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.
You often hear about brides that start new health regimens when they are planning because they want to look and feel their best on their wedding day. I don’t necessarily support the idea of women losing weight just for one day so they can look skinnier and “prettier” in photos, but I do admire the women who use the wedding as a goal to jump-start the healthier lifestyle they’ve wanted.
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!
It’s no surprise that our first bee from our new Tea Party generation is….Miss Macarons! Please join me in welcoming her to the Hive!
Miss Macarons, Tampa Age & Occupation: 26, Graphic Designer Fiance’s Age & Occupation: 34, Renaissance Man Engagement Date: September 12, 2009 Wedding Date: September 2011 Venue: Lange Farm About Me: I’m creative at heart and a graphic designer with an unhealthy obsession with type. I love roller coasters, spicy foods, and a good glass of Crianza. We’re planning a soft and lovely vintage-meets-modern wedding in a state that’s known for its beaches, glitz and glam. I have a ton of DIY projects and lots of little details I’m dying to share and can’t wait to celebrate with our closest friends and family.
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!
Like the hilarious Miss Biscuit, what the men wore was of little consequence to me. Mr. Hyena wanted to wear a tuxedo to the wedding, and I agreed that sounded like a good idea (he looks real gooood in a tux). So I put him in charge of what he, the dads, and the dudes were going to wear.
This is the look we were going for. I’m not sure if this is actually what Mr. Hyena picked, because I have little to no knowledge on dude-wear, but it looks close to me.
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.
…we eat! Oh, and we rehearse. But everyone knows what happens at the ceremony rehearsal. Let’s talk about the meal that’s happening after!
You might remember that we are hosting a pretty large dinner the night before our wedding. And while the guest count is still sky-high, I’m happy to report that we’ve finally found a place that will hold us all! We ended up choosing a cozy, old-school-Italian style restaurant, just a few blocks from our venue. It’s the perfect mix of comfort food and classic Chicago that Sparks and I had been searching for.
Mrs. Bunting, Grand Rapids, MIAge and Occupation: 24, freelance illustrator & print productionFiance's Age and Occupation: 24, graduate of historyEngagement Date: December 3, 2009Wedding Date: June 2011Venue: Spring Grove Park & St. George Banquet CenterAbout Me: I am a freelance illustrator and designer with a love of nature and a taste for adventure. Textures and color fuel my world, along with apple cider and noodles. I'll try anything once, especially if it involves heights or food. I've hiked the Grand Canyon, gone sky diving, cuddled a baby wolf, and now my latest venture consists of designing and planning a large wedding involving color, DIY details, love, and marrying my best friend.
Given my difficulties with finding shoes, I’ve been ordering and ordering pair upon pair from Endless. There have been some that were cute but too tight, some that were comfy but too weird, and some that were cute and comfy but just not right for my dress. And then there were these:
Mrs. Bacon, ChicagoAge and Occupation: 26, Digital Advertising ManagerFiance's Age and Occupation: 25, IT Client ServicesEngagement Date: June 17, 2010Wedding Date: September 2011Venue: Ravenswood Billboard FactoryAbout Me: I'm a Midwestern girl that can't seem to commit to staying in one place for too long and is constantly daydreaming about my next adventure. I am an aspiring foodie with a weak spot for the unusual and I love semi-reality food television. My other loves easily include laughing as a form of exercise, a book that I can't put down, summer baseball games, espresso with whipped cream, couch potato days and nights with the ridiculous Mr. Bacon, and our two kitties, Lincoln and Sawyer. We're planning a faux-destination wedding for 150 of our closest friends and family in the city we've both adopted as home that has a modern, yet whimsical twist and as many personal touches as we can manage.
As we have entered the invitation saga at the Bacon home, I was toying with the idea of ordering some really cute wraparound return address labels that would perfectly coordinate with our invitations. I’m a sucker for matching stationery, so it was really a no brainer. But then I started thinking about the font I wanted to use to address the labors of love once they got into the mailbox. 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.
Mrs. Earrings, Fresno, CA/ Nelson, New ZealandAge and Occupation: 20, Student, Wannabe Writer
Fiance's Age and Occupation: 19, Photography StudentEngagement Date: February 14, 2010Wedding Date: January 2011Venue: Gardens of the WorldAbout Me: I'm a girl from down under who grew up in Indonesia and I'm marrying a California boy. I'm addicted to all things sweet, have never met a chocolate silk pie than can get the better of me, and have dreams of one day being a fulltime novelist. I go weak in the knees for lace, tea cups, and a beautifully crafted sentence. When I get excited about something (whether it is historical linguistics or the Beatles) I tend to go overboard in research, and planning this wedding is no different. Mr. Earrings is my high school sweetheart, my best friend, and somehow we combine all our quirks into one big happy mess.
After our first dance, it was my dad’s turn to have a dance with me. For both the father-daughter dance and the mother-son dance at our wedding, we invited guests to join us so we didn’t feel so awkward out there! There was one guest though, who joined in the fun in a different way… Read more…
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.
I am a people-pleaser by nature. Knowing I’ve hurt someone’s feelings or let someone down are thoughts that way heavily on my conscience—it’s a bit of a curse. Don’t get me wrong, I appreciate that I value others’ feelings, but at the same time it’s pretty frustrating to have to regularly force myself to consider my feelings, too.
Planning a wedding has really encouraged me to reckon with my inherent need to please because, duh, it’s absolutely impossible to please everyone…particularly when planning a wedding. And here is a word of caution to all of my fellow wedding plannin’, people pleasin’ frenz:
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!
I have never been one to fuss with my hair. In fact, I’m pretty ambivalent about my hair.
In its natural state, it is stick-straight. Witch-like, but blonde. Well, aside from the glamorous frizzies near my forehead. Typically, I just throw it up into a pony so that it is out of my face at work. Because nothing bothers me more than hair in my face when I’m concentrating. I actually get super annoyed when my hair flops in my face, so I don’t wear it down too frequently. Sometimes I will straighten it, to make it look a bit more sleek, but really, it’s pretty easy-going. I know that some people would kill for my straight hair, but I have always wanted lovely wavy or curly hair, with lots of personality. My hair just seems so, well, straight. Boring. Bland. You know. Grass is always greener, yada yada.
Anyway, since I’m not really a hair person, I’ve been having issues figuring out exactly how I want my hair to look on the wedding day. Candy Apple feeling indecisive?? Shocking.
I do love the look of brides with long, flowy locks, perfectly in place beneath a veil. But, since I don’t wear my hair down that often, it probably wouldn’t be the best option, since it’s not really “me.” And, I do want to feel a bit dressed-up, and for some reason, “dressed-up” to me means hair up. Don’t ask why—I think I’ve watched too many movies with Princesses at fancy-pants balls, or something.
However, due to the somewhat relaxed vibe of our wedding, I don’t really want anything too severe or structured. I want to look elegant, but I also want to look a bit laid-back. Does that make sense? I think I’m too picky…
One issue I’m having is that I don’t really browse celeb sites, or People magazine, or anything like that. Read more…
Weddingbee GalleryFeature Launched: April 10, 2009About: A collection of inspirational wedding pictures from readers and bees.
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. 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 Mr. Funnel Cake was packing up for the army on a Sunday night, we remembered that we STILL hadn’t ordered our custom wax stamp for the invites. Oops.
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!
Fact: We are five and a half months out from our wedding and I don’t have a dress.
Fact: Every time I think about wedding dresses, I feel like I want to cry (and I don’t mean happy cry.).
Now that I’ve set the stage, let’s get to the back story. I like to think of myself as a somewhat fashion-conscious person, but I am by no means an avid shopper or a fashionista. Let’s just chalk that up to being a plus-size girl for nearly my entire life. So this dress thing is hard, hard, hard and I am seriously not excited about it. (Kid you not, I am choking back tears as I’m typing this.) I thought that waiting until I was at the six month mark would kick in some sense of urgency that could potentially turn into excitement, but it just hasn’t. Not to be dramatic, but I feel paralyzed—not willing to do what I probably should do and not sure what I want to do instead.
Here are the problems I’ve identified so far. Read more…
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. Seashell, Chicago, IL / Providence, RIAge and Occupation: 28, Marriage and Family TherapistFiance's Age and Occupation: 31, Electrical EngineerEngagement Date: September 3, 2009Wedding Date: September 2010Venue: The Glen Manor HouseAbout Me: Fonts and fashion, stationery and Sundays, photography and french toast... the beauty is in the details for this fun-loving Chicagoan who loves to plan plan plan! The soon-to-be hubs plays "Mr. Fix-It" in our new condo while I swoon over beautiful, personalized stationery and choose shades of aubergine for my bridesmaids' dresses... and thus begins my new fairy tale! Skirting to the East Coast for our September nuptials where my home state of Rhode Island awaits with fall foliage, I'm just a few dress fittings and bachelorette party away from saying "I Do" to a very happy ending!
In preparation for our first dance, Mr. Seashell and I signed up for dancing lessons. Part of the reason was because we chose a song that we, frankly, had no clue how to dance to.
Assuming you’ve come to learn a little about me, it should surprise you that our first dance was to an upbeat country song. It should be even more surprising that I suggested it. But sometime early into dating Mr. Seashell I came to learn that he was a bit of a country music fan. On occasion I’d tolerate it, but more often than not I’d roll my eyes and request a change of tune. But one evening he put a CD in our car and told me to give this artist a chance. Halfway into a certain song I admitted that I actually liked it.
Then, months later, we went to a Pat Green concert. When the song came on that slowly had become “our song” Mr. Seashell pulled me close. Pat sang, “And it came upon me wave on wave, You’re the reason I’m still here, Am I the one you were sent to save?” and he said in my ear, “You know it’s true.” In that moment I knew it was the song we had to dance to at our wedding.
So I put him in charge of what he, the dads, and the dudes were going to wear.
All-Inclusion Invitation Suites
