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!
We began our florist search just like we did for any other vendor. We did some Googling, we read some reviews, we looked at some websites and blogs. It was rather mundane. I just didn’t feel too strongly about flowers. We had somanyother priorities when it came to our wedding plans; flowers just weren’t one of them. All of that changed when we actually found our florist, Angie of Birch Blooms.
It all started with a phone call. After making a list of potential florists, I called Angie to schedule an interview. I left her a voicemail, to which she promptly responded by email. The surprising thing about this email was that she commented on my phone number. “954?” she asked. “Are you from South Florida?” A few emails later, and we had figured out that we went to the same high school. How crazy is that? Now, maybe it’s the baseball fan in me. Maybe it’s the Disney brainwashing. But I feel like I know a sign when I see it. I held off on scheduling interviews with the other potential florists, and I started researching flowers so that I would somewhat know what I was talking about at Angie’s interview.
She had asked me what my favorite flower was. Read more…
Ms Seahorse, BostonAge and Occupation: 25, Veterinary Jane-of-all-tradesFiancee's Age and Occupation: 36, former non-profit fundraiser in search of something betterEngagement Date: October 17, 2009Wedding Date: September 2010Venue: Fort Pond LodgeAbout Me: By day I'm a cat-wrangler, vet tech assistant, pet-sitter, receptionist, and pre-vet student, but the rest of the time, I'm a former-roller-derby girl turned dedicated-wedding planner. I love reading, writing, bicycles, animals, roller skating, and antique-y things of all sorts. I'm a vegetarian who likes spicy foods, while Fiancee Seahorse is a meat eater who does not like spices. We live outside Boston with our menagerie: a fifty pound dog, a one-eyed, seventeen-toed, toothless cat, and a perfectly put together cat who has a penchant for pooping near rather than in her litter box. In addition to planning our small lake-side wedding, we enjoy running around with the puppy, playing board games (Scrabble, anyone?), having little adventures, talking about how we should really clean the house more, and maintaining our little garden of vegetables and wedding flowers.
A lot of the time, Fancee and I really collaborated on this whole wedding thing. We took details and discussed them together and then figured out which one of us would be in charge of really carrying the whole thing out. Other times, it was really one of us that was thinking we’d do just that, and instead the conversation went like this:
Me: Do you want to get ready separately so we can have a first look?
Fancee: Sure.
Me: “Sure”? That’s it?
Fancee: Sure.
The decision about which wine to use for 1. champagne toasts and 2. mimosa was definitely collaborative. 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!
So I may have gone a little overboard, but I had some free time while watching college football and I really wanted a cool rehearsal bouquet for MOH Navy.
I started with a bag of ribbons saved from her showers, a Styrofoam ball, flower stakes, floral wire, a bouquet base found in the bridal aisle of Michaels, and a glue gun.
I glued the Styrofoam ball to the floral base and stuck the stakes in the bottom.
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!
One of my favorite things to remember in the weeks leading up to our wedding came from our very own Mrs. Yorkie: “Don’t let the details become bigger than the purpose.” I even wrote it on a Post-It and stuck it above my work desk!
Nevertheless, there were lots of pretty details to our wedding, some of which you may have seen before but here they all are in one post to do them justice.
Mrs. Pashmina, NYC/Catalina Island, CAAge and Occupation: 28, Arts EducationFiance's Age and Occupation: 34, IT AdministratorEngagement Date: April 26th, 2009Wedding Date: July 2010Venue: Catalina Country Club, Catalina Island, CaliforniaAbout Me: I'm a laid-back Cali girl who moved to NYC for school, and ended up staying for love. My fiance is a quick-witted Jersey boy, a self-proclaimed Foodie and the funniest man I've ever met. Together we love exploring the city streets embarking on our next misadventure---and yes, this often involves eating off food carts and trying "the next big thing". I'm the girl in the sundress, snapping photos and collecting trinkets of memorabilia along the way. As a girly girl at heart, I am excited about our romantic natural island wedding incorporating our American & Filipino traditions.
I’ve just returned from my third California wedding in three months! All of them have been so different and yet all so fun. Two of the weddings I am talking about you actually have heard some things about: my own and Mrs. Hot Wings’, but now add the wedding of my fabulous cousins to the list!
Image by 5 by Seven
Set on the harbor in San Diego, even though it was a smallish-wedding it was definitely not small on personality! One of my favorite aspects of the wedding was their photobooth. It was strategically setup so at the most perfect time in the evening—you know that moment when your guests have lost a little of their inhibitions—it was instantly open for business.
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.
Mrs. French Fries, MilwaukeeAge and Occupation: 27, ParalegalFiance's Age and Occupation: 35, Investments AdvisorEngagement Date: September 20, 2008Wedding Date: June 2010Venue: Ceremony: Catholic Church, Reception: Hotel BallroomAbout Me: I'm a Midwestern girl who longs to live in a warmer climate (my feet would be happy in flip flops any day!). I love travel, impromptu napping, grilled cheese sandwiches, my iPhone, singing with reckless abandon in my car, and Mr. French Fries.
Mr. FF’s brother / Best Man went first, followed by my sister / Matron of Honor. Of course, being that they are our older siblings (we’re both the babies in our families!) there was a little bit of good-natured ribbing going on.
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.
Mrs. Octopus, Boston, MA/Pittsburgh, PAAge and Occupation: 25, Grad StudentFiance's Age and Occupation: 26, Graphics Operator for TV NewsEngagement Date: May 6th, 2009Wedding Date: September 2010Venue: Heinz Chapel Ceremony, Museum Reception
About Me: When my best friend dragged me to a toga party in our freshmen year of college, I was not expecting to meet my future husband; but seven years later, here we are. I'm a crazy-organized planner at heart, and I am a great lover of random trivia, books, chocolate, blogs, new and exciting adventures, mockumentary-style television, and anything heavily flavored with bright orange fake cheese powder. We're planning a festive and fun mini-destination wedding in the place where we met: fabulous Pittsburgh, PA! I can't wait to marry the man I love!
So, disclaimer: I’m going to write about how I lost some weight before the wedding in this post. I totally do not want to reinforce that wedding industry pressure that all brides need to lose weight for their weddings. My diet and exercise efforts were kinda necessary for me (as you’ll see below), but it’s certainly not necessary for everybody! Okay, that’s it. I just wanted to add a little prologue so this post doesn’t come off like one of those incredibly annoying Facebook ads that stop just short of “Stop Eating, You Giant Fat Bride.”
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I’ve never been the type to worry excessively about my weight. This tendency is certainly helped by the fact that I’m naturally a fairly thin person, and I don’t usually struggle to keep my weight stable. My mental attitude about my weight held true throughout most of our engagement. I had some vague thoughts and plans about wanting to look my best, but I felt pretty casual about it all. My general health philosophy is to make an overall habit of eating nutritious, non-processed food, to make a reasonable effort to exercise, and not to worry about it much beyond that. Read more…
Ms. Cheetah, Los Angeles/Palm Springs
Age and Occupation: 31, Artist, EducatorFiance's Age and Occupation: 32, TV FinanceEngagement Date: April 2010Wedding Date: March 2011Venue: The ViceroyAbout Me: I’m a silly, sassy lady with a compulsion to create. I love to sing and dance, despite the fact that I lack any talent doing either. I somehow manage to be messy and organized at the same time. I like to spend my days road tripping, watching '80s movies, reading true crime books, buying things on sale, sending postcards, playing board games, dining at food trucks, snuggling, and drinking ginger ale. I have a weak spot for all things sweet, especially Mr. Cheetah! I’m a Chicago girl and he’s a Nor Cal boy but we love living in the City of Angels. After 10 years as a couple we are planning a fun-filled semi-destination wedding in Palm Springs. Hope you enjoy the ride!
So now you know how I asked most of my bridal party, but I had one lady left.My cousin “Kales.” She is 15, so she is sort of in limbo between junior bridesmaid and bridesmaid.While she isn’t old enough to have a lot of the responsibilities of my other bridesmaids, she will be dressed the same and stand up there beside me with all my other ‘maids (seven!).
Although BM Kales lives 2,000 miles away, I was lucky enough to see her shortly after the engagement.I wanted to invite her to be a part of my wedding party in a similar way to how I invited the other BMs.
While looking for vintage Palm Springs images (a new fave pastime of mine), I found it.A cover of a Betty & Veronica comic book called “Palm Springs Weekend.”After some adjustments in Photoshop, I had the front of the card down:
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.
So now that we had those gorgeous Christmas postcards we had to decide how to turn them into our invitations. We decided to keep it simple and to redesign the back of a postcard complete with all of our invitation information.
Here’s a look at what we designed (this is not the finished invite):
We found the postcard template on Martha, the flourish is from Project Wedding (it’s the same one we used in our guestposter), and the silhouettes are from The Wedding Chicks. We didn’t have the silhouettes of ourselves at the time when we printed these, but even if we had I would have still gone with these more old fashioned ones as I feel they suit the look of our invites a lot better.
What I really love about the template we found on Martha is that some of the vintage postcards we bought actually have this exact same design.
For example, here’s a close up of the template: 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!
Ok, back to the blog post. I told y’all a long time ago that I wanted to add some Celtic traditions into our wedding. But I’ve been struggling with how to do it exactly.
Then I stumbled upon Mrs. Cherry Pie’s ceremony and more specifically, her handfasting ceremony. Handfasting is a Celtic wedding unity ceremony that symbolizes the coming together and remaining together of the couple.
Once we decided we wanted to include this tradition, we had to decide what material we wanted to use to bind our hands together. 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.
We didn’t really do an entrance; there wasn’t an announcement or anything. We just waited until everyone was there and settled (and we’d taken some pictures) and then walked into our reception, hand in hand as a team.
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!
So this is not (really) wedding related (NWR), but I’m sure some crafty, kitschy bride out there could make this wedding related somehow. And if she can’t? Well, it’s still really frigging cool. Withour futher ado, the magazine bowl! It’s easy—just time consuming!
All-Inclusion Invitation Suites
