Mrs. Crepe, Queens, NY/Nashville, TNAge and Occupation: 28, Jewelry DesignerFiance's Age and Occupation: 28, Animation DirectorEngagement Date: September 28, 2010Wedding Date: May 2011Venue: A church in downtown NashvilleAbout Me: I'm a native New Yorker who has always been a DIY kind of girl and loves tackling creative projects while getting the most out of a dollar. I'm marrying my college sweetheart and we love frequenting antique stores, exploring together, and playing with kittens. We're planning a fun, "us" wedding in his hometown---with as many handmade touches as we can pack into a day!
Sorry, but I just can’t bring myself to call them STDs. It just ain’t right.
We made our first save the date late one night and thought it was hilarious. While it would have been nice to have it match our wedding colors, it was so much fun to do something silly. I was pretty sure no one would notice that it wasn’t going to match the rest of the wedding. There was plenty of time for things to get serious! We used photographs I took from my recent trip to a sheep and wool festival and threw together this goofy little save the date.
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.
I’ve been fairly active my whole life, but I go through some periods that are better than others. When I was 13, I started joining my parents at the gym. Just like them, I did a half hour of cardio and a half hour of weights. Ah, if only I’d kept that up.
I continued visiting the gym throughout high school, but when I got to college, I very quickly learned that the Freshman 15 was not a myth. I was too busy partying and eating pizza for every meal to exercise, and before I knew it, I was the heaviest I’d ever been.
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!
We share so much about our wedding planning lives with you, but I think it’s time for some token randomness, don’t you?
I have the taste-buds of a fussy toddler. Apparently I’ve always been this way, and I appear to have never grown out of it—I’m still fussy to this day. I used to swallow mouthfuls of peas whole like pills, because I didn’t like the pasty texture. I’m the same with beans or lentils. The paste taste… blargh. I hate fruit with seeds, even if the actual taste inside is nice and sweet (case in point: kiwis and strawberries). My arch nemesis is one that everyone else is in love with, though: I have a complete and utter hatred of tomatoes. The mere thought of eating one makes me gag. Something about the seedy, soggy part on the inside gives me the heebie-jeebies. (Though funnily enough, I can eat strawberry jam, tomato sauce and pasta creations with absolutely no issues.)
Mrs. Ostrich, San Francisco/HawaiiAge and Occupation: 30, Fashion Buyer
Fiance's Age and Occupation: 38, CopywriterEngagement Date: October 4, 2009Wedding Date: April 2011Venue: Sweet ceremony by the sea and sunset celebration on the North Shore of HawaiiAbout Me: Born in the city of angels and residing in the city by the bay, I’m a fearless fashion buyer by day, a passionate blog author by night and a dreamy bride-to-be in between. I thank my lucky stars to live in such a stunning city that gives me gifts like organic honey lavender ice cream, movie nights in the park, tucked away beaches, legendary record stores, '80s dance parties, awesome sports teams, stellar flea markets, and vintage bookshops. Oh, and I love to dance! We always find every excuse to escape to the beach, and decided a little seaside wedding in Hawaii is our idea of bliss. Full of our favorite people, music, food and sparkly lights, this is one sunset celebration we will always remember.
After 10 months of long distance planning, my idea of the process was very different from the actual experience, both good and not-so-good. And looking back, I wished someone gave me a little survival guide before my planning adventure began. And now that almost all is said and done, I created a little survival guide of my own, with my story and the tips and tricks that I hope will be enlightening and reassuring for all awesome DW brides out there.
Act 1 - 14-12 Months Before:
The Spot: Mr. O and I knew that we wanted to say I do with sand between our toes, along the sea. But what beach? What island?
We had our hearts set on Boracay, a tiny island in the Philippines, first. It holds cultural meaning to the Ostriches and it would be way affordable! But a 16+ hour $$$ flight would be brutal for our guests and the 16 hour time difference would be brutal for wedding planning.
Maui was next on the list, since the location and airfare would be more reasonable for everyone. 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!
Wheeeeee! What a fun shower weekend! More people came than I thought would come…like 90% of the guest list! The 10% that didn’t come were either sick or at work. Sweet Pea and Captain Toes’ house was packed with love and laughter. I remember thinking, at the end of the evening, if the shower was this much fun, our wedding is gonna be out of this world!
The theme of the party was very vintage. The sounds of 1940s jazz swelled behind the sea of voices who were partaking in appetizers in Crock Pots, on toothpicks, or old time rum punch made with orange juice and sherbet. I wore a vintage cocktail dress given to me by a co-worker that had wire built into the collar to help it stand up.
At the beginning of the party the men seemed to congregate out on the porch with their beer and scotch… Read more…
ClassifiedsFeature Launched: April 30, 2008About: A roundup of the best Weddingbee Classified listings.
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 a couple of weeks ago, I got the call. The fateful call where the woman you haven’t seen for nine months (in my case) contacts you out of the blue. The call to say my dress was in.
What’s funny is that I totally didn’t see what happened next coming. You’d think I would have, but I didn’t. The dress coming in is exciting, right? I mean, I finally would be able to go and try on this thing I shopped so hard for last year. It’s my dress!
I bet you know what happened next. I panicked. Oh yes, I became completely obsessed with what could happen. I’ve lost weight…what if the dress is so big it just falls off of me? (After 11 pounds? Really? A bride’s mind is not always a sane mind.) Or worse! What if it won’t zip up at all? I mean, what if I paid extra for the big-girl size, and the thing still won’t zip up? Will I have to crash diet? Can it be let out? Panic at the disco!
Well, dearest hive, I’m here to tell you none of those things happened. It zipped up easily and stayed where it belonged. There is a little bit of room in it and it needs alterations, but it is just fine. Everything is going to be fine.
What’s that, you say? How did it look? Yes, of course, I took pictures! 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 just wanted to pop in and say hi and that holy cow, what an awesome, fabulous, amazing (and exhausting!) weekend we just had!
Don’t worry, I’m not actually going to be blogging while on my mini-moon with Mr. EB (it’s short enough as it is!), but I didn’t want to leave you completely hanging, so I have a few posts about thank you cards and some other things that have been floating around in my head but I didn’t get a chance to talk about before the wedding. Read more…
Mrs. Pain au Chocolat, Wilmington, DEAge and Occupation: 29, RealtorFiance's Age and Occupation: 34, RealtorEngagement Date: November 21, 2009Wedding Date: June 2011Venue: Greenville Country ClubAbout Me: An ENFJ with an artistic streak who loves backgammon, sailing, graphic design, and sleeping in. Travel (near or far), good wine, and tasty food makes my heart sing. I'm a compulsive list-maker who lives to plan and organize. Mr. P and I have lived together for 4 years, all the while renovating our city townhome bit by bit. We're planning a whimsical, Anthropologie-inspired garden wedding in June 2011.
Do you remember taking those teen-magazine quizzes? Most of us probably did at least once or twice, right? Please tell me I’m not the only dork who thought it was fun! And who didn’t look forward to Psych 101? It was one of the more interesting freshman-level offerings.
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!
After we all arrived at the Chuppah, it was time to begin. Before any words were even spoken, we circled. The tradition is actually for the bride to circle the groom seven times. In an effort to make our ceremony more egalitarian, I circled Mr. HC three times, he circled me three times, and then we circled together once.
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!
The title may suggest the beginnings of a smutty romance novel (…not that I read those…), but I assure you that this post is indeed about our wedding confections. You see, up until about a week ago, Mr. Tartlet and I were set on serving a variety of cupcakes at our reception. However, when we met with Debbie Meyers of Sweet and Savory Bakeshop to finalize the flavors and details, we were presented with the opportunity to sample two cakes whose flavor simply blew all of our cupcake plans out the window.
For your virtual tasting pleasure, I give you the first of three kinds of cake we’ll have at our wedding: Chocolate Splendor, an 8-layer cake including 2 layers of yellow chiffon with Grand Marnier, 2 layers of chocolate souffle pastry, 2 layers of chocolate mousse, and 2 layers of espresso buttercream. Feast your eyes on the miniature, 4-layer version in the foreground below:
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!
It’s our first bee from our newest carnival generation! Say hello to Miss Cotton Candy from Southern California!
Miss Cotton Candy, Riverside, CA Age & Occupation: 29, Field Coordinator Fiance’s Age & Occupation: 34, Process Server Engagement Date: July 5, 2007 Wedding Date: June 2011 Venue: Riverside Art Museum About Me: I’m a girl in love with her best friend planning a small mid-century modern inspired wedding that’s been a long time coming. I love all things design, sewing, flea markets, and a good book. I’ve been known to swoon over a well-designed chair and often find myself craving a new addition to my chair collection regardless of the lack square footage in our home. I’m Mexican American girl who hates all things spicy but loves her rowdy Mexican family and her Latin roots. My wedding muses may not be your typical wedding superstars, but with a lot of DIY, a dash of offbeat style, and lots of love and laughs, Mr. Cotton and I plan to create a day that is unmistakably us.
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.
Well, folks, we are reaching that time of day in Wedding Recap Land. It is very nearly 2PM or possibly 2:30 there, and that means that things are winding down.
The dancing was wrapping up, and quite frankly, we were exhausted. Some of our friends and family were leaving in small groups, but other people were drifting outside, sitting, enjoying the sun of the fall afternoon.
Catch up on the entire After “I Do” series here! And if you have a burning question you’d like to see discussed, submit it here!
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After your wedding, what were some of your immediate regrets in regards to the wedding day? Now that time has gone by, do you have different/additional regrets, or do you no longer regret those initial regrets?
Immediate regrets: taking my frustrations out on friends and family members during the day. I had hoped that I would be able to play it cool and let things roll off my back on the big day, but I didn’t. When people upset me or things stressed me out, people knew. I still feel terrible about this. Also, I wish I had been more specific about our playlist or used an iPod. You can read about our DJ-related screw ups in my archives—I’m not going to belabor that point.
Later regrets: OMG I DID NOT GET A PICTURE WITH MY MOTHER. We were LITERALLY together ALL DAY and we do not have a posed photograph that is just the two of us! Also, if I had to get married again, I would probably have a smaller bridal party.
The other little things that bugged me after the wedding (wish I had used real flowers on the cake instead of gum paste, wish I hadn’t raised the waistline of my dress, etc.) have faded in the year since our big day…your regrets will too! Read more…
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.
Immediate regrets: taking my frustrations out on friends and family members during the day. I had hoped that I would be able to play it cool and let things roll off my back on the big day, but I didn’t. When people upset me or things stressed me out, people knew. I still feel terrible about this. Also, I wish I had been more specific about our playlist or used an iPod. You can read about our DJ-related screw ups in my archives—I’m not going to belabor that point. 
