Miss Palm Tree, Pittsburgh, PAAge and Occupation: 23, Lease AnalystFiance's Age and Occupation: 25, Associate Systems AnalystEngagement Date: December 22, 2011Wedding Date: May 2013Venue: The Fez in Aliquippa, PAAbout Me: I’m Miss Palm Tree - an opinionated, loyal and outgoing bride-to-be. I currently work as a Lease Analyst by day and a catering assistant by night. Mr. Palm Tree is a Computer Engineer with a love for all things cats. Mr. Palm Tree and I are absolute soul mates. Having grown up across the street from each other (I have the scars to prove it), we have been a part of each other’s lives for almost as long as we can remember. We are far from perfect: we fight, we get annoyed with each other and we certainly take advantage of knowing one another so well when pushed to the edge, but ultimately, what truly defines us as a couple is our love.
Despite their brief appearance as photo bombers in my shower recap, flower girls Pad and Pie have not been properly introduced or discussed. These girls became a part of my life during my junior year of college, when I started to babysit them. The babysitting grew into nannying during my senior year, and they’ve been a steady part of my life since then. I cannot imagine my life without them, their wonderful, strong, amazing mother, or their collective words of wisdom (both wine-fueled and not ).
It was no question that they would be our flower girls. In fact, those were Mr. Palm Tree’s words when I brought it up to him way back when. “Is it even a question?”
Pad and Pie’s mom and I searched for.ev.er for the right dresses for them. I, personally, am not a fan of white dresses for flower girls. I know that’s the standard, but I’ve just always envisioned my flower girls as my splash(es) of color, to match their vibrant personalities and overall cute and “awwwwwww”-inducing-ness.
We searched high and freaking low, almost the entire time I was engaged, for inspiration. We were thinking everything from petti-skirts to formal dresses in colors (we went from navy blue and pool to the yellow and grays that we have as part of our overall color scheme).
Miss Camera, Charlotte, NC/Charleston, SCAge and Occupation: 27 & Emergency Room Physician Assistant
Fiance's Age and Occupation: 31 & Newspaper Editor/Designer
Engagement Date: October 7, 2012Wedding Date: September 2013Venue: The Island House, Charleston, SCAbout Me: I'm a north-to-south transplant, currently living in Charlotte, North Carolina, but still representing all things Pittsburgh, PA. One month after I moved to NC, I went on a date with a guy I met on Match.com, and now we're getting married! I work in a busy Emergency Room as a Physician Assistant and while the hours are sometimes difficult, I can't see myself doing anything else. I live with my fiance in uptown Charlotte. We have an opinionated 5 year old tabby cat named Milo and a sweet, but rambunctious 8 month old mutt named Charlie (short for Charlotte - she's a girl!). I've embraced Southern culture, and our wedding is no exception---what better location than Charleston, SC? I watch too much TV and know every word to every episode of Friends (I've watched The One With Monica and Chandler's Wedding at least a hundred times...hope I have enough money for Wedding Scenario A!). I love baking cupcakes, cheering for the Pittsburgh Steelers and Penn State Nittany Lions and am openly addicted to celebrity gossip and pop culture.
So, recently Miss Bicycle had a discussion on how to word her request to have only children of immediate family members, which strikes quite a chord with me.
We are in a similar predicament—when I picture our wedding day, I certainly don’t see screaming babies, or temper tantrums in the corner. Luckily, we don’t have a ton of friends with children. We have three or four couple friends who have had a baby within the last three years (and one who is due any day now), but they have already told us they are making childcare arrangements for the wedding. This apparently was not to benefit me, but so that they could enjoy a kid-free evening/weekend.
We do have several children that will be present, however. I have a few cousins that are eleven and eight, and I think they can manage themselves for an evening.
Now. I’ll admit, this is a probably a poor decision on my part, and it certainly puts my temper-tantrum-free vision at a high risk: we have a four-year-old flower girl, and a two-and-a-half-year-old ring bearer.
Miss Airplane, Plymouth, MichiganAge and Occupation: 26, Fundraising Project CoordinatorFiance's Age and Occupation: 27, Food & Beverage ManagerEngagement Date: March 31, 2012Wedding Date: September 2013Venue: Fox Hills Golf Club & Banquet CenterAbout Me: I'm a true Michigander (born and raised) and a die-hard Wolverine. I am the definition of a multi-tasker and like to believe I am also a perfectionist, but my horrible short-term memory likes to prove otherwise. I'm an English major and a pretty punny girl, so get ready for some really horrible plays on words! When I'm not consumed with wedding planning, I enjoy copious amounts of television and an equally unhealthy addiction to bacon.
If you’ll remember from a previous post, I lost my mind and invited seven young children to be in the wedding (actually, eight, now because we also have a ring bearer—yikes!). I know children at weddings are not for everyone, but I couldn’t get married without these little rascals. And they are so excited.
A few weeks ago my siblings and I traveled to Northern Michigan to celebrate my dad’s birthday. I took the opportunity to go to what I think is the only bridal salon in Petoskey, aptly named Petoskey Bridal. Any Northern Michigan bees, I highly recommend Petoskey Bridal. We worked with Cindy and she was incredible—even though the girls were dancing around the fitting room and making more of a ruckus than was probably appropriate, Cindy was patient and treated them like real people, which was very much appreciated.
One of the first dresses we tried on was by Venus Bridals, style JM4327. They had sizes that fit two of the four girls perfectly and, as you can see, they absolutely loved the dress.
Miss Airplane, Plymouth, MichiganAge and Occupation: 26, Fundraising Project CoordinatorFiance's Age and Occupation: 27, Food & Beverage ManagerEngagement Date: March 31, 2012Wedding Date: September 2013Venue: Fox Hills Golf Club & Banquet CenterAbout Me: I'm a true Michigander (born and raised) and a die-hard Wolverine. I am the definition of a multi-tasker and like to believe I am also a perfectionist, but my horrible short-term memory likes to prove otherwise. I'm an English major and a pretty punny girl, so get ready for some really horrible plays on words! When I'm not consumed with wedding planning, I enjoy copious amounts of television and an equally unhealthy addiction to bacon.
Now that I had my bridesmaids, I wanted to do something special for the younger ladies in my life. With six nieces that mean the world to me, there was no doubt in my mind that I wanted all of them in the wedding.
Five of the six, along with Lil Wingman as a baby
Shortly after we got engaged, we invited the family to dinner to celebrate. I wanted to make it special for the girls, so I got them each a flower and a card. Then, in the middle of a very crowded restaurant I stood at the head of the table and read the following poem:
Mrs. Armadillo, Houston, TexasAge and Occupation: 23, Graduate StudentFiance's Age and Occupation: 24, Armed Security OfficerEngagement Date: September 28, 2011Wedding Date: March 2013Venue: First Presbyterian Church/Bay City Civic CenterAbout Me: I’m an oldies-loving, board game-playing, coffee addicted fine arts junkie from Southeast Texas in pursuit of her master’s degree in communication studies who met the goofy, strong, artistic, and unexpected love of her life in the beautiful piney woods of East Texas. Serendipity threw us together again and again (and again) on our college campus before we eventually stuck, but when we finally did submit to destiny, we hit the ground running and never looked back! We’re planning a religious, small town, budget-friendly, DIY-infused “winter becomes springtime” ceremony and reception to celebrate the beginning of our lives together with the people we love the most, and are pouring our hearts and souls into making sure our wedding represents us as a couple down to the nitty gritty details and balances tradition with the quirky individuality that is uniquely and unequivocally “us”!
Alternatively titled: “My Irrational Fear of Having Kids in the Wedding Party”
Sooooo, basically I never, ever, EVER thought I would include flower girls or ring bearers in my wedding day.
Although kids are, in fact, absolutely adorable, I just never really envisioned them being involved in my wedding. This probably stems from the fact that as a guest at weddings in the past, every time the bride and groom had flower girls or ring bearers, inevitably I’d be distracted by whatever the kids were doing instead of paying attention to the happy couple’s vows. They’d start crying, or sit down at the front of the church, lift up their dresses, and show their undergarments to everyone in attendance, wouldn’t stand still, would start talking right in the middle of the ceremony, would pick their nose, play with the basket or pillow or whatever they were holding…you get the picture; it goes on and on. And I don’t expect little kids to be able to handle the flower girl/ring bearer job flawlessly. When you’re five years old, standing in front of a huge group of people for 20 minutes probably is the last thing you’d want to be doing, and I don’t fault them for it. In fact, I’ve come to expect ceremony shenanigans when kids are part of the wedding party. It just comes with the territory, basically. And I knew I didn’t really want those shenanigans at my wedding.
Mrs. Otter, Indianapolis, INAge and Occupation: 22, Freelance Social Media ConsultantFiance's Age and Occupation: 23, CVS Shift SupervisorEngagement Date: November 11, 2011Wedding Date: April 2013Venue: Mustard Seed GardensAbout Me: I'm a born and raised Hoosier girl, but a diehard Michigan Wolverines fan. I have a tendency to take too many photos and spend full days having TV marathons. Mr. Otter and I met in high school, started dating a couple years later, and moved in after a month of being official. He is easygoing and makes plans on a whim, while I'm color coordinating my planner and organizing everything in sight. He hates glitter, but it's my favorite thing. I have tattoos and he still won't get one, despite my attempts to convince him. We're planning a small, rustic, and (hopefully!) peony-filled wedding to get our married life started. (And yes, there will be glitter involved!)
Hive, I have so much to update you on! So excuse me if I jump around a little bit; I just have too many things to share! First of all: about my little girls. They aren’t so little anymore, but let me explain.
Instead of having flower girls or a ring bearer, I wanted to include my favorite little girls. These two babies have been so important to me since…well, since they were born! It’s a bit of a running joke in our family that my brother and I were with them so much that each one of them could be our twins. And it’s completely true.
Personal photo / K and K
K, the one on the right in this photo, is my twin. We are exactly alike in so many ways, and I tell everyone that I know that I taught her everything she knows. Examples include a love of cheerleading and taking way too many photos. I love these two babies, who obviously aren’t babies anymore, and I wanted to make sure they were included in the wedding. Since we weren’t having flower girls, I decided on an alternative.
Miss Manatee, Fort Worth, TXAge and Occupation: 21, Nursing StudentFiance's Age and Occupation: 22, Civil EngineerEngagement Date: October 2011Wedding Date: June 2013Venue: The Sanford HouseAbout Me: We're just two nerdy, library-bound romantics that found each other. We're planning our fun, ombre themed nuptials in Arlington, Texas! We love boating, romantic comedies, occasional visits to the gun range, and our little kitty Cade! Two years after an extremely successful blind date, we can't wait to start our lives together!
When it came to picking our flower girl and ring bearer, we mostly had to look to my side of the family. Mr. Manatee’s family’s children are either way too old, or way too young. The youngest girl is 12, and the most eligible boy in the family is only about year old. He did a pretty good job in his parents’ wedding a few months ago, but mainly because it required something he already wanted to do…walk towards his parents. I didn’t really ask my bridesmaids in any fancy way, but I did order this card from Arleen Design for the asking of our little ones!
So, for our ring bearer we chose my little cousin, Pierce, who lives in Vancouver with the rest of my extended family! We’ve had the privilege of hanging out several times on family trips, and he is always SO much fun!
Mrs. Sword, ChicagoAge and Occupation: 28, Nanny/ActressFiance's Age and Occupation: 28, Software EngineerEngagement Date: February 19, 2012Wedding Date: March 2013Venue: Embassy Suites Bloomington West in Bloomington, MNAbout Me: I am a true girly-girl originally from the great state of Minnesota and my fiancé hails from the beautiful country of Scotland. We met and fell in love in our favorite city, Chicago, and are having a blast blending our cultures for "A Highland Fairy Tale" wedding! We are truly a case of opposites attract in that he’s a world traveling introvert and I’m a social butterfly who is never too far from home. We both love hanging out with family and friends, fine dining, and laughing at ourselves. He drinks a lot of beer and I talk too much. We wouldn’t have it any other way!
There are only a limited few wedding details that I’ve had planned for years (one being that Sister Big Eyes would be my MOH), and one that came about only a few years ago. It’s a detail I had solidified in my head even before I met Mr. Sword. Something so right that you just feel it long before you realize it. My flower girl. Littlest C.
Littlest C is almost 6 now but I’ve known her since she was 11 months old!
Mrs. Sword, ChicagoAge and Occupation: 28, Nanny/ActressFiance's Age and Occupation: 28, Software EngineerEngagement Date: February 19, 2012Wedding Date: March 2013Venue: Embassy Suites Bloomington West in Bloomington, MNAbout Me: I am a true girly-girl originally from the great state of Minnesota and my fiancé hails from the beautiful country of Scotland. We met and fell in love in our favorite city, Chicago, and are having a blast blending our cultures for "A Highland Fairy Tale" wedding! We are truly a case of opposites attract in that he’s a world traveling introvert and I’m a social butterfly who is never too far from home. We both love hanging out with family and friends, fine dining, and laughing at ourselves. He drinks a lot of beer and I talk too much. We wouldn’t have it any other way!
I MADE SOMETHING!! I was crafty and creative (shocking I know), and I made all of the women in my bridal party a personalized note to invite them to participate in my wedding.
Not only did I ask them to take part in some aspect of the wedding, but I also gave each girl their own princess name/identity. I used the classic Disney princesses for inspiration and told each girl why I felt she best fit with that princess. Yes, I’m a HUGE dork, but I had a blast bringing the princess theme to my ladies as well!
Mrs. Unicorn, Atlanta, GeorgiaAge and Occupation: 22, Retail Sales ConsultantFiance's Age and Occupation: 22, Graphic DesignerEngagement Date: November 27, 2011Wedding Date: September 2012Venue: The FarmAbout Me: I’m an impatient, impulsive person with a creative side and a flair for the dramatic. I’m very much a DIY sort of girl, and I have the messy craft table to prove it. I worked at a veterinary clinic for the better part of seven years before diving headfirst into the totally different world of sales. I must say, the change has been one for the better; I no longer have clients that bite or scratch, nor does my workplace smell of kitty litter. My true passion, however, is aerial acrobatics and dance, and I hope to open my own studio one day. Mr. Unicorn doesn’t bat an eye when he comes home from work to find his fiancée hanging upside down from a pole. Together, we enjoy shooting things (with a camera), playing Xbox games (my strategy consists primarily of button-mashing), and enjoying the company of our spoiled pit bull named Leeloo. We are planning a fall wedding with lots of DIY details and a rustic-chic vibe. Our budget is tight, but we know we can work around it to plan the wedding we want.
She’s just turned two, and she’s a stubborn, spoiled brat. Isn’t she adorable?
We think so, too. Which is why, originally, we wanted to have her at our wedding. We saw so many cute pictures of dogs at weddings. What’s cuter than a pug in a bow tie or a golden retriever carrying a bouquet??? Inspired, we told Miss Leeloo our plan. She was ecstatic to hear that she would have a role in the wedding, and she celebrated by taking a nap in her favorite bean bag chair.
Mrs. Archer, Los Angeles/New OrleansAge and Occupation: 26, Marketing and ConsultantFiance's Age and Occupation: 27, Actor-Writer, Fitness InstructorEngagement Date: May 15, 2011Wedding Date: October 2012Venue: the Columns HotelAbout Me: I’ve been in love with Mr. Archer for my entire adult life. After over seven years, two of them long distance, we're thrilled to (finally!) be planning a sweet Southern jazzy Jewish destination wedding. Working in marketing for a clothing company and running a niche consulting company with Mr. A, life is crazy, in the best possible way! I adore Saints football, dressing up, dance television, bright colors, beautiful things, and alliteration. When I’m not working, sleeping, or smooching my handsome fiancé, I’m making lists, cooking, or eating or drinking something yummy, bargain-shopping, and still oogling my heirloom engagement ring....ooh, sparkly!
Mr. Archer and I have been super-busy with consulting lately—pageant season is in full swing! That means lots of last minute lessons, rhinestoning tons of outfits, fielding calls from nervy moms, and perpetually packing and unpacking. Last week, we were in Baton Rouge for a pageant, and we were lucky enough to spend the weekend with three of our four flower girls! We adore these girls, and they are getting really excited for our big day. All three of them are first-time flower girls, so they’re all feeling rather important… and the excitement multiplies exponentially when they are together. Much fun was had…
Mrs. Dragon, Sioux Lookout/Brockville, ONAge and Occupation: 24, JournalistFiance's Age and Occupation: 35, Graphic DesignerEngagement Date: August 22, 2011Wedding Date: September 2012Venue: Mother of the Bride’s ResidenceAbout Me: I moved to Northern Ontario for a job, expecting to be single for the year I'd be there. Within one month I was dating a co-worker, and now, more than two years later, we’re planning a wedding and I’m still a Northern girl. I’m a reporter and a photographer for a small-town newspaper, and I get to do all kinds of fun, exciting, and sometimes weird things at work. When I’m not getting the scoop, I’m cooking, adventuring, playing with our three black cats, or blogging.
Ahhh, flower girls. I grew up staring at a photo of my sister and older cousin dressed in matching royal blue taffeta dresses with poufy ’80s curls adorned with baby’s breath—the two of them got to be flower girls at my uncle’s wedding, and I was intensely jealous (apparently I was young enough that the bride and groom were worried I’d just run down the aisle).
For our two little ladies, our nieces Opie and Lily, we’re skipping the taffeta and pouf. I’m not even wearing a white fluffy dress, so I figured we’d avoid that route for the young ones. While I debated putting them in ivory, I decided my dress would be too hard to match while shopping online and opted to go for yellow, just like the older gals in the wedding.
I happen to think flower girls in colour are quite cute! It seems to evoke a more casual feel, which is perfect for our backyard wedding.
Mrs. Doe, Northern CaliforniaAge and Occupation: 24, Real Estate AssistantFiance's Age and Occupation: 23, Recycling ManagerEngagement Date: December 25, 2010Wedding Date: May 2012Venue: Monte Verde InnAbout Me: I’m a Rat Pack fan and a Christmas nut that loves to read, good wine, cheesy ’80s movies and ’90s sitcoms. My wiener dog with an attitude problem and lazy basset hound are my constant source of entertainment. He's a hunter and I like cooking so it's not rare to see wild game on our dinner menu. Both of us were born and raised in a small historic farming town where our feet are still firmly planted. We have been together for nearly a decade and have shared many life experiences together, including birthdays that are only one day apart. We are two old souls that are creating our long-awaited wedding with loads of tradition that blends our two styles into rustic elegance in the foothills of Northern California.
Remember way back when I talked about flower girl dresses? I let my flower girl choose her favorite out of those dresses. From there I had planned on purchasing the dress. Well, life got a hold of me and before I know it we are a month away from the wedding…and I still had not bought the dress.
No big deal, right? If you buy from Nordstrom and not a bridal store, you don’t have to worry about waiting weeks for it to arrive. I should have just bought the dress months ago when I was thinking about it, because guess what? They were out of stock.
Shoot. That’s no fun.
I was not happy, no sirree. I love Nordstrom and it definitely was not their fault I waited so long, but I was bummed. Then a friend of mine mentioned to me that I should try Zappos. I responded with “eh, I don’t know.” She encouraged me to give it a shot because they had free shipping. Read more…
Mrs. Archer, Los Angeles/New OrleansAge and Occupation: 26, Marketing and ConsultantFiance's Age and Occupation: 27, Actor-Writer, Fitness InstructorEngagement Date: May 15, 2011Wedding Date: October 2012Venue: the Columns HotelAbout Me: I’ve been in love with Mr. Archer for my entire adult life. After over seven years, two of them long distance, we're thrilled to (finally!) be planning a sweet Southern jazzy Jewish destination wedding. Working in marketing for a clothing company and running a niche consulting company with Mr. A, life is crazy, in the best possible way! I adore Saints football, dressing up, dance television, bright colors, beautiful things, and alliteration. When I’m not working, sleeping, or smooching my handsome fiancé, I’m making lists, cooking, or eating or drinking something yummy, bargain-shopping, and still oogling my heirloom engagement ring....ooh, sparkly!
There is an utter drought of boy children in our lives, so we’ve decided to skip having a ring bearer. But we’ve compensated for that with our flower girls—we have four. No, you did not just hallucinate—I will have one-two-three-FOUR little girls preceding me down the aisle. I know that sounds insane, but we love these little girls, and wanted to include them. So I pretty much took the attitude of the more the merrier when it came to flower girls… knock on wood for it not to be utter little-girl-mayhem!
Flower girl C is a longtime consulting client that has become so dear to us—it kills me how fast she is growing up! She joined me for one of the venue-hunt days, and her insights were hysterical… she knows my taste well, and is so precocious!
Mrs. 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.
After finally finishing the ring bearer pillows, I wanted to get the matching flower girl baskets done. I scoured for the perfect baskets, purchased them, and then watched them on my kitchen counter for months before I finally found the motivation to decorate them.
Personal Photo: searching through what felt like endless options.
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