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!
If you don’t live in Pennsylvania, here’s the quick run-down: the sale of liquor of any kind must be sold in a state-regulated and owned store, which means no booze in the grocery stores, but more importantly, you are quite limited to the wines offered in the state-owned stores. In order to find rare/obscure wines, there is a long process to go about getting what you’re looking for, as opposed to other states, where many independently owned specialty wine stores may carry rare wines.
Okay, so I’m done boring you about Pennsylvania liquor laws. Here’s where it affects me and Mr. Socks: Read more…
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.
After 5 nights in Moorea, we headed off to Bora Bora for the last part of our trip. It was amazing. Everything you’d expect “paradise” to be!
Bora Bora is a one hour flight from Papeete, Tahiti, where the main airport is for French Polynesia. It’s an easy flight. Unlike Moorea, Bora Bora is a collection of smaller islands called motus. This means there aren’t roads between islands and only boat transfers, which isolates you mostly to your resort. This is *perfect* if you’re looking for true relaxation and luxury, which is exactly what the Lobsters ordered.
When you land in Bora Bora, you get off your airplane, walk about 200 feet to the other side of the airport and find your resort boat pick-up.
Mrs. Guinea Pig, Baltimore, MD Age and Occupation: 26, PhD student Fiance's Age and Occupation: 26, Operations Director at a non-profit Engagement Date: December 25, 2008 Wedding Date: May 2010Venue: The Chesapeake Bay Beach Club About Me: I'm a tomboy science nerd whose girly side has made a startling appearance thanks to wedding planning! I love to bake, knit and sew but I also ride a motorcycle (that Mr. Guinea Pig wouldn't touch with a 10 foot pole). We live with our three crazy cats and love to read, travel, watch movies, and do home improvement projects together! My parents/family are Canadian but I'm definitely American, although I've lived in 5 different countries, 6 different states, and speak Russian fluently. Mr. GP and I met online (did I mention I'm a scientist?) and had a whirlwind romance - now we can't wait to get married & celebrate with all our friends and family in a blue and yellow waterfront affair!
After feeling so much incredible love, warmth and happiness during the toasts, Mr. Guinea Pig and I snuck out while everyone got their dinner so that we could take a few moments to ourselves and enjoy the beautiful sunset.
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!
One of the most dreaded words in wedding planning is probably “budget.” Just think of all the amazing things you could have if there were no budget involved!
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).
Let’s take a little step away from wedding planning and talk about honeymoon planning, shall we? And not my honeymoon…your honeymoon. And more importantly, how to plan ahead for an international honeymoon so you don’t waste all kinds of crazy time trying to get access to your money. Oh yes, people…my advice is based on my own painful experience from just moments ago.
So…I’m in London on a business trip right now, and after landing at London Heathrow earlier today, my colleagues and I hit the ATM to get some pounds for the trip. Easy peasy, right? Of course not. Read more…
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, we were running 30 minutes late (sorry guests), but the time had finally arrived. All the guests were seated, our guitarist was playing and it was time for the processional.
Grandma Moonbeam started it off with an escort from my cousin.
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.
About once a week, when Mr. S isn’t around, I try on my prom/wedding dress with a pretty pair of shoes to make sure that I still like it. And I do. With some minor modifications, I think it might be the one. But I still keep looking.
I’ve fallen for some very simple but much more expensive gowns, but I’ve also been looking at some white or ivory bridesmaids dresses. They’re fabulous for someone like me, who doesn’t want anything too poufy or fancy.
Here are some of my favorites:
This Vera Wang bridesmaid gown comes in a color called “sand dune,” which is apparently closer to ivory in real life. I think it’s elegant and simple and gorgeous.
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!
After we finished up our wedding party group portraits, our photographer, Chloe, suggested taking some photos of Mr. Turtle and me in the same field, instead of stealing us away during the reception later like we’d planned. I’m so glad we did this, because we got some wonderful shots and only missed our cocktail hour, which we’d already expected to miss. First, my brand new husband helped me drag my dress further out into the field…
Mrs. Sushi, Hershey/HawaiiAge and Occupation: 27, Air Force PhotographerFiance's Age and Occupation: 25, Laborer/Aspiring Hip Hop ProducerEngagement Date: December 25, 2007Wedding Date: March 2009Blogging Since: October 9, 2006Venue: Byodo-In Temple, Luau ReceptionAbout Me: I’m a notorious people-watcher who loves all things paper, food, traveling, grubbin’ on food, gossip magazines, food, sock monkeys…did I mention food?! Mr. Sushi and I are both haolepinos (half Filipino, half Caucasian) and hope to be able to somehow incorporate our cultures at our destination wedding in Hawaii. All while planning from the sweetest place in earth, Hershey!
Guestbook-wise, I originally wanted to do a Quaker style wedding certificate. But in the end, I didn’t have time to design one and didn’t have the $$ to have someone design one for me. So, instead I went the route of vintage style postcards. I stuck 2 stamped postcards in glassine envelopes for each guest/family, one for them to mail to whomever, and one addressed to us.
Well, with only 19 wedding guests in tow, that narrowed down to only about 7 couples/families. That means, essentially I should have received about 7 postcards in the mail. Nope. It was a postcard guestbook FAIL. Read more…
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.
I guess I have kept you waiting long enough. I’m a bad little bee for taking so long to write this, so I will cut straight to the chase. Here is the finished product:
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. 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.
Since I never got to share engagement pictures with you all (since we didn’t take any), I’m going to over-share on the photos we took around the park after we had our first look!
Mr. Cola isn’t a big fan of having his picture taken, so we compromised and didn’t do an e-pics session, but instead we scheduled an hour for us to do pictures of just the two of us after our first look. And I’m pretty happy we did, because if I had to pick, I would rather have these pro pics of us all dolled up in our wedding attire over more pictures in our everyday clothes!
After our first look we took a few minutes to just sort of soak in being with each other for the first time on our wedding day.
Mrs. Ostrich, San Francisco/HawaiiAge and Occupation: 30, Fashion Buyer
Fiance's Age and Occupation: 38, CopywriterEngagement Date: October 4, 2009Wedding Date: April 2011Venue: Sweet ceremony by the sea and sunset celebration on the North Shore of HawaiiAbout Me: Born in the city of angels and residing in the city by the bay, I’m a fearless fashion buyer by day, a passionate blog author by night and a dreamy bride-to-be in between. I thank my lucky stars to live in such a stunning city that gives me gifts like organic honey lavender ice cream, movie nights in the park, tucked away beaches, legendary record stores, '80s dance parties, awesome sports teams, stellar flea markets, and vintage bookshops. Oh, and I love to dance! We always find every excuse to escape to the beach, and decided a little seaside wedding in Hawaii is our idea of bliss. Full of our favorite people, music, food and sparkly lights, this is one sunset celebration we will always remember.
“Sunday is the one day a week you get the single woman’s sports pages: The New York Times wedding section.”
- Carrie Bradshaw
Ah, to be a bride.
Zany? Always. Overwhelming? Sometimes. Super fun? Yes!
So the big day is seven-ish months away. And after many hours of creative brainstorming on our couch, Mr. Ostrich and I successfully tackled most of the big stuff. You know…the island. The date. The venues. The wedding party. The planner. The decor inspiration. The suit. The dress. (Yes, the dress! )
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!
I knew from the moment I saw the thumb print/guestbook tree trend, I was going to have to include it in our wedding day!
I’ve always wondered what people do with their guestbooks after the wedding. I didn’t want a book with people’s signatures just hanging around collecting dust. I love the idea that I can take our guestbook and display it proudly in our house after the wedding.
These were some of the first examples of this that I found:
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!
So, I know what you’ve probably been thinking. You’ve been thinking, “Miss G., I thought you were having a DIY wedding. So far I’ve only seen your half-assed save the dates and some Etsy invites with a pathetic excuse for wrap around DIY labels. When am I gonna see some crafts?”
Well sit tight my pretties. Mr. G and I are officially unemployed. We’re choosing to be unemployed until after the wedding (hopefully not too long after the wedding!). In a few days, we’ll be hopping off the plane at LAX with a dream and our cardigans. We’ll be living off our savings until we find jobs which means we can’t be frivolous. And I haven’t watched American TV in 3 years.
What does all this mean? For the next month, until the wedding, we will be doing nothing but sitting in front of the TV catching up on all the shows we’ve missed… I’ve heard Glee, How I Met Your Mother, and Modern Family are pretty epic? Well, anyway, we’ll be parking ourselves in the living room and crafting, crafting, crafting until our fingers fall off. It’s all part of our plan to try not to spend our savings away on Chipotle, trips to the beach bars, and Jamba Juice…all of which I’ve been craving for 3 years!
We are going into what I call execution phase. Read more…
All-Inclusion Invitation Suites
More on these here.
