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!
Yes, you read that right: it was the third fitting. You didn’t miss much for the second fitting—just lengthening the hem.
But I just have to preface this by saying, I almost fainted. Literally. I’m not quite sure what happened but I had been standing there, still as a mannequin for my seamstress, for about 8-10 minutes. I started to feel weird so I just took some deep breaths, and about 30 seconds later I felt sweat break out on my forehead. I didn’t want to bother her so I tried to ignore it and pull myself together. Then the stars came. If I didn’t speak up, I was going to end up on the floor!
“Omigod, Halina, I have to sit down, I think I’m going to pass out,” I practically whispered.
“Hold on, hold on, just one more pin!” She finished that pin, zipped me out and I melted on to her sofa in my underwear. Read more…
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).
…is a savvy bride’s gold! Like many brides before me, I have learned that weddings are expensive and that it is often frivolous and wasteful to spend so much money on decor that will eventually be boxed up and stuffed in a basement, or even worse, in the trash. So what better way to be eco-friendly and save money than to repurpose everyday items?
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!
Right after we got engaged, I moved to Boston for a three-month clinical affiliation. Though my patients made fun of me for saying “y’all,” I felt right at home. My family is from New England, even though they moved to the South before having me. Though I’ve spent most of my life below the Mason-Dixon line, I’ve been fortunate enough to visit Massachusetts dozens of times. You see, there’s this little beach town on the South Shore where my family has been summering for four generations…pretty much since we’ve been in this country. I grew up playing on that beach, fishing off of the North Atlantic rocks, and taking ferry rides into town for a Sox game. I have lots of extended family who still live in Boston and the surrounding area, and every time I see them it’s like revisiting years of wonderful vacations.
My mom has a cousin who lives with her husband in Cambridge, and they were generous enough to let me stay with them during my clinical affiliation. Their apartment was walking distance to my hospital, and there were about three Dunkin’ D’s along the way. A temporary transplant couldn’t ask for anything more. Cambridge Cousin’s sister and her husband live in Arlington, and they were generous enough to let my car live there for those three months. This made day trips to the Cape possible. Both of these cousins have an incredible mother, my Great Aunt Dotty. Dotty is my grandfather’s sister, and she is one of the most interesting people I’ve ever known. Her 85th birthday party happened to fall during my stay in Boston, so I was able to celebrate it with her and the rest of my New England family.
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.
So, it all happened on a crazy, stormy night in Texas, which left me slightly worried about our outdoor dance floor the next night. But, the only real effect was that I switched my shoes for the night from heels to flats because of the mud (though, let’s be honest, I totally would’ve wussed out on the heels anyway).
I don’t seem to have any pictures of the actual rehearsal, but London ’maid did steal my camera for a sec to get these shots.
Mrs. Lobster, BrooklynAge and Occupation: 29, Finance GirlFiance's Age and Occupation: 33, Finance BoyEngagement Date: July 25, 2009Wedding Date: August 2010Venue: Stage 6 Steiner StudiosAbout Me: I'm a New York-born, Virginia-bred girl who's found her way back to the big city. Mr. Lobster and I met in grad school and have been together ever since. I'm clueless about DIY but am an avid online shopper and love all things polka dots, stripes, and ruffles! When I'm not making wedding lists, you can find me looking for snacks, watching Gilmore Girls, or hanging out with Mr. Lobster and our new puppy Buddy! We are planning a fancy-pantsy Brooklyn wedding for a hot New York summer night which is sure to be a misadventure in the making.
Then I wiped my tears away and kicked it in to high gear. I recruited Mr. Lobster and my lovely sister to help me with the rest of the stuff. They worked hard into the wee hours of the night and then the next day (and the next day).
Yes, honey, that bow is the right length (no, it’s not! redo!)
Drum roll please for the results of their hard labor:
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.
Put my key in the door and…Eminem anyone? Anyone? OK, maybe I’m just delirious from lack of sleep, because it’s 3AM as I write this (ETA: and then forgot to hit publish until this morning, d’oh!).
And you may have noticed that it’s been a whole week-and-a-half since my last blog post (hangs head in shame). So this is just a quick apology for my absence. I know many other bloggers have paused their wedding recaps for much longer, but see, I take blogging very seriously. Especially once I got accepted to blog for Weddingbee, I always promised myself that I would take the 3-4 posts per week commitment to heart, even as time consuming as posting that often is (the Bee’s Life series has touched on the commitment Bee bloggers make several times, and is a good read for anyone interested in applying). Prior to our wedding 3 months ago I never once slipped below 3 posts per week, and since our wedding I’ve been holding strong at 2 posts per week (even on our honeymoon!).
However, last week I only posted once. And this week, well, this is what I’ve got. A middle of the night post. So, I’m sorry!
But stay tuned, because we finally just GOT OUR PRO PICS!!! Read more…
Mrs. Glasses, Tokyo/Los Angeles, CAAge and Occupation: 24, English teacherFiance's Age and Occupation: 27, English teacherEngagement Date: September 2008Wedding Date: October 2010 Venue: Parents' backyardAbout Me: I’m an expat living in Tokyo. I’ve been in Japan for almost three years now, where I met my fantastic English fiance. It’s time to leave Japan, so we are planning a fun, intimate, backyard ceremony back home in the suburbs of L.A. in October. Our wedding will be a mix of my love for food, beer, my Japanese culture, and Mr. G’s Englishness. We are on a tiny budget and DIYing almost everything!
Our Tokyo reception was on Sunday. There were no formal invitations, no centerpieces to fuss over, and I didn’t wear a white dress. In fact, I wanted to look bridal but not overly bridal. This is what I wore:
We met at a very Japanese restaurant for lunch with my Japanese family and bosses. We dined on shabu-shabu. 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. French Bulldog, Orange CountyAge and Occupation: 28, Administrative Assistant & Interior Design StudentFiance's Age and Occupation: 28, Purchasing AnalystEngagement Date: November 8, 2008Wedding Date: August 2009Venue: Bernardo WineryAbout Me: I've lived in Atlanta, Dallas and Laguna Niguel; although I've lived in Orange County, CA most my life, I'm a Southerner at heart. I work full time for a Commercial General Contractor (aka my father) and I go to school for Interior Design at night. I love modern design, music, wine, crafting, DMailing, my family, my Westies, and of course, Mr Frenchie! Mr Frenchie and I met 3 years ago on Match.com and have been best friends ever since. I love his "old soul" and how he laughs with his whole body, among many other things. We are planning our summer wedding at the winery near his hometown, just 45 minutes south of Orange County.
Where: The Mission Inn Restaurant - 3649 Mission Inn Avenue, Riverside CA
When: Saturday, September 18 at 11:30 AM
We thought it was about time the Inland Empire had a meet-up and we couldn’t think of a more beautiful venue than the popular wedding venue, Mission Inn.
Mrs. Toucan, BostonAge and Occupation: 25, Full-time Research Assistant, Part-time Graduate StudentFiance's Age and Occupation: 25, ActuaryEngagement Date: February 18, 2007Wedding Date: June 7, 2008Blogging Since: November 07, 2007Venue: St. Catherine of Genoa, Jin Asian Cuisine RestaurantAbout Me: I’m a Gemini to the extreme. On one side, I’m a girly girl. I read countless bridal and fashion magazines, and have an obsession with keeping up with the latest Hollywood gossip. On the other side, I’m a sports fanatic. Despite being a full-time bride-to be, full-time research assistant, and part-time student, I’m also a full-time Red Sox fan from spring training to October, and a full-time Patriots fan from mini-camp to February. I devote almost as much time researching my for fantasy football team as researching for our wedding!
A little less than 1 month ago, I decided to try to curb my little shopping addiction.
No buying clothes or shoes for 1 month.
Sounds easy, right?
And yet, I failed. Perhaps it wasn’t so smart to do this before we had our anniversary shoot?
You see, we went shopping to see if we could get an outfit for the Hubs. We just wanted to pick up a few accessories for him to sport, and then there they were…the cutest shoes…
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.
As I wrote about here, we’re pretty uncomfortable with public displays of emotion, so we won’t be writing our own vows. However, figuring out what we did want to say took a while, because while Mr. K was very vague about what he did want to say, he seemed to find lots of vows “lame.”
I, on the other hand, became very fixated on the idea of saying the wedding vows of the United Church because my paternal grandparents were married in a United Church and they had an incredible, happy, and long lasting marriage. I thought it would be so sweet to say the same vows they did over 60 years ago. However, Mr. K wasn’t fan because he thought the language was too old fashioned, so we moved on.
A pretty remarkable couple and two fantastic role models:
At this point I figured we’d just wait until we met with our officiant to see what he might recommend. However, then I came across Mrs. Ribbons’ post about their wedding and loved their vows. 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.
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!
I’ve mentioned a few times that I plan on DIYing our flowers––specifically, the bouquets and centerpieces. I wanted to keep the centerpieces super simple and relatively inexpensive, so if you’ll remember, I made a mock-up of what the tables might look like:
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.
We love the artistic- and photojournalist-style wedding videos we have seen. Originally we were going to hire one of these amazing videographers at…wait, how much?
Not only is that way over our budget, we would only be able to afford two hours of video. So basically, we would get part of us getting ready and the ceremony.
What’s a tech-savvy couple on a budget who own video- and photo-editing software and a hi-def video camera to do?? Read more…
ClassifiedsFeature Launched: April 30, 2008About: A roundup of the best Weddingbee Classified listings.
All-Inclusion Invitation Suites
