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).
For the second part of our engagement photo shoot, we did a quick outfit change and headed to an area of downtown Dallas called Deep Ellum. Now, I really liked our first set of photos, but this second look is my favorite! King Hippo was rolling his eyes the whole time we were picking out coordinating hats, but as soon as we started snapping pictures and our photographers were telling us how great our outfit choice was, he had a sudden change of heart. I love it when that happens.
Here are some of my favorite pics of the Hippos in hats:
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.
Mr. Meerkat and I are the first ones of our friends to get engaged. At first it was really fun being the only ones, but after a little bit it kind of felt lonely. I mean, our family and friends have been great but it just wasn’t the same as talking to other brides.
I was happy when I found online bridal communities like Weddingbee and Offbeat Bride Tribe and was able to talk to other brides. I also got to I meet my B.O.S.S. there:
Meet Jax. She is my Bridal Online Support System or B.O.S.S. as she nicknamed herself. *grin*
Jax and I actually start talking on Offbeat Bride Tribe and soon discovered we were two peas in the same pod. Read more…
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 you may have gathered, Mr. Knitting and I aren’t exactly “traditional.” Anything that’s incorporated into our wedding is there because it’s something we love and something that makes a lot of sense to us. Keeping that in mind, you probably won’t be too surprised with what we’ve decided to do for our rehearsal “dinner.”
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. Cheeseburger, Baltimore, MD/State College, PAAge and Occupation: 25, Medical StudentFiance's Age and Occupation: 25, Medical StudentEngagement Date: June 28, 2008Wedding Date: March 2010Venue: Catholic Church Ceremony & Hotel ReceptionAbout Me: I'm a passionate girl from Pittsburgh, currently living in Baltimore for school, who loves Penn State, seeing movies, football, thunderstorms, black and white photos, Christmas, good beer, my amazing friends and family, and of course, my mister! We met, fell in love, got engaged, and will be married at our alma mater (go lions!) in a traditional Catholic ceremony followed by a hotel reception with lots of DIY details. It means so much to have our families and friends meet at our favorite place on earth to celebrate our love for one another - I truly couldn't ask for anything more!
Growing up, I thought a lot about the type of man I wanted to marry. About the type of life we would have together and the family we would one day raise. Thankfully, Burger is everything I ever dreamed of and more.
What I didn’t spend a lot of time thinking about was the type of family and friends that man would have. I don’t think many people do. You fall in love with someone, and their family and friends come along for the ride, like them or not.
I know that this is not the case for everyone, and I hope that this post isn’t taken the wrong way if you happen to find yourself in a different situation… but I like to think that I hit the In-law Jackpot.
Burger’s family and friends have always just felt like home to me—they welcomed me with open arms, and I am so, so lucky to have them in my life. Along the same lines, my family and friends love Burger as their own, as they have since the very beginning, which warms my heart beyond measure.
I guess what I am trying to say in this ramble is that, while I’ve been talking a lot about details lately, to me,family and friends are what weddings are really about. Read more…
Mrs. Giraffe, ChicagoAge and Occupation: 23, Graphic DesignerFiance's Age and Occupation: 24, Music Student TeacherEngagement Date: October 23, 2008Wedding Date: May 2011Venue: Trinity Lutheran Church & Idlewild Country ClubAbout Me: Coming from the suburbs of the Windy City, you'll often find me with my foot in my mouth while laughing for no reason or telling bad knock knock jokes. I've been crafty for as long as I can remember, and will DIY something twice over before I have someone do it for me. I'm a semi-awkward, typeface obsessed, design junkie and have been know to break out my dance moves for no reason as well as try my best to be ridiculous at all times. My love of pop culture, wordplay, and graph paper almost rivals my love of Mr. Giraffe (who is just the bee's knees). After a 2.5 year engagement, we're planning a modern-in-disguise traditional wedding, and cannot wait!
Recently, due to wedding message boards and the like, I found myself quickly whipping up things for other brides-to-be in Adobe Illustrator and InDesign. Working with these programs all day every day pretty much means I could use them in my sleep, but not everybody can. They’re definitely complicated programs, and if you don’t know your way around, they can be very confusing.
I know many future brides are trying their hand at DIY invites and have had quite a time with the design aspect, so I decided I’m going to post small tips for Illustrator here on the ‘Bee. These will be how tos on simple things, so hopefully folks with basic knowledge will be able to figure it out.
Today’s tip is an easy but good one: how to make a dotted line in Illustrator. If you’ve used InDesign (my favorite) at all, you know there’s a simple option to click “dotted line” in your strokes palette, but Illustrator is a little different.
Note: these screen shots come from version CS4. My lazy butt needs to go out and get CS5 all ready. Also, for this post, I’ll list the step and put an image right below it (instead of above it). 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!
Last year my family and Mr. E took a trip to my dad’s home country of Trinidad and Tobago, which is a set of 2 main islands (and several smaller landforms) in the Caribbean off the coast of Venezuela. This was the first trip ever for Brother Elephant, me and of course, Mr. E.
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!
Every time I see “OOT,” I start singing “Boot Scoot Boogie.” Maybe that’s not normal. But that’s just what happens.
Of course, I’m talking about OOT bags, or out-of-town bags! Approximately 84% of our guest list will be coming into Atlanta from elsewhere. Most are from Florida, we have several from Massachusetts, and even a few from overseas! Many of these loved ones have already expressed that they plan to attend our wedding. Mr. Lion and I are just so humbled by the fact that these people would inconvenience themselves just for us; the least we can do is give them a little somethin’ extra to make their stay more comfortable.
Though I’ve never actually received an OOT bag as a wedding guest, I’ve run into quite a few in the wedding blogosphere. My personal favorites are the ones with a theme:
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!
Coverage of Romona Keveza continues! Every year Romona Keveza shows two lines: Romona Keveza Legends and Romona Keveza Collection. Here’s a peek at her Fall 2011 Collection!
Mrs. Frozen Yogurt, DallasAge and Occupation: 28, Special Projects CoordinatorFiance's Age and Occupation: 26, Equity TraderEngagement Date: March 19, 2009Wedding Date: April 2010Venue: Marie Gabrielle, DallasAbout Me: I was born and raised in Texas, and have lived in several of the cities across the state, but I currently reside in Austin. I went to college in Boston and have a special place in my heart for the Northeast. I love reading, shopping, wine, reuniting with college friends that are scattered across the country, reality TV, trying out new recipes, and attempting all the DIY projects that come along with wedding planning. I'm a "bleeding heart, save the world type" and thankfully my job allows me to work on legislation and policy to help out those in need. I met Mr. Frozen Yogurt in a bar, though he doesn't even drink! And now we are planning a modern yet vintage wedding in Dallas while dealing with the trials and tribulations of first time homeownership.
The photobooth was a lot of fun, and it was busy most of the night. Our photobooth guy even stayed an extra hour because things were still bumping. Thanks, Party Booths! I already showed you some of my favorite pictures from the booth (I especially love the one man YMCA), but there was so much more than just that. I included video from our videographer, Vanessa Mckellar. For instance, don’t you want to see what someone’s face looks like when they find out their boyfriend has herpes? Here’s an excerpt from our full-length video showing just that…
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.
After the dust settled on Mr. S’s Christmas Day proposal—after the ring was on my finger and all the hugs with his family had been exchanged—I asked his mother and grandmother when they wore their rings and when they took them off. See, I’ve never worn a ring with any regularity before because they were always uncomfortable and getting in the way. But this was a ring I’d be wearing every day. I wasn’t sure if I should take it off to shower, to do the dishes, to sleep, etc. I was clueless.
Both Mr. S’s mother and grandmother said the same thing. “I never, ever take mine off, except when I’m cleaning it.” When I got back to work, a coworker told me that she takes hers off as soon as she gets home and only wears it when she leaves the house. Other friends told me that they wear theirs all the time, unless they’re asleep or in the shower.
But I wore mine all the time at first. It was new and shiny, and I was excited about it! And then, after a few weeks, I started to realize how it always got caught on the afghan that I like to snuggle on the couch with. And how, when I sleep (on my stomach with my hands under my pillow) it pokes and stabs my other fingers. I started thinking that maybe I’d take it off once in a while.
I brought this up to Mr. S one night after we’d been out drinking. We got home, got into our pajamas, and crawled into bed when I said, conversationally, “I think I’m going to buy a ring holder to keep on the nightstand so that I can take my ring off when I sleep.”
What I expected Mr. S to say: “OK…zzzzzzzzzzzzzz.” Read more…
ClassifiedsFeature Launched: April 30, 2008About: A roundup of the best Weddingbee Classified listings.
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!
I interrupt this recap program to tell you some great news…
I GOT MY PWC! And I love it! It’s the best haircut I’ve ever had. I feel so sassy, especially with my glasses. My contacts have been really irritating lately, so I figured, why not just change up the whole look? I’m a brand new woman! Here’s a little refresher of what I looked like pre-wedding: Read more…
Mrs. Hot Wings, Chicago/San DiegoAge and Occupation: 28, ProfessorFiance's Age and Occupation: 32, InstructorEngagement Date: December 20, 2008Wedding Date: August 2010Venue: Ocean View Villas/Jasmine Seafood RestaurantAbout Me: I am a psychology grad student living in Chicago and planning my wedding to a fellow psych grad student. I am a Sunny So-Cal bred gal who trudged across the country to follow her love of psychology and ended up finding a partner in the process. I am overly passionate about anything I involve myself with. I am an activist, a foodie, a reality TV watching junkie, an over-analyzer, a photography obsesser, and am utterly cheesy to the core. This is a story of what happens when a boy and a girl meet, fall in love over academic dorkiness, and a shared love for life. We (mostly I) are planning our semi-destination wedding in my hometown of San Diego. We are excited to bring our families and friends together from across our lifespans to celebrate our future in a grand 400+ person culturally blended affair!
I told you I was pretty happy with my dress selection because it made Mama Hot Wings cry. Then I told you I didn’t really like it at my first fitting because it just hung there. I promised to speak up about getting more of a fitted-through-the-hips look at fitting number two. And I held out on you about fitting number three. Well, check it out. Does the dress that I wore on my wedding day look like the sample that I tried on in the shop? Read more…
Mrs. Gloss, Boston/MaineAge and Occupation: 24, Designer/soon-to-be ArchitectFiance's Age and Occupation: 26, Systems EngineerEngagement Date: May 23, 2008Wedding Date: August 2009Venue: SS Katahdin/Lakeside TentAbout Me: I don't like nickels or the skin that forms on pudding when it's in the fridge for too long. I couldn't live without Pantone markers, fountain soda (3/4 diet, ¼ regular Coke), run-on sentences, or ridiculously oversized sunglasses. I will try to DIY almost anything and am just OCD enough to make most of it work. I am truly excited about having all my family and friends together, becoming Mrs. Gloss, and having amazing photos to prove it!
Some people choose to engrave their wedding bands with their wedding date or names, but this is taking that to a whole new level! At Cameo by RUX you can create a custom band using the profile of your loved one!
Can you see the profile of the faces?
I’m pretty sure this is the coolest thing since sliced bread. Read more…
All-Inclusion Invitation Suites
