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.
Take a look at our Catalina Island-inspired wedding invitations! This was one of the most fun projects of the wedding because it was in collaboration with one of my besties. But, really, who knew paper could be this creative and fun! This is how our invites came to be: 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!
It’s time to design the Cheetah invitations, which means picking a printing method. Like many a bride, I think the look and feel of letterpress is to die for.I’m not sure if there is room in the budget for the coveted letterpress (single tear rolling down my cheek), but I’m still lusting after these designs:
I love everything about this modern and eclectic design from Bella Figura:
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!
After our bridal party photos were done, it was time to board the trolley! We hired one of the Clearwater Beach Jolley Trolleys to transport the bridal party to Carlouel, and then serve as a shuttle for our out of town guests afterward! Mommy Buttons helped me to pick up my train…
Then, it was time to head out and board the trolley!
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.
Now, I haven’t been privy to any official research on the subject, but I’d be willing to bet that I am a fairly rare breed of woman: I prefer my man with facial hair. And I’m not talking about a five o’clock shadow or a little bit of scruff. I think that Mr. S looks the cutest with a big bushy beard.
Fuzzy Wuzzy
He almost always has the beard, but a few times a year, he gets sick of it and shaves it off. It’s usually back in a few weeks.
Recently, Mr. S asked me what I thought he should do about his beard on our wedding day. Read more…
To take advantage of the discount, simply enter WBM06 at checkout. This promotion ends this Saturday, November 20, so head on over to the shop to save!
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.
Mrs. Seashell, Chicago, IL / Providence, RIAge and Occupation: 28, Marriage and Family TherapistFiance's Age and Occupation: 31, Electrical EngineerEngagement Date: September 3, 2009Wedding Date: September 2010Venue: The Glen Manor HouseAbout Me: Fonts and fashion, stationery and Sundays, photography and french toast... the beauty is in the details for this fun-loving Chicagoan who loves to plan plan plan! The soon-to-be hubs plays "Mr. Fix-It" in our new condo while I swoon over beautiful, personalized stationery and choose shades of aubergine for my bridesmaids' dresses... and thus begins my new fairy tale! Skirting to the East Coast for our September nuptials where my home state of Rhode Island awaits with fall foliage, I'm just a few dress fittings and bachelorette party away from saying "I Do" to a very happy ending!
I know, you’ve totally been dying to know what I swore I wouldn’t do. It’s really not that exciting, but I really, really, swore I wouldn’t.
I’m anti-post wedding chop. I honestly don’t get it. It’s like you grow out all this long, gorgeous hair (which takes foreverrrrrrrrr) to create a certain look for your wedding day, and then you chop it all off the first chance you get. Now, I’m all for change. One part that bothers me is that you immediately outdate your wedding photos. Or similarly, why grow out your hair in the first place if you’re someone who genuinely doesn’t ever wear their hair long? The caveat being, of course, the up-do. Sure, sure, I’ll go with that one. I guess I fell into that category—I figured I’d let my hair grow like crazy so I’d have the most options available for my wedding day ’do. I guess the part I get hung up on is creating a wedding look that isn’t really “you” in everyday life. Plus, if you’ve worked toward creating something, why destroy it so quickly? Read more…
Mrs. Quiche, Chicago/Montego BayAge and Occupation: 28, Interior DesignerFiance's Age and Occupation: 42, Telecom GuruEngagement Date: July 2, 2008Wedding Date: May, 2009Venue: Coyaba Resort, Montego BayAbout Me: I love Chicago and can’t imagine living anywhere else (Well, except Paris. Or anywhere in France, for that matter!). I’m a full-time worker, part-time student, soon-to-be-step-mom, indie music lovin’, architecture and design fanatic, macaroni and cheese addict, vegetarian, Francophile, Ohio State football obsessed, wedding planning girl. Mr. Quiche and I are “Partners-in-Crime” and cannot wait to celebrate our marriage surrounded by our family and closest friends. I plan on DIYing my little heart out (or as much as a suitcase to Jamaica will hold).
Okay, maybe not THAT dress, but a white dress, nonetheless! I couldn’t bear the thought of trashing my actual wedding dress, so I ended up finding this VS maxi dress on eBay for $30! My mom and I dressed it up a bit by adding a loooong white ribbon to tie in the back, but that’s about it. It didn’t really need much for us to just trash it!
See what I mean?!
So, the morning after our incredible wedding and reception, we rose with the sun (err… tried to, at least) in order to fit in a TTD before Ashley & Philip took off for home. It’s repetitive, I know, but they were AWESOME with this!
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.
I in no way, shape or form am a party girl. On a typical Friday night you can find us Meerkats at dinner with friends and then out to a movie. We like the simple life. And that simple life doesn’t involve what most people would consider for a “typical” bachelorette party. I want nothing to do with bars, strippers or penis-shaped cakes.
Sorry MOH Meerkat. I know you were hoping for an all out flash-back-to-the-college-years style debacle, but I want to do something I will be able to remember the next morning.
Sister Meerkat kicked off the brainstorming process to find alternatives to the traditional party. Her first thought was to get dressed up all Sex and the City-style and head out to one of the local casinos.
I think that idea lasted about three weeks until it was replaced by the idea to hop the train and head into Chicago for the day. The only problem was that we would only be in Chicago from 11AM to 5PM and we couldn’t come up with a single thing that we could do in that time frame as a group, other than eat and shop. That would be fine, but I felt like something would be missing. Read more…
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.
There was a Federal holiday last week and I knew I needed to use every minute of my day off to push out some wedding projects. My mom stayed the night with me, and she knew the plan for the day: haul ass to get as much wedding-related stuff done as possible! She woke me up at 7:40 AM, which is what time I usually wake up for work, and it was go time!
Puzzled that I started off on the computer, which is my usual spot for wedding planning (mostly gathering inspiration or writing task lists), my mom made a suggestion: “Why don’t you stop preparing to start, and just start.”
HELLO!
Aren’t moms great? They really are! She was so right, and believe me, I told her, “I’ve been so ready to start.”
Mrs. Pretzel, SeattleAge and Occupation: 32 Learning, Training, and Development SpecialistFiance's Age and Occupation: 28 Manufacturing EngineerEngagement Date: September 2, 2009Wedding Date: July 2010Venue: Catholic Church & The Engine Room at Georgetown StudiosAbout Me: I’m just a thirty-something girl who never dreamed of weddings, poofy dresses, or ritzy receptions. I am a rabid knitter, except recently, wedding projects have replaced my yarn and needles. I’ve been fiercely independent since the age of 2 and 30 years later I think my family and friends had given up on me settling down and getting married.
Ironically, I had to go all the way to Seattle to find a boy from Purdue. We fell in love over Seattle Beers and cooking together. I love NASCAR, he loves Legos. I can talk like a Muppet and he can fit a whole McDonald’s cheeseburger in his mouth. We are a two reception couple, currently planning a brewery inspired bash.
Mrs. Cardigan, AustinAge and Occupation: 21, Student/Soon-to-be Special Education TeacherFiance's Age and Occupation: 20, Student/Soon-to-be Accounting Systems AnalystEngagement Date: August 16, 2009Wedding Date: January 2011Venue: Vintage VillasAbout Me: I'm a native Austinite who was raised as a die-hard Aggie. Luckily, I'm a pretty persuasive girl because I managed to convince my high school boyfriend (now fiance!), Mr. Cardigan, to ditch his hardcore Longhorn ways and join me up at A&M, where we currently reside with our adorable dogs, Cullen & Ranger. We're currently planning a bright, cheery wedding with a ridiculous amount of DIY projects that I can't wait to tackle! I love crafting in any form, reading, and margaritas (I think I love them the most!). Organization is what keeps me sane and I love helping others, which is probably why I ended up as an education major. It gets a little chaotic sometimes when you're planning a wedding among all of the papers, projects, finals, and certification exams, but we're having the time of our lives and we can't wait to get started on our journey as husband and wife - and we're so excited to share our wedding with the hive!
One thing that has been really weird for me to accept is the idea that now that Mr. Cardigan and I are getting married, his family is my family, and vice versa.
That’s not to say that I don’t feel that he’s become a part of my family (I absolutely do!) or that I don’t feel welcome in his, but it’s just an odd idea to me that I will call his brother my brother and he will call my sister his sister. And the weirdest part of it all for me?
The holidays.
Mr. Cardigan and I have had many, many long discussions on how we plan to split up the holidays and it definitely isn’t an easy decision to make.
Mrs. Prairie Dog, Cincinnati
Age and Occupation: 24, Program CoordinatorFiance's Age and Occupation: 25, PhD/Biomedical EngineerEngagement Date: December 18, 2009Wedding Date: May 2011Venue: Glendale LyceumAbout Me: I'm a pilgrim soul of a girl with a house full of books and a coffee addiction that could slay Juan Valdez. My life is a whirl of grammar correction, good music, glue-gunning, and two pets named Hazel and Winston Churchill. I'm marrying my high school boyfriend in a formal-ish spring affair, roughly themed: "Elizabeth Bennet crashes a party co-hosted by Jay Gatsby and Cath Kidston, and loves it."
Now that I’ve established how sucky I apparently am at wedding dress shopping, we can move on. Even though my first experience was a bummer, I had a backup plan, a glimmer of hope. There was a dress that stuck out in my mind and had since 2008, when I was MOH-ing for my best friend. I was looking online, and somehow: there it was.
Short, sheer sleeves that would make me feel covered, but not matronly. A fitted silhouette that would suit my curves without being restrictively form-fitting. A floaty, rippling train unlike any I had ever seen. More beading that I would have imagined, but somehow—I knew it would work.
It was everything I wanted, not only in a wedding dress but in the feel of the wedding. It was romantic, it was a little old-fashioned, it was formal but not regal. It was perfect.
Mrs. Cloud, RichmondAge and Occupation: 25, Sales RepFiance's Age and Occupation: 26, Customer Service Manager/DJEngagement Date: February 14, 2008Wedding Date: November 2009Venue: Cathedral of the Sacred Heart & The Jefferson HotelAbout Me: Mr. Cloud and I are Yankees planning a Southern wedding to show our families from Boston and New York our fabulous city. We are complete opposites, resulting in a wedding to include bridesmaids in pearls and groomsmen in Adidas shell toes. I’m a sorority girl at heart with strong addictions to my blackberry, cherry Chapstick, Coach purses, the Boston Red Sox and our fur baby, Bella. I can’t wait to the throw the party of our lives and of course, marry my best friend!
While we were finishing up our formal photographs, our cocktail hour was already in full swing. Well, to be honest it wasn’t really a cocktail hour, it was a cocktail hour and a half.
We made the decision to extend a bit longer than the standard hour for a few reasons. Read more…
