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!
We arrived at the Children’s Museum with just enough time to enjoy a few appetizers, some whirlwind socializing, and, for me, a quick peek into the Grand Hall to see our reception set-up for the first time (Mr. Octo was more interested in having a gin and tonic with his buddies). Bridesmaid Katie put a cocktail in my hand within minutes of walking through the door, the reception looked fantastic, and I was in a great mood, finally relaxed and happy and ready to enjoy the party.
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!
Um…is it just me or did it take an EXTREMELY long time for the bacon icon to get snapped up??? Well, she’s finally here! Say hello to our newest bee, Miss Bacon!
Miss Bacon, Chicago
Age & Occupation: 26, Digital Advertising Manager Fiance’s Age & Occupation: 25, IT Client Services Engagement Date: June 17, 2010 Wedding Date: September 2011 Venue: Ravenswood Billboard Factory About 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.
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!
After our newlywed portraits and family portraits had been completed, it was time to schmooze. I turned to our make-shift bar to get the party started right when I came to a startling discovery.
“WHERE’S THE WINE?!?!”
My one bridezilla moment was when I realized no one had put out the wine. These people were trying to kill me!
My dad grabbed the wine that was chilling in buckets inside. We started out with one bottle of red and white at each table, and the guests could help themselves to hard alcohol, soft drinks, juice, and beer over by the food stations.
Meanwhile, the catering staff was passing out appetizers.
Mrs. Pashmina, NYC/Catalina Island, CAAge and Occupation: 28, Arts EducationFiance's Age and Occupation: 34, IT AdministratorEngagement Date: April 26th, 2009Wedding Date: July 2010Venue: Catalina Country Club, Catalina Island, CaliforniaAbout Me: I'm a laid-back Cali girl who moved to NYC for school, and ended up staying for love. My fiance is a quick-witted Jersey boy, a self-proclaimed Foodie and the funniest man I've ever met. Together we love exploring the city streets embarking on our next misadventure---and yes, this often involves eating off food carts and trying "the next big thing". I'm the girl in the sundress, snapping photos and collecting trinkets of memorabilia along the way. As a girly girl at heart, I am excited about our romantic natural island wedding incorporating our American & Filipino traditions.
My experience looking for wedding bands was very different than Mr. Pashmina’s. I knew what I wanted. In one word: Sparkles! My question was how to get it at a good price and with a comfortable fit. I never knew how girly and glamorous I could feel wearing a ring until Mr. Pashmina got me my engagement ring. Now I wanted more! 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!
I am not a particularly sweaty person by nature, but every now and then and often out of nowhere, I get a bad case of the sweats. I’m talking needing-to-blow-dry-your-underarms-with-a-hair-dryer sweats. It’s more likely to happen when I’m nervous or excited, but it can happen for no reason at all. I only get the crazy sweats a couple times a year, so normally it’s not a problem…but I really want to make sure that the wedding isn’t one of those times.
I recently bought this antiperspirant, which is supposed to keep your underarms dry for up to 72 hours! 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!
I have been thinking about/working on/putting together our invites for what seems like years! Piece by piece our DIY invitations have been building up in our guest room closet, until last week when we finally mailed those bad boys out.
We sent them out early in hopes that there is a chance to invite some of the B list after we receive “no” responses (most likely from out of state family members that don’t really travel, and I haven’t seen in over 15 years). Read more…
Mrs. Lobster, BrooklynAge and Occupation: 29, Finance GirlFiance's Age and Occupation: 33, Finance BoyEngagement Date: July 25, 2009Wedding Date: August 2010Venue: Stage 6 Steiner StudiosAbout Me: I'm a New York-born, Virginia-bred girl who's found her way back to the big city. Mr. Lobster and I met in grad school and have been together ever since. I'm clueless about DIY but am an avid online shopper and love all things polka dots, stripes, and ruffles! When I'm not making wedding lists, you can find me looking for snacks, watching Gilmore Girls, or hanging out with Mr. Lobster and our new puppy Buddy! We are planning a fancy-pantsy Brooklyn wedding for a hot New York summer night which is sure to be a misadventure in the making.
After knowing each other for four years, a year-long engagement, and months of planning, Mr. Lobster and I were finally tying the knot.
Father Mark officiated the ceremony. We had met him through Mr. Lobster’s parents and had gotten to know each other through pre-marital sessions. It was nice to have someone we considered a new friend to marry us. Read more…
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.
I know I should be thinking about the wedding and moving full speed into the final stage of our plans for that, but I can’t stop thinking about Costa Rica. I’m so so so excited for our trip and it’s all I can seem to concentrate on. Instead of buying things for the wedding, I’m buying things for the honeymoon!
Maybe I’m just excited about spring, too. I’m so over the cold! I’m definitely more of a sandals and skirts kind of girl anyway, and my spring wardrobe is way more advanced than my winter one! Nevertheless, I’m always itching to add more to it. For one week in Costa Rica, I’ll probably have at least 14 outfits! The nice thing about going someplace tropical is those clothes take up less space in your suitcase! Score!
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 was still in flannel. I promise I’ll be out of it by the end of this post, though!
Dad Socks came in after the guys were ready, and told me all about the tie fiasco. Read more…
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 I am going about this all backwards, but I’ve had such fun trawling Etsy that I can’t help but share! The short story (soon to be elaborated on in more posts!) is that I want some lounge furniture at the wedding. Lounge furniture needs pillows. I want them to be fun and mis-matched! I also want to keep them after the wedding, for our couches at home! Therefore, I must show you the cutest pillows I’ve found!
These pop-Britannia pillows have been in my favourites forever:
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!
We have our band, and I’m so excited! I really wasn’t sure what we were going to do if my friend moved away and they weren’t going to be able to play. I love going to see them whenever they’re playing in Seattle, and they always do a great job at getting people out on the dance floor. That and they have a nice mix of songs that includes current popular music as well as all those songs that you just want to belt out at the top of your lungs while dancing with all of your friends (and your new husband!).
As I was listening to Pandora the other day, “Sweet Caroline” came on the station and reminded me of some of my favorite songs to dance to at weddings, and I can’t wait until we’re dancing to these at our wedding. I have no idea how many of these Mr. EB will actually be on the dance floor for—he dances to keep me happy, not because he likes it—but my plan is to rock the dance floor as long as my feet hold out.
Here are just a few of the songs that I love to rock out to:
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!
In the days leading up to New Year’s Day, our wedding day, I was surprisingly calm. Looking back, even though there was a lot to be done, I think the fact that I kept crafting to a minimum really helped in maintaining my sanity. Keep this in mind, ambitious DIYers! Sometimes you just have to say “screw it” and let some projects fall to the wayside.
On the morning of New Year’s Eve, my mom’s side of the family came to help me run errands. We picked up the chairs, the cake, and bought flowers. I packaged macarons, made flower arrangements (including my bouquet), and made sure our apartment was somewhat photographer ready. In the afternoon, we had a quick rehearsal. All this on the day before our wedding. I’m not sure how I wasn’t frantic. Maybe it hadn’t hit me yet.
When night fell, Mr. Rainbow and I, along with the rest of the Rainbow clan went and rang in the New Year at a little waterfront restaurant across the street. When the countdown started, I specifically remember thinking, “In ten, nine, eight, seven seconds, today will be my wedding day.”
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.
As I’ve mentioned before, I will be attending a wedding this weekend. It’s the wedding of my oldest friend—he and I have been close for over twenty years, since we were just kids, and I am stoked!
This past weekend, I realized that we still needed to figure out a wedding gift for the happy couple. My friend and his fiancé didn’t register; there was no shower and they’ve been living together for years in a lovely home and have everything they need. So, obviously, a good thing to do would be to give the old standby: cash.
Mr. S and I almost always give cash as a wedding present, but it brings up an interesting (and perhaps taboo?) question—how much cash to give? 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.
Have I ever mentioned that I love the Food Network? Because I do. And while I like most of the shows/chefs on there, there’s always one that keeps me coming back for more.
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!
Mrs. Hamster recently explained the importance of numbering your response cards. Apparently it’s quite common for guests to send in their RSVP and simply forget to put their name on it. I’m sure we will have our fair share of RSVP errors, so if there’s something we can do on our end to minimize the number of mishaps, I’m all for it! I am definitely in favor of a little extra work to save my sanity in the long run. Basically, I’m just trying to prevent this kind of a situation:
Well, she’s finally here! Say hello to our newest bee, Miss Bacon!
All-Inclusion Invitation Suites
