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.
Hi, hive! The first thing you should know about me, at least for the foreseeable future, is that I usually blog while at work. I love my job, but I work 12-hour shifts. So when I’m not working, I’m at home sleeping or trying desperately to slip in a bit of actually living life.
I say this to say don’t judge me for the occasional lack of coherence. Did I mention I work the night shift?
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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!
A little while after we’d cut the cake, we decided to do our bouquet and garter tosses! I grabbed my toss bouquet and prepared to launch it into the crowd of ladies.
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!
But after about a year and a half of doing the long-distance thing, I was tired of the goodbyes. I decided to look for a job in Pittsburgh. Well, boy did I choose the wrong time in all of history to look for a job. I applied for hundreds of jobs; I even went on interviews over the phone and in person while I was in town for a visit. But, alas, I couldn’t seem to find more than a part-time job, and a part-time job was not going to pay the bills.* After about six months of my job search with dismal results, I was becoming exceptionally disheartened. (Don’t worry—this story still has a happy ending!) Mr. Ticket to the rescue.
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 I mentioned briefly that last week was a particularly exciting week, wedding-attire-wise. The highlight was definitely my dress fitting and, yes, I finally managed to take a few pictures, so those will be coming very soon (I promise!). But Mr. Parasol and I also went shopping for a tie to complete his wedding-day look, and then we started looking for a suit for Brother Parasol.
We had originally planned to just go to Macy’s for all of the dudes’ duds, but on the way we saw a Saks Fifth Avenue and thought, “Hey, what the heck. Let’s look there, just for fun.” I have no idea why we thought this would be fun; none of us had ever even been to Saks before. But maybe that was the appeal. In any event, we put on our best behavior and headed into a really fancy schmancy store.
Mr. Parasol browsed their enormous tie selection, and he actually found several that he liked. A few were ridiculously expensive but, surprisingly, some were very affordable. Some of his favorites were actually on sale for cheaper than anything we’d find at Macy’s.
Here are a few that made it into the dressing room:
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. Teaspoon, Sydney, AustraliaAge and Occupation: 27, Medical ScientistFiance's Age and Occupation: 30, BankerEngagement Date: June 4, 2010Wedding Date: September 2011Venue: St Aloysius' College, Milson's PointAbout Me: I am a mad scientist who enjoys swimming at the beach in summer and skiing powder in winter. Our favourite times together are spent with the sand between our toes, cooking up a storm, re-watching and re-reading every Harry Potter ever made, and spending time with our dear friends and family! We have travelled the world together in our 6 years of dating, from Paris, to Thailand, to Las Vegas, and we are tackling the many challenges of planning our special day the best way we know how---together!
Mr. Teaspoon and I unashamedly chose our first-dance song well before we were engaged, and it is absolutely positively perfect for us!
Let me take you back to, oh, March 2010. I was Googling CDs with his collection next to me to work out if there were any he didn’t have to make for a good birthday present. You see, Mr. Teaspoon is a HUGE Dave Matthews fan, like has every CD and DVD and that means each song can be played in like five different locations. However, then I came across this strange looking CD cover:
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’m not sure if you’ve heard, but it’s like, two days until our wedding. OK, ninety something. Whatever…feels like two. Anyways, today a thought struck me as I was driving along. We need a cake topper! And the best place to go for cake toppers, in my humble opinion, is Lollipop Workshop on Etsy.
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’m Miss Kettle. I’m so excited be here. I wish there was a way to convey through words the extent of my joy. I could try, but I’m not a writer—I’m a scientist. My grasp of spelling and grammar is no small feat in itself, so I will accept that proper word choice is just outside my grasp.
That, my new friends, is why God made Google. It’s my best buddy on the internet. There’s nothing Google can’t do. Well, that’s not true. But there are no internet needs of mine that it can’t meet. The best example of this was when Mr. Kettle went to Europe for a month last winter and we were able to talk on the phone and video chat—for free—through Google (technically Gmail, but it’s the same thing). But I digress…
Through Google, I can find pictures to try and express my joy.
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.
Well no, we didn’t send any thank you cards to India, but that song always gets into my head when I’m writing thank you notes. Speaking of which, I wrote our thank you notes!
They’re in the mail and everything. England and Ireland haven’t received theirs yet, but hopefully this week. It was a daunting task that I kept putting off. Before I finally buckled down and did them, the conversation went something like this:
Mrs. Brooch, Arlington, VAAge and Occupation: 25, Writer/EditorFiance's Age and Occupation: 29, Front Desk ManagerEngagement Date: October 3, 2009Wedding Date: April 2011Venue: Oxon Hill ManorAbout Me: I’m an indecisive girlie-girl with a motor mouth, can-do attitude, and knack for making others laugh. I dream of becoming a best selling novelist like Elizabeth Gilbert or Julie Powell (a girl can dream, right?), and love long road trips, a beautiful countryside, music, blogs, books, and all things vintage/thrift/antique/or homemade. I’m a Virgo, i.e. overly sensitive, emotional, and critical, and there’s no such thing as short and sweet in my world. I want to say and do it all. Mr. Brooch grounds me. I point where to go and he figures out the way. He’s a pragmatic fancy-pants who enjoys video games and movies. We both adore our mutt, Rocky, and spending time with our amazingly supportive family and friends. We’re planning a garden wedding with a formal reception with lots of whimsy and unique, Southern-inspired details.
Unlike me, Mr. Brooch only needed about 30 minutes to get ready. From what he tells me about the morning of the wedding, he was ready awhile before the photographer even got there. He said he and his boys spent the morning hanging out in the lobby of the Hampton Inn, which is where all the family stayed, too.
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.
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!
Sorry, other friends. No passing. Come January 2008 we decided to become “official.” We agreed to be exclusive and not date other people. Mind you we hadn’t even met in person yet. Didn’t matter to me—I was hooked. I knew him so well (that can happen when you talk six to eight hours a day over the phone or internet), and I LOVED everything I was finding out about him. By March 2008 his mom insisted he plan a trip out to meet me and that she come along. (I know you are all screaming in your heads right now: NO, RUN!! MAMA’S BOY!!! Trust me on this one.) She offered to buy their plane tickets and foot the bill for a hotel in our area. (See, not a mama’s boy. Just smart when he’s offered a free trip across the country.)
From the moment I saw him in the airport, my heart skipped a beat. I could hardly contain my excitement; it was only a few short minutes till he and I could be alone and have our first kiss. It was the perfect first kiss. It was exciting and comfortable and like coming home for the first time. I was kissing a man I was already in love with for the first time, and it couldn’t have been more special.
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 have been showered with love. A couple of weeks ago my fabulous aunts (MamaCS sisters) threw me a bridal shower in Hot-Lanta. Almost all of the CukeSammie Aunties live in Atlanta so to make it easy they brought me to them instead of them traveling to me.
The shower was absolute perfection. It was a two part party blow-out. In the morning the CS Aunties hosted the Pampered Chef. I had vaguely heard of this prior to the shower but I guess this type of ’party ’ is very popular in the south. There is a pampered chef consultant who comes to your house, demonstrates a whole bunch of products, makes yummy food and takes your order. I am getting a head of myself though so lets start at the beginning…I got dressed.
Image via Danny Graydon / From the movie Superman Returns / Editing courtesy of Miss Ticket
All-Inclusion Invitation Suites
