Mrs. Hot Cocoa, Boston/Los AngelesAge and Occupation: 31, JD/PhD StudentFiance's Age and Occupation: 32, Medical StudentEngagement Date: May 30, 2008Wedding Date: March, 2009Blogging Since: April, 2008Venue: Ritz Carlton, Marina Del ReyAbout Me:
I am a professional student by day and an amateur cupcake taster, bargain shopper, and wedding planner by night. I am obsessed with NPR, the Food Network, paper, dance shows, Anthropologie, post-structuralist theory, Weddingbee!, "The Office," and celebrity gossip. When not procrastinating from my dissertation, I spend time catering to Jellyby, our overly anxious shih tzu, and getting to know Mr. Hot Cocoa. We have only been dating for fifteen years, so it's like I'm in love with a stranger! From the East Coast, we are planning a Jewish-Chinese Extravaganza in L.A., where we both grew up.
One year ago, on this date, we had a pretty awesome Chewish wedding.
In the last 364 days, we bought a house and moved in together after almost fifteen years of long-distance dating; one of us started an exhausting medical residency, while the other had on-again, off-again relationship with a Ph.D. from hell; our families celebrated weddings and reconciliations and survived difficult illnesses and hospitalizations… 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.
I am so bad with surprises. I like to know things. I like to plan. I don’t like the unknown. Surprise showers and bachelorette parties don’t work for me. My family knows me and is being nice and promises they will tell me when they pick the shower date. They are also letting me pick my theme. They just won’t let me know any of the details, which is a pretty fair compromise.
Starfish Mom is so excited to help throw the shower, she has already started to plan for it. She has come home from work quite a few times to tell me she found something perfect for the shower, and she is so excited, but won’t give me anything else!
When it came to theme, there was only one option: Afternoon Tea. It’s very classic, and my favorite them. My friends and I actually go to tea quite often, and there are so many options for afternoon tea in Boston, we hope to try them all!
The only other item I requested was to have daffodils. Daffodils are everywhere in Newport in the spring, and during our first year of dating Mr. Starfish brought me daffodils all the time. They are my favorite flower and I hope they’ll somehow be included in the shower.
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. 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!
Thank you so much for your advice and good wishes in response to my shoe post yesterday! This morning, I had a dress fitting at my bridal salon. It was my second fitting without shoes, and I know I’m making it hard on the sweet lady who’s altering my dress. She’s still waiting to see what shoes I pick before she hems the front and creates the bustle.
Motivated by her generous patience (and from writing my shoe post), I went on a shoe shopping spree. I ignored all boundaries concerning price, heel height, and style. If I saw a pink shoe in my size, I bought it. I came home with three rosy pairs:
All photos by yours truly
After writing my last post, I realized how much the exact shade of pink mattered to me. 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!
Instead of using Martha’s tutorial as many have used, I used Zakka Life’s tutorial for tissue poms. The major difference are the rounded edges, 2 slits in the middle of the accordion folds, and using yarn to tie them.
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.
In the early months of planning, I was a little agitated because negotiations with our intended venue seemed to be a bust. Each time we talked with them, we wound up with more questions than answers. We loved this place and wanted to make it work for us.
So I jumped online to look at some backup options (being prepared to walk away, whether you state it or not, is always a good bargaining chip) and found some great ideas, and then got sidetracked by—what else?—wedding photography.
I remembered what I always promised I’d do while planning my wedding, and that is to focus on what the wedding is all about. 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.
The bride’s day-of attire is a surefire cost suck. As usual, the groom’s attire is anything but.
My groom isn’t a tuxedo person, exactly. He looked handsome in a tux at his brother’s wedding in 2008 (see below); a) don’t mind the jig, b) yes, he’s wearing cowboy boots, c) yes, it was in Texas. As nicely as he cleaned up that day, it still felt like he was playing-dress-up. Has anyone felt the same way seeing their fella in a tux? Anyway, encouraging him, his groomsmen, his ushers, and our dads to wear their own black suits on Big Day was our preferred option.
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.
Mr. Veggie and I are in that weird place where we’re not quite sure what to call each other in public. “Boyfriend”/”girlfriend” sounds like he just asked me to the eighth grade dance. And I certainly can’t use our pet names in public. (Immigration: Why are you applying for this visa. Me: My um… lovey… is a full-time student?)
But “fiance” has just never sounded right to us. Plus, if I introduce myself as Mr. Veg’s fiance it inevitably leads to long conversations about wedding planning and proposals and sometimes I just don’t want to get into all that with strangers (that’s why we have the hive, right?).
Luckily here in New Zealand the use of the word “partner” is fairly common, and we’ve taken to using that pretty often. But it does sound pretty formal, and since I have a boyish name can lead to some mild, yet entertaining, confusion.
So, we don’t really have this problem solved, but occasionally if I’m talking to a stranger, who I’ll likely never see again, and Mr. Veggie is out of earshot, I’ll label Mr. Veggie as my “husband”. Read more…
WatercoolerFeature Launched: July 1, 2007About: The most discussed posts of the week.
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’m officially settled into Happy Valley with Burger, our families and our friends, and it’s time for this Cheeseburger to get hitched!
I cannot thank you all enough for your support, kind words, and encouragement throughout my time as an engaged bee. Writing for Weddingbee has been a true joy and an absolute honor.
To my amazing family and friends who have shared in my excitement, especially my mother, sister, sister-in-law, mother-in-law, bridesmaids, and honorary bestie D - thank you. You have made my wedding planning experience more wonderful than I ever could have imagined or hoped for. To my parents - thank you for everything. And to Burger, thank you for becoming my friend, for loving me without question, and for being my forever and always. I am so lucky to have you, and I am looking so forward to our life together!
<3
Cheeseburger
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 couldn’t help but share these adorable photos of a bride and groom who took their wedding attire up on the mountain for some snowboarding action! Clane Gessel Photography convinced this couple to hit the slopes after their wedding and show off their skills. The bride is so brave—I can’t imagine careening down a mountain in a flowy dress!
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!
We’re planning on setting up the back table with framed wedding photos of our immediate family members. Over the last few months, my mama’s been scouring stores for the appropriate frames for this project. Read more…
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!
I’ll be honest - makeup and hair did not even make it onto my original wedding To-Do list. It was something I hadn’t even thought of, and unfortunately didn’t include in the budget, either (gulp)! Since most days (okay, every day) I do absolutely nothing to my hair but just let it dry in all it’s stick-straight glory, I was not used to thinking about this unusual thing people called a “hairstyle”.
Only when people started frequently asking me how I was wearing my hair and doing my makeup did I finally decide I needed to figure things out - and it was at that point that realization sank in.
I have no idea what I’m doing.
Why oh why would I decide to do it myself for my wedding?! Luckily it was not too late to find a great hair/makeup team, and I booked Amie Decker and Kelley Small from Amie Decker Makeup! Now I could rest easy in the knowledge that I would not look like a clown, and would not be suffering from multiple facial burns thanks to fighting a curling iron.
This week, I had both my hair and makeup trials, and first up was hair. What did I want? In a nutshell, this: 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!
I have a recurring nightmare where I’m crawling around on the ground in the dark, in my wedding dress, and picking up flower petals in an attempt to return our venue to its original state and ensure that we get our deposit back. Drunkenly crawling.
Well it’s not really a nightmare (yet) but I think about it. A lot. During the day. Along with the myriad other organizational tasks that have to be taken care to pull off this whole wedding shindig. It makes my head hurt and I’d prefer to think about bridal accessories, paper cranes and any task I can DIY now. Instant gratification, ya know?
I think when you’re a DIY bride* it is hard to let go of the fantasy (nightmare) that you can really do everything yourself. 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.
No one wants to share their special day, even the leading-up-to-the-special day events like trying on gowns and wearing the bachelorette crown at the parties. Best to get over it quick, though, because no one else cares.
It’s a toughie, for sure. From the moment you tell people (vendors, namely), that you’re the bride, the wise business decision is to treat you like a queen, like you’re the first person in the history of the world to get married. If they don’t, no one would want to get married and get their turn at being bridezilla, after all. Some (a little? a lot?) bride pandering is to be expected. But some goes beyond the pale; behold this hilarity from Passive Aggressive Notes (click on over to read the whole thing!).
All-Inclusion Invitation Suites
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