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.
Last week I moved Mr. Pony to our nation’s capital to start a new job. After getting some boxes unpacked and taking an exhilarating ride on the metro, I took a flight back to central Illinois.
It was bittersweet leaving Mr. Pony in D.C. On one hand, I am so excited for the opportunities and change this move will bring to our lives, but, on the other hand, the next few months are probably going to be extremely difficult for both of us. Read more…
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!
This was one of the things that I was anticipating the most during our wedding weekend (you know, other than the wedding itself of course!):
One of the places that IslandWood had that we could take advantage of was the Friendship Circle (which I talked about more previously). They built up a huge fire in the middle and had all the necessary supplies for hot chocolate, coffee, and of course, s’mores. Read more…
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.
I was blessed with pretty decent handwriting in all shapes and sizes—I can do everything from a mean cursive to perfectly sized capitals.
Which should have told my parents from a very early age that it wasn’t my destiny to become a doctor.
Even though I used to be fluent in doctor writing after working for one during high school, I certainly don’t know what the heck this says! / Image via Instablogs
Mrs. Brooch, Arlington, VAAge and Occupation: 25, Writer/EditorFiance's Age and Occupation: 29, Front Desk ManagerEngagement Date: October 3, 2009Wedding Date: April 2011Venue: Oxon Hill ManorAbout Me: I’m an indecisive girlie-girl with a motor mouth, can-do attitude, and knack for making others laugh. I dream of becoming a best selling novelist like Elizabeth Gilbert or Julie Powell (a girl can dream, right?), and love long road trips, a beautiful countryside, music, blogs, books, and all things vintage/thrift/antique/or homemade. I’m a Virgo, i.e. overly sensitive, emotional, and critical, and there’s no such thing as short and sweet in my world. I want to say and do it all. Mr. Brooch grounds me. I point where to go and he figures out the way. He’s a pragmatic fancy-pants who enjoys video games and movies. We both adore our mutt, Rocky, and spending time with our amazingly supportive family and friends. We’re planning a garden wedding with a formal reception with lots of whimsy and unique, Southern-inspired details.
I promise… I’m almost ready to start recaps, or at least tell you about our fabulous honeymoon to Costa Rica! I’m waiting for the disc of our pro pics from my mom and a free weekend, but I swear, they’re coming!
In the meantime, a funny thing happened the other day: I caught a glimpse of myself on TV! Woah! When Say Yes to the Dress aired, I honestly forgot about reruns and until recently didn’t realize the power of syndicated television! I figured if the world could see my dress (more than once!), it was certainly time to share it with the hive—after all, you guys were there through them all. So without further ado, here is my Say Yes to the Dress dress! I’ve teased you long enough!
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.
Does anyone else get super nervous about these vendor meetings? Despite the fact that we’re essentially the bosses and doing the hiring, I still feel like I’m trying out for a school play or something whenever we have a vendor meeting. Like for some insane reason I want to make sure that my photographer and caterer personally like me. Obviously it’s important to get along with your vendors because it just makes life easier and you need to trust each other, but beyond that I think it’s my people-pleasing nature to make everyone like me. I can’t turn it off, so it bleeds over into things where it’s just silly.
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!
Manybeesbeforeme have written posts about their original inspiration board versus how the wedding actually turned out. I always loved seeing those posts, so I was very excited to get to do one of my very own.
Way back when I first became a bee (which was exactly a year ago yesterday!) I wrote a post about the inspiration board I was using for our wedding.
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.
But you know what that means—the Macarons’s invitations have been sent! I started these babies eaarrrrly. I didn’t want to procrastinate or get hit with creative’s block and have a mad dash at the end. The good news is that they didn’t take nearly as long as I expected and were completely finished in February. The bad news is that I had to stare at them every day for over five months before I finally mailed them. (OK, so I sent them a few weeks earlier than recommended. I can’t help it—I’m impatient!)
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!
Folks, I completely underestimated how overwhelming planning your own wedding could be (not that there weren’t enough warnings, I apparently did not heed any of that advice at all!) and have only in the last couple of days been able to sit down and think about how I’m going to be telling you all about it. To be fair, our at home NY banquet reception was last Saturday, so we really are just now resurfacing.
In the meantime, I’ll keep writing about the projects and things that we worked on in the weeks leading up to the big day, as well as our road trip honeymoon. I hope you’re all still out there!
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!
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!
When we started planning our wedding, there was very little debate about what kind of food we wanted to serve our guests, at least in our little dream world: we wanted a meal that was as delicious as it was fresh. Quintessential summer food. We wanted a lobster bake.
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.
Gah, I have so much to share! This past weekend, I had my amazing bridal shower, and it was SO much fun! We drove up to Connecticut for the shower so that we could bring up all our wedding stuff and drive our gifts back down, so I had to finish a few projects that I’d been putting off for a while. I meant to finish all the day-of stationery before we left, but that just didn’t happen. I was, however, able to finally finish the table numbers. Want to see them?! OK!
As you may recall from my last table number post, I had some trouble with a bunch of frames that had the glass GLUED in. We ended up just cutting the fabric as close as we could and then gluing it to the glass itself (instead of wrapping it around and taping it in back). This means we won’t be able to re-use the frames after the wedding, but you know? C’est la vie, man! We have 18 days left until the wedding. No time to care about these things.
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.
Well my loves, recap time is almost upon us. But while I sort through my pictures and make sense of all of this, I thought you might like to know what we did when it was all over.
Our wedding ended at 6:30 on a Sunday evening. We stayed that night at the B&B where it was held. And on Monday, we hurried home to pack and prepare for our Costa Rican honeymoon!
This was a big adventure for both of us. I had not traveled out of the country since I went to St. Lucia in 2005, and Mr. Lox hadn’t ventured outside our borders since his days as an enlisted man. So he was sporting a sparkling new passport and we both had our sense of adventure with us. Which was good, because it needed to get us through two 2.5 hour flights before we would land in San Jose, Costa Rica.
After getting off our plane, we hopped a ride to the rental car place and grabbed our ride… a Toyota Rav4, before setting off on a 3.5ish hour drive to our final destination.
We saw things like this…
What’s that on either side of us? A crazy yet purposefully planted forests of palm trees. See? Read more…
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.
We’ve made decisions on our ceremony music! It feels good to tick another to-do off the list!
Back in high school I used to play in the orchestra. It was the first time I heard Pachalbel’s Canon in D and I fell in love. It has been used in so many weddings, but I wasn’t going to let that deter me. Unfortunately when Mr. Gazelle hears Canon in D all he can think of is this:
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.
When we left off, I had given some tips about preparing for your engagement-photo session. Then I promised that I’d explain how I managed to get my makeup to look like this:
Side note: Look at Mr. High Wire’s cute kissy face! I die. Read more…
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.
As the last few notes of our first dance faded away, I started to turn and make my way off the dance floor for the Mother-Son dance, but Mr. Meerkat stopped me. Then I heard the beginning of a song my dad use to play for me as a little girl.
