Miss Rainbow, TampaAge and Occupation: 22, Makeup ArtistFiance's Age and Occupation: 25, Electrical Engineer/ProgrammerEngagement Date: November 27, 2008Wedding Date: May 2010Venue: The Gamble PlantationAbout Me: I'm a quirky (and slightly Type-A) freelance makeup artist who was born in Washington State, raised in Alabama, and now living with my one and only in sunny Florida. I'm fashion and beauty obsessed, and have recently discovered my inner domestic diva extraordinaire. I'm a wannabe chef, decorating addict, and trying desperately to be as crafty as possible---albeit only with a glue gun. I'm hopelessly in love with my fiance, and all things sparkly and feathery. Despite the glittery exterior, I'm a total hippie on the inside. When I'm not making up pretty faces, I love doing what I can to help people, animals, and the environment. Someday the FI and I will change the world, but first we're tackling our modern-vintage-Marie-Antoinette-meets-Alice-in-Wonderland inspired wedding. I just can't wait to be Mrs. Rainbow!
Before I discovered makeup and the joys of being behind the lens, I used to model. Along the way, I met a few really great photographers who also became friends. About two years ago (way before Mr. R and I were engaged), one of said photographer friends called in a favor. Apparently he was putting together a shoot-out/seminar for about 20 of his closest photographer friends, and was wondering if I’d come down and model for them. Well, duh.
About a week before, he told me that their only male model had pulled out of the shoot and was wondering if Mr. Rainbow would be willing to stand in. I asked Mr. Rainbow (who is more than a little shy when it comes to things like this) and after a bit of begging and pleading, he said yes! After some grueling Tyra-style model boot-camp (I kid) Mr. Rainbow and I were ready to get our Zoolander on. What commenced will forever be my favorite photos on the planet, and what we now consider our “ungagement photos”. With pictures this amazing, we didn’t see the need for an actual engagement shoot. Have a look see, why don’t ya:
Miss Ramen, PhoenixAge and Occupation: 26, Optometry StudentFiance's Age and Occupation: 23, Industrial DesignerEngagement Date: January 3, 2009Wedding Date: December 2009Venue: Phoenix Art MuseumAbout Me: I'm an SF-born, Seattle-raised girl, transplanted to Phoenix where I'll be getting married, and planning all the way from Orange County where I go to school (yes, it feels as crazy as it sounds). I loooooove Yogurtland, am slightly very obsessed with all things paper, am heavily addicted to wedding blogs, deeply desire a puppy, thoroughly enjoy cooking, cry when I watch (almost all) movies, thrive on solo car-karaoke, can't stop being sarcastic, am neurotic about taking pictures of almost everything I eat before I eat it, and aspire to travel the world. My super-talented fiance and I are attempting to DIY a majority of our massive (~350 guests) "clean & modern, yet romantic, but completely unexpected, with a teeny dash of vintage" wedding, stay within our not-so-massive budget, and somehow get a really luxe (but still fun!) look/feel at the same time. In music terms (since we're both really into music) think Coldplay meets Motown meets Kanye meets Sinatra.
So, since I’m starting to get RSVPs back… this means I can finally reveal our invitations to the hive!!! Hooray! Yes, our babies have all left home…
To start with, we HAD to have letterpress. We made sure we budgeted enough for this - and when our budget looked a little tight, Mr. Ramen told me to just go for it, since it’s the one paper thing I’ve been dying to have since - well, forever. I am quite obsessed with paper. I have saved every single wedding invitation that I’ve received, even if I don’t like it. HAH! I like the look of paper, the touch of it, the smell of it. Letterpress ink has this mechanical smell which I LOOOOVE. And I’m totally keeping a set of our invites just for touching. MMM! Delicious texture - and that Crane Lettra paper?!?!? To die for! Read more…
Mrs. Sea Breeze, Vancouver/Dominican RepublicAge in 2008 and Occupation: 30, Communications ManagerFiance's Age in 2008 and Occupation: 29, Experiential Marketing DirectorEngagement Date: October 6, 2007Wedding Date: November, 2008Blogging Since: July 17, 2008Venue: Majestic Colonial Resort, Punta CanaAbout Me: Planning a destination wedding by the sea should be (oh no she di-in't…) a breeze (…*sigh* yep, she did) but when you've never been to the Caribbean, your powers of imagination are really put to the test. Luckily, I'm 90% resourceful, creative optimist (and kooky, neurotic practicalist-if-that's-a-word for the other ten). Other than writing about our week-long celebration of family, friends, laughter and love, I adore books, shoes and… you guessed it… long walks on the beach.
After we had all calmed down, my super talented SIL and her man Adam got up. Theirs was not a speech, however––it was a song that they had written for us, especially for our wedding day.
Sorry the video is dark but you’ll get an idea for how heartachingly gorgeous the tune is: Read more…
Miss Dachshund, Fresno, CAAge and Occupation: 24, Legal Office AssistantFiance's Age and Occupation: 27, Computer TechnicianEngagement Date: April 18, 2009Wedding Date: May 2010Venue: Victorian Gardens of Two SistersAbout Me: I’m a 24-year-old Californian bride-to-be who found love in the most unlikely of places - an online video game! I’m a farmer’s daughter living in rural Central California, but will always have a special place in my heart for the city. My future husband is a 27-year-old extraordinarily tall, exceptionally cute, and undoubtedly Canadian boy who was able to sweep me off my feet and take me for his bride. I love color, folksy songs that make me smile, interior design, kettle corn, my one-year-old puppy, Juno, and my fiance, of course! We’re planning a DIY garden wedding with a laundry-list of projects, all while dealing with the bureaucracy that is American Immigration!
Hey guys! I suppose another apology is in order; I’ve been the worst blogger lately, and for that I feel terrible! But things have finally settled down, and I don’t foresee any more extended absences in the near future.
Anyway, a lot has happened since you’ve seen me last. Mr. Doxie is in California for good, thank goodness, and we got married!
Well, technically anyway.
There was a slight change in plans, though: Our legal ceremony wasn’t quite the affair that we had planned. So that we could include Mr. Doxie’s parents, who would only be here for the weekend before Halloween, we decided to do a courthouse ceremony. Though it wasn’t at all what we had planned, I’m glad we decided to do it that way. Our legal ceremony was intimate and special shared only with our parents.
Miss Parfait, ChicagoAge and Occupation: 26, TeacherFiance's Age and Occupation: 24, Senior Online ConsultantEngagement Date: February 14, 2009Wedding Date: April 2010Venue: Signature EventsAbout Me: I have a soft spot for all things sweet and romantic. Desserts, love songs, sappy movies? Yes, yes, and ohh yes. My fiance and I enjoy singing to our dogs, creating crazy ice cream sundaes, and generally being lovey dovey cuddle bunnies. We also do socially acceptable things like dancing, throwing Frisbees, playing high stakes board games, and taking unreasonably fun road-trips. We're planning a Korean/Serbian wedding with plenty of playful, personal touches!
For the wedding, I’m not exactly branching out in the makeup department. I’ve never tried any bold looks, with the exception of the extreme makeovers my friends and I would give each other as kids. I’m planning to stick with what I know and go for subtlety. For soft, natural makeup ideas, I turned to my favorite Korean actress!
Miss Lamb, NorfolkAge and Occupation: 25, Homeland Security ConsultantFiance's Age and Occupation: 27, Graduate StudentEngagement Date: January 2009Wedding Date: January 2010Venue: Trinity Presbyterian Church/Harrison Opera HouseAbout Me: I’m a Homeland Security Consultant with a tendency towards pulling office pranks, taking lunch breaks, and drinking Wawa shakes. I’m also an English major with a serious obsession with alliteration and rhymes. While I’m not keeping America safe, I’m training for half marathons and the Escape from Alcatraz swim. Or moving for the third time this year. Or baking. Or wedding crafting. Or crying about wedding planning. All the while, I’m getting myself into Lucille Ball-esque scrapes and making Jim Carey-esque faces. Our big fat Czech/Baptist/Jewish/Italian wedding is a combination of vintage eclectic, DIY, and little spoonful of sugar from our Event Coordinator. It’s going to be a Norfolk flavored wedding with the verve of an only-daughter-blow-out bash!
Do you know how sometimes, you’re at a ball game, and you really enjoy ball games, but at this ball game someone who doesn’t really like ball games is there? And that person spreads his misery so that you can’t enjoy it either? Or do you know how sometimes, you’re out shopping for something important to you, but someone who doesn’t care as much about that something important is there, too? And that person really just wants a Mrs. Fields cookie and to go home? And then you don’t end up buying what you wanted?
Anytux, the outing starting out poorly because, apparently, there are not one, but TWO MW Tux shops at the mall. I had made an appointment at one of them, but did not know which one, so we walked to the closest one, which happened to be the one where we did not have an appointment.
Since the Lambster didn’t really know what he wanted, I started in with my list of three looks that I wanted to see in person. Read more…
Miss Pretzel, SeattleAge and Occupation: 32 Learning, Training, and Development SpecialistFiance's Age and Occupation: 28 Manufacturing EngineerEngagement Date: September 2, 2009Wedding Date: July 2010Venue: Catholic Church & The Engine Room at Georgetown StudiosAbout Me: I’m just a thirty-something girl who never dreamed of weddings, poofy dresses, or ritzy receptions. I was born and raised in New Hampshire, went to undergrad and grad school at Purdue University in Indiana, had my career take me to Wisconsin, Atlanta, and then finally settled in Seattle. I am a rabid knitter, except recently, wedding projects have replaced my yarn and needles. I’ve been fiercely independent since the age of 2 and 30 years later I think my family and friends had given up on me settling down and getting married.
Ironically, I had to go all the way to Seattle to find a boy from Purdue. We fell in love over Seattle Beers and cooking together. We love Chuck Taylor All Stars, holding hands, clever t-shirts, bacon, KEXP Radio, craft beer, buying local, cooking from scratch, gardening, mastering our new Gocco, and of course, each other. I love NASCAR, he loves Legos. I can talk like a Muppet and he can fit a whole McDonald’s cheeseburger in his mouth. We are a two reception couple, currently planning a brewery inspired bash.
Miss Trail Mix, New YorkAge and Occupation: 26, PE TeacherFiance's Age and Occupation: 27, MBA StudentEngagement Date: March 2009Wedding Date: June 2010Venue: Tannery Pond at the Darrow SchoolAbout Me: I'm a country girl who somehow found herself living in the Big Apple and loving every minute of it. I'm planning a rustic, country-chic wedding in my hometown in upstate New York and it's going to be a Party with a capital P. White wine, flea markets and running keep me happy and my friends, family and fiance are my world. I'm a little bit crafty, a little bit crazy but mostly just crazy in love.
After I saw a beautiful Ketubah (Jewish marriage contract) posted by a reader on the boards, I clicked on the website to see who the artist was. Her name is Amy Kagin and her Ketubahs are works of art. I browsed through a bunch and while I loved them all, I managed to pick out a few that I felt particularly excited about. The first two reflect a more modern style of Judaica but the movement and colors are so pretty!
Miss Hamster, New York CityAge and Occupation: 28, Finance GalFiance's Age and Occupation: 30, Finance GuyEngagement Date: March 9, 2009Wedding Date: May 2010Venue: The Pierre HotelAbout Me: I'm an original Jersey girl living it up in the big NYC! I love baking for others, hosting brunches, and exploring NYC with my mans. Besides Mr. Hamster (of course), I'm attracted to shiny things, bold colors, snacks, matching and coordination, pork and duck fats, miniature versions of things, corny jokes and puns. We are planning a swanky Spring wedding in the heart of NYC, followed by a second reception in Singapore. From one city that never sleeps to another - I can't imagine a more exciting ride!
When I first started my gown search, I did as any bride-to-be would – decimated my wedding magazines, ripping out pictures of any and every gown that I was even mildly interested in. Seven magazines, 50 pictures and one ginormous black-and-white cookie later, I evaluated my pics and noticed a few common themes:
1. Fluffly
I know. That is not a word. But Fluffly is how I best describe “Look 1” of my first group of pictures – ruffles fluttering in the wind, light fabrics, perhaps a dramatic look back at the groom (or someone else, apparently!). You know, Fluffly.
Miss Snow, Madison, WI/Asheville, NCAge and Occupation: 28, PhD student
Fiance's Age and Occupation: 29, Graphic DesignerEngagement Date: August 5, 2009Wedding Date: June 2010Venue: Claxton FarmAbout Me: I am true Southern gal displaced in the beautiful and blustery midwest. A true theatre geek at heart, I love any kind of performance and spend most of my time researching old productions in dank library archives. When not in the library, I love music (punk rock, bluegrass, and everything in between), design in all forms, any reality TV show on Bravo (especially those that feature housewives or sharp knives), beer and wine from Oregon, and exploring the outdoors. My fiance and I are true best friends, and he inspires me every day. After a long and happy dating relationship, we’ve decided to tie the knot in the mountains of North Carolina, our home state. We’re planning a long-distance, largely-DIY, eco-conscious hip farm affair that celebrates family, friends, and love.
As I’ve mentioned before, Mr. Snow’s a graphic designer. Due to his profession, the paper goods of the wedding are most important to him, and invitations top the “made of wood pulp” list. We’ve spent a lot of time thinking and chatting about how we want our wedding invitations and paper goods to look, but with our self-designated Save The Date deadline swiftly approaching, we’re having to make some decisions.
