Mrs. Jellyfish, Pleasanton, CAAge and Occupation: 27, Law StudentFiance's Age and Occupation: 26, Air Force PilotEngagement Date: February 21, 2009Wedding Date: September 2010Venue: Casa Real at Ruby Hill WineryAbout Me: In a nutshell, I’m the most optimistic worrywart you’ll ever meet. My family emigrated from Romania to San Jose, CA when I was 8, and I've been a Nor Cal girl ever since! My fiancé is also a Bay Area native, so it’s funny that we met at UCLA, as college freshmen living on the same floor (go Bruins!). Between his career as an Air Force pilot and my path to becoming a lawyer, our relationship has been anything but typical. We currently live together in Berkeley with our puppy Stinson. In addition to spending time with the loves of my life, I enjoy crafting, attempting complicated recipes, environmental law and non-law school reading (Us Weekly, anyone?). Follow along as I plan an elegant 200-person winery wedding, graduate law school, take the Bar exam, get married and get used to the always unpredictable but never boring life of a military spouse!
After the ceremony ended, Mr. Jelly and I were ushered into our reception space where we got a sneak peek of the setup and shared a quick toast to our new marriage.
We also rehashed parts of the ceremony, and Mr. Jelly told me about his stressful pre-ceremony scramble: he thought we didn’t have a projector for our slideshow and almost paid $300 to rent a last-minute projector before our DOC caught on and told him we already had one. Phew!
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!
You guessed it; this post is about our candy buffet! When we first decided to do a candy buffet as favors for our guests, we looked into the catered options. There are plenty of convenient options out there…but they were WAY out of our budget. We decided to put it together on our own. The problem was that we didn’t know where to start!
I searched the internet far and wide to gather information to help build our candy buffet. Honestly, this community is the best resource I found. Still, it was hard to find all of the information we needed in one place. I needed to consider volume, weight, number of guests, colors, and local resources. So, here’s a little breakdown of what I learned:
There is a fabulous website called Candy Warehouse that sells wholesale candy. The site is organized by color, so it’s really easy to coordinate candy to match your wedding. Since the candy is sold wholesale, it’s significantly cheaper per pound. The downside is that most candy comes in 5 or 10-pound bags. Now, if you’re doing M&Ms or Jelly Bellys, that’s pretty good! If you’re doing gummy bears, that’s a VERY large bag. The other downside is that you’re ordering online, which means you have to pay for shipping. If one kind of candy is sold in 10-pound bags, and you’re doing a buffet so you’re probably going to have several types of candy, that’s a pretty heavy package. The shipping will most likely end up costing you more than the candy itself.
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!
You guys have heard me talk about waiting for marriage here and here, so I figured I’m just going to keep with the possible over-sharing and fill you in on some more super personal details of a Giraffe life.
Growing up, the Giraffe Parents (emphasis on Mama Giraffe here) were very open about sex. I’ve received the talk probably hundreds of times, from when I was younger through when I was in high school. I mean, granted, I was mortified when I was in junior high and Mama Giraffe sat me down to explain how “Even though Bill Clinton thinks oral sex is not sex, it still is.”
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.
Before we are off to meet my groom, I want to spend time looking at all the little details that went into our wedding day attire. I followed the tradition of old, new, borrowed, and blue.
Something Old
My somethings old were a embroidered hanky from my grandmother and a pearl solitaire necklace that was my mom’s college graduation gift from my grandparents. Both items had been given to me previously so I didn’t consider them “borrowed.”
Something New
My somethings new were a pair of pearl earrings from Janice Marie’s Etsy shop, and the clutch that I made with fabric from my wedding dress.
Mrs. Hyena, College Station, TXAge and Occupation: 23, Marketing SpecialistFiance's Age and Occupation: 24, Aerospace Engineering Grad StudentEngagement Date: January 8, 2010Wedding Date: May 2011Venue: Downtown 202About Me: I'm a Texas girl who met my future hubby in high school, then headed up to Oklahoma for a college education (BOOMER SOONER!) before moving back to the Lone Star State to be with him. I love reading and recycling, Photoshop and reality TV, making lame jokes and then laughing at them, quoting movies, and Mr. Hyena most of all. I'm perpetually early and I like to get things accomplished. When my cat meows at me, I meow back. We're planning a laid-back, unintentionally DIY wedding with a cocktail-party vibe, and can't wait to celebrate our nuptials with our nearest and dearest!
One weekend when Mom Hyena was in town, we made appointments to talk to a few florists, just to get ideas and quotes. This picture sums up everything I wanted in my wedding flowers.
Peonies! Maroon and pink peonies! Perfection! I die! (source)
Mrs. Meerkat, Kalamazoo, MI/Riviera MayaAge and Occupation: 30, Application EngineerFiance's Age and Occupation: 23, IT ConsultantEngagement Date: July 26, 2008Wedding Date: December 2010Venue: Al Cielo / La LagunaAbout Me: I’m a tech-savvy tomboy with an affinity for hot tea and good sushi. Us Meerkats are just a couple fun lovin’ geeks from Michigan. We love anything having to do with movies, books, video games or technology and we hold a special place in our hearts for our two very spoiled shih-tzus, Wicket and Bravo. We also LOVE to travel. We love it so much it only took us 12 hours after we got engaged to decide to have a destination wedding. We are working our little Meerkat tails off planning a rustic-chic, travel themed destination wedding in the Riviera Maya with a semi-formal, vintage-turned-modern, outdoor at home reception back here in Michigan.
While Stacey the Hair Fairy was finishing up with my makeup, Sol took the opportunity to snap a few photos of my dress hanging out on the patio. Let me just say for the millionth time how much I love my dress. It was WAY more than I was hoping to spend but worth every, single penny.
Mrs. Cotton Candy, Riverside, CAAge and Occupation: 29, Field CoordinatorFiance's Age and Occupation: 34, Process ServerEngagement Date: July 5, 2007Wedding Date: June 2011Venue: Riverside Art MuseumAbout 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.
After some discussion with our coordinator and florist, we’ve narrowed down our flowers to the following: 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!
Everything has been meandering along fairly smoothly in the Jaguar household lately. I was commenting to a friend the other day that I was feeling calm and that most wedding-related projects are either in the works or are ones that can’t be done for the time being, so all is well. Having said that, it turned out to be the kiss of doom and the universe today decided to kick me in the shins and give me a stern talking to about jinxing things when they’re good.
Mr. Jaguar sent me a message this morning, telling me that one of his groomsmen is backing out of our big day. I’ll tell you his reasoning for the drop-out below, but just for a good visual reference, this was basically my expression for the entire day today. (Though you’ll have to imagine the teeth baring being a LOT more sinister.)
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!
Some time ago, I wrote about how I was anxious about finding a gift for Mr. Cardigan. He had been bragging for months about how he knew the perfect gift for me, and how proud he was of himself. So, needless to say, on our wedding day I was very, very excited to open my gifts. So excited, in fact, that I couldn’t wait until our photographer arrived and decided we should open them first thing in the morning (which is why you may notice that my hair isn’t done in these photos).
We had written letters for one another a year prior to the wedding, and we finally got to read them that morning. It was so special to read the words he had written for me a whole year ago in anticipation for this day!
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.
I’ve been a pretty avid runner for years now. I may not look like it, but I often get crazy if I don’t get in my 6-8 miles per day.
When I’m really stressed out, I’ll up it to 10-13. Yeah, I’m that girl you make angry dagger eyes at while at the gym because I monopolize the treadmill or inclined elliptical. I only do that when the gym is empty though. I promise. Please stop stabbing me with your eyes.
I’m also not one of those cool, calm, and collected runners who find their solace running outside. For some reason, I hate it. I like to choose when I go up a hill, and I always have this underlying fear that a hobo on our Rails to Trails will cut out one of my kidneys or other vital organs.
Because I was already active and dare I say, in very good running shape, getting fit for the wedding seemed like a moot point. Except that, well, a few months ago, I kind of stopped. Read more…
Mrs. Zebra, Providence, RIAge and Occupation: 24 Marketing/Costume DesignerFiance's Age and Occupation: 26 Management/Firefighter Engagement Date: December 12, 2008Wedding Date: March 2011Venue: The Providence BiltmoreAbout Me: I'm a small town New England girl with an affinity for procrastination, crossing the proverbial line, and putting her foot in her mouth. I'm a lover of history, all seasons, sewing and Incubus. I design costumes on the side for my old high school's theatre department, which is where I met my sexy man. Our motto for our Big Fat Lebanese/Portuguese/Irish near-300 person wedding is "the more the merrier"! We are marrying in a Catholic ceremony and are hammering out the details of our Victorian-inspired reception.
Did your heart stop there?Don’t worry, I will do the recaps here but I mean you’re not going to find our wedding on Style Me Pretty or anything. It won’t be “inspiration worthy” if-you-will. I appreciate and admire the hard work couples put into having completely awesome sauce details or, you know, wedding vendors who stage these shoots. I love the inspiration and if I could pull it off without stressing, we too could have a SMP wedding. But I’m going to be real with you—I couldn’t keep juggling all my balls. I would fail and my health would suffer. Read more…
BuzzworthyFeature Launched: February 26, 2011About: Fun inspiration boards featuring shopping guides for real brides!
** All month long get 17% off of all invitation orders in the Weddingbee Invitations Shop! Use code WBM0311 at checkout to take advantage of the discount!
We want to feature themes YOU want to see, so if you have a theme or color scheme you’d like to see featured, suggest it in the comments below! We’re not limiting the boards to weddings, so if you have an awesome bachelorette or bridal shower theme that you’d like to see featured, let us know! Of course, there are bonus points for coming up with themes featuring puns. We love a great pun!
Mrs. Prairie Dog, Cincinnati
Age and Occupation: 24, Program CoordinatorFiance's Age and Occupation: 25, PhD/Biomedical EngineerEngagement Date: December 18, 2009Wedding Date: May 2011Venue: Glendale LyceumAbout Me: I'm a pilgrim soul of a girl with a house full of books and a coffee addiction that could slay Juan Valdez. My life is a whirl of grammar correction, good music, glue-gunning, and two pets named Hazel and Winston Churchill. I'm marrying my high school boyfriend in a formal-ish spring affair, roughly themed: "Elizabeth Bennet crashes a party co-hosted by Jay Gatsby and Cath Kidston, and loves it."
Kate Middleton has long been a fixture of media in the UK, but her presence has roared into the US in the months since her engagement.
(Such a classic, natural beauty—nothing fake or forced. Go on and get it, girlfriend.)
And honestly? Sometimes I feel a bit bad for her. We think we’ve got expectations from our parents and in-laws? It took less than a day for the media to say the following:
A strong, stable marriage—one that lasts decades and produces heirs—could go a long way toward undoing the damage from the ugly squabbling and televised confessions of adultery that marred the final years of Charles and Diana’s tortured marriage.
“This is their chance to rejuvenate the dynasty,” said Patrick Jephson, former private secretary to Diana.
I must admit, I’m grateful that no one is relying on my marriage and baby-making abilities to “rejuvenate the dynasty.” Or how about this one: Read more…
Mrs. Knitting, TorontoAge and Occupation: 24, Student Recruitment Assistant
Fiance's Age and Occupation: 24, Neuroscience PhD CandidateEngagement Date: October 2009Wedding Date: December 2010Venue: University of Toronto Faculty Club
About Me: I'm a pearl wearing, etiquette book reading Toronto girl who loves cooking and baking, museums, charm bracelets, and collecting books on Jackie Kennedy (a lot). I've been known to spend Sunday mornings at the antique market, Wednesday evenings at sister sushi dinners, and any bit of spare time reading. After six and a half years of many late night walks, watching DVDs together in bed, travelling to places like New York, and Tobermory, doing Sudokus together on the couch, lots of Indian food, the occasional yoga class, moving in together and so much more, Mr. Knitting and I are planning a cozy Christmasy (it's a word!), vintage wedding in Toronto complete with many DIY projects (eek!) and lots of help from our amazing group of family and friends.
Disclaimer: Any complaining about my mom to follow is done with love!
As I alluded to in this post, while the morning of my wedding was lovely, it was not entirely stress free. The main source of stress came from Mama Knitting calling me repeatedly to discuss the fact that she didn’t know how to tie her gorgeous sari. I was not amused.
Despite having had the sari in her possession for the past 4 months, Mama Knitting had not learned to tie it. In her defense, during that time she worked her busy and stressful full time job AND completed her doctorate (that’s right, she’s Dr. Mama Knitting now!), but still. On the morning of our wedding I had other things to be concerned about. I can’t say I offered very much help on these repeated phone calls about whether or not I had Indian neighbors who could help her, especially since I’m one of those people who live in a condo building and don’t know my neighbors at all.
My parents did try to solve the sari problem on their own. Read more…
