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.
Growing up, a good part of my raising was done by my grandmother. She would pick me up from school and watch me until my mom got off work. She was my hero, my rock, and my biggest cheerleader. She taught me how to read before I was five. I learned how to make biscuits in her kitchen. A lot of who I am is based on who she made me.
During the summer of 2007, I was part of a study program that had me studying first in Georgia, then in New York, and finally in London. While I was still in Georgia those first three weeks, I drove back and forth forty five minutes almost everyday to spend time with my Mamaw while she was in hospice. I knew what hospice meant, but when it came time for me to leave for New York, I had assumed that I would see my grandmother when I finally got back from London several weeks later. Unfortunately, that wasn’t to be the case. While walking through SOHO, I got the call. I was a complete mess in the middle of the sidewalk. No matter how prepared you are, the death of someone close always hits hard.
Thinking about her and her absence at our wedding makes me cry every time, but I know if she saw me now, she would be proud.
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.
…Miss Raccoon created an idea. Only this idea ended up not being an original and was not quite as phenomenal as the heavens and the earth. It was simple. It was the pencil skirt.
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!
I might end up having about 58 posts with the same title by the time this whole wedding shebang actually comes to fruition.
I was perusing Etsy at work yesterday, per usual, and found even more amazing things that I would love to incorporate into our wedding. You could call it inspiration, but I’m pretty certain that I will figure out how to have most of these elements involved somehow!
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!
Hive, I have a very exciting wedding event coming up in a few weeks. (You will hear all about it—don’t fret!) So, you all know what that means! I will get to wear my non-wedding bridal shoes!! As luck will have it, the shoes have arrived! Would you like a little peeky-pie?
The BOX! Oooh, look at the hearts! (I think it means I will luv them.)
Mrs. Seal, San FranciscoAge and Occupation: 25, Personal AssistantFiance's Age and Occupation: 29, Sales and Support SpecialistEngagement Date: December 12, 2009Wedding Date: November 2011Venue: Sts Peter and Paul Church/The Bently ReserveAbout Me: I am a goofy, wannabe crafty, well-intentioned Renaissance Woman (OK, perhaps "aimless wanderer" is a more aptly suited term for me, but hopefully you get the point)—basically I dabble in just about everything and pride myself in such. Without warning, I occasionally breakout into soulful improvised songs and interpretive dances and there's just no stopping me! As so many others before me, planning our wedding has unearthed a deep, intense passion for all things bridal and I secretly fear the day it will come to an end. Mr. Seal and I are quite the pair and life with him by my side is extremely rewarding—I am so thankful to have found him. Together we are planning a black-tie San Francisco affair for 250—light on the stuffiness and with lots of extra Seal-y flair.
Welp, kids…the Sealman and I officially applied for our marriage license and, I’ve gotta say, it was exciting.
We began the day by finishing up the very last of our church paperwork and—despite an onslaught of relentless rain—decided to take care of our license, too.
At our local parish waiting for our letter of permission to get married in San Francisco.
(Don’t mind my hair—we had just taken refuge from the torrential downpour outside. Mr. Seal was mocking me, but the joke is on him because I’ve just shared his goof-face with the world wide webzzz.)
Thankfully the town in which Mr. Seal and I live also happens to serve as the county seat, so we didn’t have to travel too far in the storm to take care of our soon-to-be-married business.
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.
I’m going today with BM Libra and BM Law to add more items to our registry. That got me thinking about this post I wrote, but never got around to posting. Maybe… ahem… because I still haven’t done my post on the first trip to register with Momma Kettle and Mr. Kettle.
I looked up our registry info to confirm our China selection to comment on one of Miss Teacup’s posts. It turns out there are three, count them, three grooms with Mr. Kettle’s exact name getting married in the next six months.
To my bride brain, this was ridiculously funny. Don’t ask why. I texted Mr. Kettle to see if he was secretly a polygamist. It wouldn’t be so secret since he used the same name, but I found it hilarious. It’s nice to have the escapes from all the serious things that must be considered and mulled over in the wedding world.
What would you do if you found out your fiance was a polygamist? Sounds like a Lifetime movie, right? Well, Mr. Kettle did confess to being a polygamist and didn’t seem too upset that I’d caught him. It’s not like he was trying real hard to hide it. If you knew him at all, you’d know this was his oddball humor. I love his sense of humor and we had a hearty laugh over it.
But, it got me to thinking about non-traditional marriages. Read more…
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!
That is our bridal party, of course! We had two bridesmaids and two groomsmen to thank in anticipation of their support, friendship, and assistance with going to the bathroom (just the bridesmaids for that one!). Luckilly, I didn’t actually end up needing help with going to the bathroom that day; thanks to Mrs Cola’s lovely picture I was able to successfully navigate that issue alone!
Now, onto the point at hand: the Teaspoons had decided early on what we intended to give the boys, after we had seen it as a very handy gift at a wedding about a year before our wedding.
We had them engraved and the boys had fun with their scotch in them on the wedding day! So did some of our other guests—but that’s a post for another day (or not).
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!
Hello, hive! I am absolutely giddy about BEEing a BEE!
I have momentarily stopped bouncing around the apartment to sit down at the computer and tell you a bit about the Dalmatians.
When we were two years old, we lived down the street from each other, but it wasn’t until 16 years later that we met for the first time. Our paths finally crossed on move-in day of our freshman year of college. Since that day, we have shared numerous cartons of chocolate ice cream, watched countless episodes of The Office, and fallen deeply in love.
Our first picture together, at the freshman BBQ (hence the burger patty and cheese)
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.
My dad and I have what some might consider an irrational level of expectation for customer service. It might be a sickness—I’m not sure. I like to think of it as expecting the best from people. My family thinks we both are a little cuckoo. We keep a running list of all the companies that we have personally boycotted due to bad customer service. I mean, really, is it that hard to run a company with good ethics and have people answer the phone who are nice? Apparently for some it is difficult. Typically, though, the boycotts run their course and for some reason or the other we need something from that company and then—whoops—the boycott ends.
That being said, when there is a company who exceeds our expectations then you know it is a good place to do business with. Today I would like to share with you a company that has received five stars in my book.
When I started researching options for save the dates, I was flabbergasted by some of the prices. I really wanted to do magnets, but not if it was going to cost me an arm and a leg. I came across a website called Magnet Street, a company that prides itself on having products that are completely customizable. I began browsing their website and noticed their prices were very reasonable. On top of that they will send you free samples, which includes a coupon to use if you decide to order with them. You can even order a customized sample and they will credit the six-dollar cost to your final order, which means essentially it is free. This all seemed really fantastic but, come on, there had to be a catch. In my experience the companies that have affordable products tend to skimp on other areas such as quality and customer service.
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.
Hey hive! I haven’t been up to much wedding stuff the last few days. Assignments and spic ‘n spanning the walls of our home for the repainting that’s coming up kind of took over. Wouldn’t it be great if you could put regular life on hold for a few months to look up pretty pictures and watch TLC shows?
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 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!
See, I have this fab engagement ring that I picked out. Mr. Foxy gave the obligatory “If you’re happy, I’m happy” head nod to it, so it was mine, in its sparkly, halo-y goodness.
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!
All-Inclusion Invitation Suites
