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!
As the countdown continues to dwindle to barely a handful of days, I find myself wanting to shirk off all the important tasks at hand (making the cake, paying the security officer, yada yada…) and deciding to tackle more craft projects. Because I am a craft addict.
First up, another bridesmaid gift! I decided that two handmade presents weren’t enough, so how about 3? I wanted to make some pretty, fun rice-filled “eye-masks” of sorts. Basically, if you fill up a cloth container with rice, you can microwave it for 30 seconds to make a heat pack, or toss it in the freezer for 30 minutes for a cool one. I love to use them on sore muscles or puffy eyes. I’m not sure what they’re really called, but all I know is I made some pretty cute ones for my girls!
Mrs. Brooch, Arlington, VAAge and Occupation: 25, Writer/EditorFiance's Age and Occupation: 29, Front Desk ManagerEngagement Date: October 3, 2009Wedding Date: April 2011Venue: Oxon Hill ManorAbout Me: I’m an indecisive girlie-girl with a motor mouth, can-do attitude, and knack for making others laugh. I dream of becoming a best selling novelist like Elizabeth Gilbert or Julie Powell (a girl can dream, right?), and love long road trips, a beautiful countryside, music, blogs, books, and all things vintage/thrift/antique/or homemade. I’m a Virgo, i.e. overly sensitive, emotional, and critical, and there’s no such thing as short and sweet in my world. I want to say and do it all. Mr. Brooch grounds me. I point where to go and he figures out the way. He’s a pragmatic fancy-pants who enjoys video games and movies. We both adore our mutt, Rocky, and spending time with our amazingly supportive family and friends. We’re planning a garden wedding with a formal reception with lots of whimsy and unique, Southern-inspired details.
I’ve been really focused on my diet lately, but the other day I had a nagging sweet tooth. What started out as one piece of chocolate turned into three! So in honor of sweets, I thought I’d throw together a quick post of wedding cakes—garden inspired, of course!
Mrs. Lioness, AtlantaAge and Occupation: 25, Physical TherapistFiance's Age and Occupation: 25, AttorneyEngagement Date: August 29, 2009Wedding Date: April 2011Venue: Anthony’s Fine DiningAbout Me: I’m a Southern girl with New England roots. I say "wicked" and "y’all" in the same sentence and I like to drink sweet tea with my lobster. Mr. Lion and I are both former Floridians now living in Atlanta, which fortunately is still SEC country...Go Gators! We both love baseball, coffee, traveling, cooking, and playing Words with Friends with each other on our iPhones all day long. I’m very passionate about the things and the people I love, and I tend to plan things with all of my heart...our wedding, of course, is no different! Oh, and also Mr. Lion is a first generation American of Cuban descent. I may look more like Lucy than Ricky, but I’m doing my best to incorporate some Latin elements into our vintage-garden-Southern wedding!
When Mr. Lion and I first started talking about getting engaged, I made it known early on that there was a family stone. You see, my mom inherited some jewelry from her grandmother, who was married to a wealthy physician in Russia. When they immigrated to America, they maintained their social status. Their daughter (my grandmother) ended up marrying my grandfather, who was the son of poor Jewish immigrants. The whole thing just sounded terribly romantic to me (well, the simple version does, at least). My great-grandmother passed down pearls, costume jewelry, and one lone aquamarine screwback drop earring.
We don’t know what happened to the other one, but one was all I needed! I’m a big fan of the ocean, and I’m a March baby, so aquamarines have always been my fave. As a little girl, I used to lay the earring across the top of my ring finger just to see how it would look as a ring. We had no idea how many carats it was or how much it was worth. We didn’t even know how old it was (though the jeweler Mr. Lion worked with was able to estimate that it was from the 1920s, based on the design of the earring). All I knew was that I’d had my heart set on it for ages. I told Mama Lioness, who agreed I could have it if Sister Lioness could have the pearls someday (such a fair ruler). So, Mr. Lion knew where to turn for the stone. But what about the setting?
I told Mr. Lion that I wanted a tulip setting. Tulips are my favorite flowers, so what better to complement my favorite stone? I could have sworn that this was a real thing and that I hadn’t just made it up. I later found out that Mr. Lion pretty much designed the setting himself since the jeweler had never heard of it! So maybe I did make it up. Maybe this image was stuck in my subconscious from decades ago:
Keep on loading your inspirational wedding pics to the Weddingbee Gallery to see them featured here on the blog! Remember, your images must be under 1MB in size, or they won’t load.
Mrs. Elephant, Dallas, TXAge and Occupation: 27, Financial Operations AnalystFiance's Age and Occupation: 27, IT Student/Store ManagerEngagement Date: March 29, 2009Wedding Date: April 2011Venue: The Tribute Golf ClubAbout Me: I'm a Philly native creating roots deep in the heart of Texas. I might be a little obsessed capturing those Kodak moments of anything and everything (mainly on vacations). I've become more of a gamer thanks to Mr. Elephant, who I met online and can't wait to spend the rest of my life with. We are planning a wedding based on our favorite colors, blue and green, with a travel theme for 150 of our closest friends and family. Hopefully our long (2-year) engagement won't kill me!
Part of our photography package with Lynn Michelle included a 16 x 24 canvas wrap of one of our favorite engagement pictures. We had a hard time selecting one (because we loved so many of our photos!!), but we finally decided on one that shows both us and our travel theme in bright, vivid color.
We’re quickly running out of wall space in our two-bedroom apartment, but I found a little nook that seemed the perfect size. Mr. E was awesome to hang it and then rehang it after I noticed it wasn’t centered.
Mrs. Plaid, AustinAge and Occupation: 26, Pastry ChefFiance's Age and Occupation: 34, Cabinetry CarpenterEngagement Date: August 8, 2009Wedding Date: October 2010Venue: Kindred Oaks, GeorgetownAbout Me: I am a Jersey girl born and raised but have since migrated to Texas and embraced its twang and Tex-Mex. I could probably eat chips and queso every day but instead I eat popcorn. I use the word “awesome” way too much but I just can’t seem to stop myself. I am addicted to all things DIY and am planning what I call a Texas-Chic wedding. I love snuggling with my two adorable dogs and of course, my adorable fiance. I can’t wait 'til I can call him my husband some day! October 2010, here we come!
A big ol’ wedding planning brick wall! With under two months to go it’s been very difficult to find the motivation to take care of all those pesky little details that have been looming over my head. I come home from work and instead of knocking a few things off my to do list every day, I ignore it instead.
I’m a bad bad bride-to-be. But it’s a new week and I’m going to be motivated. I’ve got five weeks left to make it all happen. I’ve ignited a fire under my butt, and I’m off. Read more…
Mrs. Zebra, Providence, RIAge and Occupation: 24 Marketing/Costume DesignerFiance's Age and Occupation: 26 Management/Firefighter Engagement Date: December 12, 2008Wedding Date: March 2011Venue: The Providence BiltmoreAbout Me: I'm a small town New England girl with an affinity for procrastination, crossing the proverbial line, and putting her foot in her mouth. I'm a lover of history, all seasons, sewing and Incubus. I design costumes on the side for my old high school's theatre department, which is where I met my sexy man. Our motto for our Big Fat Lebanese/Portuguese/Irish near-300 person wedding is "the more the merrier"! We are marrying in a Catholic ceremony and are hammering out the details of our Victorian-inspired reception.
In one of my first posts, I told you about my multiple “this is the dress” feelings and never elaborated further. Ladies! Do not stress about this magical (and elusive) feeling. Do not anticipate crying. Do not think that everyone knows right away when she puts on her dress for the first time. Please also do NOT beat yourself up if you don’t feel comfortable with your body or none of the samples fit you. Also, for your information, a trunk show usually means they are showing the dresses the models wore in the photo shoot. They are TINY!
My mother was looking for a mother-of-the-groom (MOG) dress in the winter of 2009, right after we got engaged. Being her daughter and a self-proclaimed stylist extraordinaire, she naturally asked me to accompany her on the trip. We were looking for a gorgeous, budget-friendly MOG dress. We found a beautiful dress for her, but it was $400, so we said NFW and kept on truckin’. It was a busy Saturday at the gown store when my mother’s face lit up.
Mrs. Argyle, St. LouisAge and Occupation: 24, Project CoordinatorFiance's Age and Occupation: 24, PilotEngagement Date: February 15, 2009Wedding Date: September 2010Venue: Jewel Box in Forest Park and Windows on WashingtonAbout Me: I'm a true Midwestern girl (born and raised), lover of red wine, reality TV and the entire J.Crew catalog. I love to dance regardless of who is watching, and enjoy a good laugh with my girls. I have a soft spot in my heart for planet Earth, my two dogs and my fiance. Fall is my favorite season (which is why we are marrying in September), but I love a warm summer day and the Colorado mountains in the winter. We are planning a modern soiree downtown, with lots of bold colors, and fun, eco-friendly elements.
This was another one of those last minute things—especially since our venue already sort of has bathroom baskets (i.e. tampons and pads). I wasn’t going to make bathroom baskets either, but then I got inspired by the travel aisle at Target. Oh Target, why do you do this to me every. single. time?
Mrs. Meerkat, Kalamazoo, MI/Riviera MayaAge and Occupation: 30, Application EngineerFiance's Age and Occupation: 23, IT ConsultantEngagement Date: July 26, 2008Wedding Date: December 2010Venue: Al Cielo / La LagunaAbout Me: I’m a tech-savvy tomboy with an affinity for hot tea and good sushi. Us Meerkats are just a couple fun lovin’ geeks from Michigan. We love anything having to do with movies, books, video games or technology and we hold a special place in our hearts for our two very spoiled shih-tzus, Wicket and Bravo. We also LOVE to travel. We love it so much it only took us 12 hours after we got engaged to decide to have a destination wedding. We are working our little Meerkat tails off planning a rustic-chic, travel themed destination wedding in the Riviera Maya with a semi-formal, vintage-turned-modern, outdoor at home reception back here in Michigan.
All of our invitations have now reached their destinations, so it’s time to reveal them to the blogosphere!
So much went into the these it’s hard to know where to begin. Our inspirations for invitations from the beginning were passport-style invitations and boarding-pass invitations, but we were not completely in love with either one. What we wanted was the chic feel of a pocketfold invitation with the fun style of the boarding-pass invitation. Like this:
Ms. Potato Chips, Boston/Narragansett RIAge and Occupation: 29, PhD StudentFiance's Age and Occupation: 30, Personal Trainer/Business Owner/Physical Therapy AssistantEngagement Date: January 1, 2009Wedding Date: June 2010Venue: The Narragansett TowersAbout Me: A semi-professional bookworm, if I could be a literary character I’d be a cross between Jo March and Jane Eyre, only better accessorized and much lazier. My hobbies include sleeping in, seasonal brews, running, Trader Joe’s, and watching Unwrapped and Good Eats with Mr. Potato Chips. I harbor an irrational fear of tulle, crafts, things that are fussy, and overuse of the phrase "Your Special Day". After a year or seven together, down the aisle we go, slouching toward adulthood and planning a Rhodie party with equal parts whimsy, cheer, and pizza.
On the way to the church, the guys’ limo and gals’ limo met up at our reception venue for some photos. I was psyched to see Mr. PH and our photographers set up a private and wonderful “first look” for us. I love this photo, with PH looking nervous and the wedding party creeping in the background!
Ms. Sloth, PhiladelphiaAge and Occupation: 35, Account Manager and Fashion BloggerFiance's Age and Occupation: 30, Design AdminEngagement Date: December 25, 2009Wedding Date: May 2011Venue: Bartram's GardenAbout Me: I'm an internet junkie and music snob with a good eye for a bargain. I couldn't live without thrift store shopping, cheeseburgers, sushi, Coke Zero, websites devoted to silly photos of baby animals, Photoshop, and Mr. Sloth. Speaking of which, he and I are a pair of goofball homebody nerds who love our beagle (the most ridiculously adorable dog EVER) to an embarrassing degree. We're planning a low-key and intimate yet festive and quirky outdoor wedding with DIY details and deeply personal touches, and it's all taking place in the city where we fell in love and call home: Philadelphia.
Although I’ve been reading wedding blogs since before we even got engaged, I haven’t picked up a single wedding magazine. Part of it is because I figured I could get everything I needed online. And part of it is because I already get too many magazines and I just find them so wasteful. I’ve already let most of my subscriptions lapse, and after the rest of them do, I won’t be renewing.
But a while back, at the salon, while waiting for my stylist to finish up on someone else, I picked up an issue of Brides Philadelphia that was on the table in the waiting area. Brides Philadelphia is published by the publishers of Brides and Modern Bride magazines, and I assume that most of the content is the same as it is in other cities, with only the local content being swapped out.
Mrs. Moonbeam, Los Angeles/San AntonioAge and Occupation: 26, Intern ArchitectFiance's Age and Occupation: 26, Studio Analyst, aspiring ScreenwriterEngagement Date: May 20, 2009Wedding Date: November 2009Venue: Our Lady of Grace Catholic Church (LaCoste, TX) and Mary Gray Events Center (Castroville, TX)About Me: I was born and raised in Texas, but after college I moved to Seattle for a couple of years and loved it. Then I followed my beau out here to LA and we're getting settled in. I've been making things since I can remember. I was raised by crafters. I love to sew, draw, paint, build, cook, bake (anything with a tangible end result is fair game). In that same spirit, I've been hosting since I was old enough to cook and set a fancy table. I kind of take after my grandmother, who believes that your morning OJ always tastes better out of the good crystal.
I woke up way too early the morning of our wedding day. No one was up and since our reception venue was steps away from the cottage I was staying in with my bridesmaids, I headed over to see it again. Linda and her helpers had put most of the flowers in the venue refrigerator, so I checked out the centerpieces. The tables and linens were being put up, but what I was most excited about was the fact that it was glorious and sunny. It was a welcome change from the buckets of rain from the night before.
So, my ladies and I headed out to a huge breakfast at a local diner. Everything really is bigger in Texas. Then we went back to the cottage, checked out what was going on at the venue and did a little setting up. Lots of family members were there lending helping hands—thanks again, everyone. Then Seattle ’maid tore me away from setting up and forced me to go and shower and start getting ready. I showered, submitted some job applications (I was still unemployed at the time) and started to feel bridal.
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 (like many people) love food and have been very excited about choosing the food for our reception.
My love of food in action:
One of the reasons I loved the Faculty Club so much was that they offered such a huge selection of food options, whereas a lot of other places I looked at had set menus with very limited options. Interestingly, since we booked with the Faculty Club, they’ve come out with these set wedding packages and I have to say I don’t like them at all. I am very relieved that I am not stuck with one of those. The packages are good in that they’re very affordable, but they’re really not what I had in mind.
Our main goals with the menu were to make it delicious (obviously), simple, reflect our tastes and the season, and to have really good options for the vegans in our lives. Read more…
Mrs. Frozen Yogurt, DallasAge and Occupation: 28, Special Projects CoordinatorFiance's Age and Occupation: 26, Equity TraderEngagement Date: March 19, 2009Wedding Date: April 2010Venue: Marie Gabrielle, DallasAbout Me: I was born and raised in Texas, and have lived in several of the cities across the state, but I currently reside in Austin. I went to college in Boston and have a special place in my heart for the Northeast. I love reading, shopping, wine, reuniting with college friends that are scattered across the country, reality TV, trying out new recipes, and attempting all the DIY projects that come along with wedding planning. I'm a "bleeding heart, save the world type" and thankfully my job allows me to work on legislation and policy to help out those in need. I met Mr. Frozen Yogurt in a bar, though he doesn't even drink! And now we are planning a modern yet vintage wedding in Dallas while dealing with the trials and tribulations of first time homeownership.
Okay, so we did our group shots with the guy/girl combo, but now it was time to split everyone up. To keep things lighthearted and everyone smiling, it was suggested that each of my bridesmaids give me advice. Don’t be fooled by these sweet faces:
Now, I don’t know what was said during Mr. Fro Yo’s guy time, but I definitely got a lot of um…great advice. For instance:
“Don’t do crack”
“Use a condom”
“Don’t get pregnant”
“Get pregnant”
And several other gems that I probably shouldn’t share. You can see by my ridiculously huge, throw my head back laugh, that I appreciated their advice: Read more…
Mrs. Barrettes, Tumon, Guam/Napa, CAAge and Occupation: 29, DancerFiance's Age and Occupation: 31, Licensed Building ContractorEngagement Date: November 16, 2008Wedding Date: October 2010Venue: V. Sattui WineryAbout Me: I'm an East Coast girl, living on a tiny little island in the Pacific, twirling, leaping, and shimmy-ing my way through life, and now, wedding planning! I'm equal parts nerdy and cool... okay, mostly nerdy. I love satin bows, red lipstick, black & white graphic anything, the shine of sequins and the sound of a champagne "pop". My favorite books are The Portrait of a Lady, by Henry James, and Tender is the Night, by F. Scott Fitzgerald. I can also conjure a pretty good Patronus Charm. I started my appreciation for good red wine while traveling on the high seas, and it's only fitting that my passion for wine drinking led me to my Napa-bred honey. We bonded over bottles of Cabernet on my oceanfront porch and haven't looked back since. We're sealing the deal at a winery in the Napa Valley on a 'perfect ten' of a day!
OMG, I thought I was in love with our venue before—now I’m head over feet! We are in Napa, meeting with our vendors and making sure all of our details are buttoned up. Today we met with our Day-of-Coordinator, chose our wines for the cocktail hour and reception, and finalized our catering menu. V. Sattui rocks my world!
All-Inclusion Invitation Suites
