Mrs. D'orsay, Baltimore/Lancaster UKAge and Occupation: 24, nonprofit communications Fiance's Age and Occupation: 29, Web site developer and designer; co-owner of men's skincare shopEngagement Date: August 10, 2008Wedding Date: August, 2009Venue: Oakland ManorAbout Me: I'm a Maryland raised environmental policy wonk/activist/organizer and communications aficionado. In the past year I've lived in Baltimore, MD, Tucson, AZ, Miami, FL and Lancaster, England. In my not so spare time I enjoy planning trips with Mr. D' Orsay, visiting friends and family and crafting like a mo-fo. I also enjoy modern dance classes, rugby and soccer but have been banned by my mother, MOHs, and Mr. D' Orsay from playing till after the wedding. I have an unnatural addiction to cheese and shoes, but love Mr. D' Orsay more than either and can't wait to become Mrs. D' Orsay!
Mr. D and I did not do a first look. Instead I wanted the suspense to build all day until I walked down the aisle. This caused a more hectic schedule than was necessary (not helped by my late arrival to the venue). We had to shoot the guys and the girls separately and we ran out of time to get the entire bridal party together. Mr. D and I missed cocktail hour to take portraits. I hid from whom I thought was Mr. D - which turned out to be the groomsmen doing a run through at the ceremony site.
Mrs. Sand Dollar, HoustonAge and Occupation: 24, Graphic DesignerFiance's Age and Occupation: 22, Electrical TechnicianEngagement Date: January 8, 2010Wedding Date: September 2010Venue: MacLean ParkAbout Me: I'm a domestic diva down to the core. I heart cooking, sewing, baking, decorating and making sure we have a hand-crafted home. The best part about the wedding is I get to incorporate it all! I make sure I put my art degree to good use by screen printing, craft knife cutting, and a whole lotta graphic design. We're having a big-time party on a small-time budget, and I promise to show you a boot-scootin', barbecue-eatin', finger-lickin' good time! Mr. Sand Dollar and I spend most of our time on DIY projects or traipsing around the outdoors with our two pooches Rory and Juno. I'm looking forward to sharing our journey with all of you!
(personal photo, and yes, that’s my dad’s backhoe)
Hiya hive! It’s so exciting to be writing my intro post as an official bee! I never thought this day would come. Of course I immediately called everyone I knew and told them all the good news. It’s not every day you’re accepted to blog for the best wedding website in the world! I’ve been a subscriber since I found the ’bee back in ’07, so I’m over the moon to be the newest addition. 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.
Ain’t she a beauty?! She was a surprise, but the look of her wasn’t a huge surprise. For about six months before Mr. P popped the question he asked me to go online and show him pictures of what types of rings I liked. I came down to five that I really liked. Read more…
Weddingbee GalleryFeature Launched: April 10, 2009About: A collection of inspirational wedding pictures from readers and bees.
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. 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!
Wanna know how I plan on saving some dough on my beautification before the wedding?
I’ll bet you do!
I’ll let you in on a little secret: I use bargain sites like www.PhillyHalfOff.com, www.Philadealphia.com, www.HalfoffAmerica.com and MANY more. What these sites do is let you buy a gift certificate (usually worth $50) for half-price. I pay $25 and get a certificate worth $50, automatically saving me money!
Yeah, I love it so much that I had to make this pointless image in Photoshop. THAT’S how much I love it.
Many many different cities offer websites like these, and you usually don’t have to look much further than your local radio or TV station websites. So check them out because you could find some deals! 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!
I have this thing for paper. I love it. And I love crafts involving it, especially when it’s something slightly unexpected. So, when I came across these adorable little guys, I knew I had to incorporate them into our wedding somehow:
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.
What am I going to hang in the trees to decorate the reception?
I can’t make up my mind. I am head over heels one day for one idea, and then the next day I see something that causes me to question it entirely. It is driving me nuts. So I’m writing it out as my new strategy for working out the crazy tangle my brain cells are in. Yes, I know I wrote about my new methods for taming all the inspiration… this is a demonstration of me trying to stick to those methods. So let us begin:
We could have the ever-popular bunting. It is popular for a reason… so very cute. And we are already incorporating fabric in many other elements of the day.
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!
In a word, sanity on our wedding day. I know, sanity from a vendor? Yes—an amazing vendor, two awesome shooters who not only captured every.single.amazing.moment of our wedding day, but also gave Mr. Pencils and I some of our favorite moments from the day. Beyond our pre- and post- wedding photo shoots, our photographers did something that has Mr. P and I eternally grateful.
After the completion of the cake cutting and various tosses, they pulled us outside for a moment of alone time. Sweet, sweet alone time.
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!
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 decided that I actively need to calm down about wedding planning and learn to laugh. I care a lot about this wedding and as a result I think I’m in danger of taking everything too seriously. I really really want to be able to laugh at all the ridiculous things that are likely to happen. Seriously, Mrs. Perfume’s ugly cake that tasted bad is one of the funniest things I’ve ever read, and clearly her wedding was still incredibly gorgeous and memorable even if she didn’t like the cake.
The problem is that because I don’t have a “go with the flow” type of personality, being able to take a step back from something I really care about is really hard for me. I also tend to take things pretty personally, which really doesn’t help when you’re planning a wedding. I know everyone says that the important thing is that in the end you’ll be married and that’s all that matters, but I don’t find that advice very helpful. I’m more like, “Yes, I’ll be married but everyone will think our wedding is awful because of (some ultimately unimportant thing that no one will notice but me). 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!
Happy Tuesday, hive! Please join me in welcoming Miss Sand Dollar to the hive!
Miss Sand Dollar, Houston Age and Occupation: 24, Graphic Designer Fiance’s Age and Occupation: 22, Electrical Technician Engagement Date: January 8, 2010 Wedding Date: September 2010 Venue: MacLean Park About Me: I’m a domestic diva down to the core. I heart cooking, sewing, baking, decorating and making sure we have a hand-crafted home. The best part about the wedding is I get to incorporate it all! I make sure I put my art degree to good use by screen printing, craft knife cutting, and a whole lotta graphic design. We’re having a big-time party on a small-time budget, and I promise to show you a boot-scootin’, barbecue-eatin’, finger-lickin’ good time! Mr. Sand Dollar and I spend most of our time on DIY projects or traipsing around the outdoors with our two pooches Rory and Juno. I’m looking forward to sharing our journey with all of you!
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!
The Pin Cushion Wedding Party has a bit of a gender bias. We’ve snagged ourselves a lot of ladies, and seem to scare off the men. In fact, we have 6 females in our bridal party (3 on my side, 3 on Mr. PC’s) and only 2 males (1 on each side). We love our bridal crew, lopsidedness and all.
Our bridesmaids and groomswomen deserve to wear awesome dresses at our wedding (though perhaps a slightly less awesome dress than my own would be acceptable). The six ladies have fabulously different bodies. And different skin tones. And different hair color. And very different heights (two people under 5″ [I chose ’em to make me look taller in comparison]).
It was a daunting challenge to pick out a dress that would flatter all of the ’maids. But when I face a challenge, I buck up, square my shoulders and attack it head on… no… wait. That must be some other bee. This bee tends to slump over, wave a white flag and pass the challenge off to some unsuspecting victim. Like my bridesmaids and groomswomen. Read more…
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.
So you’ve heard part 1 and part 2 of our excellent engagement party, and hopefully I can tell you about the rest of it in this last post! After the scavenger hunt madness died down, we collected in the living room for a competitive round of Seahorse&Fancee Jeopardy!
For the purposes of showing how awesome my sister is, and how clever this jeopardy set-up was, I will disclose in writing that our names begin with M (me) and D (her). My awesome sister incorporated the first letters of our names into each category:
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!
I know, I know - everybodydoesit after they get married. There’s even an acronym for it: PWC (Post Wedding Chop). And not that I’m normally one to follow the masses and jump off a cliff just because my friends did (who else heard that from their mom all the time growing up?), but I had finally had enough of my long hair. Although, looking through everyone else’s PWCs, it does appear we all end up going from long straight hair to the same general short style! Maybe that’s ’cause it’s awesome.
I present to you, my Before hair:
(Right before going to my appointment)
This is pretty much the exact haircut I’ve rocked for… oh, about 26 years (apart from a short stint in 7th grade which we shall never talk about again). What can I say, it met all my criteria: no hassle (tucks behind ears and goes into ponytail easily), air dries well, requires zero thought in the morning.
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!
In the middle of my weekly ritual of purifying the clearance racks at Michaels of any bargain finds, I happened open some cute little letter patches. Impulsively, I snatched up as many red “Cs” as I could find. Six, in all, for fifty cents each.
It’s not every day you’re accepted to blog for the best wedding website in the world! I’ve been a subscriber since I found the ’bee back in ’07, so I’m over the moon to be the newest addition.
All-Inclusion Invitation Suites
