Ms. Sloth, PhiladelphiaAge and Occupation: 35, Account Manager and Fashion BloggerFiance's Age and Occupation: 30, Design AdminEngagement Date: December 25, 2009Wedding Date: May 2011Venue: Bartram's GardenAbout Me: I'm an internet junkie and music snob with a good eye for a bargain. I couldn't live without thrift store shopping, cheeseburgers, sushi, Coke Zero, websites devoted to silly photos of baby animals, Photoshop, and Mr. Sloth. Speaking of which, he and I are a pair of goofball homebody nerds who love our beagle (the most ridiculously adorable dog EVER) to an embarrassing degree. We're planning a low-key and intimate yet festive and quirky outdoor wedding with DIY details and deeply personal touches, and it's all taking place in the city where we fell in love and call home: Philadelphia.
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.
We have a winner! (And she will be announced at the end of this post to forever live inBEE GLORY!)
In Part I, I introduced you to Mr. Piggy and asked you all to wager some guesses as to how much he was worth. If you recall, Mr. P was housing the savings for our favors (which I promise to reveal soon) and we set a goal of around $600.
Big Brother Seal is a coin aficionado (a hobby passed down from my maternal grandma) and he and FSIL Maria kindly agreed to help me sort out my change one evening.
We started out with this:
I don’t know if you can see that fat stack of cash on the left—Big Brother Seal told me putting cash in the piggy was cheating. I said my Piggy doesn’t discriminate—money is money!
Mrs. Lioness, AtlantaAge and Occupation: 25, Physical TherapistFiance's Age and Occupation: 25, AttorneyEngagement Date: August 29, 2009Wedding Date: April 2011Venue: Anthony’s Fine DiningAbout Me: I’m a Southern girl with New England roots. I say "wicked" and "y’all" in the same sentence and I like to drink sweet tea with my lobster. Mr. Lion and I are both former Floridians now living in Atlanta, which fortunately is still SEC country...Go Gators! We both love baseball, coffee, traveling, cooking, and playing Words with Friends with each other on our iPhones all day long. I’m very passionate about the things and the people I love, and I tend to plan things with all of my heart...our wedding, of course, is no different! Oh, and also Mr. Lion is a first generation American of Cuban descent. I may look more like Lucy than Ricky, but I’m doing my best to incorporate some Latin elements into our vintage-garden-Southern wedding!
In 2007, Sister Lioness was scheduled to have her high school senior prom at a South Florida hotel called the Marriott Marina. When the hotel was bought out and rebranded as the Harbor Beach Resort, the contract was honored. It was just the right thing to do. Our wedding venue, Anthony’s Fine Dining, did not think this was entirely necessary. Apparently, they just weren’t as concerned with respect for a bride’s big day, a commitment to doing the right thing, or general public image.
Our wedding venue went out of business just a couple of weeks after our wedding day. They sold to a new owner and became the semi-private Yacht and Polo Club, which I found interesting because there are neither yacht docks nor polo fields on their property. The classic antebellum home was once decorated with vintage furniture, antique art, and Southern charm. Just imagine the retching in brides’ stomachs when they arrived to this venue for their rehearsal to unexpectedly find riding chaps and oars lining the walls. Surprise! You’re having a gentleman-themed wedding!
In addition to a significant change in decor, the venue has also lost their liquor license. 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!
I can’t tell you how bad I am at making decisions for myself. I stink at it. I like to look at everything from all angles, until I confuse myself and start all over again. So imagine my struggle with selecting what my friends will wear. No, it shouldn’t be hard, but it is.
My first thought was, “Why not just pick a color and let them buy a dress they like?” (Side note: I’ve seen this picture all over the internet, and I still haven’t grown tired of it.)
Mrs. Waffle, AustinAge and Occupation: 31, Costumer/ArtistFiance's Age and Occupation: 33, AnimatorEngagement Date: July 27, 2010Wedding Date: June 2011Venue: Hummingbird HouseAbout Me: My life is pretty much spent in a sea of fabric, paint, sequins and drama. When I’m not working, I play on a trivia team, take Broadway dance classes, read, buy shoes, and occasionally geek out on video games. I am an American girl who loves all things British and Mr. Waffle is a Brit who loves all things American...I guess it was meant to be!
Here we are with part 2 of our top ten list from the fabulous Maui honeymoon. If you missed part 1, you can find it here.
5…Snorkeling
I have mixed feelings about snorkeling, but it is still in my top five because witnessing reef life is magical. Once I got used to it, I seriously enjoyed it, but the road to serious enjoyment was not easy. Read more…
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 we checked out of the hotel it was time to head up to the Tribute and for me to experience a mini meltdown.
The thing with the Tribute is that part of our wedding package included rooms for the bridal party and groom’s party to get ready in. One of the major perks (and added selling point for us) is the size of the Crowne suite for the bridal party which is then the Newlywed suite for the night. This place is huge, and I loved the fact that we wouldn’t be on top of each other while getting ready.
MOH Navy taking a picture of me taking detail pictures
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!
Mr. Ladyfingers and I started our first date on a great ice-breaking note. He had sort of asked me out over chat—CHAT!—so I kindasorta lied and told him my computer was being quirky and could he call me? That’s how I tricked him into asking me out like a man: With his voice. I was super nervous and had gotten my hair all cut that day and my makeup all done by my friend, and I agonized over clothing. I don’t know what he was doing, but he tells me he was pretty nervous, too.
He was supposed to pick me up at 7:00, and when he called at 7:05, I went all OMGHE’sHEREWHATDOIDOOOO? And I answered the phone all “Hellooo?” Turns out, he wasn’t here. He was lost. Many moons later, I discovered he’s really terrible at directions. Like, as in, he has no sense of them. So once I got him to my place and got in the car, he started out with this gem:
“So, I thought we could flip this quarter, and whoever wins buys dinner.”
*cricket*cricket*
I believe he was immediately embarrassed that the joke he rehearsed on the whole way over just didn’t sound as funny coming out of his mouth. He still shouts and covers his ears when I bring that up today. It’s totally cringe inducing for him, which I find adorable.
An attempt at our first Christmas family portrait (personal photo)
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.
Mr. Macs and I were finally able to go check out some rings over the weekend. The trip was all about him, as we had already decided to get the matching band for me.
{Image via Tacori}
Mr. Macarons has this thing about his hands. Unless he’s using something like his iPad or drinking a cup of coffee, his hands have to be free. His one carry-on item? You better believe it’s a backpack. Want him to hold my purse? No deal, unless it’s big enough to fit over his shoulder. I can’t say I wasn’t shocked to find out he doesn’t like the feel of rings. 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.
Way back before Christmas I was scouring kijiji to look for potential wedding decor. I found these pieces of awesomeness for $5 apiece.
Gold painted wood frames!
Gold wasn’t quite the style I was going for so Mr. Gazelle used Kilz latex primer directly on top of the gold paint. Read more…
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!
The morning of the wedding, I woke up a few minutes before 8 AM and got showered. Then Mom Hyena, Aunt Hyena and I headed to the salon to get my hair styled!
Keep on loading your inspirational wedding pics to the Weddingbee Gallery to see them featured here on the blog! Remember, your images must be under 1MB in size, or they won’t load.
Mrs. Giraffe, ChicagoAge and Occupation: 23, Graphic DesignerFiance's Age and Occupation: 24, Music Student TeacherEngagement Date: October 23, 2008Wedding Date: May 2011Venue: Trinity Lutheran Church & Idlewild Country ClubAbout Me: Coming from the suburbs of the Windy City, you'll often find me with my foot in my mouth while laughing for no reason or telling bad knock knock jokes. I've been crafty for as long as I can remember, and will DIY something twice over before I have someone do it for me. I'm a semi-awkward, typeface obsessed, design junkie and have been know to break out my dance moves for no reason as well as try my best to be ridiculous at all times. My love of pop culture, wordplay, and graph paper almost rivals my love of Mr. Giraffe (who is just the bee's knees). After a 2.5 year engagement, we're planning a modern-in-disguise traditional wedding, and cannot wait!
Anyway, Hive, it’s about time I got you guys caught up on everything I didn’t get to before the wedding. Thanks for bearing with me as I took some time to come around. I still have residual weird angry and bitter feelings about coping with our wedding actually being over, but BM Mang just sent me some photos she took on our wedding day and looking through them really perked me up. I’m thinking that I’ll be back on top of the world when we get our pro pics.
Anyway—back to why we’re here! I have a big topic to talk about today—you know what it is—the elusive cake topper!
Originally I wanted a monogram cake topper, like the one above, but preferably with lower case Helvetica letters in .75″ thick clear acrylic. Yeah, that was what a had in mind. It’s only a trifle super specific. Read more…
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.
You know that feeling when you have something super exciting happen but your day needs to continue as normal and you kind of forget about it? But then every once in a while you remember and you do a spastic little dance while grinning like the Cheshire Cat? That was me all day after I got the news!
Why was I breaking out into dance and maniacal laughter? Bee-cause I am a bee!! I got the email from Pengy at 11 PM. Thankfully I am a dork and was fast asleep by 9 PM; otherwise I never would have gotten in my full nine hours.
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.
The day of our wedding was particularly warm. As such, it required that we take little breaks from the busy dance floor to cool down outside. Our photographer caught some great candid shots of the boys and girls on the steps.
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!
