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!
Mr. Lion and I both come from divorced families. And you know what? I don’t really think it’s that big of a deal…but I’ve noticed that it can be in the wedding world. (I’m not really the type of gal who gripes about how silly society can be, but here it goes.) I’ve run across this expectation that my parents and Mr. Lion’s parents should join together as our two families unite. Well, that a little tough to do if our individual families aren’t even united. Besides, what if that’s not what we want? Why is that the expectation? I have friends who grew up behind a white picket fence in upper middle class suburbia. I also have friends who grew up overseas in the middle of a civil war. I have friends who grew up in households with traditional marriages, I have friends who have same-sex families, I even have a friend who has lived with her significant other for decades and (gasp) just doesn’t want to get married.
The “weird” has become a heck of a lot more normal. Maybe some of the psychology or sociology bees out there can shed some light as to why, but all I know is that the “unusual” is actually pretty common. In my opinion, the same holds true for the opposite. When I think of a “normal” family with two heterosexual married parents, 2.5 kids, and a pet or two, the first image that comes to mind is far from normal: Read more…
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 just impulse-bought a hair piece for the wedding—oops! Sure, I’m still deciding whether or not to wear a veil, and yeah, I have no idea what I want to do with my hair yet. But whatever it is, I really hope I can work this in!
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!
One thing I knew about our reception is that I had to have a photobooth. I know that it’s going to be really hard to actually let other people besides myself in it for four hours, but I guess I can share.
I knew I had to have one as soon as I saw Mrs. Cupcake’s photos. (All photos come from Mrs. Cupcake’s recap posts—yes, I’ve been following the bee for that long!)
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).
I mentioned yesterday that I thought I had found my dress shortly after getting engaged, but I wanted to wait a little longer to order it and wanted to show it to Mama Hippo before signing on the dotted line. So when Mama Hippo and I met up in Dallas last summer, my plan was to show her the dress quickly, have her give a big thumbs up to it, and check that off the to-do list. We headed to the bridal shop and my girlfriend who works at the shop said she wanted me to try on a couple of new dresses that had come in since my last visit. There were a couple of gowns that she thought I might be interested in, and a couple that were new arrivals that she hadn’t yet seen on a bride, so she was using me as a guinea pig.
I tried on a few dresses, and then…
I found it.
And I loved it almost instantly. In fact, when I put on the dress I thought I was going to buy, it made me love this one even more. Wanna see what I ended up with?
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!
We ordered our wedding and groom’s cakes from Ruth’s and it was wonderful. They are one of the most reasonably priced bakers in the state and they do a fabulous job. Not only do they make buttercream look incredible and clean cut, but the whole cake and frosting tastes amazing.
Mrs. Locket, Ithaca, NYAge and Occupation: 25, Research TechnicianFiance's Age and Occupation: 28, former Banker hoping to become an Officer of the LawEngagement Date: June 15, 2009Wedding Date: September 2010Venue: Heron Hill WineryAbout Me: I am a little bit of everything all rolled into one: A girly gal with rough edges---I love to get dolled up just as much as I enjoy throwing on some sneaks to toss a ball with Mr. Locket. My love for crafting and creating is quite apparent and I've been referred to as a Wonder Woman/Martha Stewart/Stepford Wife hybrid (yup, I'll take that as a compliment). I adore sewing, photography, sculpture, good eats (mmm tapas), baking, snugging and oh, pretty much everything in between (there's not much I dislike). I am super excited to be planning our vineyard wedding and couldn't be happier to be marrying Mr. Locket. We are a quirky, fun-loving couple residing in our college town with our two pups Maple and Molly. We love to go on hikes, visit our local dog park and to bask in the beauty of many of the local falls and gorges. We are an indecisive pair, but together we somehow manage to make up our minds (it's the easy stuff that's tricky).
Yes, it’s finally time for Part III (the final portion) of our ‘All The Pretty Details’ series. You’ve already seen (and hopefully drooled over) our handcrafted-florals and read on as I showed off my bridal attire. Now it’s time for the good stuff! You know, the stuff that truly makes a wedding memorable; the details that fill out a reception hall and encompass a theme.
Let’s start off with our amazing programs…
Photo by Anna Simonak Photography
My dear friend Shannon helped us out big time and created these beauties all on her own (though I hear she had some last-minute help putting them together the day before the wedding).
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.
But despite knowing that there is no formula, we all, deep down, have our own ideas on what factors do and don’t help a marriage “work”. Am I right?
Recently I did a project on relationships and intimacy for my linguistics class (as my prof says, everything can be tied back to linguistics). The topic was centered around Giddens’s concept of the “Pure Relationship” which is defined as “where a social relation is entered into for its own sake, and is continued only so far as it is thought by both parties to deliver enough satisfaction for each individual to stay within it” (as cited in Layder, 2009, p.11).
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."
I don’t *love* the idea of talking about this because it seems so against the norm. But you know what? I don’t believe in “normal” in relationships—there are just things people talk about more than others.
Spoiler alert…it wasn’t lifelong commitment that freaked me. 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.
I was never a huge fan of veils. Not at first, anyway.
I knew I’d be wearing one, though. Granny’s wishes. We’re really close and I’d do anything for the woman, including wearing a veil and a blusher on my wedding day.
It was one of those things I figured I’d warm up to and I definitely have. With each dress, I put on a veil knowing I’d have to eventually buy and wear one, all the while not giving the type of veil any thought at all.
I never even knew there were so many to choose from!
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.
Soon after we got engaged, my mother and Mr. S’s mother asked me what I would like them to wear. I honestly didn’t have much input because both of our mothers are pretty stylish. I told them that they could wear whatever they thought would be appropriate for a late-afternoon-into-evening garden wedding, and that if they wanted to match our wedding colors, that would be awesome.
I have total faith that they’ll both look awesome. And I know that neither one of them would want to wear something super traditional like this:
Mrs. Beagle, AustinAge and Occupation: 26, Electrical EngineerFiance's Age and Occupation: 28, FinanceEngagement Date: July 12, 2008Wedding Date: October 2009Venue: Church Ceremony/Reception at The Waterford HouseAbout Me: I am a true, but rare, Austinite---I was born, raised, and continue to live in this great city! Although
I am an engineer by day, I feed my inner creative side through crafting, sewing, and obsessing over Martha Stewart. I love coffee, my mister, NPR, and exploring all the nooks and crannies of Austin.
I can't wait to share my adventures in DIY and wedding planning with all of you!
In lieu of the traditional unity candle, we decided incorporate a Hispanic unity ceremony. My MIL read a brief explanation, while our Padrino/as performed each part of the ceremony.
The Lasso.
The Arras. Mr. Beagle was handed a box containing the arras and he then removed them and handed them to me. We used the same lasso and arras that were used at my in-laws’ wedding.
Mrs. Zebra, Providence, RIAge and Occupation: 24 Marketing/Costume DesignerFiance's Age and Occupation: 26 Management/Firefighter Engagement Date: December 12, 2008Wedding Date: March 2011Venue: The Providence BiltmoreAbout Me: I'm a small town New England girl with an affinity for procrastination, crossing the proverbial line, and putting her foot in her mouth. I'm a lover of history, all seasons, sewing and Incubus. I design costumes on the side for my old high school's theatre department, which is where I met my sexy man. Our motto for our Big Fat Lebanese/Portuguese/Irish near-300 person wedding is "the more the merrier"! We are marrying in a Catholic ceremony and are hammering out the details of our Victorian-inspired reception.
I find myself saying this phrase with increasing vigor nowadays. Every day monumental (to me, at least) milestones continue to occur. I find myself giddy as a school girl as each one arrives and passes. It is almost like receiving a little gift each day.
Stalking the registry and seeing gifts actually purchased…
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.
Ahh… I’m so sad to write this post!! I’ve been putting it off, but really, I’ve spent over a year blogging on Weddingbee, and I think it’s time for me to step down and let some of the newer bees take over. 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!
As a little girl I always wanted to be a flower girl, but alas, I never was.I was pretty disappointed and annoyed when a few years ago my mother confessed that I had been asked to be a flower girl not once, but twice.Each time my mom told the bride and groom no because I’d “ruin the wedding.”Yes, that is a direct quote.Apparently both times I was asked was during my terrible twos, but I like to think I could have behaved for those couple minutes down the aisle—I would’ve been so excited!At least my mom seems to have more confidence in me now that I’ve grown out of training pants.
After much thought and consideration, Mr. Cheetah and I have decided against having children in our wedding party.As crazy-pants adorable as they are, it just doesn’t make sense for our wedding. Read more…
All-Inclusion Invitation Suites
