Mrs. Star, New York CityAge and Occupation: 22, ActressFiance's Age and Occupation: 24, Casting AssistantWedding Date: October 2009Venue: Ceremony: The Kraine Theatre, Reception: Midtown Loft & TerraceAbout Me: I’m a professional actress who’s always had New York City in her blood and I'm finally getting the chance to make a home in Manhattan with my fiancé, my dog, and my big dreams! I love polka dots, craft projects, Dunkin’ Donuts’ iced coffee, and anything sparkly. I’m having a blast planning our elegant/dramatic/New York City/acting-themed/largely-DIY wedding and am thrilled to be the youngest current Miss Blogger!
A few weeks back, some lovely ladies gathered for a Monday night happy hour and discussed all things wedding. Yes, even those of us who are long married
Top Row (L–>R): Mrs. Star, Miss Holly, sarahbabs, LGenz, Riki_Bay, bRooklynRocks, jmbrick, redheadem
Mrs. Cinnamon Bun, Calgary, AlbertaAge and Occupation: 26, Stage ManagerFiance's Age and Occupation: 26, Theatre TechnicianEngagement Date: June 22, 2010Wedding Date: June 2011Venue: Calgary Opera CentreAbout Me: I'm a life-long crafter and bookworm living in the foothills of the Canadian Rockies. Some of my loves include Lord of the Rings, Sherlock Holmes, knitting, opera, musicals, Etsy, baking, and of course, Mr. Cinnamon Buns. We're keeping our wedding close to home---the venue isn't very far from our house, and we live within walking distance of 6 bridal salons. I'm using the wedding as an excuse to try out every craft project I possibly can, with the endless help and support of my fiance.
The day before our wedding was a busy day. Cinnamum and I started off the day bright and early by getting into my car and driving to Cinnamon Buns’s parents’ house. This was where we were going to bake the wedding pies. We could have stayed at our house, but their kitchen has a much bigger oven; plus, we’d stored the frozen pies in their spare freezer.
To keep us occupied while the pies were in the oven (two batches at about one and a half hours each), I had kept back a DIY project—framing the photos for our family wedding-photo display. We’d loaded up the car with all the frames, photos, and scrapbook paper, so we were all set to mat all the photos and put them in our collection of frames. We also took the time to lay them out and match up the name cards I’d made for each one, to make sure we hadn’t missed anyone. We had! Somehow I had never printed the photo of Cinnamon Buns’s dad marrying his step-mum! We prepped a frame for them, and I made a call to Cinnamon Buns (back at our house, tidying/loading up the groomsmen’s cars) to put that picture on a CD and bring it to the venue.
I also did a couple other errands while pies were in the oven, just little things like, you know, picking up all the guys’ shirts and Cinnamon Buns’s suit from the drycleaner!
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.
One of the many, many things that still needs to be done for this wedding is to find clothes for important women involved with our wedding. Our wedding party is huge, so there are lots o’ women to clothe. Let’s get to it!
Momma Kettle: We still don’t know what she’s wearing. I’d like her to wear something like this.
Miss Raccoon, IndianapolisAge and Occupation: 22, StudentFiance's Age and Occupation: 24, Graduate StudentEngagement Date: Christmas 2010Wedding Date: January 2012Venue: Catholic Church, Chateau Thomas WineryAbout Me: I'm a wholesome Midwestern girl, TV series junkie, professional shower singer, and Anglophile. I love my fiance, crock pot cooking, my cat Heepo, going for the gusto, and all things wedding. Mr. Raccoon is pretty sweet, too! He’s a mad scientist that loves to travel. We met my first night on campus and have been inseparable since.
Trolling Etsy as I’m now prone to do, I found so many boutonnière ideas. I was really looking for something other than fresh flowers so we could have one more thing done and out of the way early.
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!
Now that I have a dress and my bridesmaids have their dresses, it’s time to talk about the other two women: Mama Warbler and MIL Warbs! Both of these lovely ladies have been way too indecisive in regard to the dress. Every time I see one of them I get the same questions: “What color dress do I have to wear?” “What style should I wear?” “What do you want me to wear?” Even though my answer each time is basically: “IDK. Wear whatever you feel comfortable in, I guess?” they inevitably ask me again. I think it’s the same situation as the bridesmaids’-dress search—even though they may want the freedom to choose, they want guidance more.
Last weekend, Mama Warbler came to town so we could shop for her dress. I quickly realized that our ideas of how the day was going to turn out were completely different. I thought we would browse a few stores, she would try on a few dresses in each store, and it would be an easy decision. And at the end of the day we’d both feel like this:
Fun and flirty we were not. / Image via Health.com
Miss Dalmatian, Nashville, TNAge and Occupation: 23, Pediatric NurseFiance's Age and Occupation: 23, Computer Engineer and Entrepreneur Engagement Date: April 13, 2011Wedding Date: May 2012Venue: Historic CedarwoodAbout Me: I am a Northern girl from Chicago who is planning a wedding filled with Southern charm in Nashville, Tennessee. I love dogs, the White Sox, Full House reruns, and anything with ruffles on it. Mr. Dalmatian is my computer-genius problem-solving fiance who is constantly teaching me new things and making me a better person. We live with our adopted pup Echo, who is very excited that his parents are getting married!
I love wedding dresses (I mean really, who doesn’t?). I love clothes in general, but nothing compares to wedding dresses. The obsession began before Mr. Dalmatian and I were engaged, although it was after I had realized that he was the man I wanted to marry. It swung into full gear during the semester I studied abroad in Florence, Italy. I lived with some of my closest girlfriends from college and we fully embraced the romance of Italy by picking out engagement rings on the Ponte Vecchio and browsing wedding dress websites while sipping wine on the balcony of our little Florentine apartment (I know, I know, such a rough life…).
By the time my perusal of wedding dresses turned from hopeful fantasy to timely reality, my mind was overflowing with inspiration. The very first dress that made my jaw drop was Francesca by Melissa Sweet:
In case you haven’t heard, I love ruffles! Mr. Dalmatian, on the other paw, is not such a fan. So I said goodbye to Francesca before I even started shopping.
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 am getting married next week, y’all. NEXT. WEEK. That is, like, practically tomorrow.
Also, I drank three glasses of wine tonight.
Also, I haven’t been sleeping and I feel kind of nauseous all the time. (No, I am not pregnant.) Yes, the wine helps with that…OK, with the sleeping part at least.
I’m not nauseous about marrying Mr. Magic. I mean, we fight and stuff, sure, but we are good together. He’s like the yin to my yang. Or, like this:
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!
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!
A New York wedding can be many things. A traditional New York wedding consists of TONS of delicious food, is held in a beautiful chandelier-ed ballroom, and consists of lots and lots of partying. I mentioned before that I don’t want a traditional New York wedding and am going for a more rustic-chic look. This is not to say that I don’t LOVE attending a New York-style wedding. I’ve found that they are some of the best to go to, but I may be a little biased on that. I thought I would give the hive a taste of what a “New York style” wedding is, something that Miss Foxand I mentioned that may have left people from other parts of the United States/earth stumped. Plus, who doesn’t love some wedding visuals on Weddingbee?
Here goes! Let’s refer to my friends as Mr. and Mrs. Bear. I’ve known the Bears for quite some time. Mr. Bear and I went to high school together, and then we moved on to the same college. Mrs. Bear was my first college friend (after my roommate). Sometime during the first week of freshmen year I had a dorm party. Mr. and Mrs. Bear both attended, they met each other, and the rest is history! So, if you’re counting, that would mean they have been together for almost eight years. We have all been waiting patiently for this wedding day. Prepare for picture overload!
The day was pretty dreary until right before the ceremony was set to begin. The sun came out just in time for them to get all those first-look/wedding-party pics. Good karma juju at its best!
The sun coming out on the beautiful property at The Swan Club
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.
You guys are pretty hard to fool. In my last post, I was telling you how torn I was between two photographers…and you immediately zoomed in on who I picked! You win!
I was literally about to sign up with Ed Pingol, but I kept going back to Tim Willoughby’s site and staring at his photos in awe as the Little Miss Sunshine music played. Mr. Funnel Cake had started scoffing every time he heard the music start and looked over to see my guilty face. I was so torn between the two styles…so I turned to my design girlies and asked them who they preferred…hands down Timwill!
Mrs. Honey, Durango, COAge and Occupation: 28, Financial AssistantFiance's Age and Occupation: 24, Lab Tech/PhlebotomistEngagement Date: August 1, 2010Wedding Date: January 2012Venue: Vallecito LakeAbout Me: I am a Colorado girl through and through, marrying an adrenaline-fueled Alabama boy. We love the outdoors just about as much as we love spoiling our dog and three cats. On any given weekend you can find us being adventurous, doing anything from rafting to snowboarding, and everything in between. We live in an outdoor mecca and truly believe in "Work Hard, Play Harder." I'm an optimist to the core, a crafter wannabe, a Southern food cook-in-training and a big time believer in girls nights. We met, fell in love and got engaged in eight short months and are now knee-deep in planning what we hope to be a super-fun, very us wedding celebration. Join us as we plan a rustic meets whimsical, Colorado winter wedding with loads of personal touches and good food!
While I wait for evidence pictures of my bachelorette party, I thought I’d talk about music. I big puffy heart dancing, and while I was gettin’ down with my ladies this past weekend it really made me excited to dance on our wedding day. Really excited.
When we first started planning our wedding way back when, in an effort to save money, we decided an iPod reception was the way to go. I would make the playlists, simple and free. Done and done, right? Wrong. I have read posts and comments about doing this, and while it is still the right choice for some couples, I got scared. An iPod reception is totally doable, we just changed our minds.
We are saving money and DIY’ing 97% (I just made that percentage up) of this wedding ourselves. I realized a few months ago that there were two areas I didn’t want to do ourselves: the food (I know, I haven’t talked about our food—that is coming!) and the music. There are too many wild cards. What happens if someone wants to request a song? I’m that girl who always requests a song songs; I’d probably be mad I couldn’t do that at my own wedding. What if the party is really diggin’ the ’90s music and I’ve got a whole bunch of country music lined up after “Juicy” plays? And, AND what if we had a technical error?! I cannot have a music-less reception. Too much stress.
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.
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.
The tasting was sophisticated and classy. But the food was so good, I just wanted to dance up and down and go, “mmmmmm, yummy.” In fact, I still do. So there you have it.
I don’t know where my camera is. I thought I’d left it at work and was kicking myself for not having it for the entire five days I was off (birthday celebration, woot!), but I’m back at work and still can’t find it. So all pics from here on will be taken on my super-cool new Blackberry that was a birthday gift to myself. I apologize in advance.
Mr. Kettle and I picked up Grandmother Kettle and drove out to Joliet for the tasting. There, we met Momma and Daddy Kettle, Mima and Poppa Kettle, and FSIL Grand. Yeah, we took eight people there. I tried to take pictures, but it was an afterthought.
Mrs. Waffle, AustinAge and Occupation: 31, Costumer/ArtistFiance's Age and Occupation: 33, AnimatorEngagement Date: July 27, 2010Wedding Date: June 2011Venue: Hummingbird HouseAbout Me: My life is pretty much spent in a sea of fabric, paint, sequins and drama. When I’m not working, I play on a trivia team, take Broadway dance classes, read, buy shoes, and occasionally geek out on video games. I am an American girl who loves all things British and Mr. Waffle is a Brit who loves all things American...I guess it was meant to be!
So, there was one DIY project that was amazing, which I ran out of time to blog about, was never photographed, and got rain soaked…but it was still a big hit. I made goodie bags for all the kidlets 10 and under, complete with custom-made activity books, crayons, small toys and trinkets, Goldfish crackers, and Ring Pops.
Miss Raccoon, IndianapolisAge and Occupation: 22, StudentFiance's Age and Occupation: 24, Graduate StudentEngagement Date: Christmas 2010Wedding Date: January 2012Venue: Catholic Church, Chateau Thomas WineryAbout Me: I'm a wholesome Midwestern girl, TV series junkie, professional shower singer, and Anglophile. I love my fiance, crock pot cooking, my cat Heepo, going for the gusto, and all things wedding. Mr. Raccoon is pretty sweet, too! He’s a mad scientist that loves to travel. We met my first night on campus and have been inseparable since.
All-Inclusion Invitation Suites
