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.
Our day started out with the girls and I waking up and heading to breakfast on the top floor of our hotel. The room had been upgraded to some super-duper level of service with fancy breakfast included. Then we headed around the corner to the hair salon at a respectable time (9AM). This is the same place Cinnamon Buns always gets his hair cut, and where I have my hair cut too…every few years.
Miss Doily, Cedar Rapids, IowaAge and Occupation: 25, Autism Paraeducator/ StudentFiance's Age and Occupation: 27, Freelance Writer/ PublisherEngagement Date: August 27th, 2010Wedding Date: March 2012Venue: Father’s Vineyard Church/ A Touch of Class Banquet CenterAbout Me: I’m an Iowan girl with a deep love of Harry Potter, classic movies, cardigans, and Post-Its. My type-A Virgo tendencies often cause me to drive my laid-back college sweetheart fiance batty with lists and PowerPoint presentations. I love to be crafty and do things myself, which explains why my two crazy kittens often will prance around the house covered in glitter and ribbons. When I am not bogged down with work, school, or wedding planning, I like to travel to visit my expansive family and have wild adventures with my best friends. After a rollercoaster ride of a love story, I’m ready to take that final plunge, marry the love of my life, and become a Mrs.!
The journey to find a dress, that is! That is right, hive! I have found my wedding dress. Let the cheers and confetti ensue! Woo hoo! Are you excited? I know I am absolutely ecstatic! Before I can get down to show you the dresses I tried on and the one that I ended up going with, I have a little business to take care of=. Put that partying on hold:
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’m not talking about gifts from guests…obviously those are necessary (just kidding!…not really…). I’m talking about the bride and groom giving gifts to each other. I mean, of course it’s not necessary…but it’s fun!
I’m not sure Mr. Magic is getting me a gift or not. If he does, I hope he gets me something like this, but maybe a tad smaller. And less expensive. And, you know… fake.
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.
I didn’t have too many opinions or guidelines about how the mothers should dress. Anything I had to say kind of went without saying. They were things like “please don’t wear all white or fire-truck-flashy red,” “please nothing that is a centimeter from a wardrobe malfunction” (think Nicole at any formal event—if you don’t know Nicole, you know THAT girl), and pretty helps.
I stumbled across a mother-of-the-bride attire etiquette article on The Knot. All I could think about was how impractical this would be for us. My mother can’t commit to an outfit for anything. I can show you the latest selection, but chances are you won’t see it at the wedding. If Mr. Raccoon’s mom had to wait until my mother chooses (probably two hours before the ceremony), she wouldn’t make it to the church on time.
I’m sure everything will work out fine.
Mr. Raccoon’s mother picked out a beautiful dress!
Empire waist dress with bolero jacket from JCPenney
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!
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 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!
After unsuccessfully searching high and low for patterned bridesmaids’ dresses that met my very picky standards, I expanded my search to include solid dresses as well. With this expansion, approximately 17 bagillion more dresses became options. In order to narrow down the search, I decided to try out a new criterion: sleeves/straps!
I really like the look of non-strapless dresses, and I think quite often they are more flattering and more comfortable. Plus, I wanted my girls to be able to get down on the dance floor without worrying about a wardrobe malfunction!
The first solid dress that stole my heart was the Miraflores dress from BHLDN.
Mr. Dalmatian liked the sleeves, but wasn’t sold on the bow. The bow is actually part of a reversible belt, so it can be worn on the back. This brought the dress up to “OK” in Mr. D’s book, but Mama Dalmatian was worried about the fit being too little girl-ish. As much as I didn’t want to admit it at the time, I could see her concern. To top things off, I wasn’t entirely sold on the more muted pink as opposed to a bright pink. So the Miraflores dress got moved from my potential bridesmaids’ dress folder to my I-love-this-dress-and-will-buy-it-if-an-occasion-arises-for-me-to-wear-it folder.
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!
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.
I thought I would update you all on that appointment we had to meet with a potential videographer. The one that I was super excited about because he did not require my firstborn child and/or my life savings in order to book him?
Yeah, total fail. That meeting did not go as I had hoped. First, he emailed me about an hour before our appointment to ask if we could push back the appointment by 30 minutes. OK, no big deal. Thank goodness I checked my email before leaving. I consider this to be sign numero uno.
Things started off fairly well while he was explaining the different pricing options. Again, he was the most affordable videographer that I could fine. Things took a slight turn when he continued to call Mr. Buck by the wrong name of James. Not just once, but approximately five times. After every time he would correct himself, so he did know his correct name. OK, the first time is an honest mistake. Second time, he is still trying to figure this out. Third, fourth, fifth time? I’m starting to think Mr. Buck’s real name is James…ridiculous.
He showed us two videos, and they seemed nice. Nothing special, but again he is affordable and I kept telling myself this. To top it all off at the very end he said, “I don’t really choose to do weddings anymore because they take up my weekends. I only do them when people find me.” Wow, thanks. Because we aren’t going to be paying you a crap load of money or anything. (Yes he is affordable, but it still costs money.) I was not really interested in paying someone for a service who does not actually want to be there. As Stephanie Tanner would say:
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!
Mrs. Crepe, Queens, NY/Nashville, TNAge and Occupation: 28, Jewelry DesignerFiance's Age and Occupation: 28, Animation DirectorEngagement Date: September 28, 2010Wedding Date: May 2011Venue: A church in downtown NashvilleAbout Me: I'm a native New Yorker who has always been a DIY kind of girl and loves tackling creative projects while getting the most out of a dollar. I'm marrying my college sweetheart and we love frequenting antique stores, exploring together, and playing with kittens. We're planning a fun, "us" wedding in his hometown---with as many handmade touches as we can pack into a day!
Hi again! I’ve accidentally (and temporarily) turned into a Weddingbee reader instead of a blogger lately but I’m sure you all haven’t noticed because there have been an influx of SERIOUSLY amazing new bees.
Here is why: soon after we got married, Mr. Crepe landed a great job in San Francisco! We are incredibly grateful for this one, especially with the economy the way it is and starting our lives together with a bit of stability is wonderful. There have been a few rough years in the past, career wise, for both of us, and that had contributed to our extended long distance relationship. It is so gratifying for me to see the mister going to a job he loves, with super cool coworkers who he respects and who respect him. Go Mr. Crepe!
So on top of the transition of getting married and living together for the first time, we have also been dealing with the task of moving cross country. It’s been a monster. (For those of you who have to do this too, I do have a GREAT car shipping company to recommend! A whole lot of research and breath holding went into this, believe you me.) This has plunged us back into long distance but after 6 years of it, 2 months is totally small beans.
One of the reasons why I stayed behind was to attend a few close friends’ weddings. I wanted to share a detail from one of the weddings here; it was so simple but absolutely beautiful.
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!
On my wedding dress. And remember my wedding dress is Penelope, as named by Cinny, who is altering her. It’s been nearly two months since I had my fitting and I probably won’t have my dress back in my hands for at least another month or so. Le sigh. I’m going to preface the rest of this post with this statement: I l-o-v-e my dress, I truly do. And also 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!
All-Inclusion Invitation Suites
