Miss Warbler, Long Beach/MalibuAge and Occupation: 24, Quality Assurance EditorFiance's Age and Occupation: 32, Handheld AdministratorEngagement Date: December 7, 2010Wedding Date: April 2012Venue: Calamigos Ranch MalibuAbout Me: I’m a Korean BBQ loving, cheesecake enthusiast bride living in the LBC! By day I write and edit for an online search engine marketing company. By night I am a volunteer food taster of all that is delicious. I am fortunate to be marrying an amazing man who loves me and my quirky ways. I love food, books, indie music, and Harry Potter. We are planning a small, intimate wedding up in the Malibu Hills with our closest family and friends. With the help of my wonderful fiance, our loved ones, and red velvet cheesecake, our wedding will be glorious!
One of the easy decisions Mr. Warbs and I made concerning the wedding was our engagement-sesh location. Without a doubt our favorite place to be is in our own backyard, downtown Long Beach. After all, it was here that we began the next phase of our lives together. From moving in together, getting engaged, and countless amazing nights, the city has witnessed some huge moments in our relationship. And it’s pretty awesome.
Miss Aardvark, Beaver Dam, WIAge and Occupation: 23, Assistant Product ManagerFiance's Age and Occupation: 31, Business Analyst Engagement Date: May 28th, 2011Wedding Date: April 2012Venue: St. Philip Catholic Church/Arcadia Brewing Co.About Me: I am a resourceful lady who love surprises and adventure. At the same time, I value traditions, family and friends. I like to make crafty messes, sometimes, clean them up, and do pretty much anything outdoors. The Mister and I are pretty avid cyclists---we have nine bikes in our home right now...and one motorcycle! We both enjoy eating food we can't pronounce (language doesn't really matter) and going places we've never been. We currently reside in rural Wisconsin, enjoying the cheese and beer it has to offer, and getting outside whenever we can!
I absolutely adore our engagement pictures. One of my favorite things about them was the price. The very best Price. FREE! as in $0.00. Perfect. If you recall, my mother was visiting us when Mr. Aardvark proposed. She is a very talented armature photographer and was able to work wonders with my dinky little point and shoot! The day after we got engaged the three of us trekked out to a park near our house and got some really great shots. We were both still giddy and glowing over the new engagement and I really think it comes through in the pictures.
So without anymore unnecessary yapping, here are a couple of my favorites:
I like to call this one the “Album Cover” I am pretty sure neither of us were ready for the picture but it looks kinda cool. Right?
Miss Fox, Washington DC/Havre de Grace, MDAge and Occupation: 26, Massage TherapistFiance's Age and Occupation: 28, Field Support EngineerEngagement Date: April 18, 2010Wedding Date: June 2012Venue: Vandiver InnAbout Me: I’m a dancer turned massage therapist who was born and raised in New York. Alas, true love has brought me “south” where I still maintain my penchants for pretty shoes, wine, crossword puzzles, cherry blossoms, and the Mets. I own more sunglasses than a normal person should and don’t eat red meat (though I make up for it by eating my weight in sushi). I tend to be a big planner who likes to get things started early, but generally end up being indecisive and procrastinating when it comes down to it. I have a (not so) secret crush on Chris Carrabba, but my loyalty and love ultimately goes to the future hubs, of course! Together, my Foxy man and I love to discuss (read: debate) politics and current events, have Mario Kart and Scrabble duels, and just laugh. A lot. We’re hoping and planning for a laid back, fun, summery, rustic vibe to our June wedding that will be genuinely “us” – that is, if we finally make some decisions. Huzzah!
So I discovered this gem of a Groupon deal last April - a $425 one-hour photo session with Brooke Bready Photography for the low price of $65. That’s a discount of 85!%!! Craziness. I was checking out the amazing deal, loving Brooke’s amazing photography, and ultimately decided it was the perfect opportunity to use for an engagement photo session.
The kicker? I wasn’t engaged yet.
Here was the rationale behind my thinking: we were on track to get engaged/be married, the Groupon was good for a year (and if we weren’t engaged by then, well then, grrrrr), and if for some reason I actually was not engaged by April of 2011, I would get my friends together and have a BFF glam photo shoot. Genius. And no, I did not tell Mr. Foxy about buying this for fear of appearing psychotic.
However! It must have been good luck or something, because 9 days later, on April 18th, he proposed. I was able to schedule a session for September with Brooke, admitted my pre-engagement engagement-photo purchase to Foxy, had a good laugh, and was so excited to get our pictures taken at Brookside Gardens in Maryland. Read more…
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.!
Because Mr. D and I just got some of our engagement pictures back!! This is just our sneak peek, but I am already completely in love with what I am seeing. We really wanted outdoor pictures so we chose Palisades Park right outside of Cedar Rapids, Iowa, and also did some downtown in CR. We also did a pit stop and took some pictures in an empty field at sunset.
We chose An Unforgettable Memory Photography out of Dyersville, Iowa (soon to be Blue Earth, Minnesota), because the owner is a friend of my mom’s and she does fantastic work!! Jenn is such a lively personality to work with! She was great about directing us and asking us what we wanted to see in our pictures. What came of that was pure magic! So without further ado, here are some beautiful snapshots of our day:
I adore this picture. I love how Mr. D is doing his typical smirk (which is his natural smile!).
Miss Petit Four, San Antonio/Isla MujeresAge and Occupation: 25, Technology teacherFiance's Age and Occupation: 30, Math Teacher and Football CoachEngagement Date: Feb 13, 2010Wedding Date: March 2012Venue: Zama Beach Club, Isla Mujeres, MexicoAbout Me: I am a polka-dot obsessed, destination wedding diva living and loving in the great state of Texas. I am an island girl at heart and I visit the beach as often as I can. I am a wannabe DIY goddess, but that doesn’t mean I won’t give it my best shot. I love pearl earrings, the color pink, and ruffles are a part of my everyday wardrobe. My wonderful fiance and I are planning a destination wedding with our closest family and friends and we’re leaving a trail of glitter in our path!
Photo shoots can be really nerve-wracking and awkward if you aren’t professional models like us… Ha, just kidding, but our photographer did an amazing job and made us look really good!
I don’t remember how I found Jordan, but I am so happy that I did. Her pictures have that dreamy look that you see on Style Me Pretty, and she was within our budget.
Miss Snapdragon, Chicago/DallasAge and Occupation: 32,Associate ProducerFiance's Age and Occupation: 33, Lighting DesignerBlogging Since: November 14, 2008Engagement Date: January 1, 2011Wedding Date: March 2012Venue: Marie GabrielleAbout Me: Voracious reader of short stories, Russian literature, National Geographic and Cosmo. I'm a GENIUS at spicing up Weight Watchers recipes and a pathological cheater at board games. I run a slow marathon, but my feet are learning to move faster. Mornings aren't my thing, but I can night owl with the best of them. Don't tempt me with your Cherry Cokes---I'm trying to quit. Tomorrow. Or never.
So Bossyboots and I met with Christina Noel Photography for engagement photos last weekend, and I wanted to share a peekaroo with you, of course! The days leading up to our shoot were rather hilarious, and it was all my fault. I mean, I had to figure out my outfit, fix my teef, and let’s not even talk about the hair hilarity. I went crazy. My hair process may have involved an online tutorial or two. Bossyboots definitely told me I needed to take it down a notch or thousand. I can’t help it. I’m a recovering Type A individual. In recovery!!!
Anyway, in spite of my crazy, check out a few of our smoochytimes photos!
Mrs. Pony, Bloomington, ILAge and Occupation: 25, AttorneyFiance's Age and Occupation: 34, AttorneyEngagement Date: March 22, 2010Wedding Date: September 2011Venue: Mackinaw Valley Vineyard; Bloomington Center for the Performing ArtsAbout Me: I found my Southern counterpart in law school and since he popped the question last March, we have been busy graduating, job searching, bar taking, and wedding planning. My loves include must see TV, magnets, quotes, anything green, my car, fun socks, the Cubs, and my Mr. Together we love wine, playing outside, and exploring the world together. Stay tuned to see our Midwest wedding full of Southern charm, vintage flair, lots of DIY details, and a whole lot o’ wine.
We decided to have our engagement pictures taken last September in order to take advantage of one of the few months of nicer weather in Illinois and to get a major wedding task out of the way early. We wanted our photos to be relaxed and fun, but I was a super nervous since I had never had professional photos taken of me before (not even senior portraits). Luckily, we felt at ease with Jamie from the beginning and she was able to get some awesome shots of us, but I’ll let the pictures do the talking.
Some of our favorites from the day all taken by the magnificent Jamie Grant:
Our very first photo—looking both nervous and sassy
Mrs. Teacup, Santa CruzAge and Occupation: 34, Pharmaceutical SalesFiance's Age and Occupation: 41, Ditto! (For a different company)Engagement Date: October 1, 2010Wedding Date: October 2011Venue: ceremony in our family's Catholic church in Watsonville; reception at the Santa Cruz Beach BoardwalkAbout Me: I’m learning to embrace my true spirit as GIRLY GIRL after previous careers in the Navy and consulting for the government. My favorite hobby is SLEEP, with dancing HULA a close second. An INTROVERT in extrovert clothing, I’m questing to UNDO 34 years of TYPE A conditioning. Constantly processing the details of our upcoming nuptials, peek into this late blooming bride & groom's roller coaster ride to the altar. Giant Dipper required, sold separately.
If you remember our proposal story, I shared Mr. Hot Tea’s health scare with a benign tumor requiring a craniotomy and neurosurgery. The procedure was scheduled for January 2011 and it was highly likely that his facial nerve would be severed to remove the tumor, causing full paralysis on one side of his face. Rehab would take between 6 months to several years.
Why do I tell you all this? Because more than anything, Mr. Hot Tea wants his smile back for our wedding. Imagine losing function in half your face, eye bulging and lip sagging. Here’s how it progressed.
Mrs. Ladyfingers, Saint Petersburg, FLAge and Occupation: 30, Marketing ManagerFiance's Age and Occupation: 33, Sports WriterEngagement Date: December 24, 2010Wedding Date: November 2011Venue: Palma Sola Botanical ParkAbout Me: I hail from Oklahoma, he was born and raised in Long Island. Fate brought us together, and now we live in a cute little rental house with our nutty dog, and our aloof cat. We both love to read, watch movies, explore our town, and laugh like hyenas. When I’m not obsessively wedding crafting, I enjoy stalking style and decorating blogs, making collages and painting, napping, thrifting, rearranging our bookshelves, and being a total weirdo with my friends. Hi!
About six months ago, I saw a photo of a wedding project where the bride and groom had used their engagement photos in aisle endcaps. I loved this idea for many reasons: Since we hadn’t done save the dates or engagement announcements, we really hadn’t gotten a chance to use our e-photos, and I’m kind of obsessed with them. I also knew we weren’t going to have much of a budget for our ceremony decor, so flowers were out of the picture. With a garden wedding, flora probably won’t be missed, but I did want something to fancy things up.
Hive, I searched and searched for that original inspiration pic so I could show it to you. Apparently I hadn’t saved it on my hard drive, printed it out, or bookmarked it. I Googled every combination and searched every wedding site I frequented. So I’m now convinced the whole idea came to me in a dream. Which is fine.
Materials
Two colors of card stock in our wedding colors (gray for the main piece, and pink for the border piece)
Mrs. D'orsay, Baltimore/Lancaster UKAge and Occupation: 24, 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!
Mrs. Sunhat, Dyer, IN Age and Occupation: 32, Tax AccountantFiance's Age and Occupation: 35, Landscape ForemanEngagement Date: September 25, 2010Wedding Date: December 2011Venues: St. Andrew the Apostle, Fiesta PalaceAbout Me: I'm a Midwest girl who grew up in the country and now works in the big city! I love cooking, entertaining, reading (addicted to my Kindle) and going to the movies. I don't miss an episode of Hoarders and I start cleaning every time I watch! My profession doesn't call for much creativity so wedding planning has been a great outlet. Mr. Sunhat and I met online three years ago, cheer for rival MLB teams and share a home with our dog, Wrigley. We are planning a traditional, Polish, Catholic wedding with lots of DIY elements and some fun surprises. I'm so excited to be married on New Year's Eve and we can't wait to ring in the new year as husband and wife!
This is our absolute favorite photo. Wrigley was so good! Stephen, our photographer, just had us call her over and he handled the rest. Right before he snapped a picture, he would ask “Wrigley—you want a treat?!” and she’d look right at him! Read more…
Mrs. Sunhat, Dyer, IN Age and Occupation: 32, Tax AccountantFiance's Age and Occupation: 35, Landscape ForemanEngagement Date: September 25, 2010Wedding Date: December 2011Venues: St. Andrew the Apostle, Fiesta PalaceAbout Me: I'm a Midwest girl who grew up in the country and now works in the big city! I love cooking, entertaining, reading (addicted to my Kindle) and going to the movies. I don't miss an episode of Hoarders and I start cleaning every time I watch! My profession doesn't call for much creativity so wedding planning has been a great outlet. Mr. Sunhat and I met online three years ago, cheer for rival MLB teams and share a home with our dog, Wrigley. We are planning a traditional, Polish, Catholic wedding with lots of DIY elements and some fun surprises. I'm so excited to be married on New Year's Eve and we can't wait to ring in the new year as husband and wife!
When deciding on outfits for our engagement pictures, I knew I wanted to take one set of casual pictures and another with a little bit dressier feel.
We are lucky to have a fantastic location for our pictures—my grandparents’ old farm. My parents still live next door and, although family no longer lives on the farm property, we still own the land and ramshackle barns that make for a perfect backdrop.
The casual outfit was an easy find. Because of the country/farm feel of the setting, I wanted to find a cute plaid or “country looking” shirt to pair with jeans and some boots. One lunchtime trip to Macy’s and I scored the perfect shirt—in our wedding color, no less!
Miss Kettle, Chicago, ILAge and Occupation: 26, Non-Profit Donor Resource CoordinatorFiance's Age and Occupation: 27, Musician & TeacherEngagement Date: May 29, 2011Wedding Date: February 2012Venue: Patrick C. Haley Mansion, Joliet, ILAbout Me: I'm a city girl who loves a good escape, so I'm planning a Chicago wedding outside of the city. I've been described as a quirky yet down-to-earth drama queen who loves fiercely. I used to be a scientist, but now I'm learning to navigate the world of non-profit organizations. I love cooking, blogging, shopping, and music, and movies (Hans Zimmer is my favorite movie composer). Mr. Kettle and I had a short courtship and now we have a happy home with our cat-who-thinks-she's-people, Belle. We spend our days and nights with good food, live music, video games, family, and friends. Our wedding has become this wonderful excuse to bring together hundreds of people we can't bear to be without.
Taking that first crack at looking natural in photographs was no easy task for me, but before we even got there, we had to find a photographer.
For some reason, finding a photographer for this wedding has been a major source of stress for me. I didn’t know this would be the case at first, so I dove into finding a photographer with the same gusto as everything else. Mucho gusto, that is.
But then I hit a wall. I had too many photographers. I was getting follow-up calls at the most inconvenient times. I couldn’t coordinate schedules with Momma Kettle or Mr. Kettle to set up meetings. I began avoiding the calls like I was avoiding a bill collector. It was bad, y’all.
Miss Ticket, Riverside, CAAge and Occupation: 25, Executive AssistantFiance's Age and Occupation: 24, HVAC TechnicianEngagement Date: November 14, 2010Wedding Date: October 2011Venue: Crestmore ManorAbout Me: I'm a lifelong So Cal gal, a chocoholic, a closet gamer, and a television enthusiast (love me some Vampire Diaries!) who adores playing in the kitchen and lives in flip flops. Mr. Ticket and I are best known for singing and dancing in the car, our World of Warcraft addiction, adoring food, crane game playing, and our general homebody ways. Oh, and GO STEELERS!
We had soooooo much fun shooting our engagement photos! We met our photographers (Carrie & Jim) at Knotts Berry Farm at 5:00 PM on a Sunday (yay for twilight tickets—only $28.50!), and we started walking around the park. At first we were a little bit awkward. Mr. Ticket hadn’t met our photographers before (though he had seen them at work at Sister Ticket’s wedding), and we weren’t sure what to do. After walking around and talking for about 20 minutes, we got much more comfortable and just started being ourselves and not worrying so much about the camera. We had a few awkward shots where Carrie or Jim tried to pose us (we aren’t very good posers, darn us), but generally we just had a LOT of fun. Our photographers are totally awesome people and we love them. I can’t wait to work with them again on our wedding day, and I’m relieved to know that Mr. Ticket loved them, too, so hopefully he won’t be nervous around the camera on our wedding day.
But that’s enough talk…want to see some pictures?!
Miss Ticket, Riverside, CAAge and Occupation: 25, Executive AssistantFiance's Age and Occupation: 24, HVAC TechnicianEngagement Date: November 14, 2010Wedding Date: October 2011Venue: Crestmore ManorAbout Me: I'm a lifelong So Cal gal, a chocoholic, a closet gamer, and a television enthusiast (love me some Vampire Diaries!) who adores playing in the kitchen and lives in flip flops. Mr. Ticket and I are best known for singing and dancing in the car, our World of Warcraft addiction, adoring food, crane game playing, and our general homebody ways. Oh, and GO STEELERS!
When we first booked our photographers, I knew I wanted us to have an engagement session. I know Mr. Ticket, and the odds of us having professional photos taken together after the wedding were pretty much zip. So this was a great opportunity to have some nice pictures of us that aren’t from the wedding!
So now it was just time to decide on wardrobe and location. Let’s start with location.
We figured we would most likely take pictures at the usual places—a park or the beach. They are standards for a reason: they produce pretty pictures! But while I was looking at other people’s engagement pictures for inspiration, I ran into these…
All-Inclusion Invitation Suites
