Mrs. Turtle, Central CaliforniaAge and Occupation: 21, Art Student/TeacherFiance's Age and Occupation: 22, English StudentEngagement Date: August 16, 2008Wedding Date: July 2010Venue: Mr. Turtle's Grandparents' backyard, Arroyo Grande, CAAbout Me: I am a California girl who loves the beach and the mountains, but is quite satisfied living right in the middle where I can enjoy the best of both worlds. I am happiest when traveling to faraway places, wandering through museums, watching old movies, or baking up a storm. Mr. Turtle and I are high school sweethearts and fellow book nerds who both drive Mini Coopers and are most likely to be found browsing in antique stores. We're having so much fun planning our European garden wedding with a vintage twist and can't wait to share more of life's adventures together!
After all the fun I had and presents I received at my first bridal shower, it was hard to believe that I had another one to attend on June fifth! FMIL Turtle and Grammy Turtle hosted this one at FMIL & FFIL Turtle’s home. I had such a wonderful time getting to know Mr. Turtle’s side of the family and their friends better and felt so blessed by them.
Mr. Turtle joined us for a little bit to introduce me to his family and friends as they entered.
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!
When Mr. Seashell and I were newly engaged my Dad’s sister passed along her mantilla veil for me to incorporate into our wedding in any way I wished. I knew I wouldn’t be wearing it, as I was planning on wearing Mama Seashell’s veil from her wedding day.
The lace was just gorgeous, though. It had to go somewhere.
Mrs. Knitting, TorontoAge and Occupation: 24, Student Recruitment Assistant
Fiance's Age and Occupation: 24, Neuroscience PhD CandidateEngagement Date: October 2009Wedding Date: December 2010Venue: University of Toronto Faculty Club
About Me: I'm a pearl wearing, etiquette book reading Toronto girl who loves cooking and baking, museums, charm bracelets, and collecting books on Jackie Kennedy (a lot). I've been known to spend Sunday mornings at the antique market, Wednesday evenings at sister sushi dinners, and any bit of spare time reading. After six and a half years of many late night walks, watching DVDs together in bed, travelling to places like New York, and Tobermory, doing Sudokus together on the couch, lots of Indian food, the occasional yoga class, moving in together and so much more, Mr. Knitting and I are planning a cozy Christmasy (it's a word!), vintage wedding in Toronto complete with many DIY projects (eek!) and lots of help from our amazing group of family and friends.
I have a very definite type when it comes to wedding dresses. I like delicate lacey dresses, with cap sleeves and interesting backs. For some good examples see this post.
That being said, since buying my incredible and lovely wedding dress I’ve come across two different dresses that aren’t my style at all, but for some reason I’m completely drawn to them.
The first is a dress by Shank, a Toronto store that specializes in these gorgeous and very theatrical one-of-a-kind pieces. Their stuff is very wild, and while I can appreciate the craftsmanship, is generally not my style at all. However, when I saw this dress at a wedding show I was completely fascinated by it:
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.
In my last post I showed you all what I brought to my boudoir shoot, and talked about the lead up to the big day.
**WARNING: if you are easily offended, please just click over to the next blog post. Mom, family members, or anyone who doesn’t want to see me in the equivalent of what I’d wear to the beach, this is your exit cue. You may also not want to look at these pictures while at work.
First I want to share some tips for you ladies thinking about getting boudoir shoots taken. Some of these are my own tips, based on looking back at my pictures, and some came from my amazing photographer, Tiffany, of Adeline & Grace Intimates.
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 favor boxes!
Sellers: if you have favor boxes 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 favor boxes 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 favor boxes that are being listed for sale in the Weddingbee Classifieds. ***
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.
… and acquired the most awesome purple silk bolero ever. Anyways, I used to be what you might call a “cautious” internet shopper. As in, the thought of it absolutely terrified me. But since we started planning this wedding, that fear has gone out the window.
I was guilty of ogling over wedding blogs for months before we actually got engaged. And one thing that really caught my attention, in regards to the “bridal look”, was the bolero. I could drool over those for hours. I love them all:
Mrs. Pretzel, SeattleAge and Occupation: 32 Learning, Training, and Development SpecialistFiance's Age and Occupation: 28 Manufacturing EngineerEngagement Date: September 2, 2009Wedding Date: July 2010Venue: Catholic Church & The Engine Room at Georgetown StudiosAbout Me: I’m just a thirty-something girl who never dreamed of weddings, poofy dresses, or ritzy receptions. I am a rabid knitter, except recently, wedding projects have replaced my yarn and needles. I’ve been fiercely independent since the age of 2 and 30 years later I think my family and friends had given up on me settling down and getting married.
Ironically, I had to go all the way to Seattle to find a boy from Purdue. We fell in love over Seattle Beers and cooking together. I love NASCAR, he loves Legos. I can talk like a Muppet and he can fit a whole McDonald’s cheeseburger in his mouth. We are a two reception couple, currently planning a brewery inspired bash.
I’ve been holding out on you. My dress arrived months ago and I haven’t said a word about it.
Can you believe a wedding dress is in that box?
If I had, the first words out of my mouth would made your mama blush. Hell, they would’ve made a sailor blush.
If you remember (its been a while since we’ve talked about it) my dress was being made a dressmaker I found on Etsy.com. I selected the basic pattern and Mr Pretzel helped me “design” the details” of the dress. The pattern is vintage, and one that my dressmaker has made numerous times. Read more…
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 incredibly lucky to be marrying Mr. Oyster, a man who has embraced my culture and traditions wholeheartedly. He has been very excited about our wedding broom, and it has just arrived!
I mentioned a while back that I might like to have the broom be something passed around the family or on to future generations, or at the very least, displayed on our wall somewhere. But first, I had to get one. I thought Michaels might have one, or a craft store, but I was completely wrong. I even considered getting one from a costume shop (hello, witches!) for a deep discount.
But Mr. Oyster, noting my concerns about the “heirloom broom”, got very interested in this, and decided to take charge of this Matter of the Broom. I did not anticipate that he would take it so seriously, but I love that he did.
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’ve been in the “dating scene” for 14 years. 14 years!! My first boyfriend was in high school when we were a mere 16 years old. It’s taken me nearly half of my life, a couple serious relationships, and many crushes (celebrity and otherwise) to arrive at Mr. Lobster.
Can I be honest? Mr. Lobster isn’t the first guy I thought I would marry. During college/post-college, I dated someone who I thought was the one. At the time, I thought that a relationship that lasted for so long had marriage momentum. My college relationship was tumultuous but we were together (regardless of whether it was the right thing to do) for a long time. It was almost an afterthought to me that perhaps we were not compatible and not meant to be a couple. That became painfully clear when we broke up after nearly five years of dating. It was not a good break up. I spent a lot of time reflecting on what wasn’t right between us and I didn’t ever think until afterwards that, “Oh, that’s how NOT to have a good relationship.”
But I didn’t know what “true love” was until I met Mr. Lobster.
I’m not talking love with stomach butterflies but about the unconditional love that comes of a partnership. Read more…
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!
When I left off, Sister Socks and I had both picked out our engagement rings (and matching wedding bands).
Here’s how the proposals went down:
Mr. Socks and I were going on vacation a few weeks after I picked out my ring. I knew we wouldn’t have the ring in time, but we had discussed getting engaged anyway without the ring, since our Europe trip would probably be rife with picture-perfect proposal spots.
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!
Okay, okay, I know I haven’t actually shared photos of my engagement ring yet, but I promise I’ll share soon. Today I want to talk about the ring I wear on my right hand… my beloved Aggie ring!
What’s an Aggie ring, you say? Never heard of it? Many people haven’t, so don’t feel bad. This is what an Aggie ring looks like:
That is, of course, not MY ring – I just wanted to get a good detail shot so you can see what it really looks like up close and personal. Aggie rings are a HUGE tradition here at A&M. It’s a class ring, which isn’t really all that important at most colleges, but we take our traditions very seriously here! Read more…
Mrs. Thimble, NYC/PhiladelphiaAge and Occupation: 26, Actress & Costume Designer (+ day job)Fiance's Age and Occupation: 26, Lawyer & Techie WizEngagement Date: August 22, 2008Wedding Date: October 2010Venue: The Pearl S. Buck HouseAbout Me: I’m an easily inspired over-thinker delighted with the process of designing, building, directing and {dare I say} co-starring in the early-autumn affair I’ve been dreaming up. I’m a sucker for trendied-up comfort foods and old family anecdotes; I have an affinity for adjectives, alliteration, eyelet and earl grey; and I live for quality time with family and friends. I never guessed I’d marry my “high school sweetheart", but when it turned out to be my funny, techie, loyal Mr. Thimble I was committed for life. We’re both mid-career transition and ready to move back to small-townish TBD, PA in a pre-wedding flurry of all-good life changes.
A warm Sunday night in Queens, street traffic can be heard softly off stage. The sound of a ceiling fan clicks. ME lays in bed, tossing and shifting. CRAZY slowly moves from shadow into the light from the window…
Me: (whispering urgently and confusedly) Oh! … wow! Hi Crazy, I uh… I wasn’t expecting you to stop by tonight…
Crazy: Yeah, y’know… I was in the neighborhood. Heard you went dress shopping this weekend and you have to go to work in the morning, so I thought I’d stop by—see if you needed me.
Me: Huh. Well you know… that was thoughtful. I appreciate it, really. But now’s not a good ti-
Crazy: OOH it’s no trouble at all! I just thought you might want some more ideas for your bridesmaids. Didn’t want you to narrow it down too soon without y’know—weighing all the options. I’ll sit myself down right next to you so you can feel me breathing down your neck. So you know where I am. A’ight?
Me: Oooo… no. I guess… I’ll just have to get up and get you outta here then, really… (more to herself) it’s okay—it’s only 1:30, we’ll do a quick picture comparison… (to Crazy) Where did we save those pictures of my first favorite styles…? Should I look at J.Crew again?
ME and CRAZY exit up right, computer light pours in, keyboard clicking off stage. MR. THIMBLE slowly picks his head up. Read more…
Mrs. Pencils, Washington DC/Frederick, MDAge and Occupation: 24, Program Director, Education Non ProfitFiance's Age and Occupation: 24, Administrative Assistant, Ocean Conservation Non ProfitEngagement Date: July 26, 2008Wedding Date: May 2010Venue: Morningside InnAbout Me: I'm a nerdy Northwestern girl who always knew she was meant to live in the East, harboring a deep love of ice cream, underwear, Diet Coke with a splash of Coca-Cola, pashminas, scrapbooking, stationery, wall calendars and books written for preteens. I think every day should include good thin crust pizza, chocolate, an obscure historical monument, lots of laughter, a dash of wedding planning and, of course, amazing Mr. Pencils! I'm loving the adventure of planning a Maryland wedding and Rocky Mountain reception, and most of all, I just love love!
Mr. Pencils and I were so ready to get married. After hearing the amazing words our readers had said to us, it was time to declare our commitment to each other. Of course, the ceremony had been quite heavy up to this point—there had been lots of tears and seriousness. I had to show our family and friends our quirky, fun side. So….
Reverend-Uncle John read his Charge to the Couple, reminding us that we made a choice by choosing to be married today, and that our marriage will “reflect the effort [we] put into nurturing this relationship.” He then asked us if we understood and accepted the responsibility and promised to do our “very best each day to create a loving, healthy and happy marriage?” While Mr. P’s quick response was “I do,” I took a moment…
and pondered this commitment I was about to undertake…
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!
I swear I’m not completely bling obsessed (shrugs) even though this is (hangs head) another post about jewelry. This is not a post about just any old jewelry though, this is the story of F Stripes’ super magical wedding ring, and the roundabout, but in the end, oh-so-simple way we ended up finding it. So, pull up a chair and pop open a beer (or is it too early for that still?).
Now you may remember that F Stripes declared pretty early on that she had always pictured a plain yellow gold band. After a bit of research, we determined that it’s super hard to find a really pretty, slightly vintage (or even just vintage looking) plain gold band. If you want a little bit of character and a hand-hewn quality, then it’s really tough. Or really expensive.
And so while we waited for my super fantastic daisy ring to arrive, we scoured Etsy, eBay, everyvintagejewelrysiteimaginable and then some more places in search of the perfect ring. For a quick minute there I was winning a hundred year old Tiffany’s ring on eBay. Then a more savvy bidder swooped in (or had a computer do it for them—damn cowards) and outbid me by $1.99. Grrr! No really—I need to get on that auto-bidding business, but of course, I digress…
Mrs. Knitting, TorontoAge and Occupation: 24, Student Recruitment Assistant
Fiance's Age and Occupation: 24, Neuroscience PhD CandidateEngagement Date: October 2009Wedding Date: December 2010Venue: University of Toronto Faculty Club
About Me: I'm a pearl wearing, etiquette book reading Toronto girl who loves cooking and baking, museums, charm bracelets, and collecting books on Jackie Kennedy (a lot). I've been known to spend Sunday mornings at the antique market, Wednesday evenings at sister sushi dinners, and any bit of spare time reading. After six and a half years of many late night walks, watching DVDs together in bed, travelling to places like New York, and Tobermory, doing Sudokus together on the couch, lots of Indian food, the occasional yoga class, moving in together and so much more, Mr. Knitting and I are planning a cozy Christmasy (it's a word!), vintage wedding in Toronto complete with many DIY projects (eek!) and lots of help from our amazing group of family and friends.
Normally I absolutely never wear pantyhose. I had to wear pantyhose when I worked as a hostess in high school, but in the 5 years since I left that job, I don’t think I’ve ever worn them again.
However, the Bata Shoe Museum has just opened up a new exhibit on socks and they have some incredible examples of completely gorgeous stockings. Some are these incredibly elaborately embroidered creations. For example:
All-Inclusion Invitation Suites
