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.
As I mentioned in my last honeymoon recap post, and back in March, it turned out to be cheaper by about $1,000 to have a 23 hour layover on Oahu, instead of flying home directly from Kauai.
And what did that mean? Bonus honeymoon afternoon and morning in Waikiki!
We sadly left our beautiful house on Kauai at about 9:30AM, stopped in Hanalei for some souvenirs, and dropped off our snorkel gear, beach gear, and the rental Jeep. Around 1:30 in the afternoon we landed on Oahu, and we were ready to explore! After a $30 cab ride to our hotel, we discovered at check in that our room wasn’t quite ready, so our rush to see as much of Waikiki as we could in an afternoon was interrupted by one of these, while we waited for our room.
Mrs. Jellyfish, Pleasanton, CAAge and Occupation: 27, Law StudentFiance's Age and Occupation: 26, Air Force PilotEngagement Date: February 21, 2009Wedding Date: September 2010Venue: Casa Real at Ruby Hill WineryAbout Me: In a nutshell, I’m the most optimistic worrywart you’ll ever meet. My family emigrated from Romania to San Jose, CA when I was 8, and I've been a Nor Cal girl ever since! My fiancé is also a Bay Area native, so it’s funny that we met at UCLA, as college freshmen living on the same floor (go Bruins!). Between his career as an Air Force pilot and my path to becoming a lawyer, our relationship has been anything but typical. We currently live together in Berkeley with our puppy Stinson. In addition to spending time with the loves of my life, I enjoy crafting, attempting complicated recipes, environmental law and non-law school reading (Us Weekly, anyone?). Follow along as I plan an elegant 200-person winery wedding, graduate law school, take the Bar exam, get married and get used to the always unpredictable but never boring life of a military spouse!
I don’t consider myself particularly enlightened when it comes to material things. Like most Americans, I am a consumer. I’m not going to lie – I like stuff. At the same time, I recognize that too much stuff is not a good thing, and I admire those who are able to reduce the amount of “stuff” in their lives. I wish to “simplify, simplify, simplify!” in the words of Thoreau. The wedding industry would have it otherwise, however.
According to various books, magazines and websites, as well as stores themselves (no surprise there), a couple should register for roughly three times the amount of gifts as the number of guests they are expecting. THREE TIMES. In our case, this would mean 600 gifts. I’m sorry but – are you f-ing kidding me?!?!
I see the value in registries. Guests, myself included, enjoy buying a tangible gift for the bride and groom. It’s nice to think that the platter you bought will be used at Thanksgiving dinner each year, or that your frame will hold a cherished wedding day memory. Tangible gifts allow the guests to make a connection with the bride and groom, and allow the bride and groom to build a home together. I get it, and I’m on board with it. 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. 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 theory, I should have had Our Save the Dates ready and in the mail by now, but life has kept me busy and I have this issue with procrastination. Don’t get me wrong, I have made my attempts and have spent many hours on the computer messing around with Photoshop. Unfortunately, up until today I did not have much luck and wasn’t able to create a version that I liked.
After a long day of lounging around I decided to take this project head on and am rather pleased with the results. After 3 hours of dedication and determination here she is—my favorite mock up of our Save the Date thus far. I like it a lot, but am waiting for the Mr. to get home before I get too excited. We often have differing opinions when it comes to invite designs, etc. I am hopeful though because it includes everything he wanted: fall colors, fall foliage and a picture he could tolerate of himself. What do you think? I will probably make a few more mock-ups before the final decision is made. 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!
Mr. Cardigan called his mom the other day with that excited exclamation. Her response? “Um…socks? Cool…”
Yeah, we get excited about the little things in life. But seriously? This is a Big Deal. You see, Mr. C and I have this very strong desire—no, NEED—for one of those amazing photos with everyone showing off their shoes, and the groomsmen having these amazing argyle socks. Not just any cool socks. They have to be argyle, somewhat like this:
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.
When Filipino men get dressed up, they put on the traditional barong.
No…I didn’t say sarong! A barong is a shirt that falls just past the waist, worn untucked, with long sleeves, embroidery, and buttons along the front. It looks like a Western dress shirt at first but then you see it––it is transparent! (Guys do wear an undershirt…don’t worry!!) 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!
Last time, Mr. Sew demonstrated how to use his beloved button-pin maker. Well, eventually I sat my lazy self in front of Photoshop and came up with some designs he could use.
And one day and many sore fingers later, over 200 buttons were born.
I only wish we had used a laser printer for better results. My poor, tired ink jet couldn’t quite get us to the smooth sleek finish we were looking for. But oh well. Here they are in all their buttony-goodness anyway! 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!
I know that I’m crazy, you don’t have to tell me this, but I’m having a BLASTY BLAST with my DIY projects.
The Save The Dates were a lot of work, but I also got an amazing amount of satisfaction after we finished them! But then…I had to work on the invitations. Well…the idea for the invites didn’t come so easily.
I had a really difficult time finding inspiration that “spoke” to me. I thought they were all pretty much the same, and I wasn’t thrilled with my designs for ours. Here are some of my earlier designs:
This was back when we thought we’d have the wedding at XIX (Nineteen). It would have definitely matched the setting since they had giant pearls hanging from the ceiling!
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!
Woo hoo! They’re here! Early this week I ordered 60 paper lanterns from Asian Ideas. And boy do they deliver fast! And what’s even better than fast shipping? FREE shipping! Yup, on orders over $100 you get free shipping. How awesome is that? So we ordered 60 lanterns to use at the wedding. Read more…
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!
Next, our super efficient photographer had the ladies come out for photos before the rain returned.
This was a very fun, and happy time for me as a bride. I was surrounded by my friends and family and I was relaxed and having fun. It was typical Maryland August weather, which is hot, humid, and unpredictable. Read more…
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)!
So, I left you all hanging after showing you two fabby fab gowns… I ultimately decided to go with this lovely.
I love my dress! No, really, LOVE it. But since it is so simple and sleek, I felt that it needed a little something extra. A sash! But not just any sash… Read more…
Mrs. Hot Wings, Chicago/San DiegoAge and Occupation: 28, ProfessorFiance's Age and Occupation: 32, InstructorEngagement Date: December 20, 2008Wedding Date: August 2010Venue: Ocean View Villas/Jasmine Seafood RestaurantAbout Me: I am a psychology grad student living in Chicago and planning my wedding to a fellow psych grad student. I am a Sunny So-Cal bred gal who trudged across the country to follow her love of psychology and ended up finding a partner in the process. I am overly passionate about anything I involve myself with. I am an activist, a foodie, a reality TV watching junkie, an over-analyzer, a photography obsesser, and am utterly cheesy to the core. This is a story of what happens when a boy and a girl meet, fall in love over academic dorkiness, and a shared love for life. We (mostly I) are planning our semi-destination wedding in my hometown of San Diego. We are excited to bring our families and friends together from across our lifespans to celebrate our future in a grand 400+ person culturally blended affair!
A couple weeks ago, I had the honor of attending Hottie Chel’s wedding. She’s my long time high school buddy and a brideswoman at my wedding. It’s fun being a guest at a friend’s wedding. It’s even more fun being a bride at a wedding. As a regular guest, the details sometimes don’t make as much of an impact as it does when you’re a bride who is either planning a wedding or who has planned a wedding. I was in awe and shock walking around Hottie Chel’s wedding.
I just wanted to share some of her personal touches and let her know that they definitely went noticed and ADORED! 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 mean, it’s beautiful… but it’s so fancy! It does not at ALL fit in with the theme of our wedding - fun, cheerful, and slightly whimsical. So, to be honest, I figured that the FG basket was something I’d just forget about until a week before the wedding and then I’d just cave and buy a fancy one.
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!
P.S. Sorry for the delay in posting - my computer crashed. But I just got my new one so as soon as I get all my pictures organized, I will be up and posting before you know it!
Mrs. Dolphin, Gainesville, FLAge and Occupation: 24, Graduate Architecture StudentFiance's Age and Occupation: 24, Interactive Interface DeveloperEngagement Date: February 14, 2008Wedding Date: May 2010Venue: Plantation Bay Country ClubAbout Me: I’m currently a Graduate Student at the University of Florida studying Architecture. I enjoy playing Scrabble with my Fiance, rooting for the Florida Gators, making any drink that involves a blender, cleaning (yes... I’m crazy), design... GOOD design that is, the new Pepsi with natural sugar, taking pictures, discovering new places in the U.S., and obsessing over doing (and designing) everything myself for our upcoming wedding!
I have one word to describe the rehearsal dinner… perfection.
Okay, two words… perfection and hot (as balls).
Mr. Dolphin and I had our rehearsal and yummy Southern-style rehearsal dinner on the same property our wedding and reception would be the next day. Our wedding venue was a one-stop shop for everything we needed, which made it so easy to book when we realized that not only can we have our reception at the Plantation Bay Country Club in Ormond Beach, but we could also have our wedding ceremony, our rehearsal dinner, and rent a condo for my girls and me that was within walking distance from all three of these events. Can you say perfect, or what?
Now before I start the our rehearsal dinner recap, we are going to play a little game called Where’s Mr Dolphin and Mrs Dolphin? (A rip off of Where’s Waldo?.) Read more…
All-Inclusion Invitation Suites
