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.
Mr. Veggie and I sat down this week to begin thinking about our ceremony. And, we’re feeling a little, um, culturally poor. While some brides and grooms are able to draw from a wealth of meaningful cultural or religious traditions when planning their ceremony, we secular results of the American melting pot are feeling just a little bit in the dark.
I mean, sure we’re Americans, but what exactly does that mean culturally? What are American cultural traditions and just how would such traditions come across in a wedding? I certainly doubt that our organic, locavore, eco-friendly wedding will reflect the values of a Mickey D’s-MTV-SUV nation.
So what are we left with? A blank slate? Not exactly.
I am half Latvian and half everything else, and Mr. Veggie is half Welsh and half French. (Hmm… what would a Latvian-French-Welsh wedding look like? Tom Jones in a beret drinking vodka? I digress.) But, having not grown up surrounded by these cultures, the traditions of our distant and not-so-distant European ancestors are, well… foreign.
Welcome to my brain. Pictures gathered from here, here, and here, and lovingly doctored by me.
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!
I know a lot of Weddingbee readers are still experiencing residual effects from yesterday’s site fumble. Notably, we’re getting a lot of reports that images aren’t appearing on blog posts. Our tech team has let us know that these missing images are definitely a result of cache being corrupted because of yesterday’s DNS issues.
We’re frustrated that you all are having to deal with this, and we’re told that the issue will continue to resolve itself over the next few hours. As I mentioned in the previous post, clearing your cache and cookies will often help—but this isn’t working for everyone. Again, we’ve been assured that the problem will resolve itself as the day goes on.
Thanks for bearing with us—it’s been a frustrating mistake, and we hope everything gets resolved for you all sooner than later!
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.
After we had our fun jumping in the water in our wedding duds, we had a few more days to enjoy with the families before the honeymoon began. We played life-sized Jenga in the grotto…
Mrs. Mouse, AustinAge and Occupation: 25, Weddingbee Editor/AttorneyFiance's Age and Occupation: 31, Civil EngineerEngagement Date: December 19, 2007Wedding Date: September 2009Venue: Barr MansionAbout Me: I just graduated from law school and will be taking the bar, getting married, going on a honeymoon with my guy, and then trying to figure out what I'm going to do with the rest of my life. I was born and raised in a small East Texas town, but I'm no country girl! I'm obsessed with British accents, fantasy (including Harry Potter, of course), and classic rock. My fiance and I consider ourselves both music and beer snobs--but every once in awhile we love to hear a crappy band and drink a cheap brew or two. We're planning an eco-friendly, casual, English garden affair for the end of summer, and we can't wait for it to get here!
Attention Austinites: we’re having a Weddingbee meet up! Come out to Taqueria Arandas for some delicious interior Mexican food, refreshing margaritas, and stimulating conversation.
Mrs. Dachshund, Fresno, CAAge and Occupation: 24, Legal Office AssistantFiance's Age and Occupation: 27, Computer TechnicianEngagement Date: April 18, 2009Wedding Date: May 2010Venue: Victorian Gardens of Two SistersAbout Me: I’m a 24-year-old Californian bride-to-be who found love in the most unlikely of places - an online video game! I’m a farmer’s daughter living in rural Central California, but will always have a special place in my heart for the city. My future husband is a 27-year-old extraordinarily tall, exceptionally cute, and undoubtedly Canadian boy who was able to sweep me off my feet and take me for his bride. I love color, folksy songs that make me smile, interior design, kettle corn, my one-year-old puppy, Juno, and my fiance, of course! We’re planning a DIY garden wedding with a laundry-list of projects, all while dealing with the bureaucracy that is American Immigration!
Professional photo by the fantastic, I-can’t-say-enough-about, so-good-he-deserves-his-own-blog-post, Thomas Delgado.
As a whole, this past week has been absolutely amazing, culminated by a wonderfully perfect day. I’m not saying it was without stress or a few blips, but to see a year’s worth of work come together beautifully, and to have everyone we love gathered in one area to support our love was so magical.
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!
One of the more difficult aspects of living a distance away from your wedding location is that it is sometimes hard to make appointments or set trial sessions for certain wedding details! It isn’t easy to taste cakes, to hear a band play live, or to have a hair or makeup trial from long distance!
Since I didn’t have time to find a makeup artist before I moved to Virginia last fall, I had to do it once I returned to Florida. Yes, I was cutting it close, but sometimes I work well under pressure! In my search, I came across Camposecco Artistry, and I requested more information. After speaking with Donna, we set up a time for a makeup trial!
A few weeks ago, Mommy Buttons and I met up with Donna at her home studio. And… she proceeded to make me look absolutely stunning!
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.
(Warning: this post has way too many pictures of my dog. Warning 2: This has not stopped me from posting way too many pictures of my dog. She is just SO PRETTY.)
This last month things have been a little tight for the last couple of months, since Fancee left her job and we realized that my income is not a reasonable amount to expect two people to live on. (Some people have suggested that it’s not a reasonable amount for one person to live on, but that’s a story for another post.) So in the last month, we have been really careful about the groceries we’ve bought, we haven’t purchased any new things, like clothes or house stuff, and we have not gone out for dinner even once.
Neither of us are people who go out for dinner all the time – maybe once a week, and it always feels like a treat. One of our favorite places is Not Your Average Joe’s, and another is a sushi restaurant in the center of our town. Even if we’re not up for going out and socializing, we’ll order in and have a picnic in the living room, and it is wonderful.
But for the last month, we banned ourselves from going out. 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.
Yesterday was a momentous occasion for the Deviled Eggs—we celebrated our first wedding anniversary! We’ve been through a lot in the last year. But no matter what life gave us, we took each challenge as an opportunity to grow together in love and as a couple. We celebrated the day by enjoying a fancy dinner in the ‘Burgh and then went home to enjoy the top tier of our wedding cake.
But for those of you who remember my DIY wedding cake, the top tier wasn’t real. It was just a decorated cake dummy. In order for us to do the traditional wedding cake sampling on our anniversary, I had to make a replica of our cake as a substitute for the fake one.
Here’s how it turned out:
Courtesy of my iPhone—sorry for the poor lighting.
And, for comparison sake, a shot of the original: Read more…
ClassifiedsFeature Launched: April 30, 2008About: A roundup of the best Weddingbee Classified listings.
Hi hive! Thank you for your continued suggestions for Weddingbee Spring Cleaning categories. To find out more about Spring Cleaning, click here!
Today’s featured item of the day is champagne flutes and wine glasses!
Sellers: if you have champagne flutes/wine glasses for sale, please post your item to the Weddingbee Classifieds by adding your item, and then return to this post and add the link to the item you’re selling in the comments, along with a quick description. Also pay attention to the comments in this ad to see if any buyers are searching for the item you’re selling by subscribing to the comments.
Buyers: if you’re looking for flutes and glasses for sale, you can do a couple things:
Identify yourself in the comments as LOOKING FOR (type of item you’re looking for, and quantity).
Subscribe to this thread, so you’re informed of new champagne flutes/wine glasses that are being listed for sale in the Weddingbee Classifieds. ***
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.
Has anyone seen that ridiculous YouTube video that I’m referring to in my post title? If you haven’t, you may want to avoid it… I promise you, it will be in your head for the rest of the day… and every day for the rest of your life. You’ve been warned.
So initially I really loved the idea of the colored shoe trend. With my colors being purple, blue and gray, I thought a pop of purple or blue would be a great choice for shoes. Then fate stepped in… Read more…
Mrs. Hot Dog, Cheyenne, WYAge and Occupation: 23, Health Information SpecialistFiance's Age and Occupation: 23, Personal Trainer
Engagement Date: March 2009Wedding Date: August 2010Venue: Family Ranch outside Glenrock, WYAbout Me: I'm a city girl by birth and rural girl by choice. I'm ready to take on the world with a big heart and a big smile! I love all things crafty and DIY. I live in Cheyenne, WY with Mr. HD and our 2 fur babies, our dachshunds, Ollie and Mia. I love travel, adventure, Finding Nemo, '90s music, animals, and laughing. He is the cheese to my macaroni and together we spend more time watching movies than we probably should! I'm an old soul who is super duper excited to pull off our down home-rustic-chic-country wedding (on the cheap)!
… And good food, good company and PLENTY of wedding talk!
from left to right: Violarulz, Boulderbride2010, DizzyDaffodil, me & brittanymichelle
This past Saturday was our Denver bee meet up at Le Sandia. I must say it was a smashing success!! There was tons of great food and conversation—from careers and big moves to wedding “colors” and of course, showing off our bling. 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!
Everyone always seems to ask if we felt different once we got engaged. I would have to say that except for feeling very very excited, it didn’t feel different immediately. I was reminded of when we moved in together, nearly three years ago, and people asked us the same thing then. It was a similar feeling for me - we were incredibly happy about it (especially since moving in together ended a year of agonizing long distance), but it felt so natural and comfortable that it didn’t necessarily feel different. I had a lot of friends who asked me over the years how I knew Mr. Hermit Crab was the “one” for me, usually around these big occasions. We have been together a little over five years at this point, and over the years, there are have been other, slightly more nontraditional markers that have shown me that Mr. Hermit Crab and I make good partners for each other. There have been a myriad of indicators for me over the years, but I will share one of the bigger ones with you. A couple months after we moved in together, we adopted two adorable kittens.
Mrs. Guinea Pig, Baltimore, MD Age and Occupation: 26, PhD student Fiance's Age and Occupation: 26, Operations Director at a non-profit Engagement Date: December 25, 2008 Wedding Date: May 2010Venue: The Chesapeake Bay Beach Club About Me: I'm a tomboy science nerd whose girly side has made a startling appearance thanks to wedding planning! I love to bake, knit and sew but I also ride a motorcycle (that Mr. Guinea Pig wouldn't touch with a 10 foot pole). We live with our three crazy cats and love to read, travel, watch movies, and do home improvement projects together! My parents/family are Canadian but I'm definitely American, although I've lived in 5 different countries, 6 different states, and speak Russian fluently. Mr. GP and I met online (did I mention I'm a scientist?) and had a whirlwind romance - now we can't wait to get married & celebrate with all our friends and family in a blue and yellow waterfront affair!
Our friends and family have been incredibly generous and kind with their gifts to us in celebration of our marriage - and I have to say that most of them figured out the Amazon registry just fine! Although people did gravitate towards our (very small) Crate & Barrel registry the most, and thus cleaned it out. Perhaps because C&B is considered more wedding-y?
Aaaanyway. This story is about a gift that was not on a registry. Our most novel wedding gift (thus far! Wouldn’t want to ruin anyone’s chances of gifting us something even more crazy) is the gift Mr. GP’s friend JK got us:
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.
I’m behind on completing our invitations. I have a target send date of mid-June which is in 3 weeks. We currently have NO invites. Our guests may just get a handwritten Post-it in the mail with another Post-it to send back. Eek!
Last time in Invitation Wish List, I showed you some things that I want need for our invites. Of course, there is no Wedding Santa and I will not get everything that I want except maybe the Snoopy Sno Cone. Regardless, I have been working with my good friends at 4fifteen who also designed our Brooklyn Bridge Save the Dates.
I sent some on my invitation inspiration from Printable Press including:
Regency. I really like the regality of this one balance with contemporary.
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.
Providing flip flops for female guests at the wedding allows them to kick off their killer heels and get their butts out on the dance floor while keeping their feet nice and clean.
There will be no achy feet or bare-nekkid feet at our wedding! Our ladies will be greeted with a basket of dancing shoes like these:
All-Inclusion Invitation Suites
from left to right: Violarulz, Boulderbride2010, DizzyDaffodil, me & brittanymichelle
