Weddingbee Blog

Mr. Bee here. Mrs. Bee is out buying cat food (and isn’t feeling so well), so she asked me to write a Reader Buzz.

Mrs. Bee and I were talking this morning about our three biggest incompatibilities. Not our three biggest differences - but the three things that create the biggest issues for us day to day. After much brainstorming and debate, here is our joint list:

1) WUP
2) PHYSICAL TOUCH
3) ADVENTURES

1) WUP

Every day over instant message, Mrs. Bee asks me “wup” - our code for, “what’s ur plan?” Especially on weekends, she likes to know exactly what my plan is for the day… or as she put it, “Exactly what you hope to accomplish today, and when you plan to accomplish it”. I will often awake on Saturday to see a piece of paper that says, “Saturday’s Plan” on it, with a list of her errands and things she hopes to accomplish that day.

Read more…

Mrs. Bee here. 

Miss Lollipop linked to a metafilter thread earlier today that asked, “Do you regret having spent all of that money and energy on your big, splash-out wedding?

Commenter aoedorothee wanted to hear weddingbee readers’ responses, so I’ll start!

I don’t regret any of the time that I put into planning our wedding (approx 6 months), because going through the process helped me a great deal in launching weddingbee.  Being one of the first of my friends to get married, I really had no idea what I was doing back then… but now I live, eat, breathe, drink weddings.   If I could do it again, sure there are things I would have done differently, spent less on, etc.  But overall, I don’t really have regrets about our wedding. 

For those of you that are already married - do you regret the time and money you invested into your wedding?

Commenter Red had a good point about how most brides exceeded their initial budgets in our Real Reader Budgets post earlier today.  So we’d like to know how much your budget has changed from your initial estimate, to what it is now (mid or post planning).

Mrs. Bee here. 

A friend of mine posted a poll from a recent USA Today where 87% of respondents preferred a romantic proposal to a huge diamond ring.

Let’s hear what weddingbee readers have to say! 

Father’s Day is right around the corner, bringing with it the usual challenge of finding something special for your father.  But for those of you who are engaged, Sunday also presents a great opportunity to do something thoughtful for your future father-in-law, too.

However, it can be tricky enough to think of something for your own dad.  So what do you think?  Will you be giving your FFIL a present?  If so, what?

In the comments on Mr. Bee’s post about The Little Things, a few people asked about slideshows:

I’d love to do a slideshow for our reception, but am worried about how to put it together. I think it would be really cool if you could do a post about how to make a great slideshow: what should definitely be included, unique ideas that can really make a slideshow great, and/or some examples of great slideshows you’ve seen in the past.- M

My mom really wants me to do [a slideshow] but I wasn’t going to initially b/c I have no clue how to put one together! I haven’t seen a slideshow at any other weddings I’ve been to. If anyone has examples they would be much appreciated! - Eileen

Any advice for our budding slideshow makers?

In our Weekly Roundup yesterday, we linked to a Miss Manners advice column on whether websites could be included on invitations. Miss Manners said that a couple’s wedding website had no place “on a formal invitation or even in the same envelope,” and suggested that website information should be sent via email instead. Several commenters disagreed with Miss Manners, so we thought we’d get your take:

Mrs. Bee here.

Many of you chimed in on our Bad Bridesmaid open question today, and it got me thinking about how and why we choose our bridesmaids. Whether she’s a sibling, childhood friend, or your best friend, we all have reasons for asking certain people to stand by our side when we get married.

How did you decide who to ask to be a bridesmaid? Was the decision easy or difficult?

Mrs. Bee here.

There was an interesting article in the New York Times recently about the plethora of wedding books available on the market today. According to Bowker’s Books in Print, there are currently 1,200 wedding books out there, 540 of which are new since 2002.

But the article also focuses on how the nature of weddings and the wedding industry in general have changed, fostering a market for so many specialized wedding books:

…some in the business say that the success of Web sites like Theknot.com and Weddingchannel.com, and of television shows like “Bridezillas” and “In Style: Celebrity Weddings” is placing pressure on women to do something special on their wedding day. Whereas it was once acceptable to have a modest service and reception, toss the bouquet and some rice and then move on, today’s brides ruminate over every detail: the color of the napkins and the color of the desserts.

Weddings are definitely becoming more and more elaborate. Manhattan wedding planner Harriette Rose Katz says, “The bar has been raised for every bride.” Yes indeed it has. These days couples look to personalize their weddings, paying attention to the smallest details that will make their wedding unique.

Read more…

Reader Jane emailed us regarding average photographer prices, and I don’t think we’ve ever done a poll on that before. (Miss Bluebell? Where are you? ) We did do a poll way back yonder on photography formats (digital vs. film), but never one on costs. So let’s get on it!

Mrs. Bee here. It’s been a little more exciting than usual here on weddingbee huh?

One of the points that a couple commenters made on Miss Broccoli’s recent posts was why someone would blog on a wedding site if they didn’t love weddings. Well that’s an interesting point, so let’s talk about it!

I started cutting pages out of wedding magazines when I was in high school, and had certainly given some thought to the details of the “big day.” But I didn’t become “obsessed” until I started planning my own wedding. I’m a tomboy who’s a hopeless romantic at heart… plus I love planning!

But I know many brides-to-be who have never dreamt about their wedding day; haven’t considered their dream ring, dress, venue, etc. They hadn’t given much thought to the wedding planning process at all until they became engaged. Mrs. Butterfly for example would always say that she was more than happy to allow her matron of honor plan the whole shebang. She wasn’t a wedding person at all - in fact she’s never even purchased a single wedding magazine. But she was a blogger who became a bride. She loved blogging about her wedding because it enabled her to share her ideas, and get feedback and advice from the weddingbee community.

Read more…

While we were having lunch today, Mr. Bee asked me what my favorite part of being married was. I said 1) Having a BFF since I tell him everything, and 2) Having someone to help each other get through the difficult times in life. Mr. Bee on the other hand said that he likes having someone to take care of (me!)… so I guess it works out perfectly.

What’s your favorite part of being engaged or married?

Miss Blueberry had a great post yesterday about how her atheist background has caused a conflict with her ringbearer participating in her wedding. Obviously coming from a different religious background than your SO can potentially create issues. But having no religious affiliation can cause conflict as well; whether it’s selecting a venue or officiant, dealing with in-laws, etc., these issues often present themself when planning a wedding and a life together.

Has your (or your FI’s) lack of religion posed any problems in your relationship or your relationships with your in-laws? How has it affected your wedding planning, and how have you handled or resolved such issues?

Mrs. Bee here… and can I say TGIF!

We’re doing a little pre-spring cleaning here at weddingbee, and could really use your feedback. We want to refocus the site, share more ideas, add new features and make weddingbee better than ever.

It’s been an exciting year of ups and downs, and we’re going to continue to grow and evolve. As readers, you’re an integral part of this community, so thanks for joining us on the journey thus far.

Now please tell us, and try to be as specific as possible - what do you love or hate about weddingbee? What would you like to see added, changed, or eliminated?

Mrs. Bee here.

While Mr. Bee and I were on our Valentine’s date at La Lanterna di Vittorio, and there was a couple at one table that made out for a couple of minutes. We’re talking open mouth, tongue, etc.

Ok I understand that it was Valentine’s Day, and everyone in the restaurant was a couple, but I still think that was too much PDA. I’m ok with holding hands and a closed mouth kiss when we’re in public together, but I find that I generally shy away from PDAs of any kind in front of friends and family. Mr. Bee is definitely the more publicly affectionate one between the two of us.

How affectionate are you and your SO in front of friends/family and generally in public?