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.
We were just about squared away on the groomsmen’s attire except for the ties. While I have a soft spot for paisley, Macs can’t stand it. All the check patterns we found reminded me of Easter, so that left us with stripes.
This first one was pretty close color wise, but skinny ties just look funny to me on really tall men. Men’s Wearhouse had another Calvin Klein but it was an online exclusive and, at $60 a piece, I didn’t want to spend that much on something I couldn’t see in person.
Mrs. Tartlet, Rochester, MIAge and Occupation: Age & Occupation: 27, Post-Doctoral Research FellowFiance's Age and Occupation: 28, Medical StudentEngagement Date: May 2, 2009Wedding Date: May 2011Venue: The Royal Park HotelAbout Me: I'm an exuberant gal from the Midwest with a penchant for Neuroscience and anything sparkly. I'm not afraid to poke fun at myself, and I'm a believer that given the right pair of shoes, a girl can conquer the world. While an interest in the sciences threw Mr. Tartlet and me together (again, and again, until it finally stuck), we share a love for many things---food, video games, car dancing, food, bad puns, travel, did I mention food?---that ultimately led us to where we are now, less than five months from becoming Mr. and Mrs. We're planning a laid-back, romantic, garden-inspired affair with organic and quirky touches that reflect our love for the unexpected!
After our fleeting, 15-minute-and-changeceremony, family portraits, and signing our marriage license, we were at last ready to commence our reception. We had planned for our entire wedding party to participate in the grand entrance, but after noting that all members were deep in earnest conversations, we decided there was no sense disrupting the flow to pull them away. The idea was thus canned on the spot, and our unflappable DJ, Mary Ann Ross, simply asked our guests to rise and give a hearty welcome to the newlyweds.
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!
Let me break it down for you. My heritage consists of the following: Irish, German, Swedish, Dutch, and English. This means that I have five kinds of pale skin tones all blending together to form a super-pale experience that is often unparalleled. Tanning isn’t really in my skill set; if I’m lucky, a week at the beach involves two things: the avoidance of a painful burn, and enough minor and brief sun exposure to result in a subtle pink that could maybe pass for brown(ish). Despite my genetic predisposition to paleness, I still enjoy a hint of color on my skin. Because of my genetic predisposition to paleness, I’ve never set foot in a tanning bed and never plan to. As a result, my options for getting a sun-kissed look are pretty limited.
During high school, I tried Mystic Tan for proms and formals, and I was always pleased with the result. Minus the day of gunkiness immediately after getting sprayed, it got passing marks in my book. Relatively inexpensive, relatively long-lasting, and relatively stress- and complaint-free. As long as you follow the instructions, that is..
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!
After we had narrowed the list down, deciding that a cafe with restrictions and a venue with alcohol limitations but an abundance of dead animals didn’t quite meet our vision…we drove to Vallecito Lake to check out the Community Center. I’m going to go ahead and say, at the risk of sounding snobby, that I’m not too fond of the generic “Community Center” name. From here on out, the venue will be referred to as simply Vallecito Lake or Vallecito Lake Events Center. Don’t judge.
While I’m being honest with you, hive, I’m also going to show you the picture that I came across in our venue search that quickly deterred me from considering it:
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. 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!
Unlike most couples, our engagement shoot was more of an afterthought. It was also a bit tricky on the practical front, since I was in New York and Mr. Crepe was in Nashville. Our wonderful photographers had gifted us a couple hours of shooting as a signing incentive—a note to all the wedding photogs out there, this is a great idea, especially for your clients who aren’t planning on getting an engagement package. It’s a wonderful way for everyone to get comfortable with each other. We weren’t planning on doing this since it wasn’t in the budget for us and we couldn’t see what we’d do with the photos since we had already sent out our save the dates. But I am definitely happy that we ended up doing it since I LOVE our photos!
Originally, we wanted to use those hours to shoot our rehearsal dinner because it would have been a great way to capture our family and friends who were involved in the wedding. In retrospect, I’m glad that didn’t work out. We had been setting up our reception area all day and since there wasn’t enough time to get a shower in there, we showed up exhausted and sweaty at the dinner.
There were also quite a few key players who weren’t able to make it to the rehearsal dinner so we decided to use it on an engagement shoot after all.
We ended up finally scheduling something for the week before our wedding and I’m so glad we did because I was NERVOUS. Read more…
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. Jaguar, SydneyAge and Occupation: 27, Primary School TeacherFiance's Age and Occupation: 29, IT ConsultantEngagement Date: August 8, 2009Wedding Date: June 2011Venue: Curzon HallAbout Me: I'm an Australian girl who is a self-proclaimed nerd, loves all things stationery and would be lost without books, music and the internet. Mr. Jaguar and I have been together for the past eight years and he finally popped the question last August. Hurrah! We currently live in Sydney, Australia with our adorable cat who thinks he's a person. We're a couple who likes to multi-task: we've been planning a wedding abroad, a permanent move from London to Sydney, and preparing to build our own home all at the same time. Travelling makes me giddy...as does Mr. Jaguar, of course!
There was one last thing I needed the girls to help me with before they left me to my thoughts on wedding day’s eve. It was the most precious of my parcels: the dress!
With a little hoisting and a handy curtain hook, we got it hung up and flattened out.
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.
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.
I am ready for my close up! We booked our final “big” vendor, and it feels so good. My stylist is in place for the wedding day (i.e., makeup and hair).
I was dragging my feet on booking this vendor. I think because there are so many options and it is hard to really get a feel for their work. I knew that I wanted someone who could do the total package: hair and makeup for both myself and everyone else. I also wanted someone who would be able to travel to Congress Hall. For the bridal party we rented a gorgeous getting-ready room. I wanted us to all be able to get ready/primp together!
Mrs. Prairie Dog, Cincinnati
Age and Occupation: 24, Program CoordinatorFiance's Age and Occupation: 25, PhD/Biomedical EngineerEngagement Date: December 18, 2009Wedding Date: May 2011Venue: Glendale LyceumAbout Me: I'm a pilgrim soul of a girl with a house full of books and a coffee addiction that could slay Juan Valdez. My life is a whirl of grammar correction, good music, glue-gunning, and two pets named Hazel and Winston Churchill. I'm marrying my high school boyfriend in a formal-ish spring affair, roughly themed: "Elizabeth Bennet crashes a party co-hosted by Jay Gatsby and Cath Kidston, and loves it."
I can’t explain why I was so irrationally nervous to walk down the aisle. Like, dreading it nervous. Descending quickly into stomach-swirling nausea nervous. I wasn’t nervous to marry him—no, no, nothing like that. And yes, I knew that the room was filled with people I love—why be nervous? Cognitively, I knew these things, but my nervous system short-circuited anyway.
Here is a good idea of what not to think about as you wait behind the wide, wooden doors: how nervous you are. Doesn’t help. Though I don’t know what you are supposed to be thinking about the moment before you walk down the aisle to be married. The immensity of what you are doing, I suppose, or the hugeness of love in the place where you stand.
I’ve always thought that having a parent or both parents walk you down the aisle was done in the tradition of the bride being passed from one family from another. Now, I think it might be because you (or in this case, um, me) are so nervous about being stared at by so many people that your stomach is clenching. Your stomach is clenching the way it sometimes did when you were little, in the moments before you knew that barfing was imminent. Then you would run to the bathroom, prostrate yourself in front of the cold porcelain and, bracing for the worst, scream: MOMMM!!! DAAAAAAAAAAAAAD!!!
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!
So, I realize the last post I wrote about save the dates was in January, but, as I started to move on to sharing our invitations with you guys I felt like the right thing to do would be finish off my STDs. I’m just going with a “better late than never” attitude on this one, and besides, it is on my list of things to blog about before we get our pro pics, so I’m finally getting back to it.
Where we last left off, many moons ago, I didn’t choose an STD, then I designed a million save the dates, and then we finally decided on one, and then realized I needed a postcard to put that sucker on, and then I finally shared them with you.
I never shared the assembly or budget, though, and I’ve always wanted to let you know how we put them together because it was so easy and simple; so, finally, our STD assembly!
To refresh your memories, here are our STDs (the bottom two photos are digital mock ups).
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 know, I know, I was mean. I’m sorry! But you will for sure get the final winner this time around. I promise! If you are just tuning in, you can find the back story of the brackets here and rounds 1-3 here.
The finalists were Mr. D’s choice of “Harder to Concentrate” by the Red Hot Chili Peppers, and my choice of “Better Together” by Jack Johnson. Mr. D’s first seed made it through to the final two, while mine was struck down by a 4th seed, and my own song at that.
First, we shall look at “Better Together.” For those of you not familiar with the song, here it is:
I really love the song “Better Together.” Actually, I love Jack Johnson period. He’s my favorite guy to listen to when I need soothing. There is a certain part of the song that I really feel tells a part of Mr. D’s and my song: Read more…
Mrs. Biscuit, Morgantown, WVAge and Occupation: 24, Dental StudentFiance's Age and Occupation: 26, Chemist at a pharmaceutical companyEngagement Date: April 2010Wedding Date: July 2011Venue: Catholic Church, Lakeview Golf Resort and SpaAbout Me: I'm an engineer who decided to trek back to my hometown three years ago to become skilled in the arts of drilling and filling. I'm engaged to a pretty awesome guy who tests your assorted benzodiazepines by day and home brews by night. Together we have two fur children, Tsali and Tobias N. Fünkat. I'm a lazy perfectionist and eternal sorority girl who enjoys running, crafting, string cheese, good beer, and bad reality TV. We are planning a Big Fat Italian/Sicilian/Polish wedding filled with DIY details and are expecting 300 +/- 50 guests. Our whimsical summer affair is themed "Alice attends the Mad Hatter Vintage Garden Tea Party in a Ballroom. She Thinks That The Venue is Odd for a Vintage Garden Party, but is Tripping on LSD, so She Doesn't Really Care." Yes, I am the Dickens of themes.
I know, I know…my post title isn’t original, but this song has been stuck in my head for the past few weeks, always while I’m super stressed. And then I think of GOB and his “illusions,” which causes me to laugh and stay sane.
A lot has been happening and with one week to go with my planning, everything is now coming to a head. Plans are finalized, and my grandiose vision is slowly turning into reality. However, some stuff that I’ve previously blogged about just didn’t work out. Surprisingly enough, all of my DIY is coming together nicely despite my numerous rides on the DIY fail ship. 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!
Sometimes it feels almost impossible to make your wedding stand out from the pack. Magazines, websites, books, and blogs offer a lot of the same ideas over and over again, making the weddings look almost cookie-cutter. With thousands of brides looking at the same sources for inspiration, it’s inevitable that some new idea will become common practice in no time. This clone-like aspect of weddings, combined with my relative lack of creativity and crafting skills, kind of sends shivers down my spine when I let my mind wander in an attempt to come up with a flair of personality and individuality for our upcoming wedding festivities. With that being said, just try to imagine the sheer ecstasy I experienced when I finally conjured up an idea that I didn’t beg, borrow, or steal from anyone or anywhere else. It’s allllll mine!
(OK, realistically, I’m sure I’m not the first bride to do this project. However, I’ve not seen it in any of my wedding materials, so I’m going to keep up my delusion that I actually am the first person to experience such a stroke of genius to result in this creation. Humor me, mmkay?)
Image via Vallecito Lake Chamber
All-Inclusion Invitation Suites
