Mrs. Piglet, Virginia/OahuAge and Occupation: 28, ConsultantFiance's Age and Occupation: 29, Entrepreneur/Fashion Apparel Wholesale ImporterEngagement Date: June 22, 2008Wedding Date: August 2009Venue: Ceremony at the Lanikuhonua Phase II private estate, reception at a historic hotel in WaikikiAbout Me: I'm an East Coast gal with intense road rage and an addiction to romantic comedies, fast food, gadgets, Korean BBQ, and my wiener dog George aka Georgia May. I carry mustard packets in my purse and I love perusing the aisles at discount stores. A self proclaimed shopaholic, I impulsively buy electronics, software, and craft tools; none of which I know how to use. I'm excited to dust
these babies off and immerse myself in DIY projects galore in
preparation for our DW in paradise!
We’re patiently awaiting the arrival of our cardstock to start churning out the Save the Dates, but lord knows, we have tons more to do in the meantime. The ladies and gents in the bridal party were starting to ask when they should arrive in Hawaii, and because of this, another project was born. Our party is geographically dispersed, with some in NY, PA, Vancouver,…
Mrs. Lemon, Los Angeles/MontereyAge and Occupation in 06: 26, Graduate Student (Public Policy)Fiance's Age and Occupation: 29, Environmental ConsultantEngagement Date: April 7, 2006Wedding Date: July 7, 2007Venue: Rosary Chapel & Monterey Marriott, Monterey, CAAbout Me: My FI and I met online, but we like to tell people that we met at a "cookie shop" which is the technical location of our first encounter. He proposed exactly 1 year, 1 month and 6 days after our first date (it's the only part of his proposal speech that I remember), and we're planning long-distance from Los Angeles for a July wedding in my hometown of Monterey, CA. I have a passion for all things "cool, cute and quirky" and I enjoy video games, reading blogs (WeddingBee, trashy celeb, consumer & political) and crafting in my spare time, if I have any!
Way back in ancient times, when I was getting married, I thought it would be wonderful to have custom apparel for our bridal parties (yes… guys included). But there was one huge problem with this scenario: cost. Sure, custom embroidery and screen-printing both look great, but there was no way I had the funds or means to do something “extra” like that as a graduate…
Mrs. D'orsay, Baltimore/Lancaster UKAge and Occupation: 24, Stay at home fiance (formerly in nonprofit communications)Fiance's Age and Occupation: 29, Web site developer and designer; co-owner of men's skincare shopEngagement Date: August 10, 2008Wedding Date: August, 2009Venue: Oakland ManorAbout Me: I'm a Maryland raised environmental policy wonk/activist/organizer and communications aficionado. In the past year I've lived in Baltimore, MD, Tucson, AZ, Miami, FL and Lancaster, England. In my not so spare time I enjoy planning trips with Mr. D' Orsay, visiting friends and family and crafting like a mo-fo. I also enjoy modern dance classes, rugby and soccer but have been banned by my mother, MOHs, and Mr. D' Orsay from playing till after the wedding. I have an unnatural addiction to cheese and shoes, but love Mr. D' Orsay more than either and can't wait to become Mrs. D' Orsay!
… are really hard to find. Well, feathered fans are actually easy to find, but the perfect ones I’ve imagined in my head for my girls to rock instead of flower bouquets? Not so much.
I’d like a feathered fan that is ideally 11″x15″, or 15″x15″. Most of the feathered fans I’ve found are larger. They’re about this size:
Mrs. Meatball, HollywoodAge and Occupation: 30, Actor/Writer/Office MavenFiance's Age and Occupation: 28, Actor/WriterEngagement Date: October 7, 2007Wedding Date: May, 2009Blogging Since: September 16, 2008Venue: Private Garden/The Bungalow ClubAbout Me: I love melty cheese and diet coke almost as much as I love my man. I'm from Chicago, he's from NYC, and we both miss public transit and great pizza. We have an adorable muppet dog called Paco. I'm part hippie with a healthy dash of hip hop superstar, have excessive empathy for animals, and have not one, but two bionic eyes (long story). We're broke and it ain't no joke. It can't stop us from planning the bold and whimsical wedding of our dreams, but we've had to get pretty creative to make it work, yo!
I promised you some DIY, and the conclusion to the story of how I asked Dawn to be my Matron of Honor… but prepare yourself: I am not the craftiest meatball in the sub.
To make the moment special, I decided to make a book for her to chronicle our story, with a very happy surprise ending. For inspiration, I went to our local 99 cent…
Mrs. Powder Puff, ChicagoAge and Occupation: 25, Preschool TeacherFiance's Age and Occupation: 25, Career ServicesEngagement Date: May, 2008Wedding Date: July, 2009Blogging Since: November 12, 2008Venue: Outdoor ceremony, banquet hall receptionAbout Me: I am your typical Midwestern girl attempting to plan a sane, budget-friendly, fun wedding to the man of my dreams. I love shoes, laughing at “Platinum Weddings”, crafts, inspiration boards, candy, and basically anything I can DIY. While weddings can certainly be all-consuming, I honestly can’t wait until the ceremony is over and I can finally call Mr. Powder Puff my husband!
I love my bridesmaids. Each one of them is very near and dear to my heart, and I’m thrilled to have them all stand up with me as I marry the love of my life. But… there is a slight problem. They all live in very fun, exciting places that happen to be VERY far away from me!
Mrs. Meatball, HollywoodAge and Occupation: 30, Actor/Writer/Office MavenFiance's Age and Occupation: 28, Actor/WriterEngagement Date: October 7, 2007Wedding Date: May, 2009Blogging Since: September 16, 2008Venue: Private Garden/The Bungalow ClubAbout Me: I love melty cheese and diet coke almost as much as I love my man. I'm from Chicago, he's from NYC, and we both miss public transit and great pizza. We have an adorable muppet dog called Paco. I'm part hippie with a healthy dash of hip hop superstar, have excessive empathy for animals, and have not one, but two bionic eyes (long story). We're broke and it ain't no joke. It can't stop us from planning the bold and whimsical wedding of our dreams, but we've had to get pretty creative to make it work, yo!
Deciding on who to have by our sides on the big day was relatively easy. In the early days, we considered just having 2 folks stand up with us on either side, to keep things simple. But as time went on, we realized that having family surround us was very important, too. Ultimately we decided to include all our siblings (5 combined), and a few…
Mrs. Eggplant, San FranciscoAge and Occupation: 28, Human ResourcesFiance's Age and Occupation: 24, Associate Marketing ManagerEngagement Date: January 19, 2007Wedding Date: October 20, 2007Blogging Since: May 31, 2007Venue: Ceremony at a cement and stained glass cathedral and reception at a boutique hotel ballroomAbout Me: I'm a shopping junkie who lives to discover great deals and a craft addict that loves to scrapbook and knit. My profile picture was taken on the day I got engaged which is why my smile is so huge!
I’m back today because I wanted to share my wedding experiences from the other side. Not the married side, but the bridesmaid side! I’m a bridesmaid in my future sister in law (FSIL Eggplant) and brother’s wedding next year. They recently got engaged and set their wedding date for October 2009 and I couldn’t be happier for…
Mrs. Cheese, KnoxvilleAge and Occupation: 29, Engineering ManagerFiance's Age and Occupation: 27, CAD DesignerEngagement Date: July 31, 2008Wedding Date: May, 2009Blogging Since: October 16, 2008Venue: Our home and the two acres it sits onAbout Me: I’m an emotional girl who loves sentimental things, parenthetical asides, and trying to do things herself. I can cook, sew, am a whiz at planning, terrible at delegating, and totally in love with my fiancé (who will be my second husband but first love of the rest of my life). For our home/ garden/ DIY wedding, we’ll be moonlighting as interior designers, home improvers, and gardeners with the help of our fabulous friends and neighbors. We can’t wait to be married, and are learning how fun getting married can be.
I’ve been thinking a lot about our wedding party, having read and considered every one of your comments. The theme seemed to be to surround yourself with people who support you, to include family if at all possible, and to choose bridesmaids and groomsmen to honor each phase of your lives. I hear ya.
Your comments plus the Thanksgiving holiday (and a chat with my little…
Mrs. Cheese, KnoxvilleAge and Occupation: 29, Engineering ManagerFiance's Age and Occupation: 27, CAD DesignerEngagement Date: July 31, 2008Wedding Date: May, 2009Blogging Since: October 16, 2008Venue: Our home and the two acres it sits onAbout Me: I’m an emotional girl who loves sentimental things, parenthetical asides, and trying to do things herself. I can cook, sew, am a whiz at planning, terrible at delegating, and totally in love with my fiancé (who will be my second husband but first love of the rest of my life). For our home/ garden/ DIY wedding, we’ll be moonlighting as interior designers, home improvers, and gardeners with the help of our fabulous friends and neighbors. We can’t wait to be married, and are learning how fun getting married can be.
We’re a mere six months away from our wedding and we haven’t decided on a wedding party yet. *gulp* Wait, wait! Before you slap my hand for my procrastination, I assure you that this is different than all of the other things we haven’t done yet. Really, I swear!
I’m having a hard time making the whole idea of a bridal party make sense for us…
Miss Champagne, DC/Vail/ColoradoAge and Occupation: 26, Eye DoctorFiance's Age and Occupation: 27, AttorneyEngagement Date: March 13, 2006Wedding Date: February 2009Blogging Since: July 30, 2008Venue: Small church ceremony with mountain-view log cabin receptionAbout Me: I'm a small town mountain girl with a city heart. Found my way to the east coast, and Mr. Champagne kept me here so we're planning a wedding from afar in my hometown Vail, Colorado. I'm secretly obsessed with reality TV, Wii games where I can shoot a gun, country music, and Caesar: Dog Whisperer. I also spend time pretending to golf, backseat driving, having one way conversations with our MinPin Maxwell, loving champagne, and wedding perfecting… I mean, planning. I use way too many repeated symbols and letters when I write, and I'll love Mr. Champagne endlessly…
Source: 1. Jim Hjelm, photo: Luke Walker 2. Pricilla of Boston, photo: Tat Leong
3. Kristie Kelly, photo: Luke Walker 4. Vinyard, photo: Tat Leong
There are so many decisions a bride has to make. For some brides, the bridesmaid dress sets the tone for the wedding. For me, it was sort of a simple decision. I knew I wanted black and something that had an…
Mrs. Avocado, SeattleAge and Occupation: 23, StudentFiance's Age and Occupation: 26, ConsultantEngagement Date: July 27, 2008Wedding Date: October, 2008Blogging Since: June 30, 2008Venue: LDS Seattle Temple & Hotel 1000About Me: Somehow this little farm girl found herself a genuine Pole to fall in love and eventually move away to Poland with. I am an LDS bride attempting to plan a private religious ceremony, ring ceremony, seated reception for 100, and an open house while coordinating for guests flying in from across the United States and as far away as Poland. I try to avoid fads, excess waste, and saturated fat. I strongly endorse photography, DDR, calorie counting, rss feeds, cooking, and utilizing your resources.
It’s my wedding week, and there is so much you don’t know. I was hoping to help you understand what was going on through my blogging, but now I have some major catch up to do.
Let’s kick the “up-to-speed” series off by introducing you to my bridesmaids. I will let you meet the groomsmen through the wedding pictures because I fancy a few of them…
Mrs. Taffy, Ann ArborAge and Occupation: 28, Color and Materials DesignerFiance's Age and Occupation: 29, Automotive DesignerEngagement Date: May 9, 2008Wedding Date: May 2009Blogging Since: September 14, 2008Venue: University of Michigan UnionAbout Me: I’m a girl who is crazy about Mr. Taffy, sewing, dancing, almost all types of sweets, and our cute pet canaries. I dislike touching fuzzy fabric of any kind, eating somewhat squishy food, and Michigan winters. Mr. Taffy and I are having a blast planning our Ann Arbor wedding, and cannot wait to share our day with friends and family.
If there is one thing I looove to do, it’s dressing up. Dressing up to go out, dressing up to dance around the house, dressing up for Halloween… you name it, I love it!
All of my favorite memories of dressing up have included the Taffettes, my lovely bridesmaids. This also counts for Mr. A, one of my best friends and a groomsman. I went digging…
Miss Champagne, DC/Vail/ColoradoAge and Occupation: 26, Eye DoctorFiance's Age and Occupation: 27, AttorneyEngagement Date: March 13, 2006Wedding Date: February 2009Blogging Since: July 30, 2008Venue: Small church ceremony with mountain-view log cabin receptionAbout Me: I'm a small town mountain girl with a city heart. Found my way to the east coast, and Mr. Champagne kept me here so we're planning a wedding from afar in my hometown Vail, Colorado. I'm secretly obsessed with reality TV, Wii games where I can shoot a gun, country music, and Caesar: Dog Whisperer. I also spend time pretending to golf, backseat driving, having one way conversations with our MinPin Maxwell, loving champagne, and wedding perfecting… I mean, planning. I use way too many repeated symbols and letters when I write, and I'll love Mr. Champagne endlessly…
Choosing our bridal party was actually one of the easier decisions for both myself and Champ. It pretty much came down to the basics: family, significant others, and a few close friends. Both Champ and I have been struggling with the whole MOH/BM thing, and ultimately we decided that it would be best not to have a best man or maid of honor. We’re just…
Mrs. Hot Cocoa, Boston/Los AngelesAge and Occupation: 31, JD/PhD StudentFiance's Age and Occupation: 32, Medical StudentEngagement Date: May 30, 2008Wedding Date: March, 2009Blogging Since: April, 2008Venue: Ritz Carlton, Marina Del ReyAbout Me:
I am a professional student by day and an amateur cupcake taster, bargain shopper, and wedding planner by night. I am obsessed with NPR, the Food Network, paper, dance shows, Anthropologie, post-structuralist theory, Weddingbee!, "The Office," and celebrity gossip. When not procrastinating from my dissertation, I spend time catering to Jellyby, our overly anxious shih tzu, and getting to know Mr. Hot Cocoa. We have only been dating for fifteen years, so it's like I'm in love with a stranger! From the East Coast, we are planning a Jewish-Chinese Extravaganza in L.A., where we both grew up.
There’s an interesting post on the U.S. News and World Report Alpha Consumer Blog about the escalating costs of being a wedding guest and—especially—a bridesmaid. Here’s the money quote:
But the heftiest burden of all falls on bridesmaids. They play a role that, for all the honor of its implied intimacy to the bride, comes with a price to match. Bridesmaids are often expected to buy…
Mrs. Lemonade, Austin/San AntonioAge and Occupation: 28, BureaucratFiance's Age and Occupation: 28, Music ManagementEngagement Date: December 21, 2007Wedding Date: April, 2009Blogging Since: August 22, 2008Venue: Country Club ceremony, ballroom receptionAbout Me: I’m a total wonkette who is lucky enough to be surrounded by her favorite things on a daily basis – awesome music, the great State of Texas and of course, Mr. Lemonade! I find any excuse I can to craft something and am completely infatuated with the 1950’s, all things Kennedy, and my furbaby Vida.
As I mentioned earlier, we (more like I) lamented about whom to ask to be in our bridal party. When we finally decided to go the traditional route, I knew I had to ask one of my oldest and dearest friends to stand up for me.
C is actually one of Mr. Lemonade’s oldest friends. They met in prep school when they were in 9th grade…