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 readings, it was time to exchange our vows. Lili first asked us to express our intent: “The promises you are to make today are both the culmination and foundation of a life lived with intention and integrity. Knowing what you know about one another and about the rewards and challenges of being married, are you now ready to make your promises to one another?” Yes, we are.
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!
Woohoo, invitations for BM Pumpkin’s shower! I was so excited to get started on these and, not gonna lie, was using them as a bit of a trial run to see how challenging it would be to do the invites for my wedding all by myself.
Disclaimer: These are, like, semi-DIY. Kinda like that show Semi-Homemade Cooking.
Mrs. French Toast, Pleasanton, CAAge and Occupation: 29, Marketing & PRFiance's Age and Occupation: IT geek by day, self-proclaimed handyman by nightEngagement Date: October 2009Wedding Date: March 2011Venue: Palm Event CenterAbout Me: I’m a city girl at heart who moved to the suburbs a year ago. Now I’m adjusting to life with a front lawn, nosy neighbors, cooking attempts, and making sure the garbage pail is pulled out on time every week! When I’m not traveling, Mr. FT and I enjoy marathon sessions of Law & Order: SVU, snowboarding, photography, spoiling our 3-year old yorkie-poodle Mokka and disagreeing over what music to listen to in the car. We’re planning a small winery wedding while incorporating some cultural elements into the day as a nod to our Chinese backgrounds.
Mr. French Toast and I would like to thank the hive for your helpful suggestions and let you know that Operation Wine Cork Place cards was a success! He consulted with some colleagues at work (insert geek talk), and they suggested that he use a disc sander.
Jim Hunt Illustration creates awesome, one-of-a-kind “Save the Date” cartoon maps for brides and grooms who want to share something special with their guests. He can include any details the couple requests, from cities you’ve visited together to your childhood home to your wedding venue! His illustrations look great in black and white and in color, and today we’re giving away a custom black and white “Save the Date” map, comparable in detail to the black and white “Nicole and David” illustration below, from Jim Hunt Illustration!
You have two chances to enter this contest!
To enter, visit Jim Hunt Illustration and then come back here tell us a few things you’d include in your custom map if you won! 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, March 10, 2011 at 11:59 PM PST to enter. Good luck!
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.
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!
I love how a bridal shower can make you feel so blessed! My friends and family are absolutely amazing and I cannot thank them enough for their generosity!
BM Philly, MOH Navy, Miss E, BM Cali (with her baby bump), BM Aggie
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!
You may or may not know this about me, but I’m a planner.
I mean, obviously. I spent months blogging about our wedding down to the most minor detail, and I started planning our wedding about 6 seconds after we got engaged.
However.
I did not do any planning at all when it came to our rehearsal. I don’t know if most people do, but I feel like I should have. I put absolutely zero thought into the rehearsal and figured that it would all come together in the end.
A few minutes before our rehearsal started, Daddy Cardigan came up to me and asked what the plan for the rehearsal was (hah!). He was a bit confused because at most rehearsals the officiant is the one who runs the show, but our officiant was BIL Cardigan, who has never done a wedding before! Read more…
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.
(Not trying to be a Debbie Downer with this post—bear with me; it gets better.)
Early in our engagement, Mr. P’s grandmother passed away, followed a year later by his grandfather. Finding a way to honor loved ones who are no longer with us became a priority. I suggested a photo display of portraits and weddings to Mr. P, and he thought it was a lovely idea.
Mrs. Sparkler, ChicagoAge and Occupation: 27, Communications AficionadoFiance's Age and Occupation: 26, PublisherEngagement Date: July 21, 2010Wedding Date: September 2011Venue: Chicago Illuminating CompanyAbout Me: I’m a Southern lady living in the big city of Chicago. Well, lady may be a stretch, but I’m working hard to keep some Virginia charm in our sleek, urban, wedding-palooza! I’m addicted to marathons, not-so-famous bands, Chicago restaurants, and Mark Twain. I cry during SPCA commercials, and I think LOST was the best show to ever hit television. Mr. S and I met at a classy college mixer and, 7 years later, he’s still by my side. He’s the only child, laid back, free spirit... I’m the oldest of five kids, type-A, organizer. It doesn’t work on paper, but we’ve never paid attention to that stuff anyway. Somehow it works. And like they say, sometimes when you know…you just know.
Sister Sparkler (my maid of honor) was in Chicago recently, and we were MEGA productive in all things wedding related. OK, there was one major fail, but we’ll talk about that later. Let’s talk about the things we did accomplish first:
1. Cheese please
On Friday night, we met up with our photographers at their (insanely adorable) studio in Evanston, where we had a chance to check out…the Smilebooth! If you haven’t heard of Smilebooth, you have to, have to, HAVE TO check out their website. It’s a pretty simple idea: Step in front of the camera, grab the clicker, and—“Cheese!”—capture your own photo booth images in front of adorable backdrops. Here’s a taste of what you can end up with:
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!
I want to explain to y’all why my recaps have been so touch and go lately. A couple days before our wedding my husband jokingly said to me, “Once this wedding’s over what’s gonna be your next project? A baby?” I’m definitely one of those people that always has to have a project or I’m just flat out bored all the time and it’s just miserable. Ask my husband.
Apparently my husband is telepathic or something, because guess what, Hive? I’m pregnant! That’s right, less than two weeks after our wedding I found out I was pregnant. When we’d talked about having kids before we got married, my husband and I agreed that after the wedding we’d just stop trying to prevent a pregnancy. We figured we’d have some time for my body to transition from being on birth control back to normal before we’d even have to consider the possibility of a pregnancy. 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 dinner, Mr. Socks and I had asked Sister Socks and Groomsman Matt to deliver toasts. Matt went first and kept it short, funny and sweet. Apparently, he was nervous to deliver the speech, but did so well that I would have never known!
Sister Socks went next and she delivered a funny, wonderful speech that mostly encompassed how much she used to dupe me when I was a kid. It was so touching and heartfelt…I should ask her for a copy of it! Read more…
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!
For our wedding at Viking Heaven (AKA, The Barn at Valhalla—oh wow, I haven’t even posted about that. How backasswards of me!), doors need to be adorned. OK, maybe not need. But this is a craft I could do wayyyyyyy in advance, and it seemed do-able for even this sometimes craft-impaired bride. So I ordered all that ribbon and got to cutting and tying, following directions from The Long Thread.
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?
I knew Mr. Carousel was getting around the concept of marriage when he started mentioning how much sense it would make tax wise to make our relationship “official.” But the proposal itself was very romantic, sweet, and spontaneous.
We decided to celebrate my birthday by spending the weekend in a beautiful resort in Sauerland, an area in Germany famous for forests, lakes, and protected wildlife areas.
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.
I got another wedding accessory! (Well, actually, I got three, because I couldn’t tell which one I liked best on the internet, but I’m returning two of them, so …)
Can you tell what they are?
It’s sequined, zippered lingerie to wear under my dress!
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!
As you may or may not recall, I want to be able to use the word “bride” as much as possible on my wedding day. I know a lot of people prefer to go the “Mr. & Mrs.” route, but I figure I have my whole life to be a “Mrs.” So, I had originally planned on doing simple chalkboard bride-and-groom chair signs tied with some burlap, lace, and pink ribbon. Simple and sweet. Done and done.
Then, during a sort of sale-induced Michaels shopping frenzy, I picked up these large (about 10 inches tall) white wooden letters on sale. They were only $1.50 each, plus I think it’s kind of sweet that our initials spell “DO.”
I literally had no plan. I just bought them and hoped I could work them in somehow. Now, I am thinking they might make great chair signs. However, I am not entirely ready to give up on the bride-and-groom signs. I have collected a series of inspiration pictures and am kind of hoping I can incorporate these different elements into a cohesive design. (Hang in there. I know there is A LOT going on!)
I really like the sweetness of these signs. We are also using a lot of whimsical calligraphy at our wedding, so signs like this but smaller might work.
All-Inclusion Invitation Suites
