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.
A cousin of mine just got engaged and a day later I got a text from his sister.
“What’s a good engagement gift?”
I like to make things personal, but there have been some favorite go-tos I like to purchase. So I shared my top 3 go-tos:
Champagne- nothing says celebration like a bottle of bubbly! Mr. Starfish and I don’t actually drink champagne, but we got a ton for engagement gifts. Even though we don’t drink it, we were really excited, because we now have it waiting for when our friends come over to celebrate! We’ll be popping a bottle for a future housewarming party!
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. 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!
I recently read a blog post by a friend who attended her first wedding since her own marriage. She talked about how nice it was to sit back and soak in the day without frantically trying to “take notes” and steal ideas for her own wedding day. She said it was a great experience to be able to relax and truly enjoy the evening.
I was struck by her outlook. I hope that this is my ongoing experience, but frankly, I’m prepared for some mixed emotions. It’s not pretty, but I’m aware that I may feel pangs of a little thing called JEALOUSY. Jealous of a perfectly executed detail I wished I’d incorporated. Jealous of a font I hadn’t discovered. Jealous of an adorable favor. Jealous of a song that conveys a feeling more perfectly than one I used. Jealous of some amazing trend that simply didn’t exist in 2010.
And it’s not just the after thoughts or the small things. Read more…
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.
One of my favourite vendor crushes, Beth Helmstetter, wrote a blog post a few months back that really resonated with me. It’s called “It is NOT Out of Fashion If You Love It” and you can read the original post here.
As you can probably guess from the title of the post, Beth argues that when it comes to your wedding, you shouldn’t worry about whether something you love is in fashion or not. She points out that for those of us obsessed with wedding blogs (which I suspect includes many Weddingbee readers) very creative and interesting ideas can seem really overdone and overused really quickly. However, Beth argues that this is not reason enough to exclude something if you really love it. Most wedding guests don’t spend a couple of hours a day reading wedding blogs and most likely will not even be aware that more than one person has thought to use a typewriter as a guest book (for example).
This really resonated with me and I think it’s so true. I’d definitely been a bit concerned about a few of my choices being a bit too trendy or overdone, but this calmed me right down. Of course, these things are completely awesome and in fashion if Mr. Knitting and I love them. They certainly belong in our wedding, anyway!
Here’s a few of the “popular” things we plan to include: Read more…
Mrs. Cheeseburger, Baltimore, MD/State College, PAAge and Occupation: 25, Medical StudentFiance's Age and Occupation: 25, Medical StudentEngagement Date: June 28, 2008Wedding Date: March 2010Venue: Catholic Church Ceremony & Hotel ReceptionAbout Me: I'm a passionate girl from Pittsburgh, currently living in Baltimore for school, who loves Penn State, seeing movies, football, thunderstorms, black and white photos, Christmas, good beer, my amazing friends and family, and of course, my mister! We met, fell in love, got engaged, and will be married at our alma mater (go lions!) in a traditional Catholic ceremony followed by a hotel reception with lots of DIY details. It means so much to have our families and friends meet at our favorite place on earth to celebrate our love for one another - I truly couldn't ask for anything more!
The vibe in my hotel room was pretty much amazing all morning. I think I owe that in large part to this lovely lady and lots of prayers sent her way that week:
This statue of The Blessed Mother belongs to my Mom and traveled to State College with us for the wedding weekend. Why you ask? In my family, the ladies pray to Mary for good weather and lots of love and happiness on the big day. Having a statue of her in the room, facing out the window, served as a reminder to pump up those prayers - especially since earlier in the week they had been calling for rain on Saturday. 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!
Here’s a quick step-by-step guide on how to wind up making your own invitations:
Put off contacting stationery vendors until less than 3 months before the wedding. Itching to email them 6 months out? Don’t even think out about it!!
Be astonished by the fact that many stationers are already booked.
Continue to be astonished by the huge sums of money that the non-booked vendors request.
Be picky. Be very very picky. Don’t like anything that is easy to download, print or buy.
Realize you have no choice but to make your own. Blame this on others, as there is no possible way it could have been due to your own lack of organization or planning. Inconceivable!
Force any spare roommate or passerby on the street to help you cut, glue and stamp. Bribe them with food and alcohol as needed.
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, there have been some changes on the wedding front in the Hot Dog household. MAJOR changes.
Remember that food post where I talked about how we were having our favorite restaurant, Texas Roadhouse, cater? Yeahhh… that’s not happening. We decided to revert to our original idea of a potluck-style dinner. Members of the family are each making different dishes. We are still providing the pies, drinks and other desserts ourselves.
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.
My new extended family (circa 1985) * personal photo
My fiance, a second generation Filipino, has a lot more family members than me. A LOT more than me! All of my uncles and aunts do not have children. None of them are even married. I have no immediate cousins. I have one sister. She has one son. In my The Knot wedding guest tracker “The Bride’s Family” is only 14 guests. And this is when everyone who is single brings a date! In short, I have always wanted a huge extended family—now I will be getting one! Read more…
ClassifiedsFeature Launched: April 30, 2008About: A roundup of the best Weddingbee Classified listings.
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 bridesmaid dresses!
Sellers: if you have bridesmaid dresses for sale, please post your item to the Weddingbee Classifieds by adding your item, and then return to this post and add the link 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 bridesmaid dresses 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 bridesmaid dresses that are being listed for sale in the Weddingbee Classifieds. ***
Trulyoo is selling a brand-new After Six Dessy dress in a size 8. The mocha cappuccino dress has a sweetheart neckline and espresso-colored waistband. She’s asking $50.
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!
Phew. Okay. I’ve been on the fence about writing this very long post for a loooooong time, but I’m feeling brave, so I’m going for it. This is the story of how Mr. Octopus and I got engaged, and I’m telling you straight off the bat: it will not make you tear up with its sweetness. You might judge me for it. It’s not a happy one. But I want to share it, so here it goes.
In the summer of 2008, I had fully realized that I was ready to marry Mr. O. We had been together for six years, we’d been living together for two of those, and we were more in love than ever. Our lives were totally intertwined, and I knew that he was my one and only, my family, the center of my life. I hesitantly broached the subject of marriage with him, and found that we were not quite on the same page. Did he love me? Yes. Did he want to spend the rest of his life with me? Yes. Did he ever want to be with anyone else? No. But marriage? Not ready for that yet. I think that this is not uncommon for men, and I could accept the fact that he needed some time to process the idea of such a huge commitment. I stayed quiet about it, and gave him his space.
By December, Mr. O had indeed processed it. 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!
A lot of blogs are focusing on rustic weddings lately, and while I LOVE country weddings and rustic elements (it’s what my vision started out as for the wedding!), I thought I’d look for city wedding photos to make me super excited about my Center City Philadelphia wedding.
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!
Growing up, I never really fantasized all that much about my wedding. Sure, I did a little bit… but I never dreamed about poofy white dresses, gorgeous flowers, or a giant wedding cake. I’ve always known that I wanted to get married, and I’ve always been excited about it…but I just never did much daydreaming about it.
…except for one tiny little aspect. The wedding binder.
Yes, I really just said that. What can I say – I’m a sucker for organization! I always fantasized about having a big, beautiful binder that would house everything and I would carry with me to all of my appointments. I have no idea why this was the one aspect of my wedding that I always focused on, but I just couldn’t wait to get to buy one of those amazing wedding binders of my own.
Once I actually got engaged, I have to admit that I took a while to get around to following through with my dreams of owning a wedding binder.
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.
Alright, where to start with describing our honeymoon? Amazing. Fantastic. Beautiful. And so. much. fun!
But I’ll try to keep these honeymoon recaps to just a couple posts, and make them picture-heavy so you can all see what we did, since I know seeing vacation pictures is a lot more fun than just reading about it!
It started early the Monday morning after our wedding, with us driving to the airport in a zombie-like state, exhausted from the previous week, and our plane took off on time. Not only was the 5 1/2 hour flight the longest I’d ever taken, but I had my first experience with actual airplane food! It was a semi-warm vegetarian breakfast burrito and muffin, and it was as I had expected—gross!
After an hour and a half layover on Oahu, we landed safely on Kauai, and got our rental car from Budget. Where we ended up paying twice the cost quoted on our reservation—yes, they talked Mr. Cola into an upgrade, the insurance, and the pre-paid gas. Oh well, it was our first car rental experience, and we definitely learned from it to get the insurance, but ignore the rest of their overzealous sales pitch. We just wanted to get to the beach! 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!
That’s what this sucker is. Maybe not quite blank, but at the very most all we’ve got is a rough outline. This is MacLean Park, our lovely little wedding venue that is waiting for Clinton and Stacie to swoop on in and dress it up “What Not to Wear” style. I think it’s got great bones, it’s just in dire need of a little gussyin’ up for our big shindig. For now, let’s focus on the high points, shall we?
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!
You didn’t think I would end the Pencils’ recaps without a details post, did you? And I even have one more up my sleeve after this one! Get excited!
There were a number of small touches that graced our tables, hands, and guests’ seats throughout the wedding. Every wedding has wonderful details, and our travel and ribbon theme made up ours.
First up, the original cake toppers I had gotten that ended up being an addition to a random table.
As Mr. Pencils got ready, he was accompanied by some small details, including the watch I had bought him for Christmas to wear on our wedding day.
All-Inclusion Invitation Suites
