Mrs. Bacon, ChicagoAge and Occupation: 26, Digital Advertising ManagerFiance's Age and Occupation: 25, IT Client ServicesEngagement Date: June 17, 2010Wedding Date: September 2011Venue: Ravenswood Billboard FactoryAbout Me: I'm a Midwestern girl that can't seem to commit to staying in one place for too long and is constantly daydreaming about my next adventure. I am an aspiring foodie with a weak spot for the unusual and I love semi-reality food television. My other loves easily include laughing as a form of exercise, a book that I can't put down, summer baseball games, espresso with whipped cream, couch potato days and nights with the ridiculous Mr. Bacon, and our two kitties, Lincoln and Sawyer. We're planning a faux-destination wedding for 150 of our closest friends and family in the city we've both adopted as home that has a modern, yet whimsical twist and as many personal touches as we can manage.
I’ve always envisioned the wedding as a candlelit dinner with really minimal floral decorations, but lately I’ve been wavering from that vision just a bit. I don’t suddenly want huge centerpieces, but I am worried that my candle-only approach is going to be boringtown.
A couple weeks ago we went to the wedding superstore, aka the local IKEA, and bought out their whole stash of candles, candle holders and big picture frames (along with a rug or two and a bed frame) to decorate the reception tables. We are going to end up with 16 rectangular tables pushed together to make eight long feasting tables with 18 people per table. That means we need LOTS of things to go on top of them.
We don’t pack light, but we do pack well!
Maybe it was all the hubbub from the possibility of being on TV or maybe it was the countdown letting me know that we are way under two months from the wedding, but suddenly my vision seemed really plain…and I realized I was in desperate need of a plan! Being the internet savvy lady I am, I searched the internets for non-flowery centerpiece options. I stumbled on a the bountiful-candle-laden-with-flowers-and-petals look that Mrs Lemon had at her wedding! 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!
I whined about not being able to afford the photographer of my dreams in my last post because of (the lack of) money and my best friendor situation. Well, sometimes a girl gets lucky enough to have the best of both worlds: a bridesmaid AND a talented photographer.
We are fortunate to have gotten our engagement pictures taken by the amazing BM Candace as our wedding gift. Since we aren’t paying, we gave her free rein, with a couple requests and suggestions. I think for her it was fun because she got to be uber creative, and for me, well, it was my best friend shooting us—need I say more?! I knew we were in for something amazing, because in the days leading up to our first shoot she was sending me Pinterest pictures as inspiration. BM Candace decided that we would do two shoots: an urban-influenced shoot and a Colorado-inspired shoot.
It was exciting and nerve-racking all the same. I’ve been in a gajillion pictures with BM Candace but never on the other side of her lens. Fortunately I mixed up a batch of Sweet Tea vodka and lemonade to help ease my nerves.
Mrs. Cannon, Toledo, OHAge and Occupation: 27, Financial AnalystFiance's Age and Occupation: 28, AssemblerEngagement Date: February 28, 2011Wedding Date: September 2011Venue: Epworth UMC & Ward PavilionAbout Me: I'm the curious combination of being a go-with-the-flow, laid back, obsessive planner. I try desperately to stay as busy as possible at all times (and am succeeding big time right now!) My biggest loves in life are Law & Order: SVU, Community (the show, not the concept, although I like that, too), ice cream, white cheddar popcorn, beer, hiking, knitting, decorating, writing, being outside, spending time with friends and family and musical theater. Mr. Cannon is pretty sweet, too. We've had a lot of fun traveling and having adventures all over the country, but have finally moved back near our hometown to settle down. We're planning a low-key, colorful, fun wedding and an awesome-to-the-max reception.
There were things I was really worried about with this wedding, and things I really didn’t care about. Cake was on the “don’t care” list.
I like cake, but it just seems like it’s not really a big deal when I think of all the other important things we need to do for the wedding. I also know that Mr. Cannon is not much of a cake fan, so groom’s cake wasn’t really in my mind, either. At one point, Mr. Cannon told me his mother had made a few wedding cakes in her day, and not long after that, she volunteered her services. The opportunity for a free cake sounded exciting, especially since I had rainbow cake on my brain to fit in with the rainbow colors. It didn’t seem like something that required a professional baker, especially since I was much more concerned with the appearance of the inside of the cake as opposed to the outside.
I sent the rainbow cake link to his mom, and she did a test run this weekend. 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.
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 love bachelorette parties; they are always filled with drinks, fun people, good food, drinks, a healthy does of debauchery, and more drinks. But I do not love the standard bachelorette party gear. No, it’s not the phallic symbols that I shy away from (although I’m not one to insist on them), it’s the lack of options in the other gear:
They all have pink. Well, not all of them have pink, but the most widely available ones have pink. And not every girl wants pink on their sash.
Seeing this obstacle last year in preparing for MOH Cheerleader’s bachelorette party, I made the decision to make her sash using colors she liked (pink not included). 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. 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.
In honor of officially mailing our wedding invitations (YAY!), here’s the final budget breakdown!
My original guess for how much our invitations might cost was around $450. And I thought I was budgeting extremely high, and we would probably end up spending less. Ha.
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!
Now that the wedding is getting absurdly close, I’ve been doing my best to nail down my DIY makeup based on my professional consultation. I feel like I’m getting the hang of the application basics, but this recent stretch of scorching days has left me feeling a little less-than-confident about my makeup’s staying power. There’s probably a decent chance that our August wedding day will come with high temperatures and even higher humidity, so suffice it to say that I’m very eager to fight off the melting makeup mayhem.
Fortunately, I think I may have found my miracle in a bottle. Or, more specifically, my model in a bottle.
A few months back, I was asking a family friend who had recently gotten married if she had any general wedding day tips. Among others, she specifically stressed buying this “model in a bottle” stuff that is intended to lock your makeup look in place for the entirety of the day.
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 dance floor in full effect, our DOC let us know that it was time to cut the cake. The cake was so pretty I almost hated to cut it…but my love for buttercream frosting took over within a few seconds. When we met with the baker, we decided to add a fake bottom layer to give the cake a little more presence in the room, and I’m so glad that we did. It ended up looking so good that I had to remind King Hippo that the bottom layer wasn’t real just moments before cutting into it.
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!
PHEW! After three months of envelope lining, belly-band gluing, card stock-cutting, and fancy-address writing, these invites of ours are ready to GO. I originally planned to hold off on a reveal until after they’d been sent away to our out-of-town guests, but what the hey.
You’ll remember in my previous post that I was stressing big time about getting these things done, and about little pokie things here and there that just made me nervous. Well, one of the manyMANYmany things I love about writing for you, hive, is that it motivates me to get things done. The last thing I want to do is go on and on whining about my inability to just buy stamps already, and I really didn’t want to face you a month from now and say we were running behind. Plus, our 100 day mark came and went last week (!!!), so I made it a personal goal to power through and get these things done by that date.
Mrs. Sparkler, ChicagoAge and Occupation: 27, Communications AficionadoFiance's Age and Occupation: 26, PublisherEngagement Date: July 21, 2010Wedding Date: September 2011Venue: Chicago Illuminating CompanyAbout Me: I’m a Southern lady living in the big city of Chicago. Well, lady may be a stretch, but I’m working hard to keep some Virginia charm in our sleek, urban, wedding-palooza! I’m addicted to marathons, not-so-famous bands, Chicago restaurants, and Mark Twain. I cry during SPCA commercials, and I think LOST was the best show to ever hit television. Mr. S and I met at a classy college mixer and, 7 years later, he’s still by my side. He’s the only child, laid back, free spirit... I’m the oldest of five kids, type-A, organizer. It doesn’t work on paper, but we’ve never paid attention to that stuff anyway. Somehow it works. And like they say, sometimes when you know…you just know.
So I don’t know if you’ve noticed, but the Sparklers are pretty much 45 days out from our wedding.
45. Days.
I have no idea how this happened. Yes, everyone told me, “Oh just wait. Time will go by sooo fast at the end.” And every time someone said it, I would roll my eyes and think, “Please. I know about time, people. I understand how it works. I went to grad school, okay?”
(Okay… so this isn’t the degree I actually received)
Well, whoever is messing with the world clock should chill out.
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!
OK, so I don’t actually have a name for my engagement ring, but if it did have a name I’m certain it would be female, and Gladis just seemed fitting considering the history of my engagment ring.
Here are the Teaspoons looking very excited after we just got engaged!
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.
Just as I get ready to share the final final versions of the invites that I teased you with, I just had to put something out there to make sure that I didn’t cross the super-crazy-yes-I-know-that-I’m-a-mad-psycho line in wedding planning.
As you will soon see, our invites wound up needing a bit more postage than the typical invite. This was A-OK by me and I kinda had a hunch this would happen. That’s why I took my first one to the post office to get weighed before buying any postage.
Now I realize that some things like stamps can send some brides into freak-out mode and others (count yourself one of the lucky ones) to not care so much.
I originally swooned over the whole idea of using vintage, non-canceled stamps.
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. 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!
Usually, the first vendor booked by an engaged couple is the photographer. It’s a smart move, ensuring the person who will document the biggest moments of your big day is set in stone. Well, the Honeys haven’t booked a photographer. That’s because our preferred photographer is a friendor (a friend and vendor all rolled into one), but not just any friend and not just any ol’ vendor–she is one of my best friends and also a bridesmaid in our wedding. Hive, meet one of my eight bridesmaids, BM Candace of Candace Cross Photography.
