Ms. Potato Chips, Boston/Narragansett RIAge and Occupation: 29, PhD StudentFiance's Age and Occupation: 30, Personal Trainer/Business Owner/Physical Therapy AssistantEngagement Date: January 1, 2009Wedding Date: June 2010Venue: The Narragansett TowersAbout Me: A semi-professional bookworm, if I could be a literary character I’d be a cross between Jo March and Jane Eyre, only better accessorized and much lazier. My hobbies include sleeping in, seasonal brews, running, Trader Joe’s, and watching Unwrapped and Good Eats with Mr. Potato Chips. I harbor an irrational fear of tulle, crafts, things that are fussy, and overuse of the phrase "Your Special Day". After a year or seven together, down the aisle we go, slouching toward adulthood and planning a Rhodie party with equal parts whimsy, cheer, and pizza.
Who doesn’t love singing terribly in front of lots of people?? Okay, a lot of people don’t enjoy it, which is why we decided to integrate the karaoke within the dancing and to spread the word months in advance so guests could practice their “Cracklin’ Rose” in the privacy of their own cars.
Our DJs happily provided the necessary equipment and Mr. PH and I came up with a list of the best of the worst karaoke songs which we printed out and left at the DJ table for guests to pick up at their leisure.
My sister and our friend opened the karaoke floor with a wonderfully harmonizing version of The Pina Colada song.
Next, the newly married couple took the floor with some classic “Don’t Stop Believing.”
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.
So, Mr. Panther and I just spent the last few hours watching wedding shows on TLC. We didn’t mean to—I’m not really a reality show fan in general, especially when it comes to the voyeuristic and generally icky stuff they tend to show on TLC now. I was a huge fan back in the early days of Trading Spaces, but even that show, which should have been restored to its former glory when Paige Davis returned, is just no good anymore. And of course, Mr. Panther wouldn’t watch wedding shows by choice. It just…happened.
Anyway, we were watching this kind of disgusting show called Four Weddings, in which four brides attend each others’ weddings and basically talk shit the whole time because they’re competing for a dream honeymoon. And then we were watching Say Yes to the Dress, which is kind of awesome, especially since one of the episodes tonight featured Monique Lhuillier’s Sunday Rose, which is my favorite dress on the planet after mine. And all this talk of dresses and accessories temporarily took me off my stationery kick, and I started looking at shoes. Read more…
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!
Get it? Bob-omb? Bomb? A super outdated ’90s phrase? What more could you want?!
So remember a little while ago when I showed you all some super crazy but super awesome Mario cakes? Well, if you don’t remember, or even if you do, here are a few new ones to remind you all how fantastic it is to combine both weddings and geekiness.
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.
The bad news is that I don’t have a picture of my dress. Boo! I know! Totally lame. Especially after all you’ve been through to this point, bearing with my whining about not being able to make a choice and then voting (thank you all so, so much for your votes!).
I’m dying to show you my final pick, believe me. I’m so relieved to have finally made a decision. But with all of the chaos at Kleinfeld for Say Yes to the Dress, a picture was the furthest thing from my mind!
I may try to find a sample locally, try it on again, and take a few pictures for the hive, but if not, my hope is that you’ll see it on TV! What better reveal is there than that?
The good news is that before picking my dress, my favorites were the same as yours! I was still considering three (numbers 5, 9, & 11) standing in Kleinfeld, but the more I thought about each one, the happier I was I didn’t settle with any of them.
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 got inspired by Miss Ostrich’s vintage postcards and decided that we must also have a vintage postcard in our wedding. The only question was how? Then, as I was revising our menu design for the fourth time (yep I really did change my mind that often) I thought, “why not turn them into vintage postcards?” So, I did!
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!
…Where were we? Oh yes, I was in the car with Mommy and Daddy Buttons, on our way to The Sandpearl to meet Mr. Buttons! Although we were stuck in holiday beach traffic, we managed to make it to the hotel…right as Mr. Buttons pulled up to the valet. Drat.
Thankfully, I wasn’t fully dressed yet…but still. There went our first official look on our wedding day—gone in the blink of an eye. He, looking fabulous in his wedding day suit, and me…in my yoga pants, tank top, and wedding hair/makeup.
Oh well…forging ahead, I scurried up to the hotel room that Mr. Buttons and I would be returning to later that evening. There, I reunited with this lovely frock:
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.
After I did the bouquet toss, it was time for the garter toss! If you remember, I’d hand sewn my own garter:
(personal photo)
Because it was such a hot day, I didn’t put my garter on until right before the tosses, and I never ended up putting on my old and blue other garter. I knew Mr. Cola was going to have enough trouble locating one garter under my eight layers of dress, without adding a second one in the mix!
And struggle he did, it took him what felt like a good two minutes of reaching up my dress. Read more…
Mrs. Elephant, Dallas, TXAge and Occupation: 27, Financial Operations AnalystFiance's Age and Occupation: 27, IT Student/Store ManagerEngagement Date: March 29, 2009Wedding Date: April 2011Venue: The Tribute Golf ClubAbout Me: I'm a Philly native creating roots deep in the heart of Texas. I might be a little obsessed capturing those Kodak moments of anything and everything (mainly on vacations). I've become more of a gamer thanks to Mr. Elephant, who I met online and can't wait to spend the rest of my life with. We are planning a wedding based on our favorite colors, blue and green, with a travel theme for 150 of our closest friends and family. Hopefully our long (2-year) engagement won't kill me!
We all know how the saying goes: Something old, something new, something borrowed, something blue. While there are some obvious items for my something new (dress, hairpin) and I love my somethings blue (shoes, earrings), I haven’t nailed down my something old or borrowed yet.
Sadly, I will not be able to share this momentous occasion with any of my grandparents, as they have all passed on. There will be a memory page in the programs, but I knew I wanted to incorporate their memory with something more.
Picture of me and my two grandmothers at my first tap recital. Mom-Mom is the one I am looking up at.
Thankfully, my mom still has several pieces of jewelry from her mom (my grandmother was more affectionately known as Mom-Mom to all of her grandkids). Read more…
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!
I found that there was a lot more involved in choosing a reception venue abroad than there was finding a ceremony venue. I suppose that makes sense, seeing asyou’re typically only at the ceremony for a few short hours, whereas so much happens at the reception that you need to plan for. Just like everything else, I found our ceremony location pretty easily online, while sitting at a computer in London.
Mr. Jaguar and I are both baptized Catholics. He is fully practising and goes to church each week—I only recently made the effort to be more consistent. My lovely fiancé has given me free rein on quite a lot of the planning, so most of the preparation talk you’ll hear in my blogs will seem to be all about me, me, me and what I think will work really well on our wedding day. Behind the scenes though, he has actually been pretty vocal about parts of the wedding that are important to him, and one of those parts was the actual marriage ceremony itself.
Mr. Jaguar wanted a traditional Catholic church ceremony.
Mrs. French Fries, MilwaukeeAge and Occupation: 27, ParalegalFiance's Age and Occupation: 35, Investments AdvisorEngagement Date: September 20, 2008Wedding Date: June 2010Venue: Ceremony: Catholic Church, Reception: Hotel BallroomAbout Me: I'm a Midwestern girl who longs to live in a warmer climate (my feet would be happy in flip flops any day!). I love travel, impromptu napping, grilled cheese sandwiches, my iPhone, singing with reckless abandon in my car, and Mr. French Fries.
In my last post, I mentioned that my *favorite* part of our reception was dancing. Little known fact about me: in general, I’m a pretty shy gal. I don’t really like being the center of attention, and have a propensity for blushing when put in the limelight. But. BUT! I love to dance. Somewhat of a contradiction, I know, but it’s true. I have kept my booty on the dance floor all night at all of the weddings I have been to in recent memory, and at the last wedding Mr. FF and I attended, he practically had to drag me off of the dance floor.
Therefore, in the weeks preceding the wedding I told everyone with a pair of ears that if they wanted to find me after dinner at our reception, they should look for me on the dance floor. Read more…
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.
I’m at a point now when whenever I’m in a store or out shopping somewhere I’m always subconsciously on the lookout for things for the wedding. This is not always a good thing, because a few times I’ve come across something that would be perfect for the wedding and I then have to remind myself I already own something else that will perform the exact same function at the wedding. For example, we bought our card box almost a year ago during a Boxing Week sale at Pier 1 Imports.
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.
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 can’t say enough good things about Jaime and Amy of CWS. They were wonderful to work with and very professional. We absolutely love our wedding photos.
Mrs. Bruschetta, PhiladelphiaAge and Occupation: 25, Communication ProfessionalFiance's Age and Occupation: 25, Physical Therapy Graduate StudentEngagement Date: November 30, 2007Wedding Date: August 2009Venue: St. Thomas of Villanova Church & the F.U.E.L. HouseAbout Me: I’m a self-proclaimed grammar geek who loves singing (like, really belting it) in the car. My mister and I are planning a vibrant summer soiree celebrating our passions – including food and Philly – and when we make it official, we’ll have been together for eight years! Being super competitive is in my nature, and talking excessively is in my genes. I’ve got a terrible sense of direction, but can always easily find my way into Mr. Bruschetta’s arms.
Daddy Bru was already a shoe-in for the “Best Father of the Bride” title after his art-acquiring heroics one week before our wedding (sorry, George Banks).
Little did I know that, while I was stressing over last-minute details and frantically trying to earn the status of “most tranquil bride,” Daddy Bru was juggling his own wedding-related load. He shared this story with us at the rehearsal dinner, and even then, less than 24 hours before the wedding, as Mr. Bruschetta and I laughed at his moxie, one thought bubbled to the surface: “I can’t wait to post about this on Weddingbee!”
Inspired by “Poor Wedding Dad“—Weddingbee Hive Hostess august15bride’s (now blogging / Tweeting as the fitness-loving Wannabe Athlete) father—I asked Daddy Bru if he would recount the tale his pre-wedding antics for the hive. I hope you enjoy it as much as we did! And now, here’s Daddy Bruschetta (with some links added by yours truly, and our “real” names used sparingly throughout) in his own words:
Two days before the wedding…and so much yet to do. Our contact at the F.U.E.L. House had a family emergency out of town, and left the final arrangements to an assistant. Mr. Bruschetta and I had to pick up all the booze and deliver it F.U.E.L. I figured while we were there, we’d make sure that appropriate art had been placed on the walls. Chris and I arrived at F.U.E.L.’s service entrance on 3rd Street, and began unloading case after case of adult beverages. We quickly saw that another unloading process was going on at the same time: A portrait gallery of assorted local artists’ landscapes, portraits, still lifes, etc.—a welcome relief from what had been labeled as art that adorned the walls before.
Mrs. Glasses, Tokyo/Los Angeles, CAAge and Occupation: 24, English teacherFiance's Age and Occupation: 27, English teacherEngagement Date: September 2008Wedding Date: October 2010 Venue: Parents' backyardAbout Me: I’m an expat living in Tokyo. I’ve been in Japan for almost three years now, where I met my fantastic English fiance. It’s time to leave Japan, so we are planning a fun, intimate, backyard ceremony back home in the suburbs of L.A. in October. Our wedding will be a mix of my love for food, beer, my Japanese culture, and Mr. G’s Englishness. We are on a tiny budget and DIYing almost everything!
It was the day before our wedding and the scene was set. Me, crying and screaming on the bed in front of my laptop and Mr. G trying to hold me and thumping my back to control my breathing. My mom appears and (literally) thwacks me over the head (oh, Asian mothers) and scolds, “STOP CRYING!”
Not the best way to go into our wedding weekend. I was looking at our Saturday wedding forecast,
and feeling very, very sorry for myself. Just the day before we had been with Team England at Disneyland enjoying a lovely Southern California fall day—sunny, blue skies and 80+ degrees. The weather had been gorgeous all week. What did I do to deserve this? I believe my famous last words were, “The backup plan for rain is that there is no back up plan. It just won’t rain.”
I whined to my fellow bees and the love, support, and well wishes you sent my way were amazing. Read more…
