Mrs. Eggs Benedict, SeattleAge and Occupation: 29, AttorneyFiance's Age and Occupation: 35, AttorneyEngagement Date: December 5, 2009Wedding Date: February 2011Venue: IslandWoodAbout Me: I'm a Northwest girl who spends my time goofing around with Mr. Eggs Benedict and our dog, hiking, traveling, drinking wine and planning a wedding that will showcase the best of what the Pacific Northwest has to offer. I also love photography, beating Mr. Eggs Bene at Mario Kart, and watching the most ridiculous natural disaster flicks you can think of (seriously, how can you deny the awesomeness that is The Core or 2012?? That's right, you can't). We are planning our weekend wedding adventure at an environmental educational center, and I can't wait for the fun to begin!
I have a confession to make. And I sometimes wonder when I say this out loud if it means I have to turn in my bride card somewhere. Are you ready? Here it is.
I don’t want a diamond wedding band. In fact, I’m not sure how much I even like diamonds sometimes.
Now don’t get me wrong—I like some diamonds. I love the three stones I own: my engagement ring from Mr. EB and a pair of diamond studs that my parents gave me when I turned 21. But honestly? I’ve never wanted a diamond wedding band, just a plain metal wedding band. One reason is because I prefer simpler jewelry in general. But the bigger reason is because Mr. EB and I want to have matching metal bands.
Mrs. Bacon, ChicagoAge and Occupation: 26, Digital Advertising ManagerFiance's Age and Occupation: 25, IT Client ServicesEngagement Date: June 17, 2010Wedding Date: September 2011Venue: Ravenswood Billboard FactoryAbout Me: I'm a Midwestern girl that can't seem to commit to staying in one place for too long and is constantly daydreaming about my next adventure. I am an aspiring foodie with a weak spot for the unusual and I love semi-reality food television. My other loves easily include laughing as a form of exercise, a book that I can't put down, summer baseball games, espresso with whipped cream, couch potato days and nights with the ridiculous Mr. Bacon, and our two kitties, Lincoln and Sawyer. We're planning a faux-destination wedding for 150 of our closest friends and family in the city we've both adopted as home that has a modern, yet whimsical twist and as many personal touches as we can manage.
With over a year before the wedding, I found out about a little sale called the Running of the Brides that Filene’s Basement hosts once a year at locations across the city, and Chicago is on that list. They bring in hundreds of wedding dresses to the major locations of Filene’s in the city and sell them for $249, $449, and $699 (the most expsensive being couture gowns by Priscilla of Boston, Lazaro, etc.). But the whole shebang is first come first served, and you need to know what you’re looking for going in. First step was assembling a group of girls to go with me, so I rallied the troops and enlisted all the Chicago girls I knew. Next was doing some pre-shopping so that I could figure out what I really wanted my dress to look like.
Mrs. Lox, BaltimoreAge and Occupation: 33, Government WorkerFiance's Age and Occupation: 35. IT ConsultantEngagement Date: May 8, 2010Wedding Date: May 2011Venue: Vandiver InnAbout Me: I’m an East Coast gal born and bred and a suburban brat turned city rat for the last year. Now Mr. Lox and I enjoy walking all kinds of places, having the coolest things around in our backyard, and especially our garage parking. I love gadgets, toys, Ben & Jerry’s Chubby Hubby ice cream, monkeys, and our insane cats. I’m a blonde by birth and a redhead by choice. I’m that girl in the cubicle farm with all the cool toys and the file cabinet covered in magnetic poetry. I still use smiley faces in my emails, whether people like it or not. This is not the first rodeo for Mr. Lox nor me. And together, we are planning an intimate afternoon wedding on a budget we can afford by ourselves.
This is a story about my STDs. (And for reals, am I the only blogger who can’t type that without snickering? Because I do. Every. Single Time. STD STD STD! *snort*) However, before we get to that, it is a story about my very first Etsy Alchemy request.
I had it in my mind that I wanted a monogram for our wedding. But, as you may have already ascertained, I am not an artsy type. I do not do graphic design. In fact, until just the other night I didn’t even know we had a working color printer in the house. (OK, OK. That one is Mr. Lox’s fault. But it’s true.) So in order to get a monogram I had to beg someone to make it for me. And then bribe them for it. With cash. Clearly Etsy’s Alchemy was the answer. I had also noticed that a certain theme had emerged in some of the items I have already ordered. As I am not one to fight with destiny, I hopped on the theme train and ordered up a custom monogram that follows the theme. Having said that, I now introduce our custom monogram!
Ms Seahorse, BostonAge and Occupation: 25, Veterinary Jane-of-all-tradesFiancee's Age and Occupation: 36, former non-profit fundraiser in search of something betterEngagement Date: October 17, 2009Wedding Date: September 2010Venue: Fort Pond LodgeAbout Me: By day I'm a cat-wrangler, vet tech assistant, pet-sitter, receptionist, and pre-vet student, but the rest of the time, I'm a former-roller-derby girl turned dedicated-wedding planner. I love reading, writing, bicycles, animals, roller skating, and antique-y things of all sorts. I'm a vegetarian who likes spicy foods, while Fiancee Seahorse is a meat eater who does not like spices. We live outside Boston with our menagerie: a fifty pound dog, a one-eyed, seventeen-toed, toothless cat, and a perfectly put together cat who has a penchant for pooping near rather than in her litter box. In addition to planning our small lake-side wedding, we enjoy running around with the puppy, playing board games (Scrabble, anyone?), having little adventures, talking about how we should really clean the house more, and maintaining our little garden of vegetables and wedding flowers.
Our vows were something of a production in the making. We originally thought we would write them together, but that ended in both of us snapping at each other and one of us walking away (um, that one might have been me. Might have been.). We eventually decided that we would write them on our own and then compare…and that evolved into “Our vows are a secret to be revealed on our wedding day! And also it’s a contest—most tears elicited wins!”
The contest part was mostly a joke.
We both spent a lot of time scouring the internet for inspiration, and sharing a lot of the inspiration we found. While we did look at a lot of people’s vows to each other, the ones we came up with were ours, and because of the sacredness of them, I am not going to share them all here. But! I will share some of them.
“Fancee, 11 months ago, after you finally agreed to marry me, I sat down outside and thought about what this would mean, and here is some of what I wrote: Read more…
Miss Oatmeal, Fresno, CAAge and Occupation: 25, Medical Device Sales RepresentativeFiance's Age and Occupation: 28, Police Officer/Captain in the US ArmyEngagement Date: February 16, 2010Wedding Date: May 2011Venue: Private Residence, FresnoAbout Me: I am a toast-loving, list-making, occasionally crazy California girl getting dangerously close to marrying her crime-fighting, patient, man's man fiancé. I’ve never left our hometown of Clovis, CA, I love Anthropologie so much it almost hurts, appreciate promptness, love that our 4lb. Chihuahua, Murphy, smells like Fritos, am irritated by windshield wipers that move too fast for the amount of rain, love me some cold weather, have an unhealthy obsession with boots, and wholeheartedly think that my family is everything. Mr. Oatmeal is, oddly enough, my brother's best friend. He's also the best thing that's ever happened to me, and together we are planning a vintage chic, backyard, spring wedding with a few nontraditional touches while trying to keep up with our crazy lives.
I wrote a little while back about cake toppers, and it seems that I wasn’t the only one pondering what we were going to put on top of our cake.
Let me give you some background information here. Our good friends, Bridesmaid K and Groomsman N, are both in our wedding party. They’ve been married for over five years and have two of the most precious little twins I’ve ever seen. They are truly our closest friends as a couple. We love them, spend all sorts of time with them, and we’re going to live 0.2 miles away from them when we move into our house. We couldn’t be happier about these two.
With that said, this groomsman likes to joke around quite a bit. He’d been saying (for months, mind you) that he had a gift for Mr. Oatmeal that he just couldn’t wait to give him. So the other day we were hanging out at their house, when he hands Mr. Oats a gift. Upon opening said gift, this is revealed.
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!
My STDs were designed and printed in Stamford, Connecticut. I took the Metro North up to Stamford and met with my bridesmaid LA. Immediately, LA got to work in her home office. (She does this for a living!)
This is me giving her a thumbs up! I was pretty useless. At some point I have so many ideas that I become indecisive, so I just provide general statements of approval.
Mrs. Rainbow, TampaAge and Occupation: 22, Makeup ArtistFiance's Age and Occupation: 25, Electrical Engineer/ProgrammerEngagement Date: November 27, 2008Wedding Date: May 2010Venue: The Gamble PlantationAbout Me: I'm a quirky (and slightly Type-A) freelance makeup artist who was born in Washington State, raised in Alabama, and now living with my one and only in sunny Florida. I'm fashion and beauty obsessed, and have recently discovered my inner domestic diva extraordinaire. I'm a wannabe chef, decorating addict, and trying desperately to be as crafty as possible---albeit only with a glue gun. I'm hopelessly in love with my fiance, and all things sparkly and feathery. Despite the glittery exterior, I'm a total hippie on the inside. When I'm not making up pretty faces, I love doing what I can to help people, animals, and the environment. Someday the FI and I will change the world, but first we're tackling our modern-vintage-Marie-Antoinette-meets-Alice-in-Wonderland inspired wedding. I just can't wait to be Mrs. Rainbow!
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.
So remember, way back in the day, when I warbled on and on (and on) about how we weren’t going to DIY our invitations because that was just too much stress and too much time, and too much this and that?
Well, um, I have something to say to you guys, face-to-face, looking you right in the eyes. We’re DIY-ing our invites. DIY up to a certain point, though. One of the reasons I thought starting from scratch would be too hard was it was a totally blank slate. At that point, you have all the options in the world. They could be 5×7 or 4×4 or 12×20 or 4×9 or ANY NUMBERS we could choose. That’s hard, for someone who can waffle as much as I do! Not only size of invite, but then size of RSVP card! Size of insert! Then there is the envelope colour! Pocket fold, or belly band, or twine, or something else!
That is a whole lot of decisions, and I didn’t even touch on design or wording. Ack. But, there was nothing 100% awesome and us out there, so we decided to go the sorta-DIY route.
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!
Mama Elephant and I have been shopping a couple of times (some of the contenders were shown here) with no luck on finding the one. That is not the case after last weekend…winner, winner, chicken dinner! (Bonus points for anyone that can name the two movies that quote was used in.)
My mom was looking for a dress with color (preferably blue, but she was open to other colors except red) and some bling, so we headed out with the intentions of hitting up a couple of stores suggested by our planner for a stylish MOB dress. Before checking out those suggestions, we headed to the bridal store where I purchased my dress, as well as ordered all four of our bridesmaids’ dresses (side note: those dresses just came in and I can’t wait to see what they look like on my friends). Little did we know that it was going to be a one-stop-shop type of day!
The first dress was a pretty shade of blue, but had no bling. We thought we could add a beaded belt, but after putting it on, we knew a belt probably would not look right.
Mrs. Dolphin, Gainesville, FLAge and Occupation: 24, Graduate Architecture StudentFiance's Age and Occupation: 24, Interactive Interface DeveloperEngagement Date: February 14, 2008Wedding Date: May 2010Venue: Plantation Bay Country ClubAbout Me: I’m currently a Graduate Student at the University of Florida studying Architecture. I enjoy playing Scrabble with my Fiance, rooting for the Florida Gators, making any drink that involves a blender, cleaning (yes... I’m crazy), design... GOOD design that is, the new Pepsi with natural sugar, taking pictures, discovering new places in the U.S., and obsessing over doing (and designing) everything myself for our upcoming wedding!
Sometimes I don’t know why I try and finish recapping our wedding. Then I came across the video footage below, and I remembered why. I’m going to jump around on my recaps, because…well…they’re my recaps and I’ll do as I want.
Anyways, back to why I’m here today. Leading up to our wedding, Mr. Dolphin knew he wanted to honor his Mema and Papa with a dance of their own (as they will be celebrating their 50th wedding anniversary this year and have done so much for Mr. Dolphin growing up and now). So we told the DJ to play “their” song,The Twelfth of Never by Johnny Mathis, during our reception, as a surprise for them.
I love how Mr. D’s Papa is singing the song to Mema in her ear while they dance. Read more…
Mrs. Eggs Benedict, SeattleAge and Occupation: 29, AttorneyFiance's Age and Occupation: 35, AttorneyEngagement Date: December 5, 2009Wedding Date: February 2011Venue: IslandWoodAbout Me: I'm a Northwest girl who spends my time goofing around with Mr. Eggs Benedict and our dog, hiking, traveling, drinking wine and planning a wedding that will showcase the best of what the Pacific Northwest has to offer. I also love photography, beating Mr. Eggs Bene at Mario Kart, and watching the most ridiculous natural disaster flicks you can think of (seriously, how can you deny the awesomeness that is The Core or 2012?? That's right, you can't). We are planning our weekend wedding adventure at an environmental educational center, and I can't wait for the fun to begin!
I haven’t really talked about why we decided to get married in February. It’s actually pretty simple—both of us knew right away that we didn’t want to get married in the summer. Mr. EB hates the heat; his perfect days are those where there’s some cloud cover and it’s 75 degrees out with a bit of a breeze. I prefer it a bit warmer than that, but would hate to end up with a 95-degree wedding day. (That can definitely happen in the summer in the Northwest—of course, you can also just as easily end up with 65 degrees and raining. It really is a total crapshoot what you’ll end up with.) Also, no one I knew had gotten married in the winter, and I loved the idea of doing something a bit different. Plus, growing up I always told my mom that I was going to have a winter wedding. She didn’t really believe me until we were sitting down with the venue coordinator trying to pick a date.
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!
My sassy friend/wedding planner Magic Alie and I were discussing the Waffle wedding and some other weddings she is currently handling when the topic of overbearing and opinionated mothers, mother-in-laws and bridesmaids came up. You know the type. The ones who insist on making decisions for your wedding. The ones you don’t want to upset by saying “NO” to their requests of inviting all of their dear friends you’ve never met to your wedding. They may also be the ones insisting it’s not a real wedding without x, y, or z. Most brides have an encounter with someone of this persuasion at least once on their journey to the altar and Magic Alie’s advice is this…
“They get to have three, and only three, things that are important to them for the wedding and that’s it. If you don’t have the guts to tell them they can only have three things, then you might as well go get yourself a bottle of vodka.” Read more…
Mrs. Lace, Pasadena, CAAge and Occupation: 29, Elementary school teacherFiance's Age and Occupation: 29, EngineerEngagement Date: September 6, 2009Wedding Date: June 2010Venue: Orange County Performing Arts CenterAbout Me: Born and raised in Southern California, my fiance and I are marrying in Orange County. We're planning a vintage wedding with a modern twist. I am an elementary school teacher by day and a wedding planner by night. I love reading, blogging, scrapbooking, trying out new DIY projects, buying awesome finds at incredible deals and spending time with friends and family. Trying new restaurants, traveling and shopping also top my hobby list. I'm anxious to share my wedding ideas and planning with the hive!
…*blush* sorry…I know, it’s been a long time. Between the holiday program at our school, the holiday season, and SIL Lace getting married, I haven’t had time to sit down and blog! But, thank goodness for a chance to breathe with the MLK holiday!
So, let’s see, where did we leave off? Oh yes, the wedding reception! We had planned to have the traditional best man and maid of honor speeches, but my brother asked if he could give a toast when I told him I was engaged and of course, I said yes. Then, bridesmaid M, who introduced Mr. Lace and I way back in 2000, surprised us with toasts.
So, here are a few snippets—the laughs, the tears, and everything in between!
Mrs. Bacon, ChicagoAge and Occupation: 26, Digital Advertising ManagerFiance's Age and Occupation: 25, IT Client ServicesEngagement Date: June 17, 2010Wedding Date: September 2011Venue: Ravenswood Billboard FactoryAbout Me: I'm a Midwestern girl that can't seem to commit to staying in one place for too long and is constantly daydreaming about my next adventure. I am an aspiring foodie with a weak spot for the unusual and I love semi-reality food television. My other loves easily include laughing as a form of exercise, a book that I can't put down, summer baseball games, espresso with whipped cream, couch potato days and nights with the ridiculous Mr. Bacon, and our two kitties, Lincoln and Sawyer. We're planning a faux-destination wedding for 150 of our closest friends and family in the city we've both adopted as home that has a modern, yet whimsical twist and as many personal touches as we can manage.
I’ve known for years who was going to be in my bridal party. How to ask these fine ladies to join me on my wedding day? Now, that’s a whole different story. I had to resist the urge to just blurt it out on the phone hours after getting a ring on my finger, since I knew I wanted them each to get something a little special to hold on to. First I wanted to send little photo books that chronicled our friendships, but I realized that I’d never be able to get any pictures of Lainey (MOH Bacon) and me from our freshman homecoming or from our senior prom before I went home for the holidays, so it was back to the drawing board.
After some quick brainstorming, I tried going down the “check out how bad your dress could be” route by Photoshopping their faces on the most hideous bridesmaids’ dresses I could find online, but somehow that didn’t fit the vibe I was going for…
