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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!
No, no, it certainly wasn’t as cynical as that image suggests, I promise!
The weekend was run through Engaged Encounter, which is a Catholic organisation that runs these courses all over the world. There were about 20 couples present, so it was quite a big group. The overall gist of the weekend went something like this:
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’m not sure if I’ve mentioned this yet, but we’re going to be rocking an iPod reception. I’ve been working on playlists and am having a lot of fun doing it. But I had totally forgotten about something that I’d always really, really loved about weddings: the anniversary dance.
I don’t know if this is a regional thing or not, but in case anyone doesn’t know, the DJ will call all married couples out to the dance floor, and they usually play a song like this:
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.
While we were greeting our guests at the Church time flew by and all of a sudden it was time to line up for our processional. Mr P’s brother M headed into the church to play trumpet. M had arranged for a member of the Army band based in WA to play our wedding, but an email mix up left us trumpeter-less. The plan all along was to have M play trumpet for our recessional. At the last minute he stepped up and did double duty, standing as a groomsman and playing trumpet for the processional, mass parts, and recessional. This was perhaps the best gift he could have given us—he is an amazingly talented musician and Mr P loves to listen to him play.
We were also blessed to have the equally talented Dr Carlene Brown accompany him on organ and piano.
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!
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.
I was perfectly happy drooling over dresses online. I had no inclination to go out and try dresses on immediately, as I was studying for the bar and could barely muster the energy to shower in those days. (Yeah, it wasn’t pretty.) But, as I started to see the proverbial light at the end of the bar-exam tunnel, I started to think more and more about shopping for a wedding dress.
Then, I saw an ad for Running of the Brides at Filene’s Basement. For those of you who might not know, Running of the Brides (ROTB) is an event where “brides-to-be come to…find their dream dress at a bargain price.” (From Filene’s Basement’s website.) Basically, Filene’s Basement buys gowns that were canceled orders or former samples from manufacturers and bridal salons, and then passes the savings on to brides in the form of a one-day-only free-for-all at stores across the country.
Photo by George Rizer / Boston Globe / Via Boston.com
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!
When we booked our wedding photographer (the amazing Christina Garber), I was completely excited to have that part of the planning behind us. With one minor hiccup—we had never laid eyes on the woman! I booked her after looking at her website and some pretty lengthy email correspondence, but never once had we met face-to-face or even chatted over the phone. Don’t get me wrong—I wanted to do the traditional meet-up and look over portfolios, but it just wasn’t feasible. We were in Pittsburgh, and she was two-ish hours away in Altoona, Pennsylvania. I wasn’t willing to wait until after a meeting and run the risk of her getting snatched up by someone else, so I decided to forget the meeting and put down a deposit ASAP.
Fortunately, Christina offers an engagement shoot as part of her wedding-day package. I was smitten with this from the get-go for a few reasons: it would give us a chance to actually meet each other before W-day, we could see how she interacts with us while shooting, we could see how we interact with her while shooting, and we would (hopefully) get some pretty sweet professional pictures out of the whole process. Not a bad deal. Mr. Snow Cone and I decided we wanted to take our engagement pictures in the fall, for one main reason. Pretty much all of Western Peensylvania looks like this during the autumn:
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.
When looking for readings for our ceremony, we thought about borrowing a page from well-loved books from our childhood. Mr. PaC found two semi-suitable Shel Silverstein poems, but I nixed them since they felt more appropriate for a graduation speech or anniversary toast (”Listen to the Mustn’ts” and “The Folks Inside,” respectively).
Mrs. Zebra, Providence, RIAge and Occupation: 24 Marketing/Costume DesignerFiance's Age and Occupation: 26 Management/Firefighter Engagement Date: December 12, 2008Wedding Date: March 2011Venue: The Providence BiltmoreAbout Me: I'm a small town New England girl with an affinity for procrastination, crossing the proverbial line, and putting her foot in her mouth. I'm a lover of history, all seasons, sewing and Incubus. I design costumes on the side for my old high school's theatre department, which is where I met my sexy man. Our motto for our Big Fat Lebanese/Portuguese/Irish near-300 person wedding is "the more the merrier"! We are marrying in a Catholic ceremony and are hammering out the details of our Victorian-inspired reception.
I’m sure I’m not alone in my obsession with Catherine & William’s wedding. I know I’m in good company with the hive, but in real life I’m embarrassed by how much I care about this wedding. Last Friday I got antsy pants just wondering what her dress might look like. Oh goodness, I can’t wait any longer! If I could dress Catherine I would die a million deaths because she’s my total BFF in my mind. (She even lets me borrow that blue Issa dress in my dreams) She’s such a great friend! Anywho… we’ve got a little bet going on about our royal predictions. First and foremost I’m going to start with the dress, of course. It will be the star of the show, after all!
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.
This weekend, I finally got around to making a mock-up of our invitations. I ordered supplies ages ago from the absolutely amazing Paper Circle. Paper Circle is based in Canada and has fantastic prices and some of the most amazing customer service I’ve experienced. Plus, their products are top notch!
I wanted to make a mock-up so I could know if:
The design in my head would translate into the real thing like I hoped.
I could print on beautiful shimmery paper with our laser printer.
My ideas would work without having to sacrifice oodles of supplies.
All in all, I was really happy with how my mock-up turned out. The laser printer did a great job on the shimmery paper.
There was, however, one thing that didn’t work out.
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.
Mrs. Brooch, Arlington, VAAge and Occupation: 25, Writer/EditorFiance's Age and Occupation: 29, Front Desk ManagerEngagement Date: October 3, 2009Wedding Date: April 2011Venue: Oxon Hill ManorAbout Me: I’m an indecisive girlie-girl with a motor mouth, can-do attitude, and knack for making others laugh. I dream of becoming a best selling novelist like Elizabeth Gilbert or Julie Powell (a girl can dream, right?), and love long road trips, a beautiful countryside, music, blogs, books, and all things vintage/thrift/antique/or homemade. I’m a Virgo, i.e. overly sensitive, emotional, and critical, and there’s no such thing as short and sweet in my world. I want to say and do it all. Mr. Brooch grounds me. I point where to go and he figures out the way. He’s a pragmatic fancy-pants who enjoys video games and movies. We both adore our mutt, Rocky, and spending time with our amazingly supportive family and friends. We’re planning a garden wedding with a formal reception with lots of whimsy and unique, Southern-inspired details.
There were a few last-minute details that added a lot of pizzazz to our big day. Unfortunately, I didn’t have time to blog about them as they were happening! There was so much going on with the wedding (everything from dress fittings, to moving, to designing and formatting our programs) that I hardly had time for blogging!
That home stretch was insanity. Be warned!
There were a lot of little projects I put off, too, like the labels for our dessert bar. I’d tried to create these over and over again; tried using cardstock (multiple ways), tried using pre-made templates, and nothing was working.
I heart liquid chalk…
With just a few days left until the wedding, I had to use what I had at home because there was no time to buy anything new. My maid of honor ordered liquid chalk for our larger chalkboard signs and I loved it! The stuff is really easy to use and makes writing with chalk as simple as using a marker! The stuff was perfect for these little chalkboard stickers I ordered months prior, too (discovered by Mrs. Stripes). With a little cardstock, the liquid chalk, and stickers, I created pretty labels like this one to adorn our dessert bar.
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.
Well, I’ve got almost all of my personal details in place. My dress, shoes, jewelry and headpiece are all set. I know how I’m going to wear my hair and makeup. The final detail that I need to figure out is fragrance.
For about ten years, from my early 20s to my early 30s, I swore off fragrance (with the exception of some lavender oil for very special occasions). I was angry and bitter that Victoria’s Secret had discontinued my two favorite scents: Tranquil Breezes (a light cucumber-y melon scent that I wore in warm weather) and Vanilla Caramel (that drove my boyfriend at the time crazy because he said I smelled like cookies). It had taken me years to find those fragrances and when Vicky’s took them away from me, I resented them for a long, long time.
But a few years ago, I started getting back into fragrance, and now I have a nice arsenal of scents at my disposal. Here are the fragrances in my regular rotation. I am terrible at describing fragrances, so forgive me for ganking the list of notes right from the perfume product pages. Read more…
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!
When we thought about previous weddings we’ve attended, very few have had a full bar. Most of them have served just beer and wine. That ended up working great for us, since most people in our families really only drink beer and wine.
Honestly, I don’t know much about alcohol. I know I like red wine. I know I like cosmopolitans. I know I usually enjoy shots with inappropriate names. Aaaand that’s about the extent of my drinking knowledge. Since Mr. Hyena’s family is German and he actually knows things about beer, I left that particular beverage in his capable hands.
For ummm, RESEARCH! YEAH! we took a little trip to Shiner, Texas, to visit the Spoetzl Brewery, and yummmm. Mr. H suggested serving Shiner Bock as our beer. Sounds good to me!
I approve. If you like touring breweries, this was a fun tour and you get to taste several varieties of Shiner!
Mrs. Prairie Dog, Cincinnati
Age and Occupation: 24, Program CoordinatorFiance's Age and Occupation: 25, PhD/Biomedical EngineerEngagement Date: December 18, 2009Wedding Date: May 2011Venue: Glendale LyceumAbout Me: I'm a pilgrim soul of a girl with a house full of books and a coffee addiction that could slay Juan Valdez. My life is a whirl of grammar correction, good music, glue-gunning, and two pets named Hazel and Winston Churchill. I'm marrying my high school boyfriend in a formal-ish spring affair, roughly themed: "Elizabeth Bennet crashes a party co-hosted by Jay Gatsby and Cath Kidston, and loves it."
All-Inclusion Invitation Suites
