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."
Next up, in my tour du wedding musique, we visit the traditional processional.
My grandmother was a professor of music as well as a pianist. When I was young, wedding standards rang through her house and my own, when my mother played. Even now, when I sit down at the bench, I reach for a book of traditional processionals and Ben Folds’ Rockin’ the Suburbs in equal measure. Both have merit in my life, and the following are my favorite of the former.
1. Canon in D - Pachabel. Yes, I’ve heard it a million times, but it is still breathtaking.
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!
It was finally time for the moment I had been waiting for my entire life: to eat the food at our wedding.
That’s right…move over handsome groom and big white dress…get this bride some CHOW!
Again, I’m kicking myself over not asking for pictures of our food, but if you need a reminder, here was our menu:
Drooling yet? I know I am.
Ladder 15 served the food family-style at the tables in three courses. Originally, I thought everything would go on the table at the same time, but they really paced each section of the meal, which was PERFECT. It gave everyone plenty of time to chat and enjoy themselves between the three courses. 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.
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!
Our newest is living abroad in Germany and getting married in her hometown of Garda, Italy! Please join me in saying “ciao” to our latest addition to the hive, Miss Carousel!
Miss Carousel, Dusseldorf, Germany/Garda, Italy Age & Occupation: 29, International Product Manager Fiance’s Age & Occupation: 31, Front End Developer Engagement Date: May 29, 2010 Wedding Date: September 2011 Venue: Ristorante ai Beati, Garda, Italy About Me: 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?
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!
Like our couples’ pictures, I also had solo bridal shots taken twice. The first time happened right after our couples’ photos on the cliff, right before the photos with the Hottie Brideswomen. As you can see, I also used the parasols. Thank goodness for them. We definitely needed the shade. The first photo up top definitely took several shots to take. Hanssie told me to put the parasol straight up above my head. She kept instructing me to tilt it back more…a little more…and then she ran in and positioned it for me. I was laughing (of course) because it felt so funny. When I finally saw this photo, it made a whole lot of sense why the positioning had to be just so. 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’ve written a few posts talking about the wedding day details that both Mr. Crepe and I love and are excited about. But it’s not always so easy and there are plenty of deets that were cast aside in the process. Lest all of y’all are thinking this process is cake for little Miss Crepe, I decided to share these with you.
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.
Just a few short weeks after I was engaged my step mom came to me and said, “make sure you get a videographer!” At the time, I was so hung up on finding a venue, a dress, and making sure we had a planner, I forgot all about her advice.
It didn’t dawn on me that we didn’t have a videography until most of our budget was gone.
#shit
I’m not going to lie. I got pretty upset. I felt like all of our hard work choosing other vendors would go to waste if we didn’t have someone there to capture the day on film. I talked with Mr. B about it and looked over our budget dozens of time trying to make room for the impossible. Meanwhile, I was torturing myself with videos like this one. Read more…
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.
Whenever we talked about getting married before we got engaged, we also always brought up our dream honeymoon: Tahiti. Have you seen those photos? Those white sand beaches and over the water bungalows? OMG swooooooooon…
Obviously, when we started planning a honeymoon there was no question that we were going to save like crazy and make the honeymoon of our dreams come true.
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.
With my attire all squared away, and roughly two months until our wedding, it was time. Time to dress up Mr. Lox, that is! We had talked about this quite a bit in Chez Lox and I wasn’t sure we were going to come to an agreement.
My first suggestion was for Mr. Lox to just wear a suit he already has. I mean, we have no bridal party so it’s not like there’s anyone to match. And since we are getting married outside in the afternoon, this really isn’t a super formal type wedding. I figured this was a place we could cut a corner since Mr. Lox already owns several very nice suits. However, I was instantly overruled. Well, okay then.
So then it was time to look at actual tuxes. But again, afternoon outside wedding does not equal a super formal event. So I was struggling to figure out how to fit Mr. Lox’s desire for a tux into that scheme. Enter the world of non-black tuxes! 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!
I’m having recurring dreams that on the day of the wedding, I realize we have no ceremony music or reception music. Then I have to call up friends in a band I know, and ask them to bring their iPods, microphones, and shaky fruit. It’s alarming.
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!
So, about a little over a month ago, I was having serious bad dreams about my dress coming in and not fitting. That was a month ago. That was around the time my dress was supposed to arrive. Has it arrived yet? No.
I waited a few weeks. Nothing.
I waited a few more weeks and bride brain started to take over. In an effort to calm my nerves I shot the bridal salon a friendly email. A week went by and I heard nothing back from them. I called twice last week and they said they would call me back by the end of the day with an update.
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.
Today is my last installment of my DIY screen-printing tutorial, and I hope I’ve inspired some of you to set up your own at-home screen-printing work space. This post is a hodge-podge of helpful hints, costs, and resources to hopefully make your introduction into the work of traditional screen printing a bit easier. First up is a cost breakdown!
Some of the everyday craft items such as scissors and a printer are not included in the cost, since you would have to purchase them separately regardless of whether you purchased a YUDU or went the traditional screen-printing route.
Cost breakdown
Hinge clamps - $22
Aluminum or wood screen - $15
Fee for burned artwork - $10
Squeegee large enough to fully cover your artwork - $15
Water-based ink - $5 for 4 oz bottle, $10 for 16 oz bottle
Ms. Stripes, Los AngelesAge and Occupation: 29, Costume Designer/StylistFiancee's Age and Occupation: 29, ChefEngagement Date: June 23, 2009Wedding Date: September 2010Venue: Heritage Square MuseumAbout Me: I’m a type A creative with a messy streak, a loud mouth, and an uncanny knack for combining clashing patterns. I can usually be found with my nose in a book, my feet (or at least my toes) on the ground, my head in the clouds, and my arm around the prettiest girl you ever saw- aka
Fiancee Stripes. Together we’re planning a FUN vintage/modern French carnival wedding extravaganza and rockin’ dance party on a dime. (Say that three times fast!) Good coffee, long lists, Uniball pens, and my iPhone keep me sane, and making art, making trouble, and making out keep me happy! I love urban adventures, bike rides that end with afternoon drinks, breakfast for dinner, beautiful light, photography, travel, my furry family, and of course, my beautiful fiancee! I’m super excited to be here and can’t wait to share all our adventures as we craft a joyful, budget-friendly, design-savvy and all-around AWESOME wedding!
Hey hey hey! Hope you all had a wonderful weekend! It was pretty busy around here…I worked way too late on Friday night. I styled a fun photo shoot for the always fabulous Mrs. Meatball (and hubby) on Saturday.
And I did absolutely nothing on Sunday. Well, I did dishes and found new blogs. I showered well after 3PM. I made the most delicious mushroom sauce EVER, courtesy of that genius Julia Child.
And today I start a pilot. So I figure I’d better give up the goods now, because it could get a little crazy around here for the next few weeks. Oh! And the goods are good. Like bridal portrait good…
So I’ll just shut it, drink my coffee and show you, mkay?
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.
I never realized menswear had so many nuanced variables. A suit was just a suit…and then I looked closer. Spending a solid Saturday suit shopping (excuse me while I untie my tongue) with the future mister will do that to a girl.
Going into it rather blindly, a gray, preferably slim-fit suit was my pick. He wanted ABB (anything but black) since “black is too severe and doesn’t go with [his] coloring.” Funny how this stuff comes out now. I had no clue he felt that way.
Store 1: Jos. A. Bank
Mr. P’s go-to store for work suits was a logical first stop. Here, the suits lean toward traditional fabrics and cuts. Which is fine for work, but a little too boxy for a semi-formal wedding. Winter is probably not the best time to go hunting for a summer suit, but there we were. Lots of black, brown, charcoal, and navy, but not a lot of lighter gray. Our favorite suit was this medium gray number.
Consensus: Not loving the three buttons. A slimmer fit, please. But a nice color.
Keep on loading your inspirational wedding pics to the Weddingbee Gallery to see them featured here on the blog! Remember, your images must be under 1MB in size, or they won’t load.
All-Inclusion Invitation Suites
