Mrs. Pretzel, SeattleAge and Occupation: 32 Learning, Training, and Development SpecialistFiance's Age and Occupation: 28 Manufacturing EngineerEngagement Date: September 2, 2009Wedding Date: July 2010Venue: Catholic Church & The Engine Room at Georgetown StudiosAbout Me: I’m just a thirty-something girl who never dreamed of weddings, poofy dresses, or ritzy receptions. I am a rabid knitter, except recently, wedding projects have replaced my yarn and needles. I’ve been fiercely independent since the age of 2 and 30 years later I think my family and friends had given up on me settling down and getting married.
Ironically, I had to go all the way to Seattle to find a boy from Purdue. We fell in love over Seattle Beers and cooking together. I love NASCAR, he loves Legos. I can talk like a Muppet and he can fit a whole McDonald’s cheeseburger in his mouth. We are a two reception couple, currently planning a brewery inspired bash.
After our photographers left the party just kept going. The dance floor got crowded, the band was rockin’ and our ushers decided to create a little mischief with a shirts-off-dance-off. Yes you read that right—a shirts-off dance-off. I kinda knew this might happen and I blogged about it in January 2010. Read more…
Mrs. Taco, San FranciscoAge and Occupation: 29, writer/editorFiance's Age and Occupation: 37, editorEngagement Date: May 13, 2009Wedding Date: August 2010Venue: The Green Room at the War Memorial Veterans BuildingAbout Me: I like laughing and talking with good friends over good food and good drink, be it wine, cocktail, or brew. I write and edit things for fun and profit, but I rarely "write" these days without a keyboard and high-speed internets. Favorites include Mr. Taco, my Boston terrier, San Francisco, getting out of town, and the Roaring ’20s. I was kind-of planning a wedding since roughly 2006, when I discovered "Whose Wedding Is It Anyway?" on the WE channel. I ran and didn't look back with a theme I called "urban vintage," and it culminated in the most magical day a taco could ask for.
We wandered north from Tuscany to visit Venice for roughly 24 hours. Though we spent the least amount of time in this city, it deserves its own post because it’s one of the strangest places I’ve ever been.
The two-hour train ride from Florence reminded me a lot of the Central Valley in California. Much of the country reminded me of the Golden State, due to acres of cultivated agriculture and vine-dotted rolling hills between major cities. Venice’s well-documented, high-quality foodstuffs makes perfect sense, knowing that this stuff surrounds it.
The (Italian!) leather-bound journal with our names and wedding date was a wedding present. We wrote in it every day, especially when we were in transit, taking notes in a museum, or annoyed. All personal photos.
A native Florentine working at one of the wineries (more on those here) made a couple funny statements about Venice that now seem spot-on: Read more…
Miss Marmalade, Norwalk, CT/Raleigh, NCAge and Occupation: 27, Administrative AssistantFiance's Age and Occupation: 28, Army OfficerEngagement Date: December 31, 2009Wedding Date: July 2011Venue: Old Cadet Chapel/Highlands Country ClubAbout Me: I'm a Tri-State area "lady," through and through. A big chunk of my life has been split between NYC and Connecticut, and I'm finally heading down south to live with Mr. Marmalade. Our long distance relationship has been one adventure after the next, we've spent time in Texas, Louisiana, Florida,and Georgia, thanks to his military career. Next to Mr. Marmalade, my loves include live music, useless trivia, shoes, design, and my crazy half-tiger kitty, Oliver. I have a passion for food and wine, and I've been known to travel long distances to get my hands on the best meals. I come from a tight-knit big fat Greek Ecuadorian family---we're loud, we talk with our hands, and we spend hours talking loudly with our hands over large meals. I'm going to miss them so much as I pack up and begin my life, far away from home. But with Mr. Marmalade by my side, I'm ready to take on whatever may come. Next up: our wedding!
Ms. Gazelle, Calgary/VancouverAge and Occupation: 32, EngineerFiance's Age and Occupation: 32, Technology AnalystEngagement Date: September 3, 2010Wedding Date: July 2011Venue: Brock House Restaurant, VancouverAbout Me: I am a marathon runner, cyclist, Ironman triathlete and beautiful shoe fiend who also loves kicking back and watching Glee. I grew up a bit of a nomad as I traveled around the world with my family, living everywhere from Australia to England to South America and Indonesia. I finally settled in Calgary a few years ago and met Mr. Gazelle who loves me even though we cheer for different hockey teams. We are planning a bit of a destination wedding in beautiful Vancouver, British Columbia and we can’t wait to share the day with our close family and friends.
Ah the name change game…to change your name or keep your maiden name, that is the question!
Back when I was younger and contemplating the idea of marriage (and well before Mr. Gazelle ever entered the picture) I always figured that I would change my name after getting married. In fact, when I first met Mr. Gazelle I used to think about how my first name fit with his last name. It is quite a pleasing combination, and in fact, I actually know someone who has the same name I would have (however she spells her first name differently).
But here is the thing, I have one unique name when you put it all together. I have never met anyone who spells their first name like mine is spelled. Chances are if you meet anyone with the same last name as me, we are related. Read more…
The Atlanta bees got together for a big day out, and hivemember ktisthatbees is sharing their day with us! Take it away, ktisthatbees!
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Last Thursday, we had an Atlanta Weddingbee meet up at All Fired Up! paint your own pottery studio in the Virginia Highlands! We had a fantastic turnout of Georgia bees from near and far—even the recently married Mrs. Lioness was there to chat and get creative!
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.
The wedding packages just keep on coming! Yesterday all of my (MUCH anticipated) bridal jewelry arrived! I’m pretty excited about all of it, so I’m going to stop blabbing and just show you the pictures.
If you remember… these are the earrings I wanted so badly:
Mrs. Cucumber Sandwich, Washington, DC/Cape May, NJAge and Occupation: 28, School CounselorFiance's Age and Occupation: 40, Collegiate AthleticsEngagement Date: March 27, 2010Wedding Date: October 2011Venue: Congress Hall HotelAbout Me: I am a school counselor who spends my day wrangling children and my nights attempting to be creative with wedding projects. My enthusiasm for each of these activities far surpasses my skill. Thank goodness Mr. Cucumber Sandwich is there to pick up the pieces and be the voice of reason about my DIY tries. I have an obsession with terrible romantic comedies (‘From Justin to Kelly’ anyone?, anyone?!?), competitive Scrabble play, and hot dogs. I could eat astronaut ice cream for every meal and can’t seem to resist buying more shoes. Our wedding is going to be a true hodge podge of semi-destination, tradition, Yuengling, New England charm, with just a dash of ‘Jersey Shore’ thrown in. It has been six years in the making and I can’t wait to marry my best friend.
I think our engagement story suits us as a couple. It is convoluted and a little accident prone, but very sweet and sentimental. Mr. Cucumber Sammie is going to kill me for starting at the beginning, but if I left it out I wouldn’t be telling the whole truth.
Mr. Cucumber Sammie and I started talking about getting engaged awhile ago. We discussed what kind of ring I would want and when he would ask. If I am going to throw him under the bus in a minute, I might as well be honest about myself as well; I was not the most patient bride-to-be. I got a little antsy toward the end and might have started nagging. It was not pretty. Mr. Cuc Sandwich got the not so subtle hint and got me a ring.
He couldn’t decide when to pop the question, so he carried the ring around in his pocket for a while, where I promptly found it. Yes, you read that correctly. I found the ring before he proposed. In my defense, it was not my fault. (I blame the pickle puppy.) I went to take the dog out and grabbed the first jacket I saw off the coat rack. It turned out to be his jacket, and I would have thought nothing of the bulges in the pocket had he not panicked.
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!
I haven’t yet introduced you to our officiant, Annemarie Juhlian, but she was one of the best calls that we made when planning our wedding. I facetiously told you about how we found her before the wedding, but I should mention that the gist of that story is totally true. My mom really wanted to have someone slightly more official than a friend officiate our wedding, but Mr. EB was very strongly opposed to any sort of religious officiant. I really had no idea what to do, so I started googling “wedding officiants” and “IslandWood” and her name was the first to pop up.
I really liked the idea of someone who had already officiated a wedding at IslandWood (they don’t do many weddings there, so I wasn’t sure if I’d be able to find someone who had or not), but mainly I wanted someone who was familiar with the island. Read more…
Mrs. Ladyfingers, Saint Petersburg, FLAge and Occupation: 30, Marketing ManagerFiance's Age and Occupation: 33, Sports WriterEngagement Date: December 24, 2010Wedding Date: November 2011Venue: Palma Sola Botanical ParkAbout Me: I hail from Oklahoma, he was born and raised in Long Island. Fate brought us together, and now we live in a cute little rental house with our nutty dog, and our aloof cat. We both love to read, watch movies, explore our town, and laugh like hyenas. When I’m not obsessively wedding crafting, I enjoy stalking style and decorating blogs, making collages and painting, napping, thrifting, rearranging our bookshelves, and being a total weirdo with my friends. Hi!
Mrs. Macarons, TampaAge and Occupation: 26, Graphic DesignerFiance's Age and Occupation: 34, Renaissance ManEngagement Date: September 12, 2009Wedding Date: September 2011Venue: Lange FarmAbout 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.
Macs and I have spent a lot time brainstorming ideas for our favors. We’ve tried to include little bits of us throughout our wedding and hoped to do the same with small tokens of edible appreciation.
In an ideal world our wedding would be budget less. Pierre Hermé would send his amazing macarons right to my doorstep, perfectly packaged and ready to grace our tables. Macarons were a memorable part of our Bunnymoon and the reason I chose my moniker.
Mrs. Perfume seemed to have great success with hers, but after reading about Mrs. Turtle and Mrs. Rainbow’s attempts I wasn’t quite ready to give it a shot. Miss Bacon was planning on making them too, until she found an amazing baker that didn’t sell them for an arm and a leg. I still haven’t let go of this idea entirely but for now it’s on the back burner. Read more…
Miss Marmalade, Norwalk, CT/Raleigh, NCAge and Occupation: 27, Administrative AssistantFiance's Age and Occupation: 28, Army OfficerEngagement Date: December 31, 2009Wedding Date: July 2011Venue: Old Cadet Chapel/Highlands Country ClubAbout Me: I'm a Tri-State area "lady," through and through. A big chunk of my life has been split between NYC and Connecticut, and I'm finally heading down south to live with Mr. Marmalade. Our long distance relationship has been one adventure after the next, we've spent time in Texas, Louisiana, Florida,and Georgia, thanks to his military career. Next to Mr. Marmalade, my loves include live music, useless trivia, shoes, design, and my crazy half-tiger kitty, Oliver. I have a passion for food and wine, and I've been known to travel long distances to get my hands on the best meals. I come from a tight-knit big fat Greek Ecuadorian family---we're loud, we talk with our hands, and we spend hours talking loudly with our hands over large meals. I'm going to miss them so much as I pack up and begin my life, far away from home. But with Mr. Marmalade by my side, I'm ready to take on whatever may come. Next up: our wedding!
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.
Like everything else, I began my engagement ring search on the internet to get a feel for what I would like and how much it might cost before we headed to shops. As a newbie bride-to-be, of course I stumbled onto the Tiffany site first, of all things.
I choked at the prices, but it’s Tiffany, so what do you expect? I actually figured that the overpriced Tiffany prices would be more in line with Swiss prices than anything else. After a little while browsing, I realised that I thought a single stone was a little boring for me.
Mrs. Elephant, Dallas, TXAge and Occupation: 27, Financial Operations AnalystFiance's Age and Occupation: 27, IT Student/Store ManagerEngagement Date: March 29, 2009Wedding Date: April 2011Venue: The Tribute Golf ClubAbout Me: I'm a Philly native creating roots deep in the heart of Texas. I might be a little obsessed capturing those Kodak moments of anything and everything (mainly on vacations). I've become more of a gamer thanks to Mr. Elephant, who I met online and can't wait to spend the rest of my life with. We are planning a wedding based on our favorite colors, blue and green, with a travel theme for 150 of our closest friends and family. Hopefully our long (2-year) engagement won't kill me!
Mr. E has a way with words. His words are so meaningful to me because of the fact that he is the typical “dead sea” from The Five Love Languages when it comes to communication style. Leading up to the wedding I always knew that I wanted to exchange cards on the day of. Mr. E wanted to exchange gifts at the rehearsal dinner, but I asked to save the cards for the day of.
Mrs. Pony, Bloomington, ILAge and Occupation: 25, AttorneyFiance's Age and Occupation: 34, AttorneyEngagement Date: March 22, 2010Wedding Date: September 2011Venue: Mackinaw Valley Vineyard; Bloomington Center for the Performing ArtsAbout Me: I found my Southern counterpart in law school and since he popped the question last March, we have been busy graduating, job searching, bar taking, and wedding planning. My loves include must see TV, magnets, quotes, anything green, my car, fun socks, the Cubs, and my Mr. Together we love wine, playing outside, and exploring the world together. Stay tuned to see our Midwest wedding full of Southern charm, vintage flair, lots of DIY details, and a whole lot o’ wine.
A while back, I wrote how I was seriously considering buying wholesale flowers and arranging them myself for our wedding day. A lot of you cheered me on (thanks!), but some of you suggested it might be wise to at least talk to a floral professional and hear out my options.
So I did. It went great, but I was still undecided. And then Mr. Pony up and got a job and moved himself half way across the country, making me go a little crazy back home. So, for my sanity (and for that of the public’s), we’ve decided to outsource our floral design, but not before I show you all the beautiful inspiration I gathered in preparation for our meeting. Because who doesn’t love staring at floral inspiration?
I absolutely love this bouquet, but I am not naive enough to believe I could get peonies in September. Isn’t it gorgeous though? Sigh.
Mrs. Magic, Chapel Hill, NCAge and Occupation: 30, Licensed Clinical Social WorkerFiance's Age and Occupation: 30, ResearcherEngagement Date: December 1, 2009Wedding Date: October 2011Venue: Barn at ValhallaAbout Me: I’m a tall drink of water (5’10”!) and a Southern bride with an enormous appetite for Mexican food, good deals, anything French, and all things wedding! By day I am lucky enough to work with individuals with autism and their families. By night, I’m even luckier to be able to spend time hanging out with awesome friends, crafting, shopping, thinking about exercising, and kicking it with Mr. Magic and our two cats. I tend to have sudden, intense cravings that will not be denied (seafood enchiladas! new jeans!) and I’m prone to being a disorganized mess of anxiety and stress. After waiting (and waiting!) to get engaged, I am finally planning the colorful, fun, fabulously awesome Fall wedding of our dreams. In an effort to share the fun and craziness that is wedding planning, I’m gonna blog about it for y’all---the good, the bad, and the pretty!
Sigh. I have ennui. What is ennui, you ask? It’s like depression but French, so it’s much cooler. See?
I feel like every commercial for anti depressants ever created. There’s the one about feeling like you need to wind it up, not like Gwen Stefani, more like this:
All-Inclusion Invitation Suites
