Just married. Calbride and her husband take a moment to relax on a trampoline.
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. 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!
Growing up, I’ve always enjoyed looking at the pictures from my parents’ sweet little church wedding, which took place over twenty-two years ago in my original hometown of Morgan Hill, California.
Early on in our wedding planning, I realized that although I did not plan to wear my mom’s wedding dress, I really wanted to find a way to incorporate it into our day somehow. I’ve seen a lot of great approaches to doing this, including everything from the bride wrapping her bouquet with lace from her mother’s dress to organizing a whole display of family wedding gowns from multiple generations. 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!
While I’m still trying to sort out the whole lack-of-cheongsam issue, I thought I’d take a moment to address another reception dress I’ve been dreaming about - the kimono.
Honestly, I had long given up hope of wearing a wedding kimono, due to the staggering expense. Mr. Sew’s parents were kind enough to send us some beautiful yukata instead, which we wore for our engagement photos.
(And again on our 6th dating anniversary at the Fanime Convention this year!)
However, it didn’t seem formal enough for a wedding, so I had resigned myself to being a 2-dress bride. Of course, that didn’t stop me from whining about my lack of dream kimono every chance I got. I’m such an embarrassment. Read more…
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.
After a long hard day of sitting by the pool, my dear sisters pulled another surprise out of the mysterious cardboard box and handed me this with my 5PM cocktail:
Exsqueeze me? I didn’t even want to know what was in it. But I looked (reluctantly) and saw about 15 “must dos” that involved a lot of random strangers and just general embarrassment. As a last minute addition, Lob-sister J made signs that said “Pass”, “Fail”, or my fave “Good Enough”. The photographic highlights are next:
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!
This weekend, Mr. Seashell and I are Providence-bound for my bridal shower. In addition to the usual shoes, clothing, and toiletries our suitcases are going to be crammed full of wedding stuff. Ah, yes, the joys of long-distance wedding planning.
Here’s the run down:
Pearls
Remember my “let’s add these to our centerpieces” inspiration? No? Well, these lovelies have to get to Providence (and more specifically to our florist) at some point. Best part? They’re heavy. Read more…
Mrs. Scissors, LaGrange, GAAge and Occupation: 25, Photography & Graphic DesignFiance's Age and Occupation: 24, Engineering Grad StudentEngagement Date: January 1, 2009Wedding Date: June 2010Venue: Ceremony - First United Methodist Church; Reception - My parents' house!About Me: I’m a six-foot-three bride with a fifty-foot personality! I love great art, fabulous design, intense color, tons of music, indie photography, watching movies on repeat, and being really awesome. This super-tall, Southern, loud, quirky, neurotic artist is marrying a German, quiet, silly, super-amazing roboticist in an eclectic, funky, fun, snazzy, technicolored June wedding. Anything is game for this shindig, for it is all about us! We’re bringing giant paper cranes, six-foot-tall portraits, fortune cookies, a photo booth, a club-circuit DJ, handcuffs, and possibly a kidnapping to this small Southern town. Watch out, y’all, and try to keep up!
I recently ordered some fun heart sunglasses from Urban Outfitters for the gals and me to wear on the wedding day. Why? Well, as you’ve probably gathered, hearts are one of our themes/things for the wedding, these glasses are on the low-end of costy-land, make great props, and they’re just dang fun. I chose three pair of translucent pink ones for them, and then ordered one of each color for myself. I just can’t decide. Read more…
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 DIY invitation supplies!
Sellers: if you have invitation supplies for sale, please post your item to the Weddingbee Classifieds by adding your item, and then return to this post and add the lindamask 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 DIY invitation supplies 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 invitation supplies that are being listed for sale in the Weddingbee Classifieds. ***
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!
Just the other day, I was having a seemingly innocent conversation, most likely about work, or about the benefits of cookies over cake, or perhaps about Harry Potter, when… BAM! I was blindsided by a question about whether Mr. Pin Cushion was my soul mate. This would have posed no problems if I had been able to coolly reply, “Of course he is! I love him so, that soul mate of mine.” But I didn’t say that. Because—wait for it—I don’t think he’s my soul mate.
It’s nothing against Mr. Pin Cushion. I just don’t personally believe in soul mates. And that’s okay. Mr. PC feels the same way. We both think that our relationship is absolutely fantastic and we wouldn’t pick anyone else to be with. But it takes work. And compromise (”I’ll stop embarrassing you by speaking in strange accents when we’re in public if you give me a 5 minute foot massage tonight.”).
And for Mr. Pin Cushion’s highly enlarged left brain, he just can’t fathom that out of the 3 billion females in the world, he happened to have met the one he was fated for at such a young age. In high school. And though it’s not the most romantic take on our love, I agree with him.
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!
RSVPs can be a source of stress as many of the other bees have shared. On the one hand, you have your best friend who drove to your house as soon as she got her RSVP to give you her response and ask, “Am I the first person to RSVP?!” to the one who holds onto the card for what seems like years. When you ask them if they’re coming they say, “Oh. Is the RSVP card due already?” (Yes, it was due two months ago.) So I’ve compiled a list of reasons why the RSVP process sucks.
RSVP WOES
the uninvited plus one
the one without a name
the late one
the one who doesn’t mark their meal choice
the very late one
the yes, then no
the no, then yes
the very, very late one
the one you have to tactfully call so that you don’t end up in an hour long conversation (you have planning to do after all!)
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.
So here I am as a bride on a definite (and quite small) budget, looking to plan a wedding located somewhere around downtown Toronto, one of the most expensive locations in Canada.
Super.
Now while I could have gotten stressed, discouraged, or upset (see picture), instead I got to work. This website was definitely very helpful for me. Even though I was looking mostly in an area I knew really well, the above website helped me consider a few places that I would have never otherwise known about. Read more…
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!
Mr. Peng and I celebrated our 2nd anniversary with separate vacations. What can I say, the honeymoon is over! Just kidding. He and his brother gifted each other an East Coast baseball stadium tour this Christmas, and the only time the teams they wanted to see had their home games all line up was over our anniversary weekend. So, I took the opportunity to fly to NY with him and hang out with my bee pals while he hit up a multi-state tour of the East Coast.
If you’re addicted to Etsy (and I suspect that at least 80 percent of Weddingbee readers are) then you MUST go to a Renegade Craft Fair. 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.
I did indeed DIY these cards, but I should warn in true Thimble fashion that this post is nowhere near a legit tutorial. I stumbled my way through these big time. I never opened a book about Adobe Illustrator (but I promise I have since); I just got myself (Mr. T got me) a free trial and I went at it. What came out in the end?
Ta da!!
What I made in Illustrator:
Finished product {featuring bling pear necklace ’cause it matched}:
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!
Mrs. Spaniel, Los AngelesAge and Occupation: 28, Law StudentFiance's Age and Occupation: 29, PsychologistWedding Date: March 2010Venue: Calamigos RanchAbout Me: I'm a third-year law student trying to balance graduating with starting my career, keeping up a relationship, and, oh yeah, planning an Old World, multi-cultural, "mountain lodge" wedding for 180 guests! A South Asian Jewish girl getting ready to marry my handsome Catholic Dane, I'm hoping to blend our cultures in our wedding just a bit more gently than by providing samosas as appetizers and offering æbleskiver for dessert. (Although that would also be awesome.)
I haven’t talked much about our flowers other than a tangential post of my “inspiration” bouquet, and I’m pretty happy I didn’t over-think it. Instead, I asked Devi of Les Fleurs de Vie for a green, cream, and lavender bouquet in muted tones (with a more monochromatic green scheme for the bridesmaids), and decided not to get too particular about the details. The end result was soft and lovely, and perfect.
Mrs. Taco, San FranciscoAge and Occupation: 29, writer/editorFiance's Age and Occupation: 37, editorEngagement Date: May 13, 2009Wedding Date: August 2010Venue: The Green Room at the War Memorial Veterans BuildingAbout Me: I like laughing and talking with good friends over good food and good drink, be it wine, cocktail, or brew. I write and edit things for fun and profit, but I rarely "write" these days without a keyboard and high-speed internets. Favorites include Mr. Taco, my Boston terrier, San Francisco, getting out of town, and the Roaring ’20s. I was kind-of planning a wedding since roughly 2006, when I discovered "Whose Wedding Is It Anyway?" on the WE channel. I ran and didn't look back with a theme I called "urban vintage," and it culminated in the most magical day a taco could ask for.
Credit: personal photo by Mr. Taco. It is SO WINDY.
Sixty-seven days out, we went to SF City Hall to snag our license. It’s conveniently located across the street from our venue (see above), so we snapped this commemorative shot while waiting for our return bus. We solemnly swore that we filled out the information correctly: names, addresses, parents’ names, and places of birth. I guess we indirectly solemnly swore that we were not homosexual (not like they checked our parts or anything) or related, too. I almost paid for the souvenir public license, then wondered what we’d do with it exactly. It’s way too big for my scrapbook, and we don’t even have our diplomas on the wall; so, it’s probably just as well. Read more…
All-Inclusion Invitation Suites
He and his brother gifted each other an East Coast baseball stadium tour this Christmas, and the only time the teams they wanted to see had their home games all line up was over our anniversary weekend. So, I took the opportunity to fly to NY with him and hang out with my bee pals while he hit up a multi-state tour of the East Coast.
