Mrs. Pain au Chocolat, Wilmington, DEAge and Occupation: 29, RealtorFiance's Age and Occupation: 34, RealtorEngagement Date: November 21, 2009Wedding Date: June 2011Venue: Greenville Country ClubAbout Me: An ENFJ with an artistic streak who loves backgammon, sailing, graphic design, and sleeping in. Travel (near or far), good wine, and tasty food makes my heart sing. I'm a compulsive list-maker who lives to plan and organize. Mr. P and I have lived together for 4 years, all the while renovating our city townhome bit by bit. We're planning a whimsical, Anthropologie-inspired garden wedding in June 2011.
I must have a reputation for being hard to please because when it came time to make plans for the bachelorette party, BM R asked me what I wanted to do. (Uhm, I didn’t think it worked that way.) After some careful consideration and collaboration, we came up with three options, each with their own pros and cons:
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!
So I mentioned in my last post that I knew the bachelorette weekend was coming up, but I didn’t know much about it except there was a secret theme and we all had to wear black dresses. Oh, and I thought it was gonna be a French theme with baguettes and French wine and macaroons and the like. Bridesmaid Bunny pointed out “If it had been a French theme we would have all worn boatneck shirts with stripes.” So true.
On the night of the shower, Mini Magic bossily told me to get dressed and then get out for one hour so they could get stuff ready.
She may be 19, but she is totally in control of the situation. For real.
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!
I freaking hate surprises, y’all. Totally. I always feel left out that I’m not part of the planning process, and get really anxious about what might happen, and feel sorry for myself that I can’t get excited and anticipate the event that is coming, because I don’t know what to anticipate. Then I get anxious again.
Yes, I have a problem…it’s been well established now in these blog posts.
Anyways, my bachelorette weekend was drawing near and it was a complete surprise. I kept trying to break all my friends individually to learn more about what was happening but they kept their secrets, well…secret. Here is what I did know.
I knew my little sister, Mini Magic, was in charge of planning, along with my bridesmaids. Now I love Mini Magic, but she is only 19, and has not had a ton of experience in party planning. Partying, yes…party planning, not so much.
This made me anxious (completely needlessly so, since she and the other gals pulled the entire weekend off amazingly). Read more…
Mrs. Snow Cone, Pittsburgh/Johnstown, PAAge and Occupation: 23, Public Health Graduate StudentFiance's Age and Occupation: 23, EngineerEngagement Date: April 9, 2010Wedding Date: August 2011Venue: OMOS Church ceremony/Sunnehanna Country Club receptionAbout Me: I’m one of the lucky ones---I met my future husband at the ripe old age of 13, started dating him as a mature woman of 15, and have been enjoying the ride ever since. Here we are, 8 years later, living in Pittsburgh, planning a "homestination" wedding in the place our school romance began---Johnstown, PA. I thrive on talking a mile a minute, eating my weight in chocolate, and internet shopping. I love a lengthy to-do list almost as much as I love a healthy amount of chaos in my life. Mr. Snow Cone and I watch countless episodes of Friends and The West Wing on repeat, root for rival college sports teams, and make each other laugh each and every day. We’re putting together a small-town wedding with a big personality and a classically modern (or modernly classic?) look for 250 of our closest family and friends. It’s been 8+ years in the making, and sometimes I still can’t believe I’m finally getting to marry my high school sweetheart!
After the shower, we did a quick wardrobe change and we were on our way to Pittsburgh for my bachelorette party. I’m not going to fib—I had some mixed emotions going into this evening. I don’t go out very often, and when I do, I’d much prefer a cocktail and good conversation than a crazy techno beat and a mosh pit of sweaty limbs. I was kind of anxious to see how all of my different worlds colliding would work out—my bachelorette party guest list had a good mix of family, high school friends, and college friends, some of whom I hadn’t seen in a hefty handful of months. How would everyone get along? Would I be pushed way out of my comfort zone in the name of bachelorette-ing? Would my embarrassingly low alcohol tolerance level get the best of me? See?! All of these concerns made me eager to see the night come and go, hoping for the best, I suppose.
I am proud to report that the night was completely amazing. We started with a little celebratory bubbly in the hotel room and my guests bestowed the requisite bachelorette party apparel upon me—sash, genitalia necklace, and tiara with veil.
I’m usually not one to have my outfit and accessories thrust me into the center of attention in each and every room I enter, but I figured you only get to bachelorette once, so genitalia jewelry it is! Read more…
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.
Note: Some of these pictures may not be considered safe for work!
Here’s my 10 step plan to ensure a ton of fun during your bachelorette party!
Step 1: Have a super fun shower at your parents’ beforehand.
I was lucky enough to have a nice small shower planned by my awesome mother and sister right before my friends and I went up to Pittsburgh to get our bachelorette on. The highlights were the games my sister chose: one was trivia about me and one was trivia about British sayings. No toilet paper in sight. A+ Sister Biscuit. Read more…
Ms. Gazelle, Calgary/VancouverAge and Occupation: 32, EngineerFiance's Age and Occupation: 32, Technology AnalystEngagement Date: September 3, 2010Wedding Date: July 2011Venue: Brock House Restaurant, VancouverAbout Me: I am a marathon runner, cyclist, Ironman triathlete and beautiful shoe fiend who also loves kicking back and watching Glee. I grew up a bit of a nomad as I traveled around the world with my family, living everywhere from Australia to England to South America and Indonesia. I finally settled in Calgary a few years ago and met Mr. Gazelle who loves me even though we cheer for different hockey teams. We are planning a bit of a destination wedding in beautiful Vancouver, British Columbia and we can’t wait to share the day with our close family and friends.
Saturday was a night I was eagerly anticipating—my stagette (i.e. my bachelorette party)! I had no idea what was planned, I had just asked the girls to keep it classy and they told me I was to be ready by 4:30 PM.
We started the evening off at the Laurier Lounge, a fondue restaurant in a 100-year-old heritage home in downtown Calgary.
I was excited since I’ve never had a chance to try this place before! I met my friends in a room upstairs and found this awesome sash waiting for me. Read more…
Mrs. High Wire, DallasAge and Occupation: 23, Legal AssistantFiance's Age and Occupation: 25, Director of CommunicationsEngagement Date: October 9, 2010Wedding Date: September 2011Venue: Clark GardensAbout Me: My loves include yoga, anything spicy, our eccentric cat, our rambunctious dog, and Mr. High Wire, of course! Like the steadiness act of the tightrope walker, this gal is busy balancing life while planning a wedding to the man of her dreams. We’re hosting a laid-back, vintage-inspired, bird themed wedding with heavy doses of love, good eats (did someone say tacos and margaritas?), and endless Texas charm. Mr. High Wire and I are so happy to have you along for the walk across the tight rope.
When my MOH asked me what I would be interested in doing for my “last night as a single gal,” I tried to keep in mind what I would like to do if it really were my last night with my girlfriends. She has taken the reins and planned a night that I am so so so so so looking forward to. I can’t wait to recap it for you!
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.
I am a closet control freak. Or as I’d like to call it, “hands on.”
I have tried to relinquish the reins of life, but planning a wedding just isn’t the time or place to do it. I count myself pretty lucky that those around me can go with my flow. This includes taking part in stenciling homemade napkins…
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!
Can I start off by saying how happy I was to read some of your comments on my earlier post about having a tiny and tame bachelorette party? High five to my fellow homebodies, woo! I was slightly worried that my attendees (all five of them!) would find the whole evening boring, but I’m pretty sure they ended up enjoying themselves too.
…as did I. I knew I was planning on wearing a veil for the evening (why not?!) and I timed my last haircut before the wedding well, since she ended up putting a bit of curl in, too. My super-fantastic maid of honour even went to the trouble of finding me a nifty crown and sash too. It may have been a small hen’s do, but I certainly felt the part!
There were some nifty balloons and matching tiaras for my five attendees—and even though we weren’t planning on going out anywhere, the girls all wore them ALL NIGHT. Another reason why I love them so much: they are awesome.
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.
So I’m 30 days out from the wedding (S1*FJ!@KJH sorry, small freak out). And I haven’t heard a whisper of a bridal shower or bachelorette. I know that those are not the things that a wedding is about but still…it’s a little sad-making. My bridesmaids are awesome ladies, and I knew when I asked them that neither was in an awesome financial situation: one bought a house last year and now has the accompanying mortgage payments, and the other was severely injured in a car accident a couple years ago and has only gotten back to working in the past nine months or so. I knew I wasn’t going to Vegas, or even nearby Banff for a bachelorette. I’m also not a huge fan of dancing and clubs. There’s still time for a bachelorette though—nothing too crazy, but people could be gathered to go out at least for some drinks (there’s a martini bar nearby with over 100 martinis on their menu…).
But I think we’re at the point where it is a bit late for a shower, which is a little sad, when I see such cute things like Miss Gazelle’s tea party shower or the British shower Miss Magic threw for a bridesmaid. It’s reminding me a little of the time that I decided 10 years old was “too old” for a birthday party and then was sad for a whole year until my next birthday. Only with this…
Mrs. Jam, ChicagoAge and Occupation: 25, Writer/Associate Wedding CoordinatorFiance's Age and Occupation: 25, Structural EngineerEngagement Date: December 23, 2009Wedding Date: June 2011Venue: Hunter’s Ridge, Princeton, ILAbout Me: I’m a penny-pinching cat lady getting ready to marry the frugal dog lover of my dreams. Our ideal Saturday morning includes rummaging around people’s junk at garage and estate sales followed by an afternoon date to our favorite café, where we only eat sandwiches that include the word “salad.” We actually love it so much, it’s sort of our unofficial wedding theme: Look at our delicious finds, eat homemade ham salad, and celebrate our love…barndance style. When we’re not obsessing over our love-fest shindig, we’re planning themed parties for our best friends and jamming to '90s music.
Why a combined bachelor/bachelorette party is basically the best thing ever—and we know because we just had one:
Mr. Jam, bridesmaid Tana & me at the combined theme bachelor/bachelorette party. More pictures (and lots of gabbing about the freakishly amazing decorations) soon…AKA when everyone else uploads pictures. Who do you think forgot to bring her camera? Oy.
1. No embarrassing gifts or games. No lingerie that will reside in the back of my underwear drawer for all eternity; Nothing hanging around my neck that was A) phallic, or B) flashing, which would probably only make me feel drunk; No awkward bar games where I have to dance with a random man wearing a hat, or take whipped-cream-topped shots using only my mouth. Read more…
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!
In Sydney, the normal thing to do for a bachelorette party, otherwise known as a Hen’s Do, is to head into the city, drink a lot, befriend lots of drunken male boys and dance the night away—with a few penises thrown in for good measure.
This is all well and good, except…well, I’m a homebody. And while I love a good dance as much as the next person, we don’t live close to the city and the practicalities (and costs!) of organising a big night out sort of had me worried. Also, since we’re being totally honest here, I’m not a girl that is closely surrounded by dozens of friends. I’ve always been the kind of person to stick with a few close ones around me, and really appreciate who I’ve got. Crowds and me? Just don’t mix.
I still wanted to have some kind of a ‘do’ with my closest friends, so I attempted to organise an event via Facebook, to see how many would be free and if they were interested. And on every single date I chose? A handful couldn’t make it. It was getting way too frustrating to plan, so I decided to throw in the towel—until the idea was brought up to just keep it simple. 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!
Back in November, three of my bridesmaids and I flew out to Las Vegas for my bachelorette extravaganza and some much-needed vacation time!
Lest you think I’ve forgotten, I knew the wedding was still six months away. But with bridesmaids literally all over the world, I’ll take ’em when I can get ’em! We were in Vegas for five days, but I’m only going to talk about the bachelorette night here because you need to go visit for yourself. It’s amazing. Go now. Bring me back some souvenirs.
This post is not entirely safe for work, but I did try to keep it tame. (What? My family reads this!) Onward!
My girls are pretty much the best ever. They know I’m not really the go-out-get-drunk-party-all-night type, so they made plans for a fun, very Miss Hyena evening out on the Vegas strip!
But first things first! We got to stay in this awesome timeshare that had a full kitchen, so pretty much the minute she got there, A made cookies! They were meant to be…inappropriately shaped, but they kind of all melted together in the oven. They were delicious anyway. We decorated them inappropriately, too.
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.
Yep…that’s me—once again adorned in full bachelorette garb. This time, we were in the City by the Bay—my home—San Francisco.
The Miami trip was AH-MAY-ZING…but it was a trip that I knew only a handful of my most favorite gals could make. So we planned for a silly, food & dance-filled night out in our hometown, at some of my favorite places, a month later so that all my awesome girls could go.
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.
So, I haven’t been feeling well these past few weeks. I’ve never been this exhausted in my entire life; I can barely function during the day. My appetite has been non-existent, and my body is weak and achy. My doctor tells me that there is nothing really physiologically wrong with me.
He said that it must be stress.
And that makes sense. I’m getting married in a month (OMG) and just moved into a new home. This is a very, very busy and stressful time in my life.
But this post isn’t about how crappy I’ve been feeling. I’m just telling you, hive, so that you’ll understand, after you read a few more paragraphs, why I am the LAMEST PERSON ON THE PLANET.
