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).
For a while I’ve been up in the air about what I wanted to wear as my wedding day jewelry. I love bold, over-the-top-pieces and swoon over statement pieces like this one:
But, I have two problems: 1) I have a short stubby neck that doesn’t look pretty in bold/chunky necklaces; and 2) My dress has a lot of beading and crystal detail in the bodice and adding over-the-top jewelry might be too much.
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!
One of the issues with having my dad officiate the Pin Cushion ceremony was figuring out how to make the marriage legal. Before the wedding, we applied for our marriage license, and my dad applied to be a “Deputy Commissioner of Marriage” for one day.
My dad practicing his officiant duties at our rehearsal
But post-wedding, we were a bit perplexed about the next step. We didn’t bring the marriage license to the wedding to sign…because we couldn’t find it!
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!
The problem? It was $138. You all were very, very, very persuasive about convincing me I should—or needed—to buy that dress. I went so far as to put it in my Nordstrom.com shopping cart and stare at it for a good, long while. But in the end? I just couldn’t pull the trigger on it. Normally, I’d have no problem spending $138 on a cocktail dress (in fact, I think that’s a pretty good price for a cocktail dress). The issue with this one was that I knew in my heart that I’d never, ever wear it again. Read more…
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!
Do y’all remember the shoes that I gushed about a couple months ago? No? Let me remind you.
I love them. I still love them. But sadly I won’t be wearing them on our wedding day anymore. They’re very tall. And by tall, I mean four-and-three-quarter-inches tall. You see, Mr. Plaid is 6’6″, so I could wear eight inch heels and still be shorter then him. So I thought that four and three quarter inches was nothing.
But they’re too tall. They hang out of the bottom of my dress. I bought the dress before the shoes, and the dress can’t be made longer. So, goodbye fabulous shoes. Read more…
Mrs. Hippo, New York City/Dallas, TXAge and Occupation: 34, Event Planner for a Non-Profit Fiance's Age and Occupation: 35, Finance ITEngagement Date: August 8, 2009Wedding Date: March 2011Venue: Samuel Lynne Galleries and Marc EventsAbout Me: I’m a thirty-something bride living in New York City and planning a modern-ish wedding in Dallas, Texas. I love trashy reality television (Jersey Shore, anyone?), online shopping, Sunday brunch, Central Park, and random celebrity spottings on the streets of Manhattan. While I love NYC, I miss good Tex-Mex, my college friends, central A/C, and being in close proximity to a Target. I’m thrilled to finally be planning an event that’s not work-related and to be marrying my best friend in what I hope will be a unique and personal ceremony followed by a reception with plenty of good food, good drinks, and dancing (regardless if it’s good or not).
I have to admit, I’ve read all the stories of bees having troubles during the DIY process, and there was a part of me (before having tried a single DIY wedding project) that thought, “Oh…it can’t be all that bad!” Ummmm….it was that bad. It’s not like it was the most terrible thing ever, but it definitely took WAY more time and many, many more failed attempts than I ever imagined.
So, here are the DIY details behind these babies:
Our first issue came during the printing process. Read more…
Mrs. Turtle, Central CaliforniaAge and Occupation: 21, Art Student/TeacherFiance's Age and Occupation: 22, English StudentEngagement Date: August 16, 2008Wedding Date: July 2010Venue: Mr. Turtle's Grandparents' backyard, Arroyo Grande, CAAbout Me: I am a California girl who loves the beach and the mountains, but is quite satisfied living right in the middle where I can enjoy the best of both worlds. I am happiest when traveling to faraway places, wandering through museums, watching old movies, or baking up a storm. Mr. Turtle and I are high school sweethearts and fellow book nerds who both drive Mini Coopers and are most likely to be found browsing in antique stores. We're having so much fun planning our European garden wedding with a vintage twist and can't wait to share more of life's adventures together!
The time in between taking pictures on the farm and walking down the aisle is a big blur in my mind. I remember hanging out with my bridesmaids in a bedroom, and hearing that the guys had arrived and they were waiting in the garage. I was super paranoid about hiding from Mr. Turtle. Since we had chosen not to do a first look, I didn’t want a chance encounter to ruin our moment of first seeing each other when I walked down the aisle. The only other thing I remember is a lot of, “Oh my gosh! The guests are getting here!! You guys are almost married!” And so on. Our officiant, my family’s pastor that I’d grown up knowing, came in and prayed with us. I remember him thanking God for surrounding me with such a wonderful support circle of girls and asking Him to bless my marriage to Mr. Turtle. I also remember hearing sniffles and being pleasantly surprised to realize that I hadn’t shed a tear all day!
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.
Mr. Meerkat has a very short list of must-have items for the wedding. One of things on his list was a really nice suit. What he was thinking was something like this:
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.
After the rehearsal dinner, we stopped off at the girls’ cottage so that my bridesmaids and I could choose which flowers we wanted in our bouquets. Momma Moonbeam and I bought about $250 worth of flowers from HEB on Thursday afternoon and we just kept the flowers in buckets of water and left them on the front porch in the evening (it was cool out at night in November).
We laid out garbage bags and just started out trimming all the extra foliage off. There were sunflowers and lots of mums.
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.
We’re trying to think outside the box when it comes to our wedding…
Not necessarily in terms of creativity, but in terms of the “box” many brides and grooms (especially brides) get into when it comes to their must haves. Most of us want the best of the best. The best caterer, the best DJ, the best photographer–and there’s nothing wrong with that, except for the fact that most of us can’t afford the best of everything. In our case, we’re splurging on the venue and photography. We feel like these are lasting investments (if you will), or really (that’s just a fancy way of saying) the things we can justify spending thousands of dollars on.
When it comes to the trendy extras like a candy bar or photobooth, we’re really having to restrain ourselves. We want them, but our budget simply doesn’t have room for it all. For instance, I LOVED the smilebooth. We discovered it during our trip to New York at the Wedding Party, and it was my “must have” item for months. Seriously. Months. I told Aaron I didn’t care how much it cost, and when we found it was approximately $1500 somehow (lol), I convinced myself that was reasonable.
Did I mention that was on top of our wedding costs? Yeah. Mr. B wasn’t buying it.
Then I got on this kick about having a wedding planner. Mr. B wasn’t convinced we needed one until we met with a few, and all of a sudden he was all, “We can’t do this without one!” Despite his leniency on the issue, I knew our budget wasn’t going to handle a smilebooth AND a planner. So I had to chose. 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.
In November we will be meeting with the minister who will be marrying us (my uncle) to finalise the ceremony details, so by then Mr E and I need to have a fairly good idea of how we want everything to go. We have always wanted to write a large portion of the ceremony ourselves, so we have designated an hour every Sunday afternoon from now until November to focus solely on that. That way we can take our time, and really just enjoy the process without stress.
We had our first “date” for it this last Sunday, and we had so much fun talking about our ideas! I think it was the moment when we both realised, “wow, we’re really getting married soon…how awesome is that?!”
Anyway, the first “bits” of the ceremony we have managed to settle on are the readings.
We chose three: one that is very “me” that I will read to Mr E, one that is very “Mr E” for him to read to me, and one that is very “us” that a friend of ours will read at the end of the ceremony. Read more…
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.
Mr. S and I decided to have a long engagement for two reasons:
We got engaged this past Christmas and REALLY wanted to get married in the spring. Spring 2010 wouldn’t give us enough time to plan, so spring 2011 it is.
We need the time to save as much money as possible.
It’s all well and good, but the downfall is that it gives us (well, let’s be honest, me) plenty of time to make decisions and then second-guess them. And third-guess them, etc. I mean, I’m the type of person who, two months before any dressy event, buys a dress, then a few weeks later, sees another one she likes better and buys that one. Then I find a pair of shoes I like better and buy those. By the time the event rolls around, I’ve got a crap-ton of dresses in my closet that I’ll never wear. I’m just indecisive and fickle that way.
So, just a few months after we got engaged, with fifteen months to go before the wedding, do you know what I did?
Mrs. Lace, Pasadena, CAAge and Occupation: 29, Elementary school teacherFiance's Age and Occupation: 29, EngineerEngagement Date: September 6, 2009Wedding Date: June 2010Venue: Orange County Performing Arts CenterAbout Me: Born and raised in Southern California, my fiance and I are marrying in Orange County. We're planning a vintage wedding with a modern twist. I am an elementary school teacher by day and a wedding planner by night. I love reading, blogging, scrapbooking, trying out new DIY projects, buying awesome finds at incredible deals and spending time with friends and family. Trying new restaurants, traveling and shopping also top my hobby list. I'm anxious to share my wedding ideas and planning with the hive!
The morning of our wedding was a whirlwind. I spent about four or five hours getting ready and all of a sudden, it was time to go downstairs to see Mr. Lace. It all happened so fast and I was about to partake in the part of our wedding day that we totally didn’t plan. That’s right. We didn’t plan our first look. Well, that’s not completely true. Mr. Lace and I knew what time we’d meet and that we’d meet at the hotel that I was getting ready at, but that’s all. After Mr. Lace arrived, he spoke to MOH C and then Hanssie did the rest. Hanssie went to find Mr. L. Her second shooter, Michelle, stayed with me. I walked when she told me to walk. I waited when she told me to wait. I had no clue what was going on with Mr. Lace, but our photogs had everything under control. All of a sudden, Michelle had me walk out and after a brief pause she said, “Okay, in a second I’m going to have you turn around and you’re going to walk to Mr. Lace and tap him on the shoulder.”
I had no clue how close or far he was from me. 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 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. 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!
Something y’all should know about the Lions is that we are really REALLY into goofy pictures. And I’m not just talking “tee hee, you stuck your tongue out!” I’m talking full-blown nerd.
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.
It’s cool, and a tad nerdy, and quite awesome, if I don’t say so myself. It fits with his personality perfectly. And, it’s made with titanium and meteorite. Cool stuff.
It came in about a month ago, and of course, the first thing we did was have him try it on. Except it didn’t fit. Read more…
All-Inclusion Invitation Suites
