Mrs. Balloons, Aspen, COAge and Occupation: 24, Mass Communications graduate, Web Design student, & winery workerFiance's Age and Occupation: 26, EngineerEngagement Date: July 10, 2009Wedding Date: August 2011Venue: The Sundeck at The Little NellAbout Me: I'm a small-town Midwest girl planning an intimate mountaintop destination wedding complete with a huge DIY at-home reception. As an honors graduate fallen victim to the worst job market in history in my area, we're doing everything we can to still have the wedding of our dreams on a tighter budget. I currently enjoy working at a winery, but I'm lonnng overdue for a day job! I am: a big-time daydreamer, one of the pickiest eaters you'll ever meet, and a lover of pretty paper and awesome fonts. I'm a girly girl who loves to get dolled up, but also a country girl who loves to get muddy and go 4-wheeler riding. I also enjoy singing in the car, boating, going to concerts, the History Channel, carnival food, and going to watch St. Louis Cardinals baseball with my handsome engineer.
Hellooo, hive! MRS. Balloons here. That’s right, we’re back from our mountaintop destination wedding and it feels so good to finally be a Mrs.!
at the foot of the gondola base in Aspen
It’s been a busy time for us Balloons as we got settled back in from our trip to Colorado, prepared and executed an awesome at-home reception, followed by me starting classes again for my web design aspirations.
I cannot wait to share all the details with you! In the meantime, here’s a sneak peek: 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.
It’s bachelorette party time! I have to give you a little back story on the theme of the party. When I was a young Cucumber Sandwich, going to college in Washington, DC, I found myself hanging out with a certain demographic of the city. Those hunky men in uniform, to be exact! My friends and I always went to bars by the 8th and I Marine Corp barracks. We thought we were so cool because we were friends with Marines instead of frat guys. This little phase went on for about 2 years.
The theme of my bachelorette party was ’From Bravo to Bride’ because those lovely marines had a nickname for girls like us. Bravo Whiskey. I was so young and naive that I thought it was a cute pet name. Come to find out, it stand for Barracks Wh*re. Ooops. Sorry MamaCS!
I knew it was going to be a good time when I received this exciting invitation in the mail from BM Smoked Salmon. The invitation says: Read more…
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.
I should have known our response cards were cursed from the start. I loved the final product when they were sent out in our invitations, but these are little cards have been the bane of my existence from the beginning.
The response cards were originally supposed to look like this: Read more…
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!
It was out with the glamorous heels and in with the cowboy boots, as I divulged in my last post. I already owned a pair of cowboy boots, which made my wedding day shoe decision rather effortless. I am by no means a girl who wears cowboy boots for the functionality of them, I fully admit to wearing them purely as an accessory. I am, however, a big time country music lover, and there was a time in my life where I could be found every Friday night at the country bar two-stepping my heart out. At that time my mom gifted me with a pair of nice, for-real cowboy boots. If you have ever owned a pair of cowboy boots, you will know that right off the rack, they aren’t the most comfortable shoe known to woman. A pair of cowboy boots is best after being used, you know like roping cattle and feeding the horses. Since I don’t do that real stuff, and my two-stepping has slowed down since I met Mr. H, I haven’t fully broken in my boots. I have worn them a handful of times, but they still look brand-spankin’ new: 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.
In spite of my best efforts this summer, I have acquired two small, but noticeable tan lines on my chest.
Personal Photo
I know they could be a lot worse, but I kind of really hate them, especially because I tried so hard to not get tan lines when I went on vacation this summer. My bathing suit and all my dresses have straps, but I made sure to take them off and tuck them away whenever I went out into the sun. These little beauties are the result of my bathing suit straps starting to peek back out again without me noticing.
The problem is that you can just see them in my wedding dress, and as small as they are, I really don’t want any pictures of me with splotchy, uneven, untanned skin. This is not the look I’m going for:
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!
After 65 years, Priscilla of Boston is closing up shop and retiring their line of brands (Priscilla of Boston, Jewel by Priscilla of Boston, Platinum For Priscilla of Boston, The Dress by Priscilla of Boston, Melissa Sweet, Reverie by Melissa Sweet, Vineyard Collection). Priscilla of Boston gowns have long been a favorite of mine (we recently included a PoB dress in our New York Magazine guest edit).
Miss Warbler, Long Beach/MalibuAge and Occupation: 24, Quality Assurance EditorFiance's Age and Occupation: 32, Handheld AdministratorEngagement Date: December 7, 2010Wedding Date: April 2012Venue: Calamigos Ranch MalibuAbout Me: I’m a Korean BBQ loving, cheesecake enthusiast bride living in the LBC! By day I write and edit for an online search engine marketing company. By night I am a volunteer food taster of all that is delicious. I am fortunate to be marrying an amazing man who loves me and my quirky ways. I love food, books, indie music, and Harry Potter. We are planning a small, intimate wedding up in the Malibu Hills with our closest family and friends. With the help of my wonderful fiance, our loved ones, and red velvet cheesecake, our wedding will be glorious!
A friend asked me this question last week. Why am I getting married? Mr. Warbler and I already live together (in sin), we share finances, and we are in agreement that we’re not having any children. Getting married won’t change anything in our lives, so why bother?
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!
After the ceremony ended and Mr. EB and I were finally married, there was one more thing we had to do to make it legal—sign the marriage certificate.
Annemarie made sure to have a place in the back set up for us specifically to have a few moments alone and to sign the marriage license. Read more…
Miss Ticket, Riverside, CAAge and Occupation: 25, Executive AssistantFiance's Age and Occupation: 24, HVAC TechnicianEngagement Date: November 14, 2010Wedding Date: October 2011Venue: Crestmore ManorAbout Me: I'm a lifelong So Cal gal, a chocoholic, a closet gamer, and a television enthusiast (love me some Vampire Diaries!) who adores playing in the kitchen and lives in flip flops. Mr. Ticket and I are best known for singing and dancing in the car, our World of Warcraft addiction, adoring food, crane game playing, and our general homebody ways. Oh, and GO STEELERS!
When we first started planning for the wedding I started mentally cataloging things in order of priority. There were certain things I knew we would want to spend more money on because they are simply more important to us. There was one thing however that I never particularly intended to spend much on, but deep down I knew I would be completely dissatisfied if they were anything less than AWESOME. I’m talking about invitations.
As I was working out our budget with Mr. Ticket I put down a very measly amount for invitations. One day while I was at Michael’s I even bought a pack of really nice looking ivory and orange invitations for about $5 (after coupon). I figured that even though I wasn’t in LOVE with them the price was just too good I couldn’t NOT use them.
Exhibit A: Perfectly nice invitations that even come with lined envelopes and ribbons!
As time passed by the little voice in my head reminded me that these were just simple pieces of paper being sent out—they weren’t food or drinks or entertainment in any way—got TOTALLY drowned out by Bride Brain that was screaming we needed to have nicer invitations. I’ll give you two guesses at who won that battle and I’m sure you’ll guess correctly the first time. That’s right ladies… Read more…
Mrs. Sunhat, Dyer, IN Age and Occupation: 32, Tax AccountantFiance's Age and Occupation: 35, Landscape ForemanEngagement Date: September 25, 2010Wedding Date: December 2011Venues: St. Andrew the Apostle, Fiesta PalaceAbout Me: I'm a Midwest girl who grew up in the country and now works in the big city! I love cooking, entertaining, reading (addicted to my Kindle) and going to the movies. I don't miss an episode of Hoarders and I start cleaning every time I watch! My profession doesn't call for much creativity so wedding planning has been a great outlet. Mr. Sunhat and I met online three years ago, cheer for rival MLB teams and share a home with our dog, Wrigley. We are planning a traditional, Polish, Catholic wedding with lots of DIY elements and some fun surprises. I'm so excited to be married on New Year's Eve and we can't wait to ring in the new year as husband and wife!
Miss Kettle, Chicago, ILAge and Occupation: 26, Non-Profit Donor Resource CoordinatorFiance's Age and Occupation: 27, Musician & TeacherEngagement Date: May 29, 2011Wedding Date: February 2012Venue: Patrick C. Haley Mansion, Joliet, ILAbout Me: I'm a city girl who loves a good escape, so I'm planning a Chicago wedding outside of the city. I've been described as a quirky yet down-to-earth drama queen who loves fiercely. I used to be a scientist, but now I'm learning to navigate the world of non-profit organizations. I love cooking, blogging, shopping, and music, and movies (Hans Zimmer is my favorite movie composer). Mr. Kettle and I had a short courtship and now we have a happy home with our cat-who-thinks-she's-people, Belle. We spend our days and nights with good food, live music, video games, family, and friends. Our wedding has become this wonderful excuse to bring together hundreds of people we can't bear to be without.
I don’t know if our engagement party was really the best ever, but it was the best one I’d ever been to. The food, the music, the decorations, the guests—everything was exactly as it should be. It really warmed my heart and Mr. Kettle’s heart, too. Now we only talk about eloping when confronted with overly detailed wedding decisions instead of every time we think of the impending too-big-to-succeed wedding.
Momma and Daddy Kettle, along with some help from friends of theirs, put together a wonderful affair.
We had our engagement party at the lovely L26 restaurant, and it was better than I could have imagined. So, onto the recaps.
Mr. Kettle and I agreed he wouldn’t take any gigs the days of wedding events. He forgot this agreement and took a gig the day of the engagement party. I was concerned he would be late or miss his own party, but I didn’t request he cancel the gig. Interestingly enough, I was the one who made us late to the party because I was last-minute shopping in Orland with BM Milk. But I ended up with a great dress. I don’t have any full-length pictures of me standing up wearing it, though. I can’t believe I went all night without getting one. Recap fail.
Personal photo: This is the only photo I have where you can see the whole dress. It is lovely even sitting down, isn’t it?
Miss Petit Four, San Antonio/Isla MujeresAge and Occupation: 25, Technology teacherFiance's Age and Occupation: 30, Math Teacher and Football CoachEngagement Date: Feb 13, 2010Wedding Date: March 2012Venue: Zama Beach Club, Isla Mujeres, MexicoAbout Me: I am a polka-dot obsessed, destination wedding diva living and loving in the great state of Texas. I am an island girl at heart and I visit the beach as often as I can. I am a wannabe DIY goddess, but that doesn’t mean I won’t give it my best shot. I love pearl earrings, the color pink, and ruffles are a part of my everyday wardrobe. My wonderful fiance and I are planning a destination wedding with our closest family and friends and we’re leaving a trail of glitter in our path!
So, one of the big things about having a beach wedding is that it’s going to be hot. Hopefully not too hot, but it will at least be humid! Now, don’t get me wrong, I love my wedding dress (which just came in, by the way!), but it’s not the most comfortable thing in the world.
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.
My oh-so-lovely loved ones weren’t totally hating me for wanting my shower not to be a surprise, nor were they mad about me wanting oh-so-badly wanting to craft the invites.
My shower day is a day that goes down as one of my favorite days in the history of my life. I know that it sounds silly—after all it is just a party to shower me and Mr. Sweets with nice things…but to me those things weren’t things, they were kindness, love and true all-out-soul-sharing from friends and family that gathered at our house on a recent Saturday to show us how much they care.
Since I was hoping for a non-surprise, I got to help pick the date. And I was obsessed with the theme “We Go Together.” And I was so happy that it was at our house so that everyone could stay as late as they wanted and we didn’t have to worry about dragging packages back and forth. But that is where me being “in the know” ended.
There were secret meetings (that I somehow knew happened) and lots of fun planning behind my back.
Mrs. Waffle, AustinAge and Occupation: 31, Costumer/ArtistFiance's Age and Occupation: 33, AnimatorEngagement Date: July 27, 2010Wedding Date: June 2011Venue: Hummingbird HouseAbout Me: My life is pretty much spent in a sea of fabric, paint, sequins and drama. When I’m not working, I play on a trivia team, take Broadway dance classes, read, buy shoes, and occasionally geek out on video games. I am an American girl who loves all things British and Mr. Waffle is a Brit who loves all things American...I guess it was meant to be!
We had planned the rest of the day before the wedding to be pretty chill and relaxed. After rehearsal brunch, MOH Sweet Pea and I went to get our nails done and then it was off to the Dog and Duck Pub for some grub and hangin’ with friends and family. I was enjoying myself, but there was a little voice in the back of my brain that wouldn’t be quiet and said, “You need to finish your vows.”
You see, I had started my vows, but was having trouble finishing. I was feeling intense pressure for them to be great…REALLY great. They were dripping with beautiful and flowery metaphors with a witty line or two thrown in for good measure and a laugh, but something wasn’t quite right about them and they needed to be finished. How is it that I couldn’t find the words?
Mr Waffle and I went back to our apartment and he hurriedly packed his overnight back as midnight was looming. He’s a very traditional and superstitious guy and technically seeing me on the day was not an option for him. As he rushed out the door, he gave me a kiss and said, “Don’t forget to turn the AC back on. You’ll get hot. Bye!” Then he was gone. Read more…
All-Inclusion Invitation Suites
Image via 1stweddingplanner.com
