Miss Kettle, Chicago, ILAge and Occupation: 26, Non-Profit Donor Resource CoordinatorFiance's Age and Occupation: 27, Musician & TeacherEngagement Date: May 29, 2011Wedding Date: February 2012Venue: Patrick C. Haley Mansion, Joliet, ILAbout Me: I'm a city girl who loves a good escape, so I'm planning a Chicago wedding outside of the city. I've been described as a quirky yet down-to-earth drama queen who loves fiercely. I used to be a scientist, but now I'm learning to navigate the world of non-profit organizations. I love cooking, blogging, shopping, and music, and movies (Hans Zimmer is my favorite movie composer). Mr. Kettle and I had a short courtship and now we have a happy home with our cat-who-thinks-she's-people, Belle. We spend our days and nights with good food, live music, video games, family, and friends. Our wedding has become this wonderful excuse to bring together hundreds of people we can't bear to be without.
My final dress fitting has happened and once I order my veil, every part of my wedding ensemble will be in place. I can’t wait to tell you how the fitting went. After that, I will share the entire outfit.
But first, I have to tell a tale of woe. A story about a petite girl who ordered a dress and then feared that dress would be too big.
That girl is me. When I first picked out my wedding dress, the sample size was a ten. That dress swallowed me up. They took my measurements and found I was a 6-6-8. You know, size-six boobs, size-six waist, size-eight hips.
After the initial shock of feeling extra huge because wedding sizes run extra small, Momma Kettle and I decided on the size six. The dress had an A-line ball gown skirt, so we’d rather fit the boobs than the hips in this case.
I worried about the dress fitting too loosely. The top has 3D flowers all over it and wouldn’t be easy to alter. I didn’t want to risk ending up having to fidget with dress all night long or having a saggy tube-top dress. If you’ve ever had a saggy tube top, you feel my pain.
Miss Doe, Northern CaliforniaAge and Occupation: 24, Real Estate AssistantFiance's Age and Occupation: 23, Recycling ManagerEngagement Date: December 25, 2010Wedding Date: May 2012Venue: Monte Verde InnAbout Me: I’m a Rat Pack fan and a Christmas nut that loves to read, good wine, cheesy ’80s movies and ’90s sitcoms. My wiener dog with an attitude problem and lazy basset hound are my constant source of entertainment. He's a hunter and I like cooking so it's not rare to see wild game on our dinner menu. Both of us were born and raised in a small historic farming town where our feet are still firmly planted. We have been together for nearly a decade and have shared many life experiences together, including birthdays that are only one day apart. We are two old souls that are creating our long-awaited wedding with loads of tradition that blends our two styles into rustic elegance in the foothills of Northern California.
One year ago I started my first DIY project. (Just DIY it! Sorry, can’t help myself.) Since that time I have completed, redone, and thrown out many more. In my extra bedroom right now I have boxes and stacks of all my wedding projects. My projects are starting to overtake my home. The other day I walked into the room and tripped over a bag of moss. Because that’s totally normal, right?
On another note, remember how I mentioned our color scheme is sage green and blush pink?
I had to stop and ask myself the other day, WHY is it that the only sage color that I currently have throughout the wedding is the bridesmaids’ dresses? I have no idea what happened. I think I originally tried to force myself into a particular color scheme, then at some point I just said screw it and went with what I thought looked best.
I am anticipating walking into the wedding and seeing all of my projects, design, and hard work displayed beautifully together for the first time.
Mrs. Brooch, Arlington, VAAge and Occupation: 25, Writer/EditorFiance's Age and Occupation: 29, Front Desk ManagerEngagement Date: October 3, 2009Wedding Date: April 2011Venue: Oxon Hill ManorAbout Me: I’m an indecisive girlie-girl with a motor mouth, can-do attitude, and knack for making others laugh. I dream of becoming a best selling novelist like Elizabeth Gilbert or Julie Powell (a girl can dream, right?), and love long road trips, a beautiful countryside, music, blogs, books, and all things vintage/thrift/antique/or homemade. I’m a Virgo, i.e. overly sensitive, emotional, and critical, and there’s no such thing as short and sweet in my world. I want to say and do it all. Mr. Brooch grounds me. I point where to go and he figures out the way. He’s a pragmatic fancy-pants who enjoys video games and movies. We both adore our mutt, Rocky, and spending time with our amazingly supportive family and friends. We’re planning a garden wedding with a formal reception with lots of whimsy and unique, Southern-inspired details.
During the year we spent planning our wedding, there was one detail in particular that I never questioned- walking down the aisle to the gospel hymn, Love Lifted Me by Kim Hopper. It’s not a very well-known song to people my age, but a lot of older church-going folks know it.
Listening to the song always sent me into a trance, imagining our day: me in my dress, Mr. Brooch, our garden ceremony. I vividly remember listening to it at the gym, running, and seeing myself at the aisle. I would turn to it on the metro, on the way home from work, shut my eyes, and envision this part of our wedding. In all those daydreams (and there were many) none were as blissful as actually walking down the aisle.
Miss Doily, Cedar Rapids, IowaAge and Occupation: 25, Autism Paraeducator/ StudentFiance's Age and Occupation: 27, Freelance Writer/ PublisherEngagement 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.!
Guess what! I’m back from a wonderful three day weekend, and it was my shower, to boot!! If you don’t remember my post on my shower invites, I was really excited to get them because they were an Alice in Wonderland theme. My shower totally lived up to it! I could tell that it was going to be very whimsical and fun the moment I saw this:
I mean how cute is this? Up on the front door, there was yet another sign: Read more…
Miss Coyote, Westchester, NYAge and Occupation: 26, Administrative AssistantFiance's Age and Occupation: 30, Computer ProgrammerEngagement Date: August 2010Wedding Date: June 2012Venue: Franklin PlazaAbout Me: I am an overly-caffeinated, sports-obsessed history nerd who loves a good book and hates bananas. Originally from a small town in Upstate NY, I made the move to Westchester County and never looked back! My loves include NBC Thursdays, red wine, fleece pajamas, and my amazing fiancé. Together we are planning a formal evening affair for 175 guests with a mix of new and old traditions and plenty of personal touches.
Because we booked with our photographers so early, they threw in a free engagement session. W00t! I was super stoked about this. Mostly because about 90% of our photos look a little something like this:
Mrs. Mole, Los Angeles/Las VegasAge and Occupation: 29, Test Prep InstructorFiance's Age and Occupation: 31, User Experience ArchitectEngagement Date: April 2011Wedding Date: January 2012Venue: Wynn Las Vegas/Bouchon BistroAbout Me: I’m a Wisconsinite-turned-Angeleno who is planning a destination wedding in Las Vegas. I am passionate about education: I spent 23 (!) consecutive years in school, and now I work to help other people get into graduate programs. I love running on the treadmill, buying bath products from Lush, learning new moves in step aerobics, and exploring my neighborhood on foot. I am sometimes snobby about food, but I am rarely snobby about books. I read everything from Geoffrey Chaucer to Iris Murdoch to Chuck Klosterman to Candace Bushnell. My fiance and I are getting married on our third anniversary!
One of my (admittedly many) guilty pleasures is gossip magazines. I love crashing on the couch after work with a huge mug of tea and an US Weekly. Anyway, the cover of this week’s US Weekly really caught my eye. Below a picture of Jessica Biel and Justin Timberlake reads the caption: “Can She Trust Justin?” The subtitle goes on to add the following: “It took a bitter breakup and Jessica’s ultimatum before Timberlake finally proposed.”
This cover and subsequent article got me thinking about marriage ultimatums. Can they ever work? Or will they just cause bigger problems down the road?
I think most people will agree that an ultimatum in the strictest terms — where one partner threatens to leave the other if a ring isn’t offered within a certain time period — is not a great way to start a marriage.
Miss Turkey, PhiladelphiaAge and Occupation: 29, Brand ManagementFiance's Age and Occupation: 28, ConsultantEngagement Date: February 2011Wedding Date: May 2012Venue: The Rittenhouse HotelAbout Me: I'm a marketer who loves a good glass of wine, anything pumpkin-flavored, every crime drama on TV and, of course, Mr. Turkey. It's funny to say out loud, but we're former coworkers turned betrothed---now planning a wedding in the city of Brotherly Love. For three years, we've been eating our way through Philadelphia, playing tourist at home, and cheering for every sports team in the 215. Although we've hit some unplanned snags along the way, we're determined to have a rocking party this spring with our loud, fun families and friends.
We’ve just returned from a quick upstate NY trip to pick out our wedding rings. Mr. Turkey wasn’t the most excited about this part of the process based on our travel schedule and the overall prospect of wearing a ring (more a watch than a jewelry kind of guy). However, when I reminded him the trip would include chicken wings (from either Ralph’s or Scubber’s), a dinner at the Barnsider including their unlimited salad bar and, most importantly, saved money, he quickly got on board.
As I shared early on, Mr. Turkey had my ring custom designed with a jeweler my family has used for years. Due to this relationship (now including Mr. Turkey), it made the most sense to make the trek north to choose our rings.
Beforehand, we sent some “inspiration” for our rings so that we could optimize our visit. It would also give Eli (the owner) time to think about some options that he might have on hand and pull them out. Here is what we sent: Read more…
Miss Snapdragon, Chicago/DallasAge and Occupation: 32,Associate ProducerFiance's Age and Occupation: 33, Lighting DesignerBlogging Since: November 14, 2008Engagement Date: January 1, 2011Wedding Date: March 2012Venue: Marie GabrielleAbout Me: Voracious reader of short stories, Russian literature, National Geographic and Cosmo. I'm a GENIUS at spicing up Weight Watchers recipes and a pathological cheater at board games. I run a slow marathon, but my feet are learning to move faster. Mornings aren't my thing, but I can night owl with the best of them. Don't tempt me with your Cherry Cokes---I'm trying to quit. Tomorrow. Or never.
All right, now that Bossyboots’ and my wedding invitations are in our guests’ hot little hands, it’s time do some revealing around here!
Creating these invitations was a heckuvalotta work, but I’m happy with them. Of course, there are endless ways I see that I could have designed them in different ways, but at a certain point, you have to step back and send those dang files to the printer!
Let’s get to it… you may recognize a few elements that have evolved out of my original wedding invitation design. I’ve learned how to use Illustrator since 2009, and I have to say designing in Adobe is much easier than MacGyvering in Word!
The entire suite was bundled in a belly band… this is what our guests saw when they pulled the invitation out of the envelope:
