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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.
Invitations should set a tone of excitement for your entire affair! The outside of the envelope, the stamps, the layout of the invitation, and the font—all the details count. When you’re creating invitations, imagine what it will be like for your guests to be receiving them. A great invitation grabs the attention of your guests and guarantees the impression that yours is a wedding not to be missed.
Thanks, David. No pressure added. None at all. Especially for a bride who obsesses over paper and fonts.
So I got to work. It would have to evoke the laid-back-ness of BBQ—not black tie. And I knew that I would likely go the Etsy route. (I love the idea of supporting independent designers.) I was thinking about designing them myself, but I have been holding out on splurging on Photoshop.
With words swirling in my head about the essence that I wanted to evoke (sweet, fun, laid-back, charming, true love, vintage, simplistic romance…), I found these pretty pieces of paper:
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!
Last I left you, we had discovered a set of typos in our invitation suite, and we weren’t very happy about it. I immediately worried that I had put the misspellings in myself and the printer had simply reproduced my errors. I speedily rifled through my email archives and discovered that my documents were clean of the typos, indicating that the error had occurred during the vendor’s side of production. While I was relieved that I was free of spelling guilt, I was just so emotionally spent that I couldn’t even focus on problem-solving. I deteriorated into a moderately weepy mess while Mr. Snow Cone started rallying our Pittsburgh troops to brainstorm for some other options available to us.
Once I had wiped away the tears from my eyes, I notified our vendor of our unhappiness. Read more…
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 feel that the internet is both the blessing and curse of the modern bride? I absolutely love how simple it is to research and compare vendors. Not to mention how many unbiased reviews are available with little digging. But there are also the two major downsides—too much information and the availability of said information AFTER you’ve already booked something else, leading you to second guess your choice. And there’s the most frustrating situation of all—so many choices available but none that seem to be quite what you’re looking for.
That was the exact issue I was facing when I started the search for a photographer. Photography was hands down our most important decision in my eyes. I absolutely love pictures. I take a ridiculous amount of pictures and spend a comparably ridiculous amount of time looking at the pictures I’ve taken. So my hunt for a photographer was very personal and highly important to me.
That being said, there are tons of awesomely talented photographers in our region. There was no shortage of excellent websites for all kinds of different styles of wedding photography, but I was having a hard time settling for any specific photographer. I emailed a few different photographers, but I wasn’t getting the right vibe, or I wasn’t completely in love with their work the way I felt I should be. I wish I could better articulate what was wrong, but it wasn’t so much that something was wrong as much as it wasn’t right.
Then, about three weeks into my search, the clouds parted, the angels sang, and a single sunbeam shone directly on my monitor as Google produced the link to marywyar.com.
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.
Turns out I had a long walk ahead of me and I wasn’t alone.
Macs: “Where are you headed?”
Me: Maybe I can pretend I didn’t hear him.
Macs: (Raises his voice and says my name again.)
Me: “Oh hey, what are you doing heading this way?”
Macs: “I was thinking about getting a second degree in criminology.”
Me: “Sure you’re headed in the right direction?”
Macs: “Yep, it’s just across the street from the Fine Arts building.”
Me: CRAP. It’ll take me a good 15 minutes to get to class with all this stuff. I can’t talk to him for 15 minutes!
Macs: “Want me to carry anything? It looks heavy.”
Me: “No, it’s cool. It’s not bad at all.” (As I try and speed-walk uphill and not sound out of breath.) Read more…
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 Pain au Chocolats are married! Although we tied the knot almost two weeks ago, the wedding bliss just continues!
Our wedding was absolute perfection. Neither of us would change a thing. So how did it go?
One barefoot best man, two guests still in need of a designated driver the next day, one very fast convertible, one broken nose, one sprained ankle, two shiny new rings, one “borrowed” sailboat, 42 hairpins, one spontaneous combustion, 250 photo booth pictures, one wardrobe malfunction, two nights of professional fireworks… and one beaming bride! 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!
To date, I’ve been floating through this engagement with a really nonchalant attitude about planning our wedding. As I move forward with my plans, I hope to remind myself (on a daily basis, if necessary) that a wedding is just one day—the marriage is forever.
If you’re interested in seeing more or purchasing a template, check out Sarah’s shop. If you mention that you found her shop via Weddingbee when you check out and you will receive a $5 discount off of the listed price.
ContestsFeature Launched: Oct 5, 2006About: Weddingbee contests and giveaways.
Congratulations to our winners, bookworm88 and daniel!
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We have a fabulous giveaway for you today! SeafoamSAFARI creates custom wish tags that make a creative and fun alternative to the traditional wedding guest book. These custom wish tags can be displayed in many different ways at your wedding—they can be hung from manzanita branches, hung from clothespins or even taped into a guest book with washi tape! The possibilities are endless.
Today SeafoamSAFARI is giving away two sets of 100 wish tags to two lucky Weddingbee readers! The tags will include the bride and groom’s name, along with your wedding date in the color if your choice!
Simply visit SeafoamSAFARI’s shop to check out their wish tags, then come back here and let us know how you’d display your wish tags at your wedding. And for a second chance to win, follow Weddingbee on Twitter and retweet this contest (if you’re already a follower, simply retweet by clicking here!). Then come back here and let us know that you followed/retweeted.
And be sure to check out SeafoamSAFARI on Facebook for all the latest and greatest, including their most recent feature in BRIDES magazine!
You have until Thursday, June 16 at 11:59 PM PST to enter. Good luck!
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.
After Mr. Funnel Cake proposed to me, the first soul I told about being engaged was my HR manager the next morning. Touching, right? I needed to let them know I wouldn’t be deported and that they could extend my contract without immigration issues.
Mr. Funnel Cake was a bit funny about the engagement though…he kind of wanted to keep it a secret. Obviously telling my HR was mandatory so I could keep working, but Mr. Funnel Cake wanted to keep our special news between us.
It only took a couple days at work before the excitement bubbled over and I let some colleagues know I was engaged. By the end of the week, I was dying to tell our parents.
Mrs. Poodle, Santiago, Chile/San Bernardino, CAAge and Occupation: 27, Industrial & Web DesignerFiance's Age and Occupation: 24, Firefighter & Mountain PatrolEngagement Date: February 25, 2009Wedding Date: January 2010Venue: Mr. P's Grandparents’ RanchAbout Me: I’m a Chilean girl who's crazy about nature and swimming. I enjoy carving, drawing, reading and sewing; I drool over computers, fabric, pretty paper, purple and patterns. To me, chocolate should be one of the seven wonders, right next to lemon pie. I never thought an exchange work experience program was going to change my life forever, but while working in California, I met Mr. Poodle, and ever since my days are better and brighter. We are two goofy souls that, after finding each other, couldn’t help but want to be together forever. It has being a long and sometimes hard road, since we have to deal with such a long distance between us, but we are now facing the last stage of our Fiancé Visa, and soon we will be together. You know the best part? We will be married! So I’ll be blogging from Chile until just a few months before our “green and purple” wedding.
And finally, it was my turn to walk down the aisle! I was so happy and proud my mom got to come to California all the way from Chile to give me away to Mr. Poodle. Right before we walked into our chapel I was super nervous, but once my pretty handmade veil flew away in the wind, we had a good laugh and relaxed all over again.
I think this is the only picture I have of my with my veil still on. Read more…
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.
I talked previously about how totally awesome my daughter is and how incredibly blessed I feel to have her in my life. As happy as I am to have her, and as proud as I am to be her mom, I will also admit that it has been a bit awkward to be a single mom who’s not really a single mom. Mr. Cannon and I have lived together since we moved to Arizona in 2007, so Cherry Bomb has lived with us as a traditional nuclear family her entire life. But since Mr. Cannon and I aren’t married, there have been a couple of issues for us.
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.
Throughout our planning Mr. Meerkat and I debated back and forth on choreographing our first dance vs taking the “let’s just wing it” approach. I moaned and whined to you about wanting an upbeat, get-the-crowd-cheering dance, but in the end we totally went for the “wing it” option. And you know what? Our first dance turned out even better than I had imagined it choreographed. 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.
If you’ve never seen it or want to take a trip down memory lane, it is definitely worth checking out.
If you cry at the end, don’t feel ashamed. I cry every time I watch it. 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.
Every bride needs an inspiration board to help inspire her bridal brain. Or apparently the blogosphere says that we do.
While envisioning the big day, I had dreams of soothing colors—perhaps pastels or some smooth shade of pink. Gray was a definite. I don’t know what it is with me and that pigment. I didn’t even realize it until Mr. Sweet Cream and I bought our mid-century home and salvaged furniture that could make Betty Draper weak in the knees. Whatever the question that had the word “color” in it, my answer would remain the same: gray.
Gray is a hue that has a strange way of tying everything together.
Case in point:
Isn’t this peach & gray color scheme just oh so lovely? / Image via Ruffled / Photo by Kellie Kano
All-Inclusion Invitation Suites
