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.
I couldn’t think of one big shocking secret to reveal to you (yeah I know, I’m so boring), but I thought it might be fun to use this post to tell you some things about myself ( a la Cupcake and Espresso) that most people don’t know about. I’ve narrowed it down to the five least-boring I could think of, just for you:
Mrs. Ostrich, San Francisco/HawaiiAge and Occupation: 30, Fashion Buyer
Fiance's Age and Occupation: 38, CopywriterEngagement Date: October 4, 2009Wedding Date: April 2011Venue: Sweet ceremony by the sea and sunset celebration on the North Shore of HawaiiAbout Me: Born in the city of angels and residing in the city by the bay, I’m a fearless fashion buyer by day, a passionate blog author by night and a dreamy bride-to-be in between. I thank my lucky stars to live in such a stunning city that gives me gifts like organic honey lavender ice cream, movie nights in the park, tucked away beaches, legendary record stores, '80s dance parties, awesome sports teams, stellar flea markets, and vintage bookshops. Oh, and I love to dance! We always find every excuse to escape to the beach, and decided a little seaside wedding in Hawaii is our idea of bliss. Full of our favorite people, music, food and sparkly lights, this is one sunset celebration we will always remember.
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 was hoping to get some use out of our engagement pictures, and after reading how pleased Mrs. Cheeseburger was with her AdoramaPix wedding album and seeing how Miss Meerkat had used AdoramaPix for her guestbook, I was sold. I went to AdoramaPix.com and created a 26-page 8″ x 10″ photo book to use as our guestbook. Not only was it super easy (and dare I say fun?), but the book just arrived yesterday and I am totally impressed with the quality. Let’s take a peek, shall we?
I used one of our landscape photos to create the wraparound album cover.
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.
Braids, plaits, whatever you call them—I like them. And I especially like how they are popping up in wedding hairstyles these days. Yes, I already have myhairstyle sorted, but what about the bridesmaids? The other day a very talented friend offered to do their hair and makeup (for free!), and so of course I went on the prowl for braid inspiration.
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.
I think I’m the oldest bee. At least, I’m the oldest bee who is currently blogging regularly.
So when the new “Then and Now” series was introduced, I was really excited to show off some old high school photos. Since I’m the oldest current bee, my photos are the most awesomely and embarrassingly out of date!
So, picture it: New Jersey, 1989-1992.
Then: I had some big-ass Jersey hair on which I spent a ton of time and product. Aqua Net and a rat-tailed comb for teasing were my best friends! But I was naturally curly, so I never needed a perm like most of my classmates and friends did.
I was the luckiest girl in the world back then, because my giant, frizzy hair was in style!
Now: I spend a ton of money on Keratin Treatments so that my hair looks exactly the opposite of how it used to!
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. 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!
Finding the ’bee was really a “Goldilocks” kind of moment for me. Newly engaged, I had started with the first wedding planning website to present itself in Google (your guess). Nope, it was much too big, and too bland for this Sewing—not a good fit. Then I went the other extreme, which again, you can probably guess. Nope again, it was sometimes too flavorful—also not a perfect fit. Where was a bride like me to go? I like traditional things, but I also like unusual things. I like to be myself.
And that’s where Weddingbee came in. My first impression was, “oh, how nice everyone here is!” Fellow brides were supportive of each other, regardless of what type of wedding they chose. I didn’t feel like I had to have a perfect, timeless, classy wedding that you see in style blogs. I also didn’t feel like I had to go against every tried-and-true wedding tradition simply on the quest of being completely unique. In short, it was a perfect mix for me, and I decided to sign up after about a month of lurking.
Oh—and the MASSIVE amount of DIY tutorials definitely helped seal the deal. Just saying.
Mrs. Apple Cider, New York/CharlotteAge and Occupation: 27, Corporate Communications ManagerFiance's Age and Occupation: 26, Grad Student – Clinical Mental Health Engagement Date: September 13, 2008Wedding Date: October 2009Venue: Banner Elk Winery & Blueberry VillaAbout Me: I am a North Carolina girl with a New York City spirit. I love crafting, blogging, laughing and dreaming. I know every word to the Anne of Green Gables and Little Women movies. I own every single Martha Stewart Wedding Magazine and have been dreaming of weddings since I was little. I believe life is about doing what makes you happy. If you aren't happy re-evaluate what you are doing. You should never look back on your life and not be proud of what you are doing. If you want to travel - travel. If you want to sing - sing. If you want to start a company - start a company. If you want to blog – blog!
Hiya Hive, so nice to see you again. Mrs. Apple Cider here from NYC. Writing for Weddingbee was such a delightful experience. I loved every minute of it. Choosing my favorite post was super hard. I must say that I loved sharing all of my DIY projects. I think my favorite post was introducing our invitations to the hive. We worked so hard on them and truly loved creating them. It’s been a year since we got married and Mr. AC and I are doing well. We are still in love and still enjoying our time as husband and wife (over a year now!). We are super pumped to be moving back to North Carolina in a few months. I hope you are all enjoying your wedding plans and love the process as much as I do.
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What a process our invitations were! They seriously took me months, but they were worth it!
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.
Over two months passed until I decided to dare to go dress shopping again, and I was still searching out dress photos online during this hiatus. I still liked Lasara, but I was horrified that I could like a dress that cost that much money. I was starting to wonder if I only liked it at the time because mum and MIL liked it so much. I remember them saying it flattered me, but looking at online photos, it didn’t look terribly flattering on the model’s waist, and it looked a little like it was falling down around the boob area.
I got this crazy idea in my head that it looked like too much like my grad dress. Read more…
Mrs. Cheeseburger, Baltimore, MD/State College, PAAge and Occupation: 25, Medical StudentFiance's Age and Occupation: 25, Medical StudentEngagement Date: June 28, 2008Wedding Date: March 2010Venue: Catholic Church Ceremony & Hotel ReceptionAbout Me: I'm a passionate girl from Pittsburgh, currently living in Baltimore for school, who loves Penn State, seeing movies, football, thunderstorms, black and white photos, Christmas, good beer, my amazing friends and family, and of course, my mister! We met, fell in love, got engaged, and will be married at our alma mater (go lions!) in a traditional Catholic ceremony followed by a hotel reception with lots of DIY details. It means so much to have our families and friends meet at our favorite place on earth to celebrate our love for one another - I truly couldn't ask for anything more!
This “looking back” series really got me thinking: what did I used to be like in life and love, and how have I changed to be the person I am today?
I had an awesome time in high school. I had a great group of friends, most of whom I’m still close with today (the bridesmaids in my wedding!), and I was always either dating or crushing on some boy. I played volleyball and softball and was involved in a lot of extracurricular activities—very Type A.
sophomore year
High school was also when I had my first real relationship. 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.
Mrs. Ballet Flat, New OrleansAge and Occupation: 24, Geographic Information Systems AnalystFiance's Age and Occupation: 26, IT AnalystEngagement Date: March 16, 2008Wedding Date: May, 2009Blogging Since: September 25, 2008Venue: St. Charles Borromeo Church/Jefferson-Orleans NorthAbout Me: I absolutely love wedding planning, spending time with Mr. Ballet Flat, various crafts, watching football, baking, pop music, bargain hunting and ice cream. My idea of a great date night is dinner and clearance shopping with Mr. Ballet Flat! I currently live below sea level in the suburbs near New Orleans, where I make maps all day, everyday for my job. I'm slowly becoming more and more obsessed with anything New Orleans related for our wedding, and I can't wait for the big day!
My favorite post that I loved sharing was when I made my wedding map. It’s not an emotional post at all, but I think it would be helpful to the hive!
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As you might already know, I make maps for a living. So, of course, I had to make our wedding directions map for our invitations! While this map wouldn’t serve as impressive to my colleagues in GIS (Geographic Information Systems), I think this was a pretty good map for our guests, considering I couldn’t use my work’s GIS software!
My Photoshop skills are limited to none, so I used Microsoft PowerPoint to make the maps. I will admit, while it is time consuming, the steps are rather easy. It took me about 3 hours to perfect this map to my liking, but if you aren’t as picky as I am, it shouldn’t take that long! Also, it’s pretty hard to tell you how to make these maps by typing it out, so if there is any confusion, please comment and I’ll try my best to help! Read more…
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."
My first trip to the tanning bed was at age 14. I quit three years ago because I was already noticing damage—at age 21.
I’ve had to face the truth: it is NOT in my skin’s nature to be tan. My dad is from England, which is why I am very pale and also freckled. J comes from pale stock as well, and he literally works in the basement of a hospital. Together we are all but fluorescent.
Some girls’ skin does fine with tanning. Mine does not, and that’s okay. Now it’s all SPF, all the time…and sometimes even hats.
Mrs. Hot Cocoa, Boston/Los AngelesAge and Occupation: 31, JD/PhD StudentFiance's Age and Occupation: 32, Medical StudentEngagement Date: May 30, 2008Wedding Date: March, 2009Blogging Since: April, 2008Venue: Ritz Carlton, Marina Del ReyAbout Me:
I am a professional student by day and an amateur cupcake taster, bargain shopper, and wedding planner by night. I am obsessed with NPR, the Food Network, paper, dance shows, Anthropologie, post-structuralist theory, Weddingbee!, "The Office," and celebrity gossip. When not procrastinating from my dissertation, I spend time catering to Jellyby, our overly anxious shih tzu, and getting to know Mr. Hot Cocoa. We have only been dating for fifteen years, so it's like I'm in love with a stranger! From the East Coast, we are planning a Jewish-Chinese Extravaganza in L.A., where we both grew up.
I chose this post because it reminded me when I was knee-deep in wedding details that (as I wrote in another post) a wedding is not a single “perfect day.” Instead, it’s a long process that begins with the moment you declare your commitment to marry, encompasses actions and decisions both significant and banal, and involves discussion, compromise, and community. It’s about the joining of two families, two cultures, two worldviews, not just about the joining of two people or the throwing of one awesome party. As I reread it now, this post still evokes the sense of adventure, love, commitment, and trepidation I felt—and still feel—about becoming a Chewish wife.
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I’ve mentioned before that I’m in the process of converting to Judaism, and I’ve promised to write a longer post about my decision to convert and what the conversion process entails. So here goes a loooong two-part post…
The popular assumption is that anyone who converts to Judaism for marriage does so only after being pressured into it (usually by a naggy future mother-in-law, whom I’ll call “Estelle,” after George Costanza’s mother). “My darling baby boy. You can’t marry a shiksa!” kvetches Estelle. “Did you eat? Are you eating? Vy are you so thin? Is that shiksa not feeding you?” But Mr. HC’s family has never expressed any concern about his marrying “outside of the tribe” or put any pressure on me to go Jew. To the contrary, they’re to this day incredulous that I’d want to do such a thing!
Mrs. Waffle, AustinAge and Occupation: 31, Costumer/ArtistFiance's Age and Occupation: 33, AnimatorEngagement Date: July 27, 2010Wedding Date: June 2011Venue: Hummingbird HouseAbout Me: My life is pretty much spent in a sea of fabric, paint, sequins and drama. When I’m not working, I play on a trivia team, take Broadway dance classes, read, buy shoes, and occasionally geek out on video games. I am an American girl who loves all things British and Mr. Waffle is a Brit who loves all things American...I guess it was meant to be!
All-Inclusion Invitation Suites
Mrs. Apple Cider here from NYC. Writing for Weddingbee was such a delightful experience. I loved every minute of it. Choosing my favorite post was super hard. I must say that I loved sharing all of my DIY projects. I think my favorite post was introducing our invitations to the hive. We worked so hard on them and truly loved creating them. It’s been a year since we got married and Mr. AC and I are doing well. We are still in love and still enjoying our time as husband and wife (over a year now!). We are super pumped to be moving back to North Carolina in a few months. I hope you are all enjoying your wedding plans and love the process as much as I do. 
sophomore year
