Mrs. Trail Mix, New YorkAge and Occupation: 26, PE TeacherFiance's Age and Occupation: 27, MBA StudentEngagement Date: March 2009Wedding Date: June 2010Venue: Tannery Pond at the Darrow SchoolAbout Me: I'm a country girl who somehow found herself living in the Big Apple and loving every minute of it. I'm planning a rustic, country-chic wedding in my hometown in upstate New York and it's going to be a Party with a capital P. White wine, flea markets and running keep me happy and my friends, family and fiance are my world. I'm a little bit crafty, a little bit crazy but mostly just crazy in love.
Remember when I mentioned that the first several months of marriage were a bit, um, doubt-plagued? Well, it’s now officially one year to the day from our wedding and here’s my follow-up advice: It gets better. Hang in there. Ride out the wave, if you will. I’m so happy to report that after writing that post, the cloud of despair I’d been trying to ignore lifted and suddenly. I no longer doubted my decision to get married. I felt like, maybe it all could *and would* get better.
And then, amazingly,…it did. Things got good. So good I sometimes can’t believe I am lucky enough to be living this life and have to cross my fingers and my toes in order to prevent from jinxing it all.
It’s true what they say, the harder you fall, the higher you bounce. It seems that, for me, the hard moments have made the good ones that much better. Perhaps I would not appreciate what I have now if I hadn’t experienced the bruises of a bumpy road beforehand.
It’s bizarre that it’s been one year since our wedding. It feels like forever ago yet it’s probably a rare day where I don’t reminisce, just a little. The wedding was, and I suspect will remain, one of the best days of my life.
Closed Circle Photography
Yet, I don’t miss being knee-deep in vendor discussions and stressing over table assignments.
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 swear we had it all worked out. The rules were simple. And there was only one rule. *Everyone* gets a +1, regardless of whether or not we’ve ever met the +1, no questions asked.
Here’s a (poor quality, obvs) image of the wrap-around labels for our save the dates, which were mailed last December. See you if you can catch my oversight.
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!
I was up bright and early on Friday morning having a oh-so-fun conversation with the hotel. We had learned Thursday night that our guests who had checked in were not given the OOT boxes that we had dropped off earlier in the week. Really? Not something I wanted to deal with, but I wanted to make sure this was taken care of before the rest of our guests started arriving. I was told that the boxes had been locked up due to an inspection and the night manager was not given the key to that room. They assured me that they would personally deliver the boxes to those guests that had already checked in, and the rest of the boxes were moved to the front desk for those checking in that day.
With that taken care of (and since everyone else was still sleeping in our apartment) I took the time to write my sign off post and reflect on the 755 day journey that brought us to where we were. Thinking about where we started and how far we had come really made me emotional.
No more time for tears, as Mama E was hosting a bridal breakfast and we needed to get on the road! BM Philly and I got dressed, said so long to the guys (don’t worry, Daddy E was treating all of the guys to breakfast at the Mimi’s near our apartment) and headed up to Allen to meet up with the rest of the ladies.
Mrs. Penguin, Northern CaliforniaAge and Occupation: 27, Weddingbee Editor in ChiefFiance's Age and Occupation: 30, Doctor of Physical TherapyEngagement Date: January 29, 2007Wedding Date: June 7, 2008Blogging Since: September 14, 2007Venue: Winery in the Gold CountryAbout Me: I love the Spice Girls, dogs with underbites, bean burritos, making messes, high fives, avoiding showers, crossword puzzles, blogs, weddings, and blogs about weddings!
Hive member Usuki asked us on the boards this weekend if our Real Weddings feature had died. It hasn’t! We’d love to feature your real wedding, and if you had a particularly fun and stylish wedding that you’d like to share with the hive, check out our submission page and share it with us!
On a personal note, I’d like to take a minute to be candid: I am very much at my max right now. There are so many features like Real Weddings, and a few that we’ve had floating around as ideas that we’d love to implement and keep moving and it almost pains me that we don’t have more of our fabulous features running on a more regular basis. Real Wedding features alone often take one-and-a-half to two hours to put together, and with Weddingbee publishing frequently from 8AM to 7PM EST five days a week (and throughout the days on the weekends, too!), I often can’t edit posts like these unless I take a Saturday or Sunday to do so. Mrs. Mouse has been a huge lifesaver, but because she currently has a full time job, she’s—you guessed it—extremely maxed out at the moment as well. Her job situation may be changing in the (VERY!) near future and with it, we hope to snag more hours out of her day to move the blog upwards and give the hive what it deserves—more awesome features and much, much more love.
Until then, please don’t hesitate to share your new ideas in the ideas section and your real weddings with us via email. I am reading each and every one, and would love to feature them as soon as we find a little breathing room here from the editing desks at Weddingbee! xo
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.
While the ceremony location was a no-brainer, the venue for the reception was a bit more of a challenge. I did a lot of internet browsing. Can I say as a tightwad accountant that it is highly frustrating how far many venues go to hide their costs? My decision wasn’t made solely on cost, but it was definitely an important consideration. I didn’t want to sit through a lengthy sales pitch only to find out the venue was way over our budget.
Beyond pure rental cost, I was looking at
Location: I wanted it within a half-hour drive of the church.
Requirements: I didn’t want to be forced into a particular caterer.
Availability: It needed to be available on our wedding day (duh).
Aesthetics: We wanted it to fit with our vision of a casual reception, so nothing too fancy.
Alcohol: It had to allow alcohol, preferably allowing us to bring our own.
Size: It needed to be able to fit the approximately one hundred people we are expecting.
There were several places that fit the bill, but one in particular kept standing out—Ward Pavilion. First, it was in a metropark. Having spent four years of our lives in national parks (we lived in Death Valley for two years and Grand Canyon South Rim for two years), I thought it would be a cool homage to our history to have it in a park. I also liked that it was a casual location with a woodsy feel. There were no food or alcohol restrictions (except no cash bars due to the lack of a liquor license, but we were planning an open bar anyway). And best of all, it was directly across the street from the church!
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 don’t really know how it happened, but our relationship is vastly different from what it used to be. Thinking back over the last (almost) four years to when we were college students, then new graduates, then knee deep into our job fields makes me realize how much has changed in such a short period of time. They don’t make it up when they say your 20s will be some of the most roller-coaster years of your life.
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!
About three weeks after our wedding, Mr. Cardigan and I met up with our amazing photographer, Melanie for our day-after shoot. Because we had decided to forgo a first look, we didn’t have a ton of photos of the two of us from our wedding day, and we wanted to make sure we had plenty of photos of us all gussied up.
The thing I loved most about this shoot was how relaxed it was. Mr. Cardigan forgot his tie at home, so he was tie-less. I left my hair down and curly, and I didn’t care if it was messy. I plopped down on the floor of a dirty bar in my dress and didn’t even worry about whether or not it got dirty. It was fun, playful, and easy, and I absolutely loved every second of it.
We did the shoot in an old house-turned-bar in downtown Austin called Lustre Pearl and I’m so glad we did – even though people gave us crazy looks when we told them the shoot would take place in a bar. The photos turned out spectacularly and I’m absolutely in love with them.
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 am a closet control freak. Or as I’d like to call it, “hands on.”
I have tried to relinquish the reins of life, but planning a wedding just isn’t the time or place to do it. I count myself pretty lucky that those around me can go with my flow. This includes taking part in stenciling homemade napkins…
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.
Alright, a few bees (…OK two of you) asked for a tutorial on how I made our STDs and although I made them a while back, I’ll try to share in my process.
A refresher of our STDs:
I will preface this post by saying: I am not a graphic designer. At all. Check with the company you plan to order your STDs from for any design specifications. If it seems confusing or as if they are speaking a foreign language, you may consider asking about design services. Read more…
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.
While I know I’m supposed to look and feel the prettiest I’ve ever been on our wedding day, it doesn’t mean our moms can’t feel special, too. When it came time for them to start their search, I said it needed to be purple and floor length and that everything else was up to them. Sleeves or strapless, sparkly or simple, it didn’t really matter to me as long as they were happy and comfortable.
Mr. Macs’s mom is quite tall, so finding a long enough dress proved a difficult task. No matter! She has a tailor that’s made dresses for her in the past, so she plans on having one made for the occasion.
Mine picked out her dress awhile ago but wanted to keep it a surprise—not cool, Mom! Apparently I take after her, as she broke down and sent me a picture as soon as it came in. It’s a little too big on top but nothing a little tailoring can’t fix. My mom normally isn’t this camera shy; she just had eye surgery and isn’t allowed to wear makeup yet. I still think she looks great!
Mrs. Cola, Mountain View, CAAge and Occupation: 27, Product Communications and PromotionsFiance's Age and Occupation: 28, Managing Partner and Senior DesignerEngagement Date: March 5, 2009Wedding Date: June 2010Venue: The Mountain Terrace, Woodside, CAAbout Me: I’m a Washington State native, enjoying life in Silicon Valley California with my fiancé, our three kitties and one leopard gecko. I like reading wedding blogs, Photoshopping wedding design mock ups, making lists, and planning, planning, planning! I’m a bit of an anomaly, on one side I’m a very girlie girl, I collect shoes, I lay out my outfits 4-6 weeks in advance, and I’d never leave the house without my hair curled and makeup on. But on the other side, I’m a total tomboy, I love to go camping and hiking, play drinking games (hey, I’m Irish!) and most of my closest friends are guys. My fiancé and I are planning a DIY-focused wedding with a balance between easygoing (what he wants) and chic and stylish (what I want), and are tying it all together with elements in lavender, sage, butter cream and chocolate.
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!
All corny (and sad) jokes aside, boutonnieres are cool. No, not cool. Beautiful. And masculine. Right? I’m trying to sell this to the mister here. What I’m trying to say is that I see boutonnieres as an opportunity to get creative with flowers. And I love flowers.
Just look at these gorgeous, cool, beautiful, yet masculine bouts:
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.
I started on my flower arranging adventure with the boutonnieres for the gentlemen. I figured it was best to start small, and these are only a couple flowers each! I decided to use some of the blue roses I had made in the bouts. Our ‘best men’ will be wearing apple green shirts with ivory ties, and Cinnamon Buns will be wearing a teal shirt with an ivory tie.
The world’s longest bouts have both those colours! They’re super-long, because I made all our flowers with long stems for bouquet-making.
Mrs. Penguin, Northern CaliforniaAge and Occupation: 27, Weddingbee Editor in ChiefFiance's Age and Occupation: 30, Doctor of Physical TherapyEngagement Date: January 29, 2007Wedding Date: June 7, 2008Blogging Since: September 14, 2007Venue: Winery in the Gold CountryAbout Me: I love the Spice Girls, dogs with underbites, bean burritos, making messes, high fives, avoiding showers, crossword puzzles, blogs, weddings, and blogs about weddings!
Last week’s #marriageadvice -a-thon on was a hit, and we’re making it a regular series! Tomorrow we’ll be retweeting and Facebooking your best advice for brides on their wedding day. I kicked it off with the following tidbit:
We want to hear from you! Whether you’re a former bride or a wedding professional, tweet @weddingbee with your best wedding day tips and follow it up with the hashtag #weddingdayadvice , and all day tomorrow we’ll be retweeting/FBing our favorite advice you’ve given.
We’d love to know what you want to hear about too! If you have a wedding related topic you’d like to get advice on, let us know in the comments.
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!
All along we knew that we weren’t going to have a traditional rehearsal dinner. In the spirit of our wedding weekend, we wanted to include all of our guests who had traveled to be with us, and I really wanted to make sure that any in-town guests who wanted to come to dinner were welcome as well. This could have meant that we ended up with essentially two reception dinners, but instead the Welcome Dinner stayed very close to the casual, welcome to the Northwest vibe that I really wanted (and a lot of guests ended up not being able to make it, so the dinner was much smaller than it could have ended up being!).
