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).
In case you missed it, I mentioned my quest to find the perfect navy blue, sassy shoes here. When they finally arrived, I was thrilled. I love, love, love them! HOORAY! They are more blue than navy, but I think the darker jewels on them make up for it. Here’s a real picture of them actually on my feet (please excuse the not-so-fresh toenail polish).
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Mrs. Jellyfish, Pleasanton, CAAge and Occupation: 27, Law StudentFiance's Age and Occupation: 26, Air Force PilotEngagement Date: February 21, 2009Wedding Date: September 2010Venue: Casa Real at Ruby Hill WineryAbout Me: In a nutshell, I’m the most optimistic worrywart you’ll ever meet. My family emigrated from Romania to San Jose, CA when I was 8, and I've been a Nor Cal girl ever since! My fiancé is also a Bay Area native, so it’s funny that we met at UCLA, as college freshmen living on the same floor (go Bruins!). Between his career as an Air Force pilot and my path to becoming a lawyer, our relationship has been anything but typical. We currently live together in Berkeley with our puppy Stinson. In addition to spending time with the loves of my life, I enjoy crafting, attempting complicated recipes, environmental law and non-law school reading (Us Weekly, anyone?). Follow along as I plan an elegant 200-person winery wedding, graduate law school, take the Bar exam, get married and get used to the always unpredictable but never boring life of a military spouse!
Tomorrow is the big day. As I sit here in my bathrobe, soaking in the last quiet moments of the day before the wedding craziness begins, I want to thank you. Thank you for allowing me the tremendous opportunity of sharing my wedding with you, and for sharing your stories with me. Weddingbee has been such an amazing source of support, inspiration, advice and friendships over the past year and a half. Hive, you have prepared me better for this moment than I could have imagined. Thanks to your advice, I am calm, cool and collected. I have packed an emergency kit (and knew to make one!) because of you. Thanks to you, I have a ridiculously detailed timeline, but also know I probably won’t use it much. And I also know that not everything will go according to plan, but that it’s okay: what matters most is Mr. Jelly and I will be married in front of our family and friends. 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.
Zeb was raised in a traditional Portuguese/Lebanese/European melting-pot home. I have to give credit where credit is due; his parents raised him and his sister right. The worst thing Zeb has ever done is ride a go-kart through the high school. Hehe. It is no surprise that he wanted to ask my father for permission to marry his only daughter.
We didn’t think about the barbaric history of this act. I think it is romantic. You’re stuck with your in-laws for the rest of your life; the least you can do is find out if they like you first. Hey, many of today’s wedding traditions have sexist roots: garters, veils, honeymoons, etc. My motto is: get rid of the traditions you can’t bear to participate in, and embrace the ones that need new meaning.
My dear old dad, to this day, will STILL tell you the story of how I always said Zeb and I were “just friends.” He thinks I lied to him and that I was trying to (with the Meet the Parents “I’ll be watching you” gesture) “pull a fast one.” I think he has a sixth sense for reading people. Actually, I know he does, but that is a part of my brother’s story. Hehe.
My father is an intimidating man, I’m not going to lie. He’s a teddy bear inside, but on the outside, he resembles this guy…
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!
And now for a post dedicated to the other member of the Elephant household: my dog. Gypsy is a seven-year-old (we think) little mix of chihuahua and rat terrier (again, we think) that I adopted from a local animal shelter over four years ago. She is the first pet in my family other than fish, hermit crabs, and hamsters and is truly loved by me, my parents, and my brother (and I think Mr. E as well, although he won’t always admit it). They are all willing to look after Gypsy if I’m ever out of town for work, and they usually spoil her while they have her. She has even made it into all Christmas pictures since Mr. E and I started dating.
Mrs. Jelly Beans, OttawaAge and Occupation: 28, Pediatric Registered Nurse and full time bride to beFiance's Age and Occupation: 28, Investor and very supportive groom to beEngagement Date: July 7, 2005Wedding Date: August 25, 2007Blogging Since: June 20, 2007Venue: Cathedral Ceremony and Rooftop Tent ReceptionHoneymoon: ItalyAbout Me: I have been in wedding planning mode since Mr. Jelly Beans popped the question almost two years ago. I am a very dorky and sentimental person. I love laughing and living life alongside my husband-to-be. We have been in a long distance relationship for over 6 years - he is in California and I am presently in Canada, so you can imagine how excited we both are for our upcoming wedding.
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.
I am somewhat obsessed with cupcakes. I love baking cupcakes and, yes, I love eating them too. I like sweets (see here), so it’s natural for me to like cupcakes. Who doesn’t like a mouthful of cake and icing? They’re bite-size bits of joy, if you ask me!
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!
This post was going to be all about the vases I spray painted last weekend, but unfortunately, my camera’s SD card broke and I’m still trying to extract the pictures off of it (this also means I lost the Philly bee meet up pics, sorry ladies!).
So instead, I thought I’d share some of the other projects I’ve been taking on lately that haven’t involved my camera!
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).
This past weekend the moms (with outside help from MOH Amy) threw us a joint wedding shower. It was put together a little last-minute (yes, procrastination runs in the family) and even with best intentions and high hopes we didn’t get the turnout we had expected. A lot of our invited guests had weddings to attend, hours to be worked, or were tied up in other plans. Either way, it didn’t matter—we made the best of it and had fun!
FMIL Locket worked her butt off to gather all of the goodies for the event and did an amazing job! On the day of we all worked together to get things set up and before we knew it we had a table full of enough food to feed an army.
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!
So here we are, at 22 days out. Most brides are finishing up any DIY projects, finalizing contracts, and getting payments together. Me? I’m just trying to keep from running around like a chicken with my head cut off. We were dealt a hard blow, guys. Our band double booked us.
Our crazy-awesome, all-our-guests-were-excited, favorite band screwed us over, three weeks before our wedding day. And I’m not gonna lie, it sucks. 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!
Lucky for our guests, we’re planning on having twelve to fourteen. Tables, that is. I’m here to talk table numbers with you fine ladies (and gentlemen, if you’re out there too).
I know that assigned seating is a not a necessary thing at weddings, but to keep the night running smoothly, we have chosen to assign seats. Actually, We’re really only assigning tables, not specific seats. I also like the idea of assigned tables because I recently went to a wedding and ended up at the “reject” table, because it was all that was left after everyone else was seated. It was no fun and totally awkward. We don’t want our guests to feel like that.
Here’s a little table number inspiration before I share with you what I ended up making for our table numbers: Read more…
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.
So, remember when I was all cocky about growing my own flowers for the wedding? And you all were so kind and complimentary about my choices? Well I feel it’s only fair to tell you that if this were a school project, I would get an F. Because only about 50% of my flowers are exhibiting any kind of growth. But since I’m not in school, and I’m an optimistic, half-full kinda gal, I wanted to give you a glimpse of the progress so far. As a reminder, here’s what we were trying to grow:
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!
You may remember that we’re going to use tissue-paper pomanders for our ceremony. The first one I made was a little bit on the short side, which probably wouldn’t cut it with the garden chairs we will be using. I also used blue tissue paper from Michaels, which was a little lighter than the royal blue I found at Party City—I like it more, and it was cheaper (bonus!).
As you can see in the picture, this pom is much shorter than the others.
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!
Yowza! I’m so excited to (finally) share our entire invitation suite with all you lovely people. If you’ve been following along with my extremely bizarre anatomy analogy (it just popped into my head one day, go figure), then you’ve already seen the skin and bones of our invitations. And you’re dying to see more. Or you’re just sick of how drawn out this reveal is, but indulge the crazy a little mkay?
I promise I’ll shut up now and get to the point already. Set. Go. We’ll start with…
All-Inclusion Invitation Suites
