Mrs. Meerkat, Kalamazoo, MI/Riviera MayaAge and Occupation: 30, Application EngineerFiance's Age and Occupation: 23, IT ConsultantEngagement Date: July 26, 2008Wedding Date: December 2010Venue: Al Cielo / La LagunaAbout Me: I’m a tech-savvy tomboy with an affinity for hot tea and good sushi. Us Meerkats are just a couple fun lovin’ geeks from Michigan. We love anything having to do with movies, books, video games or technology and we hold a special place in our hearts for our two very spoiled shih-tzus, Wicket and Bravo. We also LOVE to travel. We love it so much it only took us 12 hours after we got engaged to decide to have a destination wedding. We are working our little Meerkat tails off planning a rustic-chic, travel themed destination wedding in the Riviera Maya with a semi-formal, vintage-turned-modern, outdoor at home reception back here in Michigan.
Well, hey there Hive! I am so sorry I have been absent around these parts. After our second reception in June things got even busier than before and it left me with little time for all the things I love which unfortunately included blogging. But things have started to slow down so I am back and determined to start posting regularly again.
When I last left off I was getting ready to tell you about one of the most amazing experiences of our wedding—our trash the dress session!! OK, so really it was more like a wash the dress session since I only got my dress wet, but nonetheless it was AH-MAZ-ING.
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.
I hope you’re sufficiently rested from all that pocketfold prep. This next part will be more gratifying because you’ll have a finished product to show for your work! Shall we get started?
Step 7: Host an invite-making party!
For extra motivation, set up an afternoon where willing friends come over to lend their helping hands. I asked fellow Hive members, fully knowing that I’ll be happy to reciprocate the favor. An incentive of homemade cupcakes and cookies sweetens the deal.
{ My invitation angels, BreezyBri19 and Miss Gopa }
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.
Oh my, Hive, it’s been a busy couple of weeks! I was all cool, calm and collected, then suddenly the one month mark hit and I’ve been a flurry of last minute projects, seating charts, bridal showers, fittings and all kinds of bridal goodness!
Whew! So let’s start with the big news. I’ll give you two clues: It has to do with one of the first decisions I made in wedding planning, and more brides would have freaked out. 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.
Like many other bees before me, I knew I wanted to incorporate my adorable Weddingbee moniker into my wedding somehow. Although I had contemplated using parasols in my wedding prior to becoming a bee, I hadn’t made any final decisions on that front. But since then, I’ve found a few fun ways to weave my Weddingbee identity into my special day.
First, I bought two ridiculously cheap paper parasols for guests to use as props in our homemade photo booth. That way, they can be honorary members of the Parasol Clan.
Personal Photo
I also splurged a little and bought a much nicer lace parasol for myself.
Mrs. Funnel Cake, Zürich, Switzerland/Columbus, OhioAge and Occupation: 24, Visual Communication DesignerFiance's Age and Occupation: 28, Application EngineerEngagement Date: May 30, 2010Wedding Date: October 2011Venue: Catholic church followed by a botanical conservatoryAbout Me: I'm an American designer who moved to Switzerland for love after a fairytale beginning at the top of the Eiffel Tower. I love travel, photography, museums, learning German so I can speak with my mother-in-law, cooking (eating), cuddling, and I'm not afraid to try something new even if it terrifies me. My Swiss/Brazilian man and I are both down to earth people planning a traditional Catholic wedding in my hometown with some quirky cultural exceptions to reflect our different backgrounds. We look forward to celebrating with friends and family from all over the world in a classic, sophisticated fusion of heritage and love.
The search for Sabelle consumed my body and wracked my brain. I thought it was all over when I bought my gown. My mind calmed and I stopped feverishly searching websites for hours on end at home. I could focus on work again and I stopped laying awake at night dreaming of my gown. I was at peace. (For awhile…)
It started out innocently enough… I had been interested in the matching bolero that accompanied my dress, but having purchased my dress used, it was not included in the sale. From time to time, I would search classified ads on the internet to try and source a matching bolero in my size.
Of course, whenever I found someone selling a dress with the bolero, they never wanted to sell it separately. For months I would search, find something, then give up again after my request to buy separately was rejected. I wasn’t even sure if I wanted the Maggie Sottero bolero, but I thought maybe it would make my dress different from all the girls who wore it sans bolero.
Then in April, an English couple got married and I fell in love all over with the idea of a jacket.
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!
I simply can’t justify $75.00 for a cake stand right now. But we still need (as much as anyone can ever NEED something frivolous for a wedding) a cake stand. I really love pink ones; they are a bit more unique than the average clear glass ones (which I still love and totally have one of). I searched high and low and couldn’t find one in a reasonable price range.
Then one day I was checking Groupon (as I so often do) and they had a deal for Color Me Mine. With credits, I already had the deal equated my spending $5 to get $30 worth of awesomeness at the store. So I called up the local Color Me Mine, and sure enough, they had a cake stand available to paint! Sold! I bought the deal and figured I would just go in when I had time.
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.
How can even describe my bachelorette party? Amazing? Hilarious? Best weekend ever? All of those things wrapped into one?
I mean, how could you not have a good time when you’re at the…
That’s right. We hit up J-Shore for my last weekend as a single Sparkler. And if I haven’t mentioned it before, I have THE GREATEST FRIENDS EVER. Seriously. A HUGE “thank you” to all of you who made this weekend so special and fun. I wish I could relive it again and again
I arrived at the Shore on Friday evening after a 2 hour plane ride, a 3 hour car ride, and a bag of pizza-flavored combos. I was excited. 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!
The wedding is FOUR MONTHS AWAY! Saying that out loud incites a panic attack inside my head, but I’m still keeping cool for now.
With time ticking away faster and faster, I find myself having the need to snatch up anything that crosses my line of sight that could even remotely be used for the wedding. So far, my impulse buys have worked out or will be used, but I need to get these in check in order to stay within our budget.
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!
I seriously love my bridesmaids. I could not have asked for a more beautiful (inside and out), caring, awesome group of girls to be with me on my big day. So, it was only fitting that I wanted them to wear something they would totally love and feel great in. Something puffy and shiny, with lots of ruffles…heh, JK.
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!
The clouds had blown over, the rain had started… it was time to make some decisions about our wedding photographs. The loose plan was to head to a fairly close location that had nice scenic views of Sydney in the background and then head to our venue afterwards for a few formal portraits. The weather was very unpredictable though—rain showers, followed by grey skies, followed by more drizzle. We decided to risk a few outdoor shots, and see how the weather held up.
Besides, I had a secret weapon up my sleeve that I couldn’t wait to test out!
Yep, those are the most obnoxiously bright and cheerful gumboots I could find the day before the wedding. And, I have to say, they were SO comfortable. After a quick change of footwear and a little dress drama (the bustle button snapped off…more on this later) we hoofed it across the park to take some pictures.
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. 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!
So, my bridesmaids planned two wonderful events for the same day! This made my life very, very simple; all I had to do was turn up! We started at 3PM at my parents’ house. Luckily my dad was away at the time because there was a lot of pink going on and with my dad’s incredible sweet tooth, the cupcakes would never have survived!
I arrived, greeted by a beautiful long table for my kitchen tea. The teapots were put to good use! Mum got quite creative with theming up the champagne glasses. She also managed to find some gorgeous little blue wedding cake candles!
Then the food started coming out. All the photos still don’t do it justice! It was absolutely amazing—there was so much beautiful food, and that was just the start of it. You may also notice my Mum’s creativity showing through in some unusually shaped shortbread in there! Read more…
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.
Mr. Kettle has only had a couple of jobs to do for this wedding. He was in charge of securing our musicians, which he took care of basically in under 24 hours. Go Mr. Kettle! He was also responsible for picking out the clothes for the guys, which he also took care of. The other big job he had was to find us a photographer.
Neither of us really wanted to do this job, but he saw how much it was stressing me out when my cell phone was being stalked by photographers trying to follow up.
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 don’t think I’ve told you about my veil yet. You’ve been waiting, I know. I’ve actually had my veil forevah-evah…I bought it before I bought my dress. Allow me to explain.
I tried on the dress that is The One, which I haven’t technically revealed to you fully yet, but did give you a partial view. OK, fine, here’s another snippet.
Crappy photo of lovely dress and Barbie veil, courtesy of Yours Truly
I hadn’t bought the gown yet, or even fully committed to it, but I had tried on veils with the dress that would become The One, and I knew that the veil I wanted was a Barbie veil. That’s not the actual name for it.
I guess cathedral veils are really in these days, but when I tried those on, they made me feel like, um, what’s the expression? A wolf in sheep’s clothing? No. A whore in church? Eh, closer.
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.
After an amazing bridal shower, we continued the fun by jumping right into my bachelorette party. Besides hanging out with my besties, there was only one thing I wanted to do for my bachelorette:
I love laser tag and I have very competitive friends, so I knew this was going to be a fun activity for our group.
Apparently the vest/gun combo that Barney and Robin are sporting create an environment for spreading HPV (according to the laser tag people), so we used modified paintball guns as modeled by BM What’s Her Face: Read more…
All-Inclusion Invitation Suites
