Mrs. Elephant, Dallas, TXAge and Occupation: 27, Financial Operations AnalystFiance's Age and Occupation: 27, IT Student/Store ManagerEngagement Date: March 29, 2009Wedding Date: April 2011Venue: The Tribute Golf ClubAbout Me: I'm a Philly native creating roots deep in the heart of Texas. I might be a little obsessed capturing those Kodak moments of anything and everything (mainly on vacations). I've become more of a gamer thanks to Mr. Elephant, who I met online and can't wait to spend the rest of my life with. We are planning a wedding based on our favorite colors, blue and green, with a travel theme for 150 of our closest friends and family. Hopefully our long (2-year) engagement won't kill me!
Remember our awesome idea to make chocolate favors inspired by a post by Mrs. Starfish? Well, I wanted to share a quick follow up with you. There was a TON of great advice in the comments sections from bees that have much more experience than Mama E and I, so if you are interested in this idea you should definitely check those out.
We previously made around 60 pieces of chocolates and froze them. This was about a month ago. After reading the comments about not freezing them I called up Mama E (the chocolates were being stored in their other refrigerator) and had her place them in the refrigerator side. Read more…
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.
Does anyone else feel like they could use a stylist? I feel like it is harder to figure out my entire bridal look than it was to find my wedding dress.
True, I have plenty of time to think about accessories before the wedding, but they have been on my mind lately. What accessories should I choose that will all complement the dress, will go together, and will not be over the top? Ideally I would like to pick jewellery that I would wear again, too. Pearls are always a classic choice, but I’m not sure if I want a standard string of pearls. I am also in the process of making a hair fascinator with a vintage rhinestone brooch in the center. The flower is a big statement, and I don’t want to over accessorize!
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.
Once the photographer was out of the way, the next decision at bat was music. We actually knew early on that our music would be provided by a DJ. Sure, some people say that you can’t have a classy wedding without a live band, but we’re not all that classy and if we have a song in mind, we want to hear that one, not a cover. With the boards’ suggestions in hand, I sent out a bunch of emails being very upfront about our budget and music tastes. It’s not like we are only into house music or only like obscure indie bands that no one has heard of, in fact, quite the opposite. I am a sucker for pop music that gets folks on the dance floor and the Baconator is all about hair bands from the ’80s, so together, we are pretty easy customers.
The Baconator’s favorite band of all time: Van Halen
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!
Remember the gazillion tissue paper pom napkin rings I made and what I big deal I made about the way they needed to look? The end results were that they were a total success. I really loved seeing them all over the place. I thought they really added a nice touch of color on the tables. I can tell you that they were a pain to get wrapped around the napkins and the restaurant decided they wouldn’t work. It was up to us to get them on the napkins. I’d like to say thanks to Brenda’s team and our guests who made it happen. I know you all didn’t want me to know, but I’m so glad to have had all of you there. I had no idea on the day of.
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.
Around the time Miss Lox discussed the possibility of becoming the Imelda of hair flowers, it dawned on me that I hadn’t even thought of what I’d put in my hair. Long ago, I decided that a veil was not for me. (I gave it one, two, three tries. Three tries, ladies. Moving on.) I needed something bridal on my head. If it wasn’t going to be a veil, then a hair flower it would be. So began the search…
Mrs. Panther, Atlanta GA/Westport CTAge and Occupation: 24, Web WriterFiance's Age and Occupation: 25, Music Recording EngineerEngagement Date: March 13, 2010Wedding Date: July 2011Venue: The Inn at LongshoreAbout Me: I'm a total goofball who goes through life at a breakneck pace, trying not to knock anything over. I tend to fall in love with everything I encounter, but more than anything, I love my two little kitties, Bela and Josie, and my big kitty, Mr. Panther! As a wannabe crafter, I'm still waiting for my artistic talents to emerge. (Any day now, really.) In the meantime, I spend my days eating anything put in front of me, buying every pair of shoes I see and absorbing wedding inspiration from every inch of my surroundings. Mr. Panther and I are hardcore New Englanders planning Connecticut nuptials from our new home in the Dirty South, and can't wait to mix our newfound love of classic Southern charm with some modern city touches.
Hey, y’all! I know you already thought I was crazy for deciding to move into a new place three months before the wedding, but guess what! I’m even crazier than you thought!
Yesterday, we brought home our latest bundle of love—a puppy!
Her name is Macy, and the shelter said she’s a Sheltie/Cavalier King Charles spaniel mix. When we asked our vet what he thought, he shrugged and said, “Sure, maybe!” So really, she could be anything. Read more…
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!
It’s almost unfair how easy it is for guys to get dressed up, isn’t it? We’ve got to worry about the gown, the hair, the shoes (okay, so that part I can’t complain about), and that’s just part of it. Mr. Crepe is a freelance animation director, which means that he essentially lives in t-shirts and jeans. The guy doesn’t own a single suit and we felt that tuxes were much too formal for our wedding style. It just didn’t make sense to rent something he was going to be able to wear at least a few more times this year.
While purchasing a suit was the easy option to us, MIL Crepe needed more convincing. She REALLY wanted the guys in matching tuxes and was convinced that buying suits were either going to be more expensive than renting. She also felt that our vision for the boys wasn’t quite formal enough because I had described this to her:
I had somehow forgotten that she prooobably did not follow wedding blogs and would, as a result, hate this idea. Oops, that’s my bad. Read more…
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.
With the save the dates beautifully printed and in hand, it was time to address them. I have to admit, I definitely wasn’t looking forward to this part. I wouldn’t quite say I have chicken scratch for penmanship, but it’s not exactly…well…envelope worthy?
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. 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!
Here we are! A little under two months away and I have whittled the giant to do list from 9 months ago down to this…
You can see that I divided the “to do” list into “Homework” and “Projects.” Mr Waffle asked what the difference was considering they are all tasks we need to get done.
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!
Of course I’m doing a bouquet toss. I’ve been made to stand up at every single wedding I’ve been to, even since I got engaged, and it’s time for revenge! I want people to CRAWL FOR IT! Hee hee.
I purchased some random pink and maroon flowers awhile back in an attempt to find something Mr. H would like for the groomsmen’s boutonnieres, and he didn’t like any of them. I put them back in the Hobby Lobby bag and forgot about them, and I rediscovered them months later. I haven’t decided whether or not I want to throw my actual bouquet for our bouquet toss, so I figured I could create a toss bouquet and decide later.
I started out by following Mom Hyena’s technique for my real bouquet: arrange the stems the way you want them, and rubber-band them together.
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."
Now that I am bumbling my way through early adulthood, something has become clear to me: nearly all my disappointments and frustrations stem from a disconnect between my own expectations and what actually happens. My delusions vs. reality…and my delusions are, well, of grandeur.
On the rare occasion that Pdog and I have a row, it’s almost always because of mismatched expectations. Fancy a real-life example? Behold:
Pdog worked late a lot last week, and I felt bad for the poor guy. I decided that, instead of doing my favorite alone-time things in his absence, I would clean the house. It would be this magical surprise—that our house was so clean, and I actually did it myself. We share household cleaning tasks, and I’m not a very good deep-cleaner/scrubber/anythinger. (I am, however, amazing at Google-searching local cleaning services and calling them.) So I rolled up my sleeves, treated our wood floors, and scrubbed the kitchen until it shined like the top of the Chrysler building. And all the while, I kept thinking…this is so worth it. He’ll be so thrilled. I was going to change his life by cleaning our home.
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!
In case you missed the first part of the Snow Cone engagement story, take a peek here.
Earlier that week, BM B had decided to host a party at her house on Friday night. All the way up through Friday afternoon, I never planned on going, since I was scheduled to work that night. Fortunately, BM E pulled some major strings to clear up my Friday evening so I could attend the party. Which magically transformed into an engagement party…almost as if that was the point of the party from the very beginning! It was such a great time, since the party brought together all of my friends from my different niches at school. I was having an amazing time, with a dorkishly huge grin plastered across my face for the entirety of the evening. The only thing I recognized as imperfect was that we were celebrating with all of my friends. And this celebration was in honor of two people making a commitment to each other. I know Mr. Snow Cone was perfectly happy to celebrate with my group, but I felt a twinge of discontent that there was no one from “Team Dude” at the party.
At one point during the festivities, BM B demanded that I give Mr. Snow Cone a tour of her house, specifically focusing on the basement…which was a dusty, unfinished storage area. I figured she was trying to get us out of the main party area to sneak in a surprise of some sort. Perhaps she was sneaking in a special engagement cake for us!
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!
OK, first let me start by saying that I have not attended church regularly since I was in high school. So, one could say I am “lapsed.”
I’m not trying to pretend I am more churchy than I am. But, I was raised in the Moravian faith at Covenant Moravian Church in Wilmington, North Carolina. Our church was, and still is, a pretty small church, and there are not many Moravians in the world. When I tell people I am “Moravian,” they normally think I said “Mormon,” or they wonder why they have never heard of the country of Moravia before. It’s part of the Czech Republic, nowadays, see?
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!
As I have mentioned, I was afraid ofindifferent to wedding dresses early on in our engagement. But, since I am a somewhat crazed bride, I of course had been obsessively checking wedding inspiration sites and was thus exposed to many a beautiful wedding gown. The tulle! The silk! The eyelet! The lace! The white and cream and ivory! All things that I love.
And, as my wedding vision developed, I started to notice that I was gravitating toward certain types of gowns. Mainly, those gowns that were vintage-y, flow-y, lace-y, eyelet-y. Those are all words, right? Basically, I was drawn to the elegant, romantic, form-hugging lace gowns that make you think of tea cups and doilies (in a good way).
Anyway, here is the look/style that I was crushing on.
I loved most of Monique Lhuillier’s designs—who doesn’t?? They are so dreamy and exactly the type of style I was going for.
All-Inclusion Invitation Suites
Hee hee.
Image via Cake Wrecks
