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 designed, printed, and prepared our STDs for their grand voyage with the USPS, I came to an important realization about the wedding planning, my overall level of craftiness, and where I plan to go from here. Simply put…I’m not a DIY bride, by any stretch. But that doesn’t mean I’m totally inept with creativity, vision, and execution. Ergo, I’ve decided I’m a D(po)IY bride, which stands for Do (part of) It Yourself! I’m not rushing out to my nearest craft store to buy every last supply I could ever need for every last project and then squirrelling myself away in my apartment, waging war with hot-glue guns, reams of fabric, and lots and lots of glitter. However, I am interested in adding some extra touches here and there through some low-maintenance but high-quality finishing details. Sure, others may never notice the little things here and there that are courtesy of this up-and-coming Martha Stewart extraordinaire, but I’ll know, and that’s worth something!
My first D(po)IY project was our STDs. As I alluded to in my previous post, I was pleased with how the postcards came back from Vistaprint, but they lacked a little snap, crackle, and pop. After carefully considering my options, I decided the best course of action would be to invest in a corner rounder and make the postcards a little special.
First, a little FYI for the DIY challenged. I bought a Fiskars two-in-one corner rounder. I didn’t really know what the second mode of the “two-in-one” meant, since I just assumed it rounded corners, period. Well, apparently I’m a moron and never realized that you could round corners in any number of ways. Look at this:
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.
Hi, I’m Miss Balloons. Nice to meet you! I’m SO super excited to be here as a bee! When I saw the carnival generation come out, I had to apply. I LOVE carnival food! I have to say, I was a little sad when Cotton Candy, Funnel Cake, and Snow Cone were already taken, as they are my all-time favorite carnival foods! The Balloons icon, however, is equally adorable, so I decided to go with that instead.
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!
First things first, what better way to start this post than with a little Barney action?
This morning saw Mr. Jaguar and 2/3 of his bridal party hitting the bridal stores in search of the perfect bridal duds. I tagged along, in part to make sure the colours they chose matched the girls’ dresses, but also mainly to check out my soon-to-be-hubby decked out in a suit. Nothing suits him like a suit. (Mwahahahaha.)
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. 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’ve slowly been getting over that hump that stopped me in my tracks, mostly because Cinnamon Buns sat down and started doing the ‘set design’ for our wedding. We have a CAD drawing of our space, and Cinnamon Buns has the know-how (and the computer program) to do it all digitally! This is what the reception half of the building is looking like currently:
The ceremony will be on the other side of the red lines marked ‘Air Wall’, but we’re talking about reception today. Note:
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.
What is today’s topic? Today we are talking about wedding favours!
I’m blessed to have two amazing sisters-in-law, and one of them is sweet enough to have offered to make our wedding favours/table cards!
Sabra is awesome at DIY and, since she is local to Columbus, she is much more capable of doing wonderful handmade projects than I would be from here. Can you imagine trying to DIY favours, church programmes, table signs, etc. and then stuffing them into a suitcase? Mr. Funnel Cake and I will be trying to pack light, as we are planning on backpacking in Hawaii so we can go camping…so no big suitcases for us. Sabra is probably the only one besides my mom who jumped to do such a big favour for us (literally, haha). So I’m really appreciative that she wants to help us plan this non-local (for us) celebration!
Sabra had these adorable creations at her wedding.
Mrs. Panther, Atlanta GA/Westport CTAge and Occupation: 24, Web WriterFiance's Age and Occupation: 25, Music Recording EngineerEngagement Date: March 13, 2010Wedding Date: July 2011Venue: The Inn at LongshoreAbout Me: I'm a total goofball who goes through life at a breakneck pace, trying not to knock anything over. I tend to fall in love with everything I encounter, but more than anything, I love my two little kitties, Bela and Josie, and my big kitty, Mr. Panther! As a wannabe crafter, I'm still waiting for my artistic talents to emerge. (Any day now, really.) In the meantime, I spend my days eating anything put in front of me, buying every pair of shoes I see and absorbing wedding inspiration from every inch of my surroundings. Mr. Panther and I are hardcore New Englanders planning Connecticut nuptials from our new home in the Dirty South, and can't wait to mix our newfound love of classic Southern charm with some modern city touches.
I can’t believe it’s taken me so long to write this post. Worst blogger ever. I’ll be better once I get these damn invitations out, I promise! (And then I can post about the invitations—wahoo!)
Anywho, two weeks ago, Mr. Panther and I had the pleasure of attending an awesome, awesome party at bridesmaid Jess’s house. The fact that this party was for US only added to its awesomeness. Remember this post, featuring a frigging amazing fringey invitation in a kraft paper envelope? Well, if you thought the invitation was incredible (I did!), wait until you see the party itself.
Bridesmaids Jess and Mary Alice, my two craft-spirations, worked their butts off to make the prettiest decorations and yummiest food I have ever seen/tasted. Seriously, it’s like they climbed inside our brains, pulled out all our favorite things and hung them from the rafters. Look at this!
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. 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!
Oh-my-gosh-you-guys!!! I know there’s been a lot of buzz around the interwebs about Anthropologie’s new wedding-dress collection, BHLDN, and I honestly hadn’t paid much attention because, duh, I have a dress already. But but but I just found out they have their own line of SHOES! And…they’re BEAUTIFUL! I want to buy them all!
Here are a few of my faves. I wish these had come out sooner because I would sooooo wear, ummm, any of these under my wedding dress! I can’t stop using exclamation points!
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.
Still on an amazing high, we stepped off the aisle into the main papala and were instantly surrounded with people wanting to give us hugs, kisses and congratulations. I love that Mama-In-Law Meerkat was the first.
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!
Good morning! We’re kicking this Tuesday off with our newest bee, Miss Balloons!
Miss Balloons, Aspen, CO Age & Occupation: 24, Mass Communications graduate, Web Design student, & winery worker Fiance’s Age & Occupation: 26, Engineer Engagement Date: July 10, 2009 Wedding Date: August 2011 Venue: The Sundeck at The Little Nell in Aspen, CO About 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.
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!
Before the wedding I talked about how we had the opportunity to blend our own wedding wine. After we blended the wine and it spent some time in the barrel it was time to bottle it! We had such a fantastic experience blending and bottling our wine, and I’m so glad that we had the opportunity to have such a hands-on experience. I learned a lot about how wine is bottled, and discovered that one barrel of wine equals approximately 24 cases of wine, which surprisingly actually does fit stacked into the back of a Ford Explorer. But I’m getting ahead of myself.
First, Mom helped to set up the barrel so that we could get the wine out of the barrel and into a stainless steel tank (on the right of the above picture). I helped by taking pictures of the process. Read more…
Mrs. Lox, BaltimoreAge and Occupation: 33, Government WorkerFiance's Age and Occupation: 35. IT ConsultantEngagement Date: May 8, 2010Wedding Date: May 2011Venue: Vandiver InnAbout Me: I’m an East Coast gal born and bred and a suburban brat turned city rat for the last year. Now Mr. Lox and I enjoy walking all kinds of places, having the coolest things around in our backyard, and especially our garage parking. I love gadgets, toys, Ben & Jerry’s Chubby Hubby ice cream, monkeys, and our insane cats. I’m a blonde by birth and a redhead by choice. I’m that girl in the cubicle farm with all the cool toys and the file cabinet covered in magnetic poetry. I still use smiley faces in my emails, whether people like it or not. This is not the first rodeo for Mr. Lox nor me. And together, we are planning an intimate afternoon wedding on a budget we can afford by ourselves.
So this weekend, Miss Sparkler reminded me about my plan to walk down the aisle alone. I know the last time we talked about it, I seemed like there might have been some wiggle room in that decision. That was a little unfair of me because there isn’t. For all the reasons I gave there and then some, I still plan to do this one by myself.
But I haven’t been able to shake the fact that I wouldn’t have made that decision if my step-father were still here to step in. It would have been his greatest joy to escort me down the aisle and I would have been delighted to have him do it. But it is what it is and he isn’t here with us, so that is not a choice I get to make.
So my dears, that brings us to the question of why on earth I’m writing about this again. I mean, if nothing has changed, then why bother to re-open the topic? Well, because something has, in fact, changed.
Like I said, I keep thinking of my step-father when I think about this. So it occurred to me that maybe I could find a way after all to take him down the aisle with me. Enter, my keychain:
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.
We’re closing in on the wedding, and I’m getting just a little panicky about all those little details. Like, you know, tables.
Our venue is a blank slate so we need to bring tables in. Our caterer said in our meeting that he could source, bring in, and set up tables for us, which sounds awesome. Until I get all crazy and want to set it up myself. We have the venue on the Friday night before the wedding, and we will be in to set up the ceremony space and as much decor as possible then. It really bugs me that I will not be there to set it all up. I won’t get to place centrepieces, tweak table cloths, or fiddle with the tables until they look just right. It will be in the hands of someone else, and sometimes I think that I won’t be able to handle that.
We do have a day-of coordinator (we’ve booked a stage manager friend for the day) so between her and the catering team I’m sure they’ll be more than capable. I just get a little twitchy worry about the room being not quite right.
The other option is that we source the tables ourselves, set them up Friday night, and tear them down on the Sunday. That way I get to be Controlly McControlingpants, and set everything up “perfectly” on Friday night. This also involves us tearing everything down on Sunday, plus transporting said tables somehow somewhere. I am now car-less, thanks to a hit-and-run of my PARKED car, not that many tables would have fit in my hatchback anyway, but it makes me feel that much more helpless.
Mrs. Barrettes, Tumon, Guam/Napa, CAAge and Occupation: 29, DancerFiance's Age and Occupation: 31, Licensed Building ContractorEngagement Date: November 16, 2008Wedding Date: October 2010Venue: V. Sattui WineryAbout Me: I'm an East Coast girl, living on a tiny little island in the Pacific, twirling, leaping, and shimmy-ing my way through life, and now, wedding planning! I'm equal parts nerdy and cool... okay, mostly nerdy. I love satin bows, red lipstick, black & white graphic anything, the shine of sequins and the sound of a champagne "pop". My favorite books are The Portrait of a Lady, by Henry James, and Tender is the Night, by F. Scott Fitzgerald. I can also conjure a pretty good Patronus Charm. I started my appreciation for good red wine while traveling on the high seas, and it's only fitting that my passion for wine drinking led me to my Napa-bred honey. We bonded over bottles of Cabernet on my oceanfront porch and haven't looked back since. We're sealing the deal at a winery in the Napa Valley on a 'perfect ten' of a day!
Hi Hive! You don’t mind if I do drive-bys every now and again, right? Promise I’ll drop by when I think I’ve got something good for ya. Today I’m thinking about wedding photography… six months after the wedding.
Photography quickly rose to the top of my list of important things when we began planning. I knew I wanted something special, but I didn’t know exactly what. Unless you are used to working with photographers on a pretty regular basis, most of us just know what we like when we see it. When I stumbled upon Luke’s work, I just knew he was the one. It was sort of like falling in love at first sight.
Then you find the price for your dream. And it’s usually higher than you hoped for.
To fit the constraints of budget, the only way to make my make my 2-shooter, 8-hour fantasy happen was to cut out the album option. My high-quality images would land in my lap on 2 discs, about 8GB worth of our gorgeous day. Luke also included web-ready images, which were much smaller and included his watermark. This made recapping our wedding pretty easy breezy, but now it’s all up to me to figure out how to present my photos outside of the internet.
Uploading the high-res images to photobook sites became frustrating when I learned that most hosts don’t allow images over 10 MB—almost all of my images are over 20 MB. Read more…
All-Inclusion Invitation Suites
