Mrs. Honey, Durango, COAge and Occupation: 28, Financial AssistantFiance's Age and Occupation: 24, Lab Tech/PhlebotomistEngagement Date: August 1, 2010Wedding Date: January 2012Venue: Vallecito LakeAbout Me: I am a Colorado girl through and through, marrying an adrenaline-fueled Alabama boy. We love the outdoors just about as much as we love spoiling our dog and three cats. On any given weekend you can find us being adventurous, doing anything from rafting to snowboarding, and everything in between. We live in an outdoor mecca and truly believe in "Work Hard, Play Harder." I'm an optimist to the core, a crafter wannabe, a Southern food cook-in-training and a big time believer in girls nights. We met, fell in love and got engaged in eight short months and are now knee-deep in planning what we hope to be a super-fun, very us wedding celebration. Join us as we plan a rustic meets whimsical, Colorado winter wedding with loads of personal touches and good food!
While I’ve already introduced you to the Honey venue, it should be known that I obsessed and panicked over this detail of our wedding: the colors.
For some reason out of my control, one of the first things I wanted to determine when we got engaged was the color palette. It was a good three months of being engaged before we found our venue, but that didn’t stop me from deciding our color palette, then changing it, and changing it again…and maybe still having color envy of other delicious palettes. It’s a problem, fo sho. I love color and it really sets the tone of the wedding.
I had fallen in love with a funky color palette that was just not going to jive with our charming venue, so I had to change it up. I knew I wanted gray as a color; black was too formal, and I couldn’t convince myself that brown was the neutral for us. Plus our furry groomsman/ring bearer is the prettiest of gray colors:
Ms. Ferris Wheel, San FranciscoAge and Occupation: 29, PsychologistFiance's Age and Occupation: 27, PsychologistEngagement Date: May 23 and 28, 2010 (one for each of us!)Wedding Date: November 2011Venue: Parc55 Hotel (city lights ceremony, ballroom reception)About Me: Born in the Southeast, educated in the Northeast, and over-educated on the West Coast, I finally earned my city-girl credentials and have put down roots in gorgeous San Francisco. I’m a raging perfectionist with a lightning quick wit and a terrible sense of both time and direction. Our wedding task list is endlessly growing because of my predilection to think that DIY projects I can make = DIY projects I should make (so not true!). I always go to bed wishing there were more hours in the day to enjoy all the things I adore, whether that be hobbies, friends, my career, our two dogs, or Mr. Ferris Wheel. Ours is a story of a non-traditional couple living an oddly traditional life planning a not-so-traditional wedding in this city we adore. Together we are bustin’ out all of our best skills (and some of our worst ones) to plan a laid-back-chic DIY-craftastic love-alicious affair!
Are you ready to hear something utterly, mind-bogglingly unbelievable? It’s the kind of ridiculousness I can only assume applies most often to intense planner-types like yours truly (but if it extends even further, I’d love to hear about it). Just what is this ridiculosity? Well, while searching through my wedding files the other day I came across an inspiration board that I made, and the creation date on the file is…
…wait for it…
May 30, 2009. Just let that sink in. Count the months. Do the mental math.
Umm… yeah, that’s more than two freaking years ago. How *crazy* is that?! No lie, no exaggeration—Mr. FW and I made this inspiration board a full-on year before we got engaged. Yep, you heard that right—-wedding style first, engagement ring second. Just for kicks, let’s take a look at that wedding style, shall we?
{my sincere apologies that I don’t recall the sources for any of these pictures}
Mrs. Turtle, Central CaliforniaAge and Occupation: 21, Art Student/TeacherFiance's Age and Occupation: 22, English StudentEngagement Date: August 16, 2008Wedding Date: July 2010Venue: Mr. Turtle's Grandparents' backyard, Arroyo Grande, CAAbout Me: I am a California girl who loves the beach and the mountains, but is quite satisfied living right in the middle where I can enjoy the best of both worlds. I am happiest when traveling to faraway places, wandering through museums, watching old movies, or baking up a storm. Mr. Turtle and I are high school sweethearts and fellow book nerds who both drive Mini Coopers and are most likely to be found browsing in antique stores. We're having so much fun planning our European garden wedding with a vintage twist and can't wait to share more of life's adventures together!
One thing I’ve seen other brides do, and felt curious to try myself, is taking a look at how the actual wedding compares to the original inspiration board. Our goal for our wedding style was part Sofia Coppola’s Marie Antoinette and part Father of the Bride. We wanted the whole evening to feel more like an elegant backyard dinner party than a wedding. Here’s our inspiration board, or what I liked to call our “reality check board,” at the time:
Photo credits: (Left to right, top to bottom) 1. Personal photo, 2. Personal photo, 3. Domino Magazine, 4. Style Me Pretty, 5. The Photo booth Experience, 6. Watters, 7. Style Me Pretty, 8. Classic Party Rentals, 9. Style Me Pretty, 10. Style Me Pretty, 11. A Boxed Event, 12. Style Me Pretty, 13. Jose Villa, 14. Evrim Icoz Photography, 15. Martha Stewart Weddings, 16. Style Me Pretty, 17. Martha Stewart Weddings, 18. Style Me Pretty, 19. Sofia Coppola’s Marie Antoinette, 20. Personal photo of backyard, 21. Martha Stewart Weddings, 22. Style Me Pretty, 23. Personal photo of veil
And here’s how it all came together in real life: Read more…
Mrs. Pretzel, SeattleAge and Occupation: 32 Learning, Training, and Development SpecialistFiance's Age and Occupation: 28 Manufacturing EngineerEngagement Date: September 2, 2009Wedding Date: July 2010Venue: Catholic Church & The Engine Room at Georgetown StudiosAbout Me: I’m just a thirty-something girl who never dreamed of weddings, poofy dresses, or ritzy receptions. I am a rabid knitter, except recently, wedding projects have replaced my yarn and needles. I’ve been fiercely independent since the age of 2 and 30 years later I think my family and friends had given up on me settling down and getting married.
Ironically, I had to go all the way to Seattle to find a boy from Purdue. We fell in love over Seattle Beers and cooking together. I love NASCAR, he loves Legos. I can talk like a Muppet and he can fit a whole McDonald’s cheeseburger in his mouth. We are a two reception couple, currently planning a brewery inspired bash.
I love when bees compare their inspiration boards to the real wedding. It is fun to see how inspiration changes over time and how things are executed. It was a lot of fun to look back at my first inspiration board and see how our wedding stacked up.
Mrs. Cucumber Sandwich, Washington, DC/Cape May, NJAge and Occupation: 28, School CounselorFiance's Age and Occupation: 40, Collegiate AthleticsEngagement Date: March 27, 2010Wedding Date: October 2011Venue: Congress Hall HotelAbout Me: I am a school counselor who spends my day wrangling children and my nights attempting to be creative with wedding projects. My enthusiasm for each of these activities far surpasses my skill. Thank goodness Mr. Cucumber Sandwich is there to pick up the pieces and be the voice of reason about my DIY tries. I have an obsession with terrible romantic comedies (‘From Justin to Kelly’ anyone?, anyone?!?), competitive Scrabble play, and hot dogs. I could eat astronaut ice cream for every meal and can’t seem to resist buying more shoes. Our wedding is going to be a true hodge podge of semi-destination, tradition, Yuengling, New England charm, with just a dash of ‘Jersey Shore’ thrown in. It has been six years in the making and I can’t wait to marry my best friend.
Miss Doily, Cedar Rapids, IowaAge and Occupation: 25, Autism Paraeducator/ StudentFiance's Age and Occupation: 27, Freelance Writer/ PublisherEngagement Date: August 27th, 2010Wedding Date: March 2012Venue: Father’s Vineyard Church/ A Touch of Class Banquet CenterAbout Me: I’m an Iowan girl with a deep love of Harry Potter, classic movies, cardigans, and Post-Its. My type-A Virgo tendencies often cause me to drive my laid-back college sweetheart fiance batty with lists and PowerPoint presentations. I love to be crafty and do things myself, which explains why my two crazy kittens often will prance around the house covered in glitter and ribbons. When I am not bogged down with work, school, or wedding planning, I like to travel to visit my expansive family and have wild adventures with my best friends. After a rollercoaster ride of a love story, I’m ready to take that final plunge, marry the love of my life, and become a Mrs.!
Once we were engaged, we really didn’t talk too much about the wedding itself for probably about six months. Which, to be honest, is very impressive of me, considering I had been waiting almost six years for the wedding date to actually be set. It was probably because we were still living apart and I was so happy when I got to go home and visit him that I didn’t want to weigh the conversation down with wedding talk. It wasn’t until February 2011 while we were on vacation in Kentucky that we really started to talk about our vision for the wedding.
Mr. D and me in Kentucky in February 2011. This was during Mr. D’s shaggy-hair days while he was in between jobs.
Mrs. Cucumber Sandwich, Washington, DC/Cape May, NJAge and Occupation: 28, School CounselorFiance's Age and Occupation: 40, Collegiate AthleticsEngagement Date: March 27, 2010Wedding Date: October 2011Venue: Congress Hall HotelAbout Me: I am a school counselor who spends my day wrangling children and my nights attempting to be creative with wedding projects. My enthusiasm for each of these activities far surpasses my skill. Thank goodness Mr. Cucumber Sandwich is there to pick up the pieces and be the voice of reason about my DIY tries. I have an obsession with terrible romantic comedies (‘From Justin to Kelly’ anyone?, anyone?!?), competitive Scrabble play, and hot dogs. I could eat astronaut ice cream for every meal and can’t seem to resist buying more shoes. Our wedding is going to be a true hodge podge of semi-destination, tradition, Yuengling, New England charm, with just a dash of ‘Jersey Shore’ thrown in. It has been six years in the making and I can’t wait to marry my best friend.
We last left off with our difficult (for him, not for me) decision of where to have our wedding. Having it in Cape May, New Jersey felt obvious when we looked at our criteria for our wedding location. He wanted something by the beach, and I wanted it to be at an obtainable destination for our guests. Almost everyone will have to travel to our wedding, but I don’t think it will impose a huge burden on our guests to get there. (Time will tell, though, I am sure.) Since we are having our wedding at a beach town, it seemed natural that our theme would be beachy or nautical. Even though I had always imagined getting married at our venue, never in my imagination were seashells or sand a part of our decor.
Mrs. Marmalade, Norwalk, CT/Raleigh, NCAge and Occupation: 27, Administrative AssistantFiance's Age and Occupation: 28, Army OfficerEngagement Date: December 31, 2009Wedding Date: July 2011Venue: Old Cadet Chapel/Highlands Country ClubAbout Me: I'm a Tri-State area "lady," through and through. A big chunk of my life has been split between NYC and Connecticut, and I'm finally heading down south to live with Mr. Marmalade. Our long distance relationship has been one adventure after the next, we've spent time in Texas, Louisiana, Florida,and Georgia, thanks to his military career. Next to Mr. Marmalade, my loves include live music, useless trivia, shoes, design, and my crazy half-tiger kitty, Oliver. I have a passion for food and wine, and I've been known to travel long distances to get my hands on the best meals. I come from a tight-knit big fat Greek Ecuadorian family---we're loud, we talk with our hands, and we spend hours talking loudly with our hands over large meals. I'm going to miss them so much as I pack up and begin my life, far away from home. But with Mr. Marmalade by my side, I'm ready to take on whatever may come. Next up: our wedding!
After seven months of planning the wedding full force, it was time to start tackling the colors I planned to use. Sure, we weren’t set with a venue, but I couldn’t let that stop everything! The color palette was hanging over me and I felt like I needed to get something decided, but it was tough!
When I first envisioned the wedding I saw something romantic, elegant, and simple. Here’s my first inspiration board:
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.
Fiction sometimes has a way of weaving into reality. Culturally speaking, the fake world of movies has kick-started major trends in the real world. A young Sweet Cream vaguely remembers what Flashdance did to the ’80s. After Alicia Silverstone jumped off that cliff with her navel pierced, she had girlseverywhere running to get a pair of knee highs and holding up their fingers telling their parents, “Whatever!” after Clueless hit the big screen. And then there’s Sex and the City. I realize that the small-screen version was first (and better?), but starting trends? Inspiration? Need I say more?
I have always been a sucker for romance, fashion, and the gorgeous cinematic enjoyment of the silver screen. And while I wasn’t a girl who dreamed of her big day since she was a little girl, for one reason or another, before there was a ring on my finger, there were some big-screen brides who made my non-wedding-swooner self, well…swoon.
Their Scottish vows: I will love you my whole life. You and no other. Short. Sweet. So So Perfect. / Image via Home Videos (from Braveheart)
Mrs. Marmalade, Norwalk, CT/Raleigh, NCAge and Occupation: 27, Administrative AssistantFiance's Age and Occupation: 28, Army OfficerEngagement Date: December 31, 2009Wedding Date: July 2011Venue: Old Cadet Chapel/Highlands Country ClubAbout Me: I'm a Tri-State area "lady," through and through. A big chunk of my life has been split between NYC and Connecticut, and I'm finally heading down south to live with Mr. Marmalade. Our long distance relationship has been one adventure after the next, we've spent time in Texas, Louisiana, Florida,and Georgia, thanks to his military career. Next to Mr. Marmalade, my loves include live music, useless trivia, shoes, design, and my crazy half-tiger kitty, Oliver. I have a passion for food and wine, and I've been known to travel long distances to get my hands on the best meals. I come from a tight-knit big fat Greek Ecuadorian family---we're loud, we talk with our hands, and we spend hours talking loudly with our hands over large meals. I'm going to miss them so much as I pack up and begin my life, far away from home. But with Mr. Marmalade by my side, I'm ready to take on whatever may come. Next up: our wedding!
Mrs. Marmalade, Norwalk, CT/Raleigh, NCAge and Occupation: 27, Administrative AssistantFiance's Age and Occupation: 28, Army OfficerEngagement Date: December 31, 2009Wedding Date: July 2011Venue: Old Cadet Chapel/Highlands Country ClubAbout Me: I'm a Tri-State area "lady," through and through. A big chunk of my life has been split between NYC and Connecticut, and I'm finally heading down south to live with Mr. Marmalade. Our long distance relationship has been one adventure after the next, we've spent time in Texas, Louisiana, Florida,and Georgia, thanks to his military career. Next to Mr. Marmalade, my loves include live music, useless trivia, shoes, design, and my crazy half-tiger kitty, Oliver. I have a passion for food and wine, and I've been known to travel long distances to get my hands on the best meals. I come from a tight-knit big fat Greek Ecuadorian family---we're loud, we talk with our hands, and we spend hours talking loudly with our hands over large meals. I'm going to miss them so much as I pack up and begin my life, far away from home. But with Mr. Marmalade by my side, I'm ready to take on whatever may come. Next up: our wedding!
There are a couple (or many) words that embody what I would like our wedding to feel like: feminine, romantic, classic, effortless. When I started planning the wedding, I took the time to create an inspiration board to represent what I wanted our wedding to feel like overall.
Mrs. Cardigan, AustinAge and Occupation: 21, Student/Soon-to-be Special Education TeacherFiance's Age and Occupation: 20, Student/Soon-to-be Accounting Systems AnalystEngagement Date: August 16, 2009Wedding Date: January 2011Venue: Vintage VillasAbout Me: I'm a native Austinite who was raised as a die-hard Aggie. Luckily, I'm a pretty persuasive girl because I managed to convince my high school boyfriend (now fiance!), Mr. Cardigan, to ditch his hardcore Longhorn ways and join me up at A&M, where we currently reside with our adorable dogs, Cullen & Ranger. We're currently planning a bright, cheery wedding with a ridiculous amount of DIY projects that I can't wait to tackle! I love crafting in any form, reading, and margaritas (I think I love them the most!). Organization is what keeps me sane and I love helping others, which is probably why I ended up as an education major. It gets a little chaotic sometimes when you're planning a wedding among all of the papers, projects, finals, and certification exams, but we're having the time of our lives and we can't wait to get started on our journey as husband and wife - and we're so excited to share our wedding with the hive!
Manybeesbeforeme have written posts about their original inspiration board versus how the wedding actually turned out. I always loved seeing those posts, so I was very excited to get to do one of my very own.
Way back when I first became a bee (which was exactly a year ago yesterday!) I wrote a post about the inspiration board I was using for our wedding.
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.
Every bride needs an inspiration board to help inspire her bridal brain. Or apparently the blogosphere says that we do.
While envisioning the big day, I had dreams of soothing colors—perhaps pastels or some smooth shade of pink. Gray was a definite. I don’t know what it is with me and that pigment. I didn’t even realize it until Mr. Sweet Cream and I bought our mid-century home and salvaged furniture that could make Betty Draper weak in the knees. Whatever the question that had the word “color” in it, my answer would remain the same: gray.
Gray is a hue that has a strange way of tying everything together.
Case in point:
Isn’t this peach & gray color scheme just oh so lovely? / Image via Ruffled / Photo by Kellie Kano
Mrs. Cannon, Toledo, OHAge and Occupation: 27, Financial AnalystFiance's Age and Occupation: 28, AssemblerEngagement Date: February 28, 2011Wedding Date: September 2011Venue: Epworth UMC & Ward PavilionAbout Me: I'm the curious combination of being a go-with-the-flow, laid back, obsessive planner. I try desperately to stay as busy as possible at all times (and am succeeding big time right now!) My biggest loves in life are Law & Order: SVU, Community (the show, not the concept, although I like that, too), ice cream, white cheddar popcorn, beer, hiking, knitting, decorating, writing, being outside, spending time with friends and family and musical theater. Mr. Cannon is pretty sweet, too. We've had a lot of fun traveling and having adventures all over the country, but have finally moved back near our hometown to settle down. We're planning a low-key, colorful, fun wedding and an awesome-to-the-max reception.
After announcing the date, it wasn’t long before people started asking the typical wedding questions: Have you picked your colors? Do you have a theme? Have you hired a florist? Did you pick a dress?
Whoa, hypothetical folks, settle down! I obviously had a lot of thinking and planning to do in a short amount of time. The one thing we both knew we wanted was a casual atmosphere. Not in an “everybody show up in your jean shorts and baseball caps” type of way, but a laid-back “let’s have fun and not be stuffy” type of way. My quote? “I don’t care if anyone says it was tacky, but I will be pissed if anyone says they didn’t have fun!”
Unfortunately, “fun” isn’t really a theme. Thinking of our expectations and what we really wanted, we settled on the idea of a family barbecue. Outdoorsy, happy, loving—Mr. Cannon and I love hosting barbeques! Some of my happiest memories are parties we threw centered around getting friends together to eat barbecue. The Fourth of July is one of my favorite holidays. Everyone loves barbecues—except maybe vegetarians. Although, one of our good veggie friends came to nearly all of our barbecues and enjoyed a grilled cheese or portabella burger, so I stand by my assertion that everyone loves barbecues.
Mrs. Macarons, TampaAge and Occupation: 26, Graphic DesignerFiance's Age and Occupation: 34, Renaissance ManEngagement Date: September 12, 2009Wedding Date: September 2011Venue: Lange FarmAbout Me: I'm creative at heart and a graphic designer with an unhealthy obsession with type. I love roller coasters, spicy foods, and a good glass of Crianza. We’re planning a soft and lovely vintage-meets-modern wedding in a state that’s known for its beaches, glitz and glam. I have a ton of DIY projects and lots of little details I’m dying to share and can't wait to celebrate with our closest friends and family.
As an artist and designer, I use a lot of color and play with texture and patterns when I can. My closet is the same way: a kaleidoscope of shoes, purses, clothing, and accessories. When it came time to talk wedding colors, Mr. Macarons was a bit worried I’d want something like this:
