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 just had one of the most bizarre experiences of my lifetime. I went to Men’s Wearhouse with Mr. Magic to pick out a tux.
OK, wait. Yes, we did the whole suit versus tux debate. I basically had no opinion, and just wanted to check it off my huge Post-It note wall list. Many of the guys in our bridal party did not have black suits, and Mr. M thought it would be cheaper to rent tuxes than buy suits. Maybe this isn’t wholly true, with all the suit deals around, but since Yours Truly (you know…me) would have to hunt down the sales, I was fine with renting tuxes.
In my new, slightly reckless and increasingly impulsive
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.
Woo hoo. Bees, my jewelry order has come in and I am so darn excited about it!
The jewelry arrived in a sweet little box from Lulu Splendor and I was itching to try it on as soon as I got home from work. But first, let’s take a minute to really soak in the sparkly details.
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!
A few weekends ago, we trekked out to California for my sister’s college graduation. Why is this relevant to weddings? Well, luckily enough, Mr. CA’s Auntie also lives in the same town, so we were able to get together with her. Bonus? She is also my wedding hair and makeup artiste extraordinaire!
So, of course, we simply had to do a trial while I was down there, right? I mean, come on, who doesn’t love getting themselves done up all nice and pretty like? No one.
Armed with my hair-spiration, we set off. Unfortunately, due to terrible weather across the country, flights were delayed out of Newark, and we missed our connection in Phoenix. Which meant we landed in Phoenix around 1am. Meaning we had to sleep in the Phoenix airport to catch our super-early-morning flight. I was not pleased. Airport-sleeping does not make for a beautiful, fresh-faced Miss Candy A. Yep, I looked pretty haggard. Poor Auntie, she wasn’t going to have much to work with.
Once we landed, we met up with Auntie and Uncle CA for lunch, then the appointment. I dragged my mom along and pressed her into service as our photographer for the day. Mr. CA and Uncle CA also ended up joining us, so it was just a big ol’ Candy Apple party!
Get ready - lots of pics coming your way!
Me, fresh off the Phoenix airport floor with less than an hour’s sleep. Dehydrated. Tired. Sexy. Wait, which of those doesn’t belong?
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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!
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!
And by “two in one,” I mean two wedding-related activities in one day. This was big for me.
My dad called me one afternoon and said he heard on the radio that a casino in our area was hosting a bridal show. Now, to the best of knowledge, the Durango area only has one bridal show a year, and I had missed what I thought was my only opportunity to attend it because I was in Mexico drinking margaritas and lounging in the sun…but I’m not complaining. I marked it on my calendar and made plans with Mama Honey to attend. We also decided we would make a trek across the state line to the nearest Hobby Lobby.
Guess what else is across the state line? An awesome bridal boutique called Silk Bridal. I decided to make an appointment, but I was insanely nervous; my voice was a little shaky and for some reason I was very intimidated to make the call. I pulled it together and dialed the salon. When I asked the consultant what times were available for the day I would be in her area, she kind of laughed at me. Not a mean laugh…no, a laugh that was preceded by this statement: “We are having an Allure Bridal trunk show that day!” She then said, “Girl, I have got to get you in. Let me move around some appointments. There we go, you are in at 12:45.” Wow, and just like that I had an appointment.
Saturday rolled around and we attended the bridal show…which was a waste of our time…and then we headed to the Land of Enchantment for my first wedding-dress-shopping experience. I had actually been to Silk Bridal once before with a girlfriend, and I remember having a very pleasant experience. The bathroom has this painted on the wall: Your Fiance Called and He Said You Can Have Anything You Want.
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.
Maybe it was royal fever. Maybe my fingers were twitchy. Maybe it was too much Etsy browsing. Maybe I’m just crazy, but I decided to make a fascinator for my wedding three days before the big day.
(picture from Birdcage Supply - I bought this turquoise and some ivory too)
Now, as we know from some frantic posts at the end of April, I fell in love with a veil and ended up buying it to simplify my life. I figured the netting (which I spent all of $12 on, including shipping!) would just sit in my craft closet and gather dust, like so many other things. But… days before the wedding, it started calling to me. Read more…
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 a few posts back, I wrote about shopping for and purchasing my gorgeous wedding band. Today I want to tell you all about the other half of this wedding-related shopping adventure—namely, our search to find Mr. Parasol’s wedding band.
While I narrowed down my choices pretty quickly and only tried on three potential bands, Mr. Parasol spent a lot of time researching wedding bands online and then tried on probably 10–15 different choices. I didn’t think shopping for a man’s wedding band would be so difficult, but Mr. Parasol proved me wrong. When it comes to rings, he’s incredibly picky and indecisive! But perhaps that’s to be expected when a man is purchasing his first piece of jewelry. Mr. Parasol wanted to be sure that he will feel comfortable and confident wearing his ring for the rest of his life.
For a while, Mr. Parasol was really drawn to Celtic-knot wedding bands, like this one:
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!
As soon as our first dance was over, I grabbed my mom and tried to haul her out to the dance floor in an attempt to get the dance floor rockin’. This didn’t really work. Remember, Hyena Parents don’t dance, so I let it go; people would dance when they wanted to. Instead, Mr. Hyena and I went around to visit with our guests, who were eating the delicious hors d’oeuvres, drinking good beer and wine, and having a good time.
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!
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.
Besides all the hours upon hours of planning that goes into a wedding, there seems like there is an awful lot of rehearsing too!
Optional—but not mandatory—practices include a hair trial, a makeup trial, and perhaps a few drafts of the invitation. But one things that is practically a must for any sort of ceremony involving a few folks is the rehearsal.
We already have it all planned out to do a dry run at our local church the evening of the Thursday before the big day. Simple. But the thing that got me stuck was the dry-run chow.
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.
The next post to follow should naturally be the story about how Mr. Hot Tea and I decided on a date and venue or where I found my dress…but these come with major revisions to the original decisions. Oh, drama.
I’ll find the way back to the beginning of our wedding-planning adventure someway, somehow. Paper has been a friend all along, and a much easier place to begin is with the final design of our save the date (STD) cards.
I’m so excited to share—here’s the big reveal!
After finalizing our reception venue at the Boardwalk, I scoured hundreds of designs courtesy of the internet to discover different carnival-inspired cards. Heeeyyyy, Miss Ferris Wheel!
Mrs. Trail Mix, New YorkAge and Occupation: 26, PE TeacherFiance's Age and Occupation: 27, MBA StudentEngagement Date: March 2009Wedding Date: June 2010Venue: Tannery Pond at the Darrow SchoolAbout Me: I'm a country girl who somehow found herself living in the Big Apple and loving every minute of it. I'm planning a rustic, country-chic wedding in my hometown in upstate New York and it's going to be a Party with a capital P. White wine, flea markets and running keep me happy and my friends, family and fiance are my world. I'm a little bit crafty, a little bit crazy but mostly just crazy in love.
My friend whose wedding we attended in Italy is also having a New York City reception next Tuesday. Woohoo for more parties! While we already took the couple out to dinner in Oslo as their wedding gift (by some strange coincidence, they were honeymooning in Scandinavia at the same time we were visiting our friends in Norway, so we all got to meet up for dinner, super-duper fun), I am loathe to show up at a party empty-handed.
I wanted to keep it relatively inexpensive (since, ya know, we just flew out to Italy for their wedding and all) but make it heartfelt, rather than give them a colander or whatever.
Enter the classic ‘Framing of the Invitation’ with my own little twist. Since my friend used a starfish motif on all her paper goods, this was the perfect opportunity to put to use all the shells I collected while walking along the beach during our time in Italy.
I bought a white frame with a matte from Pottery Barn. Pottery Barn’s wooden frames are almost always 20% off at the store near me (I should know because it’s only 7 blocks away. DANGEROUS!) but of course, today I had no such luck. Harrumph.
Still, $25 later and I had a beautiful 5 x 7 frame and matte, ready for action. Read more…
Mrs. Snow Cone, Pittsburgh/Johnstown, PAAge and Occupation: 23, Public Health Graduate StudentFiance's Age and Occupation: 23, EngineerEngagement Date: April 9, 2010Wedding Date: August 2011Venue: OMOS Church ceremony/Sunnehanna Country Club receptionAbout Me: I’m one of the lucky ones---I met my future husband at the ripe old age of 13, started dating him as a mature woman of 15, and have been enjoying the ride ever since. Here we are, 8 years later, living in Pittsburgh, planning a "homestination" wedding in the place our school romance began---Johnstown, PA. I thrive on talking a mile a minute, eating my weight in chocolate, and internet shopping. I love a lengthy to-do list almost as much as I love a healthy amount of chaos in my life. Mr. Snow Cone and I watch countless episodes of Friends and The West Wing on repeat, root for rival college sports teams, and make each other laugh each and every day. We’re putting together a small-town wedding with a big personality and a classically modern (or modernly classic?) look for 250 of our closest family and friends. It’s been 8+ years in the making, and sometimes I still can’t believe I’m finally getting to marry my high school sweetheart!
I’ve been working on our ceremony for the better part of two months now. I finally, finally feel like the finish line is in sight, but, of course, there are just enough pieces still to nail down that I can’t in full confidence cross “plan ceremony” off the to-do list. Nevertheless, I have enough of the details figured out to share some with you!
As a quick reminder, we’re getting married in a full Catholic nuptial mass, which definitely has its hoops to jump through. The structure is pretty much set in stone; couples looking to infuse personal details largely do so through readings, music, and unique forms of participation, such as serving the Eucharist. Even with that being said, the music choices are relatively limited for the ceremony itself, as they are intended to be spiritual and/or liturgical in nature, befitting a Catholic mass. On the other hand, there’s a bit more flexibility for the music leading up the ceremony. Because the mass hasn’t officially begun during the prelude, the music chosen for that component can be a little bit more contemporary and secular, but many brides go with instrumental versions of modern songs to avoid any problematic lyrics, just to be safe.
Given how traditional our ceremony is shaping up to be, I was eager to infuse some music that was more “us” into the prelude. Our organist is a family friend who is beyond talented, so I decided that I wanted to showcase his talents during the prelude, giving him songs I love to play on the church’s piano before transitioning over to the organ for the ceremony itself. Enough chit-chat; here are the songs that will grace our guests’ ears while they wait for the ceremony to begin!
Song 1: “Forrest Gump Suite” by Alan Silvestri 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.
All-Inclusion Invitation Suites
