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.
Okay hive, it’s voting time! For your consideration, I’ve created mock-ups of three washi tape patterns: stripes, criss-cross/overlap and plaid. As some predicted, the plaid wasn’t so easy. (Please be kind and don’t vote for plaid. I can’t create 100 of these buggers!)
Starting in the upper left going clockwise, we’ve got plaid, diagonal stripe, vertical stripe, and criss-cross/overlap.
Mrs. Eggs Benedict, SeattleAge and Occupation: 29, AttorneyFiance's Age and Occupation: 35, AttorneyEngagement Date: December 5, 2009Wedding Date: February 2011Venue: IslandWoodAbout Me: I'm a Northwest girl who spends my time goofing around with Mr. Eggs Benedict and our dog, hiking, traveling, drinking wine and planning a wedding that will showcase the best of what the Pacific Northwest has to offer. I also love photography, beating Mr. Eggs Bene at Mario Kart, and watching the most ridiculous natural disaster flicks you can think of (seriously, how can you deny the awesomeness that is The Core or 2012?? That's right, you can't). We are planning our weekend wedding adventure at an environmental educational center, and I can't wait for the fun to begin!
I lived in London for a semester in college, but that wasn’t where my love (OK, OK, obsession) with the royal family started. I actually have no idea when it started as it seems I’ve always been fascinated by this family and their history. Read more…
Mrs. Snow Cone, Pittsburgh/Johnstown, PAAge and Occupation: 23, Public Health Graduate StudentFiance's Age and Occupation: 23, EngineerEngagement Date: April 9, 2010Wedding Date: August 2011Venue: OMOS Church ceremony/Sunnehanna Country Club receptionAbout Me: I’m one of the lucky ones---I met my future husband at the ripe old age of 13, started dating him as a mature woman of 15, and have been enjoying the ride ever since. Here we are, 8 years later, living in Pittsburgh, planning a "homestination" wedding in the place our school romance began---Johnstown, PA. I thrive on talking a mile a minute, eating my weight in chocolate, and internet shopping. I love a lengthy to-do list almost as much as I love a healthy amount of chaos in my life. Mr. Snow Cone and I watch countless episodes of Friends and The West Wing on repeat, root for rival college sports teams, and make each other laugh each and every day. We’re putting together a small-town wedding with a big personality and a classically modern (or modernly classic?) look for 250 of our closest family and friends. It’s been 8+ years in the making, and sometimes I still can’t believe I’m finally getting to marry my high school sweetheart!
So far, Mr. Snow Cone and I have had a relatively smooth planning process (knocks wood). Courtesy of our small-ish wedding location, we had limited options to evaluate when selecting our church and reception venue. Finding a photographer and DJ caused a bit of stress, but nothing that has caused permanent damage to my bride psyche. Now that we’re getting away from the big-picture structure of the day and into the nitty-gritty details, I expect the options to become more plentiful and the stress factor to elevate as a consequence. However, I’m proud to report that Mr. Snow Cone and I settled one of our wedding-day details in record time due to having a clear vision of what we want for our day and being in total agreement with each other. (Don’tcha just love it when that happens?!)
What detail could be hammered out so swiftly? The first look. Or I guess, more accurately, the decision to not do a first look. For those of you who may be unfamiliar with this term, let me explain. A first look occurs when the bride and groom (and the photographer) steal away for a few minutes prior to the beginning of the ceremony. Everyone is all dolled up, ready to get hitched. It’s the first time the bride and groom see each other on the day, and more often than not, it’s the first time the groom sees his bride in her dress and full matrimonial get-up. The photographer then snaps some stellar pictures of the raw emotion of that moment, like these:
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’ll admit, up until a couple months ago I did not consider myself a DIY bride. It wasn’t until I was talking to Planning Buddy J about our corsages a while back that I realized how many details I’ve unintentionally DIY-ed.
While I was not planning to be a DIY queen, I DID consider myself to be a budget bride. And oh ho ho did I have big ideas for that one before I got knee-deep in planning.
Wedding cake? Oh, we’ll just get the local HEB grocery to make it! Catering? HEB has party platters, too! Flowers? HEB’s got ‘em. You may be sensing a theme. I freaking love HEB.
Mrs. Ostrich, San Francisco/HawaiiAge and Occupation: 30, Fashion Buyer
Fiance's Age and Occupation: 38, CopywriterEngagement Date: October 4, 2009Wedding Date: April 2011Venue: Sweet ceremony by the sea and sunset celebration on the North Shore of HawaiiAbout Me: Born in the city of angels and residing in the city by the bay, I’m a fearless fashion buyer by day, a passionate blog author by night and a dreamy bride-to-be in between. I thank my lucky stars to live in such a stunning city that gives me gifts like organic honey lavender ice cream, movie nights in the park, tucked away beaches, legendary record stores, '80s dance parties, awesome sports teams, stellar flea markets, and vintage bookshops. Oh, and I love to dance! We always find every excuse to escape to the beach, and decided a little seaside wedding in Hawaii is our idea of bliss. Full of our favorite people, music, food and sparkly lights, this is one sunset celebration we will always remember.
Ms. Gazelle, Calgary/VancouverAge and Occupation: 32, EngineerFiance's Age and Occupation: 32, Technology AnalystEngagement Date: September 3, 2010Wedding Date: July 2011Venue: Brock House Restaurant, VancouverAbout Me: I am a marathon runner, cyclist, Ironman triathlete and beautiful shoe fiend who also loves kicking back and watching Glee. I grew up a bit of a nomad as I traveled around the world with my family, living everywhere from Australia to England to South America and Indonesia. I finally settled in Calgary a few years ago and met Mr. Gazelle who loves me even though we cheer for different hockey teams. We are planning a bit of a destination wedding in beautiful Vancouver, British Columbia and we can’t wait to share the day with our close family and friends.
I can barely contain myself…tomorrow we have our cake tasting!!! I can’t wait to see what amazing flavours we’ll get to try. I was reading through our baker’s 2011 wedding-cake flavours, and they all sound so amazing. Chocolate raspberry…double chocolate…pumpkin Philly…red velvet (my personal favourite)…raspberry tuxedo…vanilla passion fruit…and that is only a handful of the flavours she makes!
In preparation for our tasting, I’ve been scouring pictures of cakes so we can not only talk about how our cake will taste, but also about how it will look. Here are a few of my favourites!
I really like the tall proportions of the layers in this cake. Plus the white texture and “buttons” running up and down are adorable!
Mrs. Pony, Bloomington, ILAge and Occupation: 25, AttorneyFiance's Age and Occupation: 34, AttorneyEngagement Date: March 22, 2010Wedding Date: September 2011Venue: Mackinaw Valley Vineyard; Bloomington Center for the Performing ArtsAbout Me: I found my Southern counterpart in law school and since he popped the question last March, we have been busy graduating, job searching, bar taking, and wedding planning. My loves include must see TV, magnets, quotes, anything green, my car, fun socks, the Cubs, and my Mr. Together we love wine, playing outside, and exploring the world together. Stay tuned to see our Midwest wedding full of Southern charm, vintage flair, lots of DIY details, and a whole lot o’ wine.
One of my latest wedding obsessions is guestbooks modeled after a Quaker marriage certificate and/or a Jewish ketubah. Wedding customs have always interested me and, after learning about these traditions, I have been determined to find a way to incorporate their lovely sentiment and significance into our wedding.
A traditional Quaker marriage certificate* states the date, location of the wedding, and sometimes the vows recited to each other. The certificate is then signed not only by the bride and groom, but also by all the witnesses of the ceremony to show their support for the union.
An example of a more traditional Quaker marriage certificate:
Mrs. Seal, San FranciscoAge and Occupation: 25, Personal AssistantFiance's Age and Occupation: 29, Sales and Support SpecialistEngagement Date: December 12, 2009Wedding Date: November 2011Venue: Sts Peter and Paul Church/The Bently ReserveAbout Me: I am a goofy, wannabe crafty, well-intentioned Renaissance Woman (OK, perhaps "aimless wanderer" is a more aptly suited term for me, but hopefully you get the point)—basically I dabble in just about everything and pride myself in such. Without warning, I occasionally breakout into soulful improvised songs and interpretive dances and there's just no stopping me! As so many others before me, planning our wedding has unearthed a deep, intense passion for all things bridal and I secretly fear the day it will come to an end. Mr. Seal and I are quite the pair and life with him by my side is extremely rewarding—I am so thankful to have found him. Together we are planning a black-tie San Francisco affair for 250—light on the stuffiness and with lots of extra Seal-y flair.
Sleep? Who needs it?! Especially when there’s a Royal Wedding goin’ on. Bear with me, kids. I’m running off of very little rest, but I’m a dedicated wedding fan and I am reporting for blog-duty.
OK, I’m sure you all are getting pretty tired of hearing about this wedding and I swear this will be my last post dedicated to it, BUT I think it’s important to take a moment to realize how it will, inevitably, affect weddings to come.
For example, amidst my tears upon seeing this beautiful scene:
Ms. Ferris Wheel, San FranciscoAge and Occupation: 29, PsychologistFiance's Age and Occupation: 27, PsychologistEngagement Date: May 23 and 28, 2010 (one for each of us!)Wedding Date: November 2011Venue: Parc55 Hotel (city lights ceremony, ballroom reception)About Me: Born in the Southeast, educated in the Northeast, and over-educated on the West Coast, I finally earned my city-girl credentials and have put down roots in gorgeous San Francisco. I’m a raging perfectionist with a lightning quick wit and a terrible sense of both time and direction. Our wedding task list is endlessly growing because of my predilection to think that DIY projects I can make = DIY projects I should make (so not true!). I always go to bed wishing there were more hours in the day to enjoy all the things I adore, whether that be hobbies, friends, my career, our two dogs, or Mr. Ferris Wheel. Ours is a story of a non-traditional couple living an oddly traditional life planning a not-so-traditional wedding in this city we adore. Together we are bustin’ out all of our best skills (and some of our worst ones) to plan a laid-back-chic DIY-craftastic love-alicious affair!
Ms. Gazelle, Calgary/VancouverAge and Occupation: 32, EngineerFiance's Age and Occupation: 32, Technology AnalystEngagement Date: September 3, 2010Wedding Date: July 2011Venue: Brock House Restaurant, VancouverAbout Me: I am a marathon runner, cyclist, Ironman triathlete and beautiful shoe fiend who also loves kicking back and watching Glee. I grew up a bit of a nomad as I traveled around the world with my family, living everywhere from Australia to England to South America and Indonesia. I finally settled in Calgary a few years ago and met Mr. Gazelle who loves me even though we cheer for different hockey teams. We are planning a bit of a destination wedding in beautiful Vancouver, British Columbia and we can’t wait to share the day with our close family and friends.
It is official: I am the bride who cried shoe. I knew I wanted purple shoes for our wedding; however, when I was looking for said purple shoes, there weren’t a lot of options. I initially bought the Nine West Jojus with almost a feeling of, “Oh my gosh, they are purple and available.”
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!
We’ve seen the outside–now it’s time explore the contents of our wedding programs! I mollified some of my guilt over Mr. Tartlet doing the brunt of the work by designing the panels and printing them onto text weight speckletone kraft paper. They were cut to the final dimensions of 3-9/16″ x 4-13/16″, which left a small border all around. Aaaaaaand, there’s where my hand in this stops, because Mr. Tartlet promptly took over to stick them onto the accordion panel backing using 3M Super 77 Multipurpose Spray Adhesive.
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!
Mr. Hyena’s side of the guest list is MUCH larger than mine. We are getting married in a fairly small church. If we went with the traditional “bride’s side, groom’s side,” my side would be…sad looking, and there wouldn’t be room for everyone on his side. There won’t be any ushers, and I like the idea of letting people sit wherever they want, but I didn’t know how to convey that until I saw this sign:
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 had just finished talking up our amazing photographers and that same day, a care package arrived with a sweet note reminding Mr. Crepe and I to take a night off of wedding planning and just relax. They included a couple of fun DVDs (Italian job and Say Anything, both of which I love), candy and popcorn! Since the Mr. and I are currently long distance, I helped myself to some…okay, all the candy.
This reminded me of something that I felt was important to mention but forgot to in my last post. Read more…
All-Inclusion Invitation Suites
