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.
I mentioned a while back that Mr. Cucumber Sammie and I will be including some cultural traditions in our ceremony to represent our heritage. We covered Mr. Cuke Sammie’s African American roots with a broom jump. And now it is my turn!
I am Irish, Irish and just a little bit more Irish so picking a heritage pull a tradition from was easy. There is tons of great inspiration for including Irish elements in your wedding. I would have loved to get Mr. Cucumber Sammie in a kilt but before I could even get the words out he said, “not going to happen.”
We also briefly flirted with the idea of the Irish handfasting. Read more…
Mrs. Hermit Crab, New York, NYAge and Occupation: 24, Youth Director soon to be Grad StudentFiance's Age and Occupation: 26, Medical Student - soon to be Surgery ResidentEngagement Date: October 11, 2008Wedding Date: June 2010Venue: New York Botanical GardenAbout Me: I love all things food, books, our furbaby, Rashi, and adventures with my amazing fiance (oh, and saving the world!). This summer I will not only be a bride, but a bridesmaid, officiant, and attendee as well---it's all about weddings in my life right now, full of so many exciting moments and projects. We're planning a fab New York City wedding weekend full of family, love and lots of color!
Hello there, Hive! I have missed posting here regularly, but I have been popping around the boards just to make sure I don’t miss anything. I wanted to jump in with a post about a Jewish tradition that I haven’t yet talked about here, and one that I think many people will like.
Every year on the Jewish calendar, is a relatively unknown holiday called “Tu B’Av,” or the 15th of the Hebrew month Av. It occurs in the summertime, usually in August. This year, it falls on the eve of the 14th and until sundown on the 15th of August (and the dates almost never line up like this!). Historically, the holiday was known as a day of matchmaking, when women would dress all in white, and dance outside the city walls, and choose who they wanted to marry. It has been said that “There were no better (i.e. happier) days for the people of Israel than the Fifteenth of Av…since on these days the daughters of Israel/Jerusalem go out dressed in white and dance in the vineyards. What were they saying: Young man, consider whom you choose (to be your wife).”
Today, it something like Valentine’s Day in the Jewish community—a day to celebrate love and relationships, and the magnitude of choosing your partner, and may include dancing and singing together into the night. Read more…
Mrs. Trail Mix, New YorkAge and Occupation: 26, PE TeacherFiance's Age and Occupation: 27, MBA StudentEngagement Date: March 2009Wedding Date: June 2010Venue: Tannery Pond at the Darrow SchoolAbout Me: I'm a country girl who somehow found herself living in the Big Apple and loving every minute of it. I'm planning a rustic, country-chic wedding in my hometown in upstate New York and it's going to be a Party with a capital P. White wine, flea markets and running keep me happy and my friends, family and fiance are my world. I'm a little bit crafty, a little bit crazy but mostly just crazy in love.
I recently attended a friend’s wedding on the coast of Italy (the town was called Rodi Garganico) and really wanted to share the photos as it was stunningly gorgeous and just so much fun! My friend married an Italian (they met in New York City on a co-ed soccer team…cue the collective ‘Awww’ here) and believe me when I tell you: Italians know how to party in the best way.
*A lot of these photos are courtesy of our friend Arvind, who is kindly letting me use them here. You can tell when they’re his using this simple equation: Good photos = Arvind’s, Bad photos = mine.
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.
That didn’t slow me down. Just like Jay Z and Swizz Beatz I was “on to the next one.”
I turned to Google to try to help me uncover a unique BYO that was out there in our neighborhood. Of course I would give the rehearsal dinner a rehearsal and go try it out for myself. There were options. But nothing that wowed me.
Until I stumbled upon Rozmayrn in Northern Trenton, not too far from our little Catholic Church in Bucks County. Now this was perfection! I am half Polish and Gmom Sweet Cream smiled when I told her about the idea.
The crazy out-of-control imagination of mine took a hold of me all over again after I found out that rosemary was considered as a symbol of friendship and remembrance and that it was used in Polish weddings as a symbol of love and faith.
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.
I am avoiding doing the hard work of the ceremony such as, ummm, writing it. Instead I have completely skipped over the necessary elements and moved straight into the fun stuff: The ceremony accessories!
We decided to include some cultural traditions in our ceremony to represent our heritage. First up, Mr. Cucumber Sammie. Mr. CS is African American, so of course our immediate thought was “jumping the broom.”
Mrs. Funnel Cake, Zürich, Switzerland/Columbus, OhioAge and Occupation: 24, Visual Communication DesignerFiance's Age and Occupation: 28, Application EngineerEngagement Date: May 30, 2010Wedding Date: October 2011Venue: Catholic church followed by a botanical conservatoryAbout Me: I'm an American designer who moved to Switzerland for love after a fairytale beginning at the top of the Eiffel Tower. I love travel, photography, museums, learning German so I can speak with my mother-in-law, cooking (eating), cuddling, and I'm not afraid to try something new even if it terrifies me. My Swiss/Brazilian man and I are both down to earth people planning a traditional Catholic wedding in my hometown with some quirky cultural exceptions to reflect our different backgrounds. We look forward to celebrating with friends and family from all over the world in a classic, sophisticated fusion of heritage and love.
After we said the “Ja” word, we gathered to take a few pictures outside the Verwaltungszentrum Werd and I had an inkling that something suspicious was up…
Mrs. Bacon, ChicagoAge and Occupation: 26, Digital Advertising ManagerFiance's Age and Occupation: 25, IT Client ServicesEngagement Date: June 17, 2010Wedding Date: September 2011Venue: Ravenswood Billboard FactoryAbout Me: I'm a Midwestern girl that can't seem to commit to staying in one place for too long and is constantly daydreaming about my next adventure. I am an aspiring foodie with a weak spot for the unusual and I love semi-reality food television. My other loves easily include laughing as a form of exercise, a book that I can't put down, summer baseball games, espresso with whipped cream, couch potato days and nights with the ridiculous Mr. Bacon, and our two kitties, Lincoln and Sawyer. We're planning a faux-destination wedding for 150 of our closest friends and family in the city we've both adopted as home that has a modern, yet whimsical twist and as many personal touches as we can manage.
I admit it, there was a lot of drama surrounding the whole process of choosing my wedding dress. A Lot. We pre-shopped, we ran, we shopped shopped, we purchased, we post-shopped, we re-purchased. There was so much going on! What I haven’t mentioned is that like many bees before me (most recently Mrs French Toast and Mrs Crepe) I will be wearing both a red dress and a white dress on my big day.
Since I was in high school, I’ve loved the idea of wearing Mama Bacon’s cheongsam (aka qipao) that she wore for her wedding to Papa Bacon in the ’70s for at least one part of my wedding. But sadly, I am graced with my father’s American build and not my mom’s much more delicate Chinese build which means that when the time came last fall to try it on, I couldn’t even get the darn thing over my SHOULDERS, let alone my American thighs. I mean, I could have worn it for our wedding 11 months later… if I dropped 40 lbs, but hello, not healthy for a girl my size. Either way, this dress needs a moment in the spotlight (along with that fantastic white tux my dad’s got on and all that hair between them both).
I just LOVE this photo. Who can guess the year?
I’ve been known to don some Chinese traditional garb in my time, and the circumstances vary widely like at an 8th grade dance or on a make shift stage at an outdoor festival. 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.
As the wedding day approaches, I’ve been getting more and more interested in our ketubah: the Jewish marriage contract.
I read Miss Pony’s wonderful post about Quaker marriage certificates/ketubahs, I read when Mrs. Spaniel discussed their search, and I also stumbled upon one on the wall of a house we were in last week. Lots of signs are pointing to me to start thinking about this wedding detail!
The history of the ketubah is actually pretty fascinating, and if you would like more information about it please go here.
I’m definitely leaning toward the tree motif, which is very very common among traditional ketubahs. I also really identify with the notion of a tree putting down roots as we start our lives together and begin our own traditions and foundations. Also, the two trees coming together relates to our interfaith relationship and the joining of two different families.
The ketubbot (plural for ketubah) that include trees celebrate the natural world and a couple’s relationship with nature. Because Judaism is a cyclical religion with many of its holidays and rituals tied to the seasons, natural images are potent Jewish symbols in a ketubah.
Mrs. Funnel Cake, Zürich, Switzerland/Columbus, OhioAge and Occupation: 24, Visual Communication DesignerFiance's Age and Occupation: 28, Application EngineerEngagement Date: May 30, 2010Wedding Date: October 2011Venue: Catholic church followed by a botanical conservatoryAbout Me: I'm an American designer who moved to Switzerland for love after a fairytale beginning at the top of the Eiffel Tower. I love travel, photography, museums, learning German so I can speak with my mother-in-law, cooking (eating), cuddling, and I'm not afraid to try something new even if it terrifies me. My Swiss/Brazilian man and I are both down to earth people planning a traditional Catholic wedding in my hometown with some quirky cultural exceptions to reflect our different backgrounds. We look forward to celebrating with friends and family from all over the world in a classic, sophisticated fusion of heritage and love.
After Sandra found her first set of coordinates at the starting point of her Polterabig (Swiss bachelorette party), we set out with her on a trek all around Zürich.
Mrs. Funnel Cake, Zürich, Switzerland/Columbus, OhioAge and Occupation: 24, Visual Communication DesignerFiance's Age and Occupation: 28, Application EngineerEngagement Date: May 30, 2010Wedding Date: October 2011Venue: Catholic church followed by a botanical conservatoryAbout Me: I'm an American designer who moved to Switzerland for love after a fairytale beginning at the top of the Eiffel Tower. I love travel, photography, museums, learning German so I can speak with my mother-in-law, cooking (eating), cuddling, and I'm not afraid to try something new even if it terrifies me. My Swiss/Brazilian man and I are both down to earth people planning a traditional Catholic wedding in my hometown with some quirky cultural exceptions to reflect our different backgrounds. We look forward to celebrating with friends and family from all over the world in a classic, sophisticated fusion of heritage and love.
Hello, hive! I have officially survived my first Swiss Polterabig. And you know what? It was almost like an American bachelorette party! (Except that everyone was speaking Züridütsch…)
My understanding throughout the evening probably looked something like this:
Mrs. Funnel Cake, Zürich, Switzerland/Columbus, OhioAge and Occupation: 24, Visual Communication DesignerFiance's Age and Occupation: 28, Application EngineerEngagement Date: May 30, 2010Wedding Date: October 2011Venue: Catholic church followed by a botanical conservatoryAbout Me: I'm an American designer who moved to Switzerland for love after a fairytale beginning at the top of the Eiffel Tower. I love travel, photography, museums, learning German so I can speak with my mother-in-law, cooking (eating), cuddling, and I'm not afraid to try something new even if it terrifies me. My Swiss/Brazilian man and I are both down to earth people planning a traditional Catholic wedding in my hometown with some quirky cultural exceptions to reflect our different backgrounds. We look forward to celebrating with friends and family from all over the world in a classic, sophisticated fusion of heritage and love.
Back in April I was getting ready to head to my first Polterabig (oder Polterabend auf Hochdeutsch) for a friend of Mr. Funnel Cake, while he went to the groom’s Polterabend the same night.
What is a Swiss Polterabend? Well, it is certainly not the traditional German Polterabend of breaking dishes:
Mrs. Crepe, Queens, NY/Nashville, TNAge and Occupation: 28, Jewelry DesignerFiance's Age and Occupation: 28, Animation DirectorEngagement Date: September 28, 2010Wedding Date: May 2011Venue: A church in downtown NashvilleAbout Me: I'm a native New Yorker who has always been a DIY kind of girl and loves tackling creative projects while getting the most out of a dollar. I'm marrying my college sweetheart and we love frequenting antique stores, exploring together, and playing with kittens. We're planning a fun, "us" wedding in his hometown---with as many handmade touches as we can pack into a day!
Early in the planning process, I had decided to browse around online for options. I never felt comfortable in the high, closed collar that qipaos traditionally have but something like this seemed more along the lines of what I could wear:
Mrs. Seal, San FranciscoAge and Occupation: 25, Personal AssistantFiance's Age and Occupation: 29, Sales and Support SpecialistEngagement Date: December 12, 2009Wedding Date: November 2011Venue: Sts Peter and Paul Church/The Bently ReserveAbout Me: I am a goofy, wannabe crafty, well-intentioned Renaissance Woman (OK, perhaps "aimless wanderer" is a more aptly suited term for me, but hopefully you get the point)—basically I dabble in just about everything and pride myself in such. Without warning, I occasionally breakout into soulful improvised songs and interpretive dances and there's just no stopping me! As so many others before me, planning our wedding has unearthed a deep, intense passion for all things bridal and I secretly fear the day it will come to an end. Mr. Seal and I are quite the pair and life with him by my side is extremely rewarding—I am so thankful to have found him. Together we are planning a black-tie San Francisco affair for 250—light on the stuffiness and with lots of extra Seal-y flair.
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!
OK, first let me start by saying that I have not attended church regularly since I was in high school. So, one could say I am “lapsed.”
I’m not trying to pretend I am more churchy than I am. But, I was raised in the Moravian faith at Covenant Moravian Church in Wilmington, North Carolina. Our church was, and still is, a pretty small church, and there are not many Moravians in the world. When I tell people I am “Moravian,” they normally think I said “Mormon,” or they wonder why they have never heard of the country of Moravia before. It’s part of the Czech Republic, nowadays, see?
Miss Carousel, Dusseldorf, Germany/Garda, ItalyAge and Occupation: 29, International Product ManagerFiance's Age and Occupation: 31, Front End DeveloperEngagement Date: May 29, 2010Wedding Date: September 2011Venue: I’m an American-Italian girl living in Germany with my Belgian fiancé, planning a wedding in Italy. I can’t wait to show our guests the wonderful Lake Garda, Verona, and want our wedding to be a fun filled, charming, day in the life of “La dolce vita.” Mr. C and I love spending time together, and have added wedding related activities to our cooking nights, dance lessons, and road trips. We love sampling restaurants, could listen to Sinatra all day, and are just a tad geeky and into technology. As we want all of our passions to be part of our marriage, what better way to start than by incorporating them in our wedding day?
Having a wedding in Italy is great. The food is simply amazing. (Sorry, but you just can’t get food as good as Italian food in Italy.) The atmosphere is jovial. The scenery is wonderful. The history and culture surrounding you are enriching.
