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!
Over the years Mama Plaid has been a great inspiration to me, an even better shoulder to cry on, and the best cheerleader a girl could ask for.
I finally got to be my mom’s cheerleader last summer at her wedding!
In turn, I feel she deserves to look just as beautiful as I will on my wedding day. From the moment I announced my engagement, she’s been right there willing to help. Granted, it’s been more difficult than either of us ever imagined with her in Idaho and me in Texas. But she’s still there for anything and everything I need and is also planning to come down here a week early to help with all the last minute things that are bound to pop up. Read more…
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!
While our guests were enjoying cocktail hour back at the house, Mr. Turtle, our wedding party, and I joined our photographer, Chloe, for some group portraits. We went just down the road and pulled off at a random little patch of dried grass. I do not even understand how our photographer made it look like such an epic open space. Talk about photography magic! Read more…
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!
One of the latest (and in my opinion, greatest) trends right now in the wedding world is the idea of giving back. ”Green” weddings, charity donation favors, and now, bridal sales for a cause. Next weekend in Atlanta, Susan G. Komen is putting on a bridal-gown sale to benefit breast cancer, a cause that just happens to be very near and dear to me.
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.
I cannot help but beam as I write to you, my fantastic fellow Weddingbees, for the first time! I have been inspired by each and every one of you for many months now as I’ve wandered along this wedding journey and to be selected to share my own ideas, artsy adventures, musings, and mishaps with all of you is too awesome for words. I’m still pinching myself!
As a girl who grew up painfully shy until college, is sometimes awkward and not your “typical bird,” Miss Ostrich was the perfect match for yours truly…minus the head in the sand.
And before I go any further, I thought it would fun to share a little bit about me…and the hubby-to-be, Mr. Ostrich. I was inspired by my dear friend {since college!}, Mrs. Eggplant’s “similarities & differences” post, so here we go!
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.
Have you ever thought about if your life had a soundtrack what it would sound like? I think our soundtrack would sound like an action movie. Loud, distorted guitars, driving drum solos… *blissful sigh* I confess, I am a rock-music-lovin’ bride marrying a rock-lovin’ groom. I swoon over bands like the White Stripes, Hinder, and Drowning Pool.
So you can imagine my dilemma when I was asked about ceremony music. Traditional wedding music, like Cannon in D, while beautiful, simply doesn’t fit the soundtrack of our lives. Everything else for the wedding is a reflection of us, so why shouldn’t the music be also?
We probably would have used something by the Vitamin String Quartet, but with our ceremony venue being so rustic, we don’t have the power setup for a sound system. Lucky for us, we were able to find a guitarist who offered to learn any songs we wanted, including rock! YAY!
So we began our music research. In other words, we used our Zune pass and started listening to every instrumental rock song we could think of that was slow enough to use for the ceremony. Talk about an epic failure. There are not many instrumental versions of our favorite songs. So a new plan evolved. We picked songs we liked, then searched YouTube for people playing solo/instrumental versions of these songs on a guitar. Now this plan resulted in a major win!
The recessional was super easy after reading Miss Husky’s post about the song “First Day of My Life.” With the miracle that is YouTube, I found this instrumental version:
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. 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.
Like many of you, I was ready to start planning my wedding before I even got engaged…And when I got engaged, I was doubly ready for the job! I started off on the most commonly known websites, such as the Knot, and reading magazines like Brides and Get Married, and I started thinking about everything from table linens to playlists.
The first few weeks, I took the Knot’s checklist so seriously to the point that I printed it out and checked it pretty much every day. (Hmm, what can I click “done” for now?!!) And one of the bullets that remained on the checklist for a long (very long) time was “Budget: Figure Out Who Pays For What.”
I know this is kind of a touchy subject and, like Miss Sloth mentioned, it’s not necessarily polite to talk about money, but this was a big deal and has remained a big deal for Mr. B and me since day one. We didn’t have any idea how we were going to pay for our wedding or who would help us make it happen.
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!
I was still on the hunt for my reception dress, but the search ended when I flew down to LA to hang out while Mr. Barrettes had his bachelor weekend in Tahoe. I walked into the guest room and my beauty was hanging on the closet door! 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!
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.
That they cancelled three weeks beforehand. Read more…
Ms. Potato Chips, Boston/Narragansett RIAge and Occupation: 29, PhD StudentFiance's Age and Occupation: 30, Personal Trainer/Business Owner/Physical Therapy AssistantEngagement Date: January 1, 2009Wedding Date: June 2010Venue: The Narragansett TowersAbout Me: A semi-professional bookworm, if I could be a literary character I’d be a cross between Jo March and Jane Eyre, only better accessorized and much lazier. My hobbies include sleeping in, seasonal brews, running, Trader Joe’s, and watching Unwrapped and Good Eats with Mr. Potato Chips. I harbor an irrational fear of tulle, crafts, things that are fussy, and overuse of the phrase "Your Special Day". After a year or seven together, down the aisle we go, slouching toward adulthood and planning a Rhodie party with equal parts whimsy, cheer, and pizza.
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.
Mr. S has basically left it up to me to decide what he wears in the wedding. He wants to have input, of course, but he’s okay with me choosing the color of his suit and tie because even he admits that he’s kind of clueless when it comes to fashion. The problem? I know nothing, and I mean nothing, about men’s clothing. I can dress a lady like nobody’s business, but the dudes? Nope. Especially not formalwear. I can pick out a sweater and a pair of jeans, but a suit, dress shirt, and tie? I’m lost.
He could just rent a tux, but meh. He’s not really a tux kind of guy, and our outdoor garden wedding isn’t really a tux kind of party. We decided that he’d buy a nice suit that he can keep forever. Most likely, it’ll be gray.
But beyond that, I’m confused. I know nothing about fabric, cuts, etc. I don’t know what gabardine is. I don’t even really know how men’s clothing measurements work. I have no idea what will look good on him. And we don’t have a ton of money to spend on it.
Fortunately, I do know what I like, and hopefully the stores that we go to will have some helpful salespeople. Or maybe our good friend, who is a lawyer and wears suits every day, will be able to come shopping with us and offer advice.
Anyway, here are some photos I’ll bring along when we shop for the boy’s suit.
Mrs. Mouse’s husband wore her father’s vintage suit. Love this.
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.
The first couple days of the honeymoon were pure recovery from the wedding + jet lag. By day three, we were feeling pretty good about ourselves so we booked the honeymooners’ special at the spa.
That entailed a full body massage (yes, please!) and your choice of a body wrap or scrub. I chose to get a body wrap in gardenia scented mud.
The Hilton spa was small with limited amenities. The treatments we got were great but the spa at our next resort was much more swoon-worthy. Still, worth it if you are staying there. Read more…
Mrs. Penguin, Northern CaliforniaAge and Occupation: 27, Weddingbee Editor in ChiefFiance's Age and Occupation: 30, Doctor of Physical TherapyEngagement Date: January 29, 2007Wedding Date: June 7, 2008Blogging Since: September 14, 2007Venue: Winery in the Gold CountryAbout Me: I love the Spice Girls, dogs with underbites, bean burritos, making messes, high fives, avoiding showers, crossword puzzles, blogs, weddings, and blogs about weddings!
Our newest bee works in fashion and comes to us from Nor Cal! Please join me in welcoming Miss Ostrich to the hive!
Miss Ostrich, San Francisco/Hawaii Age & Occupation: 30, Fashion Buyer Fiance’s Age & Occupation: 38, Copywriter Engagement Date: October 4, 2009 Wedding Date: April 2011 Venue: Sweet ceremony by the sea and sunset celebration on the North Shore of Hawaii About 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.
Mrs. Lemonade, Austin/San AntonioAge and Occupation: 28, BureaucratFiance's Age and Occupation: 28, Music ManagementEngagement Date: December 21, 2007Wedding Date: April, 2009Blogging Since: August 22, 2008Venue: Country Club ceremony, ballroom receptionAbout Me: I’m a total wonkette who is lucky enough to be surrounded by her favorite things on a daily basis – awesome music, the great State of Texas and of course, Mr. Lemonade! I find any excuse I can to craft something and am completely infatuated with the 1950’s, all things Kennedy, and my furbaby Vida.
The bouquet toss. Hmmm. I really thought about this one and if we would be partaking in the action. On the one hand it’s a bit dated and somewhat awkward but it’s also uber-traditional and kinda sweet.
Ultimately we went for it and the equally traditional and awkward garter toss (up next…). We played these fun games after the band’s first set. Since the band was taking a break, GM Seth stepped up and emceed the affair.
I finally got to be my mom’s cheerleader last summer at her wedding!
All-Inclusion Invitation Suites
