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.
Mrs. Genie, Los AngelesAge and Occupation: 23, Admissions AssistantFiance's Age and Occupation: 24, BiotechnologyEngagement Date: July 3, 2010Wedding Date: July 2012Venue: Agoura Hills/Calabasas Community CenterAbout Me: I am bibliophile and Disney nerd who is marrying her science genius high school sweetheart in not one, but two, weddings! When I am not working or wedding planning, I am usually found reading a book (or my Nook), weeping at an episode of Grey’s Anatomy, or frolicking in Disneyland. Mr. Genie is usually found rolling his eyes at my eccentric behaviors while playing Diablo III, solving great big science problems, and introducing me to highbrow television like Breaking Bad. We are getting married in a traditional American wedding, jetting to Costa Rica, and coming back for a traditional Bengali wedding one month later! I can’t wait to share all my plans with the Hive! "You ain’t never had a friend like me!"
It’s the New Year, and my number one resolution is to finish my recaps! I have all year, but I’m hoping to do it by the end of the month.
Mr. Genie and I got to share a 25-minute limo ride to our reception. It was the only time we had alone together the whole day, and we were married! I remember a few high-fives, a recap of the ceremony, getting used to our rings, and just general euphoria. I’m glad we had that time to ourselves, because the party was just beginning, and it was good to assess what had just happened.
When we arrived at The Cheesecake Factory, we heard a few congratulatory honks, and I was whisked away to get my dress bustled. That wasn’t easy, but we figured it out, and the evening coordinator ran off to get my drink of choice, a margarita, for MOH Wino and me. Once the dress was all situated and we had our drinks in hand, Mr. Genie met me to walk into the cocktail hour together. And we were greeted with so many smiles! It was so nice to get to chat with everyone and see them having a good time.
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!)
Oh hi, hive! Remember me? (Probably not—that’s OK, though. ) I think with just over 100 days (WHERE HAS MY TIME GONE!?) to go, it’s time to start talking about the things that we aren’t including in our wedding. Or wedding planning, in this case. Today, I’m talking about why we aren’t having a wedding website.
Miss Bracelet, Frankfurt, Germany/Rapid City, SDAge and Occupation: 26, Post-Graduate StudentFiance's Age and Occupation: 31, Electrical Engineering Student/ Ex-Navy Cal TechEngagement Date: May 11, 2011Wedding Date: September 2012Venue: Schloss Heiligenberg/ Spearfish Canyon LodgeAbout Me: I'm a half-American from Germany who fell in love with a wonderful guy from Montana. We met in Japan and have been in a LDR for most of our relationship. I love organizing so much that it could be my middle name (Post-Its, anyone?). I have a serious addiction to paper products and milk chocolate. My fiancé totally gets my tomboy-princess-combo personality and will bring me chocolate when I need a pick-me-up. After a legal ceremony in Germany, we're planning a down-to-earth (semi-destination) wedding with our friends and family in the US.
I’m sorry to have kept y’all waiting for so long. I told you about my inspiration and trying on dresses (in bridal salons and from BHLDN), but never actually showed you my ladies’ final choice! My bad!
As three out of four bridesmaids don’t live in the U.S., I was the “eyes and ears” for my bridesmaids’ dress shopping. I scouted out options, but left the final choice up to my ladies. I sent them pictures of me in different dresses to vote upon. First they ranked the dresses according to which style they liked best (with one clear winner), and then decided on the dress color (according to photos of swatch cards and digital mock-ups).
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
I closed my eyes for a few moments. Everything was already happening way too fast. I wish I could’ve frozen that moment in time, feeling surrounded by the love of all of the women who matter most to me. Mega girl power.
Downstairs, Mr. W and the guys were pacing around, probably a little bored. The bar hadn’t opened yet, and there weren’t any college football games on for another hour—so I’m not sure what all went on downstairs. Manly stuff. Probably a lot of making fun of each other and talking about chicks.
When it was finally time for our first look, the photographers signaled for Mr. W to stand by the entry of Oak Tree Manor. He straightened his tie, adjusted his cuffs, and stood around looking handsome. Hive, isn’t he the sexiest?
Mrs. Sword, ChicagoAge and Occupation: 28, Nanny/ActressFiance's Age and Occupation: 28, Software EngineerEngagement Date: February 19, 2012Wedding Date: March 2013Venue: Embassy Suites Bloomington West in Bloomington, MNAbout Me: I am a true girly-girl originally from the great state of Minnesota and my fiancé hails from the beautiful country of Scotland. We met and fell in love in our favorite city, Chicago, and are having a blast blending our cultures for "A Highland Fairy Tale" wedding! We are truly a case of opposites attract in that he’s a world traveling introvert and I’m a social butterfly who is never too far from home. We both love hanging out with family and friends, fine dining, and laughing at ourselves. He drinks a lot of beer and I talk too much. We wouldn’t have it any other way!
Another item that got checked off the list while in MN was my hair and makeup trial with my awesome stylist, Laura. If you want to read me rave about her some more, read this and this.
Warning: This is a Miss Sword photo heavy post! If gets too overwhelming staring at my face for the next few minutes I suggest taking a break after the extensions go in.
I’m so happy because Laura nailed my bridal look! I gave her my smokey eye inspiration photos and after decided to do a softer colored lip than you’ll see in the photos, I was in love with everything. I decided to go with airbrush makeup, as are most of my girls, because it will last us all day and all night!
Ms. Gazelle, Calgary/VancouverAge and Occupation: 32, EngineerFiance's Age and Occupation: 32, Technology AnalystEngagement Date: September 3, 2010Wedding Date: July 2011Venue: Brock House Restaurant, VancouverAbout Me: I am a marathon runner, cyclist, Ironman triathlete and beautiful shoe fiend who also loves kicking back and watching Glee. I grew up a bit of a nomad as I traveled around the world with my family, living everywhere from Australia to England to South America and Indonesia. I finally settled in Calgary a few years ago and met Mr. Gazelle who loves me even though we cheer for different hockey teams. We are planning a bit of a destination wedding in beautiful Vancouver, British Columbia and we can’t wait to share the day with our close family and friends.
With 2012 recently coming to a close, I figure I should wrap up the last details on the Gazelle wedding! I have put off my last few posts for far too long.
With dinner and cake complete it was time for Mr. Gazelle and me to have our first dance as husband and wife.
We had taken some dance lessons before the wedding, but we didn’t finish the round. We were dance-school dropouts! It was tough picking a song, but we chose Ryan Adams’s “When the Stars Go Blue” for our first dance. It was something we’d be able to sway to, and we had our first kiss way back when with a Ryan Adams song playing in the background.
Miss Mongoose, New Haven, CTAge and Occupation: 28, Digital AdvertisingFiance's Age and Occupation: 30, Business DevelopmentEngagement Date: November 19th, 2011Wedding Date: May 2013Venue: Hotel Nelligan in Montreal, CAAbout Me:
I was born and raised in Queens, NY (though you would never know due to my lack of a "real" New York accent) but currently live in Connecticut with my fiance. Anyone who knows me knows that I have a crazy obsession for planning and organizing things, so it comes as no surprise that I'm currently obsessed with planning our wedding. I love dancing, music, traveling, reading fiction novels, cooking, the color blue, cupcakes, all things space science-related and TV shows created by Joss Whedon and J.J. Abrams. My fiance and I have been together for seven years and are so excited to finally get married next year. We are planning a peacock-themed destination wedding in Montreal, one of our favorite cities in the world, with 100 or so of our closest family and friends. While we may look very different on the outside, we have eerily similar personalities (probably due to the fact that we share the exact same birthday) and share very similar passions. But above all else, we love each other and love to have FUN!!!
So about one year from my big day, I decided that I needed to start making some changes to my personal habits in order to look and feel my best for the big day. One thing I knew I needed to get working on immediately was my skin—particularly my face. Now my skin overall is in pretty decent shape—sure I get the occasional breakouts and my skin sometimes gets a little too oily in the summer and dry in the winter, but otherwise it’s OK. However, I have a terrible habit of picking at my face (I know, I know—so gross!!), which has subsequently lead to some dark spots on my skin. It’s something that I just do mindlessly (particularly when I’m stressed or bored), so I decided it was time to STOP with the bad habits and start the yearlong process of beautifying my skin. So here’s what I’m doing to get my skin looking fabulous for my wedding day.
bride2bee2012 shares a photo of her brooch bouquet and her bridesmaids’ fresh flower bouquets.
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.
Mrs. Squirrel, Tampa, FLAge and Occupation: 25, Genetic CounselorFiance's Age and Occupation: 27, Graphic Designer/ Engineering StudentEngagement Date: March 17, 2012Wedding Date: May 2013Venue: Davis Island Garden ClubAbout Me:
I am a DIY loving, science dork. I like to eat green peppers every day and I wish all clothes would be made with bows and lace. I moved to the South for grad school and stumbled across Mr. Squirrel, aka Southern Gent extraordinaire. We moved to Tampa, Florida and are starting a new life together. We are so excited to get married! Our ceremony will be in a Catholic church and the guests will then take a boat ride to the outdoor reception. We are channeling a Midsummer Night's Dream and plan to have lots of twinkling lights, moss, and whimsy in the air.
I thought I looked over the paperwork closely for our reception venue, but apparently I did not. I just learned that the neighborhood where our reception is being held has a noise ordinance. A noise ordinance that they monitor very strictly. As in, there is a police officer that “reminds” you of it an hour before. We were planning to have the entire reception outside (weather permitting). The music has to be completely off by 10:00 PM! Arg.
One cannot listen to music at all if we need to turn it off! When I looked at the timeline for the wedding, the dancing itself wouldn’t begin until 8:45 PM, so this rule was just not going to cut it. As we thought about what to do, Christi had a brilliant idea: have the formal dances and an hour of “family friendly” music on the outside patio as planned. Then at 10:00 PM, move the music and dancing indoors and let the AFTER PARTY begin! This would give the younger crowd a second wind (greasy late night snacks drunk food would be set out as well!). Also, this would provide a natural time for my grandparents and some of the older crowd to head back to the hotel.
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!
I’ve been dragging my feet when it comes to posting our wedding portraits because this part of our day was disappointing. Who am I kidding? This part sucked. When we planned a vineyard wedding, at a vineyard that was built overlooking land that had meaning to us, we imagined taking pictures among the vines with the Blue Ridge Mountains behind us. Because of the storm that came through the area in the hours leading up to our ceremony, I spent our portrait sessions pretty much standing in the same spot, holding my dress up so it didn’t get soaked.
At one point while we were taking portraits, the rain started to fall again. Thank goodness Jeanne Cusick of Cville Makeup stuck around because my hair was looking terrible by the end of our pre-ceremony portrait session. Not that I cared. The rain had changed everything, but I just wasn’t going to freak out about the details any more. I honestly just wanted to get married and was in a tunnel by this point.
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.
I’ve been promising to get the show on the road for a while now, and I figured there’s no better way to start out 2013 than with recaps! So, here we go! Presenting:
The day before the wedding was busy, and I neglected to take pictures. Bad blogger! Bridesmaid L came over around 10:00am, and we got our nails done together. Then we met up with Mr. T, Groomsman P, and our friend A for a quick pizza lunch. It was so nice to relax with good friends before the madness began. After lunch, my parents arrived. We loaded up the car with everything that needed to go downtown, picked up my dress from the seamstress, and loaded into the hotel. My brothers and I went to Whole Foods to buy the flowers for the bouquets, and then we picked up my sister/Maid of Honor from the train. We made our bouquets, changed, and walked over to the church for the rehearsal! Phew!
Note to future brides: Do not walk a mile in brand-new heels the day before your wedding. I did, and my feet still hurt the next day. No bueno.
The rehearsal went pretty quickly. My uncle/our priest and the chapel’s wedding coordinator took turns bossing everyone around, so I didn’t have much to do except go through the motions. It was kind of nice.
Miss Blue Whale, College Park, MDAge and Occupation: 27, Graduate StudentFiance's Age and Occupation: 33, Graduate StudentEngagement Date: March 10, 2012Wedding Date: May 2013Venue: Southern Tree Plantation in Blairsville, GAAbout Me: I love bright colors, glitter, sugar, cheese, tiny animals, talking in silly accents, dancing, and all things music. I love to plan things, but when it comes time to execute the plans, I tend to panic. My friends tell me that I remind them of a mix between a cartoon character and a Disney Princess. Mr. Blue Whale and I are Southerners at heart, but we’ve been transplanted to the East Coast for school. We both love barbecues, star-gazing, bonfires, music, making up nonsense words, and generally being silly. Our wedding will be a fun-filled destination wedding in the Blue Ridge Mountains. It will most certainly feature bright colors, '80s music, and glitter.
A while back, I posted about my first attempt at making button bouquets. While I love the awesome texture of button bouquets, I just really wasn’t too convinced that mine was the look I wanted.
My attempt on the left (Personal Photo). A beautiful one on the right (Image from Glamour)
Plus, there was a delightful commenter that deemed my attempt “gross.”
I’m not gonna lie. Those comments hurt my feelings a bit. But at the same time, my bouquet did kind of look like a toddler toy…The colors are too bright. The texture of the beads actually is kind of toy-like. And it needs something else, like fabric or beads or…I don’t know. It just needs to be re-vamped.
I’ve been pondering what could be done to save my bouquet vision for a while now. I’ve searched for buttons in less neon colors, but it seems that the only non-neutral and non-neon color that buttons come in is red or blue. If you want pink, you’ve got to stick with pastel or go all the way to 80′s party pink. I thought about painting some buttons, but I quickly realized that idea would inevitably lead to the destruction of both my sanity and probably some of my clothes and furniture.
And then, out of nowhere, I ran into these while in Mexico…
Mrs. Lyre, PhiladelphiaAge and Occupation: 31, LibrarianFiance's Age and Occupation: 29, Government EmployeeEngagement Date: November 11, 2011Wedding Date: January 2013Venue: Atrium at the Curtis CenterAbout Me: I’m a book loving, photography obsessed, artsy/crafty bride to be, who was dating all the wrong men, until I met the right one, and where one story ended - our new life together began. He’s a video game loving, quirky t-shirt wearing, movie quoting geek who stole my heart, and welcomed me into his. Together we are a happily co-habitating couple, who live in South Jersey, and are planning a wedding in Philadelphia in January 2013. We love to cook, share a bottle of wine, and watch way too much TV; we laugh all the time, don’t sleep nearly enough, and cannot wait to begin our lives as husband and wife!
Happy New Year, bees! I hope everyone had a safe and happy new year, and is as excited as we are for 2013 to finally be here!
With the wedding right around the corner, Mr. Ly and I have been busy bees getting stuff done for the wedding. This past Friday was by far the most productive wedding day I’ve had in quite some time. We got up early (at least for me it was early – I was on winter vacation!) and headed into Philadelphia to get our marriage license. We got there about half an hour after the office opened, and had no wait time. We were in and out with our marriage license in about 20 minutes!
Please excuse my half asleep look. After a week of sleeping in—it was way too early for me to be this functional!
It was a gorgeous day at city hall, and I remarked to Mr. Ly that I would love to have weather just like this on our wedding day. We’ll be revisiting this iconic location in center city Philadelphia to take some wedding photos, but it was too beautiful not to snap one before we left!
