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!
I showed off our urban inspired engagement pictures and I hinted that our next shoot would be more “Colorado” inspired. They turned out beautiful and we were once again reminded how lucky we are to have such a talented friend. After being kicked out of the first spot we attempted to shoot at*, we headed to a stunning location in Hermosa Valley right along the Animas River. BM Candace had a vision for this engagement shoot and I think she did an amazing job executing it.
We hauled some props to the field, including pillows and a down comforter, and set up our own little sanctuary in the middle of this beautiful setting:
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.
So, I promised myself I would post every day this week because I didn’t post at all last week. However, I have a TON of homework to do (it’s my last week of class!) so I don’t have a lot of time. I have lots of things I want to write about, but I want to REALLY write. You know, articulate my thoughts clearly and re-read my post before I hit the publish button. Luckily, my photographer sent us our engagement picture book which we’ll be using as our guestbook and it arrived today. So, I present blogging without writing—aka pictures of our guestbook:
Ooooh, what’s in this fancy box? Oh, and Cannon, I love your lime green gingham table cloth! *blushing* Thanks! (Ok, I’m done complimenting myself.) Read more…
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!
I whined about not being able to afford the photographer of my dreams in my last post because of (the lack of) money and my best friendor situation. Well, sometimes a girl gets lucky enough to have the best of both worlds: a bridesmaid AND a talented photographer.
We are fortunate to have gotten our engagement pictures taken by the amazing BM Candace as our wedding gift. Since we aren’t paying, we gave her free rein, with a couple requests and suggestions. I think for her it was fun because she got to be uber creative, and for me, well, it was my best friend shooting us—need I say more?! I knew we were in for something amazing, because in the days leading up to our first shoot she was sending me Pinterest pictures as inspiration. BM Candace decided that we would do two shoots: an urban-influenced shoot and a Colorado-inspired shoot.
It was exciting and nerve-racking all the same. I’ve been in a gajillion pictures with BM Candace but never on the other side of her lens. Fortunately I mixed up a batch of Sweet Tea vodka and lemonade to help ease my nerves.
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!
I am *so glad* we did an engagement shoot with our amazing photographers before the wedding. Not just because I love the pictures we got, but because it gave us an opportunity to see what it’s like to have our own personal paparazzi for a few hours. What looks easy from the outside (stand still, smile) was actually pretty hard work (stand still for a long time, now sit at an awkward angle, giggle, now be serious, oops too serious).
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 know I have mentioned about 10,057 times how awesome our photographer is, but now she is just out of control. Mr. Cucumber Sammie even said that she is worth her weight in gold. Best wedding decision ever.
We got an early wedding present delivered to us the other day. What oh what could it be?!?
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.
Nicole is A-MUH-ZING! She got us our engagement pictures way before promised, and they are out of this world. Because I am borderline narcissistic, I am going to show you even more pictures of myself (oh, and Mr. CS, too). Don’t worry—I won’t share all 292 she sent us, but I am tempted. They are that good!
Here are just a couple of my favorites. Mr. Cucumber Sammie already said he didn’t like some of these, but I say too bad…apply to the ‘Bee yourself, and then you can share whatever you like. But this is my post and I post what I want! I am already totally over marital compromise.
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.
It felt like our engagement shoot was a microcosm of how our wedding is going to be. Of course, ever the student, there were a couple of lessons I learned on Sunday I hope to apply to our wedding day. I am going to share them with you in hopes that you will remind me as I get closer to the wedding and start to lose my mind.
1. Prioritize: Unfortunately we didn’t make it to one of the places that I had on my list. I would have loved to take pictures at several locations, but we ran out of time. Kramers Books (where we had our first date) was most important so we started there, and I couldn’t be happier with the pictures. Over the next couple of weeks, Mr. Cucumber Sammie and I are going to brainstorm things that are most important to us for the wedding day. Everything else will just be a delicious bonus.
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!
Our photographer “must-have shots” list is a work in progress, as I continue to find more and more beautiful examples from the weddings of others. We had originally booked our photographer from about an hour before the wedding to two hours before it ended, in the interest of keeping our budget trim, but as things opened up over the past few months, we decided to book her through the end of the wedding so she could photograph the cake cutting, bouquet toss, exit, and more things we didn’t want her to miss.
I’d STRONGLY suggest putting together a shots list for your photographer. Every wedding and every couple are different, and even the most professional of photographers are not mind readers. They may not end up capturing some special moment you’d like, and the last thing you want is regret as you flip through wedding photos in the years to come.
Our shots list, so far, looks something like this:
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.
Oh boy, oh boy, oh boy…it’s a girl! Girl Photography, that is (haha, I crack myself up!). We got a sneak peek of our engagement shoot this past weekend. They are totally A-MAZING and I am now completely confident with our wedding in Nicole’s hands. Would you like to see?!?
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 told you about how I love the super special places people sometimes pick out for the engagement sesh. And then I divulged the setting for ours. But before we bought our tickets for the ferris wheel and got a sugar high from all of the cotton candy, our uhhhmazing photographer Brett Martelli decided that it was worth a trip to the spot where we spent time while we shared puppy love—and the spot Mr. Sweets proposed—Bolton Mansion, the old mansion between our two neighborhoods growing up where we sledded during the winter and hung out on bikes in the summer.
We had so much stinkin’ fun with Brett. I was super nervous about the whole idea of cheesin’ for the camera, but that quickly went out the window and I totally forgot all about it and just had fun.
Brett put up with my box of vintage props and me thinking—I mean knowing—that I could work it for the camera from watchin’ a lot of America’s Next Top Model. He totally captured us having a blast…not to mention, he himself was so much fun to work with…
And just when I thought that was enough, Brett completely blew me away with some of his teasers. I had some prep I wanted to share before unveiling these beauts…but that was before I saw them. The teasers are so great, I could wait to show the hive.
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.
I’ve been a bwad wittle bee. We had our engagement photo session on Easter Monday back in April, and I’ve been sitting on them since then! Shh, shh, let me explain why it took so long.
We had an amazing friend in Zürich take the photos for us and he actually gave me all the raw files the same day as the shoot, but it meant I would be doing all the editing myself. (Which is good and bad for a control freak like myself.) I took the opportunity to teach myself more about raw editing in Adobe Lightroom because I usually keep to Bridge/Photoshop. I really enjoyed using the different software to experiment with the processing! It works wonders on your raw photos and helps me make photos like this pop:
With over 700 raw images to go through (woo hoo for lots of great photos!), it took me about two months to narrow them down and edit about 100 photos that have already been used for save-the-dates, invitations, profile pictures, etc. I’ve gotta admit…I absolutely love them! Mr. Funnel Cake is dreamy pants and I don’t look horrible in all of them.
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!
Have I told you how we snagged our photographer? About two weeks after the engagement, at the same coffee date where I asked MOH Ginger to be my MOH (she almost cried, and it was sooo cute), I was chattering about how nervous I was about paying for a wedding while leaving financial wiggle room for my future “must-have” whims later on. So Ginger casually mentioned that her boyfriend’s friend’s wife is a photographer, and a pretty darn good one, but isn’t full-blown professional yet. She offered to reach out to her to see what she had to say about rates and her willingness to take us on.
Imagine my absolute elation when MOH Ginger emailed me with a response from our photographer—Hillary Shorts of Short’s Shots—saying she had STUNNINGLY LOW rates and very flexible terms, and would do our engagement photos FOR. FREE. She pointed us to several albums worth of wedding photography she’d already done, and she had just the look we were going for! No, she didn’t have the super-swanky lighting or vast array of props that pricier photogs offer but, honestly, I couldn’t tell the difference for our tastes. She had great detail shots, captured emotion, and made excellent use of natural light. So we pretty much booked her on the spot, pending a face-to-face meeting with her.
We met her at a Starbucks one weekend and were smitten. She’s adorable and was at the time pregnant, which made her even cuter. (I have the babies rabies, and drool all over anything baby related.) We all totally hit it off, and she said several things I loved, chief among them: “I don’t like to do a whole lot of ‘pose-y’ shots—I will do some, but I’d rather capture you naturally.” Yes! Thank you, please!
We scheduled our engagement session for Ybor City, a historic area with great architecture, which she chose for us after we told her we weren’t huge “photos on the beach” or nature people. Since we’re getting married in a botanical park, we figured the pavement-and-brick shots would balance out our portfolio of love quite well. I was especially excited to get to know Hillary more and see how we clicked.
We had such a blast, and she provided us with so many amazing shots that we were totally blown away. After we posted them on Facebook, we had several comments from people, both there and in real life, commenting how well she did her job, how classy they are, how…US they are. And given that we are getting her at an absolute steal, I can honestly say it’s one of the vendors I’m most proud of out of the whole shindig.
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.
Oh, boy! Remember how excited, anxious, and nervous I was about getting back our engagement pictures? Well, not long after writing that post we got an email from the head of our photography company! It felt like forever but was maybe a little over two weeks from the pictures being taken to us getting to see them, which is especially impressive if you consider the fact that said head of the company was giving birth to her first child the same day we got our pictures done.
When I initially wrote about getting our pictures done, I don’t think I emphasized how much we laughed and how much fun we had. Much like creating our registry, it was almost like a little date to get some time together to just goof off. One of the things that has really surprised me about wedding planning is how many memories are made just planning. Mr. Cannon and I work different schedules, and we don’t get to see each other as often as we’d like, so we really cherish any time we do get to see each other. The wedding planning has given us a lot of opportunities to think about our relationship and concentrate on each other in a way that we don’t do on an everyday basis. Taking engagement pictures was a big example of that, and I’m really glad we did it. I think our happiness and love really came through in the pictures, and I’m incredibly pleased with them.
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 teased you with engagement sessions in meaningful, special places, like cooking classes, fishing holes, and garden plots. And I mentioned that I almost threw our big idea into the can after seeing the super, super amazing camping shots.
You’re probably thinking: OK, Sweet Cream! What’s this big idea anyway??
Well, hive…I might have mentioned the Sweet Creams’ history that started in grade school, so we decided to take it back there…yes, way back there.
Ever since the beginning of time (OK. Maybe I am exaggerating just a little. It was 1956 to be exact.), our little Catholic parish has held the biggest fair in town. People would get super excited to go ride the rides, eat cotton candy until they were ready to be sick, and hang out with their pals. During the summers of the late 1990s, Mr. Sweets and I were no exception to this rule. We just loved our town’s fair.
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.
I normally love being the center of attention and enjoy getting my picture taken. But I have to admit I was feeling a bit awkward about engagement pictures. Don’t get me wrong, I was super excited that Mr. Cannon and I were going to get some pictures of us together. Ever since Cherry Bomb was born, we haven’t gotten many pictures of us. She is our favorite photographic subject, and pictures of the little lady have outweighed the pictures of us by a ton.
