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.
Help! I have nothing to wear (for our engagement shoot). Imagine a springtime hot summer setting on a tree-lined, cobblestone street with old New York buildings in the background. Mr. Lobster and I want to be ourselves, but our *fabulously* casual selves (not the grubby couch-clothed-selves we usually are). As with most of my shopping ventures, the first place I went for inspiration was Anthropologie.
First up, a casual summer dress with long navy sash. The best part - pockets! (For snacks, of course.)
Mrs. Frog, Phoenix, AZ/Chelan, WA
Age and Occupation: 29, Public Relations
Fiance's Age and Occupation: 28, Online SalesEngagement Date: February 8, 2009Wedding Date: July 2010Venue: Amy's ManorAbout Me: I'm an opinionated Midwestern girl now living in the Valley of the Sun marrying a laid back Northwestern guy. I'm equal parts sass, silly and sweet. I'm fiercely loyal with a strong devotion to my family and friends. I have a not-so-secret obsession with apple juice, a new obsession with DIY projects and I love a really good cheese plate...with lots of wine. After 7 blissful years of dating, I'm having the time of my life planning the destination wedding of my dreams to my Mr. Frog-turned-Prince Charming.
When you first get engaged, once you’ve come down from the high of “Holy hell, I’m getting married!” you start to think of the people who you must have standing by your side.
After being a wedding blog stalker for many months years (I’m all about being transparent here), I discovered that there are actually people out there who do fun things (instead of just a simple phone call or lunch) to ask friends to be in the wedding party. Who knew?! Of course, this got my wheels turning and in true Froggie fashion, I had no choice but to shower the girls I love with a little over-the-top humor.
I have five girls total standing up with me:
Matron of Honor: Banannie
Maid of Honor: Big Apple
Bridesmaid: Creeker
Bridesmaid: Belle
Bridesmaid: Berk
Four out of the five lived right near me at the time so I was able to meet with them in person and see their reactions to the cards I created. The fifth was sent in the mail followed by a fantastic phone call filled with laughter. Without further ado… here’s what I gave my girls: Read more…
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!
Last week I had the opportunity to meet cake designer Sylvia Weinstock. For the uninitiated, Sylvia designs cakes decorated with beautiful sugar flowers—they are so true-to-life that even up-close, it’s difficult to tell that they aren’t real! Here is some of her work:
A ginormous wedding cake for what I assume is a large wedding (or 20 guests that just really love to eat cake) Source
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!
If you haven’t noticed from the past two posts, our wedding colors have changed (or rather… evolved) slightly. I don’t expect any of you to remember what Mr. Dolphin’s and my wedding colors are {those screaming orange and blue in the back, please keep it down! :)}.
Originally our wedding colors were blue and green, with hints of brown. Mr. Dolphin styled our wedding website in those colors (which has since been changed to our new colors/design palette). While blues, greens, and browns will still make an appearance as secondary colors in our wedding, our main colors are aqua and yellow.
Mrs. Sprinkle, Los AngelesAge and Occupation: 26, Preschool Teacher
Fiance's Age and Occupation: 30, Television Production/WriterEngagement Date: December 24, 2008Wedding Date: September 2009Venue: The Marvimon HouseAbout Me: I'm a Bay Area native trying to create a life for myself (and my fiance, and our three cats!) in the vast city of Los Angeles. I love vegan red velvet cupcakes, pilates ,and mid-century furniture. Mr. Sprinkle and I met when my band toured through his city (we bonded over cake and a mutual love of Morrissey) and we are getting married on the four year anniversary of our first date. When I am not teaching preschool (or blogging!) you can find me perfecting recipes, petting kittens, hiking in Griffith Park, and overusing exclamation points. We are planning a vegan, green-as-possible, DIY wedding, and I couldn't be more excited to share all of the details!
I have started, stopped, rewritten, erased and restarted this post a dozen times. How do you say goodbye to the people you have shared such a long and personal story with? But I am getting ahead of myself. Before I get to the tearful goodbye part…
Mr. Sprinkle and I left our wedding exhausted but ecstatic. When our cab pulled up to the hotel, I breathed a sigh of relief. Even the huge line outside the hotel’s rooftop club didn’t get me down. We hopped out of the cab, handed our bags (minus the cake, which we weren’t handing to anyone!) over to the doorman, thanked everyone who stopped to congratulate us, and grabbed an elevator up to our suite. Read more…
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.
I keep going back to my marathon experience in my head and thought I’d share a few of the thoughts I had in the weeks leading up to the race as well as the some of the things that went through my head during the actual event. (And if you can believe it, there was a significant number of wedding thoughts going through my head during… hey, 3+ hours is a long time to run, a girl’s gotta think about something positive to get through it!)
And yes, these analogies are totally cheesy and overdone but I can’t help myself—I’m a sucker for anything dripping with queso, both metaphorically and in real life.
So, here we go…
Pace yourself. I ran the first seven miles of the marathon way too fast, resulting in some miserable miles later on. The same thing holds true with planning the wedding. I definitely jumped the gun on a few things (remember our Save The Date disaster?) which made the later stages of planning a bit less fun.
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!
The first time I heard about envelope liners, I quickly dismissed the idea as a waste of time and something only a crazy bride would do. Fast forward to 14 months later: I want, nay, I need envelope liners. Not for our invitation envelopes, but for our Thank You cards. You may recall that I found some really cute and affordable Thank You cards from Target:
I really like them, but the envelopes are a little flimsy. Read more…
Mrs. Espresso, Corona/Big BearAge and Occupation: 23, Community Services SpecialistFiance's Age and Occupation: 22, Maintenance TechnicianEngagement Date: December 21, 2007Wedding Date: October, 2008Blogging Since: June 25, 2008Venue: Outside a rustic b&b in Big Bear LakeAbout Me: I'm a lover of all things good: coffee, music, travel, rain, and of course- my handsome fiance! I'm a full believer in the "Life is Short," mantra - and therefore, eat lots of dark chocolate. I'm a Geographer by degree and nerd by choice. I cook to the sound of French and Portuguese music even though I speak neither. I love road trips, camping, hiking, and capturing life through the lens of my camera. Take me to Anthropologie and I may never leave. I'm a sucker for pretty packaging, bargain finds, and old movies. Mr. Espresso and I are high school sweethearts and I am so blessed to be this amazing man's future wife.
On our second day in Tofino, Mr. Espresso and I explored around the island. It was our first day with no rain and the air just smelled so clean. So we jumped in our white Pontiac rental and started driving down random roads to see where they would lead us. Here is one such road.
Press play for the road trip background music: Read more…
Mrs. Sewing, San Mateo, CA/Honolulu, HIAge and Occupation: 24, Electrical EngineerFiance's Age and Occupation: 24, Electrical EngineerEngagement Date: June 27, 2009Wedding Date: July 2010Venue: Anela Garden Chapel & Japanese Cultural Center, HonoluluAbout Me: I'm an easily entertained, compulsive idea-scheming machine who loves good art, good food, and a good engineering challenge. I'm planning a half-destination wedding on the beautiful island of Oahu - imagine a plethora of movies, art and games; savory Hawaiian food; blended Chinese and Japanese cultural details; lush, fragrant tropical flowers and all the air conditioning a NorCal native could want! And once I marry the love of my life, we'll come back to the 'mainland' to party it up all over again in my hometown of Salinas, the salad-bowl capital of the world!
A good friend of ours, Mr. Sew’s college roomie, recently asked us whether we’d like to go island hopping before the wedding in search of some volcanoes. And as fun as a good lava-hunt is, I don’t think it’d be wise to run off in the few days beforehand.
But it did get me thinking: how are we going to spend some time with guests who arrive before the wedding? Read more…
Mrs. Argyle, St. LouisAge and Occupation: 24, Project CoordinatorFiance's Age and Occupation: 24, PilotEngagement Date: February 15, 2009Wedding Date: September 2010Venue: Jewel Box in Forest Park and Windows on WashingtonAbout Me: I'm a true Midwestern girl (born and raised), lover of red wine, reality TV and the entire J.Crew catalog. I love to dance regardless of who is watching, and enjoy a good laugh with my girls. I have a soft spot in my heart for planet Earth, my two dogs and my fiance. Fall is my favorite season (which is why we are marrying in September), but I love a warm summer day and the Colorado mountains in the winter. We are planning a modern soiree downtown, with lots of bold colors, and fun, eco-friendly elements.
First off, I can feel your eyes of judgment staring at me… yes, I’ve slacked on blogging. Forgive me as full-time work and part-time graduate school has owned my life the past few weeks. But, I digress.
So, bridal show, schmidal show. That pretty much sums up how I feel about them.
Literally the weekend after Mr. A and I got engaged, there was a bridal show taking place at one of the casino resorts in town. So, with a good friend (Bridesmaid KD) and my Mom in tow, we showed up not knowing what the expect. Not sure if that was good or bad…
I get it. Bridal shows can be helpful to some brides, but not this one. At that time, I already pretty much knew which vendors I wanted, or at least an idea. We had also narrowed down what venues we wanted to tour.
So basically, there should be a disclaimer on how overwhelming these things are. 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!
On my last trip to Pittsburgh back in December, I had a few missions: pick bridesmaids’ dresses (easy as hell, check!), find a florist (a never-ending, ongoing saga, DON’T EVEN GET ME STARTED) and plan our menu/sign the contract/place the deposit with the Children’s Museum caterer, The Common Plea—which toooootes didn’t happen.
Why? ‘Cause when we arrived for our catering consultation at Common Plea, the very first thing we were told was that they were no longer the exclusive caterer for the Children’s Museum. Apparently, the Children’s Museum was planning to add a few caterers to the roster (!!), in order to give clients some options (!!!).
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!
I was filling out my band’s music request form today, and I came to the section titled “Bouquet and Garter” toss. I then realized - I have absolutely no idea if I want to partake in this tradition or not.
Of course if I don’t, I miss out on awesome pictures like this:
I have several arguments both for and against the toss: Read more…
Mrs. Frog, Phoenix, AZ/Chelan, WA
Age and Occupation: 29, Public Relations
Fiance's Age and Occupation: 28, Online SalesEngagement Date: February 8, 2009Wedding Date: July 2010Venue: Amy's ManorAbout Me: I'm an opinionated Midwestern girl now living in the Valley of the Sun marrying a laid back Northwestern guy. I'm equal parts sass, silly and sweet. I'm fiercely loyal with a strong devotion to my family and friends. I have a not-so-secret obsession with apple juice, a new obsession with DIY projects and I love a really good cheese plate...with lots of wine. After 7 blissful years of dating, I'm having the time of my life planning the destination wedding of my dreams to my Mr. Frog-turned-Prince Charming.
Before I can even launch in, I have to say that as I typed the title of this post—which I will admit, made me laugh (I crack myself up)… I received a solid eye-rolling from Frogger. Little jerk.
So, back to the bling. It’s pretty interesting since our ring story isn’t what most people expect. As I’ve previously mentioned, we got engaged on a cruise. Here’s a little peek at our cruise:
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!
I have learned two things when creating our guest list and receiving RSVPs: Not everyone will remember to return the RSVP, and flexibility counts.
Mr. Pencils and I were aiming for a wedding of about 125-130 guests. Not too big and not too small. When we sat down to create the initial invite list in the summer of 2009, we came up with around 180 names. With the traditional 75% “yes” rate, that’d give us about the number we were looking for.
Then we both started new jobs. And our moms remembered some people. And we each added a few friends that had slipped our minds. And we got to know our awesome neighbors. And then we had a guest list of… Read more…
Mrs. Deviled Egg, PittsburghAge and Occupation: 27, Public RelationsFiance's Age and Occupation: 28, AccountingEngagement Date: December 24, 2007Wedding Date: May, 2009Blogging Since: October 21, 2008Venue: Historic auditorium and meeting hall in one of Pittsburgh's commuter citiesAbout Me: I am obsessed with all things crafty, especially scrapbooking, knitting, jewelry-making & cake decorating. I also love being an aunt, wrapping presents, watching football (Go Steelers!), shopping at yard sales and consignment stores, procrastinating, singing and learning to play the guitar. When it comes to wedding planning, I'm excited about working on DIY projects and finding creative ways to stay under budget. Of course, nothing is more exciting to me than knowing that the wonderful Mr. Deviled Egg will be my husband.
After we all had our hair and makeup done, we headed back to the Cathedral so we could put on our dresses. For photography purposes, I would put mine on last. It stayed in this spot, hanging on the ledge of a large mirror, waiting to fulfill its purpose while the rest of the bridal party dressed.
I never officially revealed my dress for Weddingbee, so this is it—my Mori Lee “Only You” collection, diamond white wedding gown. It was purchased at a Running of the Brides sale at Filene’s Basement in Washington, DC, in August of 2008.
All-Inclusion Invitation Suites
I have started, stopped, rewritten, erased and restarted this post a dozen times. How do you say goodbye to the people you have shared such a long and personal story with? But I am getting ahead of myself. Before I get to the tearful goodbye part…
Press play for the road trip background music:
She said YES!
