Ms. Sloth, PhiladelphiaAge and Occupation: 35, Account Manager and Fashion BloggerFiance's Age and Occupation: 30, Design AdminEngagement Date: December 25, 2009Wedding Date: May 2011Venue: Bartram's GardenAbout Me: I'm an internet junkie and music snob with a good eye for a bargain. I couldn't live without thrift store shopping, cheeseburgers, sushi, Coke Zero, websites devoted to silly photos of baby animals, Photoshop, and Mr. Sloth. Speaking of which, he and I are a pair of goofball homebody nerds who love our beagle (the most ridiculously adorable dog EVER) to an embarrassing degree. We're planning a low-key and intimate yet festive and quirky outdoor wedding with DIY details and deeply personal touches, and it's all taking place in the city where we fell in love and call home: Philadelphia.
Before we could have a wedding, we needed to have a wedding rehearsal. Bartram’s Garden is only open during the day on weekdays, so we had to rehearse during the day. So, there was no rehearsal dinner, just a rehearsal lunch. I ordered sandwiches, chips, salads, desserts and drinks from an awesome cafe, and we chowed down at the pavilion at Bartram’s.
Mrs. Plaid, AustinAge and Occupation: 26, Pastry ChefFiance's Age and Occupation: 34, Cabinetry CarpenterEngagement Date: August 8, 2009Wedding Date: October 2010Venue: Kindred Oaks, GeorgetownAbout Me: I am a Jersey girl born and raised but have since migrated to Texas and embraced its twang and Tex-Mex. I could probably eat chips and queso every day but instead I eat popcorn. I use the word “awesome” way too much but I just can’t seem to stop myself. I am addicted to all things DIY and am planning what I call a Texas-Chic wedding. I love snuggling with my two adorable dogs and of course, my adorable fiance. I can’t wait 'til I can call him my husband some day! October 2010, here we come!
I’m sorry I haven’t been back in so long (I can’t believe three months have gone by…)—I’ve been busy working on My New Project. But I’m back now and ready to write some recaps!
When we left off, Mr. P and I had just walked up the aisle after the official husband and wife announcement.
After we made our way up the aisle we were definitely ready to get our celebration on. And what does a girl need to kick off an epic celebration? Party shoes, of course. I, like Mrs. Cardigan, traded in my gorgeous heels for a pair of wonderfully comfy Converses. And I couldn’t resist taking them for a spin. Read more…
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.
While I was in Connecticut for my bridal shower, I also carved out some time for the eagerly awaited hair and makeup trial. I was PUMPED. I’ve had my inspiration photos for quite a while, and couldn’t wait to see how they’d work out.
Makeup was easy. The word “fresh,” “classic,” or “timeless,” have never described me. I wanted bold, dramatic, and smoky, like 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.
Early on in wedding planning, Mama Funnel Cake made it clear that she would not be entertaining any ridiculous dress expenses. She firmly believes that the quality of wedding dresses is similarly poor throughout the whole range of prices and that it is simply not worth it to spend more than $100-200 for a dress you wear for one day.
When Sister Funnel Cake was discouraged by how unflattering bridal shop sample gowns were on her petite figure, it was actually Mama Funnel Cake who found her a wedding dress used on Craigslist for $75. Sister Funnel Cake went to try the dress on and figured, “Hey, for $75, this gets the job done.” It might not have been her dream dress and she did voice some feelings of dissatisfaction about her decision at the time, but the dress was such a good deal that she couldn’t pass it up.
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!
I’m talking guests here, people. Although there are about 125 people on our invite list, we’ve been guesstimating that only about 70 adults and 5 children would actually attend—and that’s the number of people we’ve budgeted for. Now, I come from the ’more is more’ camp when it comes to party attendees. In fact, I’ve been known to invite way more people into my home than could possibly fit comfortably, and just let them work it out for themselves with the help of everyone’s good friend, vodka. So I’ve been secretly hoping that we’d have more, even *way* more, wedding guests than we’ve budgeted for. In my mind, that makes for a better party, even though it also makes for a sadder wallet.
My worst worst worst fear is that only, say, 50 people show up to the wedding and then we’ve spent beaucoup money on a party that will fizzle early because there aren’t enough people there to keep up the energy. (Why it’s not my worst fear that 125 people show up and then we’re $10,000 over budget, I have no idea.) Read more…
Mrs. Oyster, DallasAge and Occupation: 30, Music TeacherFiance's Age and Occupation: 46, Art TeacherEngagement Date: January 9, 2009Wedding Date: July 2010Venue: The Tower ClubAbout Me: I'm a Texa-Californian with a penchant for sparkly things and a tendency to think a lot. I've been known to sing random songs or dance when there is no music on. My fiance and I love world culture, we love to travel, and we have an incredibly eclectic taste in music. We’re thrilled to have the opportunity to celebrate our marriage with our family & closest friends. We're planning an “urban black-tie” wedding and hope to incorporate our personalities and some of our own interests. We look forward to a life of love, laughter, good music, beautiful art, and to creating our home together with our four (!) cats.
Anxious and worried and a little nervous, I was mad at myself for being so susceptible to a melt-down, and for losing the shaper. (For those not initiated, I’m talking about something like this). It was pretty clear at this point that my anxiety about the shaper wasn’t really about the shaper, if you know what I mean.
That’s when I started thinking, the way I usually do when my mind is running away from me, that I could choose the kind of wedding day we’d have. I mean, yes, the little things matter, but at some point you have to decide how much they matter. Here we’d just had our lovely rehearsal and dinner, and our family had flown in from all over the place just to celebrate with us. We’d planned this wedding as best we could and there was really nothing to worry about anymore.
And if I was worried about being beautiful on my wedding day, well, beauty comes mostly from self-confidence and inner peace, anyway (yes, I know how it sounds, but it’s true!). Isn’t that what I’d been trying to teach myself for the past eighteen months? 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.
I’m a big believer that your registries are something that you absolutely need to keep an eye on. I know Miss Bunting feels me on that one! We’ve worked very hard on our registry and continue to adjust as necessary. I don’t know if I would go so far as to call it “living and breathing,” but it definitely is something that will need little changes and adjustments as you go, depending on your circumstances.
I don’t consider it stalking, really, since I feel you need to make sure that there is always something at multiple price points for your guests, and if someone comes along and scoops up all of the items that are less than $100, the rest of your guests will be forced to spend at least $100+ if they want to buy something on your registry.
Mrs. Cannon, Toledo, OHAge and Occupation: 27, Financial AnalystFiance's Age and Occupation: 28, AssemblerEngagement Date: February 28, 2011Wedding Date: September 2011Venue: Epworth UMC & Ward PavilionAbout Me: I'm the curious combination of being a go-with-the-flow, laid back, obsessive planner. I try desperately to stay as busy as possible at all times (and am succeeding big time right now!) My biggest loves in life are Law & Order: SVU, Community (the show, not the concept, although I like that, too), ice cream, white cheddar popcorn, beer, hiking, knitting, decorating, writing, being outside, spending time with friends and family and musical theater. Mr. Cannon is pretty sweet, too. We've had a lot of fun traveling and having adventures all over the country, but have finally moved back near our hometown to settle down. We're planning a low-key, colorful, fun wedding and an awesome-to-the-max reception.
Mr. Cannon and I were both raised Christian. I am United Methodist. We went to church every Sunday growing up, and I was baptized and confirmed. Mr. Cannon is Catholic. In addition to going to church every Sunday growing up, he also did K–8 at Catholic school. He was baptized and confirmed and did first communion. When we first started dating we didn’t attend church very often, and when we moved out west, we became Easter and Christmas attendees, switching between Catholic and United Methodist Churches.
I won’t speak for Mr. Cannon, but my faith in God has ebbed and flowed over the years. Sometimes I feel very close to Him, sometimes I just can’t seem to believe as I should (or feel I should). But, for various reasons, I have gained more faith as I grow older. The older I get, the more easily I accept that I don’t have all the answers. Having a child has helped me embrace the idea of God’s fatherly love for us, and the parent-child relationship in my own life has changed my understanding of my parent-child relationship with God. I still struggle with things, but I feel much more comfortable in my belief now.
Mr. Cannon and I both feel that the religious aspects of our childhoods had positive effects on us, so when we moved back to Ohio it was important to us to start attending church regularly and to get Cherry Bomb baptized. I looked into a few different churches and decided to give Epworth United Methodist a shot (based mostly on their website). I really enjoyed it. There were tons of service projects and I liked the pastoral staff. Mr. Cannon attended with me and he really liked it as well. He started referring to it as “our church.” I became a member. We got Cherry Bomb baptized there. And when we got engaged, we knew we would get married there.
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.
A while back I shared with you my idea to top our cake with miniature Eames chairs to represent my obsession with chairs and our love of mid-century design. Since Mr CC refused to associate his likeness to something as large as a chair I hit the internet again in hopes of finding a cake topper that represented us as a couple and was a little quirky.
Since the cake topper was such a small element in our wedding I wanted to keep the overall cost low, at under 50 bucks. This meant that my 2nd favorite cake topper, sweet little love birds from Ann Wood, were out of the question.
BHLDN
After some searching we ended up with this one-of-a-kind cake topper from Etsy artist Melabo. Read more…
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.
The dads were all that was keeping us from yummy food so we were appreciative that their speeches were heartfelt and brief. Read more…
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!
You know one thing I don’t really care about? Men’s fashion.
Okay, okay, I suppose I do care that Mr. CA doesn’t leave our house dressed like a slob. But, I don’t really need to worry about it—I know he would never do that. Let’s be honest, he has way more style than I do. And because I bought him a subscription to GQ (you’re welcome, Mr. CA!) and he wears a suit every day for work, he knows what looks good, both on him and on other people. Well, I like to think so, anyway. Since I trusted him to do a good job with the boys’ suits, I happily handed over the reins for the groomsmen’s and groom’s outfits to Mr. CA.
Well, let’s be honest—I maintained right of refusal because at this point we all know how much of a control-freak I am, yes? Yes. But still. Trust.
We both knew going into the process that we didn’t want tuxes:
Miss Sweet Cream, PhiladelphiaAge and Occupation: 26, Public Relations Account ManagerFiance's Age and Occupation: 26, Outside SalesEngagement Date: July 4, 2010Wedding Date: October 2011Venue: Our Lady of Grace Catholic Church / Rosebank WineryAbout Me: Born in the ‘burbs of Philly, it took some time living in the Big Apple to realize that I’m a girl who likes her roots. That’s why the mister and I bought a 1950s house on a charming street not too far from our childhood stompin’ grounds. This could also be the reason why our hometown is the scene where we are planning our super sweet, totally charming, BBQ-for-supper wedding that I never knew I always wanted. I DIE over DIY projects and live for vintage, heartfelt inspiration. I obsess over all things mid-century (from forks to furniture). Love is… cartoons and flea markets, and I am known to whip up a mean banana cream pie. I met the Mr. in grade school and after that boy took me for a spin on the handle bars of his BMX, I knew that things would never be the same again. Besides lovin’ my Mr., I also love to plan, sew and create, and that’s just what I’m doing as I navigate through the details, creating a laid-back day that oozes charm; one that will go down in (at least our) history as the Best. Day. Of all time.
Registering for gifts is like a grownup version of a dream Christmas list. When else do you get to single-handedly handpick what you want to be gifted for a party where you are the guest of honor?? So while BM Sweet Cream shrieked with glee after hearing that Mr. Sweets and I were going to register, I wasn’t that thrilled inside.
Why the crazy talk, you ask?
Because Mr. Sweet Cream and I were up against Mission Impossible.
Mr. Sweet Cream and I hopefully didn’t look as crazy as Tom and Keri zapping barcodes…although we might have felt this way. / Image via StarDustTrailers
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.
OK, hive, I need your advice! Apart from my post on choosing our caterer and our menu, I don’t think I’ve mentioned that our meal will be served buffet style. I know, I know-a “black-tie” wedding…buffet style? Well, yes, dagnabbit!
We chose to go this route for a few reasons. While the price was right, cost effectiveness was truly not the only reason—I liked the idea of our guests being able to try a bit of everything and loved the idea of not having to fuss with keeping track of who’s eating what.
My only concern was the dreaded buffet line, but once my lovely catering coordinator informed me that we’d be running two, separate, double-sided buffet lines, I was sold. Considering she has done several weddings at my site before, I was confident there would be none of this:
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!
There are a couple (or many) words that embody what I would like our wedding to feel like: feminine, romantic, classic, effortless. When I started planning the wedding, I took the time to create an inspiration board to represent what I wanted our wedding to feel like overall.
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.
Cinnamon Buns’ ring is in! Again! I talked about it before, but the Cole’s Notes version is that there was this ring Cinnamon Buns liked—size 7.5 was too small, 8 was too big.
After that last post, the jewelers had said they were going to order the 7.5 back in (we’d sent it back when it was too small) and bore out the middle to make it into a 7.75 size ring. This would void the warranty on it, but at least Cinnamon Buns would have the ring he liked, right? Not having the warranty would just encourage him not to get too fat as it completely covers needing a new size. The ring is mostly tungsten, so you can’t just get a jeweler to re-size it.
Well, Kevin John (the design company) sent our jeweler a 7.75 ring, after they explained what was going on! And because our jeweler didn’t bore it out, the warranty is still good!
as it completely covers needing a new size. The ring is mostly tungsten, so you can’t just get a jeweler to re-size it.
