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!
I’m a firm believer in the power of the edible favor. I’ve never been to a wedding with a non-perishable sendaway, and I’m not a fan (for us) of anything but. This is not to say I don’t love things such gifts as wildflower seeds, mixed CDs, recipe books and the like. Honestly, I just don’t want guests to leave their favors behind if I can’t eat the leftovers. I also don’t want to hand out anything that guests can’t easily transport back home on an airplane.
Favor Idea #1: Italian cookies
With all that in mind, I decided a few months back to purchase trays of Italian cookies from one of my favorite stores EVER — Mazzaro’s Italian market — and pack up three to five cookies per guest with a cute little note.
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!
We all want to look perfect on our wedding day, there’s no doubt about that. So what happens when your idea of perfection is different from what you fiance thinks?
Mrs. Skunk, AtlantaAge and Occupation: 23, Post baccalaureate studentFiance's Age and Occupation: 29, Mechanical DesignerEngagement Date: February 13, 2011Wedding Date: November 2011Venue: Neverland Farms About Me: I’m a Georgia peach born and raised in the dirty dirty. I love reading, baking lots of sweets and forcing them on my friends, and most of all, rock climbing. I am in the process of applying to graduate school in physical therapy and I work at farmers’ markets around town selling bread for a local bakery. The mister and I met while rock climbing just over two years ago and have been inseparable ever since. Our climbing friends mean the world to us and have played an integral role in our relationship. We’re planning a barnyard shindig filled with good food, good friends, and lots of love.
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!
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!
Finally, it was time for the meal that I had been looking forward to ever since we chose IslandWood as our venue - dinner!
Several months prior, we sat down with our coordinator at IslandWood, Marla, and the head chef, Jim, to plan our weekend menu, and specifically what the wedding dinner would include. IslandWood is focused on providing sustainable and local food wherever possible, so we knew from the beginning that we wanted this dinner to reflect the Northwest in winter time. Read more…
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!
So, Mrs. Sloth said her goodbyes yesterday and I’m not gonna lie, I’m a little sad about it [sniff sniff]. I met her in real life, and I was all like “OMG, Mrs. Sloth, all my friends and I just think you are the coolest thing since sliced bread. They are all like so totally jealous that I am hanging out with you right now. Can I get a picture?”
In her other life, she provides some awesome fashion advice. I love to read her blog What The Frock for a number of reasons. 1. It’s a super cute blog design. 2. I always wanna look like a celebrity on the cheap. And 3. You (yes, you!) can write to her and get real live (OK, live over the internets) advice on your very own personal dilemma.
Miss Porcupine, NYC/Lancaster, PAAge and Occupation: 26, Sales Coordinator/PublishingFiance's Age and Occupation: 26, Assistant Manager/SalesEngagement Date: August 8, 2010Wedding Date: March 2012Venue: Riverdale ManorAbout Me: I'm a born and bred New Yorker with a love/hate relationship for the city I have always called home. Although I may seem quiet from afar, I have a loud personality once you get to know me. I am a book nerd at heart, but love a night out in the city with good friends. I have a serious addiction to all things cheese, chocolate, cardigans, Mexican food, and reality TV. The future hubs and I met in college, settled in New York, and decided to go with a rustic/peacock infused wedding in Lancaster, PA, right near his hometown. Come the big day, we will be together 5 years, and we're looking forward to making it official!
Sometimes I think getting married in your mid-20s, during the whole quarter-life-crisis phase, is really just a great way to get yourself halfway down crazy street. Only halfway, though, not the full way. But maybe I am just halfway down the street because I still have a lot of time to go before the wedding is here. Maybe this is the why your 30s seems to be the “it” age range to get married in. Although, I do know more and more people getting married in their early- to mid-20s, which makes me wonder if we are all clinging to relationships to keep us sane. I have a theory about how the Sex and the City carefree generation shattered after 9-11 when we suddenly all realized life is screwed up and short (but that’s a deep tangent for another day).
I am always worrying about something stupid. Planning a wedding is just giving me more things to worry about. Recently it was: what if my DJ crashes his car (but doesn’t get hurt or anything—I’m not morbid when thinking of ridiculous situations that involve others, only when they involve me), and this causes all his DJ equipment to bust up, making him impossibly late to the wedding??? Who thinks like this? I’m not sure. But, really, what do you even do in a situation like that?
Although I am getting married, I swear, I feel like I am a child. A child bride walking down the aisle who is still trying to decide what to be when she grows up. Really, what DO I want to be when I grow up? I like books so I work with books, but what happened to the days when I wanted to be a writer? And then, there’s that whole design thing I am dabbling in at continuing-ed classes, but do I want a job where I am designing 40 hours a week? Maybe, perhaps, oh I don’t know. I just often wonder how it’s possible that I will have a HUSBAND, something that sounded so mature, adult, and beyond my kiddie brain even just five years ago.
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!
By now, our guests had been mingling in the foyer for about a half hour. While we prepared ourselves for our reception entrance, our friends and family members began making their way into the function room and finding their tables. The central focus as they walked inside was to be the cake—the cake I’d been lusting after for months and months of planning.
Unfortunately, the venue let us down with the cake itself (which I’ll go into later, promise)—but it was still a nice enough entry point all the same. Our guests were seated and our MC began making introductions; though the following picture sort of looks like he’s telling someone in the naughty corner to sit down and shut it! 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 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!
I’ve been a bad bride blogger. Our business cards arrived awhile ago. I’ve been meaning to show them to you but haven’t gotten around to it. What with my recent dress purchase and shoe crusade, I figured lousy business cards could wait! But now that I’ve sent out our save the dates (yay!), I might as well show you the business cards.
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!
Sister/MOH Ticket planned the bulk of Bridal Shower Socal and Mama Ticket helped (and provided our house for the shower). Sister/MOH Ticket decided to give us a shower with a Hawaiian theme since that’s where we are going on our honeymoon. There were leis, grass skirts around the tables, little umbrellas, plastic coconuts, and pink/orange flowers as far as the eye could see. They did such an awesome job decorating while Mr. Ticket and I went out to breakfast. (He decided to go to the movies and see Friends With Benefits in order to avoid the cackling of 24 women.)
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.
To say our reception venue is large is an understatement. The room can hold up to 250 guests, almost five times the amount of people we’re expecting. From the very beginning I knew we had to get a bit creative when it came to making it feel a bit more intimate, especially since we didn’t have a budget the size of Texas.
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!
Bees, this is something that I had never put two seconds of thought into, and never thought I would have to. My mom came to me the other night and talked to me about the idea of signing a prenup with Mr. PF. Her reasoning is totally rational and I totally get it. My parents own a lot of property and rental buildings, and they want to make sure that if anything were to happen between Mr. PF and me, my assets would be protected.
I have always been one of those people who would say, “Why even get married if you are signing a piece of paper for when it all goes wrong?” And now, I am stuck in a situation where I am faced with this question myself. So after talking with Mom about it, I may have told her I would talk to Mr. PF about it soon.
Mrs. Lioness, AtlantaAge and Occupation: 25, Physical TherapistFiance's Age and Occupation: 25, AttorneyEngagement Date: August 29, 2009Wedding Date: April 2011Venue: Anthony’s Fine DiningAbout Me: I’m a Southern girl with New England roots. I say "wicked" and "y’all" in the same sentence and I like to drink sweet tea with my lobster. Mr. Lion and I are both former Floridians now living in Atlanta, which fortunately is still SEC country...Go Gators! We both love baseball, coffee, traveling, cooking, and playing Words with Friends with each other on our iPhones all day long. I’m very passionate about the things and the people I love, and I tend to plan things with all of my heart...our wedding, of course, is no different! Oh, and also Mr. Lion is a first generation American of Cuban descent. I may look more like Lucy than Ricky, but I’m doing my best to incorporate some Latin elements into our vintage-garden-Southern wedding!
Alright, Hive, I think I’ve kept y’all waiting long enough. Of course, I’ve blabbed about my wedding plans for months. Then, you patiently read through my all of my last-minuteevents. Then, you read all about the rehearsal, therehearsaldinner, and that lovely slideshow full of embarrassing baby pictures. Then, like a total jerk, I skipped the wedding and starting talking about our minimoon…but not before venting about our venue drama. I feel like I’ve put you through enough at this point. So whatdya say? Shall we finally get started with the Lioness recaps?!
I think yes.
Our wedding ceremony started at 11:00 AM. We were initially told that we could arrive at our venue as early as we wanted to get ready. They’d even throw in a fruit tray and some champagne for some ridiculous price! Well, apparently “as early as you want” means 9:00 AM. I don’t know about you ladies, but two hours wasn’t reeeeally enough time to get a bride, five bridesmaids, and two mamas ready. So, we decided to meet at my apartment. At 5:45. Wow, they must really love me, huh? Read more…
Mrs. Skunk, AtlantaAge and Occupation: 23, Post baccalaureate studentFiance's Age and Occupation: 29, Mechanical DesignerEngagement Date: February 13, 2011Wedding Date: November 2011Venue: Neverland Farms About Me: I’m a Georgia peach born and raised in the dirty dirty. I love reading, baking lots of sweets and forcing them on my friends, and most of all, rock climbing. I am in the process of applying to graduate school in physical therapy and I work at farmers’ markets around town selling bread for a local bakery. The mister and I met while rock climbing just over two years ago and have been inseparable ever since. Our climbing friends mean the world to us and have played an integral role in our relationship. We’re planning a barnyard shindig filled with good food, good friends, and lots of love.
I love to bake goodies. Despite my own dislike of cake, I love making pretty cakes. And eating anything out of a jar has a bit of Southern nostalgia that makes me weak in the knees. There was no question that I’d be doing some sort of sweets for our favors. One of my favorite blogs to get ideas from is Our Best Bites. They have tons of great recipes, and I have yet to try something that hasn’t turned out amazing.
In late September two years ago, they posted a recipe for pie in a jar. Oh how glorious. I have a couple of these on hand at all times to pop in the oven on a whim. Then late last year as I was contemplating what to gift my bosses, they posted cupcakes in a jar. Hallelujah! This is how they turned out.
All-Inclusion Invitation Suites
Image credit: Hanna-Barbera/Warner Brothers
