Congrats to our winners fancypants, Soon2BeeMrsLewis, and Miss Books!
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We have a great giveaway from Indigo Album Design this week! Especially after throwing the most expensive party of your life, it’s hard to swallow the expense of creating a high quality wedding album. But no more! Indigo Album Design offers affordable handmade Flush Albums and Coffee Table Books, all featuring personalized design layouts. All Indigo albums come in either cloth or leather and feature decorative end paper lining.
Currently Indigo Album Design is offering a free Album Satchel with every album purchase. In honor of the promotion, they’re offering three $50 gift cards toward the purchase of their high quality albums to three lucky Weddingbee readers!
You have two chances to enter this contest!
Simply visit Indigo Album Design’s website and check out their great new Album Satchels, currently free with any album purchase. Then come back here and let us know which album satchel color is your favorite! And for a second chance to win, follow Weddingbee on Twitter and retweet this contest (if you’re already a follower, simply retweet by clicking here!). Then come back here and let us know that you followed/retweeted. You have until Friday, May 20th at 11:59 PM PST to enter. Good luck!
Mrs. Funnel Cake, Zürich, Switzerland/Columbus, OhioAge and Occupation: 24, Visual Communication DesignerFiance's Age and Occupation: 28, Application EngineerEngagement Date: May 30, 2010Wedding Date: October 2011Venue: Catholic church followed by a botanical conservatoryAbout Me: I'm an American designer who moved to Switzerland for love after a fairytale beginning at the top of the Eiffel Tower. I love travel, photography, museums, learning German so I can speak with my mother-in-law, cooking (eating), cuddling, and I'm not afraid to try something new even if it terrifies me. My Swiss/Brazilian man and I are both down to earth people planning a traditional Catholic wedding in my hometown with some quirky cultural exceptions to reflect our different backgrounds. We look forward to celebrating with friends and family from all over the world in a classic, sophisticated fusion of heritage and love.
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.
So remember how the Seals chose to get married on November 11th? Just in case you’re unfamiliar with the importance of this date in the US, I’ll clue you in—it’s Veterans Day. This was definitely something that Mr. Seal and I took into consideration. Both of my late grandparents and several of my uncles served in the military and both the Sealman and I have a few cousins currently serving—we don’t want to take away from the importance of this day by any means.
So in an effort to pay homage to our beloved veterans and thank them for sharing their day with us (as many will physically be in attendance on the day) we’ve devised a plan!
Mrs. Poodle, Santiago, Chile/San Bernardino, CAAge and Occupation: 27, Industrial & Web DesignerFiance's Age and Occupation: 24, Firefighter & Mountain PatrolEngagement Date: February 25, 2009Wedding Date: January 2010Venue: Mr. P's Grandparents’ RanchAbout Me: I’m a Chilean girl who's crazy about nature and swimming. I enjoy carving, drawing, reading and sewing; I drool over computers, fabric, pretty paper, purple and patterns. To me, chocolate should be one of the seven wonders, right next to lemon pie. I never thought an exchange work experience program was going to change my life forever, but while working in California, I met Mr. Poodle, and ever since my days are better and brighter. We are two goofy souls that, after finding each other, couldn’t help but want to be together forever. It has being a long and sometimes hard road, since we have to deal with such a long distance between us, but we are now facing the last stage of our Fiancé Visa, and soon we will be together. You know the best part? We will be married! So I’ll be blogging from Chile until just a few months before our “green and purple” wedding.
Hola hive! Long time no talk. huh? Last time we talked I shared that we were going on a very long vacation to Chile.
We stayed with my family for three months and went on a road trip to the north of Chile all the way to Peru. We enjoyed three full months of summer (The perfect escape from the California winter). It was like a second honeymoon! Read more…
Mrs. High Wire, DallasAge and Occupation: 23, Legal AssistantFiance's Age and Occupation: 25, Director of CommunicationsEngagement Date: October 9, 2010Wedding Date: September 2011Venue: Clark GardensAbout Me: My loves include yoga, anything spicy, our eccentric cat, our rambunctious dog, and Mr. High Wire, of course! Like the steadiness act of the tightrope walker, this gal is busy balancing life while planning a wedding to the man of her dreams. We’re hosting a laid-back, vintage-inspired, bird themed wedding with heavy doses of love, good eats (did someone say tacos and margaritas?), and endless Texas charm. Mr. High Wire and I are so happy to have you along for the walk across the tight rope.
When I got engaged, here was the general line of questioning people asked when they found out the happy news.
Question 1: “Oohh you’re engaged! When’s the date?”
As soon as you get engaged this will definitely be the first question you get asked. It doesn’t hurt to have possibly at least a season in mind even if you don’t have a specific date. This appeases people a great deal more than shrugging your shoulders and saying, “Dunno.”
Question 2: “What are your colors?”
Now that we’re pretty far into planning this here weddin’, folks, I’m noticing this question crop up more and more. For some, this is the question they are able to answer ASAP. However, our wedding colors took a little time to solidify.
If you aren’t one of those who’s had your colors picked out for as long as you can remember (I definitely was not one of those people), it is somewhat of a daunting task! I wanted the day to look cohesive, so I had to narrow down my color choices. Read more…
Mrs. Cardigan, AustinAge and Occupation: 21, Student/Soon-to-be Special Education TeacherFiance's Age and Occupation: 20, Student/Soon-to-be Accounting Systems AnalystEngagement Date: August 16, 2009Wedding Date: January 2011Venue: Vintage VillasAbout Me: I'm a native Austinite who was raised as a die-hard Aggie. Luckily, I'm a pretty persuasive girl because I managed to convince my high school boyfriend (now fiance!), Mr. Cardigan, to ditch his hardcore Longhorn ways and join me up at A&M, where we currently reside with our adorable dogs, Cullen & Ranger. We're currently planning a bright, cheery wedding with a ridiculous amount of DIY projects that I can't wait to tackle! I love crafting in any form, reading, and margaritas (I think I love them the most!). Organization is what keeps me sane and I love helping others, which is probably why I ended up as an education major. It gets a little chaotic sometimes when you're planning a wedding among all of the papers, projects, finals, and certification exams, but we're having the time of our lives and we can't wait to get started on our journey as husband and wife - and we're so excited to share our wedding with the hive!
Mrs. Balloons, Aspen, COAge and Occupation: 24, Mass Communications graduate, Web Design student, & winery workerFiance's Age and Occupation: 26, EngineerEngagement Date: July 10, 2009Wedding Date: August 2011Venue: The Sundeck at The Little NellAbout Me: I'm a small-town Midwest girl planning an intimate mountaintop destination wedding complete with a huge DIY at-home reception. As an honors graduate fallen victim to the worst job market in history in my area, we're doing everything we can to still have the wedding of our dreams on a tighter budget. I currently enjoy working at a winery, but I'm lonnng overdue for a day job! I am: a big-time daydreamer, one of the pickiest eaters you'll ever meet, and a lover of pretty paper and awesome fonts. I'm a girly girl who loves to get dolled up, but also a country girl who loves to get muddy and go 4-wheeler riding. I also enjoy singing in the car, boating, going to concerts, the History Channel, carnival food, and going to watch St. Louis Cardinals baseball with my handsome engineer.
OK, maybe I’ m being a slight bit dramatic…but after about a month of working on all of the pieces that will go into the invites, I’m feeling a bit on the edge. I keep repeating to myself: This is going to save us money. This is going to pay off. Everything will be all right.
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.
In addition to the beer and other spirits that we will be serving at our wedding, we are going to personally select wines for our guests to enjoy at our reception. Our plan is to select several varieties of wine that have meaning to us both separately and as a couple.
For instance, we visited Maryhill Winery on a whim while traipsing through Washington with Mr. Pony’s brother a couple years back. It was my first time visiting a winery and I loved it! Had we not had to fly back to Illinois the next day, you bet your ass we would have brought several bottles back with us to enjoy.
We are also planning to serve wine from the winery we are getting married at; a winery we visited in Bloomington, Indiana with friends; one from Oregon close to where FMIL Pony grew up; one from the Umbria region of Italy where Mr. Pony’s brother lived and they visited a few years ago; and one from West Tennessee where Mr. Pony grew up.
I realized as I typed this that most of these wines represent Mr. Pony and his family, but lest you think I will not be represented in our wine selections, we are going to class it up at our reception with my newest favorite wine cooler, some Peach Sparkletini:
Image Credit: Wineoland (Cheap, tasty, and classy. Love it.)
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!
Back in my pre-engaged days, I came across a wedding concept that was new to me—the sweetheart table. Admittedly, at first I thought this was quite an idiotic idea. Why would you gather all your friends and family up in one place and then proceed to seclude just yourselves in a special, almost off-limits dining zone? It just didn’t click. However, now that we’re getting closer to W-Day, I’ve definitely changed my tune. And here’s why.
We have a pretty extensive bridal party—seven on each side. With that size, I wasn’t enamored with most conventional head-table setups. If we do one long table, it will be one long table. I want our bridal-party members to have a fun reception, and plopped down at the no-man’s-land end of the long head table isn’t my idea of fun. You don’t get to see or talk to that many other people without leaving your seat; plus you’re facing the entire crowd of guests, meaning they can watch you eat. And that’s just creepy to me.
Mrs. Funnel Cake, Zürich, Switzerland/Columbus, OhioAge and Occupation: 24, Visual Communication DesignerFiance's Age and Occupation: 28, Application EngineerEngagement Date: May 30, 2010Wedding Date: October 2011Venue: Catholic church followed by a botanical conservatoryAbout Me: I'm an American designer who moved to Switzerland for love after a fairytale beginning at the top of the Eiffel Tower. I love travel, photography, museums, learning German so I can speak with my mother-in-law, cooking (eating), cuddling, and I'm not afraid to try something new even if it terrifies me. My Swiss/Brazilian man and I are both down to earth people planning a traditional Catholic wedding in my hometown with some quirky cultural exceptions to reflect our different backgrounds. We look forward to celebrating with friends and family from all over the world in a classic, sophisticated fusion of heritage and love.
When Mr. Funnel Cake left for a business trip one night, I immediately began attacking the chocolate and watching TV. As a result of my loneliness, you get this blog post! Yippee! (You are excited, aren’t you?)
Chocolate and milk are my go-tos every time he leaves. I didn’t even like chocolate much before I came to Switzerland! The worst part is, now that Mr. FC doesn’t work in chocolate factories, our chocolate supply is getting dangerously low!
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!
Choosing an officiant seems like it should be one of the more simple wedding decisions one can make. Either you choose a religious figure, or not. If not, you go with someone who has a close personal tie to you and your partner (and preferably has a penchant for public speaking).
Wow that sounds easy. Sign us up for non-religious-figure, closely-personally-tied with mad public speaking skills, please.
Uh huh, yeah, so umm that didn’t work so well. Read more…
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!
Happy Friday hive! We’re kicking off the weekend by introducing the tea party bees! Check out the scrumptious treats that make up this colorful generation. We’re so excited for our newest round of bees, and hope you’ll join us!
If you’re interested in becoming a bee, check out our application guidelines! We’re currently accepting applications from bloggers getting married through December 2011. And if you’re looking for some guidance about what it takes to be a bee and what it’s like to be one, check out the bees’ advice for blogging… they’re the experts!
Which icon from this generation is your favorite?
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.
Lately I’ve been on the prowl for a post-reception dress. That is, a dress to wear when the party continues into the night… and it will. Most definitely. I never thought I would be a “two-dress bride.” Mostly because I just love, love, love my dress so much. But I have to admit, I’m probably not going to want to wear a long white dress out on the town. I would be too afraid of spilling something on it, tearing it, etc. Plus, I want to be comfortable when I’m slamming a late-night Guinness with my grandparents! (Seriously… they will definitely be out for the after party!)
So I’m looking for something short, something white, and something that’s a bit fashion forward. I want to stand out a little since, hey, it’s still my wedding day.
In dream world, I would wear this Stella McCartney shift with the shiny Brian Atwoods I showed you a while back:
Mrs. High Wire, DallasAge and Occupation: 23, Legal AssistantFiance's Age and Occupation: 25, Director of CommunicationsEngagement Date: October 9, 2010Wedding Date: September 2011Venue: Clark GardensAbout Me: My loves include yoga, anything spicy, our eccentric cat, our rambunctious dog, and Mr. High Wire, of course! Like the steadiness act of the tightrope walker, this gal is busy balancing life while planning a wedding to the man of her dreams. We’re hosting a laid-back, vintage-inspired, bird themed wedding with heavy doses of love, good eats (did someone say tacos and margaritas?), and endless Texas charm. Mr. High Wire and I are so happy to have you along for the walk across the tight rope.
The engagement party is a great way to announce and celebrate your engagement. News travels FAST these days, so it is safe to say this is more of a chance to celebrate the engagement, rather than announce it.
They are a great opportunity to get your closest family and friends together for a happy occasion. It is also a good time for those who are nearest and dearest to all meet each other for the first time, if you all come from different areas.
The engagement party does give you a push to get your wedding-guest list together early, since traditional etiquette for this event says you should not invite anyone to the engagement party who isn’t invited to the wedding.
Who hosts?
Traditionally, the parents of the bride host the first party, but today that isn’t a steadfast rule. Sometimes the bride and groom can host it themselves. Or, the groom’s parents can host. A friend of the couple can also volunteer to host it!
What kind of party is it?
Any style from a formal affair to a pool party is appropriate. A cocktail party with heavy hors d’oeuvres is always a safe bet. Read more…
All-Inclusion Invitation Suites
