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.
I revealed our two minimoons, and if you may have noticed that neither destination has “…beach, sunshine, and people to bring me drinks with umbrellas in them all day long…” Don’t worry hive, I didn’t give up my dreams that easily.
Once we decided to take two little trips this summer, we thought we’d postpone Costa Rica until later this year/early next year. Do you know what this means? This means that we will be going somewhere warm in the winter. Let me say that again in case you missed it: WARM in the WINTER. It might be my fault for living where I do, but I spend the majority of winter whining about how cold it is, how much I hate cold, hate snow, hate my snow boots, hate my puffy down coat, hate the wind chill… you get the picture.
To give you a hint about what bothers me so much, here are some visual aids:
Pretty, yes. Also FREAKING COLD. You can tell it is FREAKING COLD because I’m standing on a lake. (Lake Louise, for the curious.)
Mrs. Giraffe, ChicagoAge and Occupation: 23, Graphic DesignerFiance's Age and Occupation: 24, Music Student TeacherEngagement Date: October 23, 2008Wedding Date: May 2011Venue: Trinity Lutheran Church & Idlewild Country ClubAbout 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!
Hey Hive, I know I haven’t been around much, but I’m in crazy wedding crunch time mode, and I don’t know how this wedding sneaked up on me! Seriously, though, I might turn into a crazy person in the next 17 days. Let’s see what happens.
One of my favorite things in the entire world is cake. In a perfect world, I would replace every meal I ate with chocolate cake and VitaminWater. It’d be pure bliss, I tell you.
Because of my love affair with cake, I had no doubt in my mind that we’d need an amazing (and tasty!) cake for our wedding.
My previous cake experience had been pretty limited to birthday cakes, but man oh man, wedding cakes can blow your mind. The things bakers can do? Unbelievable!
Ms. Cheetah, Los Angeles/Palm Springs
Age and Occupation: 31, Artist, EducatorFiance's Age and Occupation: 32, TV FinanceEngagement Date: April 2010Wedding Date: March 2011Venue: The ViceroyAbout Me: I’m a silly, sassy lady with a compulsion to create. I love to sing and dance, despite the fact that I lack any talent doing either. I somehow manage to be messy and organized at the same time. I like to spend my days road tripping, watching '80s movies, reading true crime books, buying things on sale, sending postcards, playing board games, dining at food trucks, snuggling, and drinking ginger ale. I have a weak spot for all things sweet, especially Mr. Cheetah! I’m a Chicago girl and he’s a Nor Cal boy but we love living in the City of Angels. After 10 years as a couple we are planning a fun-filled semi-destination wedding in Palm Springs. Hope you enjoy the ride!
Hello Hive! Oh, how I’ve missed you! Soon I’ll be back with some last minute projects and of course recaps, because, well, I got married a few weeks ago! But before I get back to the Cheetah wedding, I had to pop in to give my royal wedding Predictions, or RWP, for all you acronym lovers out there. Oh, lets make that CRWP (Cheetah’s Royal Wedding Predictions, of course!).
The Dress
I will be one of the crazies up at 3 AM staring at my TV while wearing a fun hat, just waiting to see the Princess Bride’s gown. Who’s with me? And who’s bringing the scones?
I picture Kate’s dress being ivory, elegant, and regal. It will be made of rich stain, with lace details and perhaps a bit of beading here and there. Her dress will be classic and full, much like Grace Kelly and Ivanka Trump.
Mrs. Hyena, College Station, TXAge and Occupation: 23, Marketing SpecialistFiance's Age and Occupation: 24, Aerospace Engineering Grad StudentEngagement Date: January 8, 2010Wedding Date: May 2011Venue: Downtown 202About Me: I'm a Texas girl who met my future hubby in high school, then headed up to Oklahoma for a college education (BOOMER SOONER!) before moving back to the Lone Star State to be with him. I love reading and recycling, Photoshop and reality TV, making lame jokes and then laughing at them, quoting movies, and Mr. Hyena most of all. I'm perpetually early and I like to get things accomplished. When my cat meows at me, I meow back. We're planning a laid-back, unintentionally DIY wedding with a cocktail-party vibe, and can't wait to celebrate our nuptials with our nearest and dearest!
I had been wanting to get all our linens ordered for a while, and finally just got around to it. Mainly because I knew what I wanted, and I knew Matt wouldn’t like it, so I didn’t want to ask. I mentioned having pink tablecloths to him once, and he thought the entire room would look TOO pink. He wanted white tablecloths.
White is fine, I guess, but without some kind of overlay or gigantic bright centerpieces, to me it just looks so…sterile.
Mrs. Barrettes, Tumon, Guam/Napa, CAAge and Occupation: 29, DancerFiance's Age and Occupation: 31, Licensed Building ContractorEngagement Date: November 16, 2008Wedding Date: October 2010Venue: V. Sattui WineryAbout Me: I'm an East Coast girl, living on a tiny little island in the Pacific, twirling, leaping, and shimmy-ing my way through life, and now, wedding planning! I'm equal parts nerdy and cool... okay, mostly nerdy. I love satin bows, red lipstick, black & white graphic anything, the shine of sequins and the sound of a champagne "pop". My favorite books are The Portrait of a Lady, by Henry James, and Tender is the Night, by F. Scott Fitzgerald. I can also conjure a pretty good Patronus Charm. I started my appreciation for good red wine while traveling on the high seas, and it's only fitting that my passion for wine drinking led me to my Napa-bred honey. We bonded over bottles of Cabernet on my oceanfront porch and haven't looked back since. We're sealing the deal at a winery in the Napa Valley on a 'perfect ten' of a day!
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.
If you decide to brave the bride-infested waters at a Running of the Brides near or far from you, here are my tips for making the most out of the experience (with the large caveat that I am by no means an expert, considering I did not buy a dress during the sale).
Before:
Do your research. Shop, try on dresses, find out what you like and don’t like to narrow down your search parameters. ROTB is overwhelming even if you have a clear idea of what you want, so be sure to either have a clear vision or be ready for a long day.
Plan early. Ask trusted and hard-working family and friends to help you out. Don’t ask three days until the sale and expect people to drop what they have going on for you (not that I did that or anything…).
Wear something comfortable and have your helpers do the same. It can be a long, stressful day. No need to make it worse by wearing uncomfortable clothing.
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!
As the cocktail hour drew to a close, the bridal party lined up in the foyer, ready to make their entrance into the reception. Our DJ started playing I Gotta Feeling, the song we’d chosen to kick off our reception. It’s a little cliche and definitely overplayed, but we love it and it’s such a fun, happy song that it was the perfect way to get our guests pumped up for the party ahead.
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!
I was so nervous about the engagement shoot, so self-conscious about how I would look in photographs, so worried about how Mr. Jaguar would feel about the afternoon – and it all turned out to be for nothing. It was a beautiful location, we did our best to mellow out and enjoy the experience, and our super-awesome-fantastic photographer, Andrew, captured some really beautiful shots, if I may say so myself.
Enough rambling from me, here are some of my favourites!
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!
I’m a bit obsessed with the upcoming royal nuptials of Prince William and Kate. I’ve always been a fan of the royals since I couldn’t sleep one night in 1986 and caught the Prince Andrew-Fergie wedding. I was six years old.
And then, you know, I practically grew up with Princes William and Harry. I mean, yeah, they live way across the pond and all, but Prince William and I are about the same age and we both went to University. He volunteers, I volunteer. I mean, it could be me marrying him. Except I was already engaged to Mr. Magic, so he had to settle for Kate. She’s pretty, I guess.
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.
You may remember that a couple of weeks ago I decided to make a mock-up of our invitations. The only thing that I wasn’t happy with was my attempt at embossing. Just to refresh your memory, here was the result that I wasn’t pleased with:
{Come one, Come all!} The carnival-themed Hamptons Wedding Affair invites you to step right up, take a chance, and plan the wedding of your dreams. Join them this Saturday, April 30th at Brecknock Hall for the Hamptons Wedding Affair! At this year’s event, vintage carnival games will set the tone for a fun and inspiring showcase of inventive décor and complimentary, fair-worthy fare — including candied apples, cupcakes, and, of course, cotton candy. Even better, a silent auction of fabulous wedding-related gift certificates and other items will benefit the Make a Wish Foundation, and each lucky bride-to-be will receive a luxury gift bag containing over $100 worth of goodies. Attendees will have the chance to mingle with the some of the best wedding professionals in The East End before heading into the spa to enjoy luxurious hand and foot treatments, hair and makeup consultations, and mini facials.
Tickets are $40 a couple and can be purchased here, but we have two pairs of FREE tickets to give away! Just comment on this post TODAY before 11:59PM PST and we’ll choose two random winners.
Mrs. Pretzel, SeattleAge and Occupation: 32 Learning, Training, and Development SpecialistFiance's Age and Occupation: 28 Manufacturing EngineerEngagement Date: September 2, 2009Wedding Date: July 2010Venue: Catholic Church & The Engine Room at Georgetown StudiosAbout Me: I’m just a thirty-something girl who never dreamed of weddings, poofy dresses, or ritzy receptions. I am a rabid knitter, except recently, wedding projects have replaced my yarn and needles. I’ve been fiercely independent since the age of 2 and 30 years later I think my family and friends had given up on me settling down and getting married.
Ironically, I had to go all the way to Seattle to find a boy from Purdue. We fell in love over Seattle Beers and cooking together. I love NASCAR, he loves Legos. I can talk like a Muppet and he can fit a whole McDonald’s cheeseburger in his mouth. We are a two reception couple, currently planning a brewery inspired bash.
After months of planning and preparation I was standing next to Mr Pretzel and ready to begin our Nuptial Mass. If you ask either of us what our favorite part of planning was you might be surprised to hear that it was planning our Mass together. For us, the celebrating our marriage with Mass was the highest part of our day and the real purpose of all of our preparations.
I frequently get comments and questions from other Catholic brides looking to personalize their Mass. At some point I will try to pull a list of tips. This post details exactly how our Nuptial Mass flowed and some commentary to why we selected each piece. In hindsight, I really wish that we had a video or audio recording of our Mass. I would be happy if we had just made an audio recording. Where possible I have found YouTube videos of some of the songs and Mass parts. All images by Amore Studios unless otherwise indicated.
Introductory Rites
“The Grace of our Lord Jesus Christ and the Love of God and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all.”
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!
As I previously mentioned, my own dress-shopping process wasn’t exactly calm, cool, and collected. Instead, it was more frustrating, anxiety provoking, and confusing. Regardless of all of those bumps and bruises, I ended up with a dress I couldn’t be happier with, so it just goes to show that an annoying process can still definitely result in a happy ending. And all I have to say in response to that is thank gawd because it appears as though we’re going through the dress ringer yet again, with BM dresses!
I ventured out into the big bad world of Pittsburgh bridal salons with MOH H to find a BM dress, or a few BM dresses, depending on how things played out. She was only visiting for about 36 hours, so I naturally placed a ridiculous amount of pressure on this outing, determined to finalize my choice(s) and be done with it. And, like all well-intentioned plans, it went into the crapper pretty quickly.
First stop—we went to The Exquisite Bride, where I got my dress. They carry a few lines of dresses that have caught my eye; plus we get a 15% discount for having a large bridal party and as a reward for purchasing my dress from that salon. Not bad! After MOH H graciously tried on about 15–20 dresses, we walked away with a few contenders. Take a peek. (Warning: picture barrage ahead.)
Bill Levkoff 578: Simple, but it didn’t really trip my trigger. Plus, there’s a sizable bow in the back. ::cringe::
Ms. Sloth, PhiladelphiaAge and Occupation: 35, Account Manager and Fashion BloggerFiance's Age and Occupation: 30, Design AdminEngagement Date: December 25, 2009Wedding Date: May 2011Venue: Bartram's GardenAbout 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.
…a friend of mine rented out a bar and had a costume theme party: a “Pimp and Hoedown.” Guests were required to dress in one of two categories: Pimp and Ho, or Cowboy and Cowgirl.
I went to the party with three girlfriends and two guy friends who were also co-workers. We all decided to go with the western theme. I wore a western shirt that I borrowed from my mom’s boyfriend, a denim skirt, cowboy boots and hat, and pigtails. Sadly (or luckily) no photos exist. One of my guy friends/co-workers looked super cute in a vintage plaid shirt and cowboy hat. We’d been friends for about a year, but recently, our relationship had started to shift and we’d been flirting for a few weeks.
After a few hours of dancing and way too much drinking, I went outside with one of my girlfriends to have a cigarette (don’t judge, I quit a year and a half ago). She and I chatted for a while out front of the bar, when the object of my flirtation came outside to say hello. My girlfriend none-too-subtly excused herself, and he and I chatted for a few minutes about nothing important.
And then he said, “Hey, I have a question for you.”
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.
It’s kind of sick how excited I am about this royal wedding. Really. I dare say I won’t feel this kind of excitement again until the week of my own wedding. (I told you, I am REALLY excited.) Thankfully I have a few avenues to vent my abundance of crazed joy! In addition to this RW prediction blog, I have been cordially invited to a viewing party (complete with PJs, mini sandwiches, tea, scones and petit fours) at BM/FSIL Tracy’s home—I might keel over I am so giddy.
Anyhow, on to the main event. These kids are awful adorable aren’t they?
I just want to squeeze them, they’re so cute! (And maybe sneak a smooch from that dashing prince, but don’t tell Mr. Seal!)
OK, so I’ve thought long and hard about this and here are my predictions!
Ceremony Length: In terms of the ceremony, I think they’ll keep it fairly short (an hour to an hour and fifteen minutes max).
Kate’s Dress: Current rumors name Sophie Cranston (of Libélula Studios) among her probable gown designers. While I have no reason to disagree with that prediction, I don’t envision Kate in something quite as ill-fitted as is prominent in Cranston’s signature designs.
