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!
With some nice puzzles made up and ready to go, we were in need of some writing instruments.
Thus, I hopped over to Oriental Trading to pick up some pencils. 24 for $5.99? Not bad. Pause. Hello… what is this?! Read more…
Mrs. Pin Cushion, Oakland, CAAge and Occupation: 25, Nurse Fiance's Age and Occupation: 26, PhD StudentEngagement Date: November 23, 2008Wedding Date: July 2010Venue: Radonich Ranch, Los GatosAbout Me: I'm the 3 Cs: crafty, creative and quirky (oh, that's not a C? Close enough!). I'm also a recycling fanatic, fluent in bad accents and I have the loudest laughter this side of the Mississippi. I have not just one sweet tooth, but a whole mouth full of sweet teeth. I cry at 97.4% of all movies I see, but my fiance's always there to hand me a tissue. My geek-chic fiance and I are planning a wedding full of color, cookies and handmade goodness and I can't wait to spill the beans on all of our crazy ideas!
The other day, I was sitting around having deep thoughts. And I thought to myself, “Self, why are their gender stereotypes? And why, self, do you and Mr. Self, fall right into those stereotypes?”
And while I had no real answers to those deep questions, it did get me thinking (less deeply, since I didn’t want to get a brain-strain too close to the wedding and all). Mr. PC and I really do fall surprising neatly into ’blue’ and ’pink’ categories:
Exhibit A: Mr. PC is an engineer and uses microscopes and stuff, whereas I am a nurse (and get to use the awesomely named sphygmomanometer).
Mrs. Lamb, NorfolkAge and Occupation: 25, Homeland Security ConsultantFiance's Age and Occupation: 27, Graduate StudentEngagement Date: January 2009Wedding Date: January 2010Venue: Trinity Presbyterian Church/Harrison Opera HouseAbout Me: I’m a Homeland Security Consultant with a tendency towards pulling office pranks, taking lunch breaks, and drinking Wawa shakes. I’m also an English major with a serious obsession with alliteration and rhymes. While I’m not keeping America safe, I’m training for half marathons and the Escape from Alcatraz swim. Or moving for the third time this year. Or baking. Or wedding crafting. Or crying about wedding planning. All the while, I’m getting myself into Lucille Ball-esque scrapes and making Jim Carey-esque faces. Our big fat Czech/Baptist/Jewish/Italian wedding is a combination of vintage eclectic, DIY, and little spoonful of sugar from our Event Coordinator. It’s going to be a Norfolk flavored wedding with the verve of an only-daughter-blow-out bash!
We hired an event designer/wedding planner for oru wedding. I feel like I just confessed to a horrible crime. I’m a bee! I DIY! I believe in the philosophy of a practical wedding! And I hired a wedding coordinator. The. FULL. package. Not that I feel like I should defend that decision, but I wanted to explain the process of making the decision and working with a coordinator.
I have always loved weddings and originally thought I would have a huge role in planning my wedding. My parents liked the idea of day-of coordinating and it seemed to be a good match at first. However, upon further consideration, I evaluated several factors:
Up until 5 months before the wedding, I was planning an out of town wedding (vendor complications resulted in our ultimate decision to wed in Norfolk). I couldn’t make it to all the vendor appointments out-of-state and I wanted a representative who could act as my proxy.
As a people pleaser, I wanted someone in my corner. My bridesmaids were wonderful and affirming, but since they were all from out of town, they weren’t able to be present all of the time when I needed back up.
Mrs. Ribbons, Washington D.C./Bloomington, INAge and Occupation: 23, Research Associate for an international development firmFiance's Age and Occupation: 25, Proposal Coordinator for contractor
Engagement Date: May 2, 2008Wedding Date: June 2010Venue: Indiana Memorial UnionAbout Me: I'm an Indiana transplant living in DC with my fiance and our pretty kitty. I enjoy the color pink, I'm obsessed with the Dior New Look and tulle, and I heart my level 80 paladin. I'm a sucker for bad TV, literary theory, and cakes of all persuasion. I also happen to be marrying the cutest closet nerd around! It's all about Bloomington for us because it's where we met -- on the college paper. If there's a theme for our small summertime wedding, it's Dior meets Dorothy Draper on a lark in Bloomington; think poofy, plus graphic prints, bold colors, and a whole lot of prettiness.
The fun/tedious part of planning is the evolution of ideas. At one point I thought I had a clear idea for a ceremony program and then I fell victim to second-guessing. The cover was changed, more information was added, and did I mention I only got these printed today? Oh yes that happened.
I had these printed on text weight paper, i.e. crap. I had big ideas about tying them with a black grosgrain ribbon, yadda yadda, but that felt silly when it was basically photo copier paper. Instead, I busted out the twine.
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!
When I was little, I didn’t dream much about getting married. The two wedding dreams I had as a little girl were:
1. The food, especially the traditional Taiwanese dessert of pink and white glutinous rice balls that are fried then sprinkled with peanut powder and sugar.
2. Being able to wear a really cute chipao!
These are some chipaos that I am in love with. They are all worn by Maggie Cheung in the movie In the Mood for Love:
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.
Mrs. Poodle, Santiago, Chile/San Bernardino, CAAge and Occupation: 27, Industrial & Web DesignerFiance's Age and Occupation: 24, Firefighter & Mountain PatrolEngagement Date: February 25, 2009Wedding Date: January 2010Venue: Mr. P's Grandparents’ RanchAbout Me: I’m a Chilean girl who's crazy about nature and swimming. I enjoy carving, drawing, reading and sewing; I drool over computers, fabric, pretty paper, purple and patterns. To me, chocolate should be one of the seven wonders, right next to lemon pie. I never thought an exchange work experience program was going to change my life forever, but while working in California, I met Mr. Poodle, and ever since my days are better and brighter. We are two goofy souls that, after finding each other, couldn’t help but want to be together forever. It has being a long and sometimes hard road, since we have to deal with such a long distance between us, but we are now facing the last stage of our Fiancé Visa, and soon we will be together. You know the best part? We will be married! So I’ll be blogging from Chile until just a few months before our “green and purple” wedding.
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.
So that’s the longest post title ever. But really, I have a crush and I’m not one to be dishonest so I have no choice…it’s time to spill.
You may have noticed that of all the vendors I’ve talked about, I have yet to share our photographer. The truth is… she’s just too good to be true. I think I was almost afraid I would jinx it. Does that sound crazy? Don’t answer that.
Hand in hand. MissHelen and her husband-to-be shot their romantic engagement photos at The Citizen Hotel in Sacramento.
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. Hermit Crab, New York, NYAge and Occupation: 24, Youth Director soon to be Grad StudentFiance's Age and Occupation: 26, Medical Student - soon to be Surgery ResidentEngagement Date: October 11, 2008Wedding Date: June 2010Venue: New York Botanical GardenAbout Me: I love all things food, books, our furbaby, Rashi, and adventures with my amazing fiance (oh, and saving the world!). This summer I will not only be a bride, but a bridesmaid, officiant, and attendee as well---it's all about weddings in my life right now, full of so many exciting moments and projects. We're planning a fab New York City wedding weekend full of family, love and lots of color!
It is the moment I have been waiting for for SO long! I absolutely love our invitations and could not wait to share them with you! These were a true collaboration between so many wonderful artists - our letterpress printer Kristin of Twin Ravens Press, our incredible map maker Crystal Kluge, our calligrapher Fran of Little Flower Calligraphy (for wording in the invitation and also our envelopes), and our Hebrew calligrapher Jerise. I found each of these artists (with the exception of Crystal) on Etsy, and I cannot begin to recommend this site enough. You can literally find someone for everything, and I have been incredibly happy working with each person - and anything that I haven’t found, I have been able to find here on the ’Bee!
So you’re like, enough already, give us the goods… and without further ado:
Just a warning: this post is chock full of pretty pictures. (It pained me to blot them out even a little but you can use your imagination!) All pictures sent to me from the amazing and talented Kristin from Twin Ravens Press, except for the first one, which I took.
The first thing our guests see when they receive our invite: gorgeous calligraphy by Fran.
Ms Seahorse, BostonAge and Occupation: 25, Veterinary Jane-of-all-tradesFiancee's Age and Occupation: 36, former non-profit fundraiser in search of something betterEngagement Date: October 17, 2009Wedding Date: September 2010Venue: Fort Pond LodgeAbout Me: By day I'm a cat-wrangler, vet tech assistant, pet-sitter, receptionist, and pre-vet student, but the rest of the time, I'm a former-roller-derby girl turned dedicated-wedding planner. I love reading, writing, bicycles, animals, roller skating, and antique-y things of all sorts. I'm a vegetarian who likes spicy foods, while Fiancee Seahorse is a meat eater who does not like spices. We live outside Boston with our menagerie: a fifty pound dog, a one-eyed, seventeen-toed, toothless cat, and a perfectly put together cat who has a penchant for pooping near rather than in her litter box. In addition to planning our small lake-side wedding, we enjoy running around with the puppy, playing board games (Scrabble, anyone?), having little adventures, talking about how we should really clean the house more, and maintaining our little garden of vegetables and wedding flowers.
A couple of weeks ago Fancee and I spent two hours looking at wedding ring options. It was a beautiful day and we had an entire afternoon to play, so we went to several stores to look at what they had. In the very first store, a very stuffy – ahem, traditional – jewelry shop, one ring caught the eye of both of us.
“Psst, what about that top one on the left?”
“I was just looking at that!”
Just as the stuffy, I mean, kindly gentleman came over to assist us, we both realized that the amazing ring with the simple band and the interesting texture was not, in fact, a ring, but a nickel stuffed into the tray to fill the space of a previously purchased ring. Okay, so at least we have similar taste, right? We both like the idea of using a nickel for our wedding bands?
On what may seem like a side note but is in fact completely related, I was talking to a friend of mine tonight who said, “If I were getting married, I would take my fiance and both of our sets of parents and we would go to the courthouse and that would be that.”
Mrs. Sunrise, MinneapolisAge and Occupation: 27, Client Relations LiaisonFiance's Age and Occupation: 29, Senior Technical Support AnalystEngagement Date: December 26, 2008Wedding Date: July 2010Venue: The Oaks banquet room at Eagan Community CenterAbout Me: I am a crafty and optimistic, laid back girly-girl who fell in love with a video game-playin', hip hop-lovin', Lego-buildin', computer-techie nerd. I get easily distracted by shiny objects (oohhh pretty..) and I have more shoes than I can count (but I still need more). I love to shake my booty to Lady Gaga’s music but she frightens the hell outta me. Mr. Sunrise and I could not be any more different, but you know what they say… opposites attract! We met over 9 years ago while working for a local grocery store. It was love at first “Clean-up in Aisle 5!” We are both Chicago-born and raised, but recently relocated to Minnesota for his career. I will always remain a Windy City gal through and through, but I cannot deny my love for the Land of 10,000 Lakes.
Last time I talked about how these plain jane 4×6 envelopes were the deciding factor in the size for our STD magnets.
I randomly found them in the clearance bin at Target for only $.25 per pack of 21 envelopes!! That’s almost a penny per envelope!! Score! Although they were very boring and white, I knew I could fancy them up somehow and I couldn’t pass up a sweet deal. I immediately snatched up 6 packages. Read more…
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!
Our wonderful Weddingbee artist Irene Chan recently delivered our newest generation of icons: Accessories! While we finalize the last touches on them, we thought we’d take this opportunity to brainstorm with you all our next generations.
Many of you have submitted and voted on great ideas on the Ideas Board, and the overwhelming favorite is breakfast/brunch items (as originally suggested by Miss Starfish under her old username), so we’re excited to announce it as our next generation!
Because we like to be ahead of the game, we typically develop 2 generations at a time. So, we need to choose an additional generation. Because breakfast/brunch will be food related, we’re leaning toward choosing a non-food generation as our additional generation (although Condiments and International foods are high on our future lists!).
Some ideas are kitchen/registry items (as originally suggested by Hive Hostess MightySapphire), jungle/safari animals, and popular wedding favors.
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!
This may be one of the blog posts that some would say only appeals and means something to me. However, brides, know this: the girls that surround you on your wedding day- bridesmaids, friends, in-laws, family- can make or break your stress level.
I just happened to be one of those brides who got lucky. As I’ve alluded to, I was beyond blessed by my bridesmaids, friends and family the week before my wedding. I encourage every bride to take the time to thank those people that actually made their wedding day the wonderful experience it was.
Here goes my attempt.
Thank you Cara, Am, Ali, Al, Paige, Samantha, Katie, Megan, Cindy, Nancy and Claire.
There are number of things that would not have happened without you.
To begin with, as we each know, the damned cookies would never have happened without you.
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.
A while ago, I asked you if we should attempt to make program fans, despite New England’s notoriously fickle (read: cold and rainy) Junes. In the end, we decided to forge ahead with it! Here’s how I (and I use “I” loosely) did it:
1. I found a template for program fans here. I chose a shape and used a very advanced computer program called Microsoft Word to type in the information. I used two classy looking (free) fonts from Dafont: “Jane Austen” and “Summertime”. And yes, I chose those fonts primarily because I liked their names.
2. With the Word file in hand (or in flash drive), I headed to my crafty mom and explained the idea: print the front on white card stock, print a back on patterned card stock, stick the whole thing together on a wooden ice cream spoon. I should explain that my mom loves this kind of stuff and I was not forcing projects on her, I promise. Read more…
All-Inclusion Invitation Suites
