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!
I’m taking a halt in my recaps because I’m so annoyed with myself. Did I really just spend the last twoposts talking about how uncomfortable I felt during formals, and how I wish I was more fierce? Gosh, I could kick that woman for being so glass-half-empty. Learning self-love is a process, one that I’m likely to always need to be consciously aware of.
I read my bridal pictures post when it went live on the blog. As I read through what I wrote, I felt like I was watching myself in a reality TV show. I finished the post and felt embarrassed that I never even once acknowledged the beauty in my bridal shots. It’s so much easier to recognize the beauty of moments and the joy that is reflected in the more photojournalistic photos. Admitting the beauty of bridals seems so much more difficult. Perhaps I was being modest. But more likely, I was just being down on myself. All too often, we are our worst critics.
Mrs. Trail Mix, New YorkAge and Occupation: 26, PE TeacherFiance's Age and Occupation: 27, MBA StudentEngagement Date: March 2009Wedding Date: June 2010Venue: Tannery Pond at the Darrow SchoolAbout Me: I'm a country girl who somehow found herself living in the Big Apple and loving every minute of it. I'm planning a rustic, country-chic wedding in my hometown in upstate New York and it's going to be a Party with a capital P. White wine, flea markets and running keep me happy and my friends, family and fiance are my world. I'm a little bit crafty, a little bit crazy but mostly just crazy in love.
Way way back (gosh, it feels like ages ago!) when I was still knee-deep in wedding planning, I would gaze longingly at hilarious photo booth pictures that made the wedding blog rounds but then heave a dramatic sigh and move on. I knew there was no way I was willing to give up anything in our budget to make room for this amazing trend and we simply did not have the technology to do it ourselves. I simply assumed from the beginning that it was a lost cause.
But then! The typically cruel and merciless wedding gods took pity on a poor, woe-begotten bride and, like a ray of sunshine through the clouds, offered up a solution in the form of our photographer (Kelly of Closed Circle Photography.) She emailed me, out of the blue, to say that she was offering a promotion for a free photo booth set-up for any wedding where she was booked for at least six hours. Since we qualified, did we want to take advantage of the offer?
Um, HELLS to the YES we did!! And so, with absolutely no planning, stressing, DIY-endeavors or budget-squeezing, we got our photo booth. Wahoooo!!!
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!
MY DRESS IS HERE!!! So I may or may not be wearing my wedding dress as I type this post. At first I considered not opening it at all. Who was I kidding!?! I ripped it open like a kid on Christmas morning. First of all, it fits like a glove. I don’t even know if I need alterations.
Mrs. Rainbow, TampaAge and Occupation: 22, Makeup ArtistFiance's Age and Occupation: 25, Electrical Engineer/ProgrammerEngagement Date: November 27, 2008Wedding Date: May 2010Venue: The Gamble PlantationAbout Me: I'm a quirky (and slightly Type-A) freelance makeup artist who was born in Washington State, raised in Alabama, and now living with my one and only in sunny Florida. I'm fashion and beauty obsessed, and have recently discovered my inner domestic diva extraordinaire. I'm a wannabe chef, decorating addict, and trying desperately to be as crafty as possible---albeit only with a glue gun. I'm hopelessly in love with my fiance, and all things sparkly and feathery. Despite the glittery exterior, I'm a total hippie on the inside. When I'm not making up pretty faces, I love doing what I can to help people, animals, and the environment. Someday the FI and I will change the world, but first we're tackling our modern-vintage-Marie-Antoinette-meets-Alice-in-Wonderland inspired wedding. I just can't wait to be Mrs. Rainbow!
The planning is finished, the wedding has passed, and my recaps have officially been wrapped up. I knew this day would eventually come, but that hasn’t made saying goodbye any easier.
You all have been such a big part of my life ever since my very first post went up on Weddingbee. Your advice, support, and opinions have been absolutely indispensable and I seriously don’t know how I would have planned our wedding (and kept a single shred of sanity) without you all. And for that, I thank you from the deepest depths of my rainbow colored heart.
Instead of goodbye, how about see you around? 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!
Oh man, Hive, ever since I talked about Packing the Invitations, I’ve had belly bands on my mind. I’ve gone through weird belly band phases, where I thought they were just okay, and then loved them, then just okay, and then loved them again.
Well, right now, I currently love them. Love. Them. It amazes me how creative people can get with the bands, and how fantastic they can all look, even if they are different.
I’ve decided that showing you just two photos in my last won’t do. I hereby dedicate this entire post to belly bands. That’s right! In honor of the hug for our invitations, here are all kinds of belly band eye candy.
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.
Last night, Operation Wine Cork Place cards was a big #FAIL.
Mr. French Toast and I went to our final walk-through at the venue this weekend, and the coordinator gave us a box of used wine corks which could double as our place card holders.
“Enough for mistakes too,” she said, ever so sweetly. And boy, was she right about “mistakes.”
She also gave us a sample of how a proper wine cork place card could look.
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!
Ever since picking up my dress way back in June, I’ve been worried. I was worried that reading wedding blogs, not particularly looking for dresses but looking at dresses, would have me second guessing my dress. I was also worried that it would no longer fit. I have no clue why, because it’s a lace up back and I have been working out more since picking up the dress than I did before buying it. But the nightmares continued…
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.
The morning of our wedding began with me realizing that we didn’t have the brown sugar I needed to make the pumpkin spice whoopie pies that I was making for our wedding dessert table. This resulted in Mr. Knitting having to get out of bed and run to the store to buy me some brown sugar.
Brown sugar disaster averted, I proceeded to make my whoopie pies:
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.
While I totally understand the symbolism and spiritual significance, I’m not sure it’s feasible to do a this type of thing at our wedding. Part of me really likes the idea, because we’re not going any other ritualistic types of things (i.e. a sand or candle ceremony), but the other part of me thinks washing each other’s feet could get a little messy (literally and logistically).
When I researched the subject, I found this beautiful wedding video.
Skip to 3:00 minutes for the foot washing… Read more…
ContestsFeature Launched: Oct 5, 2006About: Weddingbee contests and giveaways.
Congratulations to our winners SoontobeMrsA and cleesmile!
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{Come one, Come all!} WellWed Magazine’s carnival-themed Cape & Islands Wedding Affair invites you to step right up, take a chance, and plan the wedding of your dreams! This year’s event will be held at Chatham Bars Inn, Chatham, MA on March 12 where vintage carnival games will set the tone for a fun and inspiring showcase of inventive décor and complimentary, fair-worthy fare - including candied apples, cupcakes, and, of course, cotton candy. Mingle with the some of the best wedding professionals in the region before heading into the spa room to enjoy luxurious hand and foot treatments, hair and makeup consultations, and chair massages. There will be educational seminars on everything from wine and menu pairing to modern wedding etiquette, and the evening will conclude with an amazing fashion show of stunning bridal couture. Even better, a silent auction of fabulous wedding-related gift certificates and other items will benefit the Make a Wish Foundation, and each lucky bride-to-be will receive a luxury gift bag containing over $100 worth of goodies.
In honor of the event, Weddingbee’s giving away two sets of couples’ tickets (a $40 value!) to the Cape & Islands Wedding Affair!
To enter, simply comment below! You have until Tuesday, March 8th at 11:59PM to enter. And if you don’t win, you can purchase tickets to the event right here.
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!
I’m really looking forward to spoiling my bridesmaids; giving them their gifts is going to be so much fun. (Seriously, I just can’t wait to see them wearing them.)
Just like last time: girls, if you’re reading, please stop now. Peeking makes baby jaguars cry… and you don’t want to spoil the surprise, do you?
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’m so happy I convinced Mr. Barrettes to tackle the photo booth project at the last minute! It added a fun extra element to the reception, despite its flaws. I mentioned here how it was made and what we would have done differently.
I’m sure my groom didn’t plan on cutting the board (with what looks to be a cake-cutter) just before it was hung—but ah, it adds character…at least that’s what I keep telling myself. Read more…
Mrs. Cinnamon Bun, Calgary, AlbertaAge and Occupation: 26, Stage ManagerFiance's Age and Occupation: 26, Theatre TechnicianEngagement Date: June 22, 2010Wedding Date: June 2011Venue: Calgary Opera CentreAbout Me: I'm a life-long crafter and bookworm living in the foothills of the Canadian Rockies. Some of my loves include Lord of the Rings, Sherlock Holmes, knitting, opera, musicals, Etsy, baking, and of course, Mr. Cinnamon Buns. We're keeping our wedding close to home---the venue isn't very far from our house, and we live within walking distance of 6 bridal salons. I'm using the wedding as an excuse to try out every craft project I possibly can, with the endless help and support of my fiance.
Hi, my name is Cinnamon Bun, I’m getting married in less than 4 months (WHEN DID THAT HAPPEN?!) and wehaven’t booked a florist yet.
Speaking to a florist was actually one of the first things we did after getting engaged—Cinnamon Buns has a friend from high school who now owns her own floral shop in town. We went up there before I had a dress, before we had picked colours or theme, or anything. We brought Cinnamon Buns’ laptop, and showed her a mish-mash of pictures I thought were pretty. There was no theme or reoccurring pattern in these pics, apart from ‘flowers!!1!’ We talked about wrapping the stems, how there could be contrast ribbon, pearl pins, rhinestone blingy pins… it was a little overwhelming. She cut us a bit of a deal when she gave us a quote for what we wanted (1 bride bouquet, 2 BM bouquets, 3 boutonnieres) and it was still “Holy cow, flowers cost WHAT?” We went home to mull it over, and I came to some conclusions:
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. 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.
I interrupt our at home reception planning to bring you our wedding recaps!
Wow, where do I even being trying to put everything into words? I guess I should really start with the morning we arrived in Mexico. After a long flight into Cancun and another hour and half long drive south to the resort I almost couldn’t contain my excited squeal as I saw the highway signs pointing us to the Grand Palladium.
As the road twisted around through the HUGE property we came to the adults only Royal section entrance. Read more…
All-Inclusion Invitation Suites
