Miss Mole, Los Angeles/Las VegasAge and Occupation: 29, Test Prep InstructorFiance's Age and Occupation: 31, User Experience ArchitectEngagement Date: April 2011Wedding Date: January 2012Venue: Wynn Las Vegas/Bouchon BistroAbout Me: I’m a Wisconsinite-turned-Angeleno who is planning a destination wedding in Las Vegas. I am passionate about education: I spent 23 (!) consecutive years in school, and now I work to help other people get into graduate programs. I love running on the treadmill, buying bath products from Lush, learning new moves in step aerobics, and exploring my neighborhood on foot. I am sometimes snobby about food, but I am rarely snobby about books. I read everything from Geoffrey Chaucer to Iris Murdoch to Chuck Klosterman to Candace Bushnell. My fiance and I are getting married on our third anniversary!
Ah, the search for a gown. If you are even an occasional viewer of wedding shows like Say Yes to the Dress or Amsale Girls, you know that brides often bring a highly opinionated entourage with them to the bridal boutique. These entourages tend to be as substantial as they are opinionated; they include mothers, fathers, grandmothers, siblings, bridesmaids, hairdressers, cousins twice-removed, etc.
That was my plan in the beginning. I would organize a shopping trip to a variety of local salons with my mom, my sister, and some friends. However, I ended up shopping alone, trying on dresses alone, and buying my dress alone—and surely I am not alone in doing so!
Ms. Ferris Wheel, San FranciscoAge and Occupation: 29, PsychologistFiance's Age and Occupation: 27, PsychologistEngagement Date: May 23 and 28, 2010 (one for each of us!)Wedding Date: November 2011Venue: Parc55 Hotel (city lights ceremony, ballroom reception)About Me: Born in the Southeast, educated in the Northeast, and over-educated on the West Coast, I finally earned my city-girl credentials and have put down roots in gorgeous San Francisco. I’m a raging perfectionist with a lightning quick wit and a terrible sense of both time and direction. Our wedding task list is endlessly growing because of my predilection to think that DIY projects I can make = DIY projects I should make (so not true!). I always go to bed wishing there were more hours in the day to enjoy all the things I adore, whether that be hobbies, friends, my career, our two dogs, or Mr. Ferris Wheel. Ours is a story of a non-traditional couple living an oddly traditional life planning a not-so-traditional wedding in this city we adore. Together we are bustin’ out all of our best skills (and some of our worst ones) to plan a laid-back-chic DIY-craftastic love-alicious affair!
Yep, today Mr. FW and I made the arduous ten minute trek to City Hall, and we completed the shockingly easy task of applying for a marriage license. As we walked up the front steps of the building I recalled that the last time I was actually inside the City Hall rotunda was a few years ago when one of my friends married his husband during the brief period of time when gay marriage was legal in California. On that day the entire building was full of lights, cameras, press members, happy couples, and excited guests. But today the place was silent, with only our voices echoing off the marble. 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!
personal photo taken on iPhone…sorry…one day, I will have a real adult camera…
OK, here’s how you do it! I did this in a really haphazard order, because I am losing my mind. But you are probably more organized and can figure out the most logical way to follow these steps.
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.
While we ladies were at the salon, Cinnamon Buns and his dudes…were probably still sleeping for part of it. Then they went for a hearty breakfast at the diner that is quite close to our house. Here, they practiced their magic tricks:
Photo from GM L’s iPhone
And decided that Cinnamon Buns needed his sideburns trimmed. He decided getting them even on the day of the wedding was not something he wanted to attempt on his own, so we arranged for him to stop by the salon while all us ladies were still there so Jordan could meet him outside on the street for a quick trim. Read more…
ClassifiedsFeature Launched: April 30, 2008About: A roundup of the best Weddingbee Classified listings.
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.
Now that I have finished the wish tags, it is time that I construct myself a tree. I went on a search to try and find manzanita branches. I came across the website Blooms and Branches who had all kinds of different manzanita branch options. Although I really like the look of the natural manzanita branch, I was worried they might shed and make a mess. I decided to place an order for 2 of their 24″ sandblasted manzanita branches. The sandblasting basically removes the outer layer of the branch to create a clean ivory branch.
The only downside that I found was that shipping costs nearly as much as the branches. I understand though, I mean…they are shipping a fragile object that could easily break.
{Who else when seeing a FRAGILE label quotes the leg lamp scene from A Christmas Story? FRA-GEE-LEE. I’m not the only one, am I?}
Mrs. Penguin, Northern CaliforniaAge and Occupation: 27, Weddingbee Editor in ChiefFiance's Age and Occupation: 30, Doctor of Physical TherapyEngagement Date: January 29, 2007Wedding Date: June 7, 2008Blogging Since: September 14, 2007Venue: Winery in the Gold CountryAbout Me: I love the Spice Girls, dogs with underbites, bean burritos, making messes, high fives, avoiding showers, crossword puzzles, blogs, weddings, and blogs about weddings!
We’re back and adequately settled in from a fun and long week at Bridal Market! Sleeping 3 hours a night for 6 days in a row is reallllyyyy fun and all (New Yorkers…they like to eat late!) but nothing beats being back home and finally being able to pore through gobs of pictures of beautiful gowns. We didn’t send a photographer this year which means we’ll slowly be gathering images from all our favorite designers, but I would be remiss if I didn’t share with you what I captured on my own camera from the front row of some of my favorite shows from the hive’s favorite designers.
Maggie Sottero is always most beloved around these parts, and it was my first time in my years of attending Market seeing their show. They’ve got some gorgeous gowns that didn’t skimp on the drama. Most featured big, fluffy skirts; a big trend still going strong into spring of next year across virtually all designers…
Enjoy the hive’s very own peek at Maggie Sottero Spring 2012!
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.
We had a chance to go to a bridal tasting and try the food at the winery!
No one else seemed interested in taking photographs, so I tried to snap some ninja-style with my phone when no one else was looking. I promise the actual displays were much more attractive than how we piled everything onto our plates!
There were pretty standard crudites and domestic cheese and fruit trays.
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!
Of all of the details that went into our wedding, the ceremony was the part that had me the most nervous. When I was writing it, I wasn’t following religious guidelines; I wasn’t even following a template. That blank canvas really intimidated me. Was it going to seem too weird and unconventional? Were the few religious components going to seem really out of place? I was also worried about my cousin/officiant and his lack of experience. He’s a charismatic speaker, but would that be enough to lead a ceremony? Did I totally freak him out by asking him to perform the ceremony and he just said yes to be nice?!
The ceremony was perfect. I enjoyed every second of it, and my cousin was a better officiant than I ever could have hoped for. And just like that, we were married.
We recessed down the aisle. I stopped, of course, to chat with guests… Read more…
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 putting off this post for a while because this subject is embarrassing for me. I can’t swim. Now when I say I can’t swim, I don’t mean that I can’t swim well. I mean I cannot swim at all. A lot of people get confused on this point. Let me make myself clear. I can’t doggy paddle. I can’t even float. People give me a weird look when I tell them that. But it’s true.
Most people learn to swim when they’re young. I’ve stories from people who brag that they were thrown into a pool by a relative when they were a kid and swimming just came naturally. Well, I was thrown into a pool when I was a kid, too. My uncle threw me into the deep end when I was eight years old. I did not instinctively learn to swim. I thrashed for a bit, took in some water and sank to the bottom of the pool. The only instinct I had was to crawl across the pool floor until I reached a level where I could stand up. I was probably underwater for less than a minute, but it felt like an eternity. After that day, I was absolutely terrified of the water. I didn’t get back into a pool for nearly ten years and by that point I was afraid to do anything other than just stand in 5 feet of water. Many people have tried to teach me, but I just tense up. Read more…
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!
This past weekend, Foxy and I decided to hit up Men’s Wearhouse to see their rental options for him and the boys. Apparently, I did not do my research.
I mean, what do I know about the men’s stuff in regard to wedding planning? Not too much. Shameful.
My initial thought was that the guys would be easy-peasy—we’d just rent their suits! What I didn’t realize was that Men’s Wearhouse only rents out tuxes, which is great for some people, but it’s just not “us.” We realized very quickly that we wanted and needed suits as opposed to tuxes due to factors such as color, formality, fabric weight, etcetera.
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!
When it came time to choose our honeymoon spot, there were a few things Mr. Porcupine and I decided upon pretty early. We’ve been incredibly lucky to go on some great vacations together. So far we’ve been to Puerto Rico, Mexico (twice), and on a cruise around the Caribbean islands.
Mrs. Teacup, Santa CruzAge and Occupation: 34, Pharmaceutical SalesFiance's Age and Occupation: 41, Ditto! (For a different company)Engagement Date: October 1, 2010Wedding Date: October 2011Venue: ceremony in our family's Catholic church in Watsonville; reception at the Santa Cruz Beach BoardwalkAbout Me: I’m learning to embrace my true spirit as GIRLY GIRL after previous careers in the Navy and consulting for the government. My favorite hobby is SLEEP, with dancing HULA a close second. An INTROVERT in extrovert clothing, I’m questing to UNDO 34 years of TYPE A conditioning. Constantly processing the details of our upcoming nuptials, peek into this late blooming bride & groom's roller coaster ride to the altar. Giant Dipper required, sold separately.
Oh, how I’ve missed you. I could bore you with how work, life and wedding converged into the perfect personal storm over the last few weeks. It got so bad that I was in serious need of a happiness intervention.
It’s fascinating that the time leading up to “the happiest day of our lives” could cause crippling stress and anxiety. I’m ashamed to admit that it got me questioning everything only a few days before W-day. Thankfully, Mr. Hot Tea picked me up, warmed my cold feet and functioned when I could no longer cope. Read more…
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 love love the bright pink bridesmaids’ dresses that my girls will be wearing, but I thought they could use a little something to add a touch more vintage flair to their style.
After a bit of the usual online browsing, I decided that gloves would be the perfect little something! Look at how cute and charming they are:
All-Inclusion Invitation Suites
