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."
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!
Anyway, this post is not about money, this is about my MOH’s and my problems. I feel like I need to talk about this, because I seriously know that I cannot be the only bride dealing with something like this…and if I am, then I guess I might just be crazy…so watch out, this giraffe is about to get personal.
You see, my Maid of Honor is my big sister—my only sister, in fact. Whereas Mr. Giraffe has five brothers and sisters, I only have one sibling, Sis Gee. Based on appearances, you might think that Sis Gee and I get along well. I mean, we’re only 2 years apart.
But, in all honestly, we don’t. We spend most of our time fighting, arguing, and generally being disagreeable towards each other.
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!
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Mrs. Labrador Retriever, Athens/SavannahAge and Occupation: 24, Student/Sports ReporterFiance's Age and Occupation: 29, Physical Therapy Assistant Student/Future Dr. of PT
Engagement Date: December 31, 2008Wedding Date: November 2009Venue: Whitfield Square/Savannah StationAbout Me: I'm working on my second degree from UGA (Go Dawgs!). I'm a self-proclaimed attention-w****. If it involves a camera, I'm in front of it! You'll never meet a girlier tomboy than me. I can go toe to toe with any guy on the subject of college football, and lift more than any girl in my gym, all without chipping a nail. I hope to someday be the only person you want delivering your sports news. My FI and I are the loving parents of three Labrador Retrievers (one of each color) and are planning a "Southern Romantic Charm" wedding in the beautiful, historic city of Savannah. I'm not extreme in anything except moderation... and wedding planning.
Mr. Lab and I came back inside from our little photography project mentioned in my last post (it’s coming in the next one, I promise!) and we were met by this:
That’s college buddy and fellow newscaster Kevin. He promised me a couple weeks before the wedding that he would sing for us.
You see, Kevin has this ah-mazing voice. He was even the winner of our college’s version of American Idol, UGA Idol! 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.
Early in the planning stages, we didn’t know what we had. We had no clue how much anything cost, only that it was expensive and that it would take some serious saving efforts (on our part) and chipping in (on our families’ part) to have the wedding of our dreams.
Eventually we figured out what we could feasibly save and shell out, and we formulated a budget. As the months passed, we saved and we spent (mostly on odds and ends here and there), but all the while we weren’t grasping the whole budget as a whole. Does that make sense?
It’s not like we have $20,000 socked away that we’re pulling from for everything. We’re saving $2,000 and $3,000, and spending $500 here, maybe $50 there, and sometimes $1,000 on bigger things. It’s all very ambiguous and it’s making me a bit nervous. Not nervous because we’re overspending, but when you’re saving and spending at the same time (and not just pulling from one big pot), it gets kinda messy.
I think, “Oh! That’s wedding related, let me take some money from our savings for it.” But wait? Did we calculate this cost in the budget? Uh oh. Read more…
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. 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.
After pinpointing what type of style we wanted for our wedding invitations, we needed to think about what the invitations would actually say. I knew this might be a big deal from the very, very beginning. Frankly, the issue was how we’d incorporate both American and Filipino traditions into an invitation that is “us.”
Filipino Wedding Invitation with Entourage Listed, image from Weddingbee
Since the beginning of our engagement, Mr. Pashmina’s mom has had one main question: Who would be our sponsors? Sponsors are individuals involved in your lives that will stand up and attest that you two should get married, meaning that you have the support of your friends, family, and the community—basically saying, as elders, “we support this union.” Typically for a Filipino wedding, this information goes on the wedding invitation, in the program, and is incorporated into the ceremony by the sponsor’s participation in the wedding. The list of sponsors can be pretty long. From what I understand, there are typically at least two Principle Sponsors and three Secondary Sponsors. Read more…
Weddingbee GalleryFeature Launched: April 10, 2009About: A collection of inspirational wedding pictures from readers and bees.
lilacwire and her fiance got lost in a corn maze during their engagement photo session.
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. Jaguar, SydneyAge and Occupation: 27, Primary School TeacherFiance's Age and Occupation: 29, IT ConsultantEngagement Date: August 8, 2009Wedding Date: June 2011Venue: Curzon HallAbout Me: I'm an Australian girl who is a self-proclaimed nerd, loves all things stationery and would be lost without books, music and the internet. Mr. Jaguar and I have been together for the past eight years and he finally popped the question last August. Hurrah! We currently live in Sydney, Australia with our adorable cat who thinks he's a person. We're a couple who likes to multi-task: we've been planning a wedding abroad, a permanent move from London to Sydney, and preparing to build our own home all at the same time. Travelling makes me giddy...as does Mr. Jaguar, of course!
Well, to this day I’ve always been worried about what would happen when it came to choosing wedding bands—because no matter what kind we purchased, it would need to be resized and I would have to wait. Again. Ugh. Patience is SO not one of my strong points.
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!
After the tea ceremony, my family served lunch. It served as the first family meal! We served Mr Hot Wings’ favorite, easy-to-eat Vietnamese foods: Banh Mi sandwiches and Vietnamese spring rolls. To drink we had soda, water, and Vietnamese coffee (YUM!). Read more…
Mrs. Earrings, Fresno, CA/ Nelson, New ZealandAge and Occupation: 20, Student, Wannabe Writer
Fiance's Age and Occupation: 19, Photography StudentEngagement Date: February 14, 2010Wedding Date: January 2011Venue: Gardens of the WorldAbout Me: I'm a girl from down under who grew up in Indonesia and I'm marrying a California boy. I'm addicted to all things sweet, have never met a chocolate silk pie than can get the better of me, and have dreams of one day being a fulltime novelist. I go weak in the knees for lace, tea cups, and a beautifully crafted sentence. When I get excited about something (whether it is historical linguistics or the Beatles) I tend to go overboard in research, and planning this wedding is no different. Mr. Earrings is my high school sweetheart, my best friend, and somehow we combine all our quirks into one big happy mess.
Or, it certainly seems that way when you and your SO are the one and only couple out of all your friends that is even in a long-term relationship, let alone getting married. Not that I am surprised that Mr E and I are in that position, considering the fact that we are pretty young and so are the majority of our friends, but, regardless, I haven’t been prepared for the downsides of being that one couple. For instance:
Your friends don’t always get it when you want to just spend a nice quiet evening at home with your SO instead of ditching him and partying it up in town with them.
They might also not get why you can’t blow your money on the aforementioned parties, or on anything for that matter, because you are saving for your wedding and/or a place to live after the wedding.
Some friends might be jealous of you being in a secure relationship, which can take its toll on your friendship with them.
Mrs. Cinnamon Bun, Calgary, AlbertaAge and Occupation: 26, Stage ManagerFiance's Age and Occupation: 26, Theatre TechnicianEngagement Date: June 22, 2010Wedding Date: June 2011Venue: Calgary Opera CentreAbout Me: I'm a life-long crafter and bookworm living in the foothills of the Canadian Rockies. Some of my loves include Lord of the Rings, Sherlock Holmes, knitting, opera, musicals, Etsy, baking, and of course, Mr. Cinnamon Buns. We're keeping our wedding close to home---the venue isn't very far from our house, and we live within walking distance of 6 bridal salons. I'm using the wedding as an excuse to try out every craft project I possibly can, with the endless help and support of my fiance.
Yesterday was a tiring, come-home-with-your-brain-fried day at work. Because winter is coming, I walked to work in the semi-dark, and walked home in the nearly dark. I spent the evening like most evenings since getting engaged: sitting at my computer desk, poking about on Etsy, writing a blog post, wandering some of my favourite wedding blogs. It got late, and I decided to check my e-mail one more time before going to bed. That’s when I found it! The e-mail saying I’d been accepted as a Weddingbee blogger! I was still pretty wiped from work, so I didn’t manage screams or fun dances like some of the bees before me, but I was dancing on the inside!
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!
Makeup set, we kicked the guys out of the suite for some alone time with the white & fluffy.
I snaked into our homemade, two-piece skirt in less than a minute; it was not cute or very bridal at all. Read more…
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.
When I first heard the words “trash the dress,” I have to admit I was shocked at the concept. I mean, the first though in my mind wasn’t, “hey I just paid the cost of our house payment for my dress so why not trash it?” But like any good open-minded bride I had to know what this trash the dress thing was all about. I used my Google-fu and soon found some amazing images at trashthedress.com. What I quickly found out was that trash the dress didn’t actually have to mean that you trashed it (well, most of the time). It really is about having photos of you taken in your wedding attire in a relaxed environment. As soon as I saw an example of a cenote TTD, I knew that was it. I HAD to do it. It was one of those things I knew I would regret not doing.
What’s a cenote, you ask? In very basic terms, it’s a fresh water sinkhole. It sounds glamorous, I know, but just look at how beautiful they are:
