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’ll save my dignity and let you try to figure out which old saying the title of this post is referring to. I’ve been incredibly low key and not worried about a single wedding-related detail until now. My roommate went to a wedding for a friend this past weekend at none other than Neverland Farms. I got a text the following morning saying, “Your venue is gorgeous, but we’re all going to FREEEZE.” Cue panic.
Once I got a chance to talk to her, I found out that the venue didn’t turn on the heat lamps until 9:30 PM, but by that time it was too late. All of the girls were wearing the guys’ jackets and apparently freezing. I’ve since emailed Suzy and she’s assured me that the heat lamps will be turned on early.
But you know what, when it all comes down to it, this is the weather that we as climbers LIVE for. I’ve checked the weather, and we’ll probably have mid 60s during the ceremony and the temp will start dropping steadily around cocktail hour. For the past two years, we’ve competed in a climbing competition on the first weekend of November and the weather has been beautiful, and then once it gets cold we throw on our down jackets.
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!
I debated over whether or not to post about THE dress. Mr. Porcupine reads all my blog posts, and he is just a bit too curious for his own good. So, Mr. Porcupine, I am probably sitting on the couch adjacent to you as you are reading this. Put down the laptop and walk away now, or I will not feed you dinner for the next month.
Miss Aardvark, Beaver Dam, WIAge and Occupation: 23, Assistant Product ManagerFiance's Age and Occupation: 31, Business Analyst Engagement Date: May 28th, 2011Wedding Date: April 2012Venue: St. Philip Catholic Church/Arcadia Brewing Co.About Me: I am a resourceful lady who love surprises and adventure. At the same time, I value traditions, family and friends. I like to make crafty messes, sometimes, clean them up, and do pretty much anything outdoors. The Mister and I are pretty avid cyclists---we have nine bikes in our home right now...and one motorcycle! We both enjoy eating food we can't pronounce (language doesn't really matter) and going places we've never been. We currently reside in rural Wisconsin, enjoying the cheese and beer it has to offer, and getting outside whenever we can!
I think it is important to explain a little bit about each of our families so that you can have a clear picture of where we are coming from on this whole marriage thing.
Mr. Aardvark comes from a fairly standard nuclear family: the typical mother, father, 2.5 children (OK, really only two—Salty and his brother). They are some of the sweetest people you will ever meet and I cannot wait to be part of their family! They are a shining model of marriage in a world of chaos.
My family is a little more complicated. 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!
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.
There’s a day-of-coordinator option that was available to us through our first florist interview. She works at the gallery and she’s pretty amazing.
In spite of my natural urge to sign on the line with the first person whose offer sounds good, I resisted. Momma Kettle made an appointment with another day-of-coordinator for this week. Her prices are waay better than the first lady, but we’ll see how the meeting goes. I’ll be happy to report back to the hive, if only to help people in the Chicago area who are looking for coordinators.
I started thinking about why we really needed one, though. I know for a fact that we definitely want one. But why? Here are the reasons I came up with:
Miss Doe, Northern CaliforniaAge and Occupation: 24, Real Estate AssistantFiance's Age and Occupation: 23, Recycling ManagerEngagement Date: December 25, 2010Wedding Date: May 2012Venue: Monte Verde InnAbout Me: I’m a Rat Pack fan and a Christmas nut that loves to read, good wine, cheesy ’80s movies and ’90s sitcoms. My wiener dog with an attitude problem and lazy basset hound are my constant source of entertainment. He's a hunter and I like cooking so it's not rare to see wild game on our dinner menu. Both of us were born and raised in a small historic farming town where our feet are still firmly planted. We have been together for nearly a decade and have shared many life experiences together, including birthdays that are only one day apart. We are two old souls that are creating our long-awaited wedding with loads of tradition that blends our two styles into rustic elegance in the foothills of Northern California.
The first time I ever remember hearing about wedding colors was when I was younger and I was watching one of my favorite movies, Steel Magnolias. This is when I understood the sheer importance of wedding colors.
One of the first questions people seem to ask about your wedding is, “what are your colors?” Growing up looking at my mom’s and dad’s wedding photos, their wedding color was something I always remembered. (’80s mauve, if you were wondering.) It also sparked my own imagination: what would my colors be?
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. Cucumber Sandwich, Washington, DC/Cape May, NJAge and Occupation: 28, School CounselorFiance's Age and Occupation: 40, Collegiate AthleticsEngagement Date: March 27, 2010Wedding Date: October 2011Venue: Congress Hall HotelAbout Me: I am a school counselor who spends my day wrangling children and my nights attempting to be creative with wedding projects. My enthusiasm for each of these activities far surpasses my skill. Thank goodness Mr. Cucumber Sandwich is there to pick up the pieces and be the voice of reason about my DIY tries. I have an obsession with terrible romantic comedies (‘From Justin to Kelly’ anyone?, anyone?!?), competitive Scrabble play, and hot dogs. I could eat astronaut ice cream for every meal and can’t seem to resist buying more shoes. Our wedding is going to be a true hodge podge of semi-destination, tradition, Yuengling, New England charm, with just a dash of ‘Jersey Shore’ thrown in. It has been six years in the making and I can’t wait to marry my best friend.
The wedding is getting closer and closer, and I have been DIY’ing until my fingers bleed. All right, that is not entirely true, but I have been very busy supervising DIY projects until my supervisees’ fingers bleed. The huge project I/they were able to knock out this weekend was burlap table runners!
Images of burlap and milk glass danced in my head all weekend.
Hi Hive! We’re collaborating on an exciting event with the lovely ladies at The Lab and you’re in on in on the fun!
The Lab event is coming to Sonoma on January 14, 2012, and along with a non-traditional runway show, sweet treats, savory bites, and one heck of a party, they’re also collaborating with a few of your favorite blogs in an inspiration boards brought to life contest!
If you’re a faithful blog reader and bride, you’ve probably made an inspiration board for your wedding. And it’s likely won’t see that board come to life until your actual wedding day. We’re giving you the chance to see your inspiration come to life, designed by some of the most talented industry professionals in Northern California! We’re of course, partial to our own Weddingbee inspiration board brought to life by Mrs. Cupcake: 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!
We have family in the Carolinas, so during a visit back in June, MOB and my aunt travelled to Bridal Mart in Burlington, North Carolina. MOB was on the hunt for her mother-of-the-bride dress. I was sad that I couldn’t be there to shop with her, but I knew she couldn’t pass up going to this huge Bridal Mart while she was in the area.
I made my mom and aunt promise that they would text me pictures as Mom tried dresses on. They kept their promise!
Miss Fox, Washington DC/Havre de Grace, MDAge and Occupation: 26, Massage TherapistFiance's Age and Occupation: 28, Field Support EngineerEngagement Date: April 18, 2010Wedding Date: June 2012Venue: Vandiver InnAbout Me: I’m a dancer turned massage therapist who was born and raised in New York. Alas, true love has brought me “south” where I still maintain my penchants for pretty shoes, wine, crossword puzzles, cherry blossoms, and the Mets. I own more sunglasses than a normal person should and don’t eat red meat (though I make up for it by eating my weight in sushi). I tend to be a big planner who likes to get things started early, but generally end up being indecisive and procrastinating when it comes down to it. I have a (not so) secret crush on Chris Carrabba, but my loyalty and love ultimately goes to the future hubs, of course! Together, my Foxy man and I love to discuss (read: debate) politics and current events, have Mario Kart and Scrabble duels, and just laugh. A lot. We’re hoping and planning for a laid back, fun, summery, rustic vibe to our June wedding that will be genuinely “us” – that is, if we finally make some decisions. Huzzah!
But they cost, like, A LOT of money. I had this notion when Mr. Foxy and I first got engaged that we could do a wedding for 10k or under, plain and simple. Since it will be entirely self-funded (aside from Foxy Mama buying my dress), it’s actually pretty crucial that we keep costs to a minimum. Then I started researching and reading articles. Many venues charge up to $5,000 just for a booking fee, without anything included. Catering is another $5,000+, with many places asking for a $7-10,000 minimum of food and beverage. Then there’s DJ, cake, photographer, videographer, dresses, favors, stationery, etc. Learning about all of this was really overwhelming for me, especially when a close friend of mine revealed that her catering/beverage budget alone is $20,000 - twice our entire budget. Gulp. Then I checked out costofwedding.com, where they reported that the average cost of a wedding in the United States is $19,581. For the area of Maryland that we live in, it’s more like between $20,625 and $34,375.
Well then. It looks like I just got schooled. Read more…
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!
Since Mr. PF and I have been engaged for almost two years, you can bet your bottom dollar I have heard a lot of wedding talk. Needless to say, nothing surprises me anymore, so I decided to put together a silly list that I’m sure we can all relate to.
AnonymousFeature Launched: September 23, 2011About: Bees explore issues related to wedding planning that they do not want to have tied to their real names/monikers.
I wanted to confess my biggest wedding fear, but I knew I couldn’t under my moniker. My family reads my blog and I didn’t want any hurt feelings from them. However, I know that I am not the only bride who will have to deal with this, so when an anonymous post series was suggested, I knew this was my chance to share.
Here it is: I’m the adult child of addicts. One of my parents has been sober for a while now, but the other is not. It is my fear that the parent who still drinks will cause problems on our wedding day. I’m afraid that I am going to be so focused on that parent’s behavior that I will not be able to fully enjoy my day. When you add to the addiction that this parents tends to be a bit drama filled and attention-seeking, my anxiety triples.
It’s something that I deal with every day. I worry about more than just our wedding day. I worry for their health; I worry for their life-choices. It’s something that a daughter should never have to do, but I have most of my life. The wedding is just another thing that makes that addiction monster abundantly clear in my life. It affects every part of my relationship with my parents. Read more…
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!
Photography became one of the most important things to me when we began planning our wedding. I can’t take a good picture to save my life (does catching people in compromising moments count as a good photographer?), but I have always appreciated people who can. Having the talent to figure out the right angle, lighting, zoom, shutter speed, etc. has always been really interesting to me. And, when it’s all said and done, the photos will be the only thing I have to fully remember the wedding by (because let’s be honest, my memory can barely hold onto what I need to pick up at the grocery store).
Miss Aardvark, Beaver Dam, WIAge and Occupation: 23, Assistant Product ManagerFiance's Age and Occupation: 31, Business Analyst Engagement Date: May 28th, 2011Wedding Date: April 2012Venue: St. Philip Catholic Church/Arcadia Brewing Co.About Me: I am a resourceful lady who love surprises and adventure. At the same time, I value traditions, family and friends. I like to make crafty messes, sometimes, clean them up, and do pretty much anything outdoors. The Mister and I are pretty avid cyclists---we have nine bikes in our home right now...and one motorcycle! We both enjoy eating food we can't pronounce (language doesn't really matter) and going places we've never been. We currently reside in rural Wisconsin, enjoying the cheese and beer it has to offer, and getting outside whenever we can!
When I was younger, all the way up until just before Mr. Aardvark and I got engaged, I had always imagined a fall wedding. The rich jewel tones are romantic and bold and whimsical without being too feminine and frilly. Don’t get me wrong, I love pastels, and pink in all (OKmost) of its shades, but that was just not what I wanted for our wedding.
All-Inclusion Invitation Suites
Image via Bridezillas
