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Mrs. Waffle, AustinAge and Occupation: 31, Costumer/ArtistFiance's Age and Occupation: 33, AnimatorEngagement Date: July 27, 2010Wedding Date: June 2011Venue: Hummingbird HouseAbout Me: My life is pretty much spent in a sea of fabric, paint, sequins and drama. When I’m not working, I play on a trivia team, take Broadway dance classes, read, buy shoes, and occasionally geek out on video games. I am an American girl who loves all things British and Mr. Waffle is a Brit who loves all things American...I guess it was meant to be!
An acquaintance of mine once told me a story of her zipper bursting at her wedding. Her mother quickly whip-stitched the zipper back together and later, at the reception, her father handed the groom a pocketknife and said, “You’re gonna need this later.”
Zipper malfunctions and weddings are sometimes common and unfortunate friends. This post is by no means meant to freak anyone out, but rather to help you make friends with zippers and know what to do with them when they malfunction. What’s that saying…”keep your friends close and your enemies closer”…”know thy enemy”? Those toothy little bastards can seem intimidating and difficult, but they really aren’t. They are a lot like us in that when they are put under too much stress, they break.
Today, I’m going to focus on two pretty basic problems of zippers refusing to go up or down.
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!
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.
Since our engagement will be about 18 months long, I knew I had plenty of time to shop for a dress. Unlike some other decisions we’ve made for the wedding, I wanted to take my sweet time with this selection.
Before stepping into a bridal shop, I spent countless hours on the internet researching dresses. The only real requirement for my hypothetical dress was that it have some sort of strap. Strapless dresses just aren’t my thing, so I eliminated them from the realm of possibility in the beginning of my search in order to keep my fickle self a little more focused.
Mrs. Cotton Candy, Riverside, CAAge and Occupation: 29, Field CoordinatorFiance's Age and Occupation: 34, Process ServerEngagement Date: July 5, 2007Wedding Date: June 2011Venue: Riverside Art MuseumAbout Me: I’m a girl in love with her best friend planning a small mid-century modern inspired wedding that’s been a long time coming. I love all things design, sewing, flea markets, and a good book. I’ve been known to swoon over a well-designed chair and often find myself craving a new addition to my chair collection regardless of the lack square footage in our home. I’m Mexican American girl who hates all things spicy but loves her rowdy Mexican family and her Latin roots. My wedding muses may not be your typical wedding superstars, but with a lot of DIY, a dash of offbeat style, and lots of love and laughs, Mr. Cotton and I plan to create a day that is unmistakably us.
Hive, I owe you a huge apology! I’ve been such a fail bee blogger the past couple of weeks with only about three posts in the past two weeks. We’ve been in invitation hell, thanks to our May send-out deadline, but I’m happy to say we are making progress! Supplies have been bought, and they are fabulous, if I do say so myself!
Fabric to back our invites has been screen printed…
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. Candy Apple, Princeton Junction, NJ/ Seattle, WAAge and Occupation: 26, Project EditorFiance's Age and Occupation: 26, AttorneyEngagement Date: May 9, 2010Wedding Date: August 2011Venue: St. Joseph's Parish, Seattle Tennis ClubAbout Me: I am a Pacific Northwesterner, born and bred. I have lived in many cities---Santa Clara, Durham (England); Florence; Boston; Princeton Junction---but my heart will always be nestled up near the Cascades and Olympics, which is why we are holding our wedding there. I am a bookworm and a History nerd: I love that my life consists of books, books, and more books, since I work in Publishing! Recently, all waking time not consumed by work and my daily commute has been overtaken by wedding planning. Well, that, and watching Premier-League soccer. There is nothing I love more than a good Tana French mystery, traveling to new places, Anthropologie shopping sprees, Iittala dishware, Kate Spade shoes, impeccable typefaces (think: Archer), and a nice English ale (hellooo, Old Speckled Hen!). Oh, and did I mention my obsession with wedding blogs? Yeah, there’s that too. Join Mr. Candy Apple and me as we prep for our wedding, and, more importantly, our marriage!
Hive, as I am sure you all have guessed by this point, I have decision-anxiety. I just have the most ridiculously difficult time making wedding-related decisions. There should be a support group. I really am surprised that I didn’t just say screw it for the bridesmaid dresses, and make them figure out how to do a pretty rainbow.
But I think even then, I would have found some way to make an issue out of the colors, and make life difficult for all involved. No, instead I had to take myself through all of the different BM dress options out there. And back again. Because seriously, I couldn’t figure the whole BM dress conundrum out. Read more…
Mrs. Crepe, Queens, NY/Nashville, TNAge and Occupation: 28, Jewelry DesignerFiance's Age and Occupation: 28, Animation DirectorEngagement Date: September 28, 2010Wedding Date: May 2011Venue: A church in downtown NashvilleAbout Me: I'm a native New Yorker who has always been a DIY kind of girl and loves tackling creative projects while getting the most out of a dollar. I'm marrying my college sweetheart and we love frequenting antique stores, exploring together, and playing with kittens. We're planning a fun, "us" wedding in his hometown---with as many handmade touches as we can pack into a day!
There’s no place better to air your confessions than the internet—that’s what I think. And I have a confession to make today…I suffer from Newyorkcentricitis. This is a disease that runs rampant in New York, particularly those of us who are born and raised. I’ve tried to control it, but unfortunately, the only way to cure Newyorkcentricitis is to move OUT of New York, but the main symptom of this disease is complete resistance to living anywhere but New York.
There’s a reason I’m telling you this, and I’m getting there, I promise.
When I started planning this wedding long distance, first thing on the list was to find a photographer. This was priority #1 and before I even started looking, the big skeptic in me was raring to go, just waiting to be tagged in. I hit up the Weddingbee vendor reviews, pretty doubtful that I’d find anyone that would meet my standards—after all, I’ve been ogling wedding blogs that feature amazing photography for longer than was normalsauce. There were a few companies with really awful websites—sites that looked like they were updated in the ’90s. I was feeling pretty smug.
But it wasn’t long until I realized it was time to serve me up some… Read more…
Mrs. Ostrich, San Francisco/HawaiiAge and Occupation: 30, Fashion Buyer
Fiance's Age and Occupation: 38, CopywriterEngagement Date: October 4, 2009Wedding Date: April 2011Venue: Sweet ceremony by the sea and sunset celebration on the North Shore of HawaiiAbout Me: Born in the city of angels and residing in the city by the bay, I’m a fearless fashion buyer by day, a passionate blog author by night and a dreamy bride-to-be in between. I thank my lucky stars to live in such a stunning city that gives me gifts like organic honey lavender ice cream, movie nights in the park, tucked away beaches, legendary record stores, '80s dance parties, awesome sports teams, stellar flea markets, and vintage bookshops. Oh, and I love to dance! We always find every excuse to escape to the beach, and decided a little seaside wedding in Hawaii is our idea of bliss. Full of our favorite people, music, food and sparkly lights, this is one sunset celebration we will always remember.
Yep…that’s me—once again adorned in full bachelorette garb. This time, we were in the City by the Bay—my home—San Francisco.
The Miami trip was AH-MAY-ZING…but it was a trip that I knew only a handful of my most favorite gals could make. So we planned for a silly, food & dance-filled night out in our hometown, at some of my favorite places, a month later so that all my awesome girls could go.
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!
In addition to the three bombshells that glam up my side of the wedding party, Mr. Tartlet will have four handsome gents standing beside him as we say our I dos. All of our guys are incredibly laid-back, which led us to be inspired by this less formal, retro-chic look that seemed to compliment their personalities better than matching tuxes or suits would:
It was a trying learning experience tackling the world of menswear because Mr. Tartlet can be very particular about his threads. After months of fruitless shopping, we went the made-to-measure route and purchased his slim-fit, three-piece, charcoal gray suit from a company called Indochino (the same one that the Cinnamon Buns used):
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!
Mrs. Penguin, Northern CaliforniaAge and Occupation: 27, Weddingbee Editor in ChiefFiance's Age and Occupation: 30, Doctor of Physical TherapyEngagement Date: January 29, 2007Wedding Date: June 7, 2008Blogging Since: September 14, 2007Venue: Winery in the Gold CountryAbout Me: I love the Spice Girls, dogs with underbites, bean burritos, making messes, high fives, avoiding showers, crossword puzzles, blogs, weddings, and blogs about weddings!
Hello! Private message notifications are down so I just wanted to let the 15 commenters know that I’ve emailed or Private Messaged you all with details on how to obtain your free tickets, so check your emails or Weddingbee PMs! Have a great time
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The Wedding Salon’sfirst New York event of the year will be held on April 27th at Manhattan Center Studios! Mix and mingle with some of the biggest names in weddings including the legendary Sylvia Weinstock, Tao, Le Cirque, Vera Wang Wedgwood, St. Regis, Shawn Rabideau of Bethenny Getting Married & Bethenny Ever After, and many more. There will be fantasy reception tables by David Tutera for Disney’s Fairy Tale Weddings, the event will feature a Couture Fashion Show, Beauty Makeovers, Cocktails, Cake Tastings & fabulous goodie bags. The Wedding Salon’s vendors will be showcasing some of the biggest trends tied into the Royal Wedding as that will surely be on everyone’s minds! And, you’ll have the chance to enter to win a Magical Honeymoon Giveaway from Secrets Resorts & Spas!
Tickets to the event are $15 with the promo code above, but we’ve got 15 pairs of FREE tickets exclusively for Weddingbee readers! If you’d like to nab a pair, be one of the first 15 commenters (if you’re commenting as a guest, be sure to include a valid email address so I can contact you—no one can see email addresses except me!) on this post and I’ll email or PM you the code to score your free tickets!
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!
“If you’re calling before Saturday, you’ve reached Monica and Chandler, but if you’re calling after Saturday, you’ve reached Mr. and Mrs. Bing! Please leave a message for the Bings!”
– Friends, “The One With Monica and Chandler’s Wedding”
From that same episode. I took a picture of my TV since I couldn’t find it anywhere. ^_^ (Image credit: NBC)
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 mentioned before, one of the reasons I’m holding off on trying on my dress is that I don’t have any of the accessories that transform you from a girl in a white dress into a bride. This realization kind of hit me like a ton of bricks—I figured once I got the dress squared away, 99% of the work in creating a bridal look would be done. I guess I was sort of resting on my laurels for the past few months, patting myself on the back for finding a dress so early in the planning process. However, now I really need to kick it into gear and start planning what I want to look like on my wedding day. Sure, I have the dress, but what about a veil? Some jewelry? Makeup? Hair? Nails? Shoes? Obviously I am not 99% of the way done with creating my look, as I had previously assumed. Buzzkill.
With that being said, I’ve spent some time over the past few days thinking about and looking into shoe options. Before sharing my ideas and inspiration with you, I think it’s important that you get some necessary backstory: I’m about 5’6″ and Mr. Snow Cone is about 5’9″. I’m not a huge fan of being taller than him (I guess I’m a traditionalist at heart), so I very rarely wear heels…usually just on specific occasions or if I’m trying to look extra polished or dressy. Both Mr. Snow Cone and I like the look of heels, but only from the knee down, so to speak. Check out a quick glimpse of our engagement pictures, where we managed to sneak in heels without throwing off the whole height thing:
Photo by Christina Garber (I wore flats for the rest of the pics.)
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.
As I have already covered, I am a knitter. With my Stampede ribbon, sometimes I wonder if I now qualify as a Knitter, but that’s just semantics.
Mr Cinnamon Bun is a Gamer. While I play some silly, fun games (Mario Kart, Katamari, Angry Birds) every now and then, he games almost daily.
In 2009 we each went on summer vacation. Separately! We’d never traveled together (our San Francisco engagement trip in 2010 was the first time) so why did we choose to take separate vacations in 2009? Answer: our hobbies.
Early in 2009 I heard rumours through the knitting grapevine that a major event was being planned in Portland, Oregon, and any self-respecting knitter would do all they could to make it. The event was Sock Summit, and I had a 100% A-mazing time there. I was in Portland for 4 days, I took amazing classes from the glitterati of the knitting world, spent waaaay too much on yarn, knit on the MAX, knit at Burgerville… It was sock-knitting Woodstock. Cinnamon Buns didn’t come with me because he cares about knitting about as much as I care about gaming (in that it is good, because it makes my partner happy!).
