Mrs. Wallaby, Houston
Age and Occupation: 24, Environmental EngineerEngagement Date: January 1, 2012Wedding Date: November 2012Venue: Oak Tree ManorAbout Me: I'm a free-spirited, adventurous girl who loves anything active, reading, traveling, cooking up new dishes for my fiancé, and working on my budding garden. My fiancé is an athletic, intellectual, animal-loving guy with an obsession with basketball and who treats me with the deepest compassion and respect. We are both engineers, and we met at our workplace. Together we complement one another and make a great team, and we are excitedly counting down the days until our outdoor wedding in Houston in November. We're planning a green wedding with lots of Persian cultural touches, and I can't wait to share all of the before-and-after details of our special day
I’ve never been to an out-of-town wedding before. Well, okay, I have, but I was probably ten years old. That doesn’t count. I haven’t traveled to a wedding out-of-state as an adult. As such, I had no idea there was such thing as reserving a block of rooms for your guests.
There’s not a lot of camping around here (plus there are mosquitoes galore that time of year!), and all of our guests couldn’t crash on Mr. Wallaby’s family’s couches…So we needed to reserve a whole lot of rooms for our pretty long out-of-town roster.
While my mom was visiting one week, she and I took on the task of booking a hotel for our family and guests. We’re getting married in Spring, Texas, on the outskirts of Houston. That’s actually a blessing in disguise—the main international airport, IAH, is in the same direction, and it’s only about 20 minutes from the venue! Considering how spread out Houston is, and how bad the traffic can be inside the city proper, this offered a much better driving experience for our guests.
Mrs. Buffalo, San Diego, CAAge and Occupation: 26, Treasury Services RepresentativeFiance's Age and Occupation: 27, Manufacturing EngineerEngagement Date: July 28, 2011Wedding Date: September 2012Venue: Bailey's Palomar ResortAbout Me: I’m a So Cal girl who doesn’t like the ocean (or sand) and would much rather be out in the country. I’m a Gleek and a Twi-hard, I enjoy baking, reading, watching old movies, and listening to country music. We both love football season, and thankfully our two favorite teams are in different conferences (and therefore rarely play each other). He’s a die-hard Indianapolis Colts fan, and I love the Tampa Bay Buccaneers (and YES, we’re both born and raised San Diegans). He’s my best friend, and I can’t wait to begin the journey of our lifetime together.
I will say that this more of a PSA than my usual posts. I want to share my experience with this subject so that other brides can learn from it.
I’m not getting married at a hotel, nor am I getting married near a hotel. To be precise, the closest hotel in proximity to my venue is about 35 minutes. Now, this drive is mostly due to the fact the venue is on a mountain, and the hotel, well, isn’t. From the beginning, acquiring a discount rate at the hotel was never really a priority. Around February of this year, I tried to get into contact with the hotel, Harrah’s Rincon (which is part of the Caesar’s family, or vice-versa I suppose). All I got was a bunch of transferred phone calls that kept getting disconnected, and emails that kept getting generic responses. So, I gave up. In May, MOH S volunteered to try to figure it out, since her Mom had been planning on staying there and was interested, too. Since my drama queen of a Dad had declared that he “didn’t want to pay $300/night to stay anywhere” I thought it would be prudent to make sure he had an affordable option.
Somehow, S managed to get a hold of an actual person (something I thought would be impossible). The group sales rep at Harrah’s, Linda, promptly sent over a contract for me to sign. Now, I did my research prior to this, and while contracts were not UNCOMMON, I was looking more for a small courtesy room block as opposed to a large contract room-block, especially since I wasn’t planning on staying there. I emailed my concerns to Linda, most importantly the contradictions in the contract (one clause said I’d need to cover the cost of 37 rooms, the other said any un-booked rooms would be released at the cutoff date), and she assured me that I would not be responsible for 37 rooms, only 10 nights as that is the minimum guarantee to get a room block. I was still somewhat reluctant. However, she persuaded me that with my amount of guests, 10 nights would be easy to obtain. So I signed the contract, something, retrospectively, I should not have done.
Mrs. Lyre, PhiladelphiaAge and Occupation: 31, LibrarianFiance's Age and Occupation: 29, Government EmployeeEngagement Date: November 11, 2011Wedding Date: January 2013Venue: Atrium at the Curtis CenterAbout Me: I’m a book loving, photography obsessed, artsy/crafty bride to be, who was dating all the wrong men, until I met the right one, and where one story ended - our new life together began. He’s a video game loving, quirky t-shirt wearing, movie quoting geek who stole my heart, and welcomed me into his. Together we are a happily co-habitating couple, who live in South Jersey, and are planning a wedding in Philadelphia in January 2013. We love to cook, share a bottle of wine, and watch way too much TV; we laugh all the time, don’t sleep nearly enough, and cannot wait to begin our lives as husband and wife!
When deciding where our guests would stay the night of our wedding, we wanted somewhere close to the Curtis Center, so if it is nice out our guests could walk to and from the wedding if they wanted. One of my bridesmaids got married a few years ago at the Downtown Club, which is right next to the Curtis Center. After her wedding, we stayed at the Omni Hotel and walked through Independence Park back to the hotel, which was the perfect way to end the night. Once we settled on our venue, I knew the Omni was going to be our best option. We immediately blocked a group of rooms for our guests to stay.
Then, we had to figure out where we would stay, the night before and the night of our wedding. Once, Mr. Ly actually said to me that he thought we would just come home after our wedding. Ha. I quickly convinced him otherwise. (There was no way I was going to come home to a pile of laundry and a messy house the night of my wedding!) Before we could make any decisions, we needed to figure out the details of where our rehearsal dinner was going to be, and I needed to figure out where the girls were getting hair and makeup done. Once we got all those details settled, we decided it made the most sense to stay over the night before as well as the night of our wedding.
Mr. Ly and I are not staying together the night before, and having such a large bridal party, I knew I would need a big room for the girls to get ready. When I finally called reservations, they told me they had no availability for any of their suites. Cue: freak out. I was so angry at myself for not booking our accommodations when I blocked the rooms way back in March. However, I decided before I had a total melt down I would speak to our coordinator, Chris, who had blocked the rooms for us. Thankfully, they hold some of their rooms for their weddings, and they still had availability. Chris was able to make some suggestions for our stay. We had a few options—the conference room attached to a guest room, three connecting guest rooms, a junior suite with a connecting guest room, or the penthouse suite. In considering pictures and video for getting ready, I was immediately drawn to the penthouse despite it being the most expensive option. The conference room would be the most cost efficient option, but I wasn’t loving the idea of it for pictures. The attached rooms wouldn’t give us the “together” feel I wanted for the morning, so that only left us with the penthouse. Nice how that worked out, right?
Mrs. Aardvark, Beaver Dam, WIAge and Occupation: 23, Assistant Product ManagerFiance's Age and Occupation: 31, Business Analyst Engagement Date: May 28th, 2011Wedding Date: April 2012Venue: St. Philip Catholic Church/Arcadia Brewing Co.About Me: I am a resourceful lady who love surprises and adventure. At the same time, I value traditions, family and friends. I like to make crafty messes, sometimes, clean them up, and do pretty much anything outdoors. The Mister and I are pretty avid cyclists---we have nine bikes in our home right now...and one motorcycle! We both enjoy eating food we can't pronounce (language doesn't really matter) and going places we've never been. We currently reside in rural Wisconsin, enjoying the cheese and beer it has to offer, and getting outside whenever we can!
So… As I have learned already on this wedding journey, things do not alwaysgo as planned. You may remember that Mr. Aardvark had so awesomely offered to handle the hotel for our out of town guests. I thought it was all done and dusted.
We were going to set aside 30 rooms with the intention that we would add more if needed. Chances are they would be needed, because at our tally, we had between 50-60 roomfuls of people coming from far enough away to want a hotel room. However, not wanting to be on the hook for unsold rooms, we aimed low.
The hotel we were working with seemed ideal. The location was PERFECT, like walking from all of our venues perfect. The price per night was good. On top of all that, it was not a chain and it was one of the fancier hotels in Battle Creek! However, a few days after receiving our contract (but before the please-return-by-X-date-to-ensure-your-rooms date) I got a phone call from the event coordinator… Read more…
Miss Sweet Cream, PhiladelphiaAge and Occupation: 26, Public Relations Account ManagerFiance's Age and Occupation: 26, Outside SalesEngagement Date: July 4, 2010Wedding Date: October 2011Venue: Our Lady of Grace Catholic Church / Rosebank WineryAbout Me: Born in the ‘burbs of Philly, it took some time living in the Big Apple to realize that I’m a girl who likes her roots. That’s why the mister and I bought a 1950s house on a charming street not too far from our childhood stompin’ grounds. This could also be the reason why our hometown is the scene where we are planning our super sweet, totally charming, BBQ-for-supper wedding that I never knew I always wanted. I DIE over DIY projects and live for vintage, heartfelt inspiration. I obsess over all things mid-century (from forks to furniture). Love is… cartoons and flea markets, and I am known to whip up a mean banana cream pie. I met the Mr. in grade school and after that boy took me for a spin on the handle bars of his BMX, I knew that things would never be the same again. Besides lovin’ my Mr., I also love to plan, sew and create, and that’s just what I’m doing as I navigate through the details, creating a laid-back day that oozes charm; one that will go down in (at least our) history as the Best. Day. Of all time.
Growing up I not only just loved books, but I simply adored Dr. Seuss books. I loved his wildly funny, wickedly imaginative words and stories and I would read them again and again as a little Sweet Cream. One of my favorites (is there such a word when talking about Dr. Seuss??) is “Marvin K. Mooney Will You Please Go Now.”
For those of you unfamiliar with the story, some man from above tries kicking poor Marvin out and lists all of the crazy ways that he can leave… by broomstick, by Bumble-Boat, by Crunk Car, by a Zike Bike… if you know Dr. Seuss, like I am sure you do… you get the picture.
I am sure that you are thinking, “Sweet Cream! What the hay does Dr. Seuss have to do with all this?!”
Mrs. Skunk, AtlantaAge and Occupation: 23, Post baccalaureate studentFiance's Age and Occupation: 29, Mechanical DesignerEngagement Date: February 13, 2011Wedding Date: November 2011Venue: Neverland Farms About Me: I’m a Georgia peach born and raised in the dirty dirty. I love reading, baking lots of sweets and forcing them on my friends, and most of all, rock climbing. I am in the process of applying to graduate school in physical therapy and I work at farmers’ markets around town selling bread for a local bakery. The mister and I met while rock climbing just over two years ago and have been inseparable ever since. Our climbing friends mean the world to us and have played an integral role in our relationship. We’re planning a barnyard shindig filled with good food, good friends, and lots of love.
The most work I think I’ve done on this whole entire shindig had to be the weeks I spent looking for an appropriate place to house everyone the weekend of the wedding. While my parents do have a nice cabin within 10 minutes of the venue, the two bedrooms weren’t going to cut it.
Mrs. Lioness, AtlantaAge and Occupation: 25, Physical TherapistFiance's Age and Occupation: 25, AttorneyEngagement Date: August 29, 2009Wedding Date: April 2011Venue: Anthony’s Fine DiningAbout Me: I’m a Southern girl with New England roots. I say "wicked" and "y’all" in the same sentence and I like to drink sweet tea with my lobster. Mr. Lion and I are both former Floridians now living in Atlanta, which fortunately is still SEC country...Go Gators! We both love baseball, coffee, traveling, cooking, and playing Words with Friends with each other on our iPhones all day long. I’m very passionate about the things and the people I love, and I tend to plan things with all of my heart...our wedding, of course, is no different! Oh, and also Mr. Lion is a first generation American of Cuban descent. I may look more like Lucy than Ricky, but I’m doing my best to incorporate some Latin elements into our vintage-garden-Southern wedding!
Hive, we’ve now talked about all of the Lioness wedding plans. I’ve shared every pre-wedding event with you. I’ve told you about the details surrounding the moments before the big day, as well as the morning after. We have just one more topic to discuss before we pe into recaps: the honeymoon!
Mr. Lion and I had grand plans to travel abroad to Bavarian Europe for our honeymoon. Once we decided on our wedding budget (most of which we paid for ourselves), those plans quickly got pushed to our 1-year anniversary. Once we decided to buy a house, those plans quickly got pushed to our 2-year anniversary. But we are going to the Alps in 2013 and that’s final! Anyway, we opted for a brief, nearby, low-key honeymoon instead. We debated between Charleston, Asheville, and Savannah, then we finally decided on Asheville because that’s the one we pulled out of the hat through careful scientific deliberation.
We decided to stay at The Black Walnut Inn, a quaint yet comfortable bed and breakfast. Why did we choose this B&B? Well, the main reason was that it was pet-friendly.
Mrs. Lioness, AtlantaAge and Occupation: 25, Physical TherapistFiance's Age and Occupation: 25, AttorneyEngagement Date: August 29, 2009Wedding Date: April 2011Venue: Anthony’s Fine DiningAbout Me: I’m a Southern girl with New England roots. I say "wicked" and "y’all" in the same sentence and I like to drink sweet tea with my lobster. Mr. Lion and I are both former Floridians now living in Atlanta, which fortunately is still SEC country...Go Gators! We both love baseball, coffee, traveling, cooking, and playing Words with Friends with each other on our iPhones all day long. I’m very passionate about the things and the people I love, and I tend to plan things with all of my heart...our wedding, of course, is no different! Oh, and also Mr. Lion is a first generation American of Cuban descent. I may look more like Lucy than Ricky, but I’m doing my best to incorporate some Latin elements into our vintage-garden-Southern wedding!
Mrs. Cinnamon Bun, Calgary, AlbertaAge and Occupation: 26, Stage ManagerFiance's Age and Occupation: 26, Theatre TechnicianEngagement Date: June 22, 2010Wedding Date: June 2011Venue: Calgary Opera CentreAbout Me: I'm a life-long crafter and bookworm living in the foothills of the Canadian Rockies. Some of my loves include Lord of the Rings, Sherlock Holmes, knitting, opera, musicals, Etsy, baking, and of course, Mr. Cinnamon Buns. We're keeping our wedding close to home---the venue isn't very far from our house, and we live within walking distance of 6 bridal salons. I'm using the wedding as an excuse to try out every craft project I possibly can, with the endless help and support of my fiance.
Like many brides, I wanted our guests to have somewhere to stay when they came to the wedding. So, being the initiative-taking bride that I am, back in October, we booked a room block at a nearby hotel. It’s a hotel we walk by daily, is a 10 minute walk to our venue, and one that my parents have stayed in before when they’ve come out to visit. Nice and modern inside too, I was sure we could get some good photos there. We didn’t even look at any other hotels nearby, because they’re all super-fancy and probably $400 a night.
We signed a contract saying that guests who mentioned the code would get Friday and Saturday night at a rate of $129. Not too bad when the regular rate was $200 or something. The contract stated that our block of 10 rooms would be held, and the rate guaranteed until May 25th. Awesome! We just need to tell everyone to book early! We put the hotel’s phone number and other info on our invitations, because it was a done thing.
In February my mum phoned up this hotel to try to book a room for her and my dad, as well as 3 more rooms for various English family members. They’d decided it was easier to just book all those dates at once. All these people weren’t just staying the two nights, either! They’re all coming from Wednesday-Monday or so, so it was a significant amount of money to be spending in one place. She also though that by bringing them all this business in one fell swoop, that there could be a discount to be found in there. There was nothing. The person she talked to on the phone could not even knock off $5 per night. After a long time spent on a very un-helpful phone call, mum hung up and tried to see what her other options were. Read more…
Mrs. Sparkler, ChicagoAge and Occupation: 27, WriterFiance's Age and Occupation: 26, PublisherEngagement Date: July 21, 2010Wedding Date: September 2011Venue: Chicago Illuminating CompanyAbout Me: I’m a Southern lady living in the big city of Chicago. Well, lady may be a stretch, but I’m working hard to keep some Virginia charm in our sleek, urban, wedding-palooza! I’m addicted to marathons, not-so-famous bands, Chicago restaurants, and Mark Twain. I cry during SPCA commercials, and I think LOST was the best show to ever hit television. Mr. S and I met at a classy college mixer and, 7 years later, he’s still by my side. He’s the only child, laid back, free spirit... I’m the oldest of five kids, type-A, organizer. It doesn’t work on paper, but we’ve never paid attention to that stuff anyway. Somehow it works. And like they say, sometimes when you know…you just know.
I mentioned in my last post that Mom Sparkler and I recently solidified wedding-week accommodations for my close family. And I know what you’re thinking, “Sparkler, didn’t you already block hotel rooms for your guests? What are you doing now? Adding more stuff to your plate???”
Well, the Sparkler fam always seems to be doing things differently. Mom is a bargain shopper at heart, and when it came to finding a place to stay in Chicago for the week, she wasn’t exactly down with booking 4 hotel rooms for my immediate family. So what is a gigantic Sparkler crew to do when they want to stay together (family time!) and not break the bank? Enter the world of alternative vacation-housing!
There are a lot of companies who cater to vacationers looking for a “home away from home” type of experience. It can be really fun (and save you a lot of money) if, say, you’re going to a destination wedding and want to split a place with 2 or 3 other couples. I feel guilty keeping this money-saving secret, so I thought I’d share my top 3 favorite sites to help you book this type of vacation: Read more…
Mrs. Magic, Chapel Hill, NCAge and Occupation: 30, Licensed Clinical Social WorkerFiance's Age and Occupation: 30, ResearcherEngagement Date: December 1, 2009Wedding Date: October 2011Venue: Barn at ValhallaAbout Me: I’m a tall drink of water (5’10”!) and a Southern bride with an enormous appetite for Mexican food, good deals, anything French, and all things wedding! By day I am lucky enough to work with individuals with autism and their families. By night, I’m even luckier to be able to spend time hanging out with awesome friends, crafting, shopping, thinking about exercising, and kicking it with Mr. Magic and our two cats. I tend to have sudden, intense cravings that will not be denied (seafood enchiladas! new jeans!) and I’m prone to being a disorganized mess of anxiety and stress. After waiting (and waiting!) to get engaged, I am finally planning the colorful, fun, fabulously awesome Fall wedding of our dreams. In an effort to share the fun and craziness that is wedding planning, I’m gonna blog about it for y’all---the good, the bad, and the pretty!
We are getting married at the end of October, near Halloween, and Halloween in Chapel Hill is a big freakin’ deal. The town of Chapel Hill has been promoting a “Homegrown Halloween” and trying to tone it down from the 80,000 folks who attended in years past. Since Chapel Hill only has about 55,000 people in it, that’s a lot of extra people running around in costumes on Franklin Street.
Mrs. Bacon, ChicagoAge and Occupation: 26, Digital Advertising ManagerFiance's Age and Occupation: 25, IT Client ServicesEngagement Date: June 17, 2010Wedding Date: September 2011Venue: Ravenswood Billboard FactoryAbout Me: I'm a Midwestern girl that can't seem to commit to staying in one place for too long and is constantly daydreaming about my next adventure. I am an aspiring foodie with a weak spot for the unusual and I love semi-reality food television. My other loves easily include laughing as a form of exercise, a book that I can't put down, summer baseball games, espresso with whipped cream, couch potato days and nights with the ridiculous Mr. Bacon, and our two kitties, Lincoln and Sawyer. We're planning a faux-destination wedding for 150 of our closest friends and family in the city we've both adopted as home that has a modern, yet whimsical twist and as many personal touches as we can manage.
::Sheepishly peeks out from behind laptop and waves::
Hi! Remember me? I know it’s been a couple weeks and there have been lots of new faces joining us in that time, so let me reintroduce our wedding…
The Bacons aren’t so good at staying put in one place for all that long, so now that we’re calling Chicago home, we realized that pretty much none of our guests do, too. What does this mean for us? It means that we are having a “Faux Destination” celebration; faux because it’s not a destination wedding for us, just for all the guests.
We are planning each and every detail with convenience for the guests in mind. From finding rock bottom hotel prices to a trolley taking guests to and from the venue, we want this wedding to be so easy for everyone. It’s actually really nice being able to plan a vacation for our friends and family. Sure, some of the family is going to be stuck with us most of the weekend, as is the wedding party, but everyone else will have Chicago at their fingertips during what I hope will be a great weather weekend. I’m pretty sure that if things had come together differently, I would have made an excellent travel agent.
Mrs. Jaguar, SydneyAge and Occupation: 27, Primary School TeacherFiance's Age and Occupation: 29, IT ConsultantEngagement Date: August 8, 2009Wedding Date: June 2011Venue: Curzon HallAbout Me: I'm an Australian girl who is a self-proclaimed nerd, loves all things stationery and would be lost without books, music and the internet. Mr. Jaguar and I have been together for the past eight years and he finally popped the question last August. Hurrah! We currently live in Sydney, Australia with our adorable cat who thinks he's a person. We're a couple who likes to multi-task: we've been planning a wedding abroad, a permanent move from London to Sydney, and preparing to build our own home all at the same time. Travelling makes me giddy...as does Mr. Jaguar, of course!
One of the very first decisions that I made for the wedding was where I wanted to stay the night before we got married.
Mr. Jaguar was always planning on staying at our apartment and getting ready with his boys here—but his parents had other ideas, and he’s now going to spend the night before and the morning of the wedding there.
As for me, well, I’m not sure what it was that made my mind up so early, especially since I did this almost twelve months ago now, before I had any idea of where we were going to be living or what our apartment would be like. I had an impulse, I followed through, and I went with it. Looking back, it was probably a good decision—as much as I’d love to be at home and getting ready with my little Oscar-cat around me, my white gown would end up completely covered in tabby and white cat fluff! Read more…
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.
At first I wanted to stay at the Gaylord. I’ve worked there and stayed in their atrium-view room dozens of times. It’s gorgeous and the all-glass exterior is breathtaking. The problem is that I don’t work there anymore and we couldn’t get an atrium-view room for less than $330 (insert sad face here).
I think it was all meant to be though, because I found something better! I checked out the Westin and they didn’t have any “suites.” They only had rooms with a view and I knew a regular size room wasn’t going to hold me and the posse! The Hampton Inn is a really nice hotel (and probably where Mr. B will stay), but it’s pretty far from the water and there aren’t any views (not going to cut it).
Then I read about Aloft—the European, clean, spacious rooms; the modern-day bar, breakfast pup, pool, and amenities. It definitely looked like a place I should check out so that’s what I did, and lookie what I found…
Ms. Cheetah, Los Angeles/Palm Springs
Age and Occupation: 31, Artist, EducatorFiance's Age and Occupation: 32, TV FinanceEngagement Date: April 2010Wedding Date: March 2011Venue: The ViceroyAbout Me: I’m a silly, sassy lady with a compulsion to create. I love to sing and dance, despite the fact that I lack any talent doing either. I somehow manage to be messy and organized at the same time. I like to spend my days road tripping, watching '80s movies, reading true crime books, buying things on sale, sending postcards, playing board games, dining at food trucks, snuggling, and drinking ginger ale. I have a weak spot for all things sweet, especially Mr. Cheetah! I’m a Chicago girl and he’s a Nor Cal boy but we love living in the City of Angels. After 10 years as a couple we are planning a fun-filled semi-destination wedding in Palm Springs. Hope you enjoy the ride!
Mr. Cheetah and I have lived together for years, but we still had a little debate about whether we’d be spending the night together before the wedding.
