Mrs. Starfish, Boston/NewportAge and Occupation: 25, Operations AssistantFiance's Age and Occupation: 25, SalesEngagement Date: October 8, 2008Wedding Date: October 2010Venue: The Atlantic Beach ClubAbout Me: I'm a perfectionist who is a planner at heart. I don't do well with surprises. I love planning, crafting, Newport RI, family and friends, and most importantly, Mr. Starfish---all of which will be big components in our October wedding in our favorite little city by the sea.
A few weeks after our wedding, I ran into a high school classmate. She was interning for a company in the building where I work. I stopped her in the hallway to catch up. When she asked about my life, I told her about the recent wedding and a few other things. I then asked her what was going on with her. Her response was, “wel, I’m not getting married—I have too much I want to accomplish to even think about that.” She then told me she was in grad school and a few other details, but that first sentiment is what has stuck with me.
I haven’t seen her in close to a decade and once she knew I was married, I suddenly became someone less ambitious, less significant. This could also be in my head, but based on her tone, I think it’s a pretty accurate reading. She reminded me that you really shouldn’t generalize anything.
Although I didn’t care for her generalization, it did get me to reflect a bit on our relationship. I started wondering if being involved in a serious relationship had indeed held me back in any way. 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.
I’ve never been one to swear in polite company, and I feel incredibly uncomfortable putting expletives in writing because of the medium’s permanency. But some occasions call for a little swearing, and this is one of them.
Hive, I have a bullsh*t hair color.
Now I don’t mean that quite literally (though I guess you could say that my hair color does, in fact, resemble actual bullsh*t). When I use the term “bullsh*t,” though, I usually use it to mean something akin to “nonsense.” So when I say that I have a bullsh*t hair color, I mean that my hair color is basically nonsense. To me, it’s more like a non-color.
Growing up, I was a towhead. I had really light blonde curly hair. And I loved being a blonde. I don’t know why, but I always really identified with having blonde hair. I swore that if it ever darkened, I would immediately start dying it blonde again.
Well, like most towheads, my hair did darken over the years, and by the time I was eighteen or so, my once lovely blonde hair looked like this: 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.
No matter how much you want to bury your head in the sand and try and forget about the million and one details of wedding planning, you must take time and find actual clothes to wear. Not doing that is against the law. At least in Illinois. With this in mind, I had to figure out something to wear to our engagement party. It was shaping up be a big party, so I had to be dressed impeccably.
Well, I think I put too much pressure on myself. I didn’t really have the time or money to shop the way I’d like. And I had the silly notion I should wear our wedding colors. There’s only one problem with that. “Regency” isn’t really in right now.
Personal photo of wedding color palette
Left to right: regency, black, taupe, ivory, gold
Color fail.
So I branched out. I found a great dress at Delia’s that I bought. Read more…
Weddingbee GalleryFeature Launched: April 10, 2009About: A collection of inspirational wedding pictures from readers and bees.
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!
…the awesome wedding-day-attire details! I have had so much fun shopping for all the little incidentals for the wedding-day outfit. This one is a particular favorite of mine. Oh, but first…
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.
When I realized illustrated table numbers just wouldn’t work I began my search for the figurines I had hoped to sprinkle amongst our tables. With Easter right around the corner I expected a bunny overload, not the dearth I encountered.
My one and only find was this fellow:
Cute, but significantly larger than I had hoped for. So I turned to my good old friend, the internet. After several weeks of searching, this is what I ended up with: Read more…
Mrs. Poodle, Santiago, Chile/San Bernardino, CAAge and Occupation: 27, Industrial & Web DesignerFiance's Age and Occupation: 24, Firefighter & Mountain PatrolEngagement Date: February 25, 2009Wedding Date: January 2010Venue: Mr. P's Grandparents’ RanchAbout Me: I’m a Chilean girl who's crazy about nature and swimming. I enjoy carving, drawing, reading and sewing; I drool over computers, fabric, pretty paper, purple and patterns. To me, chocolate should be one of the seven wonders, right next to lemon pie. I never thought an exchange work experience program was going to change my life forever, but while working in California, I met Mr. Poodle, and ever since my days are better and brighter. We are two goofy souls that, after finding each other, couldn’t help but want to be together forever. It has being a long and sometimes hard road, since we have to deal with such a long distance between us, but we are now facing the last stage of our Fiancé Visa, and soon we will be together. You know the best part? We will be married! So I’ll be blogging from Chile until just a few months before our “green and purple” wedding.
After our ceremony, we drove the quads to the barn for our reception. In case you guys don’t remember, we had last minute changes for our reception due to the bad weather that all of a sudden brought rain and wind to our wedding weekend. Our friends and family helped us move everything that we had set up outside (tables, dance floor, lights, DJ tower, etc..) to the metal barn Mr. Poodle’s grandparents use as a shop and garage.
I have to say that even tho this was not what we had originally planned, I loved it and we had the time of our lives, dancing, and laughing. The best part was that we were old protected from the cold and rain! For our first dance we selected a song very close to our hearts: Bendita tu luz by Mana
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 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!
When I was little I saw a Barbra Streisand movie called The Mirror Has Two Faces. I don’t remember what the movie was about, but I do remember the name of a cheesetastic song that I was sure would be my wedding song one day.
Mrs. Sand Dollar, HoustonAge and Occupation: 24, Graphic DesignerFiance's Age and Occupation: 22, Electrical TechnicianEngagement Date: January 8, 2010Wedding Date: September 2010Venue: MacLean ParkAbout Me: I'm a domestic diva down to the core. I heart cooking, sewing, baking, decorating and making sure we have a hand-crafted home. The best part about the wedding is I get to incorporate it all! I make sure I put my art degree to good use by screen printing, craft knife cutting, and a whole lotta graphic design. We're having a big-time party on a small-time budget, and I promise to show you a boot-scootin', barbecue-eatin', finger-lickin' good time! Mr. Sand Dollar and I spend most of our time on DIY projects or traipsing around the outdoors with our two pooches Rory and Juno. I'm looking forward to sharing our journey with all of you!
She’s here! After ten long months of waiting and growing, baby Sand Dollar has finally made her entrance! Little Charlie is already a total sweetheart, we can’t get enough of that little face. And her Papa can’t be any prouder; they’re already best buds.
Ms. Ferris Wheel, San FranciscoAge and Occupation: 29, PsychologistFiance's Age and Occupation: 27, PsychologistEngagement Date: May 23 and 28, 2010 (one for each of us!)Wedding Date: November 2011Venue: Parc55 Hotel (city lights ceremony, ballroom reception)About Me: Born in the Southeast, educated in the Northeast, and over-educated on the West Coast, I finally earned my city-girl credentials and have put down roots in gorgeous San Francisco. I’m a raging perfectionist with a lightning quick wit and a terrible sense of both time and direction. Our wedding task list is endlessly growing because of my predilection to think that DIY projects I can make = DIY projects I should make (so not true!). I always go to bed wishing there were more hours in the day to enjoy all the things I adore, whether that be hobbies, friends, my career, our two dogs, or Mr. Ferris Wheel. Ours is a story of a non-traditional couple living an oddly traditional life planning a not-so-traditional wedding in this city we adore. Together we are bustin’ out all of our best skills (and some of our worst ones) to plan a laid-back-chic DIY-craftastic love-alicious affair!
This past holiday season I did a little DIY project that I think would make a fabulous wedding gift—either something to give the happy couple, the members of your wedding party, or even your wedding guests. I used glass etching to make personalized oil and vinegar bottles.
They turned out so well I want to share them with you in case they spark your creative thinking. Read more…
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.
Around two months after we had booked our church and paid the nonrefundableFPC reception deposit, The Ohio State University 2011 football schedulechanged. The set-in-stone-years-in-advance schedule CHANGED.
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!
As Mr Teaspoon and I draw closer and closer to our wedding day, we are placing increasing emphasis on our “couple time.” Everything is getting rather crazy at the moment, between writing our personalised Prayers of the Faithful (which we are mighty proud of, by the way), ordering our wedding rings, and freaking out about the two-week Australian customs strike (Etsy purchases being held up)! So, we have definitely put an emphasis on our date nights—whether it is a night at home cooking a special meal together or a nice dinner out, it is just us being together and enjoying it.
One particular night we are already blocking out in the wedding craziness is two nights before our wedding. We are getting married on Saturday, so we are blocking out Thursday night to enjoy a peaceful, relaxing night together. It is so lovely that we’ll be able to spend time together alone and really savour the fact that we are about to get married. Read more…
Mrs. Pretzel, SeattleAge and Occupation: 32 Learning, Training, and Development SpecialistFiance's Age and Occupation: 28 Manufacturing EngineerEngagement Date: September 2, 2009Wedding Date: July 2010Venue: Catholic Church & The Engine Room at Georgetown StudiosAbout Me: I’m just a thirty-something girl who never dreamed of weddings, poofy dresses, or ritzy receptions. I am a rabid knitter, except recently, wedding projects have replaced my yarn and needles. I’ve been fiercely independent since the age of 2 and 30 years later I think my family and friends had given up on me settling down and getting married.
Ironically, I had to go all the way to Seattle to find a boy from Purdue. We fell in love over Seattle Beers and cooking together. I love NASCAR, he loves Legos. I can talk like a Muppet and he can fit a whole McDonald’s cheeseburger in his mouth. We are a two reception couple, currently planning a brewery inspired bash.
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!
Well, my first month of boot camp came and went, and I even waited an extra week of camp for good measure before I tried on my brand spanking new ivory size-12 dress. It didn’t quite fit yet, but it was definitely in the realm of fitting soon. But something became very apparent to me—this dress was no longer as magical as it had once been. Oh, before we continue…
All-Inclusion Invitation Suites
For our first dance we selected a song very close to our hearts: Bendita tu luz by Mana
