Mrs. Seashell, Chicago, IL / Providence, RIAge and Occupation: 28, Marriage and Family TherapistFiance's Age and Occupation: 31, Electrical EngineerEngagement Date: September 3, 2009Wedding Date: September 2010Venue: The Glen Manor HouseAbout Me: Fonts and fashion, stationery and Sundays, photography and french toast... the beauty is in the details for this fun-loving Chicagoan who loves to plan plan plan! The soon-to-be hubs plays "Mr. Fix-It" in our new condo while I swoon over beautiful, personalized stationery and choose shades of aubergine for my bridesmaids' dresses... and thus begins my new fairy tale! Skirting to the East Coast for our September nuptials where my home state of Rhode Island awaits with fall foliage, I'm just a few dress fittings and bachelorette party away from saying "I Do" to a very happy ending!
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.
There’s a bit of a language and communication gap between Mr. Knitting and myself and his parents. Most of the time it’s a bit unfortunate, but sometimes it’s a bit hilarious!
For a few months before our wedding Mr. Knitting’s mom had expressed a number of concerns to Mr. Knitting about our wedding looking cheap. We weren’t too sure why she thought this since knew that our wedding would not look cheap and so we just kind of ignored these comments. We thought it was odd that she thought our choice of the Faculty Club was cheap because she had originally wanted us to get married in her church and have the reception in the industrial looking church rec room. While this would have been a perfectly fine option for some, it can’t be denied that the Faculty Club has a bit more ambiance.
We invited her to see the Faculty Club with us beforehand but for various reasons she had not actually seen it before the wedding, nor had she expressed interest in seeing any pictures.
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!
Now that you know the story of our engagement(s), let me tell you the story of the first real wedding-related event we attended—thrown by my incredible future sister-in-law! Not only have she and her husband given me and Mr. FW the most amazing niece ever (just in time to be a flower girl, no less!)…
{a picture I took of Flower Girl S, just a few hours after she was born}
… but she organized the sweetest engagement dinner for us shortly after we made it all *official.* Just to clarify—this would’ve been amazing no matter what, but it’s particularly meaningful because it was the first time I truly realized the emotional big deal-ness of this whole engagement/marriage thing. I guess I thought that because we’d been together for so long, and because everyone knew we were in it for the long haul, and because it doesn’t seem like the marriage part of our relationship will concretely change anything about our day-to-day lives, the engagement would just feel like normal life except we would have rings on our fingers and I could be more unabashedly open about our wedding planning. But I was so wrong. Read more…
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.
Our wedding is a little more than two months away (HOLY SHIT), and I can’t wait to marry Mr. Panther. I mean, I’ll be honest—a great deal of that is because I am so sick of all the pressure and just want this wedding to be DONE—but also, I love this man and I’m ready to start our lives together as a married couple.
Mr. Panther and I have a great relationship. Sure, we fight and scream and threaten to kill each other from time to time, but that’s normal, right? Right?! Regardless, our relationship is solid. I’ve never had a moment of doubt. I knew from the first time I kissed Mr. Panther that I wanted to spend my life with him, and that has never changed. Mr. Panther feels that way now, but he wasn’t always as certain as I was.
When Mr. Panther and I met, I was 19 and he was 20. Just babies.
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’ve already talked about Wednesday, and I caught you up on my last minute projects that I knocked out on Thursday. As Rebecca Black will tell you, Friday is next! I’m so sorry. You’re going to have that song stuck in your head all day now, aren’t you? I can sing “It’s a Small World” if you’d like! No? Okay then.
Seriously though, Friday is when the fun truly began! I kicked off the wedding weekend with a brunch in honor of my bridesmaids. I had reserved a cozy private room in the back of the Flying Biscuit Cafe in Candler Park, one of my favorite neighborhoods in Atlanta. Since all of the Flying Biscuit locations are so bright and colorful (and since all five of the Lioness Bmaids were Gators), I figured an orange and blue theme was a great way to make my girls feel special.
I brought a blue mason jar which I filled with orange roses…
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?
After a short leave of absence to take care of some overdue travel, Mr. Caro and I are back! We had a great Easter in Paris and, along with macarons, shopping and gourmet food, we also found our alternative universe perfect wedding venue.
You know the parallel universe theory? The one that basically says (in very basic terms, please forgive my ignorance) that there are infinite parallel universes right next to ours, where infinite versions of yourself exist and perhaps make difference choices and live different lives. I like this theory because it makes me think that, if I didn’t get to do something in this life, I managed to do it in another. Perhaps in one I am a world famous novelist, and in another I have a perfect metabolism and can eat whatever I want without gaining a pound. Of course in all Mr. Caro and I somehow end up together!
And perhaps in some other alternate universe I will have my wedding reception at the Pavillons the Bercy: this place is so amazing I have to share in case any of you want to get married or are planning a trip to Paris!
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!
Given that Miss Hyena and Miss Pony have recently tackled the font issue, I figured I’d toss my hat into the ring, too. However, rather than giving you some serious font inspiration, I’ve decided to help out my fellow DIY/tech-challenged brides with a step-by-step tutorial for how to download and install new fonts.
(Note: I am using Windows Vista and Microsoft Office 2007. I don’t know if this is the only or proper way to get fonts into Office, but it works for me!)
(Another note: If I can successfully install new fonts, anyone can. True story: freshman year of college, I managed to delete Windows from my laptop. Not a file or two…the entire operating system. I’m technologically challenged to say the least, and even I can handle this little font extravaganza.)
Step 1: Go to Google and type in “download free font” and you’ll get a bunch of different sites. My personal favorites are 1001FreeFonts and DaFont.
Step 2: Browse around the websites, looking for fonts that appeal to you. Most sites have their fonts split into helpful categories, such as script, handwritten, famous, modern, etc.
Step 3: Once you find a font you like, click the “download” button for that specific font. When the download window comes up, I click “Open with Windows Explorer (default).” From there, you will receive a zipped file that contains a couple different files.
Mrs. Jellyfish, Pleasanton, CAAge and Occupation: 27, Law StudentFiance's Age and Occupation: 26, Air Force PilotEngagement Date: February 21, 2009Wedding Date: September 2010Venue: Casa Real at Ruby Hill WineryAbout Me: In a nutshell, I’m the most optimistic worrywart you’ll ever meet. My family emigrated from Romania to San Jose, CA when I was 8, and I've been a Nor Cal girl ever since! My fiancé is also a Bay Area native, so it’s funny that we met at UCLA, as college freshmen living on the same floor (go Bruins!). Between his career as an Air Force pilot and my path to becoming a lawyer, our relationship has been anything but typical. We currently live together in Berkeley with our puppy Stinson. In addition to spending time with the loves of my life, I enjoy crafting, attempting complicated recipes, environmental law and non-law school reading (Us Weekly, anyone?). Follow along as I plan an elegant 200-person winery wedding, graduate law school, take the Bar exam, get married and get used to the always unpredictable but never boring life of a military spouse!
I talked about the song selection for our first dance here, and I mentioned that we got dance lessons before the wedding. To be more precise, we attempted to learn the foxtrot starting a mere 5 weeks before the wedding. Sound crazy? I’m here to tell you it’s possible! We bought a package of 6 one-hour dance lessons with Laurie Ann Lepoff of Steps on Toes dance lessons in Oakland. Laurie really emphasizes learning the basic dance steps rather than focusing on a choreographed routine, which she believes locks dancers in and causes the whole dance to fall apart if someone misses a step. During the weeks leading up to the wedding, our hour-long dance lessons proved to be a welcome break from the hustle and bustle of wedding planning. Some of my favorite memories of the days before our wedding involve us practicing the foxtrot to our song in the living room, in Mr. Jelly’s parents’ garage, and in my hotel room the night before the wedding. And I’m happy to report that even though we were by no means DWTS ready, we managed to learn a simple foxtrot routine that we felt proud of, and more importantly, had a blast dancing to on our wedding day. Without further ado, some photos from our first dance, along with the lyrics of our song:
Do you hear me, I’m talking to you Across the water across the deep blue ocean Under the open sky, oh my, baby I’m trying
Mrs. Deviled Egg, PittsburghAge and Occupation: 27, Public RelationsFiance's Age and Occupation: 28, AccountingEngagement Date: December 24, 2007Wedding Date: May, 2009Blogging Since: October 21, 2008Venue: Historic auditorium and meeting hall in one of Pittsburgh's commuter citiesAbout Me: I am obsessed with all things crafty, especially scrapbooking, knitting, jewelry-making & cake decorating. I also love being an aunt, wrapping presents, watching football (Go Steelers!), shopping at yard sales and consignment stores, procrastinating, singing and learning to play the guitar. When it comes to wedding planning, I'm excited about working on DIY projects and finding creative ways to stay under budget. Of course, nothing is more exciting to me than knowing that the wonderful Mr. Deviled Egg will be my husband.
I’m coming out of hiding because I can’t pass up the opportunity to talk about the royal wedding. After watching the fictional (and rather cheesy) portrayal on Lifetime of how Prince William and Kate Middleton became romantically involved, I will shamefully admit that my interest has grown even more. Of course, I’d love to offer my predictions for how things will unfold this Friday.
First up, what seems to be the best kept secret in the universe—the dress! It’s been rumored that the dress was designed by the bride-to-be herself and will be created by Sophie Cranston of Libelula. I’ve also read/heard rumors that Kate has had multiple dresses made in case details leak. Although, I’m assuming multiple dress designs will almost certainly make Kate a two- or three-dress-bride. How could you choose just one when so many gorgeous dresses were made for you? Considering the events planned for Friday’s celebration, I’m guessing there will be one dress for the ceremony, a second for the reception and a third (Yes, a THIRD!) for the final, private party of the evening. A wedding this grand is so rare, I’m going to have to go with the prediction of three dresses! 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.
After striking out at ROTB, I was disappointed but confident that I had solidified what I was looking for in a dress. I went home and searched for dresses online with fervor to find a dress that fit my specifications.
Now would be a good time to play some Angry Birds, Mr. Pony.
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!
Before we could legally wed in the state of Washington we had one thing that we absolutely had to accomplish.
Get our marriage license.
In the state of Washington you must procure said license between 3 and 60 days prior to your wedding.
Guess what we still hadn’t done by the week before the wedding? Oh right, get our marriage license that we’d spent the last two months procrastinating on getting.
Really, our only excuse was that Mr. EB was busy with classes and we didn’t want to deal with going downtown because we assumed it would always be super busy and crowded (of course, then on the day that we decided to go, Mrs. Zebra may or may not have freaked me out with tales of long lines when trying to get their marriage license on the Friday before Valentine’s Day!).
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!
Remember these babies from way back when? Hive, I can’t even begin to express how elated I am that Mr. Tartlet finished these over the weekend. Our wedding programs evolved from being a couple pieces of cardboard covered in fabric to something incredibly precious that I’m so in love with—and Mr. Tartlet is pretty proud of, too.
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!
In the past few weeks, I swear I’ve gone into full-on nesting mode. Bride brain? Please. All I want to do is think about decorating our house and throwing fancy dinner parties in which I serve Top Chef-like culinary masterpieces off the beautiful china we would register for if I could just find a pattern that I like.
Oh, to have problems such as this! I can’t find china that jumps out at me saying, “I am BEAUTIFUL and perfect and you have to get me and love me forever!”
I can’t decide if I want fine china or everyday china, and therefore cannot make up my mind on the sets themselves. Would I use fine china? Would the everyday china be nice enough to use for special occasions? Is it selfish to register for, like, four different sets of dishes so there’s always one that fits the occasion?!
Here are some sets I’m considering for La Casa de Las Hyenas:
Mrs. Brooch, Arlington, VAAge and Occupation: 25, Writer/EditorFiance's Age and Occupation: 29, Front Desk ManagerEngagement Date: October 3, 2009Wedding Date: April 2011Venue: Oxon Hill ManorAbout Me: I’m an indecisive girlie-girl with a motor mouth, can-do attitude, and knack for making others laugh. I dream of becoming a best selling novelist like Elizabeth Gilbert or Julie Powell (a girl can dream, right?), and love long road trips, a beautiful countryside, music, blogs, books, and all things vintage/thrift/antique/or homemade. I’m a Virgo, i.e. overly sensitive, emotional, and critical, and there’s no such thing as short and sweet in my world. I want to say and do it all. Mr. Brooch grounds me. I point where to go and he figures out the way. He’s a pragmatic fancy-pants who enjoys video games and movies. We both adore our mutt, Rocky, and spending time with our amazingly supportive family and friends. We’re planning a garden wedding with a formal reception with lots of whimsy and unique, Southern-inspired details.
I’m not sure how to go about recapping our wedding while we wait on professional pictures, but there are a couple of myths I realized when I got married that I want to share with you. The first and probably most profound refers to that ever-present discussion about Facebook pictures.
Myth: Unprofessional wedding pictures posted by family and friends on Facebook are going to suck.
Fact: You are going to LOVE the pictures your friends and family post on Facebook!
I’m not saying all the pictures of you on your wedding day that go up on Facebook are going to be flattering, but in the end, I would bet money you’ll happily accept a few bad apples for the opportunity to see a few good ones! This is one of my favorites posted by my Aunt Lorraine:
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 *love* to dance. A few years ago, my perfect night was going out and shaking my booty. Now I’m old and I get tired at 9 PM, so my perfect Friday night involves jumping around our living room and playing Just Dance 2 on the Wii.
