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.
Our highly anticipated engagement party was a huge success!!
The turnout was stunning! More than 40 people came out to celebrate. EVERYONE was there. Friends, family, and coworkers turned out in numbers. We were so pleased!! The food was delicious, too. Our potluck provided more than enough. We had everything from ribs to deviled eggs, and it was all Southern comfort food, of course. My diet was totally shot.
People really got into it!
There’s something about weddings that people must love because our family was totally into it. We were a bit worried that nobody would want to wear name tags or participate in the group game, but boy were we wrong! Folks snatched up the name tags like they were goin’ out of style! Everyone filled them out with excitement, giving themselves descriptive titles like, “Future Mother-in-Law,” and “First Cousin.”
Everyone loved my mom’s game, “Checkmate!”
The guests were asked to write down a question to ask Mr. B or me about the other. This was to see if we’re ready to get married, which is why the game is called Checkmate. It’s also because Mr. B and I love to play chess. If people couldn’t think of a question, they were asked to write down a bit of marriage advice. My mom had this little bell, and everytime she rang it, Mr. B and I would have to pick a number. Whoever had the paper with that number on it had to share his or her question or advice.
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.
Sissy got married in July! Let’s all join in on a congratulating chorus. OK, stop. Did a cat just die? I kid, I kid. The day before the wedding, the bridal party and close family went to get manicures and pedicures in preparation. I have always had exceptionally long and strong nails due to my childhood spent in front of a plate of steak and potatoes. I was just going to go with a typical, non-fancy-pants manicure and hope it wouldn’t chip before the wedding, until I saw this product…
OPI Axxium is, in my very non-professional opinion, pretty frickin’ awesome. I don’t like acrylic nails because of said strong nails and the way they feel after inevitably biting the suckers off. Also, I cannot lie to you: I have worried about this for the big day on more than one occasion. My hands will be taking their 15 minutes, and I don’t want to worry about chipped nail polish. I’m wicked excited that I no longer have to worry. 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!
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!
Most of our wedding ideas thus far have revolved around the reception. We’ve had our first dance song picked out since before we got engaged, I had imagined exactly what I wanted our centerpieces to look like, and have I mentioned the food? I suppose this is pretty normal for most brides, but I find it ironic because, to me, the ceremony is the most important part of a wedding.
Here’s my confession: the ceremony kinda intimidated me.
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’ve been a little all over the map when it comes to programs. At first I wanted something simple and easy, probably similar to our save the dates, in a square fashion with card stock and paper.
Mrs. French Fries, MilwaukeeAge and Occupation: 27, ParalegalFiance's Age and Occupation: 35, Investments AdvisorEngagement Date: September 20, 2008Wedding Date: June 2010Venue: Ceremony: Catholic Church, Reception: Hotel BallroomAbout Me: I'm a Midwestern girl who longs to live in a warmer climate (my feet would be happy in flip flops any day!). I love travel, impromptu napping, grilled cheese sandwiches, my iPhone, singing with reckless abandon in my car, and Mr. French Fries.
After our portraits, Mr. French Fries and I drove to our hotel for family pictures as quickly as we could. Because of the rain, traffic was terrible, and as if that wasn’t enough, there was construction and detours everywhere. What should have been a 10 minute trip took us upwards of 20-25, and we were super late for family pictures. We parked our car and walked into the hotel to find my immediate family waiting in the lobby with Mr. FF’s brother/best man. Everyone from both sides of our families were supposed to be there, and everyone on Mr. FF’s side except for his brother hadn’t shown up. Um, really? Yeah, really.
Add to this that I was emotional, tired from the day’s activities thus far, we were running late, and I hadn’t eaten much so far that day. Oh, and we both were soaking wet from the rain—Mr. FF’s suit coat was drenched, the hem of my dress was stained with mud, the tiers/pickups of my skirt looked like a deflated balloon and were falling out in some places, and my hair was wet and sticking to my face and neck.
Is the stage set yet? Because, OK. Here’s where I’m going to keep it real.
When I saw my parents and my sister/MOH, the floodgates opened. 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.
When Mr. S and I started talking about getting engaged, he made it clear that he had no idea about engagement rings, and he’d want my input on the one he bought for me. That was perfectly cool with me. I didn’t need the element of surprise; I’d rather choose my ring myself - that way, I’d love it!
I didn’t really have any idea about what I wanted, but I did have an idea of what I didn’t want:
Anything too big. I have small hands and thought that a large ring would be too much.
Something that wasn’t cruelty free. I’ve got diamond guilt, and lots of it.
Something cookie cutter. I wanted a ring that was a bit different from the norm.
Something expensive. There was no way I’d let Mr. S go into debt for this.
That was it. I didn’t have my heart set on a diamond—another gemstone would’ve been fine. And I wanted a white metal.
Armed with these limited opinions, I started researching online.
First stop: Etsy. Here were a few of my early contenders:
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!
You thought I was done, did you? Oh ho ho ho. Unfortunately—no. With the at-home party practically weeks away, it was time for this happy honeymooner to get her head out of the clouds of anime and back down to business.
But we took a few shortcuts this time.
Michaels ready-to-go invitation kits. I feel like a bad DIY blogger just writing that. But I’m married—I can do what I want! I picked up two packs with 40% off coupons, and was pleasantly surprised that they came with everything needed, even down to the little tape dot to fix the belly band in place.
We printed out the cards, with who-knows-what wording. 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!
It’s bachelorette party time! And it was semi-Elvis themed! Even better! (Sorry about all the exclamation points, but they’re very necessary.)
My kick-ass Co-MOH Leesa decided it would be best to rent a van and drive everyone downtown and home so we wouldn’t have to deal with drinking and driving. And her awesome husband (and our officiant, Guy—more on that later) offered to drive the ladies around. Check out our sweet ride and driver!
Mrs. Thimble, NYC/PhiladelphiaAge and Occupation: 26, Actress & Costume Designer (+ day job)Fiance's Age and Occupation: 26, Lawyer & Techie WizEngagement Date: August 22, 2008Wedding Date: October 2010Venue: The Pearl S. Buck HouseAbout Me: I’m an easily inspired over-thinker delighted with the process of designing, building, directing and {dare I say} co-starring in the early-autumn affair I’ve been dreaming up. I’m a sucker for trendied-up comfort foods and old family anecdotes; I have an affinity for adjectives, alliteration, eyelet and earl grey; and I live for quality time with family and friends. I never guessed I’d marry my “high school sweetheart", but when it turned out to be my funny, techie, loyal Mr. Thimble I was committed for life. We’re both mid-career transition and ready to move back to small-townish TBD, PA in a pre-wedding flurry of all-good life changes.
It’s official, Mr. Thimble and I are certified to wed in the State of Pennsylvania. Bring it on!
Mr. T Zipcar-ed in to PA to meet me Monday morning to retrieve whatever bridal shower gifts (from Sunday) we could fit in our borrowed Scion. While we were both in the state on a weekday morning, we drove over to the Bucks County Courthouse in Doylestown to get our marriage certificate. I was way more excited than I thought I’d be!!! Who knew paperwork could be so exciting?!?
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!
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.
…with fonts. Who knew? I just spent the last half hour (okay more like hour and a half!) going through most of dafont.com and I am now officially font obsessed. Look how fun some of these are:
I love this one quite a bit because of the fact that it looks so vintage and elegant, but isn’t too formal. It’s a bit tricky to read a lot of it altogether, but it’s definitely going to show up in one of our smaller paper projects for the wedding:
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.
Since we are staying at an all-inclusive resort, our first inclination about the rehearsal dinner was just to have it at the resort. I mean, the price was right: free. But Mama-in-Law Meerkat had other ideas; she wanted to host it. We have done so little that is traditional that it didn’t seem right not to let her have this one thing.
She asked that we use our amazing Google-fu and help her research some possible locations. Her criteria was simple: quiet, good/authentic food, wow factor. The first place we considered was Blue Parrot in Playa Del Carmen:
Mrs. Husky, DenverAge and Occupation: 26, Systems AdministratorFiance's Age and Occupation: 32, Mechanical Engineer, recently laid offEngagement Date: August 14, 2009Wedding Date: October 2010Venue: Rancho San CarlosAbout Me: I am planning a quirky-crafty wedding with my recently out-of-work fiancé for a (fingers crossed!) warm October afternoon. We are two self-professed nerds with an affinity for all things outdoors---be it rain, snow or shine. Recently relocated from the drizzly Northwest, we're enjoying the many sun-soaked days in the mile high city. Our day will be filled with both of our large families and friends, a self-served Cajun feast, and a Zydeco-style jazz band rocking beneath the beams of a historic red barn.
In keeping with our low-waste goal, we decided not to print programs for the ceremony. But we still wanted to acknowledge our families, wedding party, and guests.
I thought it would be perfect for the ceremony program – one pane for the actual program, one to list the wedding party, one to give our thanks to friends & family, and one instructing guests to seat themselves.
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!
This past weekend I flew to Providence to wrap up several wedding-related loose ends. We squeezed in a hair trial, final dress fitting, meeting with the caterer, meeting with the florist, stopped by the chapel, and ran errands galore. It was phenomenal how much we were able to accomplish.
I’m not sure if this is common, but our caterer, Russell Morin, provides an on-site person to oversee everything at our reception. Since booking with Russell Morin we have worked exclusively with Liza who has been absolutely amazing. She has worked with us to not only establish our menu and catering-related coordination but also the timeline of our event and similar technicalities. Liza will be setting up a lot of the details at our reception: placing our guestbook, organizing the candy bar, displaying all signage, etc. For this reason, we had to get all of these items to her.
All-Inclusion Invitation Suites
Michaels ready-to-go invitation kits. I feel like a bad DIY blogger just writing that. But I’m married—I can do what I want! I picked up two packs with 40% off coupons, and was pleasantly surprised that they came with everything needed, even down to the little tape dot to fix the belly band in place.
