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.
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!
So last we chatted about The Dress, I had shown you my inspiration and told you my criteria. I also mentioned that my dress only fit some of that criteria.
It was a rainy Sunday two weeks after we were engaged. I honestly would have started looking sooner, but I needed to get my ring resized and felt sorta funny walking into bridal salons without a ring—I know, I know! You don’t need a ring to be engaged. But we’re just talking about my neuroses here. Yeah, I’m just a little neurotic. A tad.
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.
This is something I have learned through planning our wedding. I used to think that all men’s suits were pretty much the same. I mean, a suit is just a jacket, shirt, tie, and pair of pants, right? How much variation can there really be?
The answer, as I quickly discovered, is: a lot.
First, there’s a plethora of colors to choose from. Suits aren’t simply limited to black; in fact, the time of day a wedding takes place can even dictate the most appropriate color (and style) a groom should wear. Here are just a few of the options today’s grooms have:
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!
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. 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.
Hello, hive! I’m Miss Teacup, extending you a warm welcome to my cozy little corner of Weddingbee. I must admit I’m feeling like I’ve just been spun sick with giddiness on the Mad Hatter’s ride at Disneyland. Nevertheless, we have some celebrating to do!
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.
This is my basic makeup look on a daily basis (yes, the crazy hair accompanies this look as do the tired eyes):
Powder, blush, eye shadow, and mascara.
I pretty much know how I want to look on our wedding day: I want flawless skin, the perfect amount of glow on my cheeks, and eyes that pop (in a good way, not a creepy, Lady Gaga-esque way). Basically, an amped of version of my everyday wear.
I know what I want, this will be so easy, right? Psh, what am I kidding, this wedding crap is never that easy. 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!
So I mentioned in my last post that I knew the bachelorette weekend was coming up, but I didn’t know much about it except there was a secret theme and we all had to wear black dresses. Oh, and I thought it was gonna be a French theme with baguettes and French wine and macaroons and the like. Bridesmaid Bunny pointed out “If it had been a French theme we would have all worn boatneck shirts with stripes.” So true.
On the night of the shower, Mini Magic bossily told me to get dressed and then get out for one hour so they could get stuff ready.
She may be 19, but she is totally in control of the situation. For real.
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.!
Mr. D and I are music junkies. Combined we probably have about 10,000 songs on iTunes, enough to almost play for two weeks solid without repeating a song. We are one of those couples who make these crazy mixes for our road trips too. “Bumpity bump mix 2″ is one of my particular favorites with a little vintage Bones, Thugs, Harmony on it. And naturally you can’t forget “Rock it all night mix 6″ with Zeppelin, Hendrix, and Clapton on it.
However, despite the tons of music that we have, we don’t have a song.
I can’t believe I finally admitted that out loud. Mr. D and Miss Doily do not have an official song.
Which is why choosing a first song was such a pain in the rear for us. You think it would be so easy, but since we do not have a song that we have considered “ours,” we weren’t sure where to even start. Mr. D was discouraged before we even started. It was difficult to get him interested in choosing. It wasn’t that he didn’t care, it’s that he’s kind of nervous about dancing in front of everyone, even if they are our nearest and dearest.
After several months of attempting and failing to get Mr. D to sit and have a serious conversation about our first dance, I knew that I would have to come up with something brilliant to get him interested and participating. 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!
I know family portraits aren’t that interesting to people you don’t know in real life, so I’ll try to get through them quickly. Some of these portraits were taken pre-ceremony, but in the interest of keeping this short and sweet, I combined the pre- and post-ceremony pics into one post.
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, we successfully took the sailboat down and kept my bling hidden from my best friend. The drive home was surreal as I sat there and stared at my left-hand ring finger. My parents and I are very close, and it was always important to me that my parents knew of the impending proposal. Mr. Honey did good and spoke to them before popping the question, so when I called to tell them, they were giddy with anticipation. Of course they were thrilled…and cried tears of happiness.
Celebration was clearly in order. We rode our cruisers downtown to one of our favorite Mexican restaurants. We splurged and got seafood and prickly pear margaritas. I positioned my hand each time the waiter would come to our table to attempt to blind him with my new sparkly:
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.
Mr. Cannon has been very excited about the opportunity to brew beer for our wedding. He got into brewing three or four years ago when I bought him a fancy starter kit from Homebrewers Outpost and a few books on the subject for Valentine’s Day. We have brewed together ever since, and I dare say I believe we’ve gotten better at it over the years. I will say Mr. Cannon is way more into brewing than I am, although for some strange reason it always seems like the beers I brew turn out better. Maybe I just add more love or it needs a woman’s touch or something. That’s obviously total crap, but my beers do tend to be the best for whatever reason. (Yes, I’m totally bragging here!)
Most brewing supply stores offer all-grain, partial mash, and malt extract beer kits in addition to a variety of individualized grains, hops, and yeasts so you have the option to design your own beer or follow an already proven design. 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.
Nicole is A-MUH-ZING! She got us our engagement pictures way before promised, and they are out of this world. Because I am borderline narcissistic, I am going to show you even more pictures of myself (oh, and Mr. CS, too). Don’t worry—I won’t share all 292 she sent us, but I am tempted. They are that good!
Here are just a couple of my favorites. Mr. Cucumber Sammie already said he didn’t like some of these, but I say too bad…apply to the ‘Bee yourself, and then you can share whatever you like. But this is my post and I post what I want! I am already totally over marital compromise.
Mrs. Crepe, Queens, NY/Nashville, TNAge and Occupation: 28, Jewelry DesignerFiance's Age and Occupation: 28, Animation DirectorEngagement Date: September 28, 2010Wedding Date: May 2011Venue: A church in downtown NashvilleAbout Me: I'm a native New Yorker who has always been a DIY kind of girl and loves tackling creative projects while getting the most out of a dollar. I'm marrying my college sweetheart and we love frequenting antique stores, exploring together, and playing with kittens. We're planning a fun, "us" wedding in his hometown---with as many handmade touches as we can pack into a day!
Last I left off talking about our favors, they were a bit unfinished. Although I loved how clean and neat they looked without tags, I thought some might need a few hints as to what the pink granules were.
I printed these on brown kraft paper that I had purchased from Envelopemall using a laser printer. Since they were pretty small and I was starting to feel the time pressure, I just cut them up freehand with scissors. I had a pair of scalloped scissors that I had gotten at an art store years ago to add a little bit of detail. (I found another pair here at a great price, although temporarily sold out at the moment.)
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.
So now that I have purchased my wedding dress, I have been starting to think about the other elements of my bridal look: makeup, jewelry, bouquet, the works. Each of these can (and probably will) be dealt with in their own posts, but for now I want to talk about one particular aspect that both excites and scares me: hair.
Like most brides, how I’m going to wear my hair on my wedding day is a very important decision. Since getting engaged, I have refused to cut my hair. Even though I prefer it shorter (about shoulder length), I’m afraid a cut will limit my options for my wedding-day hairstyle. I’m now at the point where I need to go in for a little trim, but I’m still a bit terrified they’ll take too much off.
Right now, I’m still undecided about what exactly I’m going for. I know it will be something curly or at least wavy because my hair is naturally pretty curly and holds curls really well.
All-Inclusion Invitation Suites
