Mrs. Jaguar, SydneyAge and Occupation: 27, Primary School TeacherFiance's Age and Occupation: 29, IT ConsultantEngagement Date: August 8, 2009Wedding Date: June 2011Venue: Curzon HallAbout Me: I'm an Australian girl who is a self-proclaimed nerd, loves all things stationery and would be lost without books, music and the internet. Mr. Jaguar and I have been together for the past eight years and he finally popped the question last August. Hurrah! We currently live in Sydney, Australia with our adorable cat who thinks he's a person. We're a couple who likes to multi-task: we've been planning a wedding abroad, a permanent move from London to Sydney, and preparing to build our own home all at the same time. Travelling makes me giddy...as does Mr. Jaguar, of course!
This past weekend I was spoiled by my bridal party as they threw me a kitchen tea. It wasn’t just any bridal shower, oh no: they decided it would be a ‘frocks & hats’ high tea theme, which I’ve been excited about ever since I received the invitation.
Despite there being a few morning showers (before the shower, how fitting!) the day turned out to be lovely – and the set up was just fabulous. Mama Jaguar and my three wonderful bridesmaids had spent the morning setting up, had baked for the past few days, and had planned all sorts of lovely surprises. Nearly everyone followed the instructions and turned up wearing some form of hairpiece. I think we all looked fantastic, I have to say!
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.
Oh, hive…sweet, sweet hive. I cannot believe I am being afforded the chance to address you all right now. But alas, the world (and Pengy & Co.) is kind, and here I am, in all my Seal-y glory.
So who am I? Who, who…who, who. Wow. For one—I watch way too much television (hence the nod to the CSI theme song back there—it was kind of obscure, so don’t feel bad if you didn’t catch it). Secondly, I break out into song often and without forewarning. Quirks aside, I am a fun-loving, family-oriented young lady planning my dream wedding to my dream man in my favorite city in the world: San Francisco!
I was watching Sister Wives one morning (I told you, I watch a lot of TV) when my iPhone made a familiar sound alerting me of a new email. After weeks of feverishly checking my inbox for a response to my Weddingbee application, this sound no longer excited me. In fact…I’d successfully managed, for self-preservation purposes, to convince myself that my first response was going to be a rejection. So try to imagine my ridiculously gleeful surprise when Pengy told me that they would be excited to have ME on board as the newest bee. Poor Mr. Sealgot quite the face grab and shoulder shake after that one!
Now. Why the Seals? Let’s break this down.
1. San Francisco: We are planning a San Francisco themed wedding and seals (well maybe more sea lions, but my seal icon IS kind of ambiguous) scream bark San Francisco!
This is a photo of Pier 39 in San Francisco—right outside one of my favorite clam chowder joints. (In case it snuck past you, I added the ball.)
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 know a lot of brides struggle with whether to wear glasses during their wedding. For me, this is a no-brainer. I can’t wear contacts, so I have to wear glasses. It is a long story, but I seem to have major issues with dry eyes and contacts, so I gave up trying to find contacts that would work years ago. The glasses that I am currently wearing are four years old, though, and I just went through a significant change in my prescription. I need some new lenses!
MOH-T and me, showing off my glasses that just happened to be new at the time of this picture
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!
Despite trips to various places to look at potted plants (because I can’t let the idea go…), I was never really satisfied with the way real potted plants looked. The flowers seemed to be too damaged, or too sparse, or in the wrong colors. It wasn’t something I wanted to chance, hoping the right colors would be in at the right time and that they’d magically be full and healthy. (Also, I don’t trust myself to keep plants alive between now and then.) But alas, I couldn’t. let. go. Pots are so cute!
I had stopped thinking about flower pots, though, in favor of thinking more generically about centerpieces. Mom Hyena and Aunt Hyena had some nice glass vases they were willing to let us borrow and I was on board with that, even though they would be a lot taller than I originally envisioned. I was also a little worried it would be obvious with glass bases that our plants are fake. I’ve done a lot of searching for flowers in order to find high-quality ones that look realistic! My cover will not be blown by see-through vases!
Then, Mr. H and I went to go visit his family (hi, future family!), and on the way we stopped at IKEA. ZOMG I love IKEA. You never know what wonderful things you will find in there!
I picked up these cute pots in light pink and bright green for about $2.50–$3.50 apiece.
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!
Both Mr. Tartlet and I love to travel, as evidenced by our bucket list being composed primarily of places we would like to visit (and places we’d like to eat). The month of May is an amazing time for us with our wedding, Mr. Tartlet’s M.D. graduation the following week, and as luck would have it—the longest time either of us will be free from work obligations. Two whole weeks, my friends. I’m dying inside just thinking about it. When it came to our honeymoon, we entertained a couple of ideas, the first being a jaunt to Europe to revisit our study abroad haunts as a couple. I lived in Aberdeen, Scotland for a little over 6 months:
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. 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."
I remember the first time I went to visit my Great-Aunt Ruthie. My mother explained that we were stopping in to see her favorite aunt, my great-aunt, and this sounded torturous to me. I expected a slow-moving, bespectacled old woman who would tell me how much I’d grown since I was a baby. Instead, what I got was a hot tamale with a raucous laugh and a natural talent for conversing with kids.
It was the beach in late July, okay? Ignore our shininess because I don’t know how to use Photoshop.
Ever since, and especially after my own grandmother died when I was 12, Aunt Ruthie has been my dear friend and confidant. Read more…
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!
Here’s a tip, from me to you. When looking for inspiration for your save the dates, do not, under any circumstances, do a Google search for “STD pictures.” Just trust me on this one, and you won’t lose your lunch.
My step-mom did graphic-design work in the past and still does some small projects occasionally. I asked her if she would be willing to design our STDs, and she said yes! So I threw a bunch of inspiration her way!
I have a bit of a crush on Mrs. Stripes. I know, she’s totally taken and all, and I suppose I am too. But everything she does is so amazing and I just want to eat it up, including these amazing save the dates.
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.
After the readings were read and the homily was said, it was time to say I do, or so we thought. During the rehearsal, I realized we never actually said “I do,” instead, we said “yes.” So, as the ceremony was about to start, the priest asked us how we were doing and if we were ready. I asked if we’d get to say, “I do.” No luck—we never actually said “I do.”
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.
This has been my cunning plan for our invites since about January, when I first saw that H <3 P Miss Giraffe put at the top of our invites. I’m so happy this project turned out just like it looked in my head!
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!
Growing up, I always loved Thanksgiving. Our family is large, boisterous, and amazing, and I have tons of cousins close to my age, so gatherings were always fun and something to which I looked forward. Looking back, though, I actually haven’t been home for Thanksgiving since sophomore year of college. That seems crazy to me!
In my recent post, I talked about new practices that Mr. Candy Apple and I were hoping to implement as we started our new family. With this upcoming marriage, not only are we rethinking certain traditions, but we are needing to rethink holidays as well. Who knew that one thing I love about Mr. Candy Apple—how close he is with his family—would come back to bite me in the butt?? We both are very family-oriented people, and we love going home for the holidays. So, it’s going to be tough having to start the whole every-other-year thing for Christmas. Since we live on the East Coast and both of our families are on the West Coast, it makes the holidays even more difficult! And my parents are divorced, too, which just adds another level of difficulty!
One thing that we havestarted doing is celebrating Thanksgiving together. When we first moved to Cambridge, Massachusetts, we decided to just stay there for Thanksgiving rather than going home. I can’t remember, but I think this was probably based on a combination of finances (i.e., the lack thereof) and time (again, too little time off). Over the following years, Thanksgiving has sort of became “our thing.” I love it! We cook way too much food for the two of us (yay, leftovers!) and drink copious amounts of wine. Mr. Candy Apple’s last year in law school, we made an entire small turkey. Yes. It was fabulous.
Mrs. Meerkat, Kalamazoo, MI/Riviera MayaAge and Occupation: 30, Application EngineerFiance's Age and Occupation: 23, IT ConsultantEngagement Date: July 26, 2008Wedding Date: December 2010Venue: Al Cielo / La LagunaAbout Me: I’m a tech-savvy tomboy with an affinity for hot tea and good sushi. Us Meerkats are just a couple fun lovin’ geeks from Michigan. We love anything having to do with movies, books, video games or technology and we hold a special place in our hearts for our two very spoiled shih-tzus, Wicket and Bravo. We also LOVE to travel. We love it so much it only took us 12 hours after we got engaged to decide to have a destination wedding. We are working our little Meerkat tails off planning a rustic-chic, travel themed destination wedding in the Riviera Maya with a semi-formal, vintage-turned-modern, outdoor at home reception back here in Michigan.
It was almost time for the ceremony to start. Mama Meerkat and I remained hidden while our guests finished their drinks and Sol and Jonathan grabbed a few pictures of the ceremony area. Read more…
Mrs. Penguin, Northern CaliforniaAge and Occupation: 27, Weddingbee Editor in ChiefFiance's Age and Occupation: 30, Doctor of Physical TherapyEngagement Date: January 29, 2007Wedding Date: June 7, 2008Blogging Since: September 14, 2007Venue: Winery in the Gold CountryAbout Me: I love the Spice Girls, dogs with underbites, bean burritos, making messes, high fives, avoiding showers, crossword puzzles, blogs, weddings, and blogs about weddings!
I can hardly think of a more appropriate carnival generation icon for our newest bee from the Bay (or as I like to call it, the Yay)! Join me in welcoming Miss Seal to the hive!
Miss Seal, San Francisco Age & Occupation: 25, Personal Assistant Fiance’s Age & Occupation: 29, Sales and Support Specialist Engagement Date: December 12, 2009 Wedding Date: November 2011 Venue: Sts Peter and Paul Church/The Bently Reserve About 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.
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.
*WARNING* This post contains pictures of me in wedding dresses…if you don’t want to see any pictures of me in a wedding dress then look no further! Yes, Mr. Gazelle, that means you. Thanks, honey!
I mentioned in my previous post that the second store we visited, Embrace Bridal & Formal Fashions, was a bit more casual than the first. The girl working in the shop really let us explore the store on our own.
BM-D got in on the fun, trying on some crazy bridesmaids’ dresses, including this bright yellow tulle and disco-ball-stickered number.
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!
Last July, Hyena Sis called me to tell me about a recent purchase she’d made. Real hair extensions! Because they’re made of real hair, they can be curled, washed, straightened, and styled just like the rest of your hair. Hyena Sis has the same hair color as I do, although I’ve dyed mine a few (OK, a lot) more times than she has, so my ends are a little bit lighter than the rest of my hair. But, because she’s a good sister, she offered to let me borrow them from her for the wedding. Hooray!
Mr. H was not on board with this when I first mentioned it. He said he liked my normal hair. Duly noted.
After the readings were read and the homily was said, it was time to say I do, or so we thought. During the rehearsal, I realized we never actually said “I do,” instead, we said “yes.” So, as the ceremony was about to start, the priest asked us how we were doing and if we were ready. I asked if we’d get to say, “I do.” No luck—we never actually said “I do.”
