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.
I’m having a bridal shower at work on Monday, and I was thinking about the last bridal shower I went to, which was for my dear friend who is now my maid of honor! (This is the friend who came to the impromptu bridal shopping trip a while back). I was her maid of honor back in 2007.
Oh, how young we looked just three years ago!
Back then, I was single and lived in a little apartment with a cat and a teacher’s salary (and maybe some maid-of-honor expenses?). But I still wanted to do right by my friend. So, here is the bridal shower I hosted for 8 people, for $100. I am very proud.
MOH’s wedding color was pink, so we went with this for the theme. Read more…
Mrs. Cola, Mountain View, CAAge and Occupation: 27, Product Communications and PromotionsFiance's Age and Occupation: 28, Managing Partner and Senior DesignerEngagement Date: March 5, 2009Wedding Date: June 2010Venue: The Mountain Terrace, Woodside, CAAbout Me: I’m a Washington State native, enjoying life in Silicon Valley California with my fiancé, our three kitties and one leopard gecko. I like reading wedding blogs, Photoshopping wedding design mock ups, making lists, and planning, planning, planning! I’m a bit of an anomaly, on one side I’m a very girlie girl, I collect shoes, I lay out my outfits 4-6 weeks in advance, and I’d never leave the house without my hair curled and makeup on. But on the other side, I’m a total tomboy, I love to go camping and hiking, play drinking games (hey, I’m Irish!) and most of my closest friends are guys. My fiancé and I are planning a DIY-focused wedding with a balance between easygoing (what he wants) and chic and stylish (what I want), and are tying it all together with elements in lavender, sage, butter cream and chocolate.
Last week was a stressful one for me with the vendor issues, so I’m going to try to keep things lighthearted this week!
I told you all a while back about our honeymoon plans here and here. For a week we have a private house rented on the north shore of Kauai, followed by a day in Waikiki.
We’re really looking forward to lounging on the beach in front of our house in Hawaii, but renting a house does come with some downsides compared to staying in a hotel. Namely, no waiters to bring you drinks!
So last weekend while Mr. Cola was in Vegas for a friend’s bachelor party, I took it upon myself to try some recipes for a classic Hawaiian drink, the Mai Tai. If I’m going to have to make my own drinks on our honeymoon, I wanted to be prepared by knowing what ingredients to buy at the store, and how difficult the drinks would be to make!
First up was a partially pre-made option: Read more…
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.
When it came time to buy gifts for my bridesmaids, I really wanted to get them something lasting, like jewelry. But the more I looked and the more I thought about what I consider “lasting”, I realized I was probably going to fail. There are very few pieces of jewelry I would consider classic for my personal style. So I felt way too pressured to find something perfect for their personalities.
If by some off chance either of my bridesmaids are reading, move along! 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!
Over the past weekend, Mr. Sew and I decided to take a small respite from planning to focus on our relationship. It wasn’t easy to turn off the wedding-machine, especially now that there’s only a few months left, but I think it was a really healthy thing for us.
We attended a marriage conference by Family Life, called “Weekend to Remember” down in Santa Clara (although they also have them all over the rest of the nation!). It covered many topics over the three days of classes, from conflict resolution to parenting to sex and everything in between. There were even a few sessions just for us pre-married folk. And of the 500 people that attended, there were couples from every phase of life: from not-yet-engaged to over-fifty-years-married.
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.
This is the final post of our Canadian Honeymoon Road Trip through Vancouver Island. After we left Tofino, we headed about a half hour down the road to the small town of Ucluelet. I followed Trip Advisor’s recommendations and booked us 2 nights at the Terrace Beach Resort.
Jason Priestly (from the original 90210) and his family own this place; and it’s so wonderfully down to earth and beautiful all at the same time.
We’ve long loved Minted for their awesome save the dates and holiday cards.But did you know that much of their stationery is designed by their community of thousands of indie designers all over the world? Through their Design Challenge, designers can submit their stationery, and the Minted community at large regularly votes in which designs will be added to the Minted collection. When added, designers receive a reward and commission every time their suites sell on Minted!
While Minted has offered luxurious letterpress wedding invitations exclusively in the past, today they’ve launched over 100 full wedding invitation suites created by independent designers through their design competitions. These stunning community favorites are now available to brides at a great price (starting at $251 for a set of 50 invitations, response cards and envelopes!). And to celebrate their inaugural launch, Minted is giving away 100 full wedding suites to one lucky Weddingbee reader, valued at over $1500 with all of the bells and whistles—liners, backers, skinny wraps, thank you cards, information cards, return address printing, and even Minibooks!
Check out everything that’s offered in this prize: 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’m all about personalizing your big day. It only happens once, so we want do everything we can to make it our own. This new trend of unique wedding dances is probably one of my most favorite things that has developed as of late. How can you not crack a smile watching a bride and groom do the Thriller dance… and we all have seen the infamous dance down the aisle that swept across the internet this year—I loved that twist.
So I’ll confess, I have stalked the hell out of YouTube spent some time reviewing a few videos. I couldn’t help myself; I had to include some of the ones I love below.
How cute are they? I just love that they chose something original:
I love that they even got into it from the beginning:
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!
I always assumed I’d bustle my wedding dress because, well, that’s what you do. But I never liked it. It’s like you take this gorgeous dress and make this low artificial wedgie so it doesn’t drag on the floor all night.
However, recently I saw pictures of a friend’s wedding where she had a bustle alternative.
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. 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!
Hmm.. where to start? How about at the very beginning of my massive/tons of fun/spectacular girls’ weekend with mah sweet besties. I was excited to finally have a weekend with my girls (while Mr. Dolphin played paintball with the boys), and the weekend did not disappoint!
The Friday before my bridal shower, Sunny MOH, Seminole Bridesmaid, and Gator Bridesmaid met up with me back home, in good ol’ Flagler Beach, and we headed down to Orlando together for dinner, and some sweet girl bonding. In the car ride down I realized I was the only girl in the car that wasn’t married. Weird how that happens?
We had tons of good chats about our respected hubbies/fiances, fashion, Bravo TV shows, Jessica Simpson, wedding crazy-ness, and school (as Gator Bridesmaid has just recently applied to graduate school).
We arrived at our hotel and proceeded to get all dolled up for our dinner at Cafe Tu Tu Tango. Read more…
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!
So, I went in to CC’s Boutique last week for my first fitting. I won’t go into too many details about the experience because I think that all around, many girls have slight mental meltdowns during this appointment. I did. Let’s just suffice it to say that when your dress doesn’t fit you yet, it is easy to start having doubts, to be nitpicky about every detail, and just to freak out in general.
But, what I DO want to talk about is boobs. Yep, boobs. 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!
One of the major selling points on our venue, the Children’s Museum, was that they do not have a liquor license. That means that we can purchase and provide our own alcohol, saving many, many dollars! Woohoo!
It also means that it’s about time to start planning our bar menu, which I think is serious business. Our guest list, as a whole, is a pretty celebratory crowd, and I want to get the alcohol options right. The plan is to provide a limited open bar, including a few types of beer and wine, as well as some liquor options. Wanna see what we’ve come up with so far?
Mrs. Quiche, Chicago/Montego BayAge and Occupation: 28, Interior DesignerFiance's Age and Occupation: 42, Telecom GuruEngagement Date: July 2, 2008Wedding Date: May, 2009Venue: Coyaba Resort, Montego BayAbout Me: I love Chicago and can’t imagine living anywhere else (Well, except Paris. Or anywhere in France, for that matter!). I’m a full-time worker, part-time student, soon-to-be-step-mom, indie music lovin’, architecture and design fanatic, macaroni and cheese addict, vegetarian, Francophile, Ohio State football obsessed, wedding planning girl. Mr. Quiche and I are “Partners-in-Crime” and cannot wait to celebrate our marriage surrounded by our family and closest friends. I plan on DIYing my little heart out (or as much as a suitcase to Jamaica will hold).
Hello hive! Some of you may remember a similarly titled post from one year ago. Then, I was a sun-kissed, happy, excited bride-to-be turned wife And today, here I sit blogging by the pool once again after a wonderful year.
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.
We’ve been thinking along these lines for a while. But I haven’t really discussed it with anyone fully besides Mr. Veggie. I guess I was a bit afraid of peoples’ reactions.
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.
We got home Friday night and the only good thing about being back in reality is…
… hmm…
… uh, I’ll have to get back to ya on that one. Anywho, I’m back and I’m officially a Mrs. Our 2 week journey in the Virgin Islands was more than I could have ever asked for. And one of the best parts for me was hearing Mr. N’s dad tell him that our wedding was the best wedding he’s ever been to. Our trip was perfect to me, even when life threw in some lost luggage, strep throat and a rainy wedding day. I seriously wouldn’t change any of it for the world because every little detail and happening made it what it was.
And oh boy, do I have so much to tell you all about! Fire eaters and stilt walkers, free wedding cake, playing the steel drum at my own wedding, and I may or may not have jumped in the pool with my dress on. Hee hee. But for now, I’ll leave you with this… Read more…
![Bridal Shower in the Pink [Memory Lane] : wedding bridal shower dallas decor Usatw us+at+w](http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_mwuVsq48dro/S9wpQEvivWI/AAAAAAAAAsM/quixDzvyUiM/s1600/us+at+wedding.jpg)
All-Inclusion Invitation Suites
Our 2 week journey in the Virgin Islands was more than I could have ever asked for. And one of the best parts for me was hearing Mr. N’s dad tell him that our wedding was the best wedding he’s ever been to. Our trip was perfect to me, even when life threw in some lost luggage, strep throat and a rainy wedding day. I seriously wouldn’t change any of it for the world because every little detail and happening made it what it was.
