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!
Get it? It’s a play on P. Diddy’s (or whatever he’s calling himself these days) “Vote or Die.” Well, I think that sounds a little dramatic; but seriously, you should vote. On what, you ask?
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!
If you remember, our honeymoon was a total surprise to me. As in, I had no idea what we were doing or where we were going. Mr. Cardigan planned the whole thing start to finish, and I didn’t have an ounce of say in it. It was slightly terrifying and absolutely thrilling at the same time!
And now, it’s finally time to recap the Cardigan honeymoon! So grab a snack and settle in, ’cause I’ve got a lot to share!
We woke up bright and early (5:30 in the morning, to be exact) on the day after our wedding to head to the airport. We were both tired and dragging, but I insisted on a quick photo before we headed out of the hotel. Our first official non-professional photograph as a married couple!
We were SO excited. And I found it incredibly romantic that we were about to head to the airport and I had no idea where I would be in just a few short hours!
Of course, once we got to the airport though, I found out where we were going right as we checked in—Orlando! We rushed to the plane and hopped on. Several hours later, this was the view we saw out of our rental car: Read more…
ClassifiedsFeature Launched: April 30, 2008About: A roundup of the best Weddingbee Classified listings.
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!
While we were in the bridal nook, laughing, breathing, and affixing my veil, our guests began to take their seats in the courtyard. It was about this time that I wished I could be everywhere at once. Being the bride and having to be hidden away until your grand entrance, you miss the prelude! I could hear the strings begin to play and I just knew everything was beautiful.
The lanterns were a perfect touch and I didn’t know about them until I reached the end of the aisle. I told my aunt/florist I wanted hanging flowers, and she came up with the rest! V. Sattui has so much natural beauty that it only needed a few accents to become wedding-worthy. Read more…
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.
So awhile ago I got something in the mail. I was…well…super excited is the best way to describe it. You see, I haven’t been talking about it too much (but there will be more talk soon, I promise), but I have discovered the great wide world of paper crafts. Oh yes, paper crafts and I are having a hot and steamy affair.
Now, like any girl having an affair with paper crafts, I covet a Cricut. I could wax on about it, but chances are you’ve heard all of this somewhere else already, and I’ll just be one more voice in the choir. The thing is, the Cricut is not a cheap toy, and I simply couldn’t justify getting one. I was resigned to my fate, until I learned of a lovely lady called the Xyron Creatopia.
One day an Amazon box arrived for me. Golly gee, what could it be?
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!
Let me start off by saying our wedding was perfect. I hate to perpetuate that whole “your wedding day has to be perfect” idea, but it really, really was. Did things go awry at times? Sure. My hair wouldn’t cooperate at first, we ended up being a little late, Sophie whined for attention through half of the ceremony (she’s a b*tch, but I still love her), the iPod ceremony music had a few glitches and I couldn’t stop my damn legs from shaking during the whole ceremony. Still, despite those little blips, it was perfect for us. Most glitches that happen during a wedding are so small, so small, in the grand scheme of things, remember that.
One thing that wasn’t such a small glitch? *Sigh* My mother-in-law. First and foremost, I want to say that I thought a very long time about whether I was going to write this post or not. I didn’t want to write it while I was still angry (well, okay, I’m still angry, but no longer infuriated), offended, and hurt (mostly for my husband’s sake). I want to make sure that this doesn’t come off as a rant, because it’s not. You’ve been with me through all the ups and downs of our wedding planning process, from getting rid of our bridal party to our postponement. From guest list issues, to copious familydrama, and finally to the full-blown cancellation and I think it’s only fair that I continue on with full-disclosure, so here goes.
My first inkling of something being wrong with my MIL on our wedding day was when we were taking family photos—she practically grimaced the entire time. Read more…
We’ve got a great giveaway for the hive today! Blush Paperie is an online wedding stationery boutique offering affordable, unique, modern wedding invitations. Their invitations offer tons of flexibility for wording and color, and they also offer four different print methods for their invitations: offset, thermography, digital and letterpress. One lucky Weddingbee reader will win a $150 gift card from Blush Paperie for any items offered on their website!
You have 2 chances to enter this contest!
Simply visit Blush Paperie and let us know what you’d use your gift card on if you won. And for a second chance to win, follow Weddingbee on Twitter and retweet this contest (if you’re already a follower, simply retweet by clicking here!). Then come back here and let us know that you followed/retweeted. You have until Friday, January 28 at 11:59 PM PST to enter. Good luck!
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.
Mr. Bacon and I have put on some pounds since last summer when he put a ring on it. There is no use trying to sugarcoat it. In fact, sugarcoating it is the reason we’re in this little pickle. Note all the yummy food references?
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.
I was really into the meaning behind “something old, something new, something borrowed, something blue.”
Something old is supposed to be continuity of the bride’s past and therefore should be something old belonging to the bride or one of her family members. I chose a three-stringed pearl bracelet of Starfish Mom’s. I wanted to wear something of hers on the wedding day and I’ve always loved this particular bracelet. I didn’t actually think of it until the week before the wedding when I was desperate to find my something old. Read more…
Mrs. Biscuit, Morgantown, WVAge and Occupation: 24, Dental StudentFiance's Age and Occupation: 26, Chemist at a pharmaceutical companyEngagement Date: April 2010Wedding Date: July 2011Venue: Catholic Church, Lakeview Golf Resort and SpaAbout Me: I'm an engineer who decided to trek back to my hometown three years ago to become skilled in the arts of drilling and filling. I'm engaged to a pretty awesome guy who tests your assorted benzodiazepines by day and home brews by night. Together we have two fur children, Tsali and Tobias N. Fünkat. I'm a lazy perfectionist and eternal sorority girl who enjoys running, crafting, string cheese, good beer, and bad reality TV. We are planning a Big Fat Italian/Sicilian/Polish wedding filled with DIY details and are expecting 300 +/- 50 guests. Our whimsical summer affair is themed "Alice attends the Mad Hatter Vintage Garden Tea Party in a Ballroom. She Thinks That The Venue is Odd for a Vintage Garden Party, but is Tripping on LSD, so She Doesn't Really Care." Yes, I am the Dickens of themes.
No, I don’t have venereal disease. This is an issue with save the dates, which I suppose is a better issue to have. This post could also be titled How I Came up with My Crazy Wedding Theme.
Before I delve into this story, I’d like to say, great minds think alike…my little (in my sorority) and I came up with the same theme independently. In the beginning when I had first solidified my theme, it was Mad Hatter, and hers is Alice in Wonderland. Sigh. Her wedding is two months before mine, so I have been a bit apprehensive that we’ll have the exact same elements.
The good news is that she is getting married in her backyard, so her wedding will have a much different feel than mine. I decided to forge on with my theme, hoping that our different tastes would prevail and that our weddings would still be different.
But yesterday, her STD came in the mail. First, I’ll show you the file that I had originally designed for my STD:
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.
The Jams as wedding kiddies. Can you even handle his look?! Aww.
Note to all busybody couples out there: When planning a wedding, don’t estimate your guest count before you actually sit down and actually start writing down names. Because when you’re wrong, you will think your guest list is utterly untamable and you will threaten to cut everyone in order to reach the original number you thought you would invite. Read more…
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!
Heading into this whole wedding affair, I didn’t know much about the amazing and vast array of flowers that exist. I just knew what I liked…hydrangeas and tulips. I’ve even helped arrange bouquets for friends and had no idea what I was pairing with what. They were just pretty.
So, here I am, educating myself across the interwebs about those pretty things with petals and learning how to talk about them with my florist in an educated manner. Luckily, for me, we’re getting married in a garden, so it’s OK for my floral vocabulary to be slightly small.
Without further ado, here are the front runners for the Waffle wedding flowers…
Mrs. Hermit Crab, New York, NYAge and Occupation: 24, Youth Director soon to be Grad StudentFiance's Age and Occupation: 26, Medical Student - soon to be Surgery ResidentEngagement Date: October 11, 2008Wedding Date: June 2010Venue: New York Botanical GardenAbout Me: I love all things food, books, our furbaby, Rashi, and adventures with my amazing fiance (oh, and saving the world!). This summer I will not only be a bride, but a bridesmaid, officiant, and attendee as well---it's all about weddings in my life right now, full of so many exciting moments and projects. We're planning a fab New York City wedding weekend full of family, love and lots of color!
About two weeks before the wedding, I received three very exciting packages.
(personal photo)
This was the most adorable wrapping paper!
Unfortunately, I forgot to take pictures of the others as they arrived, but they were all equally as exciting and sweet. They were my somethings borrowed from three amazing bees!
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!
In the beginning, I had no intention of wearing a veil. My sister didn’t wear a veil at her wedding; therefore, I didn’t need to wear a veil. Much to Mama Tartlet’s chagrin, that about summed up my fool-proof logic. That is, until I went dress shopping and the bridal consultant slyly tucked that magical piece of fabric in my hair. I did a complete 180 and went from giving veils a cursory glance to drooling over the options. And, oh! To have photos like these:
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.
All-Inclusion Invitation Suites
I was really into the meaning behind “something old, something new, something borrowed, something blue.”
