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.
Mrs. Octopus, Boston, MA/Pittsburgh, PAAge and Occupation: 25, Grad StudentFiance's Age and Occupation: 26, Graphics Operator for TV NewsEngagement Date: May 6th, 2009Wedding Date: September 2010Venue: Heinz Chapel Ceremony, Museum Reception
About Me: When my best friend dragged me to a toga party in our freshmen year of college, I was not expecting to meet my future husband; but seven years later, here we are. I'm a crazy-organized planner at heart, and I am a great lover of random trivia, books, chocolate, blogs, new and exciting adventures, mockumentary-style television, and anything heavily flavored with bright orange fake cheese powder. We're planning a festive and fun mini-destination wedding in the place where we met: fabulous Pittsburgh, PA! I can't wait to marry the man I love!
Hive, thank you so much for your great suggestions on our stocking-the-bar issue! I have some sad (for me) news regarding The Great Beer Debate. When I was home for my bridal shower, I was describing our beer choices to the Parents Octopus, as well as gleefully noting how Weddingbee mostly agreed with me that a light beer was not a necessary menu option.
But, surprise! Mom Octopus informed me that Dad Octopus wants to drink Labatt Blue at the reception, and since Dad Octopus has been so easygoing, diplomatic, and supportive throughout the planning of this whole shindig (and holds a hearty share of the purse strings), what he wants, he gets. I mean, my first suggestion was that an alternative to the Labatt would be for Dad Octopus to develop better taste in beer, which he chuckled at, but…no dice. Labatt Blue is on the beer menu.
Then, tonight, I assembled an informal tasting panel consisting of Mr. Octo, MOH/Sister Lauren, and BM/Cousin Katie to try out some of the cocktail options you all shared with us. Want to see the winners? Read more…
Mrs. Octopus, Boston, MA/Pittsburgh, PAAge and Occupation: 25, Grad StudentFiance's Age and Occupation: 26, Graphics Operator for TV NewsEngagement Date: May 6th, 2009Wedding Date: September 2010Venue: Heinz Chapel Ceremony, Museum Reception
About Me: When my best friend dragged me to a toga party in our freshmen year of college, I was not expecting to meet my future husband; but seven years later, here we are. I'm a crazy-organized planner at heart, and I am a great lover of random trivia, books, chocolate, blogs, new and exciting adventures, mockumentary-style television, and anything heavily flavored with bright orange fake cheese powder. We're planning a festive and fun mini-destination wedding in the place where we met: fabulous Pittsburgh, PA! I can't wait to marry the man I love!
GOOD NEWS, everyone! (Said in the voice of Professor Farnsworth from Futurama.) Our plan for providing our own alcohol at the reception has evolved quite a bit since way back when I first posted about it, and I’m excited to say that we’re getting close to having our DIY booze options all figured out!
Mrs. Husky, DenverAge and Occupation: 26, Systems AdministratorFiance's Age and Occupation: 32, Mechanical Engineer, recently laid offEngagement Date: August 14, 2009Wedding Date: October 2010Venue: Rancho San CarlosAbout Me: I am planning a quirky-crafty wedding with my recently out-of-work fiancé for a (fingers crossed!) warm October afternoon. We are two self-professed nerds with an affinity for all things outdoors---be it rain, snow or shine. Recently relocated from the drizzly Northwest, we're enjoying the many sun-soaked days in the mile high city. Our day will be filled with both of our large families and friends, a self-served Cajun feast, and a Zydeco-style jazz band rocking beneath the beams of a historic red barn.
The week before the Husky-in-Laws came to visit, we received an email that our batch of Amarone was ready. We thought it would be fun to include them in the bottling step of the process, since they’ve been too far away to take part in a lot of the other wedding-related activities, like making invitations. I’m sure they were disappointed to miss out on those…
Mrs. Glasses, Tokyo/Los Angeles, CAAge and Occupation: 24, English teacherFiance's Age and Occupation: 27, English teacherEngagement Date: September 2008Wedding Date: October 2010 Venue: Parents' backyardAbout Me: I’m an expat living in Tokyo. I’ve been in Japan for almost three years now, where I met my fantastic English fiance. It’s time to leave Japan, so we are planning a fun, intimate, backyard ceremony back home in the suburbs of L.A. in October. Our wedding will be a mix of my love for food, beer, my Japanese culture, and Mr. G’s Englishness. We are on a tiny budget and DIYing almost everything!
There are so many creative people out there who have helped me along the way in my planning, and I’m sure yours, too! I started to think, what could I give back to the wedding community that has given me so much? I’m a crafty person when I’ve got the right inspiration, but I’m not much of an artist myself. And I like to look at hair and makeup tutorials, but I’m no expert. Can’t do anything tricky on the computer, can’t bake, can’t sew, can’t give out tips on exercising ’cause I can’t lose weight(!).
So what can I do? I can drink, yo.
Now I don’t mean to sound like an alcoholic, but I do know my way around a bar. Been drinking for a while with no end in sight. I drink it all, but when it comes down to it, I’ve got specifics in mind for a wedding.
I’ve created a cocktail list that I think is classic. This would be perfect for a budget—it reuses the same mixers and types of alcohol so you don’t have to run out and buy a million bottles if you are providing your own bar. Smart thinking, eh?
Ahhh, the Bellini. Classic in celebrations for it’s use of champagne. Prosecco to be exact. But that’s tricky and expensive to get, so throw some champagne or sparkling white wine in with some peaches and have yourself a good time!
Peeled white peach, or any peach on hand, pureed or blended, or use peach schnapps
4-6 ounces of Prosecco, sparkling white wine, or champagne
Pour peach puree or peach schnapps in a glass. Add sparkling alcohol and stir gently. Garnish with a peach slice.
Mrs. Taco, San FranciscoAge and Occupation: 29, writer/editorFiance's Age and Occupation: 37, editorEngagement Date: May 13, 2009Wedding Date: August 2010Venue: The Green Room at the War Memorial Veterans BuildingAbout Me: I like laughing and talking with good friends over good food and good drink, be it wine, cocktail, or brew. I write and edit things for fun and profit, but I rarely "write" these days without a keyboard and high-speed internets. Favorites include Mr. Taco, my Boston terrier, San Francisco, getting out of town, and the Roaring ’20s. I was kind-of planning a wedding since roughly 2006, when I discovered "Whose Wedding Is It Anyway?" on the WE channel. I ran and didn't look back with a theme I called "urban vintage," and it culminated in the most magical day a taco could ask for.
I am terrible with surprises. Full-on, straight-up terrible. When I’m the surprisee, I relentlessly bother the surpriser for hints until they’ve shared at least a little bit of what they’re planning. Occasionally, I’ll dip into my reporter skillz and ask the same question in different ways, hoping to crack people.
I told you I was terrible.
But it goes both ways: when I’m the surpriser, I have a hell of a time keeping it under my hat. At birthday parties, I thrust presents into people’s hands and then beg them to open them. When planning Bridesmaid A’s bachelorette weekend, I asked her if she was excited and wanted any hints. Then I stared in shock when she said she wanted to be completely surprised.
You can see how this would affect me amid the biggest event-planning endeavor I’ve ever taken on, especially after I started blogging for a widely read wedding website.
With our nuptials, we let a few things slip. Read more…
Mrs. Cola, Mountain View, CAAge and Occupation: 27, Product Communications and PromotionsFiance's Age and Occupation: 28, Managing Partner and Senior DesignerEngagement Date: March 5, 2009Wedding Date: June 2010Venue: The Mountain Terrace, Woodside, CAAbout Me: I’m a Washington State native, enjoying life in Silicon Valley California with my fiancé, our three kitties and one leopard gecko. I like reading wedding blogs, Photoshopping wedding design mock ups, making lists, and planning, planning, planning! I’m a bit of an anomaly, on one side I’m a very girlie girl, I collect shoes, I lay out my outfits 4-6 weeks in advance, and I’d never leave the house without my hair curled and makeup on. But on the other side, I’m a total tomboy, I love to go camping and hiking, play drinking games (hey, I’m Irish!) and most of my closest friends are guys. My fiancé and I are planning a DIY-focused wedding with a balance between easygoing (what he wants) and chic and stylish (what I want), and are tying it all together with elements in lavender, sage, butter cream and chocolate.
Now that we discussed how to pee in your wedding dress, lets talk about a minor regret I have about our wedding: we didn’t do a signature drink. We just couldn’t think of a really special drink, and it got pushed to the wayside for more important projects. But oh, if only we had found out about this sooner in the planning process!
One of my bridesmaids gifted me something amazing a couple of days before our wedding—edible hibiscus flowers from Australia.
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!
Mr. Socks and I go out pretty often—we’re in Philly a few times a week, we love trying new restaurants and activities, and it just seems like we never have time to get bored since we run around so much. As much as we get out of the house though, there’s just something about making time for those special nights. You know, the nights out that you look forward to all week long and think about the next day? The kind of night that holds a special place in your heart and your relationship may not be the same without it?
Mrs. Hot Dog, Cheyenne, WYAge and Occupation: 23, Health Information SpecialistFiance's Age and Occupation: 23, Personal Trainer
Engagement Date: March 2009Wedding Date: August 2010Venue: Family Ranch outside Glenrock, WYAbout Me: I'm a city girl by birth and rural girl by choice. I'm ready to take on the world with a big heart and a big smile! I love all things crafty and DIY. I live in Cheyenne, WY with Mr. HD and our 2 fur babies, our dachshunds, Ollie and Mia. I love travel, adventure, Finding Nemo, '90s music, animals, and laughing. He is the cheese to my macaroni and together we spend more time watching movies than we probably should! I'm an old soul who is super duper excited to pull off our down home-rustic-chic-country wedding (on the cheap)!
These are not our jars, but you get the idea. The reason I don’t have a photo of ours is that they are scattered in various corners of our garage and spare bedroom. It would be quite an undertaking to gather them all together for a photo. I realize I need to gather them up soon, anyway. But why do today what you can put off until tomorrow?
Mrs. Earrings, Fresno, CA/ Nelson, New ZealandAge and Occupation: 20, Student, Wannabe Writer
Fiance's Age and Occupation: 19, Photography StudentEngagement Date: February 14, 2010Wedding Date: January 2011Venue: Gardens of the WorldAbout Me: I'm a girl from down under who grew up in Indonesia and I'm marrying a California boy. I'm addicted to all things sweet, have never met a chocolate silk pie than can get the better of me, and have dreams of one day being a fulltime novelist. I go weak in the knees for lace, tea cups, and a beautifully crafted sentence. When I get excited about something (whether it is historical linguistics or the Beatles) I tend to go overboard in research, and planning this wedding is no different. Mr. Earrings is my high school sweetheart, my best friend, and somehow we combine all our quirks into one big happy mess.
I’m talking about alcohol here, people. We have decided to have what they call a “dry” wedding. No alcohol. Nada. Zip. I’m actually even a bit nervous to post this, as alcohol seems to be one of those things that stirs strong opinions up. But here I go. (Note: In NZ the legal age to buy alcohol is 18, not 21 so our age or the law is not a factor in the following discussion.)
We made this decision based on a number of different reasons which, when we weighed everything up, showed us that a “dry” wedding was really the best option for us. Now, Mr E and I definitely enjoy a drink now and then. A glass of red wine and a book is my idea of a nice way to relax, and Mr E is quite the cocktail connoisseur. Alcohol in our “normal” day to day lives has its place. But its place at our wedding? This comes with some problems.
Allow me to elaborate: First, there is the issue of our budget. Read more…
Mrs. Cola, Mountain View, CAAge and Occupation: 27, Product Communications and PromotionsFiance's Age and Occupation: 28, Managing Partner and Senior DesignerEngagement Date: March 5, 2009Wedding Date: June 2010Venue: The Mountain Terrace, Woodside, CAAbout Me: I’m a Washington State native, enjoying life in Silicon Valley California with my fiancé, our three kitties and one leopard gecko. I like reading wedding blogs, Photoshopping wedding design mock ups, making lists, and planning, planning, planning! I’m a bit of an anomaly, on one side I’m a very girlie girl, I collect shoes, I lay out my outfits 4-6 weeks in advance, and I’d never leave the house without my hair curled and makeup on. But on the other side, I’m a total tomboy, I love to go camping and hiking, play drinking games (hey, I’m Irish!) and most of my closest friends are guys. My fiancé and I are planning a DIY-focused wedding with a balance between easygoing (what he wants) and chic and stylish (what I want), and are tying it all together with elements in lavender, sage, butter cream and chocolate.
In my last post I showed you what we gifted the ladies, now it’s time to see what our groomsmen got!
Mr. Cola did all the picking of these gifts himself, and decided to do two gifts for each of his groomsmen, but all the same gifts (two gifts, on top of the suits, shirts and ties we got them).
For their first gift, he got them all fancy lighters with their initials engraved on them in Old English Script (yes, they all happen to be smokers).
For the second part of their gift, he went to a magical store called Beverages and More (or just BevMo, for those in the know). Read more…
Mrs. Seashell, Chicago, IL / Providence, RIAge and Occupation: 28, Marriage and Family TherapistFiance's Age and Occupation: 31, Electrical EngineerEngagement Date: September 3, 2009Wedding Date: September 2010Venue: The Glen Manor HouseAbout Me: Fonts and fashion, stationery and Sundays, photography and french toast... the beauty is in the details for this fun-loving Chicagoan who loves to plan plan plan! The soon-to-be hubs plays "Mr. Fix-It" in our new condo while I swoon over beautiful, personalized stationery and choose shades of aubergine for my bridesmaids' dresses... and thus begins my new fairy tale! Skirting to the East Coast for our September nuptials where my home state of Rhode Island awaits with fall foliage, I'm just a few dress fittings and bachelorette party away from saying "I Do" to a very happy ending!
Unique Wedding Favors
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