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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.
I would like to take a scheduled break from Pretzel Recaps for a little tutorial on how to deal with wedding crashers. Before our wedding I did have some fears about crashers. We had an unfortunate situation where a messy divorce caused us to not invite a couple people after they had already received save the dates (horrible I know…). I was afraid that the man in the relationship might show up and cause a scene (he has a history for being a loose cannon and can do and say some pretty outrageous things). Thankfully our awesome ushers promised to play double duty and serve as “bouncers” if this person showed up. I am happy to report that he stayed at home and didn’t cause a problem.
What about crashers that you don’t know? The random guy stumbling upon your reception and joining in the fun? How would you feel about that? Some bees have invited the crashers to join the party and had a blast. In my last post Mr P and I were curious about the Punk concert going on across the street from our venue so we went over and visited—I guess you could say that we “crashed.” Apparently some folks in the area were curious about our party too and came to check it out. Can you really blame them? Our band was rockin’!
Guest Photo
I heart my family. My uncles kept a vigilant eye out during the reception, when there were people walking around our cars in the parking lot they moved outside and kept an eye on things, and when Mr P and I snuck off with some mohawked character they concerned. So when the two guys pictured above showed up at the bar, they were concerned. Read more…
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.
I’m in the middle of recapping my AMAZING bridal shower (seriously, my family made the day so special… I don’t even know how to begin to thank them), but I wanted I had to share a quick pic with you all!
Sister Sparkler’s MOH dress came in! I’m so happy with how the gray and lavender look together!
Hmmm, what could be in that giant white garment bag behind them?
Mrs. Cucumber Sandwich, Washington, DC/Cape May, NJAge and Occupation: 28, School CounselorFiance's Age and Occupation: 40, Collegiate AthleticsEngagement Date: March 27, 2010Wedding Date: October 2011Venue: Congress Hall HotelAbout Me: I am a school counselor who spends my day wrangling children and my nights attempting to be creative with wedding projects. My enthusiasm for each of these activities far surpasses my skill. Thank goodness Mr. Cucumber Sandwich is there to pick up the pieces and be the voice of reason about my DIY tries. I have an obsession with terrible romantic comedies (‘From Justin to Kelly’ anyone?, anyone?!?), competitive Scrabble play, and hot dogs. I could eat astronaut ice cream for every meal and can’t seem to resist buying more shoes. Our wedding is going to be a true hodge podge of semi-destination, tradition, Yuengling, New England charm, with just a dash of ‘Jersey Shore’ thrown in. It has been six years in the making and I can’t wait to marry my best friend.
We last left off with our difficult (for him, not for me) decision of where to have our wedding. Having it in Cape May, New Jersey felt obvious when we looked at our criteria for our wedding location. He wanted something by the beach, and I wanted it to be at an obtainable destination for our guests. Almost everyone will have to travel to our wedding, but I don’t think it will impose a huge burden on our guests to get there. (Time will tell, though, I am sure.) Since we are having our wedding at a beach town, it seemed natural that our theme would be beachy or nautical. Even though I had always imagined getting married at our venue, never in my imagination were seashells or sand a part of our decor.
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!
Once the small issue with getting into the Crowne suite was settled, it was time to hug it out and enjoy my morning with my mom and closest friends.
That’s a non alcoholic mimosa for BM Cali and her baby bump
We relaxed, chatted and prepared to get pampered. BM Aggie and BM Philly took some time to check out the morning golf tournament from our balcony. Read more…
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.
I have a serious condition, Hive. As we are getting closer to the wedding I feel as if my brain is working very very efficiently, but only for about .09 seconds at a time. Obviously, this is not ideal behavior for wedding planning (or, you know, working).
Usually my solution is to write a list of what is on my mind so I can rank things by importance after visually examining all the things floating around in my head. It also helps clear my mind so I can fall asleep a little easier at night.
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!
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.
One of my favorite things about all this wedding stuff is all the mail that’s involved. I buy a lot of things online, and no matter how stupid the contents of the package are, I get excited over them. So, imagine my delight when Mr. Cannon brought in the mail and announced I had received not one, but two packages. *Yay, mail!* I was a bit confused, however, because I was only expecting one. He handed both of the packages to me, and I noticed that they both had a return address of the place where I purchased Mr. Cannon’s ring. Hmmm, odd. I only purchased one ring. On the invoice they had listed the ring and the ring box as separate items. Could they have sent them in separate packages? That would be an, um, interesting choice, to put it nicely.
So, I opened the first package and handed the contents to Mr. Cannon. It was both a ring and a ring box, so my theory of separate packages was wrong. He attempted to put it on and it was too small. I was annoyed because I had ordered the size he had said. He was annoyed because that was the size they told him to get when he got sized. I quickly grabbed the packing list to make sure I didn’t screw it up and order the wrong size. Size 8.5? That’s the wrong size. How could it be the wrong size? Me, make a mistake? Never! Much like Mary Poppins, I’m practically perfect in every way. (Totally kidding here in case this flies over anyone’s head.) But I was positive I had ordered the right size. Then I noticed that the name on the packing list was not my name, nor the address where I live. I looked at the ring. It didn’t even look like the one we ordered. It finally hit me. The company had packaged up someone else’s ring and accidentally stuck the wrong shipping label on it. This was not Mr. Cannon’s ring. Call me Can-cy Drew. I solved the Mystery of the Two Packages.
So, we opened package number two and it was the right ring! Mr. Cannon tried it on and it fit. He was happy with it, and I was happy he liked it. It is truly the most boring ring in the world—white gold with absolutely no adornments or anything. But that’s exactly what he wanted, so that’s what he got. I had kind of expected him to want something a bit more exciting—maybe along the lines of Mr. Cinnamon Bun’s or Mr. Bunting’s ring. But he had a very clear idea of what he wanted, and what he wanted was simple and boring. And he got what he wanted.
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.
As much as I wished, my beloved European dress brands were no where to be found in America. I searched closer to home, but because Cosmobella was Italian, my efforts navigating websites in Italian were woefully fruitless. Similarly, no one seemed to have the Liselotte dress on the German and Swiss online forums or used sites I was foraging through.
With my broken German, I had some luck finding Liselotte at a dress shop in Constance (Konstanz), Germany, which is a popular shopping spot close to the northeastern border of Switzerland. The price in Euros was a little less with the exchange rate, but it was still well over my $1000 budget. I knew a size 36 fit me perfectly, so with some heels maybe I could avoid alterations in Switzerland.
Mrs. Hyena, College Station, TXAge and Occupation: 23, Marketing SpecialistFiance's Age and Occupation: 24, Aerospace Engineering Grad StudentEngagement Date: January 8, 2010Wedding Date: May 2011Venue: Downtown 202About Me: I'm a Texas girl who met my future hubby in high school, then headed up to Oklahoma for a college education (BOOMER SOONER!) before moving back to the Lone Star State to be with him. I love reading and recycling, Photoshop and reality TV, making lame jokes and then laughing at them, quoting movies, and Mr. Hyena most of all. I'm perpetually early and I like to get things accomplished. When my cat meows at me, I meow back. We're planning a laid-back, unintentionally DIY wedding with a cocktail-party vibe, and can't wait to celebrate our nuptials with our nearest and dearest!
Mr. Hyena and I had decided that we didn’t want to give gifts to each other before the wedding. Instead we decided to write each other love letters, to be read the morning of the wedding.
We wrote our first love letters to each other in high school; one of our senior class projects was to put together scrapbooks commemorating the year, and we were required to include things like essays about what we had learned about life during the year, as well as letters from others. Mr. Hyena and I wrote to each other, and we both kept those letters.
Mrs. Ladyfingers, Saint Petersburg, FLAge and Occupation: 30, Marketing ManagerFiance's Age and Occupation: 33, Sports WriterEngagement Date: December 24, 2010Wedding Date: November 2011Venue: Palma Sola Botanical ParkAbout Me: I hail from Oklahoma, he was born and raised in Long Island. Fate brought us together, and now we live in a cute little rental house with our nutty dog, and our aloof cat. We both love to read, watch movies, explore our town, and laugh like hyenas. When I’m not obsessively wedding crafting, I enjoy stalking style and decorating blogs, making collages and painting, napping, thrifting, rearranging our bookshelves, and being a total weirdo with my friends. Hi!
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!
I have never been one to worry too much about my nails. I generally keep them cut pretty short, because I have long nail-beds, and I never really paint them, because I am always too busy to take the time to sit down, paint them, and then wait for the paint to dry. I always get impatient, walk around and fiddle with things, and, of course, end up smudging the not-yet-dry polish. Which means I need to remove all of the polish and either a) re-do it, or b) just say ’screw it’ and leave them not painted because I hate having dinged polish. (Yeah. I’m weird. We already know this.) The whole thing just didn’t seem very time-or-energy-efficient to me. And, I’m too cheap to pay someone else to do them for me.
However, since I have started working near New York City, I have noticed that the majority of young women in my office have very nicely manicured nails, and they all have some sort of cool, en vogue polish on their nails at all times. (I won’t even get into their amazing sense of style when it comes to shoes and clothes, because I’m too jealous to talk about it, and they make me feel immature and not-stylish in comparison. We’ll stick to nails today.) I have become quite jealous of their awesome nails, and have convinced myself that pretty nails are, in fact, part of the whole put-together look and that I absolutely must polish my nails. Plus, it makes me feel super girly, which I love. Read more…
Mrs. Seashell, Chicago, IL / Providence, RIAge and Occupation: 28, Marriage and Family TherapistFiance's Age and Occupation: 31, Electrical EngineerEngagement Date: September 3, 2009Wedding Date: September 2010Venue: The Glen Manor HouseAbout Me: Fonts and fashion, stationery and Sundays, photography and french toast... the beauty is in the details for this fun-loving Chicagoan who loves to plan plan plan! The soon-to-be hubs plays "Mr. Fix-It" in our new condo while I swoon over beautiful, personalized stationery and choose shades of aubergine for my bridesmaids' dresses... and thus begins my new fairy tale! Skirting to the East Coast for our September nuptials where my home state of Rhode Island awaits with fall foliage, I'm just a few dress fittings and bachelorette party away from saying "I Do" to a very happy ending!
After the band had stopped playing, after the guests waved their sparkly wands and sent us on our way, after we made the long drive back to downtown Providence, we found time for just a few more photos.
We felt like we were on a Hollywood movie set as we strolled the quiet streets of Providence. Occasionally passersby would yell, “Awwww!” or “Congratulations!” from somewhere off in the distance. 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.
So, three out of the four High Wire Bridesmaids have selected their dresses for the big day! Eep! For now, my 4th lady, and 25% of the bridesmaids, is still naked for the big day. I’m not remotely worried. She has, what one would call, a pretty rockin’ bod that pretty much looks good in anything she puts on. I have no doubt she’ll find something that suits her.
Mrs. Cucumber Sandwich, Washington, DC/Cape May, NJAge and Occupation: 28, School CounselorFiance's Age and Occupation: 40, Collegiate AthleticsEngagement Date: March 27, 2010Wedding Date: October 2011Venue: Congress Hall HotelAbout Me: I am a school counselor who spends my day wrangling children and my nights attempting to be creative with wedding projects. My enthusiasm for each of these activities far surpasses my skill. Thank goodness Mr. Cucumber Sandwich is there to pick up the pieces and be the voice of reason about my DIY tries. I have an obsession with terrible romantic comedies (‘From Justin to Kelly’ anyone?, anyone?!?), competitive Scrabble play, and hot dogs. I could eat astronaut ice cream for every meal and can’t seem to resist buying more shoes. Our wedding is going to be a true hodge podge of semi-destination, tradition, Yuengling, New England charm, with just a dash of ‘Jersey Shore’ thrown in. It has been six years in the making and I can’t wait to marry my best friend.
I always thought the theme of a wedding was “wedding”! At least that is what I wanted for my wedding theme. Now, after being completely absorbed into the bridal blogosphere, I realize how naive I was/am.
All-Inclusion Invitation Suites
I’m not remotely worried. She has, what one would call, a pretty rockin’ bod that pretty much looks good in anything she puts on. I have no doubt she’ll find something that suits her.
