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.
The day finally came to try them all on all over again, so after a quick breakfast with Mama Bacon and coordinating parking with FMIL Bacon, I was back in the dressing room.
Mrs. Pretzel, SeattleAge and Occupation: 32 Learning, Training, and Development SpecialistFiance's Age and Occupation: 28 Manufacturing EngineerEngagement Date: September 2, 2009Wedding Date: July 2010Venue: Catholic Church & The Engine Room at Georgetown StudiosAbout Me: I’m just a thirty-something girl who never dreamed of weddings, poofy dresses, or ritzy receptions. I am a rabid knitter, except recently, wedding projects have replaced my yarn and needles. I’ve been fiercely independent since the age of 2 and 30 years later I think my family and friends had given up on me settling down and getting married.
Ironically, I had to go all the way to Seattle to find a boy from Purdue. We fell in love over Seattle Beers and cooking together. I love NASCAR, he loves Legos. I can talk like a Muppet and he can fit a whole McDonald’s cheeseburger in his mouth. We are a two reception couple, currently planning a brewery inspired bash.
Is this thing on? *waves hi* Remember me? I’m Pretzel, the short dress wearing bee with the colorful brewery inspired wedding…ring a bell? I think I might be the last of the snack food generation to start recaps, but better late than never, right? Let’s ease into it, though. I still find this recap business a little daunting.
A week before the wedding I waved “bye” to the Hive from the “wedding room” and was off to hang out with family and to finish a few last-minute projects. Mr P and I both took the weeks before and after the wedding off. I bit the bullet and took some of that time as unpaid leave (because of my vacation issues) and it was the best decision ever. Mr P’s family arrived 8 days before the wedding and my MOH/Sis in Law Tig, my niece (the girl) and nephew (the boy) arrived 5 days before. We did our best to balance spending time with both families and we had a meet the in-laws BBQ the Wednesday before. The rest of our guests started showing up on the Thursday before the wedding. I was more than a little stressed about the weather because many of our guests were visiting Seattle for the first time, and well I wanted them to come back! It rained on the 4th of July (as it commonly does in Seattle) but the next day it was clear skies and stayed that way all through the following week.
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!
TGIF hive! Our newest bee is one of my favorite breakfast sweet treats! Say hello to Miss Pain au Chocolat!
Miss Pain au Chocolat, Wilmington, DE Age and Occupation: 29, Realtor Fiance’s Age and Occupation: 34, Realtor Engagement Date: November 21, 2009 Wedding Date: June 2011 Venue: Greenville Country Club About 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.
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.
Hey, hive? Through this whole process of recapping and writing and remembering and also trying to be a good wife in real life, I haven’t been the best about being timely with my recaps or even responding to many of your comments. So I just want to say: 1. the recaps are for sure coming, and they will be complete! And 2. your comments are really awesome, heartwarming, and make me really happy. I’m sorry I’m bad at responding to them, but I promise that I read and love every single one.
Now, onto more Seahorse Wedding!
Our bridal brigade kind of rocked, and it was super fun spending time with them after the ceremony.
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 love this lamp. I’ve never really cared about lamps, and right now our living room light comes courtesy of three of these lights from Ikea. I do like them, but I’m ready to add more color to the room. If I could figure out a way to make this a wedding purchase and work it into our ceremony, I totally would. But I’m pretty sure the carpet that we’re getting for the ceremony is the only home furnishing that will be involved in our wedding. Well, that and candles, I guess.
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.
Pennant banners were one of those projects that looked really easy, but ’twas not the case for moi! I had great intentions starting out, but fell short miserably not once, but twice. I almost gave up on having a banner and I would have been justified in doing so, but I gave it one last go-around, and finally, success (or at least something I can live with)!
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!
Remember my hair inspiration post? Remember how I wanted to look like a pin-up crossed with an Old Hollywood movie star? Well, I had my hair trial! Please excuse me if my face looks a little rough in some of these pictures…it was the day after my bachelorette party! Why did I decide to schedule my hair trial during what would inevitably be a hangover? Well, who knows!
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!
When it comes to wedding planning in the Elephant household, it’s mainly completed by me. Don’t get me wrong, Mr. E is excited about getting married. We have made the big decisions together, like the venue, photographer, and the tasting menu. He’s just not worried about the little details. On the other hand, there’s me, where the details have helped me to pass the time during the past 22 months.
Mr. E is extremely helpful whenever I ask for help (which I’m sure I will be asking for more help as the countdown continues to fly by), and has taken on some projects on his own. If it’s something involving tools, it’s right up his ally. If there is any creative aspect, like painting our wedding tree or designing elements in Photoshop or Illustrator, he’s all over that.
At the computer working on our logo for the photo booth strips while our water bottle labels dry.
Mrs. Giraffe, ChicagoAge and Occupation: 23, Graphic DesignerFiance's Age and Occupation: 24, Music Student TeacherEngagement Date: October 23, 2008Wedding Date: May 2011Venue: Trinity Lutheran Church & Idlewild Country ClubAbout Me: Coming from the suburbs of the Windy City, you'll often find me with my foot in my mouth while laughing for no reason or telling bad knock knock jokes. I've been crafty for as long as I can remember, and will DIY something twice over before I have someone do it for me. I'm a semi-awkward, typeface obsessed, design junkie and have been know to break out my dance moves for no reason as well as try my best to be ridiculous at all times. My love of pop culture, wordplay, and graph paper almost rivals my love of Mr. Giraffe (who is just the bee's knees). After a 2.5 year engagement, we're planning a modern-in-disguise traditional wedding, and cannot wait!
Do you guys know what my favorite posts are to read? Maybe food or recaps? Possibly how to include your dog in your wedding? Nope, nope, and nope. See, those are all great kinds of posts, and I do enjoy reading them, but my absolutely favorite posts are invitation inspiration ones.
I know, I know, there have been a ton of these by very smart and awesome bees, but I cannot wait to share even more with you. I am so excited that I definitely have more than one post, but you’ll just have to wait for the rest.
Today, I’m sharing traditional invitation ideas with you. This is definitely more of Mr. G’s style and I think he wants us to lean this way. I mean, I suppose it makes sense; by all accounts we’re having a traditional wedding. I don’t know, though, but I feel like traditionally styled invitations get kind of a bad rap (at least they did in my mind). I mean, if they don’t have all the fancy glitter, embossing, and laser cuts, aren’t they just boring? Seriously? Or if not boring, aren’t they just like some super cheesy old-school things your mom and dad used in the ’60s?
Well yes… for some, I suppose, but I’m here to share some traditional invites with you that are just as lovely and beautifully as their hip and cool and/or pop and fresh counterparts. 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.
I’ll be honest: I debated even writing this post, because I’m totally annoying myself with my wishy-washy indecisiveness. I thought to myself, “Do I want to put the hive through this again?” But I promised myself that when I started writing for Weddingbee I’d be as candid as possible, so here we go…
A few weeks ago, I was hanging up some clean laundry, and I decided to try on my wedding dress. It had been a while, and I wanted to see if it still fit or if it was too big.
Well, it was a bit too big, but nothing some alterations wouldn’t fix. It was a bit roomy and way too long. No biggie. But here’s the thing:
When I tried it on, I felt a great big MEH.
Yes, that’s right. After buying and returning two other dresses, this is dress #3. And I don’t think I like it anymore. I don’t hate it, mind you, and I still think that it will flatter my body, but I’m really starting to dislike the details at the top: Read more…
Mrs. Taco, San FranciscoAge and Occupation: 29, writer/editorFiance's Age and Occupation: 37, editorEngagement Date: May 13, 2009Wedding Date: August 2010Venue: The Green Room at the War Memorial Veterans BuildingAbout Me: I like laughing and talking with good friends over good food and good drink, be it wine, cocktail, or brew. I write and edit things for fun and profit, but I rarely "write" these days without a keyboard and high-speed internets. Favorites include Mr. Taco, my Boston terrier, San Francisco, getting out of town, and the Roaring ’20s. I was kind-of planning a wedding since roughly 2006, when I discovered "Whose Wedding Is It Anyway?" on the WE channel. I ran and didn't look back with a theme I called "urban vintage," and it culminated in the most magical day a taco could ask for.
We’ll never know what it was like to be a guest at our wedding. Because of this, I get a little self-conscious about what it was like from the other side. Think random worry flashes that there weren’t enough drinks, dancing, food, or fun. That, maybe, it wasn’t enough. Partly because of those random worries, pictures of people having fun on the dance floor mean a lot to me. Even when I was there to see these moments in person.
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.
After months and months and months of obsessing over our invitations, I finally have a piece of them in my hot little hands! Guess what arrived in the mail this week? What could have possibly gotten Josie so excited?
Congratulations to our winners, mightywombat and cloverdaIe!
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We have a great giveaway for the hive today! Papeterie is a stationery boutique that offer stylish designs at affordable prices—they’ve been featured on the Rachael Ray Show and the Bachelorette. This winter, Papeterie launched a new collection called Luxe that is printed on a luxurious, woven stock. Today, Papeterie is giving away 2 $150 gift certificates to two lucky Weddingbee readers towards purchase in their online store!
You have two chances to enter this contest!
Simply visit Papeterie’s online store and tell us what you would use your gift certificate for. 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 Thursday, February 3rd at 11:59 PM PST to enter. Good luck!
Also, if you’re in the Los Angeles area, you can check out Papeterie’s brand new retail location at the Santa Anita Shopping Mall!
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!
I wasn’t a crazy person two years ago. I was a sane and rational mid-twentysomething with a boyfriend I loved, wrapping up grad school, job searching, setting up a new apartment, and in my spare time booking a wedding venue, photographer, trying on dresses, and oops—buying a wedding dress—WITHOUT A RING ON MY FINGER.
Shit. I was straight-up crazy pants. I was that girl. How did this all happen?
Now that I’m on the other side of all this I want to get real with you. Some of my actions were cute and “I’msoexcitedIwanttomarryyou!” and some where relationship suicide. This is not advice. This is just my story.
Of course, when this was all going on, I swore I had my reasons. Read more…
ClassifiedsFeature Launched: April 30, 2008About: A roundup of the best Weddingbee Classified listings.
All-Inclusion Invitation Suites
