Mrs. Starfish, Boston/NewportAge and Occupation: 25, Operations AssistantFiance's Age and Occupation: 25, SalesEngagement Date: October 8, 2008Wedding Date: October 2010Venue: The Atlantic Beach ClubAbout Me: I'm a perfectionist who is a planner at heart. I don't do well with surprises. I love planning, crafting, Newport RI, family and friends, and most importantly, Mr. Starfish---all of which will be big components in our October wedding in our favorite little city by the sea.
One area we really splurged on was the OOT bags. We loved our guests for traveling to be with us and we know Newport isn’t the most cost-friendly location. We really wanted to let them know we appreciated their time, love, and support. 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!
On the playground was where I spent most of my days
Chillin’ out, maxin, relaxin’ all cool
And all shooting some b-ball outside of the school
Truth be told I was really raised in a suburb a good 26 miles outside of Philly, but we all know it’s easier to just say the largest “big city”. Now that I have Fresh Prince playing in your head, join me as I reminisce about my Philly childhood.
In 2008 Mama elephant’s family reunion was back in her hometown in New Jersey, and Mr. E came along for his first meeting of my crazy, awesome extended family. We all flew out a couple days early so we could experience Philly before heading to Jersey. 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!
Another Christmas has come and gone…I say it every year, but seriously—how fast does time seem to be disappearing? I hope your holiday season was filed with sunshine and rainbows, and that you got to spend it with loved ones. Mr. Jaguar and I used our time spent with family this year to try and nut out some more wedding related details; some being fun to chat about, and some being just plain awkward.
You see, the next big task that we’ve turned our attention towards is the guest list: tricky at the best of times, but no more so than when it comes to family. One of the first things we promised ourselves when we started seriously planning the wedding was that we would be as consistent as we possibly could—meaning that whatever decision we made for one side of the family, we would try and follow through with the other. Sometimes though, that is easier said than done. We’ve learned the hard way that you just can’t please everyone.
If I had to sum up my expression here, I would go with this: “I’m trying to be a super efficient wedding planner that doesn’t step on anyone’s toes, but in actual fact I’m living in my parents’ old bedroom and I can’t find any of my socks, so eh, what can you do?’
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!
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.
I’m talking about the maternal-instincts button. You know, the one that’s built inside all of us and somehow miraculously turns on at some point in life when you’ve settled down, feel that partying is only for the youngins, when a glass of wine tastes way better than a Slurpee from 7-11, and finally—when you travel and jet lag kicks in…it REALLY kicks in. Read more…
Mrs. Jellyfish, Pleasanton, CAAge and Occupation: 27, Law StudentFiance's Age and Occupation: 26, Air Force PilotEngagement Date: February 21, 2009Wedding Date: September 2010Venue: Casa Real at Ruby Hill WineryAbout Me: In a nutshell, I’m the most optimistic worrywart you’ll ever meet. My family emigrated from Romania to San Jose, CA when I was 8, and I've been a Nor Cal girl ever since! My fiancé is also a Bay Area native, so it’s funny that we met at UCLA, as college freshmen living on the same floor (go Bruins!). Between his career as an Air Force pilot and my path to becoming a lawyer, our relationship has been anything but typical. We currently live together in Berkeley with our puppy Stinson. In addition to spending time with the loves of my life, I enjoy crafting, attempting complicated recipes, environmental law and non-law school reading (Us Weekly, anyone?). Follow along as I plan an elegant 200-person winery wedding, graduate law school, take the Bar exam, get married and get used to the always unpredictable but never boring life of a military spouse!
After sneaking back to my room around 7:30 AM, I managed to get a just few more minutes of shut-eye before our awesome hair and makeup team, Exquisite Faces, arrived at 8. My bridesmaids joined me in the bridal suite and we chatted, read gossip magazines, and snacked on breakfast foods while they all got their hair done.
I shamelessly copied the design of this sign from our very own Mrs. Coconut—right down to the stickers. What can I say? Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery?
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.
While I do enjoy sweets from time to time, I’m usually much more of a salty/savory type of gal. Nine times out of ten, I’ll choose nachos or chili fries over pie or custard.
But lately, I can’t get sweets out of my mind. Maybe it’s because I’ve been on Weight Watchers and haven’t really indulged in several months. Maybe it’s because, this holiday season, I can’t turn around without someone shoving a plate of cookies under my nose. Whatever the reason, although I’m using all of my willpower to resist them, I can’t stop thinking about dessert.
So I’m channeling my dessert cravings into something more productive, by choosing which sweet things I’d like to incorporate into the wedding. Mr. S isn’t into sweets at all, so he’s left this decision completely up to me.
I’ve mentioned before that Bridesmaid J is studying to be a pastry chef and will be making the dessert buffet for the wedding. The cool thing about this, besides getting to work with an awesome friendor, is that we can choose whatever we want, and J will make it!
Honestly, I’m not too concerned with what type of desserts that she makes, and I’m going to give her free rein on a lot of the decisions. But there are some flavors that I’m really into, and I’ve asked J to incorporate them into the dessert buffet. 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.
First of all, Merry belated Christmas to everyone who celebrates it! Hope you all had a lovely holiday full of food, family, presents, or whatever else makes you happy.
OK, moving on. I’ve had quite the issues with picking shoes. I’m still six months away from the wedding and three months away from my first fitting, so there’s no rush to pick shoes, but I’m impatient, so I did it anyway.
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. LOVE. PAPER. Seriously. Paper products are somewhat of an obsession of mine. Notepads, stationary, and all kinds of paper embellishments are always at the top of my Christmas list. We Atlantans are fortunate enough to have a Paper Source here and, well, they know me. Every time I walk in, some employee says, “You again? But you were just here!” Much like this:
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!
“I do have a venue,” said the bride-to-be. “I know I do. I have to find it. I will. I WILL!”
“There she is!” she said. “There is my venue!” She ran up to it.
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 don’t know when the ring-bowl thing started, but I kind of think it’s adorable. I keep telling Mr. Pancakes that it’s SOO practical even though neither of us takes our rings off before bed. (Yes, Mr. Pancakes has a psuedo- engagement ring of his own.)
Back to the point, it seems like Paloma’s Nest has monopolized the market, and their tasty little treasures don’t come cheap! Now they’ve teamed up with my very favorite calligraphers MMInk to come up with these lovely ring bowls:
WhitneyWalter makes a grand exit from her wedding in an old car!
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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.
