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!
After seeing a glimpse of our engagement pictures, are you ready for my favorites? It was so hard to narrow it down, but here are my faves (not in any particular order) from our engagement shoot.
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.
If you have been reading my blog for long, you know that we LOVE the Riviera Maya for its rustic-meets-chic feel. So when it came to picking out our venues, we wanted to make sure they reflected that feeling.
Most destination weddings in the Riviera Maya happen at all-inclusive resorts, so both the ceremony and reception happen on resort property. While being in an all-inclusive gets you a great discounted price on dinner for the reception (yes, you still have to pay), you do have to put up with other guests crowding around and watching your ceremony. You won’t have much privacy.
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.
The one and only wedding dream I have is a recurring one where I am in my pyjamas, very sunburnt for some reason, and my mother is saying, “you have to go out there and get married! Everyone is waiting!” In the dream I try and argue that I can’t get married covered in sunburn, but in the end I never win that argument.
You already know how pale I am, so you can probably infer that I burn easily. Very, very easily. Put me in the sun with no sunblock on for 10-15 minutes and I will get a not-so-attractive red tinge to my skin. Then it blisters, peels, and I’m left with a couple new freckles to add to my collection. When I was little I prayed that all my freckles would join up, but there was no such luck. Actually, these days I have lost many of my freckles (especially from my face) because I am a lot more careful with my skin. But I still worry about burning.
I really don’t want to end up like a lobster at our wedding!
See, our wedding will, as you know, take place outside in a garden during a New Zealand summer right when the sun will most likely be shining with all its might (if all goes to plan). Did I also mention that NZ is right under that annoying hole in the ozone layer, making the sun’s burning power even greater here? 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 are finally trying to nail down our wedding budget. We’re trying to figure out how much everything is going to cost, who is responsible for paying it, and when it needs to be paid.
Our caterer won’t be providing alcoholic beverages. And that’s fine; I know it’s cheaper to provide it ourselves. But we’re trying to figure out exactly how much we’ll need and how much it’ll cost. Some websites say that you need to budget for one drink per guest per hour. To which I give a mighty snort. They’ve obviously never met our friends or Mr. S’s family.
But then I found Real Simple’s Wedding Wine and Liquor Calculator. It’s pretty rad. Enter in how many guests you’re expecting, what kind of booze you’ll be serving (full bar vs. wine and beer only), and if it’s a daytime or nighttime affair, and it tells you how much you need.
Mrs. Pretzel, SeattleAge and Occupation: 32 Learning, Training, and Development SpecialistFiance's Age and Occupation: 28 Manufacturing EngineerEngagement Date: September 2, 2009Wedding Date: July 2010Venue: Catholic Church & The Engine Room at Georgetown StudiosAbout Me: I’m just a thirty-something girl who never dreamed of weddings, poofy dresses, or ritzy receptions. I am a rabid knitter, except recently, wedding projects have replaced my yarn and needles. I’ve been fiercely independent since the age of 2 and 30 years later I think my family and friends had given up on me settling down and getting married.
Ironically, I had to go all the way to Seattle to find a boy from Purdue. We fell in love over Seattle Beers and cooking together. I love NASCAR, he loves Legos. I can talk like a Muppet and he can fit a whole McDonald’s cheeseburger in his mouth. We are a two reception couple, currently planning a brewery inspired bash.
Posting about our Moo card invitations got me thinking about the weekend Mr Pretzel and I spent with cows, goats, chickens, and oh, about 25 other engaged couples. Strange how my brain works, but moo cards brought back memories of cows, an emu, and a donkey named Rusty.
I’m talking about our Catholic Engagement Encounter Retreat. Marriage preparation for those marrying in the Catholic Church is standard. What the marriage preparation looks like will vary from Parish to Parish, in our Parish we had three items to complete.
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.
Good Folly, Miss Molly, I’ve still freakin’ got it! I thought the mundane walls of the hospitals I’ve been visiting had stripped me of any inspiration I’ve ever had. Enter the Margaret Stamp Set from cute tape. Oh, why hello there, Lady Margaret (yes she’s a lady). Fancy meeting you here.
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.
When our photographers arrived at the hotel suite, we were just breaking out a bottle of champagne, while waiting for my hairstyle to come together. I had wanted to be completely ready, except for having my dress on when they arrived, but oh well!
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.
When I fell in love with our venue, I didn’t know that sparklers were prohibited from the property. Boo! I’ve always wanted sparklers. From the beginning, as we sometimes say. I knew from the beginning.
Needless to say, I was really disappointed when I found out we weren’t going to be able to have them. I sulked for a long time about it but, eventually, I realized the pros of our venue far out way the cons, and I just have to get over having sparklers.
My backup? Bubbles. Yes, bubbles. I’m one of thoooose brides. Haha. I wasn’t sold on the bubbles at first, but while thrift-store hopping (my favorite pasttime), I found a bunch of packs of wedding bubbles for about 25 cents each (score!). It seemed like a sign! Hey, they’re usually a dollar each. What a steal, right?! I thought so.
I also got excited about decorating the bottles. That’s going to be such a fun and easy DIY project.
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!
Hive, I need to admit something to you. I was really opposed to e-pics in the beginning. I just didn’t see the point! We’ve been together for five years…surely by now we have enough pictures together. Plus, every time I thought of e-pics, I imagined people smiling cheesily in matching outfits. Not that there’s ANYTHING wrong with that. Engagement pictures in matching outfits can be adorable and classic, and I have lots of friends who have done similar photoshoots and been very pleased with the results. It’s just not us. Besides, matching outfits make me think of this:
{Source} Ten points if you know where this is from!
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!
Last week I shared with you a few of our wedding details. Perhaps you thought that was the extent of our wedding projects. If so, I have three words for you: OH HECK NO.
It’s been a wedding factory ’round here. I’m embarrassed to show you photos of our condo. This shot of our table will have to suffice as a snippet of what things look like.
So what else have the Seashells been up to? 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!
In my last post, I reintroduced you to my fabulous bridesmaids and promised that I would show off our group portraits! Well, here they are in all their glory:
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.
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!
I am so excited about these!!! Lynn Michelle did such a wonderful job, and we had a blast shooting them. I won’t talk too much so that I can let the pictures speak for themselves.
The pictures were taken at the Museum of the American Railroad near Fair Park in Dallas. We started out in our “dressy” clothes, but that didn’t last too long. Mr. E and I are both more “jeans and t-shirt” people, and we felt more ourselves once we changed.
Here is one picture to prove that we did dress up in the beginning.
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.
I know that it’s frowned upon to talk about money in regular company, not to mention on a public blog, but I’m doing this as a public service. I saw a handful of bloggers that published their budgets, and it was very helpful.
When we went into this whole thing, we were hoping to keep our budget in the $10k–$12k range. Unfortunately, it’s looking like we’ll be spending about $15,000 total, and that doesn’t even include a few things (rehearsal dinner, attendant gifts, rings). We’re trying to figure out how to cut our budget down, but we’re already spending the bare minimum on some things.
I’ve been using My Wedding Workbook, a really handy free planning tool, to put the budget together, and here’s what we’ve got. Everything that’s starred is an exact quote that we’ve gotten from vendors we’ve contacted so far. Everything else is the most we’re hoping to spend. Read more…
All-Inclusion Invitation Suites
