 2009Wedding Date: June 2010Venue: Ceremony - First United Methodist Church; Reception - My parents' house!About Me: I’m a six-foot-three bride with a fifty-foot personality! I love great art, fabulous design, intense color, tons of music, indie photography, watching movies on repeat, and being really awesome. This super-tall, Southern, loud, quirky, neurotic artist is marrying a German, quiet, silly, super-amazing roboticist in an eclectic, funky, fun, snazzy, technicolored June wedding. Anything is game for this shindig, for it is all about us! We’re bringing giant paper cranes, six-foot-tall portraits, fortune cookies, a photo booth, a club-circuit DJ, handcuffs, and possibly a kidnapping to this small Southern town. Watch out, y’all, and try to keep up!
Last week, we did the whole picking-a-definite-menu thing with our caterer. In our last meeting which was, ah, like forever ago, we gave him about eleventy-billion ideas and options. I was afraid that all of the ideas we had thrown out would just end up in some giant ramshackle mush of a menu. Thankfully, he made sense of our madness and after a few tweaks, we have ended up with a pretty amazing spread. (I’ll go over logistics and layout later– this is just a noms-time post.)
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!
It is official: I get hung up over the most ridiculous things when it comes to wedding planning.
I think it is perfectly understandable when a bride-to-be frets over the bridesmaid dress selection process. There are so many options, so many colors, so many styles… it can be a daunting task! Well, if you recall, I made that particular decision rather quickly. Remember these?
Aixgoddess is selling her Melissa Sweet “Sidney” gown after her 10-10-10 wedding. She’s asking $1600 + shipping for the size 4 diamond-white dress. She’ll also include a cathedral-length cut-edge illusion veil.
Have a wedding item for sale? Post it with pictures in the Weddingbee classifieds and you might see it featured on the blog!
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!
All-Inclusion Invitation Suites
(Funnily enough, we ended up sizing my ring 1/2 size down from where it was originally thought to be—I ended up with a 5 3/4 size ring!)
I also love the thank you notes. I love DIY, but these are so cute! They could be for guests, parents, readers, or the wedding party!
