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!
Like many bees before me, I am a Moo Card bride. You know, those cute little mini cards that you can customize? Yeah, they’re pretty neat.
Surprisingly, I actually did not find out about Moo cards through Weddingbee. Shocking, I know. Our photographers included a box of Moo cards with our e-session DVD—they had a selection of our e-pictures on one side of the card, and our future wedding gallery information on the other. They suggested that we set them out somewhere on our wedding day, so that our guests knew how to access the gallery after the event. Excellent! I fell in love with Moo’s packaging, and the teensy little cards. Right then and there, I knew I wanted to somehow work additional Moo cards into our stationery suite. I had a pretty firm idea on how I would use them, and it was fun to trawl through WB and see how various other bees have used them in the past. I was officially hooked on Moo.
So, I bit the bullet and designed some Moo cards! This means we will not only have the Moo cards to set out on the wedding day itself (from our photogs), but I was also able to incorporate them into our invitations.
Yes, it is exciting. I’m telling you - their packaging kicks butt.
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).
With our first dance out of the way, our guests were able to get cozy at the reception. The variety of seating allowed everyone to choose a place where they felt most comfortable. As you might guess, our friends mostly chose the lounge furniture, while our older guests and family members gravitated toward the more traditional tables and chairs.
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.
Day two in New York City dawned. Mr. Gazelle and I decided to kick off the day with a delicious breakfast sandwich from Dean & Deluca, just one block away.
Once we were fuelled and ready to go it was time to ride the subway! Coordinating t-shirts completely unintentional. Read more…
Miss Snapdragon, Chicago/DallasAge and Occupation: 32,Associate ProducerFiance's Age and Occupation: 33, Lighting DesignerBlogging Since: November 14, 2008Engagement Date: January 1, 2011Wedding Date: March 2012Venue: Marie GabrielleAbout Me: Voracious reader of short stories, Russian literature, National Geographic and Cosmo. I'm a GENIUS at spicing up Weight Watchers recipes and a pathological cheater at board games. I run a slow marathon, but my feet are learning to move faster. Mornings aren't my thing, but I can night owl with the best of them. Don't tempt me with your Cherry Cokes---I'm trying to quit. Tomorrow. Or never.
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.
I’m sure that in days before bridal blogs like Weddingbee, brides had their ways about finding a perfect photographer or place to get their dress. They probably heard through the grapevine about a wonderful photographer or a fabulous baker. Either way I’m a chick who loves hearing about people’s experiences and advice whether to pull the trigger on a purchase or not.
I love seeing how many stars a movie gets before deciding if I should really spend all that dough to see it. Mr. Sweets completely embarrassed me (by accident) when he told the guy at Best Buy that I am totally set on buying a printer based on the stars. And restaurant reviews? Enough said.
But sometimes the reviews surprise me! After waiting to see a flick when it gets to DVD, sometimes I wish I would’ve seen it on the big screen. And there have been plenty of times that I just had to try Restaurant X because of rave reviews, only to be left disappointed and confused about what all the fuss was about.
That’s why I highly recommend a test drive. Even if it is a little pricey. Enter my makeup trial. 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!
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.
A few weeks after choosing my e-ring (backstory here), Mr. Hot Tea and I vacationed in Cabo. My bestie speculated that a proposal might be in the works, but I knew it was probably too soon.
Nevertheless, we had the best vacation ever! Surfing, sunning, and relaxing were the only activities on the agenda…
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!
While I’ve already introduced you to the Honey venue, it should be known that I obsessed and panicked over this detail of our wedding: the colors.
For some reason out of my control, one of the first things I wanted to determine when we got engaged was the color palette. It was a good three months of being engaged before we found our venue, but that didn’t stop me from deciding our color palette, then changing it, and changing it again…and maybe still having color envy of other delicious palettes. It’s a problem, fo sho. I love color and it really sets the tone of the wedding.
I had fallen in love with a funky color palette that was just not going to jive with our charming venue, so I had to change it up. I knew I wanted gray as a color; black was too formal, and I couldn’t convince myself that brown was the neutral for us. Plus our furry groomsman/ring bearer is the prettiest of gray colors:
Mrs. Lox, BaltimoreAge and Occupation: 33, Government WorkerFiance's Age and Occupation: 35. IT ConsultantEngagement Date: May 8, 2010Wedding Date: May 2011Venue: Vandiver InnAbout Me: I’m an East Coast gal born and bred and a suburban brat turned city rat for the last year. Now Mr. Lox and I enjoy walking all kinds of places, having the coolest things around in our backyard, and especially our garage parking. I love gadgets, toys, Ben & Jerry’s Chubby Hubby ice cream, monkeys, and our insane cats. I’m a blonde by birth and a redhead by choice. I’m that girl in the cubicle farm with all the cool toys and the file cabinet covered in magnetic poetry. I still use smiley faces in my emails, whether people like it or not. This is not the first rodeo for Mr. Lox nor me. And together, we are planning an intimate afternoon wedding on a budget we can afford by ourselves.
I don’t have pictures of the days before the wedding. Which is actually not such a big deal, because we didn’t have a rehearsal or a rehearsal dinner. So we’re going to fast forward through that and land right on the morning of the wedding. It’s time to get ready!
The night before the wedding, Mr. Lox stayed in his father’s room, and in our suite I stayed with one of my oldest and dearest friends. We stayed together the night before my first wedding. We stayed together the night before her wedding three years ago. And that night we stayed together one last time. It was really sweet.
We got enough sleep and got up in time to grab breakfast before the troops arrived. When they did, I was totally ready for them. I had prosecco sangria in the fridge and one of my friends brought the perfect cups. We were on our way!
My dress was moved into the corner to avoid the clouds of hairspray that would soon be invading the room. 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.
Even in our forward-thinking twenty-first century society, most people assume that when a man and woman get married, the wife will take her husband’s last name. At least in the United States. Many couples simply don’t want to break with such a long-standing tradition, while others cherish the idea of sharing a last name, especially if they ever plan on having children.
Mrs. Panther, Atlanta GA/Westport CTAge and Occupation: 24, Web WriterFiance's Age and Occupation: 25, Music Recording EngineerEngagement Date: March 13, 2010Wedding Date: July 2011Venue: The Inn at LongshoreAbout Me: I'm a total goofball who goes through life at a breakneck pace, trying not to knock anything over. I tend to fall in love with everything I encounter, but more than anything, I love my two little kitties, Bela and Josie, and my big kitty, Mr. Panther! As a wannabe crafter, I'm still waiting for my artistic talents to emerge. (Any day now, really.) In the meantime, I spend my days eating anything put in front of me, buying every pair of shoes I see and absorbing wedding inspiration from every inch of my surroundings. Mr. Panther and I are hardcore New Englanders planning Connecticut nuptials from our new home in the Dirty South, and can't wait to mix our newfound love of classic Southern charm with some modern city touches.
Hello there, hive! Does anyone remember me? I feel like I’ve been gone forever. What’s that? It’s only been a few weeks? Oh. In case you hadn’t guessed, Mr. Panther and I are back from our honeymoon and enjoying our newlywed bliss. Actually, I’m enjoying our newlywed bliss with our dog and two cats, and Mr. Panther is on a business trip, but that’s OK. We took tons of photos in St. Lucia, but I think before I get to the honeymoon, I should go back to where I left off in my blogging ventures! And that brings us to my magical, wonderful bachelorette party. Can anyone guess what the theme was?
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.
Mr. Cucumber Sammie and I made a trip down the road this weekend and got our wedding bands! I thought we would need to order them but, lucky for us, Mr. CS and I are both a perfect showroom size and walked out with our rings.
Mrs. Bunting, Grand Rapids, MIAge and Occupation: 24, freelance illustrator & print productionFiance's Age and Occupation: 24, graduate of historyEngagement Date: December 3, 2009Wedding Date: June 2011Venue: Spring Grove Park & St. George Banquet CenterAbout Me: I am a freelance illustrator and designer with a love of nature and a taste for adventure. Textures and color fuel my world, along with apple cider and noodles. I'll try anything once, especially if it involves heights or food. I've hiked the Grand Canyon, gone sky diving, cuddled a baby wolf, and now my latest venture consists of designing and planning a large wedding involving color, DIY details, love, and marrying my best friend.
…or FFfF, because that’s the sound I made for the longest time when I thought of favors. On the one hand, there’s a part of me that loves the idea of them. This is probably because I went to too many birthday parties as a child where we were sent home with Lisa Frank paraphernalia. Stickers, notepads, colorful pens, and temporary tattoos. Oh, those were the good days!
Okay, I am still one-hundred-percent all about the birthday party favors. But a wedding is a completely different affair. As in, we would be having 150-200 adult guests instead of 5-10 children. I wasn’t too keen on spending a lot of money on a favor that, from what I’ve heard, more often than not goes untouched and unappreciated. Yet as our day grew closer, I found myself genuinely wanting to offer our guests a token of love and our gratitude.
It wasn’t until I was searching Weddingbee for inspiration and came across Mrs. Sloth’s own favor post that I was convinced. (Thanks, Mrs. Sloth!)
And thus, with minimal money and minimal work, these were born:
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.
When we left off in part 1, I was crying because our invites and additional documents were just thrown in the envelope and I didn’t care for everything sliding around inside.
I sought out advice from our wedding planner, Shelley, about what to do. It turns out that she was actually already planning on swinging by a stationery store and would see what they sold that would help us. She wound up putting these on hold for us:
The RSVP card and envelope tuck nicely right into that little fold, and then our invite goes right on top. The top 1/3 of the invitation itself actually sticks out of the top, but I really like it because it looks kind of like this when you pull it out of the envelope.:
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 I had ordered my shoes—and a side note: it was pretty aggravating getting the response I did about buying flats for my wedding. The shoe-sales guy at Dillard’s actually told me that Mr. Ladyfingers should wear lifts in his shoes if we were concerned that he would be shorter than me in heels. Normally I’d leave without buying anything…but I loved the shoes too much. They only had black in my size, so I ordered the silver and waited. Just over a week later, this was on my doorstep. (Well, in a box in brown paper on my doorstep):
