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.
For almost my entire life, I’ve said, “I’m wearing comfy flats under my wedding gown. Nobody’s going to see them anyway.” And I’ve never been a fan of, for lack of a better word, pretty shoes. My footwear tastes lean more toward the funky.
But now, for some reason, I find myself craving satin stilettos to wear underneath my wedding dress. Brightly colored! With bows or rosettes! And sparkly things!
What’s wrong with me? Why can’t I stop looking at stuff like this?
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.
Mr. B was a real trooper when we went to New York for the Wedding Library’s Wedding Party. When I won the tickets (from DIYBride—thanks again!!), he immediately started planning a romantic weekend getaway to the Big Apple; and here I thought he wouldn’t want to go.
He was probably just as excited as I was when we first arrived at the New York Palace because we were anxious to see what all the hype was about. After about an hour or two of walking from room to room, meeting various vendors, tasting various desserts, and talking about invitations, my poor guy started to get bored.
It was also getting very crowded, mind you, with women on a mission to hunt out all the potential wedding details there and enter every contest and giveaway available. Poor Mr. B was a bit overwhelmed and, well, ready to leave. Of course, I was nowhere near ready to go! Like the other brides there, I didn’t want to miss a beat. But luckily for me, we ran into this guy (the one in the background of this picture):
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!
In our relationship, we’ve got anniversaries coming out of every which way.
We’ve got the day we got married officially at the ward office.
Pretty important, I’d say.
Then there was the day we met, back in 2007, a few days before Halloween. We were pretty much attached from that day forward. Read more…
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!
We decided that we’ll send out save the dates since a decent percentage of our guests are from out of town. I previously mentioned the magnets that Mr. E designed for our STDs, and now I’ll show you our mock-up of the cards that we will be sending them in.
It’s pretty simple—we used the same scrapbook paper that we’re using for all of our signs around the reception. The card is made from 12×12 blue card stock, cut in half. I trimmed the width from six inches to five-and-a-quarter inches. The matting under the text comes from the same 12×12 green card stock that created a hurdle for me when doing the mock-up of our invites. I measured the three different mattings and found that I could fit two cards on one sheet of 12×12. I made tracers to make it faster to trace and then cut out.
Ms. Stripes, Los AngelesAge and Occupation: 29, Costume Designer/StylistFiancee's Age and Occupation: 29, ChefEngagement Date: June 23, 2009Wedding Date: September 2010Venue: Heritage Square MuseumAbout Me: I’m a type A creative with a messy streak, a loud mouth, and an uncanny knack for combining clashing patterns. I can usually be found with my nose in a book, my feet (or at least my toes) on the ground, my head in the clouds, and my arm around the prettiest girl you ever saw- aka
Fiancee Stripes. Together we’re planning a FUN vintage/modern French carnival wedding extravaganza and rockin’ dance party on a dime. (Say that three times fast!) Good coffee, long lists, Uniball pens, and my iPhone keep me sane, and making art, making trouble, and making out keep me happy! I love urban adventures, bike rides that end with afternoon drinks, breakfast for dinner, beautiful light, photography, travel, my furry family, and of course, my beautiful fiancee! I’m super excited to be here and can’t wait to share all our adventures as we craft a joyful, budget-friendly, design-savvy and all-around AWESOME wedding!
I know I promised a fourth installment of the invitation madness, but I hope you’ll forgive me for forgoing it (for now) and throwing up a few simpler posts. My bridal brain is shot. Don’t worry though, I will eventually deliver the 4th installment—aka, How to DIY your own Awesome Lino Prints…and by eventually I mean post wedding. Duh. And sorry.
Until then, let’s talk about other pretty, sparkly things, like veils and headpieces. Yup—our heads aren’t gonna be naked at this love fest of ours, because I threw a couple things together for us…
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!
Mrs. Sand Dollar, HoustonAge and Occupation: 24, Graphic DesignerFiance's Age and Occupation: 22, Electrical TechnicianEngagement Date: January 8, 2010Wedding Date: September 2010Venue: MacLean ParkAbout Me: I'm a domestic diva down to the core. I heart cooking, sewing, baking, decorating and making sure we have a hand-crafted home. The best part about the wedding is I get to incorporate it all! I make sure I put my art degree to good use by screen printing, craft knife cutting, and a whole lotta graphic design. We're having a big-time party on a small-time budget, and I promise to show you a boot-scootin', barbecue-eatin', finger-lickin' good time! Mr. Sand Dollar and I spend most of our time on DIY projects or traipsing around the outdoors with our two pooches Rory and Juno. I'm looking forward to sharing our journey with all of you!
Hive! I’m so excited I can hardly stand it. Today, I’m doing a boudoir shoot. Yup, that’s right, I’m taking sexy pictures! And with none other than a hive member who befriended me, the lovely Suzy Min. She’s a gorgeous local wedding photographer, who happens to live just down the street from my new home. How awesome is that? She’s such a wonderful photographer; here’s a sampling of her stunning work.
Mrs. D'orsay, Baltimore/Lancaster UKAge and Occupation: 24, nonprofit communications Fiance's Age and Occupation: 29, Web site developer and designer; co-owner of men's skincare shopEngagement Date: August 10, 2008Wedding Date: August, 2009Venue: Oakland ManorAbout Me: I'm a Maryland raised environmental policy wonk/activist/organizer and communications aficionado. In the past year I've lived in Baltimore, MD, Tucson, AZ, Miami, FL and Lancaster, England. In my not so spare time I enjoy planning trips with Mr. D' Orsay, visiting friends and family and crafting like a mo-fo. I also enjoy modern dance classes, rugby and soccer but have been banned by my mother, MOHs, and Mr. D' Orsay from playing till after the wedding. I have an unnatural addiction to cheese and shoes, but love Mr. D' Orsay more than either and can't wait to become Mrs. D' Orsay!
I’m visiting Mrs. Penguin in Berkeley this weekend, and she told me if I didn’t write more recaps, she wouldn’t hang out with me!** (See: Ed. Note)
While our primping was going on, Mr. D was upstairs worried I’d be upset with him when he realized he had forgotten to write down his vows. He had them in his iPhone, and on our large printed copy for guests to sign, so he copied them onto a piece of paper. Thank goodness he remembered—I forgot to a bring a copy as well!
In retrospect, we almost wish he had left them on the phone, because it would have been pretty cool to read the vows on the iPhone (at least, for us nerds).
After Mr. D remembered all the important things I had forgotten about he went out with his men to have their photos taken. Here are a few of my favorites: 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.
Yesterday I encountered one of the most wretched wedding creatures in all of the land: the “wedding whiner.” Believe it or not, I don’t normally enjoy talking about the wedding in public. Although I may find it an extremely entertaining subject, I realize most people ask out of politeness and don’t actually want to hear every decision I’ve made. I think that’s mostly why I started to blog (besides the historical documentation of this very exciting time). People can choose to read my ramblings if they find them interesting, or they can get the hell out. So, back to the wedding whiner…
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!
I don’t remember exactly when, but around Christmas break we started discussing dates. We knew we wanted Spring 2011 because we were both graduating in Spring 2010. We knew we wanted a Saturday because so many of our guests would be coming from out of state. So I whipped out my iPhone and took a look at the calendar. I decided March might be too cold and May would be too close to three of my bridesmaids’ graduations (more about how incredibly brilliant and talented my friends are later). That left April.
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).
Planning a wedding long distance is kinda a pain in the ass. For me, the biggest hassle is that there is only so much you can do from afar, so when I go to Dallas, I have to fit in a ridiculous amount of stuff in just a few days. If I don’t accomplish the things I need to when I’m there, I’m kinda screwed. That basically means I have to do a ton of pre-planning so that my time there is completely maximized. It feels pretty much like this:
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.
One of my favorite things about where I live is Philadelphia’s Magic Gardens, a huge public mosaic installation by Philly native Isaiah Zagar. A few months ago, Mr. S and I went to check it out. We fell in love. It’s so strange and unique and beautiful and colorful. I love the idea of getting married inside a work of art. And I think our guests would love it.
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 duckling to swan metaphor is the best one I can come up with for my experience at my hair and makeup trial last week. My hair and makeup artist lives on the North Island, so our family road trip was the perfect time to have my trial. I always knew I wanted to leave my beautification on the wedding day to a professional, as I am completely, utterly hopeless with anything to do with that sort of thing. I did feel a little guilty at first spending money on myself like that, but then Mr E surprised me by saying it was an important thing for him that I find a professional so that I feel completely confident in myself on the day (ahh…he knows me well). I stumbled across Nicki after seeing numerous happy reviews on an NZ wedding forum from brides who had booked her.
Let me tell you—now that I have met Nicki I can say that all those reviews were spot on. She is completely lovely to work with and has a gift for making you feel completely relaxed and sure that in her hands you can’t help but turn out beautiful (which is the confidence I desperately need to have in someone!). I am so so happy we made the decision to book with her. I was incredibly (and weirdly) nervous for the trial. I think it was because I want so badly to look and FEEL gorgeous on the day (like any bride does) but I haven’t been feeling very confident that the vision I have in my head will actually translate to reality on the day. Read more…
All-Inclusion Invitation Suites
