Mrs. Paisley, Orange County, CAAge and Occupation: 25, JournalistFiance's Age and Occupation: 31, Spanish ProfessorEngagement Date: September 2008Wedding Date: June 2010Venue: Family Lake HouseAbout Me: From my earliest days I attracted attention, as much for my intelligence as for beauty. I display an originality, a perspicacity, a certain je ne sais quoi that sets me apart. I posses a mysterious authority which compels people to do my bidding. I am a regal blonde with classic features and the daintiness of Dresden porcelain. I am poised, soft-spoken, and well educated... Okay, now that enough eyebrows have sufficiently shot through the roof, everybody can relax---I kid! I'm just a sarcastic NorCal-turned-SoCal girl who loves outdoor activities, books, letterpress printing and of course, Professor Paisley.
Yes, “do-it-yourself” and “die-cut” are usually mutually exclusive. But that didn’t stop me from doing it. Well, it was not exactly die cutting… I cut them out myself with scissors!
It’s not that insane, really! I promise! I did 20 per night as easy as can be and was finished within a week. As long as you’re comfy with a pair of scissors, it’s an affordable way to achieve a nice little detail.
I was inspired to do it by my graphic designer’s original invitation design (the one mine is based on), which called for die cutting in this shape. But we priced it, and it would have cost around $300 at the die cutter’s. 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!
Major props to the Bed, Bath & Beyond in Rockford, Illinois! What a great registry experience. Remember the not-so-fun one that resulted in the very generous, but not-very-Hot-Wings gift registry experience? Things have turned around, hive. We are registered and happy.
Mr. Hot Wings doesn’t look happy in that first picture, but I promise you this experience was very different. Read more…
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!
When I was in high school, I never had boyfriends. I dated about two people for approximately ten seconds, and that was my track record. My social scene back then largely consisted of performing in the marching band during halftime of the football games and going to the bowling alley with the other members of the school play. You get the idea.
Daria Morgendorffer and Angela Chase (pre-Jordan Catalano): two girls who hit pretty close to home for me in the high school years.
Once I got to college, though, I found myself with a boyfriend (Mr. O!) almost immediately. Considering how young we both were—I was actually still a few weeks short of my eighteenth birthday!—and how little experience we each had with serious (or… any) relationships, it really sort of boggles my mind to think about how we got to be here, at this point in our lives, planning our wedding.
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.
Our families have never met. Never. This is sort of unbelievable to me, and a lot of the people I tell. We’ve both met each others’ families, but my family has never met his family. It’s really due to circumstance. See, my family lives in Dallas, and Mr. Fro Yo’s lives in Colorado. We typically travel to visit the fams, so it just hasn’t happened. However, I really did not want our families to meet for the first time at the rehearsal, so sister Fro Yo offered to host a dinner at her house a couple of days before the wedding.
Now, I’m not really nervous that people won’t get along, but it’s a big deal and it’s happening just a few days before the wedding. What if the families clash? What if it’s awkward? What if it resembles Meet the Fockers?
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.
In my last post, Mr. Lobster and I had super sticker shock. But it was too late; I had fallen in love with my ring.
Knowing how much I loved the cushion cut design, Boy-Lobster went an alternate route, finding a jeweler to custom make our engagement ring. He reached out to his married guy friends for recommendations and found a jeweler named Nagi in Connecticut about an hour drive from New York City.
I went with him to meet Nagi the jeweler. Admittedly I was skeptical at first, but when we met Nagi it was like meeting a family friend we didn’t know we had.
Nagi showed us a some diamonds, taught us the how to look through the back of the diamond with a jeweler’s loupe to see what makes the stone look sparkly.
Mrs. Star, New York CityAge and Occupation: 22, ActressFiance's Age and Occupation: 24, Casting AssistantWedding Date: October 2009Venue: Ceremony: The Kraine Theatre, Reception: Midtown Loft & TerraceAbout Me: I’m a professional actress who’s always had New York City in her blood and I'm finally getting the chance to make a home in Manhattan with my fiancé, my dog, and my big dreams! I love polka dots, craft projects, Dunkin’ Donuts’ iced coffee, and anything sparkly. I’m having a blast planning our elegant/dramatic/New York City/acting-themed/largely-DIY wedding and am thrilled to be the youngest current Miss Blogger!
One of the other things I wanted to write about before my brief time here is up is to level with you all for a minute about us and our city wedding. You see, I had my heart set on having a city wedding. Not just a city wedding, but a Manhattan wedding. Because, quite frankly, I thought I might die if I didn’t get some pictures like this:
Trouble is, everything is more expensive in Manhattan. Everything. You don’t believe me? I bought a 1 lb bag of bread flour from the grocery store the other day that cost $7. Case in point. And you know what else is involved in that picture up there? A very, very way-out-of-my-budget gown.
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!
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!
Spring Bridal Market came and went, and Mrs. Lovebird, Mrs. Onion, Mrs. Star, Mrs. D’orsay, and Miss Hamster all had the privileged of catching some designers’ runway shows! Over the next couple days you’ll get to get a peek into their experiences, and I’ll fill you in a few other shows at market!
It’s always exciting to see what designers have out for us brides this year, and Amsale debut a great new line of romantic dresses and bridesmaids’ dresses featuring muted jewel tones.
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.
Choosing the photographer was one of the first wedding planning tasks we accomplished. I must have emailed between 15-20 different photographers. I had no clue what our budget was, but since I am a girl who loves my memories, I was willing to splurge.
Reflecting back on the process, I should have been better about narrowing my choices before contacting all of those people. Everyone I contacted, in my opinion, is extremely talented and therefore they probably don’t have a lot of time to waste emailing people who aren’t seriously interested. Read more…
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.
Mr. O and I were adamant about our desire to eliminate traditional, cheesy wedding cakes. I just couldn’t get into the idea of the cake as “the center of the wedding” as one famous local cake baker has said. I can’t find that quote (which was part of the intro of one of those “bake a wedding cake” shows), but I did find this cute clip of a someone making a wedding cake in 3 minutes:
We were content with our idea of having some kind of alternate cake structure, cake table, or dessert table, or maybe even little Whole Foods round cakes for each table (mmm!). What we weren’t content with was the idea of having to pick up all these little cakes, deliver them, and set them out ourselves…
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!
First I wrote about “falling in love” with a pair of pink-petaled Louboutins. Then I wrote about my next love, “Micha” by Bourne. You heard the whole sob story. I ordered them, they came to my house, they were way too big, I ordered them again, and they were discontinued, never to be found again. So many of you were so supportive and left the sweetest, most consoling comments. A few of you even tracked the shoes down for me! But little did you know, I’d already found a new pair of shoes. And this time, we’re together forever!
Here they are! Meet “Spring Fling” by Stuart Weitzman:
As you can see, I made a couple of adjustments to them to make them my own. I ordered them from My Glass Slipper in white satin, and they came to my house just like this: Read more…
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!
We’re back from State College and paradise, and we’re MARRIED! Our wedding really was the best weekend of our lives, and we followed it with the best vacation of our lives, and I even got to enjoy my 26th birthday in the middle of it! It was SOME WEEK!
A beautiful teaser by the lovely and talented Jessica Ames who posted this the morning after the wedding - do we have the world’s best photographer OR WHAT?!
Right now we’re just feeling so blessed and loved and happy. Being a bride, a groom, a newlywed couple really is such a blissful feeling. Read more…
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’m not a crier. I mean, I cry when something really sad happens, like when I’m watching “Once Were Warriors” (best NZ film ever, rent it), but I don’t cry in front of strangers. And I definitely don’t cry, pout, or whine to get what I want. I used to think I was morally opposed to all that, something to do with being a strong independent woman, and earning things of my own accord. Yeah. About that.
On Friday I got a letter in the mail from the lovely people at customs. Like some of you suggested in my last post, they were holding my dress for an import duty. I kind of had a feeling that this was what was happening, but I was in denial. Sure enough when I opened the letter there were the famous words:
“We are writing in regards to a package that has been sent to you from overseas”… blah blah blah… something about a fee… and then the total… $315.00. WHAT!!! $315.00?!?!?
Granted, that is kiwi dollars, but seriously? That’s about half of what I paid for my dress. 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’m pretty certain that I don’t want a fresh flower bouquet despite my ridiculous love for the flowers. (Cue Golden Afternoon.) I know, crazy town. Anyhoo…
I collect vintage enamel flower pins and have for a long time. My collection started when I was around 13. My adopted grandma passed away and her memorial included champagne and her vast assortment of costume jewelry spread out on her bed for friends/family to remember her by. I couldn’t cash in on the champers, but I did score a few impressive and much beloved pieces of enamel that day. Read more…
All-Inclusion Invitation Suites
