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).
When I last left off I showed you all the branched goodness that invites could offer and I even created my own mock-up (soon to be revealed). Today, I present to you some lovely “branched out” wedding cakes.
This one here is pretty and probably one of my favorites, though I wish the branches weren’t so fat:
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. 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 love our venue. Really, I do. And I love that they have a boutique hotel attached to it. It works so well for so many reasons, and I’m incredibly excited about it.
BUT.
I do not love the way they handle room blocks, because it stresses me the hell out. You see, they’re one of those hotels that punishes you if all of the rooms aren’t booked. You have to sign a contract for a certain number of rooms, and if you don’t manage to fill them all, you get to pay for them all. Awesome, right? I thought about just ditching the idea of blocking rooms there and block them somewhere else, but there aren’t many hotels near our venues, and most of them are also small hotels, which I assume will mean they’ll have a similar policy.
I was terrified to actually commit to a number of rooms, but they make it somewhat easier by offering blocks by the “villa” rather than just a room. 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.
Way back when we first got engaged, Mr E and I thought we would go out with a few friends to a restaurant to celebrate our engagement and also to let these particular friends (mostly university friends of mine) get to know Mr E better (he had just moved to NZ).
Fail.
Long story short, one of these “friends” decided she didn’t like our choice of restaurant, changed it last minute, completely ignored (or forgot? didn’t realise??) the fact that it was OUR engagement party, and made it all about her. Mr E was ignored for the majority of the evening (except by two of my real friends who saw what was going on and tried their best to steer the party back on course but in vain) and I’m pretty sure the central subject of the conversations that night were all about aforementioned friend’s new kitten. *sigh* Maybe I need to learn to be more assertive.
Anyway. My mum found out, and felt really bad that we hadn’t had a “proper” celebration. 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.
I hate cake. I always have. No, I’m not worried about bodily expansion, and it has nothing to do with the wrath of the dentist. It’s the texture – so spongy and dry. Don’t get me wrong, I love desserts. But my poisons are pies (especially pecan and marionberry!) ice cream, dark chocolate, and my very favorite: cookies. I am particularly drawn to big, squishy cookies, and, well, when the Girl Scouts start showing up with boxes of Tagalongs at my local grocery store, I have a very hard time walking past.
Mrs. Hot Dog, Cheyenne, WYAge and Occupation: 23, Health Information SpecialistFiance's Age and Occupation: 23, Personal Trainer
Engagement Date: March 2009Wedding Date: August 2010Venue: Family Ranch outside Glenrock, WYAbout Me: I'm a city girl by birth and rural girl by choice. I'm ready to take on the world with a big heart and a big smile! I love all things crafty and DIY. I live in Cheyenne, WY with Mr. HD and our 2 fur babies, our dachshunds, Ollie and Mia. I love travel, adventure, Finding Nemo, '90s music, animals, and laughing. He is the cheese to my macaroni and together we spend more time watching movies than we probably should! I'm an old soul who is super duper excited to pull off our down home-rustic-chic-country wedding (on the cheap)!
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!
We took off for Croatia starting in Zagreb, and heading to Riejka, visiting Pula, Porec, Rovinj, Opatija and Krk. Read Part 1 here!
We headed inland for the Plitvice Lakes National Parks, and then south to Zadar. Catch up on Part 2 here!
We left Zadar early the next morning, and drove south down the Croatian coast to Split. We returned our car in Split, as we planned to take boats for the remainder or our travel! Split is a gorgeous and very unique city. It was built up as a palace for a Roman ruler who was looking to retire, and it has very much been preserved. The main attraction of the city is Diocletian’s Palace, and people have been living there consistently since the ruler himself built it and retired there! It is unbelievable. We could have explored the palace all day - try to imagine something much more like a walled and very organized city, as a opposed to a castle, and that’s what this was.
We climbed to the top of a belfry tower for a beautiful panoramic view of the city and the water.
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.)
Way back when I was a wee ’bee, I promised I’d share our final budget numbers at the end. I don’t want to say goodbye on a budget post, though, so you’re stuck with me through a few more recaps.
Have you entered this contest yet? It ends tomorrow!
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Hey hive! Recession or not, brides are looking for ways to save money on their weddings, that’s why Project Wedding is running The Budget Savvy Bride Contest! Simply create a community article by clickinghere telling Project Wedding how you saved (or plan to save) a bundle on your wedding and you’ll be entered to win one of three great prizes.
(Just so we know you’ve entered, make sure your title includes the phrase “Budget Savvy Bride”. For example–Budget Savvy Bride: Alison’s Story)
1st Place: $500 Amazon Gift Card
2nd Place: $300 Amazon Gift Card
3rd Place: $200 Amazon Gift Card
Project Wedding is seeking creative, detailed responses. They want to hear your story and see your pictures. In fact, the more we know the better! Feel free to write as much as you’d like, and upload as many photos as you think tell your story.
Mrs. Penguin will be one of the guest judges for the contest, so we’d LOVE to see some articles from hive members.
Good Luck — the contest is on now and ends tomorrow, Monday, July 19!
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.
I’m writing this post while my nieces are down for a nap, so it’s going to be short and sweet with lots of pics. Hope that’s OK. Read more…
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!
Start with a comb and some wire. I bought my combs at Hobby Lobby on 50% off day, so they were $1 for 2. The wire I bought at Wal-Mart; it’s the floral wire from the crafts section. It was for my butterfly bouquets, and I just have a ton left over so I never bought jewelry wire… and I’m here to tell you that it’s fine. Start by making a loop around one of the tines. Read more…
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!
It has been a whirlwind of a week. I feel as though last weekend somebody threw me into a time machine and pushed the button for one week forward. And I just tumbled out of the machine and I’m not sure how I got here!
There has been a lot of crafting around the Pin Cushion wedding headquarters. Lots of this:
Getting help from my grandparents on our favors. And this… Read more…
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).
In my last post I told you about my tree infatuation and my desire to incorporate them into our vineyard wedding without giving it an identity crisis. Well, as you may have guessed, I have more ideas of how to incorporate branches and trees into our wedding. In come branch/tree themed wedding invitations:
Mrs. Starfish, Boston/NewportAge and Occupation: 25, Operations AssistantFiance's Age and Occupation: 25, SalesEngagement Date: October 8, 2008Wedding Date: October 2010Venue: The Atlantic Beach ClubAbout Me: I'm a perfectionist who is a planner at heart. I don't do well with surprises. I love planning, crafting, Newport RI, family and friends, and most importantly, Mr. Starfish---all of which will be big components in our October wedding in our favorite little city by the sea.
Instead of doing a traditional guestbook at the shower, the Starfish Girls put little books at each table for guests to write in. Each page asked the guest’s name and relationship with the bride and groom, and there was room to write advice or well wishes.
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!
When I started thinking about bridesmaids’ dresses, I knew right away that I didn’t want to be the one to pick them out. I don’t have to wear it, so I shouldn’t be the one to choose it! I really really want to make sure my girls love their dress and that they’ll wear it again. So, I told them early on that they’re welcome to choose whatever dress they like, as long as it’s yellow. I don’t care about the material, the length, or the style. I figure it will all look good in the end, and I just want them to be happy with their dress!
The girls are starting to look for dresses now, since it’ll only be a few months before all the cute yellow dresses are gone in favor of more fall-like colors. BM Audrey and I have been on two outings to look for dresses together, and while she hasn’t settled on anything for sure, we’ve had a ton of fun dress shopping so far!
All-Inclusion Invitation Suites
