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!
I had a lot of ideas about what type of wedding band I wanted, but no clear direction and definitely no “hands-on” experience (haha…). Mr. Ladyfingers seemed more planted in the “white gold and simple” camp. So one weekend in June we headed out to the mall to “just look” at rings.
We first headed to a chain that starts with “Z” and looked at a few rings there. I had settled on wanting something channel set, half eternity, with princess-cut or otherwise square diamonds. All the rings the rep there showed me featured round diamonds, and many weren’t channel set. When I asked for a princess or similar cut, she said that would be a bit harder to find. She didn’t come up with much, but we wrote down a couple of product numbers and headed on to our next destination.
A chain that starts with “K” was right across the way. (That unintentionally rhymed.) Incidentally, if you’re open to just looking at as many rings as possible and not really married (heh) to a custom ring or something like that, definitely check out the mall. You’re guaranteed like three to five jewelery stores all under one roof and, if nothing else, it can show you a bit about what looks good on you, what you like in person, what you don’t, and what direction you might want to head in.
At “K,” Mr. Ladyfingers immediately found his ring—a white gold six-millimeter number with a brushed center and polished edges.
And I found mine! So much for “just looking.” Read more…
Weddingbee GalleryFeature Launched: April 10, 2009About: A collection of inspirational wedding pictures from readers and bees.
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. Parasol, San Ramon, CaliforniaAge and Occupation: 25, Non-profit writer, editor, and bloggerFiance's Age and Occupation: 25, Law school studentEngagement Date: December 19th, 2010Wedding Date: September 2011Venue: Bent Creek Winery (Livermore, California); Reception: Family Residence (San Ramon, California) About Me: I am a California girl at heart. I love the outdoors, sunny days at the beach, and hiking in the woods and mountains. I also love good books and am fresh from completing my Master's degree in English and Comparative Literature in New York City. Living in NYC was an amazing experience, and while I'm glad to be back on the West Coast, I'm also thankful that my two years back East gave me an opportunity to explore new places, make new friends, and indulge my passion for Broadway shows. Oh, and I received a pretty awesome proposal from Mr. Parasol in Central Park. Above all else, Mr. Parasol is my biggest cheerleader and my best friend. But even though I'm thrilled to be marrying him, I wasn't always totally on board with this whole wedding thing and at first, I wanted to run off and elope. I've finally been convinced to throw the wedding I never thought I wanted, and so now I'm busy planning an intimate September wedding filled with DIY details. Along the way, I'm slowly learning to appreciate, perhaps even love the wedding planning process.
When it comes to vintage, rustic, DIY weddings, clotheslines are all the rage. Yes, clotheslines. As in those things people used to hang their clothes on to dry in the olden days.
Mrs. Honey, Durango, COAge and Occupation: 28, Financial AssistantFiance's Age and Occupation: 24, Lab Tech/PhlebotomistEngagement Date: August 1, 2010Wedding Date: January 2012Venue: Vallecito LakeAbout Me: I am a Colorado girl through and through, marrying an adrenaline-fueled Alabama boy. We love the outdoors just about as much as we love spoiling our dog and three cats. On any given weekend you can find us being adventurous, doing anything from rafting to snowboarding, and everything in between. We live in an outdoor mecca and truly believe in "Work Hard, Play Harder." I'm an optimist to the core, a crafter wannabe, a Southern food cook-in-training and a big time believer in girls nights. We met, fell in love and got engaged in eight short months and are now knee-deep in planning what we hope to be a super-fun, very us wedding celebration. Join us as we plan a rustic meets whimsical, Colorado winter wedding with loads of personal touches and good food!
When I left off, I had narrowed down my list of potential venues to three, yes, three. I was very eager to take the next step and actually look at them. I will admit I was a tad jealous of other brides who had longer lists, and I was a bit nervous that my venue list only included three. What would we do if those three weren’t what we wanted…or too expensive…or ended up not wanting to accommodate our requests? Venues have a lot of power over the direction of a wedding.
My mom and I scheduled the first meeting and went together because Mr. H was unable to get off work at that time. My mom had spoken with the lady and outlined our thoughts: winter wedding, outside, 150ish guests, doggy in attendance. On the phone she said, “Not a problem. We can work with this.”
We drove 10 miles west of Durango to Kennebec Cafe, a charming cafe nestled at the base of the La Plata mountain range. I adore this cafe, its food, and its atmosphere. She had just added on and finished a full wraparound patio outside: bonus. The inside was open and modern, with fireplaces scattered throughout.
Mrs. Teacup, Santa CruzAge and Occupation: 34, Pharmaceutical SalesFiance's Age and Occupation: 41, Ditto! (For a different company)Engagement Date: October 1, 2010Wedding Date: October 2011Venue: ceremony in our family's Catholic church in Watsonville; reception at the Santa Cruz Beach BoardwalkAbout Me: I’m learning to embrace my true spirit as GIRLY GIRL after previous careers in the Navy and consulting for the government. My favorite hobby is SLEEP, with dancing HULA a close second. An INTROVERT in extrovert clothing, I’m questing to UNDO 34 years of TYPE A conditioning. Constantly processing the details of our upcoming nuptials, peek into this late blooming bride & groom's roller coaster ride to the altar. Giant Dipper required, sold separately.
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.
A ten-hour car ride up and back to collect Sammie Sister from college left me with way too much time on my hands. Forced family fun can make a person do crazy things! Which is why I used those 10 hours to create a bridesmaids’ newsletter.
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!
Hi hive! I hope you’re having a fantabulous Friday! You may have noticed some extended outages in the past few weeks on the site. Our tech team is hard at work on fixes for eliminating them and rolling out a fix that will take the site down temporarily tonight, beginning at 10:30 PM PST/ 1:30 AM EST. We expect a downtime of approximately one hour. Enjoy your Friday night!
Mrs. Hippo, New York City/Dallas, TXAge and Occupation: 34, Event Planner for a Non-Profit Fiance's Age and Occupation: 35, Finance ITEngagement Date: August 8, 2009Wedding Date: March 2011Venue: Samuel Lynne Galleries and Marc EventsAbout Me: I’m a thirty-something bride living in New York City and planning a modern-ish wedding in Dallas, Texas. I love trashy reality television (Jersey Shore, anyone?), online shopping, Sunday brunch, Central Park, and random celebrity spottings on the streets of Manhattan. While I love NYC, I miss good Tex-Mex, my college friends, central A/C, and being in close proximity to a Target. I’m thrilled to finally be planning an event that’s not work-related and to be marrying my best friend in what I hope will be a unique and personal ceremony followed by a reception with plenty of good food, good drinks, and dancing (regardless if it’s good or not).
Now, before I can show you our first dance with music and pictures, I have to give you a bit of a back story.
King Hippo and I had decided long ago that we didn’t want to do the 7th grade sway for our first dance. I’ve danced my entire life, and King Hippo is super coordinated and not afraid to cut a rug, so we figured we could do way better than rocking back and forth like a couple of awkward teenagers. I’ve studied the dance basics (ballet, jazz, modern, contemporary… a little tap only ’cause my instructors made me) and even taught, choreographed, and danced professionally in Dallas for several years, but I have zero experience in ballroom. In order to pull this off, we needed some guidance so we signed up for a series of private dance lessons before the wedding. But… they didn’t go exactly as I imagined.
See, what I’m used to is learning choreography. Read more…
DIYFeature Launched: October 8, 2008About: The best DIY projects from Bees and brides around the web.
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.
After getting my nails done for the wedding, I realised that I really like having nicely done nails. For the wedding, I just had a very natural French manicure done, but one of my bridesmaids had hot pink polish put on. I think it looked extra-good because she had her nails trimmed quite short, so they were just little pops of colour. Then, I saw this photo on Pinterest via Design Crush:
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.
I’d like to think that most of my wedding purchases have been quite methodical, but every once in a while I get a wild hair and throw caution into the wind.
The cost:size ratio of my most recent purchase was a bit absurd but totally worth it in my opinion. Since macaron favors were quickly ruled out I wanted to find another way to include my moniker on our wedding day. Thanks to Mrs. Pain Au Chocolat, I discovered a multitudeofminiatures on Etsy.
Miss Doily, Cedar Rapids, IowaAge and Occupation: 25, Autism Paraeducator/ StudentFiance's Age and Occupation: 27, Freelance Writer/ PublisherEngagement Date: August 27th, 2010Wedding Date: March 2012Venue: Father’s Vineyard Church/ A Touch of Class Banquet CenterAbout Me: I’m an Iowan girl with a deep love of Harry Potter, classic movies, cardigans, and Post-Its. My type-A Virgo tendencies often cause me to drive my laid-back college sweetheart fiance batty with lists and PowerPoint presentations. I love to be crafty and do things myself, which explains why my two crazy kittens often will prance around the house covered in glitter and ribbons. When I am not bogged down with work, school, or wedding planning, I like to travel to visit my expansive family and have wild adventures with my best friends. After a rollercoaster ride of a love story, I’m ready to take that final plunge, marry the love of my life, and become a Mrs.!
I decided that making you all wait much longer would be very, very mean of me. I’m not a mean person, so I’m back to give you a rundown of our Dance Madness. Okay so I’m a little mean, because I’m only going to give you a run-down to the final round. Please don’t hate me too much?
Anyways, Mr. D was thrilled by this idea, he threw himself into his research. There would be times that I would call him and he would try to rush me off the phone because he was in the middle of a youtube-a-thon and could not be disturbed. He was determined to find a song that was perfect for us (and he also wanted to beat me at something for once). So after we had our seeds picked and bracket laid out, it was time to start the process.
Mrs. Honey, Durango, COAge and Occupation: 28, Financial AssistantFiance's Age and Occupation: 24, Lab Tech/PhlebotomistEngagement Date: August 1, 2010Wedding Date: January 2012Venue: Vallecito LakeAbout Me: I am a Colorado girl through and through, marrying an adrenaline-fueled Alabama boy. We love the outdoors just about as much as we love spoiling our dog and three cats. On any given weekend you can find us being adventurous, doing anything from rafting to snowboarding, and everything in between. We live in an outdoor mecca and truly believe in "Work Hard, Play Harder." I'm an optimist to the core, a crafter wannabe, a Southern food cook-in-training and a big time believer in girls nights. We met, fell in love and got engaged in eight short months and are now knee-deep in planning what we hope to be a super-fun, very us wedding celebration. Join us as we plan a rustic meets whimsical, Colorado winter wedding with loads of personal touches and good food!
Somewhere in my bridal haze, I had imagined finding a venue to not be too difficult. Go ahead, you can laugh at me—I would laugh at me, too. I did really assume that it would be like asking “Will you be my venue?” I mean, you are paying to have a large event there—what could be so hard?
I think I assumed it would be fairly painless because we live in a small town. There isn’t a large selection of venues. In fact, the embarrassing truth is that according to Colorado Wedding Magazine, there are…drum roll, please…NINE venues available in the Durango area. Granted these are the structures/locations that advertise themselves as wedding venues. With a bit of creativity the options expand a tiny bit…unless you are like the Honeys and getting married with snow on the ground.
Sure a few of those nine venues are still available in the winter months, but we have to be a little more extreme because we want to have our wedding ceremony outside. You read that correctly: outside in January, in Colorado. I have always dreamed of and envisioned myself getting married outside. There was no other way, even in winter. And luckily Mr. H was fully on board. The majority of the weddings in our area do take place outside; I’ve only been to one over the years that took place indoors, and that’s because Colorado scenery is just breathtaking:
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.
Even though we are not planning on doing a formal ’send-off’ at the end of our reception (we can’t do sparklers, so what’s the point really, right? That, and I’ve never been to a wedding with an end of festivities send off, so I highly doubt the absence will be missed by our guests). But, I’m thinking that having something tossed, thrown, or shaken at us on our way back down the aisle right after we are pronounced husband and wife might be a fun celebratory gesture.
Plus there are so many options for such an occasion. First, there is the traditional birdseed. It’s inexpensive, doesn’t hurt birds, and gives the couple a nice shower.
There’s also bubbles. I actually bought a crapload of bubbles from a garage sale last year for a dollar hoping to use them for this very purpose, but I am terrified that these iridescent beauties will leave stains on my silk gown, so I am not sure these are the best choice for us.
All-Inclusion Invitation Suites
