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.
Mrs. Knitting, TorontoAge and Occupation: 24, Student Recruitment Assistant
Fiance's Age and Occupation: 24, Neuroscience PhD CandidateEngagement Date: October 2009Wedding Date: December 2010Venue: University of Toronto Faculty Club
About Me: I'm a pearl wearing, etiquette book reading Toronto girl who loves cooking and baking, museums, charm bracelets, and collecting books on Jackie Kennedy (a lot). I've been known to spend Sunday mornings at the antique market, Wednesday evenings at sister sushi dinners, and any bit of spare time reading. After six and a half years of many late night walks, watching DVDs together in bed, travelling to places like New York, and Tobermory, doing Sudokus together on the couch, lots of Indian food, the occasional yoga class, moving in together and so much more, Mr. Knitting and I are planning a cozy Christmasy (it's a word!), vintage wedding in Toronto complete with many DIY projects (eek!) and lots of help from our amazing group of family and friends.
In an effort to keep our toasts brief, we asked just our sisters to speak and we spread their toasts out a bit. As mentioned in an earlier recap, my little sister went first before dinner. After dinner we did the rest of the toasts.
Mr. Knitting’s sister went first and gave a brief and sweet toast:
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 would love to wow everyone with my incredibly romantic proposal, but unfortunately, I don’t have one. Mr. Cannon and I have been together for five years and have been discussing marriage for four of those years. I had been not-so-subtly emailing links to rings I liked for literally years before we decided to get married, and yet, when we finally picked a date, there was no ring involved.
Let me back up and admit that I had originally been pretty set on a ring of a certain price point for a specific reason—I was engaged before and had paid for my own ring. Luckily, I ended that relationship before we walked down the aisle (it would not have ended well), but in the end I wound up paying a tidy sum for the ring. My ex ended up stealing it, leaving me with a hefty credit card bill and a lot of misgivings about love. After blowing all that money, I felt a bit entitled to something at least that nice when my true love finally proposed.
Mrs. Bacon, ChicagoAge and Occupation: 26, Digital Advertising ManagerFiance's Age and Occupation: 25, IT Client ServicesEngagement Date: June 17, 2010Wedding Date: September 2011Venue: Ravenswood Billboard FactoryAbout Me: I'm a Midwestern girl that can't seem to commit to staying in one place for too long and is constantly daydreaming about my next adventure. I am an aspiring foodie with a weak spot for the unusual and I love semi-reality food television. My other loves easily include laughing as a form of exercise, a book that I can't put down, summer baseball games, espresso with whipped cream, couch potato days and nights with the ridiculous Mr. Bacon, and our two kitties, Lincoln and Sawyer. We're planning a faux-destination wedding for 150 of our closest friends and family in the city we've both adopted as home that has a modern, yet whimsical twist and as many personal touches as we can manage.
When you watch as much TV as the Bacons do, you can’t really help but find inspiration there over and over. Pair that with the fact that I’m a giant Gleek, and it’s no surprise that I am gradually building a song list that is heavily laden with songs that the Glee Club have performed.
At Glee Live last weekend!
There have been a number of episodes that got me thinking about music, but there was one in particular that gave me goosebumps and brought a tear to my eye. They dedicated an entire show to the greatness that is Fleetwood Mac, and the moment I heard the intro to this song, I knew it had to be part of our big day. 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.
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.
Now, while that’s not an actual picture of my dress (sorry! I’m making you wait a little longer! ), the real deal is sitting all alone in the McLean, Virginia POB salon. And it’s driving me crazay.
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!
Thursday was the real kick off of our wedding weekend! Mr. E and I started the day off with some relaxing massages (which were a little stressful to book. Spas—-don’t do a Groupon if you’re not ready to handle the response). After our massages, we enjoyed a late lunch with BM Philly and her fiancée who had just flown in from Connecticut and then we were on our way to my parents’ house. Mama E and Daddy E hosted a welcome cocktail party for any friends or family members that had arrived in town early. Nothing better at a cocktail party than a signature drink made with our wedding colors in mind!
Those blue martinis were a major hit with our guests as were all of the apps that Aunt Bunny prepared.
Mrs. Bunting, Grand Rapids, MIAge and Occupation: 24, freelance illustrator & print productionFiance's Age and Occupation: 24, graduate of historyEngagement Date: December 3, 2009Wedding Date: June 2011Venue: Spring Grove Park & St. George Banquet CenterAbout Me: I am a freelance illustrator and designer with a love of nature and a taste for adventure. Textures and color fuel my world, along with apple cider and noodles. I'll try anything once, especially if it involves heights or food. I've hiked the Grand Canyon, gone sky diving, cuddled a baby wolf, and now my latest venture consists of designing and planning a large wedding involving color, DIY details, love, and marrying my best friend.
I met with our florist recently to refine our order and play with some flowers (yay, flowers!). While I had provided our florist with plenty of inspiration photos that closely resembled what I wanted, this was the first time I actually got to see some of those flowers together in person. More importantly, it let me see just how our florist actually interpreted my inspiration photos. A handful of the reviews left by other brides for our florist commented on how the floral arrangements were great, but not what they originally wanted or imagined, so I really wanted to get a glimpse of what I’d be getting before the actual day.
Don’t get me wrong, our florist is a lovely woman, but I do happen to be a detail-oriented control freak when it comes to this wedding, so despite how much I got along with her I just couldn’t forget those reviews. Just as you’d do for hair and makeup, I’d suggest a trial or mock-up (if possible) for anyone who is a little concerned that what they get will not be what they specified. It may make me a bit obsessive, yes, but when I can see for myself how something may look then I feel much more comfortable with letting someone else take full control. Like I said—control freak.
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.
This idea is one we had way back in the early part of our engagement. We thought it would be fun to do a photo slideshow of us growing up, and I thought it would be neat to find similar pictures of us—everyone has a picture of them as a baby with chocolate pudding or cake or something all over their face, right? But, we didn’t want to bother with a projector, and making it a big thing that we will all watch now… I can’t remember now who came up with it (my bet is on Cinnamon Buns) but the genius idea is this:
The idea is to buy two matching ones, load them up with photos of us (me in one frame, him in the other), and time everything out so they cycle through the photos in the right order at the same time! 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.
Was how I responded to my mother’s suggestion of buying a card box.
Um, this is your daughter; you know, the one who was covered head-to-toe in finger paint as a toddler. The one who couldn’t imagine lava flowing out of her Play-Doh volcano, enveloping her dinosaurs, when she could have the REAL thing: Baking soda, vinegar, and red food coloring, duh! Surely she wouldn’t use a card box, certainly not one she didn’t make herself.
I wanted something different. I just didn’t know what. Maybe a train case in one of our colors?
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.
We have now been engaged for over six months, and I still stare for inappropriately long amounts of time at my engagement ring.
Lately I’ve been daydreaming about the addition of the beautiful matching wedding band. Besides it being pretty (and shiny! and sparkly!), I am so excited to wear it because of what it represents.
I’ve had moments lately where I realize with sheer excitement that we really are getting married. I know I blog (and think) about it constantly, but there are random waves of super-high excitement. The comfort of knowing someone is out there that loves you and wants to be there for you for the rest of their life is powerful stuff, people!
Here is what I’ll be sporting (with my engagement ring, for reference):
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.
Ahhh, yes the cake cutting. The time honored traditional of feeding each other wedding cake and/or smashing it into your spouses face. Now wait before you judge Mr. Meerkat to harshly, I have to confess that I am the one who started the spontaneous smashing. Yes, me. Little ole Mrs. Meerkat.
All throughout our wedding planning I said how much I hated when couples smashed cake into each others’ faces. The meaning of this tradition is for the new husband and wife to perform their first task together and show how they will support each other. Even Mr. Meerkat agreed with me that we wanted something that followed through with the tradition and that didn’t involve seeing who could smash the most cake into the other person’s face.
So I have no idea what came over me as we were standing there.
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!
Mr. Marmalade had a few weeks of leave over the holidays. He drove up to Connecticut through the blizzard that rocked the east coast right before Christmas 2009. The ten and a half hour drive stretched to 28 hours as interstates were shut down. He made it home exhausted, but in one piece. I ran to see him and hugged him as tight as I could, and then we took a nap. Yep. That pretty much sum’s up our time together over the holidays that year: a whole lotta love, and rest.
So with the end of his time off approaching, I was annoyed when he turned to me and said “hey, let’s go to the city tomorrow night and celebrate our ’date-aversary.’ We can go on our first date again, and then to the Empire State Building like we did on our second date.” I realize that this should have sent up some red flags, but I couldn’t let myself believe that it was going to happen. Read more…
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!
I may have mentioned once, twice, or a hundred times that I am not so hot with numbers, math, and especially money. I’m also not so organized, although I really, really wish I was.
A while ago, I wrote about some legitimatemoney savingtechniques. That’s not what this post is about. This post is about cooking the books.
Here is a definition of “cooking the books” from Wikipedia: Creative accounting and earnings management are euphemisms referring to accounting practices that may follow the letter of the rules of standard accounting practices, but certainly deviate from the spirit of those rules. They are characterized by excessive complication and the use of novel ways of characterizing income, assets, or liabilities and the intent to influence readers towards the interpretations desired by the authors. The terms “innovative” or “aggressive” are also sometimes used.
Here are some tips on how to cook the books in a creative, novel, and innovative way for your own wedding budget!
1. If it’s a gift, it doesn’t count towards the overall wedding budget. Good rule, huh? 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 can’t bee-lieve the honor of bee-ing a bee has bee-n bee-stowed on me!
Phew! Now that that’s out of my system, I can tell you a bit about me. The short story? I was an army brat, moving around a lot until my family finally settled in a small town in Ohio when I was in fourth grade. I grew up and graduated from high school there. After that, I moved to Toledo to work on my bachelor’s degree. During my senior year of college, Mr. Cannon and I fell in love and have remained so ever since.
Why Miss Cannon? Well, aside from the super-cute graphic, it made me think of the King. Mr. Cannon and I share a love of fifties music, and he is a huge Elvis fan. (Yes, we’ve been to Graceland. It was his second trip there.) Anyway, this song has made a few playlists I’ve made for Mr. Cannon, so I thought becoming Miss Cannon would be a cute tribute. I’m like a cannonball, right? And that’s related to a cannon. OK, it’s not a perfect match, but it’s the inspiration.
All-Inclusion Invitation Suites
), the real deal is sitting all alone in the McLean, Virginia POB salon. And it’s driving me crazay.
