Mrs. Lox, BaltimoreAge and Occupation: 33, Government WorkerFiance's Age and Occupation: 35. IT ConsultantEngagement Date: May 8, 2010Wedding Date: May 2011Venue: Vandiver InnAbout Me: I’m an East Coast gal born and bred and a suburban brat turned city rat for the last year. Now Mr. Lox and I enjoy walking all kinds of places, having the coolest things around in our backyard, and especially our garage parking. I love gadgets, toys, Ben & Jerry’s Chubby Hubby ice cream, monkeys, and our insane cats. I’m a blonde by birth and a redhead by choice. I’m that girl in the cubicle farm with all the cool toys and the file cabinet covered in magnetic poetry. I still use smiley faces in my emails, whether people like it or not. This is not the first rodeo for Mr. Lox nor me. And together, we are planning an intimate afternoon wedding on a budget we can afford by ourselves.
Hive, let’s take a moment to let me freak out. Our wedding…it’s getting CLOSE. Y’all can see I’m a May bride right? I mean, I’m less than a month away. So now I’m working on those last minute things… some of them more last minute than others. And as I get frenzied, I am hoping to keep up with you all. But if I don’t quite hold up my end of the bargain, you know where I am right? Right.
So back to the details… program fans were something I’ve been set on since I can’t even remember when. I was just fixated really. Initially, I hunted down templates all over the web. And each one was kind of worse than the last. Then I decided to just use 2 8.5×11″ pieces of cardstock. You know that was too big, right? Yeah, so do I. Now. So I got a little desperate and the hive came to the rescue. Specifically the fine bees in this thread. Thanks ladies!
In case you were wondering, the end solution was to use one piece of 8.5×11″ cardstock… cut in half. And so I was ready to go. And here is the skinny on how I did it. Read more…
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 taking numerous photos, it was time to hang out with our guests. We had a “Catholic Gap” as our ceremony had to be at 2:00 and the reception started at 5:00. So, we had plenty of time to take photos and make it to our cocktail hour. I was ready to hang out with our guests, but as soon as Aunt J (my hairstylist) saw me, she told me we needed to do some touch ups. Starfish Mom, Aunt J, Sister Starfish, and I headed to the bathroom. It was about 5:10 and it suddenly hit me…I was starving! I hadn’t eaten since breakfast at about 7:00 or 8:00 AM. Tons of people warned me to eat on the wedding day and I was having so much fun, I forgot. But, I pretty much became ravenous.
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.
Did you guys think I was going to do all that talking about ROTB and NOT show you pictures (AKA the best part)?! Well, if you thought that you were wrong!
While we didn’t take pictures of nearly all the dresses I tried on at ROTB, here is a sampling of some of the dresses I considered or, you know, laughed at a lot. (Also, I don’t know why I chose to wear a red bra to ROTB; it sticks out in every picture. Ah, hindsight.)
Now go away, Mr. Pony! Don’t make me give you the stink eye…
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!
Back in November, three of my bridesmaids and I flew out to Las Vegas for my bachelorette extravaganza and some much-needed vacation time!
Lest you think I’ve forgotten, I knew the wedding was still six months away. But with bridesmaids literally all over the world, I’ll take ’em when I can get ’em! We were in Vegas for five days, but I’m only going to talk about the bachelorette night here because you need to go visit for yourself. It’s amazing. Go now. Bring me back some souvenirs.
This post is not entirely safe for work, but I did try to keep it tame. (What? My family reads this!) Onward!
My girls are pretty much the best ever. They know I’m not really the go-out-get-drunk-party-all-night type, so they made plans for a fun, very Miss Hyena evening out on the Vegas strip!
But first things first! We got to stay in this awesome timeshare that had a full kitchen, so pretty much the minute she got there, A made cookies! They were meant to be…inappropriately shaped, but they kind of all melted together in the oven. They were delicious anyway. We decorated them inappropriately, too.
Mrs. Pain au Chocolat, Wilmington, DEAge and Occupation: 29, RealtorFiance's Age and Occupation: 34, RealtorEngagement Date: November 21, 2009Wedding Date: June 2011Venue: Greenville Country ClubAbout Me: An ENFJ with an artistic streak who loves backgammon, sailing, graphic design, and sleeping in. Travel (near or far), good wine, and tasty food makes my heart sing. I'm a compulsive list-maker who lives to plan and organize. Mr. P and I have lived together for 4 years, all the while renovating our city townhome bit by bit. We're planning a whimsical, Anthropologie-inspired garden wedding in June 2011.
I love getting things in the mail. Do you remember how ridiculously excited I got over washi tape? Nothing could top that…except for receiving washi tape in the mail!
Mrs. Sparkler, ChicagoAge and Occupation: 27, Communications AficionadoFiance's Age and Occupation: 26, PublisherEngagement Date: July 21, 2010Wedding Date: September 2011Venue: Chicago Illuminating CompanyAbout 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 guess my dirty little secret is out. As I sit here, cuddled up with some English breakfast tea in my Will and Kate mug, I realize that everyone will now know about my obsession with the royal wedding. I tried to hide it for too long. I knew it would come out eventually. And I still denied my addiction. Can you blame me? I mean, I’m getting married a few short months after a prince and princess. That’s enough to take any bride’s brain into complete wedding overload. Anyway, before you run away thinking I’m crazy, here are my predictions for the wedding of the century. Let’s start with the most important detail:
The Dress
Can you imagine being Kate Middleton? Deciding on a dress that will influence bridal fashion for possibly the next 10 years… or more? What a mountain of pressure. But you know what? I think she’s loving it. She has always been so fashionable, so sure of what she likes, and totally certain of what looks good on her body. I have a feeling she knew exactly what she wanted from the start.
For those reasons, I’m going to guess that Kate has chosen a designer that we haven’t really heard of in the States, and I think her gown will include three specific details:
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.
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!
Equality is an important and abiding ideal in my life, and one that significantly affects my relationship with Mr. FW. See, as excited as I was about “getting engaged,” I harbored a lot of guilt about how traditionally one sided the whole process is. Even for couples who plan together for an engagement, the situation I’ve most frequently encountered is where one partner (for heterosexual couples, typically the man) sustains the entire cost of the engagement ring.
That just wasn’t going to work for us, so a big part of our engagement discussions revolved around fairness of costs. Eventually we were able to arrive at an arragement that felt financially equitable for both of us. Mr. FW had no interest in blingy jewelry, but he did want something else that was rather expensive—specifics to be revealed later, but semi-related to this picture:
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.
In the beginning of our engagement, I decided that I might attempt to do my own makeup on our wedding day.
This is a pretty funny notion if you know me, considering that I very rarely wear makeup. And I’m going to attempt to do it myself on what will likely be the most photographed day of my life? Perhaps not the brightest idea. I had Googled a few makeup artists in Vancouver but I wasn’t in love with their portfolios, so I figured I’d just do it myself. I really want to look natural, to look just like me! But maybe with some false eyelashes?
Thank goodness for my photographer who asked if I needed a makeup recommendation. She really has been a great resource for advice and recommendations. She suggested ML Makeup Artistry. I pored over her portfolio, and everyone looks so naturally beautiful. Plus, not only is she good, but apparently she is wonderful to be around. Luckily she was free on our wedding day, so I booked her right away. She’ll come to the house to do my makeup, along with my MOH and BM as well. I imagine our photographer will come by just as I’m getting my makeup done.
This will allow for amazing pictures like this… Read more…
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.
Finally it was time to walk down the aisle. Mr. Knitting and his groomspeople waited for us at the front. I know a lot of people choose to have the groomsmen walk down the aisle with the bridesmaids, but that didn’t really make sense to me. I preferred the symbolism of him waiting supported by his people, as opposed to standing on his own at the front.
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!
I have a fondness for tchotchkes that dates back to my elementary school years: my enthusiasm for carnival and cake walk prizes was unsurpassed (I was also quite a competitive little bugger). It’s no surprise then that I look forward to seeing what the bride and groom’s wedding favors are! Double happiness candles? Score. A pair of porcelain love birds? Awesome. A bookmark with the bride and groom’s photo on it? Still use it to this day. However, when it came to our own wedding, I was conscious that a good percentage of our guests are of the “WTF do I do with this?” persuasion. I started researching alternatives to traditional wedding favors and quickly gravitated towards a slew of edible alternatives. S’mores, anyone?
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!
Before I even ventured out into the big bad world of BM dresses, I was most definitely scared. I had looked through a good number of dress options, and nothing had jumped out at me as the perfect choice. I was definitely leaning toward the highly descriptive phrase of “purple and short,” but beyond that, I was lost.
Mrs. Biscuit, Morgantown, WVAge and Occupation: 24, Dental StudentFiance's Age and Occupation: 26, Chemist at a pharmaceutical companyEngagement Date: April 2010Wedding Date: July 2011Venue: Catholic Church, Lakeview Golf Resort and SpaAbout Me: I'm an engineer who decided to trek back to my hometown three years ago to become skilled in the arts of drilling and filling. I'm engaged to a pretty awesome guy who tests your assorted benzodiazepines by day and home brews by night. Together we have two fur children, Tsali and Tobias N. Fünkat. I'm a lazy perfectionist and eternal sorority girl who enjoys running, crafting, string cheese, good beer, and bad reality TV. We are planning a Big Fat Italian/Sicilian/Polish wedding filled with DIY details and are expecting 300 +/- 50 guests. Our whimsical summer affair is themed "Alice attends the Mad Hatter Vintage Garden Tea Party in a Ballroom. She Thinks That The Venue is Odd for a Vintage Garden Party, but is Tripping on LSD, so She Doesn't Really Care." Yes, I am the Dickens of themes.
As soon as I found out the blogger bees were going to write about their Royal Wedding predictions, I jumped at the chance to join in! And then I realized that I know nothing about flowers, designer gowns, and really anything royal wedding related. It’s OK though, I’ve been watching all the TLC specials, and I feel like I may have some semi-coherent predictions.
1) The dress
Many have speculated that Kate will wear a more form fitting gown. I disagree. While I can’t imagine Kate in a ruffly ball gown, I also can’t see her in a trumpet sheath. She will have to have a decent train. It takes about four minutes to walk down the aisle, and she will be photographed from the ceiling. There needs to be some sort of wow factor. She also needs to stand out amidst the thousands upon thousands of people who are there.
For some reason I have this idea in my head that her dress will look a bit like Princess Mia’s in The Princess Diaries 2, except it will be poofier with a longer train. I also think that she’ll stay on trend and have a separate dress for her after party. I think she’ll keep it long but still form fitting. Her veil for the ceremony will probably cathedral length, and I think it will drag around three feet in front of her. As for the designer, I think she’ll stay classic with McQueen, with Issa doing her reception dress.
Mrs. Lobster, BrooklynAge and Occupation: 29, Finance GirlFiance's Age and Occupation: 33, Finance BoyEngagement Date: July 25, 2009Wedding Date: August 2010Venue: Stage 6 Steiner StudiosAbout Me: I'm a New York-born, Virginia-bred girl who's found her way back to the big city. Mr. Lobster and I met in grad school and have been together ever since. I'm clueless about DIY but am an avid online shopper and love all things polka dots, stripes, and ruffles! When I'm not making wedding lists, you can find me looking for snacks, watching Gilmore Girls, or hanging out with Mr. Lobster and our new puppy Buddy! We are planning a fancy-pantsy Brooklyn wedding for a hot New York summer night which is sure to be a misadventure in the making.
Hive, it’s been just over a year since I started writing for you. I’m now just eight months into my marriage and it’s time to say goodbye. I leave you with one last photo from our engagement shoot—no props, no makeup/hair stylist, no big veil or dress. Just me, Mr. Lobster, and Buddy.
I’ve had an absolute blast sharing our wedding with you from start to finish. Read more…
Mrs. Turtle, Central CaliforniaAge and Occupation: 21, Art Student/TeacherFiance's Age and Occupation: 22, English StudentEngagement Date: August 16, 2008Wedding Date: July 2010Venue: Mr. Turtle's Grandparents' backyard, Arroyo Grande, CAAbout Me: I am a California girl who loves the beach and the mountains, but is quite satisfied living right in the middle where I can enjoy the best of both worlds. I am happiest when traveling to faraway places, wandering through museums, watching old movies, or baking up a storm. Mr. Turtle and I are high school sweethearts and fellow book nerds who both drive Mini Coopers and are most likely to be found browsing in antique stores. We're having so much fun planning our European garden wedding with a vintage twist and can't wait to share more of life's adventures together!
With the royal wedding only days away, did you really think I’d miss this chance to re-enter wedding blogland? Definitely not! I’ve missed you guys! And honestly, the only reason I haven’t been obsessively caught up in the royal wedding buzz until now is that deep down, there’s still a part of me that’s mourning the loss of my girlhood dream. Prince William was supposed to be mine. However, I guess if it wasn’t meant to be, I couldn’t have lost him to a classier queen-to-be than Catherine Middleton. (I mean, the fact that we both studied Art History in college does make us kindred spirits, doesn’t it?) And now that I’ve found my very own “prince,” Mr. Turtle, it’s time to move on with my life. But don’t think that means I will ever stop envying her stylish hat collection…or the palaces…or the jewels. Sigh.
It’s a difficult task to predict the details of a 21st century royal wedding, but I hope you enjoy my vision of the occasion…
Let’s talk about Kate.
The dress: The two designers who have been at the center of the bridal gown rumor mill are Sarah Burton for Alexander McQueen and Bruce Oldfield. Read more…
After taking numerous photos, it was time to hang out with our guests. We had a “Catholic Gap” as our ceremony had to be at 2:00 and the reception started at 5:00. So, we had plenty of time to take photos and make it to our cocktail hour. I was ready to hang out with our guests, but as soon as Aunt J (my hairstylist) saw me, she told me we needed to do some touch ups. Starfish Mom, Aunt J, Sister Starfish, and I headed to the bathroom. It was about 5:10 and it suddenly hit me…I was starving! I hadn’t eaten since breakfast at about 7:00 or 8:00 AM. Tons of people warned me to eat on the wedding day and I was having so much fun, I forgot. But, I pretty much became ravenous.
However, I guess if it wasn’t meant to be, I couldn’t have lost him to a classier queen-to-be than Catherine Middleton. (I mean, the fact that we both studied Art History in college does make us kindred spirits, doesn’t it?) And now that I’ve found my very own “prince,” Mr. Turtle, it’s time to move on with my life. But don’t think that means I will ever stop envying her stylish hat collection…or the palaces…or the jewels. Sigh. 
