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!
Shower time is this weekend! I know it’s early for a June bride to have a wedding shower, but MOH Sweet Pea has a little bundle o’ joy due in early April so we’re doing things sooner rather than later. Plus, it’s a good excuse to get Mr Waffle to come home from LA for a weekend! Yay!
Now, before I continue, let me say that Sweet Pea and Magic Alie (who are planning the shower) are big time, silly troublemakers. Everything about the shower has been kept a secret from me with the exception of time, what I should wear, and the invitations.
Isn’t the invite adorable! It totally reminds me of us!
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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On a scale of 1 to 10, how much stress does money put on your relationship? Has it changed since the beginning of your marriage? How do you handle your finances as a couple? What do you think you could do to improve the way you handle your finances?
On a scale of 1 to 10, finances are a 2 right now. Up until the the beginning of the year, it was more of an 8 for me and a 6 for the Mr.
Since we were engaged, we have had separate our money into several different accounts: we each have a personal checking account, and then we have a joint checking and savings accounts. When we get paid, an equal dollar amount gets deposited into our separate accounts, with the remainder (a much larger proportion) in our joint. We use our personal money for gifts for each other, dinner or drinks with friends, and frivolous items ourselves, like fun shoes for me or video games for Mr. Dahlia. All of our finances: retirement accounts, bank accounts, frequent flier accounts, savings bonds, etc., are tracked online through yodlee.com. (I know that mint.com is the more popular choice—it is “GUI-er” and has a prettier interface—but I’d rather have the greater functionality of Yodlee.)
For the money in our joint account, twice a month money is automatically withdrawn into our savings account (currently held at SmartyPig.com), where it is dispersed among several short and medium term goals. (Everything from funding our emergency fund to our downpayment savings to vacations and Christmas gifts and our renter’s insurance). The remainder is what is left for spending that month. We typically pay for things with a credit card (since we get cash back) but pay it off in full every month. We both contribute a significant portion of our pretax income to our 401ks. Read more…
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.
Yes, it will be almost summer in Hawaii, but according to the local experts (aka, our wedding coordinator and catering manager), there is always a miniscule chance of rain. Warm rain….but still rain.
Awwww man.
But according to the farmer’s almanac and all of the historical weather data I dug up on the world wide web, the chances are slim to none. *WHEW*
But we still need a tent….so let’s make it one they’ll never forget!
Mrs. Plaid, AustinAge and Occupation: 26, Pastry ChefFiance's Age and Occupation: 34, Cabinetry CarpenterEngagement Date: August 8, 2009Wedding Date: October 2010Venue: Kindred Oaks, GeorgetownAbout Me: I am a Jersey girl born and raised but have since migrated to Texas and embraced its twang and Tex-Mex. I could probably eat chips and queso every day but instead I eat popcorn. I use the word “awesome” way too much but I just can’t seem to stop myself. I am addicted to all things DIY and am planning what I call a Texas-Chic wedding. I love snuggling with my two adorable dogs and of course, my adorable fiance. I can’t wait 'til I can call him my husband some day! October 2010, here we come!
Before I show you pictures, I want to give you a list of the order we had people walk down the aisle. I know when I was planning our ceremony, I spent a lot of time thinking about what the most logical way to get everyone down the aisle would be. Here we go:
Bride’s Mom and Step-Dad
Groom and his Mom and Grandmother
Groom’s Dad/Best Man and Step-Mom
Groomsman and both MOHs
Groomsman and Bridesmaid
Groomsman and Bridesmaid
Groomsman and Bridesmaid
Bride and Father
I hope this helps for all the brides currently planning their ceremonies! OK, lets really get this thing started. And now for some very cheesy ’90s music: Read more…
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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.
Apologies if I venture into TMI territory here, but I promised myself that I’d blog frankly here on Weddingbee, so here we go.
You know that thing, that thing that happens to most adult females on a regular basis, that thing that you really don’t want to deal with on the day when you’re wearing a very expensive white dress?
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.
In an effort to incorporate both the Oatmeals’ interests into our wedding, we’ve decided to do a little something funky with our programs. Now, let me give you some background info on Mr. Oatmeal. You may remember from this post, that I mentioned he is quite fond of crossword puzzles. And when I say quite fond, I mean addicted. Here are a few photos taken from over the last few years, with Mr. Oatmeal completely uninterested in anything other than his puzzle.
{On our way to Yosemite a couple years ago, we had to stop for a wildfire. He capitalized on this opportunity by taking out his puzzle}
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.
Today I’m going to tell you a story about just one way in which the hive has changed our wedding. But first, a basic truth about Mr. Lox and me. We have really different vacation styles. Like, really different. As in, I told him about a year ago that I really wanted to go on a cruise. In my mind, I was picturing lying by a pool, unlimited food, and fun excursions like snorkeling. Mr. Lox did not see cruises that way. He got excited and sent me links to all of these cruises to the Galapagos Islands and other very nature-heavy destinations. His cruises were on small ships with nature lectures every night. I almost cried.
Now, we have been able to work with it so far. We have found ways to take his radical vacation ideas and morph them into something I will enjoy too. For instance, when we went to San Juan Island this past summer, Mr. Lox wanted to go kayaking. I, on the other hand, have the upper-body strength of a small insect. Kayaking sounds like my idea of torture. Solution? Whale watching. We were on the water and doing something nature related. However, it wasn’t a highly physical activity, and I wasn’t bored. Compromise is good. Read more…
Mrs. Hot Wings, Chicago/San DiegoAge and Occupation: 28, ProfessorFiance's Age and Occupation: 32, InstructorEngagement Date: December 20, 2008Wedding Date: August 2010Venue: Ocean View Villas/Jasmine Seafood RestaurantAbout Me: I am a psychology grad student living in Chicago and planning my wedding to a fellow psych grad student. I am a Sunny So-Cal bred gal who trudged across the country to follow her love of psychology and ended up finding a partner in the process. I am overly passionate about anything I involve myself with. I am an activist, a foodie, a reality TV watching junkie, an over-analyzer, a photography obsesser, and am utterly cheesy to the core. This is a story of what happens when a boy and a girl meet, fall in love over academic dorkiness, and a shared love for life. We (mostly I) are planning our semi-destination wedding in my hometown of San Diego. We are excited to bring our families and friends together from across our lifespans to celebrate our future in a grand 400+ person culturally blended affair!
Growing up, I didn’t dream about my wedding day. I didn’t play bride with pillow case veils or any of that. It wasn’t until I went through old photos for this post that I realized that my youth prepared me for my wedding day duties. Despite my lack of wedding day dreams, I have been preparing for it all my life.
Chances are that your bridesmaids and friends are traveling far and wide to attend your bachelorette party. Show your appreciation for them with fun and affordable goodies from the Weddingbee Favors Shop! Remember: the prices on almost all favors go down when you order in bulk, so check out the favors’ pages to find even deeper discounts than those listed here!
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.
My family arrived for their much-anticipated vacation to tropical, sunny…no wait. They came to Delaware to spend their well-deserved vacation week with me! The last week of June was hot. Like heat-index-pushing-100-degrees, melt-your-face hot. We spent three days in a row in air-conditioned shopping bliss (King of Prussia, the flagship Anthropologie in Rittenhouse Square, and Christiana Mall); ideal for the ladies, not so ideal for Dad and Mr. P.
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 just want to pause before I dive into the rest of my wedding recaps, because here is where things get a little hard for me.
It’s been 4 months since our wedding day, and the sting has mostly lessened for both me and Mr. Socks in regard to how his family treated us that day.
I remember on our honeymoon, Mr. Socks and I were so devastated by the wedding that we predicted we would have a pretty crappy first three months of marriage while we healed. We thought that something so huge would stay with us and weigh on us almost every day for months and months. I’m happy to report that the first four months of our marriage have been very happy and not at all as stressful as we thought it would be. We have basically picked ourselves up and moved on with our lives, which feels pretty awesome.
That’s not to say that we don’t still think about what happened and that we aren’t hurt by his family, because really, the fact that our relationship with them has been forever changed as a result of their behavior isn’t something we’re likely to forget. We still talk about the situation, but instead of hot, angry tears flowing, we mostly just shake our heads in disappointment and disbelief. 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!
The day after Christmas my amazing bridesmaids hosted a second bridal shower for me in Seattle. The timing was a little bit difficult, being right after Christmas and all, but it was the only time that all five of my bridesmaids would be in town at the same time, so we went with it. Unfortunately, it also meant that several friends who were flying in and out of Seattle around Christmas were unable to come. That was a little bit of a bummer, but there was never going to be a date that would have worked for everyone!
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!
There are parts of planning where it’s a complete struggle to get your partner to see the image that’s in your, dare I say, VISION. So you try to explain with words, but soon you’re exasperated and start gesturing wildly with your hands. Then your voice gradually creeps up until it’s an octave higher than normal. While he just watches you with a blank, vacant stare. Wondering why you’re foaming at the mouth.
And then there are times like this.
I approached Mr. Crepe with a well-circulated centerpiece idea (to be fair, I knew my audience—a major bibliophile) and suggested an arrangement that used stacks of old books. The man LOVED it. “You know,” I said, “your job can be to find these books.” An excuse to go into used bookstores under the guise of wedding planning? He practically fainted.
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!
Last year we surveyed Weddingbee readers and asked you what you’d like to see more of on Weddingbee. One of the most popular responses was that you wanted to see more follow-up from the married bees. You asked for more posts on not just weddings, but on marriage and beyond. So, the married bees all got together and brainstormed a huge variety of prompts and topics, including:
How did your relationship change in the first year of your marriage?
On a scale of 1 to 10, how much stress does money put on your relationship?
Are you and your SO on the same page when it comes to having children (or not)?
How has your marriage affected your other relationships (with family, friends, coworkers, etc.)?
What are some things you do to keep your relationship healthy?
What was your relationship with your in laws like before you got married? What is it like now?
Wedding regrets: After your wedding, what were some of your immediate regrets in regards to the wedding day?
What are your opinions on divorce? Have your opinions changed now that you are married?
Beginning tomorrow and over the next few weeks, the married bees will be getting together to answer these questions and more in our new series called After “I Do” and we encourage our married hive members to join in on the discussion in the comments! Read more…
On a scale of 1 to 10, finances are a 2 right now. Up until the the beginning of the year, it was more of an 8 for me and a 6 for the Mr.
