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 LOVE tea. My friends and I have gone out to tea many times, just for fun. So, it would seem the obvious choice would be to bring my bridesmaids out for a bridesmaids’ tea.
But then I started thinking things through, and due to my love of tea, my Massachusetts shower will be a tea party. I didn’t really put two and two together, but since we’re already doing a tea, it seems repetitive to do two teas during the bridal events. Not that I wouldn’t enjoy it, but I also started considering the timing of it all.
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!
Mr. Lace and I love going to Disneyland together. He only lives 15 minutes away so it’s an easy trip for us. Although we would’ve loved getting season passes (and we were tempted to a few times), we knew it wouldn’t be worth it for us. We opted for the Costco four-pack of tickets and went at least 10 times in the first two years that we dated.
Don’t laugh. That’s one of my highest scores!
Well, we got the itch. After going to Disneyland so many times in such a short amount of time, we started dreaming big. 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!
I am really, really, emphatically NOT into camping. I like being out in the wilderness, I like seeing outdoor sights, and I even like a little hiking here and there, but at the end of the day, I want to go back to my running water and my electricity and my real bed, you know what I mean? However, Mr. Octopus enjoys camping a lot, and a lot of our friends in Vegas were big-time outdoorsy types. So one weekend last year, when our closest “couple friends” invited us to go camping in Tuweep, Arizona, I knew I couldn’t say no.
Tuweep is on the rim of the Grand Canyon, but it isn’t the developed park area that you think of when you hear “Grand Canyon.” It’s on the northern edge of the Canyon, and it’s one of the most incredibly rural, middle-of-nowhere places I’ve ever been in my life. Read more…
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!
How about some budget friendly DIY wedding centerpieces, eh?
Before Mr. Dolphin and I ever went to our florist, we knew we wouldn’t be ordering centerpieces for our tables. We wanted to do them ourselves because we knew the added cost would put our budget over the edge. Since our wedding is centered around daisies (my fav!) we are planning simple and modern centerpieces for our tables.
Last summer I spent several weeks accumulating 40% off coupons for Michaels and proceeded to purchase 15 rectangular vases for our wedding centerpieces. 8 months later, we finally did a test run of our centerpieces (silly me, I didn’t even use our vases! But… you’ll get the idea).
You like? I LOVE! Please imagine a rectangular vase… yes I’m a bad bride not using our actual vases. Oh well!
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!
With my new found gold envelopes in hand, I met with our invitation designer to come up with a way to package our Save the Dates. We considered a few ideas, but I couldn’t resist the thought of wrap-around labels. After lots of brainstorming and considering the elements of our wedding, these are the four contenders that our Diana Russas of One Bella Design created (she’s lovely, by the way).
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 newest bee’s wedding is quickly approaching, so she has tons of awesome wedding for us in the next couple months! Please join me in welcoming Miss Hermit Crab to the hive!
Miss Hermit Crab, New York, NY Age & Occupation: 24, Youth Director soon to be Grad Student Fiance’s Age & Occupation: 26, Medical Student - soon to be Surgery Resident Engagement Date: October 11, 2008 Wedding Date: June 2010 Venue: New York Botanical Garden About 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!
Mrs. Nachos, Chicago/St. ThomasAge and Occupation: 33, Commercial Real Estate & HairstylistFiance's Age and Occupation: 36, Radio ProducerEngagement Date: May 22, 2009Wedding Date: April 2010Venue: Wyndham Sugar Bay Resort, St. ThomasAbout Me: I'm a happy, laid back city girl that can find the silver lining in any situation. An optimist at heart, my motto is to turn your "what ifs?" into "so whats!". My fiance is a radio producer and the biggest Cubs fan you'll meet - our apartment decor definitely shows it. He and I grew up next door to each other and because of it, we have the best home videos and easiest holiday dinners. We are planning an intimate wedding in the Virgin Islands and a cocktail party in June for 150 of our closest friends.
2 weeks ago, Mr. Nachos and I hopped on a plane headed for paradise! Although, let’s first back it up a day or 2 before that happened… we decided to take a quick trip to Dollar Tree to fill up the OOT bags with some more fun stuff. Um…
Who in the world buys $90 worth of stuff from a frickin’ dollar store??? Read more…
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.
The bread and salt tradition is a Slavic custom that dates back to the 17th century. It is basically a greeting ceremony, and it is practiced in many eastern European nations including Poland, Russia, Serbia, Bulgaria, and others. In simple terms, the host and/or hostess of a household or event will welcome important guests by presenting them with a loaf of bread and some salt. The guest will then take a piece of bread, dip it in the salt, and eat it. This is supposed to be a symbol of great hospitality, as well as an expression of hope that the guest will never know the pains of hunger.
This custom is not limited to weddings. Many Slavic governments use this tradition when greeting diplomats and people of political importance. Joe Biden even got a taste of it on a recent trip to Ukraine.
Mrs. French Bulldog, Orange CountyAge and Occupation: 28, Administrative Assistant & Interior Design StudentFiance's Age and Occupation: 28, Purchasing AnalystEngagement Date: November 8, 2008Wedding Date: August 2009Venue: Bernardo WineryAbout Me: I've lived in Atlanta, Dallas and Laguna Niguel; although I've lived in Orange County, CA most my life, I'm a Southerner at heart. I work full time for a Commercial General Contractor (aka my father) and I go to school for Interior Design at night. I love modern design, music, wine, crafting, DMailing, my family, my Westies, and of course, Mr Frenchie! Mr Frenchie and I met 3 years ago on Match.com and have been best friends ever since. I love his "old soul" and how he laughs with his whole body, among many other things. We are planning our summer wedding at the winery near his hometown, just 45 minutes south of Orange County.
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.
Wouldn’t it be great if on your wedding day your feet could sing with comfort and you wouldn’t have to think twice about your footwear because it was so flipping comfortable?! Well… I can’t say guarantee that you will feel exactly that way but I do have some suggested options for you to consider. Let’s evaluate, shall we?
Super successful little company with a great tag line: “For those of us who have a love/hate relationship with our sexy shoes” – how cute is that? And well, it doesn’t hurt that their office is the ultimate of girly-dom, with a full-on hot pink wall and matching decor (as seen on their website). Read more…
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!
I’ve heard that there are some weddings where children aren’t allowed to attend for various reasons. I remember my brother once being invited to a wedding where children weren’t allowed and Mr. Lace and I got to babysit my nephew. However, for us, that was never an issue. We love children and know lots of families so we couldn’t imagine NOT having children at our wedding.
In fact, in our RSVPs, we were surprised that some families chose NOT to bring their children with them to our wedding. Regardless, we’ll have about 30 children at our wedding and as a teacher, I know that planning ahead makes a world of difference. I’d prefer not to have bored children, or worse yet, children running amok at our venue. So, I decided to follow in the footsteps of many wise brides and make an activity book for the children attending our wedding. I COULD have downloaded the many activity books that are out there in the Internet, but that would be way too easy. I HAD to make my own.
Mrs. Buttons, Clearwater, FLAge and Occupation: 24, "Working on it"Fiance's Age and Occupation: 28, Financial ServicesEngagement Date: June 13, 2009Wedding Date: May 2010Venue: Carlouel Yacht ClubAbout Me: I'm a self proclaimed perfectionist and a professional nomad (seriously, I've lived in TX, WI, MI, FL, NC, and now VA!). I love wine, cooking, curling up with a good book (nerd alert!), spoiling the furbaby, and of course, the wonderful Mr. Buttons! We are planning a lighthearted and whimsical wedding (with a good deal of DIY projects) in Clearwater, Florida, but from a distance of 800 miles away! We are looking forward to sharing our day with our family and friends, and most importantly, starting our lives together as husband and wife!
After a multitude of requests for a hair flower tutorial after debuting my ginormous creation the other day, your wish is my command!
A few months ago, you may recall that I showed you my fabulous hair flower find from Etsy. At the time, it was perfect; it matched my dress, had lace detailing and featured some pearls. But, after sitting on it for a few months, I started to have doubts. I began to think that perhaps the flower wasn’t large enough to make the statement that I had envisioned. Since I am not wearing a veil, the flower needs to be my “statement piece”, if you will. So… I thought that I would try my hand at making one myself! 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!
Rehearsal dinner dress, wedding dress, cultural dress, getaway dress, honeymoon dresses. I never really thought I’d have to think about so many dresses.
Then after thinking about the dress, there’s what goes with the dress, under the dress, on the feet and in the hair. And I don’t even have a fleet of bridesmaids or flower girls to dress, like many other brides do.
But if that wasn’t enough work, I’ve also started receiving questions like the following: 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!
My chilly November morning had been filled following the clues of a scavenger hunt, with my final clue leading me to the Lincoln Memorial. I then began to walk up the long steps of the monument. I didn’t know what I should be looking for, and so with each step, I peered around suspiciously, waiting for something or someone to appear.
When I finally made it near the top, I looked up to see Mr. Pin Cushion walking through the crowd towards me. He had transformed since I last saw him, and was wearing a suit. As he walked down to me, his dress shoes and the cold marble steps made for a bad combination, and he nearly slipped (this story would probably have a different ending if he had fallen). Read more…
All-Inclusion Invitation Suites
After a multitude of requests for a hair flower tutorial after debuting my ginormous creation the other day, your wish is my command!
