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!
One day, not too long ago, I was over at a friend’s house for a birthday party. It was a potluck and when my friends and I have potlucks, the food is always good. Not those crappy potlucks where people bring lame dishes in hopes that someone else brings something good. Nope. At our parties, everyone brings good food.
Well, I was going for my third Porto’s cheese roll when I said, “I probably shouldn’t eat this. There’s this white dress I need to make sure I can fit into in a couple months.”
A friend who is also getting married in June said, “Are you on the LGN diet too?”
“Huh? What’s that?” I said.
He laughed and walked away.
I thought and I thought and couldn’t figure it out so I asked one of our other friends if he knew what it was.
He, too, laughed at me and said, “the Look Good Naked Diet.”
“Ohhh. (pause) OHHHHH.” It took me a second.
So, I’ve never been really good at dieting. Read more…
Mrs. Seashell, Chicago, IL / Providence, RIAge and Occupation: 28, Marriage and Family TherapistFiance's Age and Occupation: 31, Electrical EngineerEngagement Date: September 3, 2009Wedding Date: September 2010Venue: The Glen Manor HouseAbout Me: Fonts and fashion, stationery and Sundays, photography and french toast... the beauty is in the details for this fun-loving Chicagoan who loves to plan plan plan! The soon-to-be hubs plays "Mr. Fix-It" in our new condo while I swoon over beautiful, personalized stationery and choose shades of aubergine for my bridesmaids' dresses... and thus begins my new fairy tale! Skirting to the East Coast for our September nuptials where my home state of Rhode Island awaits with fall foliage, I'm just a few dress fittings and bachelorette party away from saying "I Do" to a very happy ending!
I feel like wedding colors, in many ways, set the tone for the wedding. I think of pink and green as springy and fun whereas aqua and red are a little more offbeat and funky. For me, a black and white wedding seemed like a perfect fit. I just can’t argue with a clean, modern simplicity.
Isabelledaude is selling a vintage custom-made lace bolero. Inspired by Grace Kelly’s wedding attire, this size small bolero was worn in 1951 and has all its original delicate buttons. She’s asking $75.
Have a wedding item for sale? Post it with pictures in the Weddingbee classifieds and you might see it featured on the blog!
Mrs. Hamster, New York CityAge and Occupation: 28, Finance GalFiance's Age and Occupation: 30, Finance GuyEngagement Date: March 9, 2009Wedding Date: May 2010Venue: The Pierre HotelAbout Me: I'm an original Jersey girl living it up in the big NYC! I love baking for others, hosting brunches, and exploring NYC with my mans. Besides Mr. Hamster (of course), I'm attracted to shiny things, bold colors, snacks, matching and coordination, pork and duck fats, miniature versions of things, corny jokes and puns. We are planning a swanky Spring wedding in the heart of NYC, followed by a second reception in Singapore. From one city that never sleeps to another - I can't imagine a more exciting ride!
Mrs. Dolphin, Gainesville, FLAge and Occupation: 24, Graduate Architecture StudentFiance's Age and Occupation: 24, Interactive Interface DeveloperEngagement Date: February 14, 2008Wedding Date: May 2010Venue: Plantation Bay Country ClubAbout Me: I’m currently a Graduate Student at the University of Florida studying Architecture. I enjoy playing Scrabble with my Fiance, rooting for the Florida Gators, making any drink that involves a blender, cleaning (yes... I’m crazy), design... GOOD design that is, the new Pepsi with natural sugar, taking pictures, discovering new places in the U.S., and obsessing over doing (and designing) everything myself for our upcoming wedding!
After a rather dull and long day, I took a break and took the bus home to pick up my car before heading back to school. When I approached our front door I found a little square package on our doorstep. My bridal hair flowers from Handle & Spout had arrived! {Happy dance}
I quickly ran inside to open the box (Dolphin Kitty was quite annoying and insisted on trying to be ALL over me while I was trying to open the package). Here are these sweet thangs (Yes, ’things’ are spelled ’thangs’ in the South. All good Southern girls know this).
Mrs. Lobster, BrooklynAge and Occupation: 29, Finance GirlFiance's Age and Occupation: 33, Finance BoyEngagement Date: July 25, 2009Wedding Date: August 2010Venue: Stage 6 Steiner StudiosAbout Me: I'm a New York-born, Virginia-bred girl who's found her way back to the big city. Mr. Lobster and I met in grad school and have been together ever since. I'm clueless about DIY but am an avid online shopper and love all things polka dots, stripes, and ruffles! When I'm not making wedding lists, you can find me looking for snacks, watching Gilmore Girls, or hanging out with Mr. Lobster and our new puppy Buddy! We are planning a fancy-pantsy Brooklyn wedding for a hot New York summer night which is sure to be a misadventure in the making.
Now that we’ve decided on our Save-the-Date design, it’s time to figure out all those envelope details: liners and how to address the envelopes. (Today we’ll just look at liners because the address thing is another whoooole debate.)
Envelope Liner Inspiration. Paper Source has some amazing pre-cut envelope liners for certain sizes (A7 being most popular and also most often sold out). They also have a wide array of fine paper that you can buy and DIY liners in the same patterns.
Mrs. Octopus, Boston, MA/Pittsburgh, PAAge and Occupation: 25, Grad StudentFiance's Age and Occupation: 26, Graphics Operator for TV NewsEngagement Date: May 6th, 2009Wedding Date: September 2010Venue: Heinz Chapel Ceremony, Museum Reception
About Me: When my best friend dragged me to a toga party in our freshmen year of college, I was not expecting to meet my future husband; but seven years later, here we are. I'm a crazy-organized planner at heart, and I am a great lover of random trivia, books, chocolate, blogs, new and exciting adventures, mockumentary-style television, and anything heavily flavored with bright orange fake cheese powder. We're planning a festive and fun mini-destination wedding in the place where we met: fabulous Pittsburgh, PA! I can't wait to marry the man I love!
Have any of you read One Perfect Day: The Selling of the American Wedding, by Rebecca Mead? If you haven’t, a quick summary is that it’s a non-fiction sociological-type book exploring the inner workings of the wedding industry. I read it a while ago—way before Mr. Octopus and I were engaged—so I don’t remember that much about it. But the other day, a particular statistic Mead had quoted ran through my mind, so I looked the book up on Amazon.
What struck me once I got to the page, though, was this quote from the Washington Post’s review of the book: “The somewhat unsettling truth is that, whipped along by the wedding industry, the American wedding has been turned into an ego trip for brides . . . the glossy bridal magazines . . . exist to convince the bride that it is her privilege, her right — indeed, her obligation — to become preoccupied with herself, her appearance, her tastes, and her ability to showcase them to their best advantage.” Ouch!
Intrigued by this pretty strong condemnation of modern weddings (and brides), I delved a little further into the wilds of the Internet. This New York Times column posed the question to its readers: if you were offered a large sum of money to spend as you pleased, or to direct specifically toward a wedding, what would you choose?
Here are two sentiments that really jumped out at me from the comments: Read more…
ContestsFeature Launched: Oct 5, 2006About: Weddingbee contests and giveaways.
Today we have a great giveaway from Modern Bird Studios! Modern Bird Studios creates personalized, modern art from your photographs. From your photo, they break it down into a two color image to create a painting on an Oak composite. They would look great displayed at your wedding and later in your home. Today they’re giving away a 12″ x 24″ custom piece, valued at $280, to one lucky Weddingbee reader!
Also, Modern Bird Studios is currently offering a 15% discount to Weddingbee readers that expires on April 28. Simply enter WEDDINGBEE at checkout. To check out more of their work, follow Modern Bird Studios on Twitter and on Facebook!
There are 2 ways to enter this contest! For one, you can simply comment below. And, if you’d like to enter again, follow @weddingbee on Twitter and retweet the contest by simply clicking here. From there, comment again here and let us know you retweeted! You have until Wednesday, April 21 at midnight PST to enter. Good luck!
* This contest is limited to entries within the lower 48 States
Mrs. Dachshund, Fresno, CAAge and Occupation: 24, Legal Office AssistantFiance's Age and Occupation: 27, Computer TechnicianEngagement Date: April 18, 2009Wedding Date: May 2010Venue: Victorian Gardens of Two SistersAbout Me: I’m a 24-year-old Californian bride-to-be who found love in the most unlikely of places - an online video game! I’m a farmer’s daughter living in rural Central California, but will always have a special place in my heart for the city. My future husband is a 27-year-old extraordinarily tall, exceptionally cute, and undoubtedly Canadian boy who was able to sweep me off my feet and take me for his bride. I love color, folksy songs that make me smile, interior design, kettle corn, my one-year-old puppy, Juno, and my fiance, of course! We’re planning a DIY garden wedding with a laundry-list of projects, all while dealing with the bureaucracy that is American Immigration!
When I got home from work yesterday afternoon this box just happened to be waiting for me:
I was super anxious, a little nervous, but mostly excited to get into that box and try on my dress for the first time! Was it going to fit? Was I going to like it? What if I didn’t!?! I don’t have much time left for alterations, so I was really crossing my fingers that all would go well.
Start your own Weddingbee Bio and you could be featured on the blog!
Mrs. Labrador Retriever, Athens/SavannahAge and Occupation: 24, Student/Sports ReporterFiance's Age and Occupation: 29, Physical Therapy Assistant Student/Future Dr. of PT
Engagement Date: December 31, 2008Wedding Date: November 2009Venue: Whitfield Square/Savannah StationAbout Me: I'm working on my second degree from UGA (Go Dawgs!). I'm a self-proclaimed attention-w****. If it involves a camera, I'm in front of it! You'll never meet a girlier tomboy than me. I can go toe to toe with any guy on the subject of college football, and lift more than any girl in my gym, all without chipping a nail. I hope to someday be the only person you want delivering your sports news. My FI and I are the loving parents of three Labrador Retrievers (one of each color) and are planning a "Southern Romantic Charm" wedding in the beautiful, historic city of Savannah. I'm not extreme in anything except moderation... and wedding planning.
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!
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!
The wonderful thing about having a long engagement (22 months to be exact) is that you get the chance to celebrate a couple more date-a-versaries before the wedding anniversaries become real. Mr. HW and I had dinner and gifting plans after work to celebrate our 5 years together. But I came to my desk to find these!!!
Love and spring had sprung in my concrete, windowless, crap of an office. Not to mention the mess of papers that is EVERYWHERE! Aw yes, ladies, he’s a keeper and you can’t have him.
We celebrated our 5 year dating anniversary and reflected on how amazing and fast the time has flown over a fantastic meal at Topolobompo (Rick Bayless is a freaking genius y’all). 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!
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.)
Before I share pics from the wedding, I wanted to go back and share some details that I didn’t get to blog about before the wedding.
While out-of-town (OOT) guest bags are totally unnecessary, it’s a nice surprise for guests to receive this little goodie bag of welcome treats. It’s yet one more unnecessary wedding detail to which I was fully committed. Because I am Pug the Magnanimous. Or because I was looking for ways to use up my time instead of doing real work.
All-Inclusion Invitation Suites
