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Weddingbee Blog
Who doesn’t want to look and feel their best at their wedding?
Hey look! It’s a bird, it’s a plane, it’s one of those things that makes so much sense and is so easy to say but isn’t easily done!
Even in the face of some serious and some trivial pressures, I’ve managed to fa la la la la fail in this area so far. Where some brides might feel like they need to lose five pounds because they’re getting married and that’s what good brides do, I need to lose closer to ten times that because I’m honestly at an unbelievably unhealthy weight. Am I dying a little inside as I share this? Yup, but seriously, catch a side profile—it’s not like it’s a secret. I guess shout out to Mr. Raccoon for sticking with me through all of the ballooning. Sorry for the bait and switch; you’re a good guy.
This project was inspired by a very helpful Weddingbee Wiki! We made small baskets to place in the reception venue’s bathrooms that are filled with products which might be handy for guests.
Is there really a good way to display tampons?
I’ve been doing this for about half of my life—why is figuring out how I’d like my makeup for the wedding so difficult?
Photography by Jamie Vester Photography and Design / Image via their Facebook
I’ve never been the type that can wake up in the morning and not look a little scary. Seriously. You know how in hospitals they take pictures of newborns? Mine was so bad that to this day even I have not seen it. Yikes! My everyday look uses a handful of products and is reasonably dramatic. To do much more might be a little too much. I started looking for things in the opposite direction. I did an online search for natural makeup, and what came back was pretty but wasn’t what I would call natural. In the hope that it isn’t me with the skewed idea of natural-looking makeup, I put together a little how to. It’s pretty simple if you have no idea where to start, or it might be a good base if you want to build on it. I think this might be what I do for the rehearsal and the days leading up to the wedding so my makeup on the actual day seems that much more special.
Hey, hive! I’ve been feeling filled with the holiday spirit! Looking around online for inspiration, I saw these centerpieces that incorporated ornaments and fell in love. I know the Raccoon wedding is a few weeks after Christmas, but as a winter wedding I think we can slide ornaments in without raising eyebrows.
Image via Better Homes and Gardens
Featured on Weddingbee
Unique Wedding Favors
“Add a memorable touch to your wedding with unique favors that match your theme.”
There were what I felt like huge parts of my life going unrepresented in our wedding. After thinking, thinking, and thinking some more of how to tie in all the small odds and ends, it came to me. Simply do that—tie ‘em together!
When I walk down the aisle, not only will I be arm and arm with Mr. Raccoon, I’ll be holding a beautiful bouquet that highlights my interests, shows support from my family, and serves as a remembrance of the ones that are no longer able to be with us. It’s important for me to have this, but in a way that won’t put a damper on the day. Hey, we’re planning a joyous occasion here!
Look what I just gave a good home to!
French Provencial Pine Plaque
I have big plans for this one! I’ve been smitten with the family established signs from the first time I saw one. We purposely chose a reception venue that required little to no extra decoration, but a little sign that we can put up in our home later won’t hurt anything!
Create the honeymoon of your dreams.
I caught these very invitations at no place other than Wal-Mart on super clearance.
Image via Print Canada Store
Best wedding stumble-upon yet! They are kits that have everything needed, and you are supposed to be able to make them yourself from home. The key words I guess are “supposed to.” Printer, how do you do it? If I might be so brazen, you are a total brat.
Ever feel like your hair was just destined for high-fashion catwalks?
Image via SodaHead
I sure do.
My hair is naturally curly, and it’s a fact about myself that I just started accepting recently. I still enjoy a good ol’ hair straightening for special days. Don’t worry, it’s nothing but a case of the “you always want what you can’t haves.” Here, I’ll let you see what I’m working with.
Last weekend was a “to do” that was nothing but fun! My mother and I went cake tasting! Really it was cupcake tasting, but who cares—it was awesome!
Image via Food2
We decided to go all out and pick four different flavors. Maybe it was because we wanted something for everyone, but more likely it was just too hard to pick only one or two. So, here they are!
I struggled a lot with this one, guys. Flowers, oh how I love them, oh how their price tags do not fit into my nicely divided budget no matter how I play with the percentages. (Thanks, Google Docs!)
After investigating a few florists in the area, I knew this was going to be a do-it-yourself kind of project. I’m going to order white roses in bulk from Costco online. I was able to find 100 stems for $80 including shipping. All the reviews say to have them delivered about two days before the event so you can get them into water and looking beautiful again.
On top of this steal, I might have found the best little-known invention. It’s called Easy Arranger and is sold by Annabelle Noel. For $12 I got a four pack of patterns, insurance I’ll call it, so that the bouquets look right. Want to know what else is awesome about these? They’re bendable, reusable, and coated so they won’t rust!
You just stick your flowers through the holes. It looks foolproof, right?
Remember at the beginning when I went on and on about picking dresses for the bridesmaids and then never shared what we actually chose? Oops! To make up for it, here is a picture of Bridesmaid Paws showing off the final selection!
I think the girls will be rocking mismatched shoes with this one!
After religiously entering sweepstakes through Fodor’s and not being selected on multiple occasions, it was time to get real about our honeymoon travels. My first thought was HOOOORAYYYY! We actually get a honeymoon?! Between his busy schedule and our general lack of funds, it’s a mini-miracle. The next step was Katy Perry Decision Time—do we go some place hot or cold?
Best Face Ever image via Capital Bay
Easy peasy choice for me! I’m not a lover of swimsuits, and I get a sunburn if I look at a light bulb the wrong way. Maybe it’s different for you, but I’ve just about decided that being hot is a punishment comparable to any number of these torture devices.
“Who told you that you had to give out wedding favors? Etiquette has never thought of weddings as comparable to children’s birthday parties, where the guests might need consolation for not being the center of attention. You owe them only the hospitality of the occasion.” - Apparently, The Miss Manners
Yeah, but but but…true story time.
Once upon a time, I was a very bad wedding guest. It was entirely on accident, I cringe remembering, and I swear up one side and down the other I’m not a total snot. Mr. Raccoon and I were enjoying the wedding of our friends, and all of the sudden things were winding down because it was time to leave. I thought, Hmmm, odd, no favor. My eyes scanned the room—no one else was leaving toting bubbles, little tulle bags stuffed with almonds, or any other goodies. No favor? Rational thinking set in that those thoughts were seriously stupid. Had they not just provided me with a way to see old friends, dance, drink, have nice dinner and dessert, and most importantly share their special day with them? They didn’t have to invite me. My rump was taking up valuable seat space.
On the other side of things now, guests are going to be traveling long distances to make it to our wedding, most likely they will need to get a hotel, maybe they are bringing a present, maybe they had to request time off of work, they have probably invested serious amounts of time, friendship, and love into one or both of us, etc. The list goes on. I don’t want anyone to be leaving and think, “No favors?” I want them to know how truly thankful I am they went well out of their way to spend their weekend with us.
So what are we doing? Giving everyone our warmest thanks.
Image via ChezWedd / Photography by Camilla Photography
I had two specifications going into choosing favors that really narrowed down the field.
The Three Rings of Marriage…ladies and gentlemen, we have them all!
Only kidding, but the bands are here! The only suffering was waiting until they came in! Tough cookies, right?
Image via Candle Cottage
We went out on a personal big limb and ordered Mr. Raccoon’s ring online from The World Jewelry Center on Amazon. It was a last resort, but it ended up being a completely stress-free transaction in which we saved $423. Thank you, holiday sales! We had visited a few jewelry stores in town, and none had what he was looking for. Being simple kind of worked against us here. Alternative metals are the big thing right now! They’re affordable, strong, and have many style options. I actually really like them, but we couldn’t get over their inability to be resized. We know that we’ll be wearing these rings every day for the rest of forever, and the chances of our ring sizes changing are pretty good.
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Mrs. Raccoon, Indianapolis Age and Occupation: 22, Student Fiance's Age and Occupation: 24, Graduate Student Engagement Date: Christmas 2010 Wedding Date: January 2012 Venue: Catholic Church, Chateau Thomas Winery About 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.
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