Mrs. Earrings, Fresno, CA/ Nelson, New ZealandAge and Occupation: 20, Student, Wannabe Writer
Fiance's Age and Occupation: 19, Photography StudentEngagement Date: February 14, 2010Wedding Date: January 2011Venue: Gardens of the WorldAbout Me: I'm a girl from down under who grew up in Indonesia and I'm marrying a California boy. I'm addicted to all things sweet, have never met a chocolate silk pie than can get the better of me, and have dreams of one day being a fulltime novelist. I go weak in the knees for lace, tea cups, and a beautifully crafted sentence. When I get excited about something (whether it is historical linguistics or the Beatles) I tend to go overboard in research, and planning this wedding is no different. Mr. Earrings is my high school sweetheart, my best friend, and somehow we combine all our quirks into one big happy mess.
On our wedding day, I had no idea what the cake was going to look like. Anyone remember the cake conundrums I described here? Well, all’s well that ends well. Mum and I baked the cake like we had planned, then gave it to a lady from church to decorate. I told her “as long as it is white and pretty, I don’t care.” Because at that point I really didn’t care anymore. There were more important things (like my dress not fitting and the weather) to worry about. And I think it turned out just perfect.
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!
OK, so I promised you a cost breakdown for my faux-flower pretties. Let me preface this by saying I used several items for multiple floral projects, and I did not count those prices twice, unless it was something easy, such as two rolls of ribbon or something (not confusing at all, eh!). Also, I am kind of math-stupid and didn’t keep the best track of breaking down receipts, so this is absolutely to the best of my ability, but it may still be slightly off. Now, let’s get to it!
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.
When I left off, I decided to jump head first into dress shopping by attending Running of the Brides in Cleveland.
Running of the Brides is an experience. It was definitely something I will not soon forget, for better or worse. I share this not only so other brides, mothers, friends, and helpers can get a glimpse of what to expect, but also for whatever entertainment value it is worth.
The Night Before:
With only two days notice, I convinced my mom, MOH E, and BM M to help me in Cleveland. These ladies were fundamental in keeping my sanity at ROTB, and I am so glad they agreed to help me.
We rolled up in my VW Beetle to the always classy Super 8 the evening before the big sale, after our ridiculously long drive to Cleveland. Even though my choice of hotel was somewhat questionable, I did have enough foresight to book a hotel that was a just a three-minute drive from Filene’s. Score for us. We dropped our bags in our room (after some hesitation given some interesting activity seen in the hallway) and set off to find Filene’s, but also, and more importantly, to find food.
After carbo-loading for the next day, I started to get a little worried about what I had packed to wear for the sale the next day. I’m not modest per se, but I did not like the idea of being scantily clad in the middle of a department store, and I felt that I should get something else to wear. So one of my awesome helpers suggested we go to Filene’s to get some leggings. At first I felt that there was something wrong with going to The Store before The Sale but, seriously, it’s a store. It sells clothes. Including leggings. I knew I invited these girls for a reason.
At Filene’s, I picked out some leggings while my girls scoped out the dresses for me. Obviously they couldn’t look at the dresses (they respected the rope that was up), but they got a general idea of what was in store for us the next morning. Geniuses! BM M even saw a couple of dresses that struck her fancy. (She wasn’t “technically” engaged at the time, but her then-BF encouraged her to look at the dresses for something she liked.)
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!
Mr. Ferris Wheel wrote a lovely and funny description of his proposal on our wedding website, so instead of trying to out-do him here, I thought I’d just let him speak for himself. (Being a good blogger, though, I’ve added some pictorial excitement to the whole shebang.) Take it away, Mr. FW!
~~~
Ms. Ferris Wheel expected a proposal in July. Naturally, then, Mr. Ferris Wheel knew the proposal should take place in May, since the one thing Ms. FW loves more than having a detailed plan is a good surprise.
{Not OUR surprise proposal, but a fantastic one nonetheless}
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 have lived in Canada my whole life, but both my parents emigrated here from England (I was even at dad’s citizenship ceremony, at a few months old), so I grew up in a very British household. I love the Queen! It makes me sad when I hear other Canadians talking about ‘getting rid’ of the monarchy. I have lined up on the sidewalk just to catch a glimpse of the Queen and Prince Philip when they’ve visited, and my mum has more than a couple Royal memorabilia plates and cups at home. I like the tradition of having a Queen of Canada, and I’m not too sure why some people want to separate themselves. She doesn’t have any day-to-day say in our government, and when the odd thing does come up, the matters go to our Governor General, the Queen’s official representative in Canada, who is a Canadian. My monarchist tenancies aside, I am so looking forward to the Royal Wedding! I will also admit to having a crush on Prince William when I was younger.
But, let’s focus on Kate! Dresses! Veils! Jewels! Just imagine planning a wedding with that budget, and that guest list (Her Majesty, Elton John, Posh & Becks…). Here is what I think will pan out on Friday:
I have a feeling that strapless might not fly in Westminster Abbey, but I don’t see Kate going for full sleeves. I have no idea who her dress designer will be, but I think something like this dress from Watters, with wide straps/cap sleeves and a full back will be the general style:
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.
As you’ve seen here and here, our bridesmaids loved being creative and coming up with fun shots. They totally surprised me and our photographer on the beach when they came up with the idea to walk in the water…in their heels. My thought was, “really? Are you sure you want to do this?” I don’t know why I questioned this—the photos came out awesome!
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.
I’ve nailed down the gifts for my bridesmaids, but Mr. S is having a hard time figuring out what to buy for his three groomsmen. We bought them their ties, but other than that, we’ve got nuthin’.
When you Google “groomsmen gifts,” you get results like this:
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!
I love weddings, which is nothing new. I’ve been hooked upon every form of wedding-related media for as long as I can remember. I used to long for sick days and vacations from school so I could watch A Wedding Story on TLC. I would scan every page of every bridal magazine I could get my hands on, even though most of the pages are the exact same, month to month. Pretty much anything that had “bride” or “wedding” in the title was on my radar instantaneously.
As a consequence, some of my ideas about weddings in general were firmly developed before I even had a boyfriend, let alone a fiance. I guess all my years of wedding obsession have helped me to become a bit stubborndecisive about what I think a wedding should include. But then, something weird happened…it turns out I’m only 50% of the key players involved in the wedding. Bizarre.
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.
Hey there hive. I’ve been slacking in the blogging realm lately. It’s because I’m stuck in major DIY hell complete with fire, brimstone, and vats of various craft adhesives. My current issue has been our invitation design. To most people, this is a mundane task; however, I have somehow escalated it into a ridiculously complicated endeavor that has taken weeks to resolve itself. You see, my original design didn’t have a proper resolution, and ever since I’ve found that out, any attempt to design something new spiraled out of control. During this process, I went through the normal stages of DIY grief. What? You’ve never heard of such a thing? Well, consider yourself lucky. For those fortuitous DIY queens who have never had a blunder I’ll illustrate these stages.
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.
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.
Basically, hive…I want our wedding to be a major dance party. And when I say dance party, I want to emphasize the DANCE and the PARTY. (Not sure what that means, but I think you get the gist of it.)
Now, as you may recall, our plans are for a pretty formal event. However, I want to note that simply because we are hosting a “black-tie affair” that’s not to indicate that it will be a “no-fun affair.” I mean, just because people will be showing up in ties and gowns doesn’t dictate stuffiness or that we won’t be lettin’ loose on the dance floor.
Because, oh boy, will we be cuttin’ a rug on that dance floor.
Most of the people in my family are dancers—well, not professional dancers, but normal people who enjoy dancing, nonetheless. Mr. Seal’s family? The same. Oh, and don’t even get me started on our friends—I don’t know if it’s pure coincidence that we all love to boogie or if they’re our friends because they like to shake their tail-feathers like nobody’s business. Either way…we all win.
Mrs. Lioness, AtlantaAge and Occupation: 25, Physical TherapistFiance's Age and Occupation: 25, AttorneyEngagement Date: August 29, 2009Wedding Date: April 2011Venue: Anthony’s Fine DiningAbout Me: I’m a Southern girl with New England roots. I say "wicked" and "y’all" in the same sentence and I like to drink sweet tea with my lobster. Mr. Lion and I are both former Floridians now living in Atlanta, which fortunately is still SEC country...Go Gators! We both love baseball, coffee, traveling, cooking, and playing Words with Friends with each other on our iPhones all day long. I’m very passionate about the things and the people I love, and I tend to plan things with all of my heart...our wedding, of course, is no different! Oh, and also Mr. Lion is a first generation American of Cuban descent. I may look more like Lucy than Ricky, but I’m doing my best to incorporate some Latin elements into our vintage-garden-Southern wedding!
Nothing better illustrates the differences between my personality and Mr. Lion’s personality than how we respond to a to do list. I look forward to crossing off each item with pride and a satisfying sense of accomplishment because I’m just a bit type-A. My laid back husband, on the other hand, needs a deadline. ”This has to be done by when? Oh okay, I’ll make it happen.” But, don’t you want to just do it now? Wouldn’t that just make you feel like you could take on the world?!
“Assemble the chuppah” was on Mr. Lion’s to do list for months.
For months, our living room was home to 8-foot aspen poles that had nowhere to go. By the way, we ordered these from Nature’s All, Inc., a company that sells aspen and birch poles specifically for chuppahs and arbors. This way, you can be certain that the width, height, and shape of each pole is uniform throughout.
I had also purchased birch flower pots from Save On Crafts. These were to serve as bases for each pole. Read more…
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.
What’s up, hive? How was everyone’s Easter weekend? Mine was a bit of a whirlwind, which is why I’ve been a little absent over the past couple of days. I hope you can forgive me; I’m back and I have some great stuff to show you!
So what was I up to? Well, Mom Sparkler surprised me big time by buying me a ticket home to Virginia for the weekend (thank you, thank you, THANK YOU ). I got to spend two awesome days cruising around the Potomac, grubbing awesome food, and basically having the greatest time ever with my favorite people in the world, aka: The Sparkler Sisters:
The girls… brother Sparkler is still gallivanting around Europe. We missed you bro!
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.
So the other trial I had this weekend was my makeup trial. I know…busy busy!
Unlike my hair trial, I didn’t go in armed with inspiration pictures. I did show her pictures of my dress and give her a general idea of what I was looking for. Basically, I want to look polished and have my skin look fantastic. I’d like a sort of natural look but with some oomph to the eyes. And of course, I had to go in bare-faced.
Here’s the deal. I know you all love a confident woman. And I’m totally cool with who I am. But who I am is a chick who doesn’t leave the house without a little bit of makeup at the very least. So what I’m showing you here is a testament to my love for you all. And visual proof of why I wear makeup even to the grocery store. Read more…
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!
If I’m going to write about our wedding-planning process, then it only seems right to start with a brief history of my not-so-brief relationship with my amazing fiance (AKA “lovemuffin,” “muffintop,” just plain “muffin,” or the least embarrassing pet name—”love”).
As you’ve seen 
). I got to spend two awesome days cruising around the Potomac, grubbing awesome food, and basically having the greatest time ever with my favorite people in the world, aka: The Sparkler Sisters:
