Mrs. Socks, Southern NJ/Philadelphia, PAAge and Occupation: 23, Web Developer/Marketing SpecialistFiance's Age and Occupation: 26, Systems EngineerEngagement Date: September 7, 2009
Wedding Date: October 2010Venue: Ladder 15 RestaurantAbout Me: I am originally from the Midwest, but I love being an East Coast transplant! Mr. Socks and I are foodies and winos to the core---give us a hunk of cheese, some charcuterie and a glass of wine and we could die happy. We have two mischievous Wire Fox Terriers with completely opposite personalities but with a shared love of uprooting anything in our garden. Our backyard garden includes everything from tomatoes and peppers to a fig tree, blueberries, blackberries and raspberries! I love cooking, indie music, and spending time in our wedding city of choice---Philly!
Can I laugh at my own titles? I hope it’s as funny to the rest of the world as it is to me. No? It isn’t? Oh well, at least I can humor myself.
Anyway…
I left after I talked about my failures. I went to bed that Saturday night a bit stressed because I wasn’t entirely sure if my vision was too ambitious or just plain impossible.
But Sunday morning, I got up and went right back to it! I printed off a smaller version of the 10-10-10:
It fit easily on the paper, and the curved zeros weren’t TOO curved, so it’d be easy to trace with a knife. I had three choices when it came to X-Actos: Read more…
Mrs. Earrings, Fresno, CA/ Nelson, New ZealandAge and Occupation: 20, Student, Wannabe Writer
Fiance's Age and Occupation: 19, Photography StudentEngagement Date: February 14, 2010Wedding Date: January 2011Venue: Gardens of the WorldAbout Me: I'm a girl from down under who grew up in Indonesia and I'm marrying a California boy. I'm addicted to all things sweet, have never met a chocolate silk pie than can get the better of me, and have dreams of one day being a fulltime novelist. I go weak in the knees for lace, tea cups, and a beautifully crafted sentence. When I get excited about something (whether it is historical linguistics or the Beatles) I tend to go overboard in research, and planning this wedding is no different. Mr. Earrings is my high school sweetheart, my best friend, and somehow we combine all our quirks into one big happy mess.
Apparently we can’t have a wedding with 100-odd guests and have it still be intimate and cozy.
Apparently you aren’t meant to buy the dress before you officially get engaged. Oh, and the pre-fiance isn’t supposed to help you pick it out.
Apparently we can’t write our own personal vows because “flowery language doesn’t go down well,” and “people will get bored.”
Apparently we can’t have our wedding for under 10K in our neck of the woods without it looking cheap and bland. Also: “it is the best day of your life, it is worth spending everything you can.” So what if I don’t feel like it? Read more…
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.
This past weekend I finally got my Post Wedding Chop! Since it was Mr Poodle’s graduation, and SIL came for the celebration, I asked her to give me the cut we had talked about since Easter. She is a teacher now at her cosmetology school, so I really trusted her to do this job!
{ MIL, FIL, Mr. Poodle, BIL, Me and SIL after Mr Poodle’s graduation }
Ms. Stripes, Los AngelesAge and Occupation: 29, Costume Designer/StylistFiancee's Age and Occupation: 29, ChefEngagement Date: June 23, 2009Wedding Date: September 2010Venue: Heritage Square MuseumAbout Me: I’m a type A creative with a messy streak, a loud mouth, and an uncanny knack for combining clashing patterns. I can usually be found with my nose in a book, my feet (or at least my toes) on the ground, my head in the clouds, and my arm around the prettiest girl you ever saw- aka
Fiancee Stripes. Together we’re planning a FUN vintage/modern French carnival wedding extravaganza and rockin’ dance party on a dime. (Say that three times fast!) Good coffee, long lists, Uniball pens, and my iPhone keep me sane, and making art, making trouble, and making out keep me happy! I love urban adventures, bike rides that end with afternoon drinks, breakfast for dinner, beautiful light, photography, travel, my furry family, and of course, my beautiful fiancee! I’m super excited to be here and can’t wait to share all our adventures as we craft a joyful, budget-friendly, design-savvy and all-around AWESOME wedding!
One year ago today we got engaged on our rooftop in downtown Los Angeles, and spent the day celebrating with champagne, sunshine, and friends.
Today I’m sitting at the DMV waiting to change my name, and thinking about our wedding day, which once seemed FOREVERandadayaway, but is really happening in just a few short months now. Yowza! Yippee! Yikes! Mostly yippee, though!
It’s been a crazy year of living, thinking, and planning. A year of thoughtful transition and (sometimes) difficult conversation as we plan this wedding, and more importantly, as we plan our life together. A good, joyful, hard year.
We’ve lived and planned a wedding on one income, raised a special needs puppy, moved to a house with a (potential) veggie garden, started new jobs, quit said jobs when they failed to EVER pay for four months of work, nearly foiling our wedding plans (LA residents beware: Mendocino Farms doesn’t pay their employees) and somehow managed not to kill each other. Although we’ve come close a few times. Read more…
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.
By the time you read this I will be somewhere over the Pacific on my way back to the U.S. to begin the 8 week countdown to our big day. After about 30 hours of travel I will touch down in Washington D.C. only 4 hours after I take off from Auckland. Weird. Mr. Veggie needs to stay behind for a little longer because of his studies so he’ll be staying here and we’ll be apart for 6 weeks. Bummer. And then, when he gets to the States, it will only be 2 weeks until we get married. Weird.
The last few days have been busy. With farewell celebrations… 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.
I know I’m biased, but I think we had the cutest little wedding party members in the history of children being in wedding parties. My heart melts at the sight of kids in formal wear.
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!
For our wedding week festivities, the Button Bridesmaids arrived a few days early to start the party! Because our pre-wedding plans involved some sun and fun, I wanted my bridesmaid gifts to serve a practical purpose! Yes… I said practical. I wish I could say that I am a creative gift giver, but alas I am not! I happen to be the person who gifts practical items. I know that many brides before me have gifted their bridesmaids with adorable monogrammed tote bags, jewelry, and the like, However, two of the Button Bridesmaids are getting married in the next year (so their monograms would be out of date soon), and my taste in jewelry sometimes differs greatly from that of my maids. Alas… I hit the drawing board.
Inspiration hit me in the store one day when I saw a display of some adorable beach bags for sale! They were lightweight, large, and have a zipper closure (3 very important beach bag attributes, in this Florida girl’s opinion…). I was sold… and thus, my gift bag was started!
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.
We really did almost nothing during the honeymoon but lie around by the pool, which was intentional and fantastic. But I knew I’d feel guilty if I didn’t venture outside of the lush confines of the Viceroy and actually see some of California. This was, after all, my first trip out West!
Our original idea was to rent a car for just one day; we would drive out to the Joshua Tree National Park for a morning hike and then come back in the afternoon, get some In-N-Out Burger (Palm Springs proper did not have one, for shame) and spend the rest of the day being lazy, as was our way. Well the daily highs were 105, which is okay in the shade, under misters, or in a pool, but not so great when you’re tromping around the actual desert.
So we hopped on Tripadvisor.com from our phones to rethink our options. The number one rated Palm Springs activity was something called Elite Land Tours. We made reservations for a nocturnal tour of Joshua Tree.
We were picked up the next evening at the hotel in a gleaming white Hummer. It was just Ribs and I and our guide, an extremely knowledgeable and chatty man who came with snacks. Snacks! Everyone loves snacks. Read more…
Mrs. Pashmina, NYC/Catalina Island, CAAge and Occupation: 28, Arts EducationFiance's Age and Occupation: 34, IT AdministratorEngagement Date: April 26th, 2009Wedding Date: July 2010Venue: Catalina Country Club, Catalina Island, CaliforniaAbout Me: I'm a laid-back Cali girl who moved to NYC for school, and ended up staying for love. My fiance is a quick-witted Jersey boy, a self-proclaimed Foodie and the funniest man I've ever met. Together we love exploring the city streets embarking on our next misadventure---and yes, this often involves eating off food carts and trying "the next big thing". I'm the girl in the sundress, snapping photos and collecting trinkets of memorabilia along the way. As a girly girl at heart, I am excited about our romantic natural island wedding incorporating our American & Filipino traditions.
The Bride’s Guide recently posted the beautiful bridesmaid dress for Lela Rose‘s new collection. It is like a burst of sunshiney goodness! This incorporates all my loves: ruffled petals, surprising color combinations, and quirky charm.
Image from The Bride’s Guide
I am searching for sweetheart neckline, short dresses from my bridesmaids. Perhaps tea length like this one.
This dress is amazing, but if I could fabricate a cheaper version, this is how I would do it: Read more…
Mrs. Cardigan, AustinAge and Occupation: 21, Student/Soon-to-be Special Education TeacherFiance's Age and Occupation: 20, Student/Soon-to-be Accounting Systems AnalystEngagement Date: August 16, 2009Wedding Date: January 2011Venue: Vintage VillasAbout Me: I'm a native Austinite who was raised as a die-hard Aggie. Luckily, I'm a pretty persuasive girl because I managed to convince my high school boyfriend (now fiance!), Mr. Cardigan, to ditch his hardcore Longhorn ways and join me up at A&M, where we currently reside with our adorable dogs, Cullen & Ranger. We're currently planning a bright, cheery wedding with a ridiculous amount of DIY projects that I can't wait to tackle! I love crafting in any form, reading, and margaritas (I think I love them the most!). Organization is what keeps me sane and I love helping others, which is probably why I ended up as an education major. It gets a little chaotic sometimes when you're planning a wedding among all of the papers, projects, finals, and certification exams, but we're having the time of our lives and we can't wait to get started on our journey as husband and wife - and we're so excited to share our wedding with the hive!
From reading my posts, you may have gotten it into your mind that I’m a decisive person. I have deceived you. I might be the most indecisive person ever… Mr. Cardigan gets so frustrated with me because I can’t make up my mind about the most mundane things, and then it turns into a huge ordeal and I feel like my head is going to explode. Where do I want to go for dinner? I don’t know! Don’t ask me! I can’t decide! I literally cannot go up to a fast food window or counter without having already decided what I want to eat, because I get all sorts of stressed out if I’m not prepared. It’s pretty ridiculous. 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!
Hello hello! Hive, I have missed you! The Hermit Crabs are back from our Croatian Vacation and we’re busy settling into our new apartment and getting used to our new life. The wedding weekend was wonderful and I can’t wait to tell you all about it! There were a few bumps and bruises, but nothing serious and the wedding was just the most fun I have ever had, followed by an amazingly fun two weeks of exploring Croatia and getting used to calling each other husband and wife!
There is a lot coming your way - I am going to start with a couple things that I didn’t get to tell you about before the wedding and then we’ll jump right in - oh yes, and I’ll be a bridesmaid in Israel and an officiant in September, so there is a lot going on and I can’t wait to fill you all in!
A couple little teasers taken by our friend right after our ceremony ended and we headed back down the aisle: Read more…
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!
While I was packing for Providence I mentioned I hadn’t shown you our guest book. Want to take a peek?
Soon after we received our engagement photos, our photographer asked us to select our 25 favorite pictures. Mr. Seashell and I each made a separate list. Many of our faves were the same or similar, but we had to do some cross-comparisons and make some cuts to ultimately come up with our final 25. It was a much harder process than it should have been! It probably doesn’t help that we can both be pretty stubborn. Read more…
Mrs. Earrings, Fresno, CA/ Nelson, New ZealandAge and Occupation: 20, Student, Wannabe Writer
Fiance's Age and Occupation: 19, Photography StudentEngagement Date: February 14, 2010Wedding Date: January 2011Venue: Gardens of the WorldAbout Me: I'm a girl from down under who grew up in Indonesia and I'm marrying a California boy. I'm addicted to all things sweet, have never met a chocolate silk pie than can get the better of me, and have dreams of one day being a fulltime novelist. I go weak in the knees for lace, tea cups, and a beautifully crafted sentence. When I get excited about something (whether it is historical linguistics or the Beatles) I tend to go overboard in research, and planning this wedding is no different. Mr. Earrings is my high school sweetheart, my best friend, and somehow we combine all our quirks into one big happy mess.
For some obscure reason, I have never envisioned my bridesmaids with bouquets. Instead I want to have something a little different and hopefully save money on flowers at the same time.
I want that “something different” to be a wrist corsage. In the beginning I had grand hopes of creating these myself, and I will still be doing the corsages for the Mums and Grandmums (yes we spell it M-U-M here in Kiwiland, because we rock), but the BM corsages just seemed a bit too much for me to face.
So I browsed Etsy, because of course I can’t stay away from my new addiction. I looked at both hair flowers and corsages because many of the hair flowers can do double duty as corsages.There was so much to choose from. Too much actually. Waaaay too much. But I slowly narrowed it down. The only criteria were that they be ivory, pretty (duh), and within budget.
Also, by popular demand, we recently added a new Recaps board, where hive members can share and read about each others’ wedding day recaps. We look forward to seeing all of your hard planning work come to fruition, and a special thank you to kayakgirl73 for the great idea!
We hope you get a chance to check these changes out, and we look forward to seeing you over on the Weddingbee boards!
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!
Okay, whew! We accomplished quite a bit the week before the wedding, as you’ve seen from all my posts that start with this title (our programs, colorful fabric flags, escort flowers, and OOT bags!). This is the final installment of what we finished in the days leading up to our wonderful wedding, and it covers a few different projects.
When I originally wrote about the luminaries I wanted to make, I wasn’t sure what graphic to use or how to get it onto the bag. I let this idea sit for a really long time before I stumbled upon this heart graphic, which I loved, and decided to use in several of our wedding projects (programs, water bottles, and OOT bag notes). I knew it would be the perfect match for the lacy luminary feel I was going for!
I already had all the bags with their tops punched using a lovely lace Martha Stewart punch:
(I punched the tops of 50 bags to use as luminaries)
All-Inclusion Invitation Suites
