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!
When it was time to look at bridesmaids’ dresses, my MOH, Bridesmaid S, and Bridesmaid K joined me and MOB at a shop near my house. We had an appointment, but when we walked in the door, there was no one around! We waited a few minutes and hollered out a hello or two, but still no one. We finally had to walk to the back of the store to find the associate. This rough start made me a little nervous, but I was determined to have a good experience and have fun!
I told the associate we were looking for floor-length dresses for a winter wedding and were looking for options in silver, pewter, or charcoal colors. She directed us to the right area of the shop and let us look at our leisure.
The girls knew I really liked dresses that had a brooch or beading embellishment—something to make them stand out and have a wintery feel. Other than that, I was pretty open to styles and suggestions.
Mrs. Frog, Phoenix, AZ/Chelan, WA
Age and Occupation: 29, Public Relations
Fiance's Age and Occupation: 28, Online SalesEngagement Date: February 8, 2009Wedding Date: July 2010Venue: Amy's ManorAbout Me: I'm an opinionated Midwestern girl now living in the Valley of the Sun marrying a laid back Northwestern guy. I'm equal parts sass, silly and sweet. I'm fiercely loyal with a strong devotion to my family and friends. I have a not-so-secret obsession with apple juice, a new obsession with DIY projects and I love a really good cheese plate...with lots of wine. After 7 blissful years of dating, I'm having the time of my life planning the destination wedding of my dreams to my Mr. Frog-turned-Prince Charming.
Waking up on the morning of your wedding day is pretty surreal. The idea that you are actually getting married, that after the months and months of planning, the day has finally arrived…it’s just incredibly emotional—in the best possible way.
Hello lovely! PS - did you see the cameo of my DIY hanger?
Being that everyone was visiting from out of town, we had rented houses and condos for everyone to stay in. To start my day, I headed over to my mom’s house so my aunt (also known as the hair miracle worker) could do my ’do. The woman has a way with hair and considering it’s her career, I felt extremely confident (and very lucky) having her tackle my tresses…even though we didn’t do any sort of trial-run. Now THAT my friends, is trust. 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 know flowers are usually an integral part of a wedding. I’ve seen some beautiful inspiration, but I tend to be a very frugal person. I can’t wrap my head around spending money on something I’m not passionate about. And flowers just don’t do it for me. Luckily our venue, being all inclusive, includes decorative flowers. Given the time of year for our wedding, we’ll probably have a mix of mums and whatever else hasn’t died from the first frost. The only flowers that I would be responsible for are those in the boutonnieres and bouquets.
My first real inspiration with flowers came from walking around boulder fields earlier this year. Whether you call them—ankle biters, burr balls, monkey balls, pinkelponkers, or, as I call them, gumballs—it all means the same thing.
Ms. Sloth, PhiladelphiaAge and Occupation: 35, Account Manager and Fashion BloggerFiance's Age and Occupation: 30, Design AdminEngagement Date: December 25, 2009Wedding Date: May 2011Venue: Bartram's GardenAbout Me: I'm an internet junkie and music snob with a good eye for a bargain. I couldn't live without thrift store shopping, cheeseburgers, sushi, Coke Zero, websites devoted to silly photos of baby animals, Photoshop, and Mr. Sloth. Speaking of which, he and I are a pair of goofball homebody nerds who love our beagle (the most ridiculously adorable dog EVER) to an embarrassing degree. We're planning a low-key and intimate yet festive and quirky outdoor wedding with DIY details and deeply personal touches, and it's all taking place in the city where we fell in love and call home: Philadelphia.
On day three of our trip to Alaska, we woke up, had a big greasy breakfast at the Smoke Shack in Seward, and then we went on a five-hour cruise of the Kenai Fjords with Major Marine Tours.
Dudes, the forecast called for cloudy drizzle all day, but it couldn’t have been a more perfect day for the cruise. It was clear and sunny and just gorgeous.
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.
In a previous post, I talked about Mr. Kettle and his journey to get clothes for the men in the wedding party. I talked about the ascot he wanted to wear and how I was very much against it.
I put up a poll and asked if you all thought he should go with the ascot or not. Some people put up some comments that were…harsh…to say the least. Ouch, guys. You know Mr. Kettle reads this blog, right? As well as his mother, Mima Kettle. You can’t say those things like we’re having girl time over martinis. But I digress.
Most of you seemed to think he should be able to wear what he wants since that’s what I’m doing. I don’t necessarily agree with that because he and I have lots of input regularly on what we wear from day to day. I checked with him to make sure he was OK with my dress length, color, and style. Believe me, if he’d wanted me in an all white trumpet gown with a ten-foot train and I didn’t look terrible in it, that might be what I was wearing. But again, I digress.
The hive voted on the poll, and over 100 people gave their opinions. It was about even, but now it keeps creeping in the direction of…ascot! I have to say at first this didn’t make me happy. Mr. Kettle and I got into two to three pretty heated discussions about it. It wasn’t even about the ascot (at least not on my end) but the tux in general, as well as communication between him and other male members of the wedding party. It was bad—real bad.
I think after he and I got into it at Mima and Poppa Kettle’s house this past Sunday, the dams broke. He realized he was kind of being a jerk. I realized I was kind of being a jerk. We both stopped our jerkiness and came to a compromise.
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.
The tosses are lovely traditions, and I think it’s so fun and cute when other couples do them. But the tosses so don’t feel like Mr. Parasol and me at all. I can’t really explain it, but I just don’t think there’s any part of me that would ever want to toss a bouquet or allow Mr. Parasol to publicly feel up my leg and remove a garter. Read more…
Join us for a Post a Thon tonight on the boards beginning at 4PM PST and going on until 10PM PST! If you’ve never participated in a Weddingbee Post a Thon, we’d love for you to join us! It’s an opportunity for everyone site-wide (moderators, hostesses, blogger bees, and hive members) to gather on the boards for chat, advice, and discussion. It’s an especially great time to get lots of feedback on your current projects and ideas!
Please join us tonight for another great Post a Thon. We look forward to seeing you on the boards!
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.
I’m not sure if I’ll experience those post-wedding blues that everyone talks about. Lately, I’ve been feeling so excited for all of the time after the wedding. For the time after we’re wed but before we’ve got munchkins running around. When I’ll be Mr. High Wire’s wife and get to have a loving husband.
Being newlyweds is going to be a blast. Read more…
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!
After the must-have perfume search, my next slightly frivolous purchase was my wedding day underpinnings. I’m blessed by my dress (not by my bod) to not have to don constricting foundation garments or long-line bustiers, so all that I needed was a little pair o’ panties. I started where I always do—online.
Let’s just say I don’t own a ton of lingerie. It makes me nervous, and ends up not being, um… worn very long, so it strikes me as kinda unnecessary. My idea of “sexy panties” are these:
An actual pair of undies I own, and trot out for “sexy nights”/ Image via Target
I wanted something more grown up, feminine, and “special occasion-y, but I was discouraged that all my wedding panty searches were unearthing such finds as these:
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!
“Put your hand on a hot stove for a minute, and it seems like an hour. Sit with a pretty girl for an hour, and it seems like a minute. That’s relativity.” - Albert Einstein
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. 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.
Hive, I have a confession. I am getting married on Saturday and I haven’t written my vows. Not one word. I kind of… um… forgot that I needed to write them. OK, maybe forgot isn’t the right word, but I just haven’t done them yet.
I’ve had them on this big long to do list of wedding greatness for months, but they still aren’t done. Now it’s down to the little, insignificant things on the list like ordering lunch on the day of so that we all don’t faint during pictures, wrapping wedding party gifts, printing inserts for the out of town bags. Oh right, and that one, big, huge, super important, cannot be ignored, reason that people come to the ceremony in the first place thing: vows.
The Baconator wrote his back in June. JUNE people. Really? How am I so incredibly under prepared? To get an idea of how long mine are supposed to be, I started sniffing around about his. Oh his? They’re roughly 2 pages of double spaced prose. Yep, the Baconator pretty much has vow poetry and mine go something like this: “Uh, ditto.” I have a feeling that’s SO not going to fly. Read more…
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.
At first I wasn’t sure I was even going to write this post. I would hate for anyone who stumbled across our budget to think that all destination weddings have similar costs. I am not going to lie, we splurged on a few things we really wanted. So please take our budget with a grain of salt.
Now for the breakdown. Originally our budget was $10k but as we went along, like most couples, we found a few things here and there that we decided to splurge a bit more on than originally planned (*cough* my dress *cough*). Eventually we settled on a $15k budget which to this day I am really happy with. Compared to the $28k it would have cost us back here in Michigan, Mr. Meerkat and I both felt we got a lot of bang for our buck.
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!
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!
Now that all of the bead “stems” were completed, we were ready to assemble the bouquets. We had about 600 stems of clear beads and 100 of silver, and each bridesmaid’s bouquet was to have approximately 100 stems—at least that was the original plan.
MOB and I started out by making piles of 50 of the clear beaded stems so we could confirm we had made enough. Then, for some reason, we started assembling the first several bouquets with 75 clear beaded stems and 15 silver beaded stems. This obviously does not add up to 100. We kind of spaced out about grabbing ten more stems from the extras pile. We realized our error after the third or fourth bouquet, but I was not about to unbundle them just to add ten more. We counted correctly on the remaining bouquets and added any extra leftover stems to the MOH’s bouquet.
All-Inclusion Invitation Suites
Image via Kissssing
