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!
For better or for worse, Johnstown and the surrounding areas only have a handful of venues that matched what we were looking for, either in aesthetics, driving distance for our guests, or size to handle the crowd we’re expecting, making our reception research quite manageable. When all was said and done, we had three realistic possibilities, all sprinkled around Johnstown. I contacted all three sites and got some basic information about the facilities and their wedding services. Here’s the run-down:
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.
Could this DIY have taken any longer? Probably not, if you ask Mr. PaC.
I started brainstorming ideas in October, experienced holiday-related delays, buckled down in January, and was almost done until…I became a bee in February. Oops, productivity plummeted that month. Then I got the harebrained, but thankfully short-lived, idea to screenprint the entire suite. (Which I still want to do.) I’m happy to announce that the invitation project is done at last!
Now that our paper babies are being delivered into the hands of their new owners, via the storks at the USPS, I can finally reveal the Pain au Chocolat invitation suite.
Are you ready for the big reveal?
Our bold yellow envelopes, keeping it simple with an inkjet-printed address in our font
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.
I absolutely love our photographer. I am so impatient, and I mentally prepared myself for a month of agonizing waiting after our engagement shoot before we’d see any photos. Well, surprisngly, he only took two days to edit. That, my friends, is what I like to refer to as: an ENGAGEMENT MIRACLE!
Thank you to Ramin of The Marin Studio for all of the following amazing photos. Despite a vicious lesson in Murphy’s Law (complete with dense fog and lots of rain), we ended up with amazing photos that we will cherish for a lifetime!
And another special thank you to my little cousin Christina for my hair and makeup. She went through quite a bit (including being the victim of a hit-and-run) to make me feel beautiful all day long, and I am so grateful. You are a total rock star, and I am a lucky girl.
The first set of photos that I am going to share were taken during a private tour of AT&T Park in San Francisco. As I’m sure you’ve all gathered by now, Mr. Seal and I are big on baseball and it seemed the perfect backdrop to our love story.
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.
I absolutely love reading about other people’s wedding details so I’m going to try to be as thorough as possible about mine, starting with a few details related to our ceremony.
Our Programs
Personal Photo
I absolutely loved our Western Union Telegram programs. I was originally inspired by this post on Ruffled, and I’m so glad I followed through on this one. I loved the way they looked and I think they really suited the vintage feel of our wedding. Read more…
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 like the idea of the first look for getting photos out of the way, but it was a pretty easy decision to nix it. Mr. Hyena wanted to see me for the first time as I walked down the aisle, and I’d always imagined that moment, too, with an uncontrollable grin on each of our faces. I don’t want to lose that moment.
The downside of not having a first look is that I have some slight anxiety problems. It would be wonderful to be able to see Mr. Hyena and hug him and talk to him prior to the ceremony because I am calmed when I am with him. I thought there was no alternative: either you did a first look or you didn’t have any contact prior to the ceremony.
Then a friend of mine got married. She didn’t see her now-husband before the ceremony either. And I freaking LOVE these pictures.
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.
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 so easy to get wrapped up in the little details surrounding a wedding—things like centerpieces, what to use for a card box, what the invitations are going to look like, what our flower is girl going to carry, and whether I can make it.
And, if you are like me, you probably spent countless hours poring over pictures of venues, reading catering menus, and looking at the portfolios of different photographers and florists. How much do they charge, and is it above or below the average? How does it rank on a scale of importance for us?
In all of the searching for the details and the right vendor, it may be easy to overlook quite possibly the most important vendor of the day that you will hire—the person who will perform your marriage ceremony. After all, the main purpose for the day is to marry the person you love, and the rest is just the party to celebrate that marriage. If you are getting married in your church then this decision is probably pretty easy. If you are looking for a marriage commissioner, then, not so much. Read more…
Mrs. Husky, DenverAge and Occupation: 26, Systems AdministratorFiance's Age and Occupation: 32, Mechanical Engineer, recently laid offEngagement Date: August 14, 2009Wedding Date: October 2010Venue: Rancho San CarlosAbout Me: I am planning a quirky-crafty wedding with my recently out-of-work fiancé for a (fingers crossed!) warm October afternoon. We are two self-professed nerds with an affinity for all things outdoors---be it rain, snow or shine. Recently relocated from the drizzly Northwest, we're enjoying the many sun-soaked days in the mile high city. Our day will be filled with both of our large families and friends, a self-served Cajun feast, and a Zydeco-style jazz band rocking beneath the beams of a historic red barn.
The band had packed up and headed home, and many of our guests had retired to their rooms. But those of us that clung to the night just weren’t quite ready to let go.
(guest photo)
We had asked Neighbor-B to create one of his infamous dance mixes to get the after-party started off right. And boy, did he deliver…
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.
The short story is that Mr. Pony and I met, began dating, and got engaged during law school. That story would suffice, but that would not fit with my loquacious personality, so you get to hear the whole thing.
I will set the scene for you.
It’s my first semester of grad school. I am stressed and overwhelmed by the all the changes occurring in my life. I meet about 400 people in the first week, including Mr. Pony. Despite the whirlwind of the first few weeks of school, I can still vividly remember my first memories of Mr. Pony, including:
Mr. Pony getting called on at the practice class in front of our whole first-year class at orientation
Mr. Pony being called on first in our very first class of the semester
Seeing Mr. Pony hanging out at the bar celebrating surviving our first week of school
Mr. Pony campaigning to be the class representative
That sweet Pony smile
Then one night, Mr. Pony and I both attended a pre-gaming party before heading to an ’80s night at the bar. At the party we bonded over our matching cameras, being beer-pong partners, and his recent campaign victory. Our group then headed out to the bar and had a great time dancing and drinking to the hits of the ’80s.
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!
Once the excitement of our engagement settled down, and we were in the thick of figuring out what we wanted for our wedding, Mr. CA and I realized that we should probably discuss that little thing known as the bridal party. I thought that this would be done and dusted in about four seconds. For some reason, though, this became a source of stress. Why, you ask? It’s symmetry, my dear Watson.
You know all of those gorgeous, dreamy bridal party shots with perfect symmetry? Yeah. Those. Those were a problem for us.
You see, Mr. CA has two brothers (one of which is the best man), and four very close friends from high school. Those boys are essentially a unit—you have one, you get them all. So, if all my mathematics learning nonsense serves me correctly, that is a total of six groomsmen.
I, on the other hand, have a sister (MOH Granny Smith), two BFFs since kindergarten and third-grade respectively, and my “twin cousin” who was born a day after me (both blonde, both got dressed in matching outfits basically through adolescence. She was the cuter one, though). Again, if my math serves me well here, that would equal, oh, four. Four bridesmaids. Read more…
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!
We got a flash drive in the mail yesterday. It was a flash drive filled with over 1,000 image files. And they were awesome. We’re still waiting on photos from our second shooter, and I still need to sort through all of them, but I figured we could get started on the non-wedding recaps in the meantime!
The Lioness wedding weekend kicked off with something a little out of character for me: I did something religious. I choose to immerse myself in a mikvah.
A mikvah (also spelled mikveh) is a ritual bath used by Jewish women, and sometimes by Jewish men. Orthodox Jewish women are required to immerse themselves in a mikvah after menstruation and childbirth, and before their own wedding. For the rest of us, it’s optional. Read more…
Mrs. Starfish, Boston/NewportAge and Occupation: 25, Operations AssistantFiance's Age and Occupation: 25, SalesEngagement Date: October 8, 2008Wedding Date: October 2010Venue: The Atlantic Beach ClubAbout Me: I'm a perfectionist who is a planner at heart. I don't do well with surprises. I love planning, crafting, Newport RI, family and friends, and most importantly, Mr. Starfish---all of which will be big components in our October wedding in our favorite little city by the sea.
We decided to go a bit formal for the family portraits and take them inside our school’s most well known mansion, Ochre Court. The outside of Ochre Court was actually used as the “Swiss” chateau in the opening of the movie True Lies, starring the Governator, Arnold Schwarzenegger. That’s a well known piece of trivia given to Salve students during orientation. I love trivia, so I thought I’d share. The site was perfect for our family photos. We took some formal shots with my mom and siblings.
Mrs. Bacon, ChicagoAge and Occupation: 26, Digital Advertising ManagerFiance's Age and Occupation: 25, IT Client ServicesEngagement Date: June 17, 2010Wedding Date: September 2011Venue: Ravenswood Billboard FactoryAbout Me: I'm a Midwestern girl that can't seem to commit to staying in one place for too long and is constantly daydreaming about my next adventure. I am an aspiring foodie with a weak spot for the unusual and I love semi-reality food television. My other loves easily include laughing as a form of exercise, a book that I can't put down, summer baseball games, espresso with whipped cream, couch potato days and nights with the ridiculous Mr. Bacon, and our two kitties, Lincoln and Sawyer. We're planning a faux-destination wedding for 150 of our closest friends and family in the city we've both adopted as home that has a modern, yet whimsical twist and as many personal touches as we can manage.
Video via YouTube (The behind the scenes video is amazing, too)
I love Baconator’s family; they know that I love them. They have also taught us some very good lessons in wedding planning/activating. It’s no fun to be the loving family member that drives in for the wedding and spends every moment doing last minute wedding activities like steaming tablecloths with one corner in your mouth or decorating a reception hall an hour before the reception starts with no input from the bride or groom. It’s just not fun, and you end up sweaty, cranky or both. 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.
We never really went on shopping trips together - we had the one abortive trip to Anthro, and then I sent them various links to things. It was getting late in planning to not have these booked, so I went and put down a deposit with Amanda Archer for two dresses. Now, I’m not that controlling a bride - it was a dress both ladies had seen pictures of and had said would be nice to wear.
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.
I had too much fun dancin’ with y’all yesterday to the Ostrich Wedding Playlist Part 1…and have our Part 2 Dance Party tunes on deck and ready to go.
ARE YOUUUU READYYYYYYYY?
For the Ostrich Dance Party, there will be no civilized dancing. No ballroom steps, no gentle swaying. There will be, however, wild fist pumping, Single Ladies dancing, Superman-ing, Dougie-ing and a whole lotta other footloose and fancy free steppin’ a la Soul Train:
She went through quite a bit (including being the victim of a hit-and-run) to make me feel beautiful all day long, and I am so grateful. You are a total rock star, and I am a lucky girl.
All-Inclusion Invitation Suites
We decided to go a bit formal for the family portraits and take them inside our school’s most well known mansion, Ochre Court. The outside of Ochre Court was actually used as the “Swiss” chateau in the opening of the movie True Lies, starring the Governator, Arnold Schwarzenegger. That’s a well known piece of trivia given to Salve students during orientation. I love trivia, so I thought I’d share. The site was perfect for our family photos. We took some formal shots with my mom and siblings.
