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!
The greatest part of our rehearsal dinner was the tremendous amount of love that surrounded us. Though our wedding wasn’t huge, it was hard to spend a lot of time with a lot of people. I think it’s really just impossible to make the rounds as much as you’d like to. Our rehearsal dinner allowed more time for a smaller number of people, and I really appreciated that.
The first thing we did with that quality time (besides eat, of course) was deliver presents to our house party. I had given gifts to my bridesmaids earlier that day at their brunch. Mr. Lion planned to deliver gifts to his groomsmen later that night, as I had kicked him out of our apartment and forced him to stay with his best man. What? We didn’t want to see each other on our wedding day! That meant separate beds. Anyway, even though the bridal party was already accounted for with gifts, we still had some very important friends and family members who deserved some props.
Mrs. Knitting, TorontoAge and Occupation: 24, Student Recruitment Assistant
Fiance's Age and Occupation: 24, Neuroscience PhD CandidateEngagement Date: October 2009Wedding Date: December 2010Venue: University of Toronto Faculty Club
About Me: I'm a pearl wearing, etiquette book reading Toronto girl who loves cooking and baking, museums, charm bracelets, and collecting books on Jackie Kennedy (a lot). I've been known to spend Sunday mornings at the antique market, Wednesday evenings at sister sushi dinners, and any bit of spare time reading. After six and a half years of many late night walks, watching DVDs together in bed, travelling to places like New York, and Tobermory, doing Sudokus together on the couch, lots of Indian food, the occasional yoga class, moving in together and so much more, Mr. Knitting and I are planning a cozy Christmasy (it's a word!), vintage wedding in Toronto complete with many DIY projects (eek!) and lots of help from our amazing group of family and friends.
Now that we were half-married it was time for our vows:
The Exchange of Vows
Kristin and Wojtek, we now come to your vows.
Wojtek, please repeat after me:
I, Wojtek, take you, Kristin, for my lawful wife, to have and to hold from this day forward, for better, for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and health, until death do us part.
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.
After designing our magnets, ordering all the necessary materials, and assembling everything together in a kit, our STDs were ready for the Pony wedding guests! And now that everyone has received them in the mail, I am ready to share them with the hive!
Warning: extremely picture-heavy post ahead. (I’m a proud parent—I can’t help it!)
First up, the envelope. I decided to hand address the envelopes, which may not have been the best idea. My writing was perpetually off center and slanted upward (see below). The mistakes drove me crazy, but in the end it got the job done, which is all that matters. Or so I tell myself. Don’t judge me too much:
No, we’re not cool enough to know people with the last name Bing.
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!
Awhile back, I posted about my hopes of doing a twist on the traditional escort cards. I really wanted to make a grandiose seating chart so our guests could just mosey on up to the chart, find their assigned tables, and then continue enjoying cocktail hour without having to carry around little seating cards. However, I was grappling with how to combine a central seating chart with entree choices—how do you inform the waitstaff of who ordered what in a timely, organized manner?
Thanks to a little pow-wow with our venue coordinator, that issue has been resolved! Mr. Snow Cone, my parents, and I all scooted over to Sunnehanna to have a little tasting of our reception-menu choices. As we considered the logistics of the evening, we all came to the same conclusion—the entire evening would be a bit smoother and easier if guests’ entree selections were limited to chicken or vegetarian. The chicken dish was tasty enough to stand on its own, having a streamlined list of options would expedite the table service, and this plan allowed me to follow through with my seating-chart plan! Now, with only chicken and veggie entrees, all I have to do is let the coordinator know how many vegetarian entrees to deliver to which specific tables, as we’re expecting the vast majority of guests to go with the chicken option.
One of my favorite parts of this idea is how many different directions you can go—you can keep it crisp and minimalist, using only names and table numbers, or you could incorporate one of your engagement pictures:
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.
Remember how I told you we booked a reception hall near our hometown for the at-home reception? Remember how I didn’t mention much about it, except that it was booked? Yeeeah…that’s because I was not particularly excited about it. It was a nice hall, but there were a lot of issues that I had with it. Exhibit A: The ugly carpet:
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!
After Mr. Cardigan and I made our way to our seats with our bridal party, it was time to eat! I was looking forward to having some time to sit surrounded by all the people I love most and just relax and talk with everyone. The day had been so hectic and emotionally-charged up until that point, and it was wonderful to have some time to unwind and enjoy ourselves!
Mr. Cardigan’s grandfather started us off with a word of prayer…
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!
We recently found out that Mr. CA will have about two weeks in late September/ early October between the end of his current job, and the start of his next job in DC. Which means (drum-drum rolldrum roll, please)…we have a little bit of time to work with for a honeymoon! Woohoo! It will be about a month after the wedding, but I am a-okay with that - it will give us a bit of time to simmer down after the whole wedding hoopla, get settled in as Mr. and Mrs., recoup, and then head off.
So, where did we decide on, you ask? Funny story…
As I mentioned in that previous post, if we did take a honeymoon, we were planning on using miles to fly. I had checked flights for several of the places that we had considered, but just wasn’t finding anything that really clicked. Also, we were still only semi-tentative about the whole honeymoon thing. Which means that we weren’t really looking in earnest, or very seriously.
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. 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.
Now that I’ve steadied myself after getting the most exciting email of my life, it is time to meet!
The carnival icons are so super cute, right?? I’m loving that totally adorbs tightrope walker lady. So much so that Mr. High Wire and I did a little re-creation for you to enjoy.
Personal photo created so wonderfully using Mr. High Wire’s fancy cell-phone camera and his mad Photoshop skills
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!
And a special thank you to all the hive members that weighed in on our “Used or New?” wedding dress survey (all 900+ of you!). The results have been included in this article about another dress worn and personalized by three friends.
Both articles are also in print today, so if you’re in the New York area, pick up the New York Post to check them out.
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!
To the Hive: I just want to thank you again for the overwhelming support you gave to me and Mr. FW in my last post. You are incredible, and I am so very proud to be a part of such an amazing community. I have noted every one of your questions, and I’ll be slowly working my way through them over my next few posts. You rock!
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In January of 2009 Mr. FW and I took a weekend trip to Los Angeles, and on a romantic walk down the hill from the Getty Museum we talked seriously for the first time about planning a wedding. The prospect of that started to feel real, and we were elated.
{sunset at the Getty}
Just a day later we were driving back to San Francisco from Los Angeles when Mr. FW tearfully told me that he was jealous of a female-to-male trans friend of ours. (Female-to-male, or FTM, means born biologically female and transitioning to male.)
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.
Mr. Biscuit and I have yet to book our honeymoon. I know, I know, we have less than three months and we should get on that. I assure you, we’re working on it. We’ve had some trouble with the itinerary.
I’ve done some traveling in my 24 years, and I have a firm knowledge of what I like and what I don’t like in a vacation. I’m one of those people who loves Disney World or even—gasp!—cruises. There’s always something going on and something to do. I really don’t like laying around on a beach all day and have a hard time justifying paying thousands of dollars to vacation on an exotic beach.
I’ve also been to a few tropical-ish places. Hawaii? Check. The Caribbean? Check, multiple times. They were nice, but they just weren’t places I’d want to spend a huge chunk of money on for a nice vacation.
Mr. Biscuit didn’t really have any input in the matter (as per usual), so all the decision making was up to me. The only thing I knew for sure was that I wanted to get Mr. B out of the time zone, because, well, he’s never been out of the time zone. Never. He has traversed up and down the EST, but really, those lines are like asymptotes for him. He can approach CST, but never reach it.
Mr. B put me in charge of the honeymoon because of how much I traveled, which is kind of laughable. 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!
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.
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.
I first thought that I was going to have a problem finding a dress because I am pretty picky, but when I actually started dress shopping, it was just the opposite…it was hard because I liked too many dresses! I liked almost all of the dresses that I tried on. That’s the thing, though…I only liked them. I didn’t love them. I tried on a lot of dresses, ladies. Let’s scroll down to view some of the rejects, shall we?
All-Inclusion Invitation Suites
