Ms. Sloth, PhiladelphiaAge and Occupation: 35, Account Manager and Fashion BloggerFiance's Age and Occupation: 30, Design AdminEngagement Date: December 25, 2009Wedding Date: May 2011Venue: Bartram's GardenAbout Me: I'm an internet junkie and music snob with a good eye for a bargain. I couldn't live without thrift store shopping, cheeseburgers, sushi, Coke Zero, websites devoted to silly photos of baby animals, Photoshop, and Mr. Sloth. Speaking of which, he and I are a pair of goofball homebody nerds who love our beagle (the most ridiculously adorable dog EVER) to an embarrassing degree. We're planning a low-key and intimate yet festive and quirky outdoor wedding with DIY details and deeply personal touches, and it's all taking place in the city where we fell in love and call home: Philadelphia.
With a wedding comes the pre-wedding festivities. I’ve got a shower, a bachelorette party, and a rehearsal dinner (which may become a rehearsal lunch, but that’s a post for later), and I’ve got to have something to wear to all three of them.
Luckily for me, I’ve already got a closet full of dresses. I’ve worn them before, but there’s no reason why I can’t wear them again! I definitely don’t care if people have seen me in the same outfit more than once. So, off I go to shop my own closet! But I need your opinions, hive. Which of these dresses do you like best, and which event should I wear them to?
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!
When I woke up on Thursday morning, I could hardly believe that it was actually the day that we would be starting all of our wedding events! Mr. Cardigan and I were both incredibly excited, and we were bounding around like 5-year-olds for pretty much the entire day.
As I mentioned in my last post, I forced myself to finish every single project by Wednesday evening before our wedding. That way, Thursday and Friday could be filled with nothing but relaxation and happiness! I’m so incredibly glad I did this and I highly recommend it to everyone. It made a huge difference in my stress level. Because my to-do list was completely empty, Mr. Cardigan and I had absolutely no plans on Thursday. We woke up, loaded up his car with all of our wedding stuff, and headed out for some breakfast.
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!
They say that you should spend as much time preparing for marriage as you do planning for your wedding. Well. I don’t know how realistic that is. We spent two hours at our venue today ironing out some details, and I think if we had followed that conversation with two hours of marriage prep talk, I would have thrown up in my mouth a little bit. Not exactly charming, but true.
I do think some degree of marriage prep is important. At first, I thought we’d just follow some formula. We’d find a therapist, we’d go to counseling, we’d get a little certificate, we’d live happily ever after. But the more I researched it, the more I realized that really wasn’t for us. Mr. Lion is a very private person, and I had a hard time imagining him opening up to a stranger!
As with many of our wedding projects, we chose to go the DIY route. We started to look at books on premarital counseling, when we stumbled upon this:
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.
One August day in 2009 I received an email inviting me to my cousins bachelorette party. I was never particularly close to this cousin. We grew up about 2 hours from each other and although we are close in age, she was more in my brothers grouping of cousins. (AHHH to be one of thirty first cousins.) So while I thought it was odd that I was on the guest list, there was no way I was going to miss an opportunity to party down in Boston.
That night I found out that my cousin and I are two of the same. exact. people.Right down to the Britney Spears obsession. Read more…
Mrs. Tartlet, Rochester, MIAge and Occupation: Age & Occupation: 27, Post-Doctoral Research FellowFiance's Age and Occupation: 28, Medical StudentEngagement Date: May 2, 2009Wedding Date: May 2011Venue: The Royal Park HotelAbout Me: I'm an exuberant gal from the Midwest with a penchant for Neuroscience and anything sparkly. I'm not afraid to poke fun at myself, and I'm a believer that given the right pair of shoes, a girl can conquer the world. While an interest in the sciences threw Mr. Tartlet and me together (again, and again, until it finally stuck), we share a love for many things---food, video games, car dancing, food, bad puns, travel, did I mention food?---that ultimately led us to where we are now, less than five months from becoming Mr. and Mrs. We're planning a laid-back, romantic, garden-inspired affair with organic and quirky touches that reflect our love for the unexpected!
One night while I was out with a group of my besties, the subject of the wedding came up, which naturally evolved into a discussion about my bachelorette party. At some point “The Thunder Down Under!!!” was proclaimed in a grandiose voice, which prompted everyone to dissolve into fits of giggles. Although a getaway to Vegas was out of the question, a couple of my gal pals pointed out that the fair city of Chicago is within driving distance! More dialogue ensued about the gyrating hips of half-naked men and how best to make me blush. At one point, someone turned to me and said: “Tartlet, what would you want to do in Chicago for your bachelorette?” I paused briefly to consider the question, and then chirped: “I’d really like to go to the aquarium!”
*cue crickets*
Fear not, there won’t be a “Flipper 2: Tartlet’s New Adventures” post in the future (although I did go through a phase where I wanted to be a marine biologist). I’m sharing this conversation with y’all because it brings up a good point: 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!
Step into my world—but watch your step, OK? Because it’s a scattered, multitasking, colorful space filled with cat hair and caffeine. Oh, and about one million shades of purple.
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. Lace, Pasadena, CAAge and Occupation: 29, Elementary school teacherFiance's Age and Occupation: 29, EngineerEngagement Date: September 6, 2009Wedding Date: June 2010Venue: Orange County Performing Arts CenterAbout Me: Born and raised in Southern California, my fiance and I are marrying in Orange County. We're planning a vintage wedding with a modern twist. I am an elementary school teacher by day and a wedding planner by night. I love reading, blogging, scrapbooking, trying out new DIY projects, buying awesome finds at incredible deals and spending time with friends and family. Trying new restaurants, traveling and shopping also top my hobby list. I'm anxious to share my wedding ideas and planning with the hive!
It’s been just short of 9 months since the wedding and I have a bad case of wedding withdrawal. I reluctantly began selling all of my wedding stuff on the Weddingbee Classifieds, but I refused to unsubscribe from my wedding blogs and still shamelessly read them even though I am no longer planning a wedding. I still often look through my wedding photos, album, and engagement photos so I can remember our wedding day.
It’s funny—the roller coaster of emotions that come from wedding planning. At first you are ridiculously excited, then completely overwhelmed, then determined to finish all your planning, then resigned to the fact that you may not finish every DIY project you wanted to do, then nervous as the day approaches, then stressed the week of as you hammer out the last details, then unbelievably happy on the day of the wedding, then relieved as you close the books on that big wedding day you’ve been planning for x amount of months (or years).
You go on your honeymoon and think, “Phew! I’m so glad I’m done wedding planning!” Then, if you’re at all like me, you slowly…incredulously…begin…to miss wedding planning! Yes, it’s true! 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.
One of those Oriental Trading Company catalogs came in the mail this week. Before committing it to the trash can, I flipped through it—just for fun. I was surprised to find products we’d actually use, including paper lanterns. But I knew they could be found for less! A little internet sleuthing yielded some deals.
Oriental Trading - limited colors (no yellow), accordion pleat design
Mrs. Hippo, New York City/Dallas, TXAge and Occupation: 34, Event Planner for a Non-Profit Fiance's Age and Occupation: 35, Finance ITEngagement Date: August 8, 2009Wedding Date: March 2011Venue: Samuel Lynne Galleries and Marc EventsAbout Me: I’m a thirty-something bride living in New York City and planning a modern-ish wedding in Dallas, Texas. I love trashy reality television (Jersey Shore, anyone?), online shopping, Sunday brunch, Central Park, and random celebrity spottings on the streets of Manhattan. While I love NYC, I miss good Tex-Mex, my college friends, central A/C, and being in close proximity to a Target. I’m thrilled to finally be planning an event that’s not work-related and to be marrying my best friend in what I hope will be a unique and personal ceremony followed by a reception with plenty of good food, good drinks, and dancing (regardless if it’s good or not).
I mentioned earlier this week that I did my first dress fitting when I was in Dallas last weekend. The bridesmaids’ dresses had also arrived, and three of my four bridesmaids tried on their dresses the weekend while I was in town. The fourth bridesmaid, MOH Sister Hippo, had her dress sent to her in Chicago and had already gotten it taken in. Way to be on top of it, sister!
So, first the good news.
The dresses look awesome! I love the navy color we chose, and the satin fabric is lovely. BMs Amber and Angela modeled their picks, and then had the seamstress make adjustments, including shortening the hem to be knee-length. I’m super excited with how the dresses look, and I know the ladies felt good about them too.
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."
It feels trite to say that I love music. I happily fork over money for my Rhapsody account each month because I would go broke if I bought every song I listen to on iTunes. And when I say I love music, I love all music. Top-40, who-the-crap-are-they indie music, I LOVE folk—anything with a banjo or a harmonica, classic rock, country, sacred music, instrumental…you name it, I’m up for it. I even dig the blues.
This next week, I’ll be plowing through some wedding-y musical selections. I’ll show you my favorites, and you can tell me yours. If you love swappin’ ideas about music, you get a whole week of it. If you hate it, it’s over in a week!
Without further ado: Wedding Music from Movies! I love the idea of personalizing your wedding with selections from favorites movies or TV shows. Read more…
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.
Hmmmm…that title doesn’t really work. In my head, I was imagining all of our potential venues battling for our business, Olympics-style. But that’s not really how it happened.
It was actually more like this: “Yay, we are Chicago venues! We don’t have to fight for clients because we book up a year in advance!
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’m so happy that this is a wedding/party trend that has swept the nation because it meant that it was easy to find them sold in bulk. At first, the plan was to use this in adorable mason jars, garnished with mint or citrus slices, but seeing as no part of our wedding is outdoors, it didn’t seem to work quite as well with our style. That didn’t stop me from gathering inspiration photos like this, however: Read more…
All-Inclusion Invitation Suites
