Mrs. Pancakes, New York/Costa RicaAge and Occupation: 26, Law School StudentFiance's Age and Occupation: 27, Latin American Policy AnalystEngagement Date: March 12, 2010Wedding Date: May 2011Venue: Casa Punto de VistaAbout Me: I’m a perfectionist with a big heart. I love a good laugh and firmly believe no one has ever regretted being prepared! My motto is “go big or go home.” I am incapable of doing anything in moderation, especially when it comes to shopping, TV, food and travel, and some would say wedding planning! The other half of this nearlywed team is a laid-back, adventure-loving, accident prone, sweetie from LA. He makes me laugh, is always down for an impromptu dance party, and totally indulges most of my hare-brained schemes. Now, in my final year of law school, we’ll be spending the spring abroad in Amsterdam and planning a DIY, whimsical, detail-filled destination wedding in Costa Rica!
I’ve been doing A LOT of vintage posts recently. From my love for vintage mismatched plates to my obsession with vintage hankies, I’ve been vintage crazy! Now, as a change of pace, I want to talk about my Cake & Champagne reception.
As you may recall, we will be having an early morning wedding. Originally, I wanted to get married at sunrise (it’s been a dream of mine for as long as I can remember) but we decided to spare my guests the agony of waking up at 5AM…. sooooo we are having the wedding at 9. (I know, I know… but the invites are out so it’s happening at 9!) After getting married down on the beach, the guests will join us back at the villa for an amazing brunch!
One of the common complaints about brunch weddings is that people can’t really “party” at 11AM! After much thought, we decided to also host a Cake & Champagne reception in the evening. At first we were going to do it in the main living-room but the space seemed like it may be too large for our group and there is something so special about dancing under the stars, so we decided to take it upstairs! If you remember the rooftop terrace at the villa, we’ve decided to hire a DJ and turn that area into a lovely dance/lounge space.
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!
It’s time to talk wedding jewelry! I don’t like to over-accessorize, so when I started looking, I was looking for some very simple, pretty jewelry that was either rhinestone or pearl. (The beading of my dress has both sparkles and seed pearls.)
The accessories I’ve already picked are my veil, garter, and shoes. In addition, I would like a bracelet and some sparkly, dangly earrings. My dress has enough going on at the top of the bodice that I think I can get away with not wearing a necklace. (I don’t want to take away from the dress either.)
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.
Excited phone calls and text messages started trickling in just a day after our invitations were mailed. The first RSVPs were just a day behind. Man, our local post office moves fast!
Mr. P emailed me this photo with the subject line: It has begun!
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. 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.
You know what wedding-day thought gets me all antsy and giddy inside!? Other than marrying my Sealman and spending lots of time with all the people I love most in this world, I am uncontrollably excited for the morning of the wedding.
This is about how I think it will go down. (I’m interested to see how this vision matches up with the day’s actual events, but I suppose we’ll have to wait quite a few months to make that comparison.)
I will spend the night in the bridal suite with my bridesmaids and will get an insufficient amount of rest. I neversleep well the night before big important days—first day of school, interviews, presentations…you name it. I can only imagine that this will be exponentially more difficult with the presence of my ladies and our established ability to chat well into the night.
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!
OK, so I completely made that word up using what little Latin I know.
I am currently experiencing a fear of the “ugly cry face,” or UCF. It has even permeated my dreams. In one dream, my cry face was so ugly that all of the guests gasped in shock and horror and fled the scene. Another dream had my face frozen in UCF for the entirety of my wedding and the only solution was to get it surgically fixed. Seriously, y’all. Those dreams were bad. I woke up in a total panic.
Honestly, I didn’t even realize the UCF existed until I read wedding blogs and forums. I was just toddling along thinking, “If I cry at my wedding, oh well,” and not even registering the fact that the crying would be captured by photogs and that more than likely said crying would be UGLY. Eek! As a former student of the stage, I thought it might be a good idea to study common side effects of “ugly cry face” and what methods might be used to combat it.
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!
I’ve gotten so many questions about my hair flower that I thought I would share its story with the hive. I made several trial run hair pieces before finally making one for my wedding day. At first, I thought I would use a faux flower but it didn’t have the fluffy look I really wanted. So, I switched to fabric. I made it using our guru Martha Stewart’s fabric peony template! Who says you can’t have peonies in late summer? Read more…
Mrs. Earrings, Fresno, CA/ Nelson, New ZealandAge and Occupation: 20, Student, Wannabe Writer
Fiance's Age and Occupation: 19, Photography StudentEngagement Date: February 14, 2010Wedding Date: January 2011Venue: Gardens of the WorldAbout Me: I'm a girl from down under who grew up in Indonesia and I'm marrying a California boy. I'm addicted to all things sweet, have never met a chocolate silk pie than can get the better of me, and have dreams of one day being a fulltime novelist. I go weak in the knees for lace, tea cups, and a beautifully crafted sentence. When I get excited about something (whether it is historical linguistics or the Beatles) I tend to go overboard in research, and planning this wedding is no different. Mr. Earrings is my high school sweetheart, my best friend, and somehow we combine all our quirks into one big happy mess.
I don’t really know how the paperwork is done in your part of the world, but here in NZ the signing of the register is incorporated into the ceremony. I love the photo above because it shows Mr E and I sharing a private happy moment as the honorary best man signs as a witness. Our faces are saying- “Dude! We’re totally married!” Or something to that effect. Read more…
Mrs. Cinnamon Bun, Calgary, AlbertaAge and Occupation: 26, Stage ManagerFiance's Age and Occupation: 26, Theatre TechnicianEngagement Date: June 22, 2010Wedding Date: June 2011Venue: Calgary Opera CentreAbout Me: I'm a life-long crafter and bookworm living in the foothills of the Canadian Rockies. Some of my loves include Lord of the Rings, Sherlock Holmes, knitting, opera, musicals, Etsy, baking, and of course, Mr. Cinnamon Buns. We're keeping our wedding close to home---the venue isn't very far from our house, and we live within walking distance of 6 bridal salons. I'm using the wedding as an excuse to try out every craft project I possibly can, with the endless help and support of my fiance.
So, I’ve got a wedding dress. I’ve got shoes to wear with it. What else do I need?
I don’t really wear jewelry regularly. I’ve got a few delicate little necklaces that I wear every now and then, but not often. I probably don’t wear them to often because my work outfit always includes jeans, because I never know when I’ll end up moving furniture or crawling under the stage for whatever reason. This whole wedding thing though means that I should probably wear some jewelry at least. I used to always wear the same stud earrings every day, but I took them out a few months ago and keep forgetting to put them back in!
So, I’m asking for your help, hive. But first: Mr Cinnamon Bun - the next photo is going to be of a real lady (not a model) in the dress I’m wearing to the wedding. I will leave it to you to decide if you want to see it or not, as I did show you the photo of the dress on a model. 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.
What is it about wearing a hat that can make you feel extra fancy? Growing up in Virginia, I’m no stranger to hat-wearing affairs. Between horse races, plantation weddings, Easter brunches, and Derby parties, I’ve gotten pretty comfortable sporting multi-colored plumes on my head. But recently, hats seem to be making an international comeback thanks to this lady:
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.
Mr. Gazelle and I recently took a trip out to Vancouver to meet with our photographer (the amazing Leslie from Sakura Photography) for engagement photos. We met up with her in Stanley Park in the late afternoon and wandered around the park, checking out the fall foliage. As the sun went down, we moved over to Gastown to grab some more urban shots.
The morning I received the photos, I could barely open my eyes after my alarm went off, but I checked my email on my phone right away. I had an email from Leslie that our photos were ready and that she had blogged us, too! What an awesome piece of news first thing on a Monday morning.
So without further ado, here are a few of my favourites!
I always do weird things with my fingers when I run…Mr. Gazelle’s legs are so long that he can walk while I run.
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!
Finding our church, date, and reception venue barely had us breaking a sweat. I was super impressed with myself for how easily this was all coming together and how I was probably well on my way to winning the title of “least stressed bride ever.” And then, our search for vendors struck. And my stress level rose. And I kissed my hopes of winning the trophy for lowest-stress bride ever goodbye.
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."
Do you like my creative title? Ye-ah, nobody strained any muscles coming up with that one. So, last week I wrote 3 posts with literally no pictures. I’ll try to make up for it by updating you with tangible/visible progress in slouching toward the altar.
First up, table numbers. It sounds so trite to say that I love reading. I mean, are there people who don’t? Suffice to say: books are a huge part of my life. But…books- or, at least- fiction- are my thing. Pdog only reads non-fiction about neuroscience.
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!
Let’s talk about veils, baby! Yes, veils. Or headpieces. Or flowers. Or fascinators. Or hats. Or headbands. Or any other type of adornment that you wear on your cranium the day of your wedding.
As I think I have made it abundantly clear that I did not give much thought to my wedding dress prior to our engagement; I think it is safe for you to assume that I also had not included my wedding day accessories in our grandiose wedding plans and thoughts, either. Both dress and accessories were pushed aside in favor of focusing on reception details.
However, as I may or may not have also made abundantly clear, I am semi-obsessed with wedding blogs. (Side note: Mr. CA casually mentioned the other day that I am quite obsessive. I asked him why he thought this, and he noted that “all of your posts start with ’OMG I am obsessed with.’” I laughed heartily, but inside I smirked, because HAHA! He actually checks out Weddingbee! I knew it.) Read more…
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.
I hope I didn’t leave anyone in too much suspense after my last “how we met” post, so here is the final installment of our Pony dating tale:
As I explained, when Mr. Pony and I first met he had a girlfriend. We’ll call her Liz. Not only was Mr. Pony dating Liz, but she was also a law student at our school. Now, at this point in time I did not have feelings for Mr. Pony. Guys with girlfriends were really not my thing. Mr. Pony was no different. Sorry, Ponyman.
Mr. Pony and I continued to hang out in study group and at school, but I never considered him anything other than a friend. I am sure he didn’t think of me as anything other than a friend either.
At one of our final study sessions of first semester, Mr. Pony announced to our group that he and Liz had split up. I don’t know why, but at that moment I knew we would end up together. I can’t figure out how or why I thought this, but it just felt right. (That is officially the cheesiest thing I’ve ever said, but I swear it’s true.)
All-Inclusion Invitation Suites
