Mrs. Penguin, Northern CaliforniaAge and Occupation: 27, Weddingbee Editor in ChiefFiance's Age and Occupation: 30, Doctor of Physical TherapyEngagement Date: January 29, 2007Wedding Date: June 7, 2008Blogging Since: September 14, 2007Venue: Winery in the Gold CountryAbout Me: I love the Spice Girls, dogs with underbites, bean burritos, making messes, high fives, avoiding showers, crossword puzzles, blogs, weddings, and blogs about weddings!
While they’re totally cute (perfect for snacks or storing desk tchotchkes, and stackable for people like me where storage square footage is at a minimum), most importantly, a portion of the proceeds from this super-pink sale will be donated to the Breast Cancer Research Foundation.
The sale ends at the end of October, so you’ve got just a little over a week to shop for a great cause. I’m buying a set for each of my 3 closest gal pals right now!
Are you thinking pink for Breast Cancer Awareness month?
Mrs. Potion, Herndon, VAAge and Occupation: 23, ITFiance's Age and Occupation: 24, SalesEngagement Date: November 26, 2011Wedding Date: November 2012Venue: St. John’s Catholic Church / SpringHouse, Alexander City, ALAbout Me: We are two complete and total geeks that met at engineering camp, of all places, and after several years of being in love long-distance, we’re finally at the beginning of a lifetime together. We’re working with a modest budget to plan a long-distance wedding full of handmade details, Harry Potter references, and, most importantly, lots of love. I could spend an entire afternoon watching Food Network while shopping for shoes online, while he’d prefer to pwn some n00bs on Halo while blasting Deadmau5 on his stereo. I taught him how to swing dance and he taught me to appreciate Tolkien; he introduced me to LOST and I introduced him to the BBC’s Sherlock. I’m a Gryffindor, he’s a Ravenclaw, and we can spend hours discussing and debating the finer points of Rowling’s masterpiece. We’re so excited to be setting out on this adventure and I can’t wait to share all the details with you!
My sister is an artist, and an amazing one at that. One of her art school projects was to enlarge an image using a grid, and to create it using only dots and hash marks. The result? An AMAZING birthday present / early wedding gift! 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. Turkey, PhiladelphiaAge and Occupation: 29, Brand ManagementFiance's Age and Occupation: 28, ConsultantEngagement Date: February 2011Wedding Date: May 2012Venue: The Rittenhouse HotelAbout Me: I'm a marketer who loves a good glass of wine, anything pumpkin-flavored, every crime drama on TV and, of course, Mr. Turkey. It's funny to say out loud, but we're former coworkers turned betrothed---now planning a wedding in the city of Brotherly Love. For three years, we've been eating our way through Philadelphia, playing tourist at home, and cheering for every sports team in the 215. Although we've hit some unplanned snags along the way, we're determined to have a rocking party this spring with our loud, fun families and friends.
I’m sure every bride feels like they have a fairy godmother many times during the planning process. After all, on the wedding day there are a LOT of people in place to help us look practically royal.
However, I recently discovered that there is another fairy godmother roaming around…the Mother of the Bride fairy (or MOBF)!
Have you not heard of MOBF? Well, she was new to me as well until Turkey Mom sent me this picture a while back. Read more…
Mrs. Elk, City: Syracuse/Long IslandAge and Occupation: 25, Medical StudentFiance's Age and Occupation: 25, Computer EngineerEngagement Date: November 22, 2010Wedding Date: May 2012Venue: The Old Field Club About Me: I’m a Long Island girl finishing my last year of medical school in western NY, on the road to becoming a pediatrician. When I’m not studying or sleeping at the hospital, I spend my free time watching bad TV (Vampire Diaries anyone?), playing with my pooch, singing incredibly off-key (to the annoyance of Mr. Elk ), and reading Harry Potter for the zillionth time. Mr. Elk and I are planning a secular wedding infused with both Irish and cultural Jewish traditions. Only a week after I become an M.D., I will get my Mrs. degree, too!
A while ago I showed you my awesome gift to Mr Elk for the wedding (remember those Indiana Jones cuff links?!). Anyway, since Mr Elk knows about his gift I decided to ask him what he was thinking of getting me for our wedding day. His response? Blank stare into space, followed by a mumbled “I didn’t realize I had to get you something.” Of course, he was totally on board with giving me a wedding gift, so long as it was something I really wanted!
At first, I was thinking jewelry all the way. I still haven’t decided what jewels will help to make up my bridal look, so I thought bridal earrings would make the perfect gift from Mr Elk!
I’ve been sort of obsessed with Kendra Scott earrings for a while now, and these have been high on my list of possible wedding day jewelry:
Even though I’ve been eying them for a while, I’m still a little hesitant. I’m definitely more of a white gold/silver sort of girl, and while I really like the gold in these earrings I’m not sure they suit me.
Unable to make a decision regarding my wedding day jewelry, I started to think of other things that Mr Elk could get me as a wedding day present. And then it hit me: Read more…
Mrs. Mink, Charlottesville, VirginiaAge and Occupation: 34, College AdministratorFiance's Age and Occupation: 40, Craft Beer ConsultantEngagement Date: November 26, 2010Wedding Date: June 2012Venue: Pippin Hill Farm & VineyardsAbout Me: I left a pre-war brownstone in Boston six years ago to live in a funky, Southern city where Thomas Jefferson, Dave Matthews, and urban chicken keepers enjoy equal social standing. I still love my Patriots and Red Sox, but have fallen in love with Virginia. I work in education and specialize in integrating technology into my work to improve the student experience. I’m a diehard blogger, animal lover, jamband follower, and DIYer. I paint to relax and have transferred by energy from home projects to wedding projects in recent months. When Mr. Mink and I started talking about marriage, we knew our wedding would be outdoors, that my golden retriever would be part of the day, and that the music would be fantastic. We’ve taken a few risks during our planning process and we’ve been enjoying the process immensely!
Mr. Mink prides himself on being a talented gift giver. He is one of those people who truly derives more pleasure out of giving a gift than receiving one. By the time Halloween rolls around each year, he has already started to brainstorm ideas for Christmas presents. It’s one of his many charming traits.
Mr. Mink is all for giving gifts, but he was a little surprised that brides and grooms give wedding gifts to each other. He thought throwing a wedding and going on a honeymoon was a pretty spectacular gift that we were giving ourselves. As someone who isn’t apt to splurge very often, our wedding feels like a fabulous gift for us and our guests. I told Mr. Mink that I am definitely fine with throw the tradition of the bride and groom exchanging gifts aside.
Now I have to employ an oft used bee tactic to prevent someone from clicking through…
Mrs. 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!
Searching for bridesmaids’ gifts was one of the hardest tasks I have yet to come across while planning this dang wedding. I needed to find something that was small enough for me to take to Mexico and something the girls wouldn’t mind lugging back to the states.
I liked the idea of getting them jewelry and I probably still will get them each a nice necklace or something, but I wanted to do something a little different. (I promise, this is cool! Keep reading.)
Mrs. 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!
Mrs. Turkey, PhiladelphiaAge and Occupation: 29, Brand ManagementFiance's Age and Occupation: 28, ConsultantEngagement Date: February 2011Wedding Date: May 2012Venue: The Rittenhouse HotelAbout Me: I'm a marketer who loves a good glass of wine, anything pumpkin-flavored, every crime drama on TV and, of course, Mr. Turkey. It's funny to say out loud, but we're former coworkers turned betrothed---now planning a wedding in the city of Brotherly Love. For three years, we've been eating our way through Philadelphia, playing tourist at home, and cheering for every sports team in the 215. Although we've hit some unplanned snags along the way, we're determined to have a rocking party this spring with our loud, fun families and friends.
Now that we’ve past the 100 day mark until our wedding, there are a number of things that have started creeping up on the “to do” list.
We interrupt this post to say, AHHHHHH!!!When did we get into double digits?!?!?!
One of the things that has been coming up in conversation recently is “thank you” gifts. We’ve finished the bridal party gifts already, but there are a number of other people involved in our day that we want to thank in a special way. The question becomes…how?
Dear Turkey family and those involved in the wedding…please read no further!
Mrs. Boa Constrictor, Isabela, Puerto RicoAge and Occupation: 22, Undergraduate StudentFiance's Age and Occupation: 23, Soon-to-be Civil EngineerEngagement Date: May 19, 2011Wedding Date: May 2012Venue: El Faro Convention CenterAbout Me: I’m a Caribbean gal, born and bred on the beautiful island of Puerto Rico, finishing her last year as an undergrad. I describe myself as a “closet nerd” as I secretly enjoy reading research papers, playing video games, and geeking out on Lord of the Rings movie marathons. I will marry my college sweetheart, a soon-to-be civil engineer, who loves Legos and old-school Puerto Rican cooking. This is sure to be a fast-paced year with our wedding, honeymoon, college graduation, new jobs, and a cross-country move all within less than 30 days of each other!
Along with the invite design, Lil’ Boa worked on a card that would inform our guests about the dress code, the reception, the website and gifts. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. I know what you’re thinking. Putting registry information on the invitation is rude and just plain wrong.
It wasn’t until I entered the wedding blogosphere that I learned this was an etiquette no-no. Even more of a no-no is asking for money on the invitation, which is exactly what we will be doing. I should explain that in my 22+ years of attending weddings (more than 30 so far) I have never NOT seen a request for money on a wedding invitation. Most of them had a message stating that gifts were not necessary but if the guest insists, the couple prefers to receive money.
Imagine my surprise when I learned some people could be offended by such a statement, to the extent of not attending the wedding! Further Internet research revealed that the “Don’t ask for money” rule is mainly part of American wedding etiquette. Wedding gifts in some European and Asian countries are expected to be monetary and in those cultures it is perfectly acceptable to state it on the invite. I guess you can add Puerto Rico to that list, since as far as I know, asking for money on the invitation is the norm.
On the other hand, if a bride ask for gifts from a registry, all hell will be upon her. Read more…
Mrs. Turkey, PhiladelphiaAge and Occupation: 29, Brand ManagementFiance's Age and Occupation: 28, ConsultantEngagement Date: February 2011Wedding Date: May 2012Venue: The Rittenhouse HotelAbout Me: I'm a marketer who loves a good glass of wine, anything pumpkin-flavored, every crime drama on TV and, of course, Mr. Turkey. It's funny to say out loud, but we're former coworkers turned betrothed---now planning a wedding in the city of Brotherly Love. For three years, we've been eating our way through Philadelphia, playing tourist at home, and cheering for every sports team in the 215. Although we've hit some unplanned snags along the way, we're determined to have a rocking party this spring with our loud, fun families and friends.
I don’t know about you all, but it feels like more than half the couples I know were engaged between Christmas and Valentine’s Day (is there a stat out there about this, Penguin?). The TV commercials and jewelry stores definitely encourage the behavior, that’s for sure.
Anyhow, with all these engagements come great opportunities to shower a new bride (and groom) with love and attention (and presents)! I thought the timing might be right now to share some of the Turkey favorites for engagement gifts. This is a combination of both gifts given and received.
1. Planning Gifts
As a new bride, you’re basically a sponge trying to absorb as many ideas as possible. Blogs, Pinterest, magazines, TLC…you name it. I found some of my most helpful gift to be in the planning realm.
A gift for a recently engaged friend—some bridal magazines + subscriptions for 1 year
I had 2 friends gift me magazine subscriptions when I was engaged—love the fun mail!
Mrs. Turkey, PhiladelphiaAge and Occupation: 29, Brand ManagementFiance's Age and Occupation: 28, ConsultantEngagement Date: February 2011Wedding Date: May 2012Venue: The Rittenhouse HotelAbout Me: I'm a marketer who loves a good glass of wine, anything pumpkin-flavored, every crime drama on TV and, of course, Mr. Turkey. It's funny to say out loud, but we're former coworkers turned betrothed---now planning a wedding in the city of Brotherly Love. For three years, we've been eating our way through Philadelphia, playing tourist at home, and cheering for every sports team in the 215. Although we've hit some unplanned snags along the way, we're determined to have a rocking party this spring with our loud, fun families and friends.
Despite it being months away, I have a bit of bachelorettebrain right now.
So, since I don’t want to count down the days (because that makes the wedding closer and…scary!), I thought I’d put that energy to good use and share with you another bachelorette party idea!
For this one, all the credit goes to Mr. Turkey’s aunt. She did this for one of his cousin’s showers and I thought it was so creative and a little different from what I had done before!
The theme is signals…of the sexual kind, of course. To start, here are the supplies you will need:
A gift tag
3 gift bags: one green, one yellow, one red
A sexy lingerie outfit
A cute pajama set
A not-so-cute pajama set
You start with a gift tag and on there, write (something like) the following:
Marriage is all about reading each other’s signals. Your bedtime attire sends the perfect message to your future husband about the possibility of a little “somethin’ somethin’” that evening.
Then, you have the green bag. You want to put in the green bag something sexy for the bachelorette. In this case, I found a black and pink Betsy Johnson nightie. Read more…
Mrs. Mole, Los Angeles/Las VegasAge and Occupation: 29, Test Prep InstructorFiance's Age and Occupation: 31, User Experience ArchitectEngagement Date: April 2011Wedding Date: January 2012Venue: Wynn Las Vegas/Bouchon BistroAbout Me: I’m a Wisconsinite-turned-Angeleno who is planning a destination wedding in Las Vegas. I am passionate about education: I spent 23 (!) consecutive years in school, and now I work to help other people get into graduate programs. I love running on the treadmill, buying bath products from Lush, learning new moves in step aerobics, and exploring my neighborhood on foot. I am sometimes snobby about food, but I am rarely snobby about books. I read everything from Geoffrey Chaucer to Iris Murdoch to Chuck Klosterman to Candace Bushnell. My fiance and I are getting married on our third anniversary!
Many couples choose to give gifts to their wedding party and parents at the rehearsal dinner. These gifts are tokens of thanks: for their support, for their love, for their presence on that day. Mr. Mole and I have decided to do the same at our “rehearsal” dinner.
Despite the fact that we don’t actually have a wedding party, we are going to be giving gifts to our closest friends and our siblings, who—had we planned a different kind of wedding—would otherwise be standing up for us. These loved ones are internet-savvy enough where they could stumble upon this post and ruin the surprise, so I am going to hold off on the reveal of these gifts until after our wedding. (Soon, I promise!)
Our parents, on the other hand, are not as…let’s say, adept with the internet. My mother, bless her, spends most of her time online sending me chain e-mails with blinkies and pictures of puppies and commenting on my Facebook statuses via her own wall. As such, I have no worry about talking about their presents here in advance.
Mr. Mole and I decided to take the easy way out with our gifts to our parents. Read more…
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.
Lately I have been drooling over all of the beautiful wedding hangers out there. I don’t know what has come over me, why do I care so much about a hanger? I have no idea, all I know is that I wanted one…bad. At $20-$40 each though, I didn’t want one that bad. I started to toy with the idea of crafting my own. It couldn’t be that hard, could it? Well, let me show you my first few attempts:
Okay, I know that looks bad. Did I just scare you? I will tell you that it does take a few tries. I promise though, that once you get the hang of how the wire bends, it’s smooth sailing. I encourage everyone to not be scared of this project and give it a shot. You can make these beautiful hangers for less than $5. So here we go.
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!
Last week, my wonderful mom (MOB) surprised me with a gift certificate for a facial and massage at a spa in downtown Chicago. She wanted me to take some time for myself to de-stress and relax before the wedding.
The Spa on Oak offers an Oak Street Refresher package which includes a 45 minute facial and a 30 minute massage. I have never had a facial before so I was looking forward to that experience.
I made an appointment for 3:15 on Thursday. Unfortunately it was raining like crazy, but I caught a cab and made my way to the River North area of the city. I had never spent any time in this area and I was definitely taken aback at how beautiful and high-end the neighborhood was! The spa was surrounded by boutiques such as Jimmy Choo, Hermes and Harry Winston. I couldn’t afford to even look in the windows! Read more…
