Mrs. Doily, Cedar Rapids, IowaAge and Occupation: 25, Autism Paraeducator/ StudentFiance's Age and Occupation: 28, IT Hosting SupportEngagement 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.!
I only sat by myself for a moment or two to collect myself before joining the rest of the wedding party. Our prelude music had been playing sweetly when I left the sanctuary, and by the time I had walked out, I could hear the ending strains of “Viva la Vida” by Coldplay, instrumental by Vitamin String Quartet, playing. This was the music that our honored guests and Mr. D walked out to. First to walk was Mr. D’s grandmother, escorted by my step-brother A, who was also an usher:
Next was my grandmother who was escorted by our other usher, my younger brother B:
Mrs. Mink, Charlottesville, VirginiaAge and Occupation: 34, College AdministratorFiance's Age and Occupation: 40, Craft Beer ConsultantEngagement Date: November 26, 2010Wedding Date: June 2012Venue: Pippin Hill Farm & VineyardsAbout Me: I left a pre-war brownstone in Boston six years ago to live in a funky, Southern city where Thomas Jefferson, Dave Matthews, and urban chicken keepers enjoy equal social standing. I still love my Patriots and Red Sox, but have fallen in love with Virginia. I work in education and specialize in integrating technology into my work to improve the student experience. I’m a diehard blogger, animal lover, jamband follower, and DIYer. I paint to relax and have transferred by energy from home projects to wedding projects in recent months. When Mr. Mink and I started talking about marriage, we knew our wedding would be outdoors, that my golden retriever would be part of the day, and that the music would be fantastic. We’ve taken a few risks during our planning process and we’ve been enjoying the process immensely!
The day before our rehearsal was a day to tie up a few loose ends. During the day, I finished two small projects. First, I wanted to customize a little bunting kit I had bought a few weeks earlier at a local shop called Rock, Paper, Scissors. The bunting was by a company called Figs & Ginger and was supposed to be held together with string. The image of the bunting on the company’s blog was cute:
I had seen bunting used quite a few times and thought it would be nice to make ours look a little bit different. I decided to see if I could thread a bunch of ribbons through the holes in the wood pieces of the bunting.
Mrs. Pain au Chocolat, Wilmington, DEAge and Occupation: 29, RealtorFiance's Age and Occupation: 34, RealtorEngagement Date: November 21, 2009Wedding Date: June 2011Venue: Greenville Country ClubAbout Me: An ENFJ with an artistic streak who loves backgammon, sailing, graphic design, and sleeping in. Travel (near or far), good wine, and tasty food makes my heart sing. I'm a compulsive list-maker who lives to plan and organize. Mr. P and I have lived together for 4 years, all the while renovating our city townhome bit by bit. We're planning a whimsical, Anthropologie-inspired garden wedding in June 2011.
Now that our families were all together, it was time to celebrate! With food, drinks, and ridiculous amounts of joy!
(guest photo)
Kicking off cocktail hour with “I Got Mine” by the Black Keys was an excellent choice on our DJ’s part. When those bluesy rock-n-roll guitar riffs blasted out of the speakers announcing the start of cocktail hour, Mr. PaC and I turned to each other with huge grins. It became our cocktail hour anthem…and favorite phrase for a few days. We gave DJ Z free rein to do what he does best: read the crowd and select a pitch-perfect song. Did he ever nail it!
Mrs. Toadstool, Obregon, MexicoAge and Occupation: 23, Research AssistantFiance's Age and Occupation: 25, Sales ManagerEngagement Date: October 1, 2011Wedding Date: December 2012Venue: Hacienda los AgavesAbout Me: I’m a born and bred Mexican girl with a severe coffee addiction, an obsession for books and an aversion for exercise. I like to plan things, so this wedding’s my dream project---I just need to remind myself from time to time that I’m the bride and not just the planner. I recently realized brown’s my favorite color as I was trying to incorporate it in every aspect of our wedding and I'm dreaming of an autumn vibe since we don’t have that around here. I’m marrying my best friend and partner in crime on the day of our nine-year anniversary! He’s an awesome, smart, fun guy who is patient, and crazy enough to spend the rest of his life with me. We’re planning our not-so-dreamy dream wedding in December in a non-traditional way and making it our own.
After we ran out of videographer options I had a mini freak-out (yes, this one was mini). I started to think maybe all videographers in town were out of our budget. As a last resource, Mr. Toadstool asked GM P if he knew someone. GM P is a reporter for a local paper, so we were hopeful he could point us in the right direction. Luck struck, and in less than an hour P contacted his former classmate who had just opened a photo studio; he sent us a quote that was, wait for it…under budget!
So, I scheduled an appointment at Estudio 54, a fairly new photo and video studio. I met with Hector and Francisco (P’s friends) who showed me some of the wedding videos they have under their belt. I really like it, hive—I was expecting much less for that price and, although I wasn’t in love with the editing (effects and timing—minor things), I loved the quality and could see the potential. They had great videos filmed with only one camera—take that, annoying videographer from the bridal expo.
Mrs. Otter, Indianapolis, INAge and Occupation: 22, Freelance Social Media ConsultantFiance's Age and Occupation: 23, CVS Shift SupervisorEngagement Date: November 11, 2011Wedding Date: April 2013Venue: Mustard Seed GardensAbout Me: I'm a born and raised Hoosier girl, but a diehard Michigan Wolverines fan. I have a tendency to take too many photos and spend full days having TV marathons. Mr. Otter and I met in high school, started dating a couple years later, and moved in after a month of being official. He is easygoing and makes plans on a whim, while I'm color coordinating my planner and organizing everything in sight. He hates glitter, but it's my favorite thing. I have tattoos and he still won't get one, despite my attempts to convince him. We're planning a small, rustic, and (hopefully!) peony-filled wedding to get our married life started. (And yes, there will be glitter involved!)
It’s time! I’ve finally gotten notice from our guests in sunny California that they have received their save the dates, so I can officially share them with the hive!
Now, before I share, I have to caution those of you who, like me, are excited to place your order and therefore may not be thinking logically. When I revealed the two STD designs that we didn’t use, I said that we got a great deal for the 200 cards we ordered. Two hundred cards…if you’re smarter than me, which I’m sure most of you are, you’re probably already connecting the dots, but in case you didn’t figure it out (like me)—we did not need 200 cards. Two hundred is our guest list total. There are households with as many as eight guests in them.
Yes, hive, I ordered a card for every. single. person. Sigh. Thankfully, since we did get a great deal, it isn’t as big of a deal as it may have been if I did this with invitations, but needless to say I have learned my lesson, and I now have a list of guests invited by household.
Moving on: the reveal!
Personal photo / The front side / Design work by our photographer, Valerie Carnevale
Mrs. Armadillo, Houston, TexasAge and Occupation: 23, Graduate StudentFiance's Age and Occupation: 24, Armed Security OfficerEngagement Date: September 28, 2011Wedding Date: March 2013Venue: First Presbyterian Church/Bay City Civic CenterAbout Me: I’m an oldies-loving, board game-playing, coffee addicted fine arts junkie from Southeast Texas in pursuit of her master’s degree in communication studies who met the goofy, strong, artistic, and unexpected love of her life in the beautiful piney woods of East Texas. Serendipity threw us together again and again (and again) on our college campus before we eventually stuck, but when we finally did submit to destiny, we hit the ground running and never looked back! We’re planning a religious, small town, budget-friendly, DIY-infused “winter becomes springtime” ceremony and reception to celebrate the beginning of our lives together with the people we love the most, and are pouring our hearts and souls into making sure our wedding represents us as a couple down to the nitty gritty details and balances tradition with the quirky individuality that is uniquely and unequivocally “us”!
Pardon me for the Steve Miller “Joker” reference, but when it comes to classic rock, I just can’t help myself.
Anywho, remember a little while back when I mentioned my total love for guestbook thumbprint trees? Well, I did a LOT of research while trying to figure out the best way to make my inspiration spring to life. My original inclination was to have the tree printed on canvas, but then I started thinking about how well the ink would actually cling to the canvas and I started to get a little gun shy about it. Also, having it printed on canvas was realistically a little more than I was willing to spend on this project, no matter how cute it would be. So, I went back to the drawing board.
And then I saw Miss Panda’s post about getting hers printed via Vistaprint, and considering how much success I’ve had with that company in the past, a light bulb went off in my head. And so, after downloading a free vector tree file off the web and adding a few extra personal touches, I uploaded my final design to Vistaprint, selected the matte 18″ x 24″ poster stock, submitted my order, and waited on pins and needles for about a week.
The day it arrived, I ran to Walmart and picked up one of those semi-flimsy, plastic poster frames and a can of silver spray paint. I gave the frame a couple of coats of shiny, silvery goodness, slipped my thumbprint tree poster inside, and voila!
A few of the fun little details? Our names and wedding date at the bottom, and a cute heart with our initials “carved” into the tree trunk:
Mrs. Wallaby, Houston
Age and Occupation: 24, Environmental EngineerEngagement Date: January 1, 2012Wedding Date: November 2012Venue: Oak Tree ManorAbout Me: I'm a free-spirited, adventurous girl who loves anything active, reading, traveling, cooking up new dishes for my fiancé, and working on my budding garden. My fiancé is an athletic, intellectual, animal-loving guy with an obsession with basketball and who treats me with the deepest compassion and respect. We are both engineers, and we met at our workplace. Together we complement one another and make a great team, and we are excitedly counting down the days until our outdoor wedding in Houston in November. We're planning a green wedding with lots of Persian cultural touches, and I can't wait to share all of the before-and-after details of our special day
Mr. Wallaby and I chose our venue because we fell in love with the enormous oak tree on the property. The tree is a showstopper, and we could imagine marrying each other under its big, long, leafy branches in front of all of our friends and family.
Now that we’ve got the venue, decorating is the tough part. Oak Tree Manor is such a beautiful place that I am trying to stick to a minimalist approach so that the decorations don’t take away from the natural beauty of the historic B&B and the landscaping on the property. I browsed through images of other outdoor weddings in search of inspiration for ceremony decor. The following photos are some of my favorites for inspiration.
Rose petals scattered down the aisle, with oversized lanterns as aisle markers:
Miss Panda, Boston, MAAge and Occupation: 26, Graduate StudentFiance's Age and Occupation: 23, Graduate StudentEngagement Date: June 27, 2011Wedding Date: June 2013About Me: I love window shopping, cute animals, crafting, baking, and most forms of procrastination. I tend to be overly meticulous with choices to a point of complete and total indecision. Mr. PBear and I met and live in the amazing city of Boston. We are big nerds who love trying new foods, playing video games, and cuddling with our adorable hamster. After 5 years together, we are planning an intimate, DIY-heavy, vintage garden themed, nonreligious wedding in the city where we fell in love.
We met with our first potential JOP earlier this week, and we had a great conversation with him. He was very funny and relaxed, and I really liked him. His fees were a little on the high side, but not that unreasonably so. And I really believe that he would do a great job. I’m just not sure I can justify the cost, especially when we haven’t looked at any other JOPs.
But what I realized very early on in the conversation was how I knew very little about how I wanted the ceremony to go. What should be the most important part of the day is the part that I haven’t really thought it through yet.
Mrs. Dragon, Sioux Lookout/Brockville, ONAge and Occupation: 24, JournalistFiance's Age and Occupation: 35, Graphic DesignerEngagement Date: August 22, 2011Wedding Date: September 2012Venue: Mother of the Bride’s ResidenceAbout Me: I moved to Northern Ontario for a job, expecting to be single for the year I'd be there. Within one month I was dating a co-worker, and now, more than two years later, we’re planning a wedding and I’m still a Northern girl. I’m a reporter and a photographer for a small-town newspaper, and I get to do all kinds of fun, exciting, and sometimes weird things at work. When I’m not getting the scoop, I’m cooking, adventuring, playing with our three black cats, or blogging.
I’ve been told the little girls were absolute angels walking down the aisle. My mom grabbed Ophelia’s hand, as did Lily, and all three of them headed to the edge of where the seats began. Mom Dragon let go and the girls kept holding hands while they walked calmly and slowly to the front. No tears, no fear, no running. Amazing!
*
All of the bridesmaids followed, starting with Ashley, then Andrea.
Mrs. Treasure, ChicagoAge and Occupation: 24, Law StudentFiance's Age and Occupation: 28, Equity AnalystEngagement Date: July 30, 2011Wedding Date: September 2012Venue: Saint James Chapel at Quigley Prep/Murphy AuditoriumAbout Me: I was born and raised in Indiana, but now live in sweet home Chicago. I'm a third-year law student and aspiring trial lawyer, which means Mr. T never wins an argument. Other than Mr. T, I love singing, exploring the Chicago restaurant scene, and Notre Dame football. We met in a musical (just like my parents!) and after 4 years together, we are excited to be planning our urban "destination" wedding.
By now, you all know that I love me some paper, so it should come as no surprise that I dedicated a lot of time to our ceremony programs.
I wanted our programs to be a little different than the folded piece of paper you typically see at weddings. To accomplish this, I decided to go with a different shape: a square.
The cover of the program was printed on cardstock and featured the same calligraphy as our save-the-dates and invitations. The other font (Copperplate Light) and the Chicago star also carry over from the save-the-dates and invitations.
We wrote a note to our family and friends, thanking them for coming.
Mrs. Buffalo, San Diego, CAAge and Occupation: 26, Treasury Services RepresentativeFiance's Age and Occupation: 27, Manufacturing EngineerEngagement Date: July 28, 2011Wedding Date: September 2012Venue: Bailey's Palomar ResortAbout Me: I’m a So Cal girl who doesn’t like the ocean (or sand) and would much rather be out in the country. I’m a Gleek and a Twi-hard, I enjoy baking, reading, watching old movies, and listening to country music. We both love football season, and thankfully our two favorite teams are in different conferences (and therefore rarely play each other). He’s a die-hard Indianapolis Colts fan, and I love the Tampa Bay Buccaneers (and YES, we’re both born and raised San Diegans). He’s my best friend, and I can’t wait to begin the journey of our lifetime together.
There is one element of the wedding that I was SO excited for, yet in the end I had to be rational and ended up cutting. You see, thanks to the miracle that is Pinterest (seriously, as much as I love it, it can be DANGEROUS), I found inspiration in photos like these:
Mrs. 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 have been popping in and out since the day we said we do, but now I am back with a vengeance to share with you the smiles, hugs, love, laughter and joy that we shared on May 12, 2012. Let the Dalmatian recaps commence!
First up on the itinerary the morning of our wedding day was dropping Echo off at Camp Bow Wow for the weekend. Other than his little whimpers pulling at my heartstrings like they do every time I have to leave him, this went off without a hitch. And, with that, it was time for the primping to begin! After a very minor delay (poor MIL Dalmatian’s alarm never went off that morning, but she made a very speedy recovery!), we headed to Trim.
MOH A, MOH K, and me getting our hair done
This is where I always went for haircuts in Nashville. I adored the stylist I worked with, and the place could not be more cute and perfect for bridal primping. One side is a classic Men’s barber shop, and the other is an adorable retro beauty salon complete with bubblegum pink walls and décor. I told everyone to choose their own hairstyle because 1) I trust each girl to know her own hair and how it looks best and 2) I wanted each of them to feel comfortable and pretty. That being said, everyone made stellar choices in my opinion!
The two mothers wore their hair down and styled in a way that completely amplified their beauty. As for the bridal party, one of my bridesmaids wore her hair up and the other down, and one of my MOHs wore her hair up and the other down. Don’t you love it when things come together like that? I must commend both the girls’ selections and the hair stylists’ work because they all looked absolutely stunning, and their hairstyles totally worked with the vintage, rustic style of our wedding.
Mrs. Gray Wolf, Washington DCAge and Occupation: 26, Business Development ExecutiveFiance's Age and Occupation: 30, Research ScientistEngagement Date: November 11, 2011Wedding Date: February 2013Venue: Whittemore HouseAbout Me: I'm an ultra-organized, pun-loving, list-making, cheese-enthusiast bride-to-be. Although my day job is in cubicle land, I'm happiest in the modern art wing of a museum, having recently earned my Masters in Museum Studies. Shortly after a chance meeting five years ago, I moved in with Wolfman and haven't looked back since. We love music, movies, TV, and all things pop culture; we have an unspoken competition to be the first to share the latest YouTube sensation or indie song. Together, we've filled quite a few pages in our passports, but also love quiet nights in with a Game of Thrones marathon and our French Bulldog, Tonks (Harry Potter, anyone?). I'm planning a small, cozy winter wedding---think mercury glass and candle light---in the heart of DC. Our venue is a historic home with a lot of political charm, but needs a bit of work to be wedding-ready.
Since our venue is in downtown DC, we have a ton of options for wedding weekend accommodations. With dozens of hotels within walking distance of our venue, we considered not bothering with a room block and giving our guests free rein over where to stay. Yet, there is a hotel option so convenient that I felt like we had to go ahead and secure some rooms…because it is right next door to our venue. Like, the two buildings touch each other.
Mrs. Otter, Indianapolis, INAge and Occupation: 22, Freelance Social Media ConsultantFiance's Age and Occupation: 23, CVS Shift SupervisorEngagement Date: November 11, 2011Wedding Date: April 2013Venue: Mustard Seed GardensAbout Me: I'm a born and raised Hoosier girl, but a diehard Michigan Wolverines fan. I have a tendency to take too many photos and spend full days having TV marathons. Mr. Otter and I met in high school, started dating a couple years later, and moved in after a month of being official. He is easygoing and makes plans on a whim, while I'm color coordinating my planner and organizing everything in sight. He hates glitter, but it's my favorite thing. I have tattoos and he still won't get one, despite my attempts to convince him. We're planning a small, rustic, and (hopefully!) peony-filled wedding to get our married life started. (And yes, there will be glitter involved!)
Hive, I never thought I would be that bride. That bride that cared about stamps. Especially the STD stamps! I just assumed that when people received our STD, they would note the date in their planner/phone/etc. and then toss the STD.
But then, there I was, standing at the post office to purchase postage and suddenly…everything seemed to be in slow motion. I watched as the employee pulled open the big binder of stamps. I watched her flip, flip, flip through the pages and start to pull out several pages. What did I see, you may be wondering? I saw these:
Personal photo, unfortunately
I saw ALOHA stamps staring back at me. And a variety of Hawaiian shirts. Now, if I were having a destination wedding? Sure, toss the ALOHA at me. But for our rustic, romantic, light and neutral colored wedding? No. These simply did not fit the bill.
