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!
Sometimes, you come up with the most perfect idea to add a personal touch to your wedding. And then, sometimes, that jerk named reality rears its ugly head and tells you to take your most perfect idea and cram it. And then, sometimes, you give reality the finger and figure out a plan B, completely amazed by your ingenuity and perseverance. In your face, reality.
Not making sense? Want more specifics? Read on, my friend.
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.
Clark Gardens is a 143-acre botanical conservatory near Mineral Wells, Texas. I had my eye on this venue from the get-go, and I had a very strong feeling it was going to be the place we got married.
We actually arrived a little early to our appointment here. (We are chronically late people. I’m not proud. We’re working on it.) So, we took that time to stroll around the entrance for a few minutes while we waited for Brooke, the events coordinator, to arrive with her golf cart. Yes, we would be taking our tour via motorized vehicle. Score!
She introduced herself with a firmer-than-I-was-expecting handshake. This woman meant business! Actually, to me it showed me that she was confident. And I like a confident gal! The front of the gardens had a grand fountain with aisles on either end that would make for a stunning ceremony, but a little too grandiose for my taste. I’m not going for the “princess” kind of theme, but could appreciate the potential for another bride. Next to the fountain was their first large tented facility, which had a LOT of potential. I always saw a tented reception for our wedding, and this one was sturdy and humongous. A good option for sure…
I inquired about how many weddings are hosted on one day, since it is a sizable garden. She informed me that there would only be a maximum of two since there are two tented facilities. That means, no matter what, if it rains there is ample space for every single person to go. Excellent.
We saw the chapel and the chapel lawn, which were nice, but we never really wanted to get married in a chapel, so that was not for us. Then we came up to a beautiful pavilion right on the small lake on the property, and I was informed that this was where Mr. High Wire’s cousin’s wedding reception was about five or six years ago. Also nice, but for the guest list we are anticipating (125–150), we wouldn’t all fit comfortably under the gazebo, so some tables and chairs would have to be placed around outside of it. I didn’t want anyone to feel separated or in the “nosebleed” section, if you will.
We passed through another part of the gardens called the Summer House lawn, which was also very pretty. It didn’t specifically grab me personally, but it was nice.
While I’m writing this, I guess I should note that overall I had a very good feeling about this place before we even arrived. So, my review sounds kind of negative so far, but that’s only because I REALLY wanted this place to work, so I was thinking very critically as we went along on the tour.
Finally, we entered the back area of the gardens, with rows and rows of what I imagined to be beautiful flowers, but nothing was in bloom, of course, because of the time we did our tour—the winter season. Most areas were just mounds of dirt covering seedlings for the winter. But my imagination was flying. Then we pulled up to the entrance of the Rose Pavilion, and Daddy High Wire snapped this picture with his cell phone:
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.
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."
I don’t know about your little corner of the world, but things are muggy as a sauna in the Midwest. This weather is throwing a wrench in my plan to wear my hair down. Too bad that I’m dead set on wearing it down—I don’t look or feel like me any other way.
Also causing problems? My complete inability to articulate what I want. This is pretty much what my hair stylist got: Uh, down. Full…kind of wavy but NOT ringlet-y or tight spiral curls. Loose, natural, but definitely different from my usual look.
Somehow, she got my hair to look amazing. The following pictures are of my hair after a few hours and a VERY humid car ride home in wicked traffic. It fell, to be sure, but you know what? I felt like myself, natural but still a little more formal than usual. If the worst that happens is that all the volume and curls fall? Well, my hair will look like my everyday hair. And I will still whip it back and forth on the dance floor.
Note: makeup trial NOT involved. Do not blame my makeup artist for the way my face looks after a long day at work.
Mrs. Eggs Benedict, SeattleAge and Occupation: 29, AttorneyFiance's Age and Occupation: 35, AttorneyEngagement Date: December 5, 2009Wedding Date: February 2011Venue: IslandWoodAbout Me: I'm a Northwest girl who spends my time goofing around with Mr. Eggs Benedict and our dog, hiking, traveling, drinking wine and planning a wedding that will showcase the best of what the Pacific Northwest has to offer. I also love photography, beating Mr. Eggs Bene at Mario Kart, and watching the most ridiculous natural disaster flicks you can think of (seriously, how can you deny the awesomeness that is The Core or 2012?? That's right, you can't). We are planning our weekend wedding adventure at an environmental educational center, and I can't wait for the fun to begin!
After we bottled, sealed and labeled our wedding wine, we were officially one week out! That last week before the wedding I was remarkably calm. Our adventure to get our marriage license had been accomplished, and I had given myself a deadline of the Sunday before the wedding to finish all of my outstanding projects, like the Facebook, our seating chart poster, our programs and the gifts that I was making for my girls (which I’ll show you soon).
A sneak peek of the clutches I made for my bridesmaids.
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.
As promised in my last post about Hawaiian vacation rentals versus Hawaiian hotels, here are our Hawaiian rental treasures that I am so excited about. To be honest, I wanted to wait until these babies were safely secured before I posted them to the world. Now with all three rentals confirmed, I can share the details!
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.
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.
A long time ago when I talked about our colors, I shared these inspiration pictures to show that I wasn’t completely crazy for wanting to have a red and green color scheme:
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!
Now that my bridesmaids all finally have their fab dresses, we need to figure out what sorts of things they should wear with said dresses. You know, shoes and accessories and such.
Honestly, I don’t need or want them to all wear the same shoes or accessories. I don’t really care if they match or not, and I don’t want them to have to go and spend more money on shoes that they may not necessarily like. But, I would like to give them some sort of direction, so they’re not floundering around in the world of shoes with no idea of what to get (Or maybe I’m the only one that flounders around in the world of shoes? There are too many dang options—I get overwhelmed easily). And because, well, I would like them to look at least semi-coordinated, even if they’re not matching perfectly. Read more…
Mrs. Meerkat, Kalamazoo, MI/Riviera MayaAge and Occupation: 30, Application EngineerFiance's Age and Occupation: 23, IT ConsultantEngagement Date: July 26, 2008Wedding Date: December 2010Venue: Al Cielo / La LagunaAbout Me: I’m a tech-savvy tomboy with an affinity for hot tea and good sushi. Us Meerkats are just a couple fun lovin’ geeks from Michigan. We love anything having to do with movies, books, video games or technology and we hold a special place in our hearts for our two very spoiled shih-tzus, Wicket and Bravo. We also LOVE to travel. We love it so much it only took us 12 hours after we got engaged to decide to have a destination wedding. We are working our little Meerkat tails off planning a rustic-chic, travel themed destination wedding in the Riviera Maya with a semi-formal, vintage-turned-modern, outdoor at home reception back here in Michigan.
When I first put our guestbook together I did have a couple worries. Were people actually going to want to write more than just their names? Was there going to be enough time for everyone to write something? Once again, I was worrying for no reason.
I guess before I get to far in, I should show you how our guest book table turned out. Read more…
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.
For some reason, I’ve always wanted to do a save-the-date magnet. Looking back on it now, I’m not sure why I was so obsessed with the idea, but it turned out cool anyway…
I used Photoshop to create the design for the magnets. Then I uploaded my design on Vistaprint onto one of their magnet options. I chose one of their invitation designs and customized it with my text and font choices. When they arrived, I used a small piece of fashion two-sided tape to adhere the magnet to the back of the main card (which I included the word “magnet” on so that people would know what it was). I then tied some twine (which I bought off of Etsy) around it into a bow.
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.
Remember my devious plan to elicit tears from our wedding guests? (Quick update: it involves old family photos, sentimental flowers and trinkets.)
I had everything except for the flowers and so turned to our florist to add a few additional blooms to the procurement list. She loved the idea but my chosen flowers are springtime blooms in our area; the likelihood of them being available (read: reasonably priced) would be slim. She suggested I look for silk versions of a calla lily, peony and pansy. While not resistant to using silk flowers, I was skeptical about locating all three. Sure, the calla lily and peony would be a snap, but pansies? I’d never seen a silk version before.
Off Mr. PaC and I went: me to Michaels, him to neighboring Lowes. Imagine my surprise when pansies were the first silk flower I found. With the option of purple or yellow to boot! Two bunches of purple pansies found their way home with me.
For Mémère
There were also several options for calla lilies. I almost bought an off-white one until spotting the crisp white ones.
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.
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!
For the majority of the wedding-planning process, I’ve had a pretty good handle on the type of hairstyle I want to sport on my wedding day. I know what my hair can handle and what it can’t, I know what shapes flatter my face as much as possible, and I know exactly what hair accessory I want to don for the big day.
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 thought it might be interesting to do a breakdown of our guests to see how many family are coming, how many friends, and where they’re all coming from. Numbers are fun!
All-Inclusion Invitation Suites
