Weddingbee Blog

What’s the buzz on the Chicago boards? Why, it’s a bee meet up, and we want YOU to join us!

When: TONIGHT!
Where: Rivers Restaurant (in the Chicago Mercantile Exchange)
30 S. Wacker
Time: 6:00 PM

Please respond in the comments if you want to join us. Hope to see you there!

I still haven’t been able to get the idea of a reception dress out of my mind. After Max Azria seriously let me down, my search (and resulting frustration) has soldiered on.

Like my issue with shoes, I haven’t really found anything that jumped out at me, shouting, “Me! Pick me! Wear me! Love me!” Especially something that would justify the added expense in our wedding budget. A few friends have told me to just drop the search and wear my dress all night long – I mean, that’s what most brides do, right? – since it is light and airy (I had been using the “What if I get too hot?” line).

Mr. Quiche and I were stalking photography blogs of fellow Coyaba weddings and came across this picture…

Photo credit: Climie + Co
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… so I bought silver shoes for the wedding. Last July. And apparently, I don’t like silver sandals, either.

Touch-Ups “Marcella”

I liked them at first, but after trying them on with my dress again over the weekend, I just wasn’t crazy about them. Maybe it’s the toe thing? I’m not sure. Luckily, I ordered them from Zappos and have 365 days to return them.

There is just something about white and silver sandals that don’t agree with me. Especially those fitting into a very particular demographic:
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After having an incredible shower/party weekend in Ohio a month ago, I count myself as being doubly blessed to celebrate with my Chicago gang as well last weekend. Chi-bridesmaids Nic & Andrea made the journey to Ohio with me, and along with my other best, best friend Chi-bridesmaid Carrie, another incredible weekend ensued.

I feel like I say it all the time - and I’m going to say it again - I feel so lucky to have such an amazing group of friends and family! Ohio-bridesmaid Beth and Sister Quiche Nen traveled to Chicago on Friday, which just made the weekend even sweeter.

Saturday started off with… wait for it… picking up my dress from the tailor!! YEAH! But, you’ll have to wait only a few short weeks to see it! Rest assured, it is PERFECT. We even had time for Beth to hit up the salon, Nen to hit up Sweet Mandy B’s for cupcakes, and me to hit up the gym before getting ready for the shower. With all of the activity, it really was such a relaxing weekend!

BMs Carrie, Nicole & Andrea set up the perfect shower for me - High Tea at the Ritz Carlton. I love tea (and let’s be honest, who doesn’t love a tiny sandwich?).

Before we left - Mini Quiche J, Carrie, Me, Bethany & Nen
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Following in the footsteps of Miss Glitter and her amazing engagement pic teasers, here are a couple of ours from a Nashville photographer - Hannah, of Hannah Elaine Photography. She happened to be in town for a few days a couple of weekends ago and lined up a few shoots after posting on the Weddingbee Boards!

We had a blast with her and love the outcome. I am so glad we did this, as we were a little nervous at first. It was great practice for the wedding!

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That’s right, our wedding is one month away. I don’t even know where the time has gone! Luckily, things in the Quiche wedding planning household have been smooth sailing!

source

I have one of those daily desktop calendars at work, and it contains a French phrase for the day. Looking ahead and hoping to find one about love on or around our wedding day, I came across this phrase for May 1st: “J’ai perdu mon passeport”, which translates to, “I lost my passport”. And for the day we’re flying out, the phrase is: “Je n’ai qu’un sac de cabine”, or, “I only have carry-on luggage”.
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These went out a few weeks ago, the responses are pouring in, and I’ve been a bad Bee for not posting this sooner.

Our invites!

I worked with an amazing Etsy designer, Karen of mtkdesigns, to design our invitation suite, programs, and menus. If you are thinking of DIYing your invites, but need help with the graphics, this is THE WAY TO GO! We went back and forth until things were exactly to our liking and then she emailed us the file as a .jpeg and .pdf! Easy! I printed these out on our awesome color copier at work (with approval, bien sur!), then the girls and I went to town assembling them.
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Due to the fact that my mom, sisters, and I are all very busy gals, the only weekend we could all work out for my Ohio Wedding Weekend was at the end of February. And what a weekend it was!

Miss Quiche the Cannibal!

My aunt and cousin are unable to travel to Jamaica for our wedding, so they graciously offered to host my wedding shower as a gift to us. Lisa and I were very close growing up, and it meant so much to me.
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It wasn’t too difficult to come up with the guys’ clothing choices to go with our casual-preppy-tropical wedding (Hawaiian shirts or linen shirts?). We opted to go with easy, breezy linen for the groomsmen. Again, I had to let go of my OCD when I brought up the probability of wrinkles, but I think I’ll be okay. I carry an iron with me on every trip I take and will even iron the shirts for the guys once we get down there. The resort also has a steamer (yes, I checked!), which will be good for my dress, too! I held out for Banana Republic’s 30% off sale and bought everything yesterday!

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Or how to NOT get fried during your destination wedding.

Or justifying all of the above in the simple act of vanity.

I’ll just come out and say it (and I know it isn’t a popular decision) – I have been tanning in preparation for our Jamaican celebration. (Now before anyone berates me for doing this, trust me that I’ve already done it to myself plenty of times.) I am pale. All year round. And I am totally fine with that. Let me start of by saying that, when in the Caribbean sun, I don’t tan – I red. Without a base color established prior to our departure, my only viable option to a) not fry and b) not get tan lines, is to hole up in our room the entire time. No thank you! With or without a wedding, I am the girl on the beach with a huge floppy hat (no premature wrinkling for me, thank you!), SPF 50 reapplied obsessively every hour, under an umbrella. I love the sun and the beach, but I try to enjoy it responsibly.

Moving on. I think I’ve been tanning a total of 4 times in my life. Perhaps once before prom and a couple of times my freshman year of college (at a place where they only had a curtain across the door opening for “privacy”. That could be why I never went back?). So, I bought a package at Palm Beach Tan and have been pleasantly surprised with the gradual results. I’ll only go in for 5 minutes at a time because I do NOT want to get burnt. But I feel gradually stepping up the number of minutes over the next 2 months will give me a nice glow for the wedding day. I love the way I look with a tan and don’t want to be a ghost in my dress.
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With the wedding less than two months away (yikes!), it’s time to dust off the DIY projects that were started (rather, the supplies were bought) over the past 4 months. I knew it was a mistake to buy the last novel in the Twilight sequel this late in the wedding planning game, but Edward was calling me from the stacks at Costco and I succumbed. Well, the book is read, and now it’s crunch time. So, most of my free days and nights have been spent crafting.

I posted a while ago about styling the aisle, and had a lot of great feedback from all of you. I loved the look of flower garlands hanging from the altar, but our florist’s ri.dic.u.lous. prices prompted a day of DIY. I love the results. LOVE. I can picture them swaying in the Caribbean breeze as we softly whisper, “I do…”

Oh, who am I kidding?! With my luck, they’ll be a tangled mess, and Mr. Quiche will be yelling, “Ya mon!” Moving on…

The altar at Coyaba

Supplies:
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I love makeup. My superfabulous friend Karrie? She loves it even more.

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“It’s my kind of town, Chicago is…”

Chicago. I love this city. It makes for a great escape, whether for 3 days or a week. There are things to do and places to see for all types of interests: history, art, food, architecture, beaches, and shopping. It is a large city, but has a very manageable feel. Plus, it’s in the Midwest. It’s easily accessible and the people are very friendly! Chicago is a city built by its neighborhoods, and each has its own vibe and culture.
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… Mr. Quiche and Paris…

France is near and dear to my heart. I credit going to University in Lyon for changing my life. I’ve always had a wonderful life, enjoyed Ohio State immensely, but embarking on a new experience in Europe is what did it for me. It turned me into a girl obsessed with seeing the world and experiencing new cultures. Mama and Sister Quiche Nen came to visit me and the travel bug bit them as well. Mama Q and I love Paris. We’ve gone back to visit since then and it’s only fitting that we squeeze in one more trip to the City of Lights before Mr. Q and I take the plunge.

Mama Q suggested the idea after a few cocktails one night in December…

Me, Mama Q, Sister Quiche Nen, and might-as-well-be-a-sister-Quiche Friend L

So, the trip is planned and we take off in a month!
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In my opinion, Taraji Henson was the best dressed of the night, hands down.
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