Mrs. Eggs Benedict, SeattleAge and Occupation: 29, AttorneyFiance's Age and Occupation: 35, AttorneyEngagement Date: December 5, 2009Wedding Date: February 2011Venue: IslandWoodAbout Me: I'm a Northwest girl who spends my time goofing around with Mr. Eggs Benedict and our dog, hiking, traveling, drinking wine and planning a wedding that will showcase the best of what the Pacific Northwest has to offer. I also love photography, beating Mr. Eggs Bene at Mario Kart, and watching the most ridiculous natural disaster flicks you can think of (seriously, how can you deny the awesomeness that is The Core or 2012?? That's right, you can't). We are planning our weekend wedding adventure at an environmental educational center, and I can't wait for the fun to begin!
Before the wedding I talked about how we had the opportunity to blend our own wedding wine. After we blended the wine and it spent some time in the barrel it was time to bottle it! We had such a fantastic experience blending and bottling our wine, and I’m so glad that we had the opportunity to have such a hands-on experience. I learned a lot about how wine is bottled, and discovered that one barrel of wine equals approximately 24 cases of wine, which surprisingly actually does fit stacked into the back of a Ford Explorer. But I’m getting ahead of myself.
First, Mom helped to set up the barrel so that we could get the wine out of the barrel and into a stainless steel tank (on the right of the above picture). I helped by taking pictures of the process. 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.
I’ve been waiting a while to blog about this. I actually had a post ready before our wedding and almost shared then, but decided to wait. I’m so glad that I did, because I have a lot more insight on the subject now.
The subject is dry weddings ’cause…uhh…we had one!
Myth: People go to weddings for the alcohol.
Fact: People go to weddings for you!
I was freaking out about the fact that we weren’t going to have alcohol at our wedding for the longest time. It wasn’t that we couldn’t afford alcohol (even though we really didn’t have the budget for it), and it isn’t that we have anything against alcohol being at weddings. In fact, the Brooches used to be big drinkers. Back in college, we spent many a nights going out with our friends and drinking fancy cocktails. But then something changed, and Mr. Brooch decided he wasn’t going to drink anymore. At all. It was a bit of an adjustment for us, but I have to be honest: I love the man Mr. Brooch has become (sober for 3 years now) and I knew our wedding needed to be about “us,” and not what we thought others expected of us. Nevertheless, I worried. We all worry about the way our weddings will be perceived (even those of us who do serve alcohol), and I thought for sure 1) people will leave right after the ceremony or dinner 2) people won’t dance and 3) people will talk behind our backs about how much our wedding sucked because of the lack of alcohol. Read more…
Mrs. Hyena, College Station, TXAge and Occupation: 23, Marketing SpecialistFiance's Age and Occupation: 24, Aerospace Engineering Grad StudentEngagement Date: January 8, 2010Wedding Date: May 2011Venue: Downtown 202About Me: I'm a Texas girl who met my future hubby in high school, then headed up to Oklahoma for a college education (BOOMER SOONER!) before moving back to the Lone Star State to be with him. I love reading and recycling, Photoshop and reality TV, making lame jokes and then laughing at them, quoting movies, and Mr. Hyena most of all. I'm perpetually early and I like to get things accomplished. When my cat meows at me, I meow back. We're planning a laid-back, unintentionally DIY wedding with a cocktail-party vibe, and can't wait to celebrate our nuptials with our nearest and dearest!
When we thought about previous weddings we’ve attended, very few have had a full bar. Most of them have served just beer and wine. That ended up working great for us, since most people in our families really only drink beer and wine.
Honestly, I don’t know much about alcohol. I know I like red wine. I know I like cosmopolitans. I know I usually enjoy shots with inappropriate names. Aaaand that’s about the extent of my drinking knowledge. Since Mr. Hyena’s family is German and he actually knows things about beer, I left that particular beverage in his capable hands.
For ummm, RESEARCH! YEAH! we took a little trip to Shiner, Texas, to visit the Spoetzl Brewery, and yummmm. Mr. H suggested serving Shiner Bock as our beer. Sounds good to me!
I approve. If you like touring breweries, this was a fun tour and you get to taste several varieties of Shiner!
Mrs. Candy Apple, Princeton Junction, NJ/ Seattle, WAAge and Occupation: 26, Project EditorFiance's Age and Occupation: 26, AttorneyEngagement Date: May 9, 2010Wedding Date: August 2011Venue: St. Joseph's Parish, Seattle Tennis ClubAbout Me: I am a Pacific Northwesterner, born and bred. I have lived in many cities---Santa Clara, Durham (England); Florence; Boston; Princeton Junction---but my heart will always be nestled up near the Cascades and Olympics, which is why we are holding our wedding there. I am a bookworm and a History nerd: I love that my life consists of books, books, and more books, since I work in Publishing! Recently, all waking time not consumed by work and my daily commute has been overtaken by wedding planning. Well, that, and watching Premier-League soccer. There is nothing I love more than a good Tana French mystery, traveling to new places, Anthropologie shopping sprees, Iittala dishware, Kate Spade shoes, impeccable typefaces (think: Archer), and a nice English ale (hellooo, Old Speckled Hen!). Oh, and did I mention my obsession with wedding blogs? Yeah, there’s that too. Join Mr. Candy Apple and me as we prep for our wedding, and, more importantly, our marriage!
There have been many decisions that we’ve had to make during the wedding-planning process. Location, venue, flowers. The choices NEVER END! Seriously. It blows my mind how many decisions we have to make for one single day. And frankly, some of them are annoying having to figure out!
Things like alcohol, though? That’s the fun stuff.
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!
Yes, I said “drankin’.” It was an, um, Southern England party.
I thought I’d let you in on some of the thinkin’ behind throwing a British shower. You know, in case you have a Britophile freak for a friend and need to throw a shower in this style. In this case, the theme was chosen because the bride, Pumpkin, loves England! The idea for a British tea was passed around, but that was a bit too stuffy for our group of gals, so we stuck with the British theme but made it more fun.
The food and drinks were a bit of a challenge because, as you may have heard, British food is not all that delish. (Sorry, British bees…maybe we just aren’t cultured enough to appreciate it!) Plus, BM Pumpkin is a vegetarian, so having “bangers and mash” was out.
Mrs. Biscuit, Morgantown, WVAge and Occupation: 24, Dental StudentFiance's Age and Occupation: 26, Chemist at a pharmaceutical companyEngagement Date: April 2010Wedding Date: July 2011Venue: Catholic Church, Lakeview Golf Resort and SpaAbout Me: I'm an engineer who decided to trek back to my hometown three years ago to become skilled in the arts of drilling and filling. I'm engaged to a pretty awesome guy who tests your assorted benzodiazepines by day and home brews by night. Together we have two fur children, Tsali and Tobias N. Fünkat. I'm a lazy perfectionist and eternal sorority girl who enjoys running, crafting, string cheese, good beer, and bad reality TV. We are planning a Big Fat Italian/Sicilian/Polish wedding filled with DIY details and are expecting 300 +/- 50 guests. Our whimsical summer affair is themed "Alice attends the Mad Hatter Vintage Garden Tea Party in a Ballroom. She Thinks That The Venue is Odd for a Vintage Garden Party, but is Tripping on LSD, so She Doesn't Really Care." Yes, I am the Dickens of themes.
One of the first decisions I made when wedding planning was to have a venue either in or within walking distance of a hotel. Why? Because I wanted an abundance of alcohol, and not just any alcohol—I wanted some fresh, microbrewed drafts. You see, Mr. Biscuit and I are beer people (some would call us beer snobs), and the day just wouldn’t be complete without some of our favorite pretentious beers. How snobby are we? Well, Mr. Biscuit actually does beer tastings and has a beer blog…and I like cold hoppy stuff.
Mrs. Eggs Benedict, SeattleAge and Occupation: 29, AttorneyFiance's Age and Occupation: 35, AttorneyEngagement Date: December 5, 2009Wedding Date: February 2011Venue: IslandWoodAbout Me: I'm a Northwest girl who spends my time goofing around with Mr. Eggs Benedict and our dog, hiking, traveling, drinking wine and planning a wedding that will showcase the best of what the Pacific Northwest has to offer. I also love photography, beating Mr. Eggs Bene at Mario Kart, and watching the most ridiculous natural disaster flicks you can think of (seriously, how can you deny the awesomeness that is The Core or 2012?? That's right, you can't). We are planning our weekend wedding adventure at an environmental educational center, and I can't wait for the fun to begin!
I think I have the best friends. No, seriously, I really do. See, as soon as I got engaged I think the first thing one of my best friends from law school, Marie, asked me was if she could throw me a shower. My response—yes, please! And then she made it even better: she decided to make it a “Stock the Cellar” wine shower! Perfect for someone like me who loves wine and loves finding new wines that other people enjoy.
Mrs. Eggs Benedict, SeattleAge and Occupation: 29, AttorneyFiance's Age and Occupation: 35, AttorneyEngagement Date: December 5, 2009Wedding Date: February 2011Venue: IslandWoodAbout Me: I'm a Northwest girl who spends my time goofing around with Mr. Eggs Benedict and our dog, hiking, traveling, drinking wine and planning a wedding that will showcase the best of what the Pacific Northwest has to offer. I also love photography, beating Mr. Eggs Bene at Mario Kart, and watching the most ridiculous natural disaster flicks you can think of (seriously, how can you deny the awesomeness that is The Core or 2012?? That's right, you can't). We are planning our weekend wedding adventure at an environmental educational center, and I can't wait for the fun to begin!
I mentioned before that Mr. EB and I are wine lovers, thanks in large part to my dad who has introduced us to so many great wineries. Mr. EB and I used to live close to some amazing Oregon wineries, and we loved to head out to Dundee Hills to taste some wine on a weekend afternoon (not so great for our bank accounts, but always nice when Dad would gift us a bottle or two!).
Mrs. Eggs Benedict, SeattleAge and Occupation: 29, AttorneyFiance's Age and Occupation: 35, AttorneyEngagement Date: December 5, 2009Wedding Date: February 2011Venue: IslandWoodAbout Me: I'm a Northwest girl who spends my time goofing around with Mr. Eggs Benedict and our dog, hiking, traveling, drinking wine and planning a wedding that will showcase the best of what the Pacific Northwest has to offer. I also love photography, beating Mr. Eggs Bene at Mario Kart, and watching the most ridiculous natural disaster flicks you can think of (seriously, how can you deny the awesomeness that is The Core or 2012?? That's right, you can't). We are planning our weekend wedding adventure at an environmental educational center, and I can't wait for the fun to begin!
It’s no secret that Mr. EB and I like wine. What you might not know is that our love of wine (and going to visit wineries and wine-tasting and really all things wine) comes from my dad. He’s the one that introduced me to wine and taught me to appreciate and savor a glass of wine. He also taught me how a glass can (and does) affect the taste and smell of wine. (Seriously, if you ever want to be sold on why you should buy certain types of glassware, my dad has the glass tasting presentation down pat.) When Mr. EB and I met, he joined in on the wine fun, and now he knows more about the varieties that we drink than I do.
Ms. Sloth, PhiladelphiaAge and Occupation: 35, Account Manager and Fashion BloggerFiance's Age and Occupation: 30, Design AdminEngagement Date: December 25, 2009Wedding Date: May 2011Venue: Bartram's GardenAbout Me: I'm an internet junkie and music snob with a good eye for a bargain. I couldn't live without thrift store shopping, cheeseburgers, sushi, Coke Zero, websites devoted to silly photos of baby animals, Photoshop, and Mr. Sloth. Speaking of which, he and I are a pair of goofball homebody nerds who love our beagle (the most ridiculously adorable dog EVER) to an embarrassing degree. We're planning a low-key and intimate yet festive and quirky outdoor wedding with DIY details and deeply personal touches, and it's all taking place in the city where we fell in love and call home: Philadelphia.
I bartended on and off for nine years and taught bartending school for about a year. Because of that, I was always the person who got stuck mixing drinks for people at parties instead of mingling and, you know, actually enjoying myself (bitter? me?). I haven’t set foot behind a bar since 2004, though, so I’m no longer up on the newest trendy drinks and liquor brands. I also don’t drink nearly as often as I used to.
But I’m still the one who my friends turn to for booze advice. The resident expert, if you will. Still, I was surprised to see how many options there are for wedding bars. Here are some of the most popular options, as well as some pros and cons for each.
Ms Seahorse, BostonAge and Occupation: 25, Veterinary Jane-of-all-tradesFiancee's Age and Occupation: 36, former non-profit fundraiser in search of something betterEngagement Date: October 17, 2009Wedding Date: September 2010Venue: Fort Pond LodgeAbout Me: By day I'm a cat-wrangler, vet tech assistant, pet-sitter, receptionist, and pre-vet student, but the rest of the time, I'm a former-roller-derby girl turned dedicated-wedding planner. I love reading, writing, bicycles, animals, roller skating, and antique-y things of all sorts. I'm a vegetarian who likes spicy foods, while Fiancee Seahorse is a meat eater who does not like spices. We live outside Boston with our menagerie: a fifty pound dog, a one-eyed, seventeen-toed, toothless cat, and a perfectly put together cat who has a penchant for pooping near rather than in her litter box. In addition to planning our small lake-side wedding, we enjoy running around with the puppy, playing board games (Scrabble, anyone?), having little adventures, talking about how we should really clean the house more, and maintaining our little garden of vegetables and wedding flowers.
A lot of the time, Fancee and I really collaborated on this whole wedding thing. We took details and discussed them together and then figured out which one of us would be in charge of really carrying the whole thing out. Other times, it was really one of us that was thinking we’d do just that, and instead the conversation went like this:
Me: Do you want to get ready separately so we can have a first look?
Fancee: Sure.
Me: “Sure”? That’s it?
Fancee: Sure.
The decision about which wine to use for 1. champagne toasts and 2. mimosa was definitely collaborative. Read more…
Mrs. Ostrich, San Francisco/HawaiiAge and Occupation: 30, Fashion Buyer
Fiance's Age and Occupation: 38, CopywriterEngagement Date: October 4, 2009Wedding Date: April 2011Venue: Sweet ceremony by the sea and sunset celebration on the North Shore of HawaiiAbout Me: Born in the city of angels and residing in the city by the bay, I’m a fearless fashion buyer by day, a passionate blog author by night and a dreamy bride-to-be in between. I thank my lucky stars to live in such a stunning city that gives me gifts like organic honey lavender ice cream, movie nights in the park, tucked away beaches, legendary record stores, '80s dance parties, awesome sports teams, stellar flea markets, and vintage bookshops. Oh, and I love to dance! We always find every excuse to escape to the beach, and decided a little seaside wedding in Hawaii is our idea of bliss. Full of our favorite people, music, food and sparkly lights, this is one sunset celebration we will always remember.
Fun-loving people, feel-good music, and delicious drinks make for a too-much-fun time. And as Mr. Ostrich and I plan the little cocktail hour in between our little beach ceremony and dinner, we have been dreaming up the perfect signature party cocktails to serve our favorite people. Read more…
Mrs. Elephant, Dallas, TXAge and Occupation: 27, Financial Operations AnalystFiance's Age and Occupation: 27, IT Student/Store ManagerEngagement Date: March 29, 2009Wedding Date: April 2011Venue: The Tribute Golf ClubAbout Me: I'm a Philly native creating roots deep in the heart of Texas. I might be a little obsessed capturing those Kodak moments of anything and everything (mainly on vacations). I've become more of a gamer thanks to Mr. Elephant, who I met online and can't wait to spend the rest of my life with. We are planning a wedding based on our favorite colors, blue and green, with a travel theme for 150 of our closest friends and family. Hopefully our long (2-year) engagement won't kill me!
One of the first wedding questions among my group of college friends seems to be, “Is there going to be an open bar?” I’ve been to receptions that range in the bar department from cash bar to kegs to open bar to only wine to only punch.
Our venue has a pub attached to the ballroom and offers various packages when it comes to the drink menu.
Mrs. Socks, Southern NJ/Philadelphia, PAAge and Occupation: 23, Web Developer/Marketing SpecialistFiance's Age and Occupation: 26, Systems EngineerEngagement Date: September 7, 2009
Wedding Date: October 2010Venue: Ladder 15 RestaurantAbout Me: I am originally from the Midwest, but I love being an East Coast transplant! Mr. Socks and I are foodies and winos to the core---give us a hunk of cheese, some charcuterie and a glass of wine and we could die happy. We have two mischievous Wire Fox Terriers with completely opposite personalities but with a shared love of uprooting anything in our garden. Our backyard garden includes everything from tomatoes and peppers to a fig tree, blueberries, blackberries and raspberries! I love cooking, indie music, and spending time in our wedding city of choice---Philly!
If you don’t live in Pennsylvania, here’s the quick run-down: the sale of liquor of any kind must be sold in a state-regulated and owned store, which means no booze in the grocery stores, but more importantly, you are quite limited to the wines offered in the state-owned stores. In order to find rare/obscure wines, there is a long process to go about getting what you’re looking for, as opposed to other states, where many independently owned specialty wine stores may carry rare wines.
Okay, so I’m done boring you about Pennsylvania liquor laws. Here’s where it affects me and Mr. Socks: Read more…
Ms. Sloth, PhiladelphiaAge and Occupation: 35, Account Manager and Fashion BloggerFiance's Age and Occupation: 30, Design AdminEngagement Date: December 25, 2009Wedding Date: May 2011Venue: Bartram's GardenAbout Me: I'm an internet junkie and music snob with a good eye for a bargain. I couldn't live without thrift store shopping, cheeseburgers, sushi, Coke Zero, websites devoted to silly photos of baby animals, Photoshop, and Mr. Sloth. Speaking of which, he and I are a pair of goofball homebody nerds who love our beagle (the most ridiculously adorable dog EVER) to an embarrassing degree. We're planning a low-key and intimate yet festive and quirky outdoor wedding with DIY details and deeply personal touches, and it's all taking place in the city where we fell in love and call home: Philadelphia.
Mr. S and I are finally trying to nail down our wedding budget. We’re trying to figure out how much everything is going to cost, who is responsible for paying it, and when it needs to be paid.
Our caterer won’t be providing alcoholic beverages. And that’s fine; I know it’s cheaper to provide it ourselves. But we’re trying to figure out exactly how much we’ll need and how much it’ll cost. Some websites say that you need to budget for one drink per guest per hour. To which I give a mighty snort. They’ve obviously never met our friends or Mr. S’s family.
But then I found Real Simple’s Wedding Wine and Liquor Calculator. It’s pretty rad. Enter in how many guests you’re expecting, what kind of booze you’ll be serving (full bar vs. wine and beer only), and if it’s a daytime or nighttime affair, and it tells you how much you need.
All-Inclusion Invitation Suites
