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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.
As I slowly start my recaps and go through my pictures, I’m really struck with a lot of affection for our little wedding. I had an amazing time planning it, I really enjoyed the day, and I get a lot of joy thinking about it now. However, I’ve come to the conclusion that I much prefer being a guest at a wedding than being the bride.
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. 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!
When it came to figuring out wedding invitations, I was at a complete loss as to what to do. First things first, I am a stationery nut. I worked part-time in a scrapbooking store while in my first year of university, and I’m not kidding you when I say that I still, to this day, have a massive stash of craft goodies in my cupboard. I don’t scrapbook much these days (no time!) but man, I have a random little collection of cute papers and stickers that the 17 year old Miss Jaguar really, really loved.
At first, I figured I would save some money and go down the DIY-route: buy some nice cardstock, get busy with the printing and make ‘em pretty all by myself… but then, I ran out of steam. By the time I bought the supplies I would need to make them, plus the time I would’ve needed to run them through our ancient (and very temperamental) printer, it just wouldn’t have been as practical or as cheap as I’d have liked. My next option was to print some out through Vistaprint or Zazzle, but when I worked out the price of what I’d need for a set of 80 invitations (let alone response cards), the price was still higher than I expected.
I wasn’t even going to bother researching letterpress invitations, because I knew it was completely and utterly out of our budget. At this point though, I was getting desperate. Read more…
Mrs. Candy Apple, Princeton Junction, NJ/ Seattle, WAAge and Occupation: 26, Project EditorFiance's Age and Occupation: 26, AttorneyEngagement Date: May 9, 2010Wedding Date: August 2011Venue: St. Joseph's Parish, Seattle Tennis ClubAbout Me: I am a Pacific Northwesterner, born and bred. I have lived in many cities---Santa Clara, Durham (England); Florence; Boston; Princeton Junction---but my heart will always be nestled up near the Cascades and Olympics, which is why we are holding our wedding there. I am a bookworm and a History nerd: I love that my life consists of books, books, and more books, since I work in Publishing! Recently, all waking time not consumed by work and my daily commute has been overtaken by wedding planning. Well, that, and watching Premier-League soccer. There is nothing I love more than a good Tana French mystery, traveling to new places, Anthropologie shopping sprees, Iittala dishware, Kate Spade shoes, impeccable typefaces (think: Archer), and a nice English ale (hellooo, Old Speckled Hen!). Oh, and did I mention my obsession with wedding blogs? Yeah, there’s that too. Join Mr. Candy Apple and me as we prep for our wedding, and, more importantly, our marriage!
I realize that most of wedding planning is about both the present and looking ahead—what we will be including on the big day, my inspiration for things, what I am currently working on—but I wanted to take a moment to look back on (and perhaps mourn a little) something that was not meant to be.
Miss Snapdragon, Chicago/DallasAge and Occupation: 32,Associate ProducerFiance's Age and Occupation: 33, Lighting DesignerBlogging Since: November 14, 2008Engagement Date: January 1, 2011Wedding Date: March 2012Venue: Marie GabrielleAbout Me: Voracious reader of short stories, Russian literature, National Geographic and Cosmo. I'm a GENIUS at spicing up Weight Watchers recipes and a pathological cheater at board games. I run a slow marathon, but my feet are learning to move faster. Mornings aren't my thing, but I can night owl with the best of them. Don't tempt me with your Cherry Cokes---I'm trying to quit. Tomorrow. Or never.
…Because Snapdragon and Bossyboots have a wedding date!
We had just a few hoops to jump through, namely, choosing a state in which to declare our undying love. “Undying,” people, that’s how serious our love is.
I’m nothing if not both acerbic and dramatic. It gets annoying—ask Bossyboots.
We had two realistic choices when it came to wedding locations: option A) Chicago or option B) Dallas/Fort Worth. Deep dish pizza or 8-hour brisket? Bell’s or Shiner? Sauerkraut or habaneros? Bears or Cowboys?* 773 or 214? It’s a tough decision, believe you me, and we went through the wringer.
Bossyboots grew up in Chicago, and though I’m a Texan transplant, I’ve lived “up north” for the last fourteen years. (That’s fourteen. Motherloving. Winters. Thank you, Winter in Chicago.) Most of Bossyboots’ family and friends live here, and most of my closest friend are Chicagoans. However, my family all lives down in Texas. My really, really big family. And since most of them are disabled… getting my family on a plane is not happening. You hear that? Unequivocally not happening. One of my sisters is the bionic woman, with a steel backbone. Etc. etc. It’s not happening—not by train, not by plane, nor by automobile. Read more…
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.
After Diego, our videographer, verified that the guys had already headed up to the lobby, Sol and I headed over to my cabana to get some photos while the girls gathered up our stuff.
Mrs. Taffy, Ann ArborAge and Occupation: 28, Color and Materials DesignerFiance's Age and Occupation: 29, Automotive DesignerEngagement Date: May 9, 2008Wedding Date: May 2009Blogging Since: September 14, 2008Venue: University of Michigan UnionAbout Me: I’m a girl who is crazy about Mr. Taffy, sewing, dancing, almost all types of sweets, and our cute pet canaries. I dislike touching fuzzy fabric of any kind, eating somewhat squishy food, and Michigan winters. Mr. Taffy and I are having a blast planning our Ann Arbor wedding, and cannot wait to share our day with friends and family.
I just wanted to pop in to say that the Taffy recaps will be making a comeback soon! This past year has been very crazy for us, as we only saw each other on the weekends due to my US / Canadian commute! Well, before the recaps continue, I wanted to share some exciting news with you: we decided to take the plunge and move to Canada!
Yes, after 13 months of commuting, we are living under the same roof all week long!
Before the move, the commute was taking up too much time to work on the recaps. Since we decided to move in November, we have been up to our ears beginning the immigration process, and were busy moving our household here and looking for places in Canada. 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.
There was never a question of whether I’d take Mr. P’s last name. It just feels right. Beyond that I haven’t given it much thought. Which is unusual for this over-thinking over-planner.
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.
Mrs. Hyena, College Station, TXAge and Occupation: 23, Marketing SpecialistFiance's Age and Occupation: 24, Aerospace Engineering Grad StudentEngagement Date: January 8, 2010Wedding Date: May 2011Venue: Downtown 202About Me: I'm a Texas girl who met my future hubby in high school, then headed up to Oklahoma for a college education (BOOMER SOONER!) before moving back to the Lone Star State to be with him. I love reading and recycling, Photoshop and reality TV, making lame jokes and then laughing at them, quoting movies, and Mr. Hyena most of all. I'm perpetually early and I like to get things accomplished. When my cat meows at me, I meow back. We're planning a laid-back, unintentionally DIY wedding with a cocktail-party vibe, and can't wait to celebrate our nuptials with our nearest and dearest!
I’ve been thinking a lot about priorities when it comes to wedding planning. Most planning sites tell you to decide what’s important to you when it comes to budgeting so you don’t blow your whole budget on cake or something (unless your priority is cake!).
I’ll be the first to admit, Mr. Hyena and I did not think about what our budget priorities were. I knew I wanted fabulous pictures, but I wasn’t willing to spend several thousands of dollars on them. I knew I wanted fabulous food, but with a limited budget we couldn’t afford to pay for four-course meals for everyone we wanted to celebrate with us. Actually, I want fabulous everything, but I am a prime example of champagne taste but too-cheap-for-anything-including-sometimes-beer budget. (Seriously. I order water at restaurants 99% of the time because it’s free. Hyena Sis thinks I’m nuts.) Read more…
Weddingbee GalleryFeature Launched: April 10, 2009About: A collection of inspirational wedding pictures from readers and bees.
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.
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?
Having a wedding in Italy is great. The food is simply amazing. (Sorry, but you just can’t get food as good as Italian food in Italy.) The atmosphere is jovial. The scenery is wonderful. The history and culture surrounding you are enriching.
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!
As I’ve mentioned a few (gabillion) times, I don’t do math. (Interestingly enough, since I am the one doing most of the wedding planning, I am also the one in charge of the money and budget. Hilariously scary. But that will be a post for another time…probably about two months before the wedding, when I realize we are wayyyyyyy over budget.)
Anyway, I don’t do math. Or money. Numbers of any kind, really. I’m not very good at following any type of calculated plan, and that’s kind of what creating a wedding is: adding together a bunch of elements to equal something amazing and romantic and fun and personal.
It’s something like this:
(details + decisions + projects - worry - tears + photos x alcohol x unknown)
____________________________________________
money^3
=
Wedding
Today I am obsessing about the elements that need to be added together to make a good tablescape. Normally when I throw a party the table is covered in brightly colored bowls and containers and food, like this.
Somehow, I think this is not gonna go at our wedding.
Mrs. Candy Apple, Princeton Junction, NJ/ Seattle, WAAge and Occupation: 26, Project EditorFiance's Age and Occupation: 26, AttorneyEngagement Date: May 9, 2010Wedding Date: August 2011Venue: St. Joseph's Parish, Seattle Tennis ClubAbout Me: I am a Pacific Northwesterner, born and bred. I have lived in many cities---Santa Clara, Durham (England); Florence; Boston; Princeton Junction---but my heart will always be nestled up near the Cascades and Olympics, which is why we are holding our wedding there. I am a bookworm and a History nerd: I love that my life consists of books, books, and more books, since I work in Publishing! Recently, all waking time not consumed by work and my daily commute has been overtaken by wedding planning. Well, that, and watching Premier-League soccer. There is nothing I love more than a good Tana French mystery, traveling to new places, Anthropologie shopping sprees, Iittala dishware, Kate Spade shoes, impeccable typefaces (think: Archer), and a nice English ale (hellooo, Old Speckled Hen!). Oh, and did I mention my obsession with wedding blogs? Yeah, there’s that too. Join Mr. Candy Apple and me as we prep for our wedding, and, more importantly, our marriage!
All-Inclusion Invitation Suites
