On Saturday, June 26, our lovely Atlanta bees had a blast enjoying iced coffees, dessert and appetizers at Cafe Intermezzo and the first of many meet ups began.
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!
Mrs. Octopus, Boston, MA/Pittsburgh, PAAge and Occupation: 25, Grad StudentFiance's Age and Occupation: 26, Graphics Operator for TV NewsEngagement Date: May 6th, 2009Wedding Date: September 2010Venue: Heinz Chapel Ceremony, Museum Reception
About Me: When my best friend dragged me to a toga party in our freshmen year of college, I was not expecting to meet my future husband; but seven years later, here we are. I'm a crazy-organized planner at heart, and I am a great lover of random trivia, books, chocolate, blogs, new and exciting adventures, mockumentary-style television, and anything heavily flavored with bright orange fake cheese powder. We're planning a festive and fun mini-destination wedding in the place where we met: fabulous Pittsburgh, PA! I can't wait to marry the man I love!
I know I still have to show you the insides of our invitations, but that post is just not quite ready yet. So, in the meantime, I thought I might as well prompt a little light-hearted debate by throwing an opinion out there that might be a touch controversial. Hey, we’re all melting to death (on the East Coast, at least), why not sit inside in the air conditioning and argue on the Internet?
Anyway, here it is: when searching for bridesmaids’ dresses, I was not (and still am not) particularly concerned with whether or not my bridesmaids find their dresses re-wearable. (Is this news to you, Octo-Bridesmaids? Sorry! Don’t hate me!)
So, I have two reasons why. First of all, I have six bridesmaids, and unless I told them to choose and wear literally whatever their hearts desired, I don’t think I possibly could have picked a dress that all six would happily wear again and again. Read more…
Mrs. Husky, DenverAge and Occupation: 26, Systems AdministratorFiance's Age and Occupation: 32, Mechanical Engineer, recently laid offEngagement Date: August 14, 2009Wedding Date: October 2010Venue: Rancho San CarlosAbout Me: I am planning a quirky-crafty wedding with my recently out-of-work fiancé for a (fingers crossed!) warm October afternoon. We are two self-professed nerds with an affinity for all things outdoors---be it rain, snow or shine. Recently relocated from the drizzly Northwest, we're enjoying the many sun-soaked days in the mile high city. Our day will be filled with both of our large families and friends, a self-served Cajun feast, and a Zydeco-style jazz band rocking beneath the beams of a historic red barn.
Mr. Husky has full reign over the wardrobe choices for himself and his groomsmen. I handed off this part of the planning to him at the very beginning, and haven’t checked in much since. So the other night, I asked him what he was thinking. His answer? Suspenders.
Say wha???
Now, we are both self-professed nerds. But had it really come to this?
Mrs. Mary Jane, Grand Forks, NDAge and Occupation: 26, Instructional DesignerFiance's Age and Occupation: 26, Lead ProgrammerEngagement Date: February 28, 2009Wedding Date: September 2009Venue: City HallAbout Me: I'm a career woman on the surface and a homemaker at heart. I love fast cars and high heels, and my favorite food is cake. Mr. Mary Jane and I are both full-time employees and students, and we just bought our first house. We love to curl up on the couch with buttery popcorn, Sour Patch Kids, and the latest Netflix arrival -- whenever we can get a break from everyday life.
In Part 1, I summarized our trip. Now it’s time to talk about food. I love food. Even though I feel like I’m in a perpetual state of junk food –> diet –> junk food –> diet, I still really love me some food.
The Secrets Wild Orchid and St. James complex had five ’formal’ dining restaurants:
El Patio (Mexican)
Himitsu (Pan-Asian)
Bordeaux (French)
Portofino (Italian)
Blue Mountain (Jamaican)
We had assumed that these restaurants offered different selections throughout the day but as it turns out, they are only open for dinner (and dinner starts at 6:00 PM; I’ll get back to that in a minute).
The formal dining restaurants were only open for dinner, so first let me tell you about the others. Read more…
Wedding BiosFeature Launched: September 12, 2008About: Wedding bios of real brides.
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!
If you remember, when I first talked about our cupcakes, I mentioned that Sister Cardy and I plan to make wrappers for them to spruce ‘em up a bit. She has been making some mock-ups for me on her Cricut, and I got them in the mail the other day and I couldn’t wait to share them with you!
When I first opened the package, I found an adorable little card:
I opened it, and it was a “Congrats on becoming a bee” card! (Side note: Mr. Cardigan, THIS is why I need a Cricut!!! Look how cute!)
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.
When we left off I was swooning over the look and design of Imperial Russia, but I wasn’t sure if that could be worked into the wedding in any way. This past Sunday at the St. Lawrence Market Antique Market I found the perfect item to incorporate my love of Imperial Russia into our wedding.
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!
Sometimes I feel like I’m not part of the cool crowd. It seems like everywhere I look, people say that they’re marrying their best friend. And as much as I love Mr. SD, it would be a total lie to call him my best friend. We enjoy spending time together, and have a lot of common interests that we love to pursue with each other. But neither of us relies on the other to fulfill the best friend role.
I learned a life lesson from some extremely successful, intelligent, and wonderful women. Read more…
ClassifiedsFeature Launched: April 30, 2008About: A roundup of the best Weddingbee Classified listings.
Mrs. Locket, Ithaca, NYAge and Occupation: 25, Research TechnicianFiance's Age and Occupation: 28, former Banker hoping to become an Officer of the LawEngagement Date: June 15, 2009Wedding Date: September 2010Venue: Heron Hill WineryAbout Me: I am a little bit of everything all rolled into one: A girly gal with rough edges---I love to get dolled up just as much as I enjoy throwing on some sneaks to toss a ball with Mr. Locket. My love for crafting and creating is quite apparent and I've been referred to as a Wonder Woman/Martha Stewart/Stepford Wife hybrid (yup, I'll take that as a compliment). I adore sewing, photography, sculpture, good eats (mmm tapas), baking, snugging and oh, pretty much everything in between (there's not much I dislike). I am super excited to be planning our vineyard wedding and couldn't be happier to be marrying Mr. Locket. We are a quirky, fun-loving couple residing in our college town with our two pups Maple and Molly. We love to go on hikes, visit our local dog park and to bask in the beauty of many of the local falls and gorges. We are an indecisive pair, but together we somehow manage to make up our minds (it's the easy stuff that's tricky).
The bridesmaids’ dress decision has been up in the air for quite a while. Way back in December MOH “A” and I went searching and we came across the Bill Levkoff collection and really liked what they had to offer. During that trip she found a dress that she just loved and thought everyone else would. The trouble was a few days later, lil’ sis “H” went with my mom to try on the same dress and she HATED it. I was a little bummed because this meant a decision still needed to be made and that our search had only just begun.
To make things easier on everyone I decided to limit my gals to anything chiffon that came in plum from the Bill Levkoff collection. Why chiffon? Well, the chiffon comes in the color plum (different materials come in eggplant instead of plum) and the material goes better with my dress. So this April lil’ sis “H” and I planned a trip to try on as many Bill Levkoff chiffon dresses as possible. I took pictures and took notes recording what her favorites were, which styles worked, and which she hated.
Mrs. Cloud, RichmondAge and Occupation: 25, Sales RepFiance's Age and Occupation: 26, Customer Service Manager/DJEngagement Date: February 14, 2008Wedding Date: November 2009Venue: Cathedral of the Sacred Heart & The Jefferson HotelAbout Me: Mr. Cloud and I are Yankees planning a Southern wedding to show our families from Boston and New York our fabulous city. We are complete opposites, resulting in a wedding to include bridesmaids in pearls and groomsmen in Adidas shell toes. I’m a sorority girl at heart with strong addictions to my blackberry, cherry Chapstick, Coach purses, the Boston Red Sox and our fur baby, Bella. I can’t wait to the throw the party of our lives and of course, marry my best friend!
While I was busy waking up at the crack of dawn/primping/curling/stressing/freaking out/drinking mimosas/putting on a heavy dress, the boys were having a much easier morning. I really wish all it took me to get ready was a quick shower and a shave! While Mr. Cloud does admit he got very minimal sleep the night before, he will say that he and all his boys really only took about an hour TOTAL to get ready. No fair! In that short time I sent SIL Cloud up to see her brother and bring him a little gift from me. It took me forever to decide what to gift my groom on our big day, but on Mrs. Quiche’s advice I went with a set of amazing vintage map cufflinks from Etsy seller dlk designs, which he absolutely loved. I also gave him a pair of Red Sox socks, you know, in case he got cold feet!
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. My name is Mrs. Hermit Crab and I am a serial hair cutter.
I like to grow my hair long, thenafter two years get totally frustrated, chop it all off on a whim (and donate it), enjoy it for a week and then complain about how I hate my hair short for the next eight-to-twelve months until it grows out a little.
It a cycle that Mr. Hermit Crab doesn’t like very much, mostly because he fields most of the complaining and there is only so much a person can say “I told you so” without getting equally frustrated.
Since college, I have been rocking this cycle, big time. I started braiding my hair (we’re talking serious braids here) freshman year, and as soon as I took them out for good, the cycle began anew.
A little trip down Hermit Crab Hair Memory lane: Read more…
BeehiveFeature Launched: Aug 31, 2006About: A forum for readers to post questions and get feedback from the hive, aka the weddingbee community.
To be eligible to win a Avery/Zazzle Wedding Organizer, review your favorite wedding vendors in the Weddingbee Vendors section and submit them to us here to be featured on the blog! Check out this post for more info on our great weekly prizes!
Temple Shir Tikvah is a lovely venue. The sanctuary is beautiful on its own, and also has a view out over Wedge Pond through the large windows. The Temple staff was very helpful in working with us, allowing us to do things like set up a chuppah we had made ourselves in the sanctuary.
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.
I really wanted to wear my mother’s wedding shoes on my wedding day. They were her splurge 22 years ago—she hunted the streets of Auckland for them, and finally found them in a tiny boutique. They’re white leather dainty kitten heels, with a pointy toe that isn’t too pointy. Unfortunately, right now they happen to be somewhere in a giant storage unit and we have absolutely no way of locating them without unpacking twenty years of stored stuff.
I haven’t found a real picture of them yet (sorry!) but these are sort of similar to give you an idea (you know, without the big blue bows):
All-Inclusion Invitation Suites
