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!
I’m no stranger to makeup. I’ve danced my whole life and, as Mrs. Barrettes will tell you, that can give you lots of practice with faux lashes! My stage make-up skills carried over to everyday makeup, which my college roommates were pretty psyched about. I was always happy to paint their eyelids for a night out on the town. I feel pretty comfortable with a brush and some shadow, but put a pair of tweezers in my hands and I simply have no idea what to do.
I’m what I like to call “eyebrow illiterate.” Ever since I was about 16, I’ve plucked about two hairs between my eyebrows, and another two hairs underneath each one. Fortunately, my eyebrows aren’t too unruly naturally. But this minimal maintenance has left me with no shape, no arch. Allow me to show you an example:
Mrs. Lovebird, New York/CancunAge and Occupation: 25, AttorneyFiance's Age and Occupation: 25, Medical StudentEngagement Date: September 22, 2006Wedding Date: July, 2008Venue: Dreams Cancun Resort & SpaAbout Me: Born and raised New Yorker planning a destination wedding in Cancun, Mexico. Got proposed to in Cancun, so it’s only fitting we are going back to get married. I love trivia, board games, bargain shopping, asian dramas and eating yummy food!
WWD asked a bunch of designers to submit their sketches for what they would dress Kate Middleton in, for what will no doubt will be the wedding of the century. Here’s what they came up with. For some reason, I can totally see her in the Valentino and Gucci, but it might be because the sketches are drawn with someone close to her likeness?
“We designed a ‘blossoming’ dress because we imagined her as a new Botticellian Venus.” - Maria Grazia Chiuri and Pier Paolo Piccioli, Valentino 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!
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. 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’ve always thought of myself as independent and happy to be. I wanted to WANT a partner, never NEED one. People use the word “co-dependent” with a sneer when they’re mad that their friend showed up for dinner with her (uninvited) significant other. I never wanted to be that person, so I consciously stayed independent. I’m not irresponsible or selfish about my independence, and it’s not that I’m unwilling to compromise or “settle down.” I just know myself very, very well after years of trying to understand what works for my delicate emotional balance.
I am someone who needs alone time, and I get very moody without it. I am someone who needs space to wander around the city by myself for a day, to go on a week-long roadtrip with my friends, to have lunch with an ex I’m still friends with. I need to be allowed time to read a whole book in one sitting, and I need to close my door on a Wednesday night and talk to my best friend for an hour.
I could not be with someone, long-term, who did not allow me this freedom. I would feel squelched, like I had no room to be myself, and I think I would run. Another way of looking at it is this: I am very, very good at articulating what I’m feeling, what I need, and I need a partner who can do the same. Fortunately for me, there are some days when I swear God himself slipped Mr. PD an owner’s manual: Operation Instructions for Dating a Crazy Lady. He loves me for it, even, that heaven-sent fool. 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!
Funny thing about our first dance song: I was originally introduced to it by my college roommate freshman year. She was in love with “Good Morning Beautiful” by Steve Holy, and I heard it more than a handful of times in our dorm room. The more I listened to it, the more it stuck in my head so I went ahead and downloaded it. Take a listen!
As you may remember, Mr E and I met on match.com. We emailed back and forth for about a month and a half before our first date, and due to distance and his crazy school/work schedule there were numerous text messages during the week between dates.
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!
I am pretty much gung-ho, woohoo, and all that jazz about everything pertaining to the wedding except for the invitations. The excitement and inspiration is just…not there. It’s kinda bumming me out. I asked Waffle if he had any thoughts on the matter.
“Can’t we just do an e-vite or a Facebook invite?”
Sorry, Mr. W. That’s just not an option in my book.
I have scoured the Internet and looked in wedding magazines, but nothing is really standing out. There is a lot of gorgeous stuff out there, and nothing feels right to me. What is wrong with me? I love paper! I love cards and invitations! Read more…
Mrs. Cardigan, AustinAge and Occupation: 21, Student/Soon-to-be Special Education TeacherFiance's Age and Occupation: 20, Student/Soon-to-be Accounting Systems AnalystEngagement Date: August 16, 2009Wedding Date: January 2011Venue: Vintage VillasAbout Me: I'm a native Austinite who was raised as a die-hard Aggie. Luckily, I'm a pretty persuasive girl because I managed to convince my high school boyfriend (now fiance!), Mr. Cardigan, to ditch his hardcore Longhorn ways and join me up at A&M, where we currently reside with our adorable dogs, Cullen & Ranger. We're currently planning a bright, cheery wedding with a ridiculous amount of DIY projects that I can't wait to tackle! I love crafting in any form, reading, and margaritas (I think I love them the most!). Organization is what keeps me sane and I love helping others, which is probably why I ended up as an education major. It gets a little chaotic sometimes when you're planning a wedding among all of the papers, projects, finals, and certification exams, but we're having the time of our lives and we can't wait to get started on our journey as husband and wife - and we're so excited to share our wedding with the hive!
As far as bachelorette parties go, mine was pretty tame. There was no penis-related apparel, no silly games, and not even very many drinks. It was exactly what I wanted.
After the shower was over at Sister Cardy’s house, we were all ready to go let loose and have some fun. We all packed up what we wanted to bring and headed out for some pre-party shopping. Because, who doesn’t love shopping? Plus, it was a great way to work off some of the copious amounts of food we had consumed at the shower.
After shopping, we headed over to Sister Cardy’s friend Sarah’s house to get ready. We blasted music, danced around, and got beautiful.
Mrs. Plaid, AustinAge and Occupation: 26, Pastry ChefFiance's Age and Occupation: 34, Cabinetry CarpenterEngagement Date: August 8, 2009Wedding Date: October 2010Venue: Kindred Oaks, GeorgetownAbout Me: I am a Jersey girl born and raised but have since migrated to Texas and embraced its twang and Tex-Mex. I could probably eat chips and queso every day but instead I eat popcorn. I use the word “awesome” way too much but I just can’t seem to stop myself. I am addicted to all things DIY and am planning what I call a Texas-Chic wedding. I love snuggling with my two adorable dogs and of course, my adorable fiance. I can’t wait 'til I can call him my husband some day! October 2010, here we come!
The morning of the wedding I woke feeling at peace with the world. I know most brides wake up excited or wake up nervous. I felt neither of those emotions—just peaceful. I don’t know if it had really sank in yet that I was getting married that day. This is where the day starts to become a blur.
I hopped in the shower and then my sister and I finished organizing everything that needed to be moved to the venue. We waited for the rest of the girls to arrive so we could head to the salon to get our hair and makeup done.
My awesome Co-MOH, Leesa, offered to pick up breakfast tacos (yep that’s right, two days in a row!) for everyone and she brought the fixings for mimosas, too!
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.
So, the secret’s out: I’m a writer, and I have a day job. While it sure beats the long unemployment line, sometimes the subject material can be a bit bland.
Can you guess what I focus my writing on? Insurance. Most companies are just like the next, save for a few cute pet-insurance sites with testimonials that tug at your heartstrings, and random insurance such as alien-abduction coverage. (Yes, it really exists.)
But one type of insurance really just kind of called out to my bride-to-be self: WEDDING INSURANCE. I had never considered it, but it’s available to us engaged folk to purchase or pass on. So what exactly does it insure?
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.
When I was still in “English-rustic-country-picnic” mode, and not yet in “book decor” mode, I thought a lot about Mason jars. I have a few old ones around the house that may still make it into the wedding, but our decor focus is going to be more on the books now that we’ve found a theme we both like. I don’t want all my Mason jar Etsy finds to go to waste, though, so I’m going to share them! You could do a whole canning-jar-themed wedding with these guys!
Mrs. Husky, DenverAge and Occupation: 26, Systems AdministratorFiance's Age and Occupation: 32, Mechanical Engineer, recently laid offEngagement Date: August 14, 2009Wedding Date: October 2010Venue: Rancho San CarlosAbout Me: I am planning a quirky-crafty wedding with my recently out-of-work fiancé for a (fingers crossed!) warm October afternoon. We are two self-professed nerds with an affinity for all things outdoors---be it rain, snow or shine. Recently relocated from the drizzly Northwest, we're enjoying the many sun-soaked days in the mile high city. Our day will be filled with both of our large families and friends, a self-served Cajun feast, and a Zydeco-style jazz band rocking beneath the beams of a historic red barn.
The time had come for our Wine Box Ceremony. Officiant/FIL Husky introduced the concept:
Mr. Husky and Miss Husky are very thoughtful and serious about marriage. Mr. Husky told me “They weren’t all good times. I am under no illusion that our relationship will always be easy, but I know that it will always be worth it. We had one particular rough patch that ended with our first trip to Austin. It was during that trip that I realized Miss Husky was the one for me, but it took me another 3 years to propose.
Mrs. Espresso, Corona/Big BearAge and Occupation: 23, Community Services SpecialistFiance's Age and Occupation: 22, Maintenance TechnicianEngagement Date: December 21, 2007Wedding Date: October, 2008Blogging Since: June 25, 2008Venue: Outside a rustic b&b in Big Bear LakeAbout Me: I'm a lover of all things good: coffee, music, travel, rain, and of course- my handsome fiance! I'm a full believer in the "Life is Short," mantra - and therefore, eat lots of dark chocolate. I'm a Geographer by degree and nerd by choice. I cook to the sound of French and Portuguese music even though I speak neither. I love road trips, camping, hiking, and capturing life through the lens of my camera. Take me to Anthropologie and I may never leave. I'm a sucker for pretty packaging, bargain finds, and old movies. Mr. Espresso and I are high school sweethearts and I am so blessed to be this amazing man's future wife.
I was going to choose one of my recaps as my favorite post but when I couldn’t decide between a couple, I decided to dig further in my post history—and that’s when I re-stumbled upon Relationship Day. I love our Relationship Day story—and since it’s almost the anniversary of that special and life changing day, I’d like to share it with the new members of the hive as well. Enjoy
~~~
Relationship Day is what we call the day Mr. Espresso proposed.
December 21, 2007:
After a long day of shuffling through crowds to finish our Christmas shopping, a spur of the moment date night was just what I needed. Thank goodness I had enough time for a hot shower to relax my tired, worn muscles… too many bags and a purse full of lists had taken a toll on my shoulders. Out of the shower and into some charcoal gray slacks and a slimming black sweater: my go to outfit when I need to look nice on the run. Make- up and a partial blow dry. I’m done.
“Baby it’s cold outside.”
So glad I picked up that cashmere scarf at the thrift store last week. Three dollars was such a steal! And the color- periwinkle blue- makes me love it even more. I add a black wool coat to the scarf and I’m ready to go.
The drive to Newport passed by in slow motion. Read more…
Mrs. Pin Cushion, Oakland, CAAge and Occupation: 25, Nurse Fiance's Age and Occupation: 26, PhD StudentEngagement Date: November 23, 2008Wedding Date: July 2010Venue: Radonich Ranch, Los GatosAbout Me: I'm the 3 Cs: crafty, creative and quirky (oh, that's not a C? Close enough!). I'm also a recycling fanatic, fluent in bad accents and I have the loudest laughter this side of the Mississippi. I have not just one sweet tooth, but a whole mouth full of sweet teeth. I cry at 97.4% of all movies I see, but my fiance's always there to hand me a tissue. My geek-chic fiance and I are planning a wedding full of color, cookies and handmade goodness and I can't wait to spill the beans on all of our crazy ideas!
Have you ever started looking through old photos with the intention of just perusing for a minute, then suddenly it’s 2 hours later and photos are covering the floor in a 5 foot radius around you? It happens to me every time. This last time, I was looking for high school photos for this here post, and found this gem:
I’ve been training for Weddingbee for years! 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!
After I bought my dressy-dress, I had one very important question for my bridal consultant: what kind of undies should I wear with this thing? She said I should wait for my fittings to see if I needed a bra, or if I should just have cups sewn into my dress. And then she suggested some kind of Spanx, just to make sure I’m as smooth as Bublé on the wedding day.
I have never worn Spanx before so I have a couple concerns. Do they work? Are they comfortable to wear all day? And, um, going to the bathroom…is there really a hole for that? Do you really use it? Read more…
All-Inclusion Invitation Suites
