Miss Carousel, Dusseldorf, Germany/Garda, ItalyAge and Occupation: 29, International Product ManagerFiance's Age and Occupation: 31, Front End DeveloperEngagement Date: May 29, 2010Wedding Date: September 2011Venue: I’m an American-Italian girl living in Germany with my Belgian fiancé, planning a wedding in Italy. I can’t wait to show our guests the wonderful Lake Garda, Verona, and want our wedding to be a fun filled, charming, day in the life of “La dolce vita.” Mr. C and I love spending time together, and have added wedding related activities to our cooking nights, dance lessons, and road trips. We love sampling restaurants, could listen to Sinatra all day, and are just a tad geeky and into technology. As we want all of our passions to be part of our marriage, what better way to start than by incorporating them in our wedding day?
In today’s globalized world it is more and more common for couples to be international. I think that having a partner who is from a different country is a great way to expand your horizons and to get to know different cultures. However, there are many drawbacks, like having to choose where to live, what language to raise your kids in, and…where to hold your wedding.
This was the first not so easy planning decision we had to make. I am a half-American/half-Italian living in Germany. He is from Belgium, living in Germany with me. We nixed the idea of having separate receptions in each country and considered each option.
1. Germany
Germany would be the most convenient option, both logistically and for the budget. But dealing with German vendors is very difficult for us because of our limited knowledge of the German language and because they are in general not very flexible. Plus, neither of us is from Germany. We decided this was not the right country for us.
If we had decided to remain in Germany for the wedding, we would have probably gone for the Schloss Gartrop as our venue and with Katja Heil as our photographer. See both in action below and here—so lovely!
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.
On the Thursday before the wedding, we woke up to the welcome sound of pouring rain. Why was it welcome? Because that Thursday storm wasn’t supposed to happen until Saturday, and I had been panicking all week because it looked like our plans for a garden picnic wedding were going to get washed out. But, thanks to a strong southerly wind, the storm came early, and I could breathe a bit easier.
The rain also brought another benefit: perfectly cool weather for DIYing our reception flowers!
Now, I would like to preface the following with a disclaimer: Read more…
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 countless hours of designing, screen printing, cutting, gluing, and addressing, our save the dates are finally ready to head out the door to their new homes!
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."
Invitations are nearly done here at Chez Pdog, so I’m showin’ ’em. You’ll never tell our guests, now will you? Here you go, my internet chickies!
(If you want to see how these fit into our overall idea of my wedding colors/tone, go here.)
To be perfectly frank, these invites probably suggest a more traditional couple than Pdog and myself. If mine were the only druthers considered, they might be a little less formal and a little more sassy. However, these invitations are going to my parents’ friends and associates, and my parents are traditional people. So Pdog and I found a way to make them formal, elegant, and still us. It’s a good compromise. Read more…
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!
After the parent dances, we asked everyone to join us on the dance floor, and when I say everyone, I MEAN everyone. I wanted a photo of all of the guests at our wedding and the second floor of Ladder 15 was perfect for an overhead shot of our guests!
Well, almost all of them. At this point, Mr. Socks’ sister and cousin started uncontrollably crying and causing a scene off to the side. But you won’t hear me complain that I don’t have to see their faces when I look at this photo! Read more…
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.
Or perhaps more accurately, sleepless in the Seattle suburbs. After a tiring day before the wedding one would think that I would have crashed after our yummy rehearsal dinner. Unfortunately, there were still things to do before my head could hit the pillow. I reserved a hotel room for myself and bridesmaids S and R. Since R and her husband had just arrived in town I was excited for a little girl time. However, I’m sure she was exhausted from the plane ride. Before we retreated to the hotel, we had to first stop at Mr Pretzel’s townhouse.
At this point the iPod mixes for the two 10 minute band intermissions were not complete. Thankfully, Groomsman M took over this task for me when we arrived. Mr Pretzel and I snuck upstairs to exchange gifts. He had insisted that we exchange gifts in person and I wanted us to open our gifts in private so we settled on opening them together at our house before I escaped to the hotel for the night. We sat at the foot of the bed and I was giddy with anticipation as he opened my hand-made card.
Mr P’s nickname for me is {Firstname} T-Rex and my nickname for him is King Stink—just trust me, both nicknames are loving terms of endearment. I burned the {Firstname}T-Rex loves King stink image on a Gocco screen and in addition to the card I also printed a set of custom handkerchiefs. 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, let’s get real a bit today and talk about something I know so much of the hive has struggled with at one point or another. Dress regret. That horrible sinking feeling that so many of us feel just days after purchasing our dresses. It can be anything from a niggling little doubt in the corner of your mind, to a full-on panic. It can overshadow the moment you decided to buy the dress and make you second guess just about everything about it. And for any bride, that can be absolutely terrifying.
I mean, let’s think about it. It makes perfect sense. Even if your dress is not the most expensive item of clothing you’ve ever bought, it’ll probably be memorialized more than anything else you’ve ever worn. There will be more pictures and more memories attached to this garment than pretty much anything else in your closet. So it is understandably stressful for some of us to make this decision.
Today is the last day to enter this contest over at Project Wedding!
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This one was too big not to share! Head on over to Project Wedding now to enter for a chance at winning five bridesmaid dresses from the new online boutique, WeddingtonWay (up to a $2,000 value)! WeddingtonWay carries fun, trendy bridesmaid designers like Simple Silhouettes, Dessy, Coren Moore, and Lela Rose.
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!
Woohoo! The Waffles are officially booked for a 10 day honeymoon in Maui!
We were very diligent in our research before booking as we wanted to stay near the water, but not in a resort where there are tons of people and lots of kidlets running here and there. Our hours of research and reading customer reviews paid off because we found a glorious place called the Aston Mahana. The building is full of studio, one bedroom, and two bedroom fully furnished and privately owned condos. The condo owners are required to keep everything up to date and to specific standards. It had a very high rating on Trip Advisor and is, best of all, Waffle budget friendly. Every unit has floor to ceiling windows and faces the ocean. GORGEOUS!
We are seriously, seriously on the beach. For realsies—oceanfront property. I am so excited to know that all 10 days we are going to be there it will be like this… Read more…
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!
I realize I haven’t mentioned my wedding dress at all yet, possibly because there’s no exciting story. I saw it in a magazine, said I wanted that one, tried it on 2.5 years before the wedding, went back a year later after I first tried it on, and Mama Giraffe bought it for me. I didn’t change my mind, worry, or spend hours looking at dresses. It’s just not my style. I hate trying on clothes normally, and I’m far from a fashionista so the whole dress process was 100% me.
That being said, wedding planning has made me crazy and I’ve had wedding superstition all in my head. I’m convinced it’s bad luck for Mr. G to see my dress, so I’m keeping it under wraps until the big day.
But then, come to think of it, I haven’t shared my bridesmaids’ dresses either…frankly, because I don’t like to think of them. I’m going to be honest with you, here, Hive. Bear with me.
See, shopping for bridesmaids’ dresses (BMDs) was not a good experience. There was lot of drama, arguing, anger, and tears. I’m normally a strong person, but I spent the end of day crying, and I could only be comforted by BMs Mang and Chipotle.
It was horrible and a mess, and I don’t like to think about that day. It was nothing like I had imagined it would be, and it certainly was not fun. Read more…
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!
Some of you may remember the Christmas blizzard of 2010. If you don’t, it took place the day after Christmas and dumped over two feet of snow on New York City. The thing was that my family (two sisters, one niece, one nephew, and my mom!) had come to stay with me (and Mr P.) for A WEEK in our tiny ONE-BEDROOM APARTMENT. Now if you aren’t Chinese, you may not understand how you end up with three adults and two children staying in your living room, but it if you are, you understand how impossibly hard it is to say no!
Mrs. Magic, Chapel Hill, NCAge and Occupation: 30, Licensed Clinical Social WorkerFiance's Age and Occupation: 30, ResearcherEngagement Date: December 1, 2009Wedding Date: October 2011Venue: Barn at ValhallaAbout Me: I’m a tall drink of water (5’10”!) and a Southern bride with an enormous appetite for Mexican food, good deals, anything French, and all things wedding! By day I am lucky enough to work with individuals with autism and their families. By night, I’m even luckier to be able to spend time hanging out with awesome friends, crafting, shopping, thinking about exercising, and kicking it with Mr. Magic and our two cats. I tend to have sudden, intense cravings that will not be denied (seafood enchiladas! new jeans!) and I’m prone to being a disorganized mess of anxiety and stress. After waiting (and waiting!) to get engaged, I am finally planning the colorful, fun, fabulously awesome Fall wedding of our dreams. In an effort to share the fun and craziness that is wedding planning, I’m gonna blog about it for y’all---the good, the bad, and the pretty!
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.
I love buying things for people, so when it came time to come up with gifts for the bridal party, I was thrilled! I knew from the start that I wanted their gifts to be something they could use during the wedding, but even then, there are so many options!
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!
I went looking for my groom when the DOC told me it was time for the tosses. I didn’t see him on the dance floor or in the courtyard so I made my way to the fountain, and lo and behold, the jokers were all gathered around the bike.
Naturally, I thought it would be a hot moment if I climbed up there with him. Those clever photographers always know where to be! Read more…
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!
I know I might get some flack about this; some of you will think I am completely out of my mind.
After I bought my dress, I went to M&J Trimming and got about a yard of beaded trim. The colors I chose for the wedding were mostly warm tones, so I thought it would be nice to swap out the sequin appliques on my dress for some champagne hued sparkle!
Last night, I took a deep breath, unzipped the garment bag, and took out my scissors.
I stood there for a few minutes, trying to figure out if I was absolutely sure that I was going to do this. Read more…
All-Inclusion Invitation Suites
