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!
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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!
The week before our wedding was…hectic, to say the least. Mr. Cardigan and I left our home in College Station to go to Austin about two weeks before the wedding and so at this point we had already been away from our home for about a week.
We were staying at Mr. Cardy’s parents’ house, along with his brother and his brother’s two kids (his wife joined us a few days before the wedding). So, there were five adults, two kids, and two dogs crammed into a pretty small house. Mr. Cardigan and I were staying in his old room, which is tiny, and by the time we got to the week before our wedding, we were both about to lose our minds from being in such close quarters with so many people. I will be the first to admit that I was not the most pleasant person to be around the week before our wedding—I need lots of personal space, and I get grumpy when I don’t have it.
Even though things were cramped and we were grumpy, we had a lot of stuff to do! Most of my days were spent running around like a crazy person, doing crafts with Sister Cardy (who, by the way, is the best EVER. I’m not kidding when I say our wedding would have sucked without her. She’s amazing) and just generally freaking out.
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.
“Just tell me the location, date and time of the wedding and I’ll show up,” joked Mr. French Toast when we first started planning the wedding.
Or was he?
Early on in the planning process, Mr. French Toast expressed his desire to not play a big role with planning the wedding. After all, he couldn’t tell the difference between chiavari vs. folding chairs, pintuck vs. regular linens and all the other wedding details I bombarded him with. His only objective was to get married, even if it meant a small and intimate civil ceremony.
In retrospect, I’ve had moments where I wished I could have his attitude toward our wedding. That way, the money we saved up could be spent towards insulating our home, buying a new car, or taking a grand vacation. But like all little girls who dreams of a fairytale wedding, I was set on making my own come true and had Mr. French Toast’s full moral support. Read more…
Mrs. Thimble, NYC/PhiladelphiaAge and Occupation: 26, Actress & Costume Designer (+ day job)Fiance's Age and Occupation: 26, Lawyer & Techie WizEngagement Date: August 22, 2008Wedding Date: October 2010Venue: The Pearl S. Buck HouseAbout Me: I’m an easily inspired over-thinker delighted with the process of designing, building, directing and {dare I say} co-starring in the early-autumn affair I’ve been dreaming up. I’m a sucker for trendied-up comfort foods and old family anecdotes; I have an affinity for adjectives, alliteration, eyelet and earl grey; and I live for quality time with family and friends. I never guessed I’d marry my “high school sweetheart", but when it turned out to be my funny, techie, loyal Mr. Thimble I was committed for life. We’re both mid-career transition and ready to move back to small-townish TBD, PA in a pre-wedding flurry of all-good life changes.
Married life has opened the door to all new kinds of commitment for Mr. Thimble and me. We’ve been researching buying a home, which has led us to set up some long-term savings plans, I’ve been pondering my dream job that I can love for all time, and we fell in head over heels for a little puppy we’ve named Penny.
So no, this post is not about marital finances (phew!), or about good luck proverbs, but about our newest commitment and love of our lives. Hive, meet the newest edition to the Thimble family: bitty pretty puppy Penny!!
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 kind of a jealous person, it’s true, and this is most true in the realm of finances. Everyone wishes they always had more money than they have…after all, isn’t that the point of life? (That’s a joke people—chillax.) I really do know what it’s like to not have money and be broke. Like, digging-through-the-car-for-change-to-find-enough-money-to-get-to-your-unpaid-internship kind of broke. Or, growing-up-always-wearing-your-older-brother’s-hand-me-downs, living-in-a-trailer, not-having-transportation kind of broke.
Poor upbringing + working hard myself to pay for school and start a real career + expensive tastes x label whore tendencies = screwed when it comes to wedding planning. Read more…
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.
I had my first shower y’all and it was nothing short of super fabulous!
First I have to take you through the decor because it was simply stunning! There were trays with white doilies, crystal plates, green and pink forks for eating cake, pale orange, peach, and yellow rose garland everywhere, balloons, tulle (I LOVE tulle), and presents galore! 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.
I can think of no better time to dream of a tropical getaway than in the middle of yet another snowstorm. The snow is just pouring down, but our thoughts are on planning the honeymoon.
When Mr. P asked what sort of trip I wanted to take, my only requirement was “warm and beachy.” After the stress and exhaustion of planning and hosting a wedding, I don’t think we’ll be game for anything more strenuous than reaching for margaritas and guacamole.
Warm and beachy is a good place to start. Our ideal destination wouldn’t take more than six hours to reach, and the airfare shouldn’t eat into the room-and-board budget too much…ideally. There are a handful of destinations below for which we may be willing to bend the rules a bit. Without further delay, I present the “Could you be our honeymoon?” contestants:
MrsTimber’s cupcake tower featured vanilla cupcakes with vanilla cream filling, chocolate cupcakes with chocolate cream filling, and a spice cake with cream cheese filling. Mmm!
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.
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!
We haven’t sent out our wedding invitations yet, so I’m not currently expecting anything in the mail, unless it’s bills or junk mail, that is. So I was pretty darned excited to open up the mailbox just the other day and find a letter with my name on it…one that I was really looking forward to receiving!
Oscar-cat is in the background, not to scale.
My mum and maid of honour have been in cahoots for a little while now about planning some sort of a shower together for me, and the invites have officially been sent out. I’m nervous/excited about the event at the same time—but I have to say, so far I’m loving the cute design they came up with!
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.
Happy (belated) New Year’s! This year is what I like to think of as a landmark year for the mister and me—not only are we planning the biggest, baddest party of our lives, otherwise known as our wedding, but we are also entering our 10th year as a couple. Looking back over the past nine years of our lives together, I can’t help feeling nostalgic for the couple we once were and excited for the couple we are becoming and the life we are building together.Read more…
BeehiveFeature Launched: Aug 31, 2006About: A forum for readers to post questions and get feedback from the hive, aka the weddingbee community.
Catch up on the entire After “I Do” series here! And if you have a burning question you’d like to see discussed, submit it here!
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How did you celebrate your first anniversary? If you exchanged gifts, what did you get each other?
Thank you to Mrs. Starfish for this question!
We celebrated our first anniversary with a trip to NYC!
We had an amazing dinner at Morimoto on our actual anniversary date and then finished the night off at the top of the Empire State Building!
We did the “paper” thing. I got the Dude a notebook for keeping football stats made out of an old Blue Oyster Cult album cover. He got me a hardback copy of Merriam-Webster’s Collegiate Dictionary. (Yes, that was a special request on my part!) 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.
Throughout the majority of our relationship, Sparks has been nothing but sweet, thoughtful, caring, and hilarious. He’s the kind of guy that loves to have a good time, hates drama, and would never do anything to intentionally make me angry. He’s laid back. He’s a lover.
Exhibit A: Sweet, caring Sparks carries me back to the car after my first marathon. What a guy.
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!
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 that I would be getting two wedding bands here, and I’m so happy ’cause the jeweler just finished them. I. Am. In. Love! They are stunning, especially when paired with my engagement ring. As soon as I had the rings in my grubby little hands, I took out the camera and started snapping away pictures of my bands along with King Hippo’s. I couldn’t even wait for the sun to come out so that I could have proper lighting, so you’ll have to forgive the flash reflections.
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.
Wowsers, okay. Ummmm—so here we are. After nearly 6 months of blogging for Weddingbee, we’re here. It’s March. Yep, go ahead if you’ve forgotten, just roll your mouse over that little Zebra icon there and check the stats. That’s right, I’m friggen gettin’ married this month. In honor of this momentous occasion I would like to give a few shout outs to my bridols. You know I’ve been influenced by many a bee, however these are my intimate bridols. These are the women that I have blatantly stolen borrowed ideas from. They are the women that have provided me a shoulder to cry on. I have admired their grace when things didn’t go quite as planned and have learned many a lesson by just watching them. I’m a people watcher by nature. I have repeated some of their mistakes (hey, we all do it) and celebrated their amazing parties. And, boyyyy were they parties.
My sister-in-law Spiffy got hitched in October of 2009. Her first mistake was agreeing to marry my brother (HEYYYYOOOO! Burn!) luckily, I didn’t repeat that one. Her wedding was deemed one of the funnest weddings many of her guests had been to. She had handpicked the awesome playlist for the DJ and everyone was in great spirits. Spiffy is also organized to a T. She always helps me keep level headed and prioritized.
I thought the tan tuxes complemented our brown dresses rather nicely.
We celebrated our first anniversary with a trip to NYC!
