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!
Over my months of wedding planning, I’ve been repeatedly humbled by my seven extraordinary bridesmaids. None of them has batted an eye at offering support when I request it, an opinion when I need it, or a distraction when I really need it. Equally impressive, but in a different scope, is the time and money each of them is spending in order to attend the shower, bachelorette party, and wedding. Even though I’ve only been a bridesmaid once, I definitely have an acute understanding of how much goes into this role. I searched high and low before finding a gift that I thought matched my style, my BMs’ style, my level of gratitude, and my budget.
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.
We bought Mr. Bunting’s wedding band a few days ago, and I secretly think I am much more excited for its arrival than he is. Not because he’s not excited to marry me, mind you, but because it IS a piece of jewelry and, well, I like shiny things. Enough said, right?
Finding the right band took some time and research on our part. I’m definitely not the type of person who can walk into the first store, pick something out, and make a decision without considering my other options. Especially when that something is as important (and pricey) as a wedding band. We originally were going to get a ring made of damascus metal from an artist online, but we both decided we’d like to have the customer service and warranty offered through a well-established jeweler, who we knew would be around in 10 years in case something happened to our ring. There are some VERY neat rings out there. I’m talking zebra-swirl patterns, wood or water buffalo horn inlays, and even rings made from meteorites! But, again, we needed to think long-term durability for the ring we’d say our vows with.
So Mr. Bunting and I went to every jewelry store in the area to learn as much as we could about the options, as well as to see all the designs available. The design was up to him, but I took it upon myself to research the different properties of metals and non-metals so we would end up with something that fit us.
I am by no means claiming to be an expert, but here is my understanding of some of the contemporary metals/non-metals that are becoming more and more popular.
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!
You know you’re getting close to the wedding when the nightmares begin.
It started with the bridesmaids’ dresses. It was the morning of the wedding, the girls were about to get ready, and the dresses were hanging in alteration bags. We opened up the bags, and oh no! The dresses were all wrong. I’m talking three completely different dresses, in three completely different styles.
Then there were the flowers. Oh yes, for all of my laid-back decisions regarding floral arrangements for the big day, apparently I’m subconsciously worrying about them. In this dream, our wedding flowers were delivered in good time—only my bouquet was arranged delightfully… in a BUCKET. Yes, I walked a bucket of flowers down the aisle. (It had some tastefully arranged lace around it, as if that made it any less awkward.)
Disclosure: these flowers in a bucket = gorgeous, cute centrepiece idea. The bucket in my dream? Not so much.
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.
Soon, you will be introduced to my beautiful bridesmaids. For right now, I want to talk about what to do if your closest and finest happen to live in a different city, state, or country (you bold, bold bride, you!) than you do. That can set up some serious challenges!
Mrs. Octopus, Boston, MA/Pittsburgh, PAAge and Occupation: 25, Grad StudentFiance's Age and Occupation: 26, Graphics Operator for TV NewsEngagement Date: May 6th, 2009Wedding Date: September 2010Venue: Heinz Chapel Ceremony, Museum Reception
About Me: When my best friend dragged me to a toga party in our freshmen year of college, I was not expecting to meet my future husband; but seven years later, here we are. I'm a crazy-organized planner at heart, and I am a great lover of random trivia, books, chocolate, blogs, new and exciting adventures, mockumentary-style television, and anything heavily flavored with bright orange fake cheese powder. We're planning a festive and fun mini-destination wedding in the place where we met: fabulous Pittsburgh, PA! I can't wait to marry the man I love!
Hokay, FIRST of all?! I miss you so much, Hive! Not even kidding, I was overcome with glee when I cracked open the ol’ wedding blog to write this post. YAY! WEDDINGBEE!
Okay, but actually, I decided to drop by because I thought I should share the wrap-up of the saga of my wedding band, since you all were so helpful throughout the entire bummer of a process. The conclusion I eventually came to about the whole thing is not quite what I thought it would be, but it’s a conclusion nonetheless, so here goes.
If you weren’t around at the time I wrote about this, or forgot what happened, here’s a semi-quick recap of my wedding band situation: Read more…
Mrs. Cotton Candy, Riverside, CAAge and Occupation: 29, Field CoordinatorFiance's Age and Occupation: 34, Process ServerEngagement Date: July 5, 2007Wedding Date: June 2011Venue: Riverside Art MuseumAbout Me: I’m a girl in love with her best friend planning a small mid-century modern inspired wedding that’s been a long time coming. I love all things design, sewing, flea markets, and a good book. I’ve been known to swoon over a well-designed chair and often find myself craving a new addition to my chair collection regardless of the lack square footage in our home. I’m Mexican American girl who hates all things spicy but loves her rowdy Mexican family and her Latin roots. My wedding muses may not be your typical wedding superstars, but with a lot of DIY, a dash of offbeat style, and lots of love and laughs, Mr. Cotton and I plan to create a day that is unmistakably us.
By now you’ve probably noticed that the Cotton Candy wedding isn’t your typical formal affair. It probably goes without saying that the some of the more traditional wedding day traditions and accessories such as a garter, cake cutting set, and toasting flutes aren’t high on the CCandy must-have list. Actually, these items are on our don’t need/don’t want/please don’t waste your money on it-list.
Mami CCandy apparently hasn’t gotten the memo. For the past 6 months she’s been insisting that it is Sister CC’s duty as maid of honor to gift us toasting flutes and a cake server. We couldn’t go to one family gathering without her bringing it up. The most mundane conversations would lead to a discussion about toasting flutes and cake cutting. I’m not sure why she was so obsessed, but no amount of reason would change her mind, so it was no surprise when I unwrapped sister CC’s shower gift and found this:
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.
With the distance and time zones between my bridesmaids and me, I realise that asking my girls to coordinate buying the same dress is a bit farfetched. In fact, I have this small fear that I would be overruled with a resounding “NO” if I even suggested they go out and buy coordinating dresses from a store like David’s Bridal.
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 finished up our first dance, it was time for me to dance with my dad.
When it came time for Daddy Cardigan and I to choose what song we wanted to dance to, it was not as easy as I thought it would be. I e-mailed him a few ideas of songs that we might want to do, and my mom called me the next day and let me know that he had tried to listen to the songs at work but had to stop because he started crying.
That’s right, my big, gruff daddy started crying at work listening to father-daughter dance songs.
He tried again at home a few days later, and picked out one of the songs I had sent him. We were both very nervous leading up to our dance because we both thought we’d burst into tears, but I experienced the same feeling I had earlier that day when I was walking down the aisle—I was so happy and excited that I just couldn’t cry. The song was incredibly touching, and the father-daughter dance was wonderful, but it (thankfully) didn’t bring either of us to tears.
And now that I’ve told the story of picking our song, I’ll leave you with some photos and the lyrics to the song we chose.
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.
I had yet another wedding-related dream recently wherein our wedding day had arrived, but the planning and preparing had not progressed past what we currently have completed. The vases were still sitting on the shelf in the basement, waiting to be washed and packed, we had no flowers to put in the vases because I’d never made up my mind on what to do about florals, I didn’t have enough plates for all the guests we invited because I hadn’t bought enough, etc., etc. In the dream, I was running all over the house trying to get everything done and epically failing to do so.
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!
Ugh… okay, I’m gonna be real here. I’m not super thrilled about this topic. More than just the whole superficial “what woman wants to talk about her weight” thing is the fact that I have incredibly mixed feelings about this issue.
On the one hand, I have spent a significant portion of my life fighting for my self-esteem in the face of having a lifelong struggle with maintaining a healthy weight. Professionally I work with people in developing a more positive attitude and belief system around body image no matter their size, culture, age, ability level, health status, or anything else. I don’t just believe in this as a theoretical construct—I live it!
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.
Hive, I missed you all so much! Mr. Lox and I are back from our amazing honeymoon and I just wanted to check in.
The wedding…it was amazing. I’d sum it up for you if I could but it’s not a one post sort of thing. So let’s just wait for pictures and video and then we’ll talk in recaps, okay?
In the meantime, I thought you might enjoy a little photographic evidence that we actually did manage to do this amazing thing and get married. I promise, we will talk more about it later. In the meantime, I may take some time to gather myself, maybe talk about some last minute projects, and perhaps the honeymoon, too. We’ll see. But I’m here and I missed you. 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.
…we all scream for ice cream. Duh! Oh, and ice cream cake, too, because that’s what we’ve chosen to have for our wedding cake! It was one of the first and easiest wedding decisions that Mr. B and I made. Of course there are a lot of logistics to solve when it comes to trying to serve ice cream cake, but we didn’t care. We just knew that it’s something we wanted and we’d figure it out one way or another. OK, so let’s talk about said logistics:
Problem 1 - The design options are limited, and I won’t have the option of scouring pretty inspirational pictures to come up with my dream tiered cake like this one:
The first cake inspiration pic that I saved when I first got engaged (Image via Martha Stewart Weddings)
Mrs. Crepe, Queens, NY/Nashville, TNAge and Occupation: 28, Jewelry DesignerFiance's Age and Occupation: 28, Animation DirectorEngagement Date: September 28, 2010Wedding Date: May 2011Venue: A church in downtown NashvilleAbout Me: I'm a native New Yorker who has always been a DIY kind of girl and loves tackling creative projects while getting the most out of a dollar. I'm marrying my college sweetheart and we love frequenting antique stores, exploring together, and playing with kittens. We're planning a fun, "us" wedding in his hometown---with as many handmade touches as we can pack into a day!
As I mentioned in this previous post about the table numbers, I wasn’t sure how I was going to end up displaying them. Mini easels were one solution but a bit on the pricey side at about $4 a piece at Hobby Lobby.
At this point, Mr. Crepe decided that he was going to get crafty! He was convinced that he could come up with a much more attractive and budget friendly solution so we stopped by Loews to get brainstorming. After wandering around a bit, we found ourselves in the lumber section where we selected a piece of cheapy pine. A very nice man cut it down to 4-5 inch squares and we bought those plus a few 1/2″ thick dowels.
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!
Hive, I’m just beside myself. I decided to finally take the plunge and schedule a bridal-makeup consultation with Julie Marckisotto of Pittsburgh Makeup. (You can also see her work with the lovely Mrs. Octopus!) I wasn’t sure what to expect since I was receiving a “bridal-makeup lesson” from Julie, as opposed to her wedding-day services. Within about 20 seconds, she calmed all of my anxieties and uncertainties. Here’s an abbreviated list of why this consultation was a great, great decision.
Examples - As soon as I got to her studio, Julie sat me down and had me look through a wedding-makeup look book. She asked me to point out photos with aspects I liked/didn’t like. She never poo-pooed any of my ideas or feedback, and she was super eager to make my selected look work for me.
Education - She then took that inspiration photo and recreated the look on me, using shades that she thought would work their magic on my Swedish skin. She explained what she was doing and why she was doing it, and gave quick tips to ensure that my own attempts at the look would be as successful as possible.
Incorporation - Julie requested that I bring my own daily makeup kit so she could get a handle on what I use and which of my products could actually be utilized on W-Day. This was the biggest surprise to me—I was really expecting her to say that I just had to buy all new everything from some relatively expensive and high-quality brand that she’s affiliated with. Thankfully, she pointed out which of my products would work, which I should consider replacing, and where I could find good deals on her recommended new products. Fabulous.
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.
The last time we talked about this project, I’d just found the silk flowers to honor our grandmothers. Because we’re short on time (OMG! 10 days left!!), how about we fast forward a bit?
This is the hunt table where our photos, guestbook and escort cards will be displayed. Lest you worry like I did that it won’t be large enough, let me tell you this is one beefy table. As in, 10.5 feet long by 3 feet wide. Plenty o’ room.
We did a mock-up of just the family photos and guestbook last night on the largest table we own—a 6’ folding table typically reserved for big parties. Sorry Mr. PaC, the beer pong table will be in use for the next day or so. (Please ignore the silver poinsettia tablecloth. It’s much better than the naked table.) Read more…
