Mrs. Candy Apple, Princeton Junction, NJ/ Seattle, WA
Age and Occupation: 26, Project Editor
Fiance's Age and Occupation: 26, Attorney
Engagement Date: May 9, 2010
Wedding Date: August 2011
Venue: St. Joseph's Parish, Seattle Tennis Club
About 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!
Or, Candy Apple finally jumps in on this whole Royal Wedding posting bonanza.
Honestly, I could have cared less about the whole royal wedding until, oh, people started blogging about it. Yes. I am now a convert. The conjecture! The lovely inspiration! The dresses! The style! I got super excited because, come on, it’s not every day that royalty gets married and I get to watch it on TV, right? Plus, I feel somewhat connected to Will and Kate (we’re on a nickname basis, obvs) because we have been planning our weddings at the same time, so that makes us wedding-twins, right? Right.
And really, who doesn’t want to watch a gal marry her prince? Since I’m such a sappy romantic, I am getting more excited about this as the week progresses. However, since I haven’t been following the wedding (I avoid all the TV shows/ specials/ etc at all costs) for the most part, these are going to be fairly wild guesses. So grab your fave cuppa, don your fanciest hat, and let’s make some guesses:
Dress
I am firmly in the camp that Catherine (aka Kate) will be at least a two-dress bride.
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Mrs. Cardigan, Austin
Age and Occupation: 21, Student/Soon-to-be Special Education Teacher
Fiance's Age and Occupation: 20, Student/Soon-to-be Accounting Systems Analyst
Engagement Date: August 16, 2009
Wedding Date: January 2011
Venue: Vintage Villas
About Me: I'm a native Austinite who was raised as a die-hard Aggie. Luckily, I'm a pretty persuasive girl because I managed to convince my high school boyfriend (now fiance!), Mr. Cardigan, to ditch his hardcore Longhorn ways and join me up at A&M, where we currently reside with our adorable dogs, Cullen & Ranger. We're currently planning a bright, cheery wedding with a ridiculous amount of DIY projects that I can't wait to tackle! I love crafting in any form, reading, and margaritas (I think I love them the most!). Organization is what keeps me sane and I love helping others, which is probably why I ended up as an education major. It gets a little chaotic sometimes when you're planning a wedding among all of the papers, projects, finals, and certification exams, but we're having the time of our lives and we can't wait to get started on our journey as husband and wife - and we're so excited to share our wedding with the hive!
Finally. It was time for the ceremony to begin.
We were getting married.
As I go through the ceremony, I plan to share a few snippets of the actual text, but I will not be posting the ceremony in its entirety. If you’re interested in the full text, just let me know and I’d be happy to share.
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Weddingbee Gallery
Feature Launched: April 10, 2009
About: A collection of inspirational wedding pictures from readers and bees.
MrsShark2B incorporated a chalkboard in her engagement 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.
If your photo is featured as the Gallery of the Day, you’re eligible for a special Weddingbee badge for your blog or website! Check out instructions on how to grab the badge here!
Mrs. Sparkler, Chicago
Age and Occupation: 27, Communications Aficionado
Fiance's Age and Occupation: 26, Publisher
Engagement Date: July 21, 2010
Wedding Date: September 2011
Venue: Chicago Illuminating Company
About Me: I’m a Southern lady living in the big city of Chicago. Well, lady may be a stretch, but I’m working hard to keep some Virginia charm in our sleek, urban, wedding-palooza! I’m addicted to marathons, not-so-famous bands, Chicago restaurants, and Mark Twain. I cry during SPCA commercials, and I think LOST was the best show to ever hit television. Mr. S and I met at a classy college mixer and, 7 years later, he’s still by my side. He’s the only child, laid back, free spirit... I’m the oldest of five kids, type-A, organizer. It doesn’t work on paper, but we’ve never paid attention to that stuff anyway. Somehow it works. And like they say, sometimes when you know…you just know.
I mentioned in my last post that Mom Sparkler and I recently solidified wedding-week accommodations for my close family. And I know what you’re thinking, “Sparkler, didn’t you already block hotel rooms for your guests? What are you doing now? Adding more stuff to your plate???”
Well, the Sparkler fam always seems to be doing things differently. Mom is a bargain shopper at heart, and when it came to finding a place to stay in Chicago for the week, she wasn’t exactly down with booking 4 hotel rooms for my immediate family. So what is a gigantic Sparkler crew to do when they want to stay together (family time!) and not break the bank? Enter the world of alternative vacation-housing!
Clockwise from top left, logos from VRBO, airbnb, and CouchSurfing
There are a lot of companies who cater to vacationers looking for a “home away from home” type of experience. It can be really fun (and save you a lot of money) if, say, you’re going to a destination wedding and want to split a place with 2 or 3 other couples. I feel guilty keeping this money-saving secret, so I thought I’d share my top 3 favorite sites to help you book this type of vacation:
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Featured on Weddingbee
“Make an elegant invitation statement without the fuss. Stylish invitation sets with matching envelopes, reception and response cards included.”
Featured Product: Laura Ashley Delicate Damask Invitation
Mrs. Giraffe, Chicago
Age and Occupation: 23, Graphic Designer
Fiance's Age and Occupation: 24, Music Student Teacher
Engagement Date: October 23, 2008
Wedding Date: May 2011
Venue: Trinity Lutheran Church & Idlewild Country Club
About Me: Coming from the suburbs of the Windy City, you'll often find me with my foot in my mouth while laughing for no reason or telling bad knock knock jokes. I've been crafty for as long as I can remember, and will DIY something twice over before I have someone do it for me. I'm a semi-awkward, typeface obsessed, design junkie and have been know to break out my dance moves for no reason as well as try my best to be ridiculous at all times. My love of pop culture, wordplay, and graph paper almost rivals my love of Mr. Giraffe (who is just the bee's knees). After a 2.5 year engagement, we're planning a modern-in-disguise traditional wedding, and cannot wait!
There are very few people in my life that can rival Mr. Giraffe for the amount of love I have for him. One of these people is Best Man Washington.
See, although Washington is easily Mr. G’s BFF (although he refrains from using the term “BFF”), I would like to point out that I knew him first. I met Mr. G a week after I moved down to ISU, but that whole first week I bonded with Washington who lived on my floor.
A very young Washington, back in ’05
Washington attended ISU with us Giraffes (although he graduated a couple of years before us), and has since moved away from good ol’ Illinois. Washington will be flying in all the way from, unsurprisingly, the state of Washington for our big day.
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Mrs. Snow Cone, Pittsburgh/Johnstown, PA
Age and Occupation: 23, Public Health Graduate Student
Fiance's Age and Occupation: 23, Engineer
Engagement Date: April 9, 2010
Wedding Date: August 2011
Venue: OMOS Church ceremony/Sunnehanna Country Club reception
About 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!
…with my hair.
I really like being a strawberry blonde; I think it helps to separate me from the masses of blondes and brunettes running amok in the world today (kidding…sort of). My devotion to my hair color is not representative of my feelings toward my hair on a whole. Specifically, I have one main beef with my locks.
Simply stated, my hair hates volume. For realz. I’m one of those girls who can spend 60 minutes in the bathroom perfecting my ‘do and then step outside into moderate humidity or, God forbid, a drizzle, and I’m looking at a hairstyle flatter than the Midwest. As a result, I pretty much have two options…curled ends courtesy of a curling iron, or stick-straight hair thanks to my straightener.
Straight. Duh. (Personal photo from 2007)
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Create the honeymoon of your dreams.
Mrs. Pony, Bloomington, IL
Age and Occupation: 25, Attorney
Fiance's Age and Occupation: 34, Attorney
Engagement Date: March 22, 2010
Wedding Date: September 2011
Venue: Mackinaw Valley Vineyard; Bloomington Center for the Performing Arts
About 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.
Because alliteration makes everything better, even royal weddings!
I should preface this by saying my knowledge of the British monarchy is pathetic. And I totally researched the crap out of royal wedding traditions before I started writing my predictions (yet my knowledge is still severely lacking).
Kate’s Style
Certainly the most anticipated part of the day, Kate is going to keep her look elegant and sophisticated. I suspect she will wear a strapless ball gown with a fitted bodice. To keep within the modesty expectations at Westminster Abbey, she will also wear a beautiful 3/4 sleeve lace bolero that she can remove when she wants to bust a move at the after party (which she will do because she is awesome). The embellishment will be minimal, but it will feature a select few details to make her gown unique and beautiful.
I’m thinking something along these lines (but with more fine details):
Image credit: 9lover
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Mrs. Pain au Chocolat, Wilmington, DE
Age and Occupation: 29, Realtor
Fiance's Age and Occupation: 34, Realtor
Engagement Date: November 21, 2009
Wedding Date: June 2011
Venue: Greenville Country Club
About 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.
For April Fool’s Day, my parents arrived for a little visit just 60 days out from the big day. With my sister. And my cousin J, who’s never visited us before. But nothing funny was going on. When I tried to pin down activities for the weekend, they were vague and indecisive. Bridesmaid R and my FMIL had been unusually quiet in the previous weeks. And poor Mr. Pain au Chocolat had been stressing all week about preparing the house for my family, stockpiling food and scrutinizing every corner of the house. What was going on?
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Mrs. Hyena, College Station, TX
Age and Occupation: 23, Marketing Specialist
Fiance's Age and Occupation: 24, Aerospace Engineering Grad Student
Engagement Date: January 8, 2010
Wedding Date: May 2011
Venue: Downtown 202
About 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!
Mrs. Starfish, Boston/Newport
Age and Occupation: 25, Operations Assistant
Fiance's Age and Occupation: 25, Sales
Engagement Date: October 8, 2008
Wedding Date: October 2010
Venue: The Atlantic Beach Club
About 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.
Our parents and wedding party entered the reception to the Rembrandt’s I’ll be There For You. You may remember it from a popular ’90s TV sensation called Friends. We went back and forth on what song to use. So, how did we end up with a ’90s sitcom theme song?
These are the people who have been there for us.
Our parents, who have been there through absolutely everything, from diapers to diamond engagement rings, they’ve been there and supported us every step of the way.
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Mrs. Ostrich, San Francisco/Hawaii
Age and Occupation: 30, Fashion Buyer
Fiance's Age and Occupation: 38, Copywriter
Engagement Date: October 4, 2009
Wedding Date: April 2011
Venue: Sweet ceremony by the sea and sunset celebration on the North Shore of Hawaii
About 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 have had to fight like hell and fighting like hell has made me what I am.” - John Arbuthnot Fisher
…or we could call it by it’s more common name…the name that we never want to associate with our weddings:
COLD FEET.
Now, when I say “cold feet,” what do you think of? I think of the movie “Runaway Bride,” the wave of fear washing over Julia Roberts’ face as she heads down the aisle, freezing her up and sending her flying out the church doors.
“Runaway Bride” via jacnaber.com
Or you might thinking of the groom waiting at the altar, Here Comes the Bride starting up, everyone standing…and waiting…waiting…waiting for the bride to emerge. But she never does.
So yeah, i just said it. COLD FEET. Did you shudder like I did? Feel your stomach drop to the floor? And you might be thinking, “WHY is Miss O writing a post about cold feet??? 2 days before her wedding?!?!“
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Ms. Gazelle, Calgary/Vancouver
Age and Occupation: 32, Engineer
Fiance's Age and Occupation: 32, Technology Analyst
Engagement Date: September 3, 2010
Wedding Date: July 2011
Venue: Brock House Restaurant, Vancouver
About Me: I am a marathon runner, cyclist, Ironman triathlete and beautiful shoe fiend who also loves kicking back and watching Glee. I grew up a bit of a nomad as I traveled around the world with my family, living everywhere from Australia to England to South America and Indonesia. I finally settled in Calgary a few years ago and met Mr. Gazelle who loves me even though we cheer for different hockey teams. We are planning a bit of a destination wedding in beautiful Vancouver, British Columbia and we can’t wait to share the day with our close family and friends.
Mr. Gazelle has made his decisions on what he is going to be wearing for our wedding! I’m so excited because I think he is going to look amazing!
Back in March I was walking through the mall on my lunch break, and I spotted this sign inside Holt Renfrew:
Image via Holt Renfrew
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Mrs. Elephant, Dallas, TX
Age and Occupation: 27, Financial Operations Analyst
Fiance's Age and Occupation: 27, IT Student/Store Manager
Engagement Date: March 29, 2009
Wedding Date: April 2011
Venue: The Tribute Golf Club
About 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!
EEEEEE! I can’t believe that it came and went and we are now husband and wife!
With a little bit of elephant luck, and good weather vibes from the hive, the rain held out long enough for our outdoor ceremony. It rained during our reception and then stopped long enough for our sparkler exit.
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Ms. Sloth, Philadelphia
Age and Occupation: 35, Account Manager and Fashion Blogger
Fiance's Age and Occupation: 30, Design Admin
Engagement Date: December 25, 2009
Wedding Date: May 2011
Venue: Bartram's Garden
About Me: I'm an internet junkie and music snob with a good eye for a bargain. I couldn't live without thrift store shopping, cheeseburgers, sushi, Coke Zero, websites devoted to silly photos of baby animals, Photoshop, and Mr. Sloth. Speaking of which, he and I are a pair of goofball homebody nerds who love our beagle (the most ridiculously adorable dog EVER) to an embarrassing degree. We're planning a low-key and intimate yet festive and quirky outdoor wedding with DIY details and deeply personal touches, and it's all taking place in the city where we fell in love and call home: Philadelphia.
It’s funny—I’ve said before that I don’t really care much about the royal wedding. But the main thing I do care about is what Kate is going to wear. I love me some fashion and I thought it would be fun to predict what the wedding will be all about. So here goes nuthin’!
The Dress:
Nobody really knows who is going to be designing Kate’s dress. There was a rumor that Sophie Cranston of Libelula would be designing it, but now they’ve made a statement saying that the rumor is untrue.
I’d bet a lot of money that Kate’s dress will be the work of a British designer. Kate is a bit edgy, so I wouldn’t be surprised to see her in Stella McCartney, Vivienne Westwood, Temperley London, or one of many lesser-known designers.
She favors simple, slinky silhouettes, so I know we won’t see her in a pouf-fest like Di. I’m anticipating that her dress will be fairly form-fitted, and sleek. Maybe something like this Alberta Ferretti?
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Mrs. Buttons, Clearwater, FL
Age and Occupation: 24, "Working on it"
Fiance's Age and Occupation: 28, Financial Services
Engagement Date: June 13, 2009
Wedding Date: May 2010
Venue: Carlouel Yacht Club
About Me: I'm a self proclaimed perfectionist and a professional nomad (seriously, I've lived in TX, WI, MI, FL, NC, and now VA!). I love wine, cooking, curling up with a good book (nerd alert!), spoiling the furbaby, and of course, the wonderful Mr. Buttons! We are planning a lighthearted and whimsical wedding (with a good deal of DIY projects) in Clearwater, Florida, but from a distance of 800 miles away! We are looking forward to sharing our day with our family and friends, and most importantly, starting our lives together as husband and wife!
Even though I was quite confident that our dance party could have continued well into the night, our evening did have to come to a close. Thankfully, we had a few plans to end the night with some sparkle…
We purchased extra long sparklers before the wedding to stage for our exit. If you are planning a sparkler exit for your getaway—DEFINITELY get these; the regular sized short sparklers that you use on the 4th of July will not last long enough for a grand exit and you will be left with smoky photos! Carlouel was nice enough to provide matches to light and buckets to dispose of our sparklers. After the DJ played the final song, he asked our guests to move towards the exit and line up outside for the sparkler excitement! Under the direction of our DOC, they formed a walkway for Mr. Buttons and I to walk through!
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