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.
All of the flowers at the ceremony and reception are going to be roses and peonies. So while for the most part that means a ton of fluffy goodness, it can also be concerning. For evidence, see above.
My beef with rose bouts is this: they remind me of high school dances, where every single date of mine had the same tight rosebud bout. I also don’t love how far it sits away from the lapel. I’d like to avoid this.
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.)
So you’ve hired a photographer. Very important. But what about all those other pictures that guests have taken? What if they captured moments that the photographer did not? One, or even two professional photographers cannot be everywhere. To try and collect all the photos from our hoarding guests, I used a shared online photo site likemanyothersavvybrides.
I created a Flickr account just for the wedding, and paid the $25 or so to upgrade the account so you can have unlimited space (this was after one of our guests uploaded high resolution files that took up a good portion of our memory). I then sent out the following email to guests a few weeks after the wedding:
We are back from the honeymoon, all rested and wishing for about 5 more months of vacation. We can dream, can’t we? Thank you all for your love and friendship during the wedding weekend and beyond, we had an incredibly wonderful time celebrating with all of you.
While hopefully we deluged you with enough drink and food to keep you well occupied during the wedding, if there are any pictures you took that you would be willing to share, we have created a Flickr account for you to upload your photos. To upload your photos: 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!
After Mr. Pin Cushion and I (and my parents, and my parents’ employees, and my ex-uncle’s dog walker) created our Save the Date cards, we figured it might be a good idea to set up a website… considering we’d put a web address on the cards (I told you I have these glimmering moments of genius). Neither Mr. PC or I know anything about web design. But we like to challenge ourselves (and raise our blood pressures from stress while doing so). So instead of choosing one of the lovely build-yourself-a-very-nice-website-the-easy-way, we forged ahead with our own website design using iWeb.
I leaned heavily (like, fully body weight) on Mrs. Cupcake’s iWeb tutorial. And I bumbled and fumbled my way along. After I managed to makes something that I was pretty pleased with, I gave myself a hearty pat on the back and let Mr. Pin Cushion do the more internet savvy part of actually getting it online.
Some screen shots to show offer our handy-work:
The home page (in which, by posting, I shout, “Anonymity, Shamonymity!”)
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. 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.
I always get so jealous of my friends who live in the same city as both of their sets of parents. Frogger and I are the complete opposite. We live here in Arizona, my parents live in Michigan and his live in Seattle.
Behold my fancy map skills… don’t laugh.
Now that we are very close to the wedding, we have started the dreaded conversations about how to split our time with our families during the holidays. How lucky for us that not only do our parents live in different states… they are about as far apart as you can get. Read more…
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!
Many moons ago it seems, I showed you my save the dates and I mentioned I would be working with the same Etsy seller, Twin Ravens Press, on the invitation suite. I thought you might enjoy this little peek at the envelopes and the letterpress process! (All photos by Kristin and sent to me)
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.
As you recently read, a few weeks ago, the affianced, my mother, and I went to David’s bridal so I could try on some dresses. The experience is a story for another post, but what I will say is that both times we went—for her and for me—we crossed off “Groom” on the registration form and wrote in “Bride” or “Bride 2″ or something like that. Then we wrote both of our names, which I think are clearly female names, in the lines.
Since giving out my contact information to David’s Bridal, I have received at least one email every day with some terribly exciting offer. Dress all your ‘maids (apparently I need ‘maids)! Get the tux for the groom (and a groom?)! Mostly they are impersonal mass emails and I don’t think much about it before deleting them. Last night, however, I got this email:
“Dear Miss Seahorse,
Congratulations on your upcoming wedding!
My name is Maria Baumeister and I am a Health & Wellness Coach with Take Shape For Life. As you have recently registered with David’s Bridal, you now have access to a variety of services and vendors. Take Shape For Life and David’s Bridal Shops have recently joined together in an effort to help make your day even more special for you and all those involved.
There are many people who want to look their best for their wedding. Not only the bride and the groom [emphasis mine], but wedding parties and parents as well. Many people have expressed an interest in losing some weight “for the wedding”. That is where Take Shape For Life comes in.””
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.
Mrs. Pudding, Greater Toronto Area/VermontAge and Occupation: 26, High School TeacherFiance's Age and Occupation: 26, Computer EngineerEngagement Date: August 2008Wedding Date: July 2010Venue: Catholic Ceremony, Cultural Hall ReceptionAbout Me: Quite literally a citizen of the world, I was born in Poland, grew up in Canada, and now live in the beautiful state of Vermont. I love reading historical biographies, multi-tasking, teasing my hair, and, despite my height, wearing high heeled shoes. I am the ultimate klutz with an uncanny ability to put on a graceful front. Mr. Pudding and I have been dating for over six years, and are very excited to finally merge our (very large) families. We are planning a traditional Polish-Catholic wedding that is anything but predictable.
Well, you’ve all seen the cakes. Now it’s time to get this party started!
Some of the set up crew with the cakes. FMIL Pudding is in the middle.
On the morning of the shower, FMIL Pudding chased me out of the house so that her and “the crew” (her sisters and mom) could set up the house. In the meantime, I went to visit Mama and Sister Pudding at their hotel. We spent the morning eating in bed and generally bonding - I have missed just hanging out with them! We also prettified together, which in true Pudding Ladies fashion, made us half an hour late to my own shower… at least we made an entrance! 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.
Last weekend, May Bride S and May Groom M had their dream wedding. They’re now dream-honeymooning in Hawaii and posting pics for those of us at work. THANKS, GUYS.
MBS and her ladies in our reception outfits. Pic by Lalit Lakshmanan
Though I was ass-deep in the deets of Bridesmaid A’s 2008 wedding and bachelorette weekend, she didn’t have a formal bridal party. So, until now, I hadn’t worn a matching dress, carried a bouquet, or walked down an aisle.
As bridesmaid duties wrapped up with outfits on and hair did, I made a mental list of all the takeaway lessons. I figured I’d share some thoughts for first-time brides and bridesmaids alike. Read more…
Mrs. Scissors, LaGrange, GAAge and Occupation: 25, Photography & Graphic DesignFiance's Age and Occupation: 24, Engineering Grad StudentEngagement Date: January 1, 2009Wedding Date: June 2010Venue: Ceremony - First United Methodist Church; Reception - My parents' house!About Me: I’m a six-foot-three bride with a fifty-foot personality! I love great art, fabulous design, intense color, tons of music, indie photography, watching movies on repeat, and being really awesome. This super-tall, Southern, loud, quirky, neurotic artist is marrying a German, quiet, silly, super-amazing roboticist in an eclectic, funky, fun, snazzy, technicolored June wedding. Anything is game for this shindig, for it is all about us! We’re bringing giant paper cranes, six-foot-tall portraits, fortune cookies, a photo booth, a club-circuit DJ, handcuffs, and possibly a kidnapping to this small Southern town. Watch out, y’all, and try to keep up!
Right before we were about to order our pretty rings from Whiteflash and Blue Nile, we remembered that Mr. Scissors didn’t know his ring size. There was one private jeweler that we hadn’t visited in Hotlanta, and we figured it was as good of a time as any to go look at their rings, aka pretend to buy one and get Mr. Scissors sized. Read more…
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.
The day after my first year of graduate school ended, I slept in, drank a large amount of coffee, and put on a wrinkled sundress. I had plans to go to Forever 21 with friends to buy non-cardigan clothes for my upcoming bachelorette party.
Instead, my BFF came over, took one look at me with my frumpy get-up and dark under-eye circles and announced, “Today is your wedding shower. So you might want to change.”
What a surprise! My lovely and sneaky friends and family had planned a book-themed shower and I, notoriously gullible/clueless, was none the wiser. I walked into a room filled with my favorite things: loved ones, stacks of books as centerpieces, sandwiches, cupcakes, mimosas, and New-Orleansy-themed music. Not a bad way to spend my first day of academic freedom!
My aunt even made book-shaped chocolates with quotes from some of my favorite writers. My crafty mom roped my friends into constructing adorable bookmarks to accompany the chocolate favors (not pictured).
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’ve been going back and forth on whether or not we should include a bouquet toss. I have two sides on this.
Pros: it’s fun, it’s traditional and it’s a great photo opportunity (like the ones of Mrs. Cupcake’s wedding). 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.
I know everyone says this… but my shower was the BEST! I had few requests – they were: wine, bacon (classy, right?) and no toilet paper bride game. My girls listened—it was a wine themed shower. I couldn’t have asked for more! My words just won’t do it justice… this is a must for a photo tour. Shall we?
Enjoying my first glass of wine for the day… in one of two bridal wine glasses! Request number one, check!
All-Inclusion Invitation Suites
Eva Longoria
