Mrs. Socks, Southern NJ/Philadelphia, PAAge and Occupation: 23, Web Developer/Marketing SpecialistFiance's Age and Occupation: 26, Systems EngineerEngagement Date: September 7, 2009
Wedding Date: October 2010Venue: Ladder 15 RestaurantAbout Me: I am originally from the Midwest, but I love being an East Coast transplant! Mr. Socks and I are foodies and winos to the core---give us a hunk of cheese, some charcuterie and a glass of wine and we could die happy. We have two mischievous Wire Fox Terriers with completely opposite personalities but with a shared love of uprooting anything in our garden. Our backyard garden includes everything from tomatoes and peppers to a fig tree, blueberries, blackberries and raspberries! I love cooking, indie music, and spending time in our wedding city of choice---Philly!
I would like to start off with a bit of an update about our devastating wedding day and how we’re still dealing with it. Our pictures are wonderful and don’t show the issues that were happening with my in-laws on our wedding day, but that doesn’t mean that we have forgotten how hard that day was, and what it means to our lives now.
Mr. Socks does not want to communicate with his family still, and they have made no attempt to apologize or talk about the situation. It is difficult for me to see Mr. Socks go through the many emotions of breaking apart from a toxic relationship with them, but we both know that it is in our best interest to invite only positive influences and experiences in our lives. Of course, that’s often not what life has in store for us, but we can control the amount of contact we have with the negative forces in our lives.
We’re getting on with marriage swimmingly well besides the pain we frequently feel from such a big ordeal, and we’ve still found ourselves closer than ever before. Marriage wasn’t exactly life-altering for our day-to-day routine, but we did notice a change in how we try harder to work things out and make sure the other person is heard. We continue to keep all lines of communication open, and it has created a very fulfilling marriage so far!
Mrs. Pancakes, New York/Costa RicaAge and Occupation: 26, Law School StudentFiance's Age and Occupation: 27, Latin American Policy AnalystEngagement Date: March 12, 2010Wedding Date: May 2011Venue: Casa Punto de VistaAbout Me: I’m a perfectionist with a big heart. I love a good laugh and firmly believe no one has ever regretted being prepared! My motto is “go big or go home.” I am incapable of doing anything in moderation, especially when it comes to shopping, TV, food and travel, and some would say wedding planning! The other half of this nearlywed team is a laid-back, adventure-loving, accident prone, sweetie from LA. He makes me laugh, is always down for an impromptu dance party, and totally indulges most of my hare-brained schemes. Now, in my final year of law school, we’ll be spending the spring abroad in Amsterdam and planning a DIY, whimsical, detail-filled destination wedding in Costa Rica!
I was talking to Mr. Pancakes about cakes the other day and trying to drag an opinion out of him. As usual, I had about 15 tabs open on my browser, and I asked him to come take a look.
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.
“You can discover more about a person in an hour of play than in a year of conversation.” - Plato
We love our friends. They’re warm, sparkly and ridiculous in all the best ways. Plus they’ve been rooting for us for 10 marathon years, so they’re ready to celebrate.
And while we’re thisclose with all of them, since our friendships come from various points in our lives, BC {before coupledom} - High School, College - and AC {after coupledom} - Post College, Work and Dog Park {yep, i just said dog park} - they’re not all thisclose with each other.
It’ll be a jigsaw puzzle of friends from here, there and everywhere in between…which means we need to have a party starter to connect our people together. So Mr. O and I gathered all the random and juicy bits from our friendships and pieced together this little game.
Mrs. French Toast, Pleasanton, CAAge and Occupation: 29, Marketing & PRFiance's Age and Occupation: IT geek by day, self-proclaimed handyman by nightEngagement Date: October 2009Wedding Date: March 2011Venue: Palm Event CenterAbout Me: I’m a city girl at heart who moved to the suburbs a year ago. Now I’m adjusting to life with a front lawn, nosy neighbors, cooking attempts, and making sure the garbage pail is pulled out on time every week! When I’m not traveling, Mr. FT and I enjoy marathon sessions of Law & Order: SVU, snowboarding, photography, spoiling our 3-year old yorkie-poodle Mokka and disagreeing over what music to listen to in the car. We’re planning a small winery wedding while incorporating some cultural elements into the day as a nod to our Chinese backgrounds.
You’re on your honeymoon: hand in hand, wide smiles, kisses, luggage in tow. You approach the check-in counter at the airport and the agent tells you, “The flight has been cancelled.”
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. 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!
Sorry Tina Turner, there will be no dancing for money here. The title is actually in reference to a private last dance at our reception. I first learned about the private last dance at BM Aggie & Groomsman Runner’s wedding. As the guests left to prepare for the grand exit from the reception, the bride and groom stayed behind in the reception room to have one last dance all alone.
The plan is to have all of the guests exit to prepare for our send off, and the DJ will start our song and then leave the room as well. We won’t be completely alone; one of our photographers will remain to take some shots as we enjoy the last minutes of our wedding day. I am so excited for this moment!
Mrs. Tartlet, Rochester, MIAge and Occupation: Age & Occupation: 27, Post-Doctoral Research FellowFiance's Age and Occupation: 28, Medical StudentEngagement Date: May 2, 2009Wedding Date: May 2011Venue: The Royal Park HotelAbout Me: I'm an exuberant gal from the Midwest with a penchant for Neuroscience and anything sparkly. I'm not afraid to poke fun at myself, and I'm a believer that given the right pair of shoes, a girl can conquer the world. While an interest in the sciences threw Mr. Tartlet and me together (again, and again, until it finally stuck), we share a love for many things---food, video games, car dancing, food, bad puns, travel, did I mention food?---that ultimately led us to where we are now, less than five months from becoming Mr. and Mrs. We're planning a laid-back, romantic, garden-inspired affair with organic and quirky touches that reflect our love for the unexpected!
Audrey Hepburn’s character in Breakfast at Tiffany’s is one of my all time favorites: Holly Golightly is excruciatingly chic and sophisticated, accessorized with a devil-may-care attitude. She’s wild and free-spirited, but her eccentric behavior only serves to mask the vulnerable woman underneath.
Many of us can relate to Miss Golightly, although we conceal our insecurities in different ways. I’m fortunate to have people in my life with whom I can ditch the pearls, who have accepted me for me (neurotic faults and all). They create for me what Tiffany’s was to Holly Golightly: “a place where me and things go together.”
Mrs. Barrettes, Tumon, Guam/Napa, CAAge and Occupation: 29, DancerFiance's Age and Occupation: 31, Licensed Building ContractorEngagement Date: November 16, 2008Wedding Date: October 2010Venue: V. Sattui WineryAbout Me: I'm an East Coast girl, living on a tiny little island in the Pacific, twirling, leaping, and shimmy-ing my way through life, and now, wedding planning! I'm equal parts nerdy and cool... okay, mostly nerdy. I love satin bows, red lipstick, black & white graphic anything, the shine of sequins and the sound of a champagne "pop". My favorite books are The Portrait of a Lady, by Henry James, and Tender is the Night, by F. Scott Fitzgerald. I can also conjure a pretty good Patronus Charm. I started my appreciation for good red wine while traveling on the high seas, and it's only fitting that my passion for wine drinking led me to my Napa-bred honey. We bonded over bottles of Cabernet on my oceanfront porch and haven't looked back since. We're sealing the deal at a winery in the Napa Valley on a 'perfect ten' of a day!
Mr. Barrettes and I arrived in Napa on October 8th to the most gorgeous weather (which everyone commented on throughout the weekend, as if I specially planned it). We quickly checked into our first hotel and scurried up route 29 to meet my parents, godparents, and MOH and partner at V. Sattui to whet our appetite for the weekend and jump into some tastings.
Mrs. Octopus, Boston, MA/Pittsburgh, PAAge and Occupation: 25, Grad StudentFiance's Age and Occupation: 26, Graphics Operator for TV NewsEngagement Date: May 6th, 2009Wedding Date: September 2010Venue: Heinz Chapel Ceremony, Museum Reception
About Me: When my best friend dragged me to a toga party in our freshmen year of college, I was not expecting to meet my future husband; but seven years later, here we are. I'm a crazy-organized planner at heart, and I am a great lover of random trivia, books, chocolate, blogs, new and exciting adventures, mockumentary-style television, and anything heavily flavored with bright orange fake cheese powder. We're planning a festive and fun mini-destination wedding in the place where we met: fabulous Pittsburgh, PA! I can't wait to marry the man I love!
About a month after we got married, I shared with you all that my custom wedding band turned out significantly different than what I had imagined and wanted. I was hoping for a floral filigree band, something dainty and intricate. I got something, well, clunky.
Yeah, not gonna work.
Reading all of your comments on that post was really enlightening to me.
Mrs. Jam, ChicagoAge and Occupation: 25, Writer/Associate Wedding CoordinatorFiance's Age and Occupation: 25, Structural EngineerEngagement Date: December 23, 2009Wedding Date: June 2011Venue: Hunter’s Ridge, Princeton, ILAbout Me: I’m a penny-pinching cat lady getting ready to marry the frugal dog lover of my dreams. Our ideal Saturday morning includes rummaging around people’s junk at garage and estate sales followed by an afternoon date to our favorite café, where we only eat sandwiches that include the word “salad.” We actually love it so much, it’s sort of our unofficial wedding theme: Look at our delicious finds, eat homemade ham salad, and celebrate our love…barndance style. When we’re not obsessing over our love-fest shindig, we’re planning themed parties for our best friends and jamming to '90s music.
This may be the only time you’ll catch me saying this, but you know what? I think Abercrombie & Fitch really know what they’re doing. And specifically, I mean the smell of Fierce cologne as it assaults your olfactory glands as you walk by their store.
No matter what you buy from A&F, it smells like Fierce when you wear it. I even have an old A&F paper bag that I swear still reeks of Fierce years later. And then sometimes you’re out dancing with your girlfriends in a crowded bar, and all of a sudden, you smell it: someone is wearing FIERCE. That connection is instantly made.
Whether or not you judge that 30-year-old guy for still smelling like an Abercrombie employee is entirely up to you.
You know the old song and dance about smells: they bring back memories, make you think of other things, remind you of ex-boyfriends and the smell inside your friend’s first car. Personally, the smell of Candy Apple lotion from Bath & Body Works takes me back to high school…secretly, I have a small bottle stashed away so I can sniff it when I’m feeling really nostalgic. Weird?
Mrs. Canary, New YorkAge and Occupation: 24, MarketingFiance's Age and Occupation: 25, Journalist/EditorEngagement Date: February 16, 2007Wedding Date: July, 2008Blogging Since: October 19, 2007Venue: Pier Sixty, Chelsea PiersAbout Me: I'm a born and raised New Yorker who loves all things crafty and artsy, food (cheese and dessert!), magazines, and shoes. I'm a power shopper always on the lookout for good deals or great quality-- sometimes I'm lucky and I find both! I love to dance and "shake what my momma gave me" but can also really enjoy a quiet night in with Mr. Canary and a good episode of Seinfeld or curl up with a good book.
All photos courtesy of the amazing Angelica Glass, unless otherwise noted. Please note that the photos have only been color-corrected and not fully retouched.
And before the official end of the Canary wedding saga, here’s a repository for details from our wedding that I couldn’t quite find a home for but I loved so much and wanted to share anyway.
Place Card Table
This was one of the items on the floral list that we had considered cutting, but after seeing it in person, I’m so glad we kept!
Our florist made the cavernous entrance inviting with tall centerpieces of branches and flowers and sprinkled river rocks on the table to add to the organic texture.
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!
See, Mr. Giraffe graduates today. Main main squeeze will finally have his B.M.E and be able to teach music and be a real boy and all those such things. Read more…
Mrs. Pancakes, New York/Costa RicaAge and Occupation: 26, Law School StudentFiance's Age and Occupation: 27, Latin American Policy AnalystEngagement Date: March 12, 2010Wedding Date: May 2011Venue: Casa Punto de VistaAbout Me: I’m a perfectionist with a big heart. I love a good laugh and firmly believe no one has ever regretted being prepared! My motto is “go big or go home.” I am incapable of doing anything in moderation, especially when it comes to shopping, TV, food and travel, and some would say wedding planning! The other half of this nearlywed team is a laid-back, adventure-loving, accident prone, sweetie from LA. He makes me laugh, is always down for an impromptu dance party, and totally indulges most of my hare-brained schemes. Now, in my final year of law school, we’ll be spending the spring abroad in Amsterdam and planning a DIY, whimsical, detail-filled destination wedding in Costa Rica!
Once Mr. Pancakes and I decided that we didn’t want a resort wedding, it became clear that we would need a wedding planner. I think there are a lot of reasons to get a wedding planner:
if you can’t/don’t want to plan
if you don’t know the area where you are getting married
if you don’t know the language of the area where you are getting married
if you don’t have people to help you in the planning process
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!
Here’s part 3 of our bee ornament exchange! The blogging bees have been participating in a Secret Santa where we exchange ornaments or objects in our fellow bees’ likenesses, with a budget of $15 or less. Check ’em out!
Mrs. French Toast, Pleasanton, CAAge and Occupation: 29, Marketing & PRFiance's Age and Occupation: IT geek by day, self-proclaimed handyman by nightEngagement Date: October 2009Wedding Date: March 2011Venue: Palm Event CenterAbout Me: I’m a city girl at heart who moved to the suburbs a year ago. Now I’m adjusting to life with a front lawn, nosy neighbors, cooking attempts, and making sure the garbage pail is pulled out on time every week! When I’m not traveling, Mr. FT and I enjoy marathon sessions of Law & Order: SVU, snowboarding, photography, spoiling our 3-year old yorkie-poodle Mokka and disagreeing over what music to listen to in the car. We’re planning a small winery wedding while incorporating some cultural elements into the day as a nod to our Chinese backgrounds.
*Chaaa-ching! The sound of coins dropping into your purse*
There is a Chinese proverb that says, “putting money in your pocket,” which translates to “injecting some wisdom into you.” And today, I’m going to do that, quite literally.
All-Inclusion Invitation Suites
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