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!
Seriously, you start to have such a good time that everything runs together! When I saw this photo I couldn’t place it in the night at all—and I loved it!
After our first dance I can’t recall what happened but there was commotion about our parents’ seating arrangements that I had to fix and I remember wanting to hurry because I wasn’t listening to my dad’s welcome speech. After a little switcheroo, I joined Mr. Barrettes at the front of my room and we had some laughs courtesy of Dad Barrettes. I love his purple tie and cummerbund. Read 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!
I recently had my first wedding dress fitting…with a seamstress who was just not my favorite person I’ve encountered along this wedding journey. Y’all left me lots of comments (Yay! I love comments) suggesting what I should do from there, explaining where the seamstress was coming from, but most of all, empathizing with me and telling me it would be okay (seriously Hive, be more awesome). I left with a tinge of anxiety, worried that the top of the dress would still not fit me adequately. I scheduled my next fitting six weeks later, which was also six weeks before the wedding. I figured this would give me ample time to go elsewhere if the neckline was still gaping.
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.
We are not going to be able to make preserves for wedding favors (insert sad face here) anymore and we need to come up with an inexpensive plan B, fast! Mr. B’s Nana was supposed to spearhead this project, but unfortunately, she’s decided she’s not up for the job. I totally understand and there’s no hard feelings at all—his Nana has a lot on her plate. But now we have 100+ mason jars and no idea how to fill them! Yikes!
I scoured the Internet for ideas, and apparently you can put just about anything in a mason jar! Food is among the most popular. I saw this tutorial for DIY cookiejar favors that would be really easy and inexpensive:
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.
$30 to anyone who knows what song the title came from without Googling it. OK, actually, a few people may get it and I don’t want to give multiple people $30. So, I retract the previous statement. Major kudos to anyone who knows what song the title came from without Googling it!
Music is very important to both Mr. Biscuit and me. I like to think we have eclectic music tastes, but really, quite a few members of the hive have our same love of indie and ’80s music. We can still pretend we’re individuals with our music tastes though.
Mr. Biscuit has a love for David Bowie. It’s almost creepy. The latest escalation is his Halloween costume for this year. Yes, he has already decided on his Halloween costume 8 months in advance. He wants to re-purpose last year’s Hall and Oates costume (well, the wig): Read more…
Mrs. Seashell, Chicago, IL / Providence, RIAge and Occupation: 28, Marriage and Family TherapistFiance's Age and Occupation: 31, Electrical EngineerEngagement Date: September 3, 2009Wedding Date: September 2010Venue: The Glen Manor HouseAbout Me: Fonts and fashion, stationery and Sundays, photography and french toast... the beauty is in the details for this fun-loving Chicagoan who loves to plan plan plan! The soon-to-be hubs plays "Mr. Fix-It" in our new condo while I swoon over beautiful, personalized stationery and choose shades of aubergine for my bridesmaids' dresses... and thus begins my new fairy tale! Skirting to the East Coast for our September nuptials where my home state of Rhode Island awaits with fall foliage, I'm just a few dress fittings and bachelorette party away from saying "I Do" to a very happy ending!
(Alternative Post Title: I Totally Have an Anxiety Attack)
It was the day before the wedding. At this point, things were starting to get pretty unbelievable to me. Bridesmaid Ashley arrived that morning (so all my girls were there! yay!), Mr. Seashell kept texting that the hotel was filling up with our guests, and there was just this general buzz in the air that the show was on the road!
We were off for manis, pedis and a Bridesmaids’ Luncheon. Since we practically filled the salon (Angel Nails on Wayland Square for you locals) I let my girls go first. I ran back and fourth to Starbucks a few times to keep everyone fed and caffeinated. Frankly, I was also trying to jog off my nerves on my laps around the corner. This was it! This was the wedding weekend!
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.
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!
There is really nothing more amazing than a great statement necklace. I know there was certainly a time when a single strand of pearls was the only option, but that was probably also when brides wore traditional veils and white satin shoes. There is obviously nothing wrong with traditional, but there’s also something amazing about moving away from tradition and expressing your personality on your big day.
Mrs. Avocado, SeattleAge and Occupation: 23, StudentFiance's Age and Occupation: 26, ConsultantEngagement Date: July 27, 2008Wedding Date: October, 2008Blogging Since: June 30, 2008Venue: LDS Seattle Temple & Hotel 1000About Me: Somehow this little farm girl found herself a genuine Pole to fall in love and eventually move away to Poland with. I am an LDS bride attempting to plan a private religious ceremony, ring ceremony, seated reception for 100, and an open house while coordinating for guests flying in from across the United States and as far away as Poland. I try to avoid fads, excess waste, and saturated fat. I strongly endorse photography, DDR, calorie counting, rss feeds, cooking, and utilizing your resources.
Recently in the world of wedding blogging there has been a bit of an uprising from those who are tired of looking at inspirational sites filled with posts that are portraying anything but “real weddings.” Though there are certainly beautiful, detail filled weddings out there, with details that brides have slaved over for hours (I know how hard my Weddingbee gal-pals work!) some of what you are seeing comes from staged shoots, done specifically for building the photographer’s portfolio. I have nothing against those shoots, but it can be disheartening for an everyday bride to log on to Style Me Pretty or Ruffled and wonder why their wedding photos don’t match up.
I agree with those who call for more transparency on the wedding inspiration blogs, and that both photographers and bloggers should make it very, very clear when they are posting something that’s staged. When you are hiring someone, you need to know that the images you see in their portfolio are moment caught during the wedding day, because a Wednesday afternoon staged shoot with hand-picked vendors and controlled lighting is completely different than a chaotic Saturday wedding filled with abandoned timelines and difficult lighting situations.
A new wedding inspiration blog that has grown out of the desire for more authentic photojournalistic wedding photography is called moment junkie. Read more…
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!
Mr. Dolphin and I are big on art. Not the fancy-schmancy art gallery stuff (although we would LOVE to own something from one of those types of galleries), but instead, local art. I have two requirements on every trip we take:
We purchase an ornament for our Christmas tree from the place we visit
We purchase local art from the place we visit
From the beginning of our relationship, Mr. Dolphin and I have wanted the walls of our home to be filled with pictures and art from our travels. No Target/Pottery Barn/Pier 1 mass-production art allowed here.
We aren’t big spenders. We have a tight budget for art, and our honeymoon was no different. I believe you can find amazing art, on the cheap, while vacationing. If you look around, you can find amazing pieces for great prices. 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!
It’s time to check one more thing off our to-do list, because this engaged gal just found herself a wedding band. If you’re wondering what that bizarre noise is, that would be me squee-ing with excitement from all the way across the globe in little Sydney-town.
I’ve been fretting about being able to find the right wedding band for me ever since Mr. Jaguar proposed with my lovely engagement ring. If you’re wondering why I’d be worried about buying jewellery (really? who does that!?), let me take you back into the wee early hours of our engagement—not long after I joined the Hive, I admitted I had man-hands when my engagement ring was way too small for me, and the three long months of waiting we endured before my ring was resized and back in my hot little hands. That whole experience, while worth it in the end, sucked. I was sure that I would have a similar problem with sizing when it came to finding a wedding band to match.
Keep on loading your inspirational wedding pics to the Weddingbee Gallery to see them featured here on the blog! Remember, your images must be under 1MB in size, or they won’t load.
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!
Last time I left off talking about going dress shopping, we had just finished our first appointment in NYC and taken a well-deserved food break.
After the break, we went to David’s Bridal on 6th Avenue. We didn’t have an appointment, but there wasn’t too long of a wait. At this point, I was feeling a little run down since the first appointment was so early and took so long. I hadn’t done much browsing in the catalog, so I wasn’t sure if I’d find anything I would like.
The first dress I tried was a discontinued style and was the last one of its kind remaining in the store.
Mrs. Earrings, Fresno, CA/ Nelson, New ZealandAge and Occupation: 20, Student, Wannabe Writer
Fiance's Age and Occupation: 19, Photography StudentEngagement Date: February 14, 2010Wedding Date: January 2011Venue: Gardens of the WorldAbout Me: I'm a girl from down under who grew up in Indonesia and I'm marrying a California boy. I'm addicted to all things sweet, have never met a chocolate silk pie than can get the better of me, and have dreams of one day being a fulltime novelist. I go weak in the knees for lace, tea cups, and a beautifully crafted sentence. When I get excited about something (whether it is historical linguistics or the Beatles) I tend to go overboard in research, and planning this wedding is no different. Mr. Earrings is my high school sweetheart, my best friend, and somehow we combine all our quirks into one big happy mess.
Waaaaay back when I first started blogging I attempted a DIY project that I never told you about. Why? Because, right up until the week of the wedding I couldn’t decide if I was going to use them or not, and I wasn’t ready to expose them to the blog world in case I changed my mind. I know…lame. But that’s what happened.
The project? Fabric flowers. Like many other brides out there, I decided to try my hand at these after seeing numerous tutorials online. The method I used was the same as the one as Miss Pancake’s, so I’m going to be lazy and point you to her tutorial here.
I was living in a student dorm when I made them, and we weren’t allowed candles in our rooms so I made the flowers in the communal kitchen over a gas element which resulted in many burnt flowers and strange looks…but in the end I had six of these: 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 some time ago, I lamented the lack of videography in our budget. And while some folks are having (or had) no video at their weddings, the majority vote is still for having it. Either you had it and you’re so happy you did, or you didn’t and it’s one of your biggest regrets. And those videos…they haunted me. I became determined.
Then I found an inexpensive videographer through the hive and tried hooking up with them. Alas, this was not meant to be. The vendor never returned my inquiries, and I got frustrated all over again.
One night, I actually snapped. I had come too far to just give up, and there simply had to be a solution somewhere. I scoured the internet high and low for a while. And then I found this.
