Hi hive! If you’re planning a spring wedding, it’s just about time to consider wedding invitations! To help you save a bit, Weddingbee Invitations is offering free shipping on all orders over $150 and free samples of any invites you’d like to see in person!
In honor of our spring brides, here are our picks for spring stationery.
To take advantage of free shipping on orders over $150 and free samples, simply enter code WBM04 at checkout. This offer expires on 10/30, so head to Weddingbee Invitations and shop now to take advantage of the discount!
Mrs. Sewing, San Mateo, CA/Honolulu, HIAge and Occupation: 24, Electrical EngineerFiance's Age and Occupation: 24, Electrical EngineerEngagement Date: June 27, 2009Wedding Date: July 2010Venue: Anela Garden Chapel & Japanese Cultural Center, HonoluluAbout Me: I'm an easily entertained, compulsive idea-scheming machine who loves good art, good food, and a good engineering challenge. I'm planning a half-destination wedding on the beautiful island of Oahu - imagine a plethora of movies, art and games; savory Hawaiian food; blended Chinese and Japanese cultural details; lush, fragrant tropical flowers and all the air conditioning a NorCal native could want! And once I marry the love of my life, we'll come back to the 'mainland' to party it up all over again in my hometown of Salinas, the salad-bowl capital of the world!
I woke up, alone in a huge suite, on the morning of our wedding day. It was really, really early. And since I obviously could not fall back asleep, I first spent some time in prayer. I watched the still-slumbering streets of Waikiki from the lanai, taking in the perfectly warm morning weather with a relaxed, calm mind.
I booted up the laptop and waited for the internet to behave itself, and read all the beautiful comments and emails of encouragement and support that everyone sent. It was the perfect start to our wedding day, and I cannot fathom a better one. Thank you.
But eventually I got hungry.
After showering, I went downstairs to my parents’ suite and consumed half a loaf of sugar-glazed Hawaiian bread with some fresh-brewed hotel coffee. I awkwardly dodged my parents’ attempts at getting me to share how I was feeling. Read more…
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!
Mr. Jelly and I both wanted to honeymoon somewhere tropical, where we could really sit back, relax, and not worry about a thing. With its clear blue waters and iconic over-water bungalows, French Polynesia fit the bill perfectly. We left for our honeymoon two days after our wedding, which was great because it gave us a day to unwind, open gifts and pack before embarking on the trip. Our honeymoon itinerary was remarkably similar to Mrs. Lobster’s: several days on the island of Moorea followed by a week on Bora Bora.
Prior to our honeymoon, I didn’t really know anything about French Polynesia - only that it’s a popular honeymoon destination with over-water bungalows. I soon learned that French Polynesia, which is located about 2,700 miles south of Hawaii, is comprised of several islands, including Tahiti, Moorea and Bora Bora. Tahiti is the largest island and the site of the main airport, and Moorea and Bora Bora are smaller islands that are a short ferry or plane ride from Tahiti.
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.
Since we sent out our invitations WAY early I thought it might be nice to mail a little package to our guests with information about the trip and some fun items to help get them excited about Mexico. Here is what our guests will see arriving in their mailbox in a couple days:
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.
That’s right. This guy is a major turd. Here’s the story. So a couple of months ago my wonderful photographer/BIL Josh asked me to send him all the info I could about anything to do with photography. About two weeks later I sent him a general email about the photography and got back this response,
“You sound like a total bridezilla. Please don’t email me again.”
I knew he had to be kidding, because there’s no way he would ever seriously call me a Bridezilla to my face. I also knew that my email was pretty reasonable and went on about how we really trust his eye and are open to his suggestions. Still, I was a bit annoyed at this response and didn’t really think that was a funny response.
About 2 weeks later I sent him another email with a lot more detail about the photography and got back the response,
Mrs. Panther, Atlanta GA/Westport CTAge and Occupation: 24, Web WriterFiance's Age and Occupation: 25, Music Recording EngineerEngagement Date: March 13, 2010Wedding Date: July 2011Venue: The Inn at LongshoreAbout Me: I'm a total goofball who goes through life at a breakneck pace, trying not to knock anything over. I tend to fall in love with everything I encounter, but more than anything, I love my two little kitties, Bela and Josie, and my big kitty, Mr. Panther! As a wannabe crafter, I'm still waiting for my artistic talents to emerge. (Any day now, really.) In the meantime, I spend my days eating anything put in front of me, buying every pair of shoes I see and absorbing wedding inspiration from every inch of my surroundings. Mr. Panther and I are hardcore New Englanders planning Connecticut nuptials from our new home in the Dirty South, and can't wait to mix our newfound love of classic Southern charm with some modern city touches.
I’m SO excited right now. I’ve been at a total loss about how to address our envelopes. I don’t have nice handwriting, but I don’t want to spend money on calligraphy, and the idea of paying for someone to print or label the envelopes doesn’t thrill me, either. I know the etiquette is less strict for RSVP envelopes and save the dates, but I want everything to match.
I still don’t know what to do about the guest addresses, but I think I’ve found some great solutions for OUR address. Personalized embossers!
The idea of embossing entered my brain when I received a sample kit from Paperwhites Press. (The sample was gorgeous, by the way.) I couldn’t wait to see the invitation, but I did pause to check out the embossed return address on the envelope the kit came in. It looked so professional and classy!
To be eligible to win a Avery/Zazzle Wedding Organizer, review your favorite wedding vendors in the Weddingbee Vendors section and submit them to us here to be featured on the blog! Check out this post for more info on our great weekly prizes!
Aleksandra was amazing. She was totally flexible for my trial, driving up to NYC, and on the wedding day, staying around for a touch up. My makeup was perfect—it’s exactly what I wanted and lasted all day and night.
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 have worn eyelashes almost every day in the past 2 years. Every night, in my dressing room, I’d whip out the lash glue, and apply a full strip (usually my trusty ol’ Mac 5s).
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!
We are not a very traditional couple, and we want to get as much time on the dance floor as possible, so we are choosing to forgo a few traditions, including the bouquet and garter tosses.So I won’t need a toss bouquet…does that also mean I won’t need a garter?Part of me is fine with that—hey it’s one less thing to worry about (and make/purchase).But another part of me is like this:
Mrs. Buttons, Clearwater, FLAge and Occupation: 24, "Working on it"Fiance's Age and Occupation: 28, Financial ServicesEngagement Date: June 13, 2009Wedding Date: May 2010Venue: Carlouel Yacht ClubAbout Me: I'm a self proclaimed perfectionist and a professional nomad (seriously, I've lived in TX, WI, MI, FL, NC, and now VA!). I love wine, cooking, curling up with a good book (nerd alert!), spoiling the furbaby, and of course, the wonderful Mr. Buttons! We are planning a lighthearted and whimsical wedding (with a good deal of DIY projects) in Clearwater, Florida, but from a distance of 800 miles away! We are looking forward to sharing our day with our family and friends, and most importantly, starting our lives together as husband and wife!
I woke up on my own…without an alarm…at around 6:00AM. It was here—our wedding day. Gulp. I sat in my bed for a few minutes, reluctant to get up. It was a big day, was I really ready to get it started?
Well, there wasn’t too much time for me to contemplate this, because Donna (my lovely hair and makeup artist) was scheduled to arrive at 7:30AM to set up her equipment for our 8:00AM start time. I ran around the room, tidying up here and there. I checked my email; I checked the weather report; I set up my printer for some last minute copies.
At 7:30 sharp, my phone rang. Donna was on her way up to my suite! It was go time!
Mrs. Cola, Mountain View, CAAge and Occupation: 27, Product Communications and PromotionsFiance's Age and Occupation: 28, Managing Partner and Senior DesignerEngagement Date: March 5, 2009Wedding Date: June 2010Venue: The Mountain Terrace, Woodside, CAAbout Me: I’m a Washington State native, enjoying life in Silicon Valley California with my fiancé, our three kitties and one leopard gecko. I like reading wedding blogs, Photoshopping wedding design mock ups, making lists, and planning, planning, planning! I’m a bit of an anomaly, on one side I’m a very girlie girl, I collect shoes, I lay out my outfits 4-6 weeks in advance, and I’d never leave the house without my hair curled and makeup on. But on the other side, I’m a total tomboy, I love to go camping and hiking, play drinking games (hey, I’m Irish!) and most of my closest friends are guys. My fiancé and I are planning a DIY-focused wedding with a balance between easygoing (what he wants) and chic and stylish (what I want), and are tying it all together with elements in lavender, sage, butter cream and chocolate.
First, I want to thank everyone for the nice comments on my blog post last week about my bad post-wedding chop. Hearing from everyone that you still liked my new, shorter haircut really is helping me get over my disappointment, so a big THANK YOU to everyone who took the time to comment.
Second, quite a few of you asked me to go into more detail about how I did my new curly hairstyle, what products I used, etc, since you were considering a down and curly look for your wedding day hairstyle. Well, this weekend I took some pictures while getting ready to go to a friend’s wedding, so I can show you all what works for me to get lasting curls. I did my own hair for my Trash The Dress photos, as well as my boudoir session basically the same way that I’ll show you here.
(I’m pretty sure these example boudoir hair pics below are aren’t too bad for work, but please don’t scroll down if you’re concerned.)
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 know formals can be pretty boring, but in my case, I actually love them! Those shadows are just so epic, and the sun behind the guys reminds me of a very dramatic DVD cover.
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!
In my best interest to keep all you bees hip and cool and pop and fresh, I’d like to introduce you all to something called Glogster. I first surfed onto Glogster quite a while ago, by accident, and hadn’t really thought about it until I saw a post on the boards where a member was making real cute “inspiration collages,” I guess you could call them. They were like inspiration boards but with fun backgrounds and accents.
This made me immediately think of that website I had briefly seen before. Naturally I spent hours (not a waste of time, hopefully) Googling things like “digital scrapbook page” and “digital collage,” trying to find said page because I knew other brides-to-be would just loooove to use it for planning (well, hopefully, if I had remembered the site correctly). After a while, I finally found a site that had a list of links, and one was the link which I had been serarching for! *cue victorious music*
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.
