Mrs. Barrettes, Tumon, Guam/Napa, CAAge and Occupation: 29, DancerFiance's Age and Occupation: 31, Licensed Building ContractorEngagement Date: November 16, 2008Wedding Date: October 2010Venue: V. Sattui WineryAbout Me: I'm an East Coast girl, living on a tiny little island in the Pacific, twirling, leaping, and shimmy-ing my way through life, and now, wedding planning! I'm equal parts nerdy and cool... okay, mostly nerdy. I love satin bows, red lipstick, black & white graphic anything, the shine of sequins and the sound of a champagne "pop". My favorite books are The Portrait of a Lady, by Henry James, and Tender is the Night, by F. Scott Fitzgerald. I can also conjure a pretty good Patronus Charm. I started my appreciation for good red wine while traveling on the high seas, and it's only fitting that my passion for wine drinking led me to my Napa-bred honey. We bonded over bottles of Cabernet on my oceanfront porch and haven't looked back since. We're sealing the deal at a winery in the Napa Valley on a 'perfect ten' of a day!
I’ve been struggling with what to get my husband for our first anniversary. The inspiration is paper and although I’ve seen ideas from tickets, to star dedications, those just weren’t lighting my fire. I had an a-ha moment when I woke up yesterday and I’m excited to put it together!
I’m going to attempt to construct the family crest for our (my new) last name. It seems fairly straightforward and I really like the meanings of the symbols used. I may include them on the back, along with a hand-written message for my honey.
Coat of Arms: Blue shield with a fesse between three leopard’s faces.
blue: valiant and hardy warrior who enterprises hazardous things by force and courage
fesse: military belt or girdle of honour; represents readiness to serve the public
Mrs. Seal, San FranciscoAge and Occupation: 25, Personal AssistantFiance's Age and Occupation: 29, Sales and Support SpecialistEngagement Date: December 12, 2009Wedding Date: November 2011Venue: Sts Peter and Paul Church/The Bently ReserveAbout Me: I am a goofy, wannabe crafty, well-intentioned Renaissance Woman (OK, perhaps "aimless wanderer" is a more aptly suited term for me, but hopefully you get the point)—basically I dabble in just about everything and pride myself in such. Without warning, I occasionally breakout into soulful improvised songs and interpretive dances and there's just no stopping me! As so many others before me, planning our wedding has unearthed a deep, intense passion for all things bridal and I secretly fear the day it will come to an end. Mr. Seal and I are quite the pair and life with him by my side is extremely rewarding—I am so thankful to have found him. Together we are planning a black-tie San Francisco affair for 250—light on the stuffiness and with lots of extra Seal-y flair.
The Sealman and I have decided to exchange gifts on the morning of the wedding. Initially, I was against the idea—we were having a big, pretty wedding and get to spend the rest of our lives together, what more do we need? But then I saw a gift that I really, really wanted to get him and decided it was only fair to afford him the opportunity to do the same.
Mrs. Seal, San FranciscoAge and Occupation: 25, Personal AssistantFiance's Age and Occupation: 29, Sales and Support SpecialistEngagement Date: December 12, 2009Wedding Date: November 2011Venue: Sts Peter and Paul Church/The Bently ReserveAbout Me: I am a goofy, wannabe crafty, well-intentioned Renaissance Woman (OK, perhaps "aimless wanderer" is a more aptly suited term for me, but hopefully you get the point)—basically I dabble in just about everything and pride myself in such. Without warning, I occasionally breakout into soulful improvised songs and interpretive dances and there's just no stopping me! As so many others before me, planning our wedding has unearthed a deep, intense passion for all things bridal and I secretly fear the day it will come to an end. Mr. Seal and I are quite the pair and life with him by my side is extremely rewarding—I am so thankful to have found him. Together we are planning a black-tie San Francisco affair for 250—light on the stuffiness and with lots of extra Seal-y flair.
…Alternatively titled: Miss Seal practically keels over with giddiness when someone she knows gets engaged.
Not that I didn’t get excited over newly engaged couples before—I just think, now, being able to fully understand just how exciting getting engaged is, I all but have a heart attack every time someone close to me pledges to wed their beloved!
For example, when BM/FSIL Maria got proposed to by Big Brother Seal, I put together an engagement basket for her. I packed the basket with wedding movies, magazines, planning guides, her favorite wine and tons of other goodies. When BM Carina got engaged to her awesome man—being that she lives a few hours away from me—I sent off an engagement box stuffed to capacity with wedding planning necessities.
Very recently, MOH Meghan was proposed to by her boyfriend during a trip to New York for one of his cousins’ weddings. After all but peeing myself, I calmed myself down and focused on the task before me: her engagement goodies. Once I procured all of the necessities (and gladly purged myself of 75% of my old magazines), I snuck into their home to ensure that the basket awaited them upon their return. Care to see some of my handiwork? Read more…
Mrs. Bacon, ChicagoAge and Occupation: 26, Digital Advertising ManagerFiance's Age and Occupation: 25, IT Client ServicesEngagement Date: June 17, 2010Wedding Date: September 2011Venue: Ravenswood Billboard FactoryAbout Me: I'm a Midwestern girl that can't seem to commit to staying in one place for too long and is constantly daydreaming about my next adventure. I am an aspiring foodie with a weak spot for the unusual and I love semi-reality food television. My other loves easily include laughing as a form of exercise, a book that I can't put down, summer baseball games, espresso with whipped cream, couch potato days and nights with the ridiculous Mr. Bacon, and our two kitties, Lincoln and Sawyer. We're planning a faux-destination wedding for 150 of our closest friends and family in the city we've both adopted as home that has a modern, yet whimsical twist and as many personal touches as we can manage.
Alrighty, now that that has been taken care of, let’s get down to business. Before we begin, I’d recommend playing this song in the background to really set the mood.
Mrs. Bacon, ChicagoAge and Occupation: 26, Digital Advertising ManagerFiance's Age and Occupation: 25, IT Client ServicesEngagement Date: June 17, 2010Wedding Date: September 2011Venue: Ravenswood Billboard FactoryAbout Me: I'm a Midwestern girl that can't seem to commit to staying in one place for too long and is constantly daydreaming about my next adventure. I am an aspiring foodie with a weak spot for the unusual and I love semi-reality food television. My other loves easily include laughing as a form of exercise, a book that I can't put down, summer baseball games, espresso with whipped cream, couch potato days and nights with the ridiculous Mr. Bacon, and our two kitties, Lincoln and Sawyer. We're planning a faux-destination wedding for 150 of our closest friends and family in the city we've both adopted as home that has a modern, yet whimsical twist and as many personal touches as we can manage.
There was one more thing that I got during my bachelorette weekend that I simply cannot not blog about. It’s something that BM Maura got for me as if she is simply psychic. In the week leading up to the party, I was suddenly overtaken with an obsession for custom hangers. No idea why, but I was scouring Etsy like my life depended on it. I favorited hangers from loads of different shops with lots of different customization options, but couldn’t pull the trigger because I didn’t really know what I wanted my hanger to say.
Did I want simple and straightforward, “I do” or “bride?”
Did I want something more romantic like “Mrs Mynewlastname?” Read more…
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!
This past holiday season I did a little DIY project that I think would make a fabulous wedding gift—either something to give the happy couple, the members of your wedding party, or even your wedding guests. I used glass etching to make personalized oil and vinegar bottles.
They turned out so well I want to share them with you in case they spark your creative thinking. Read more…
Mrs. Cola, Mountain View, CAAge and Occupation: 27, Product Communications and PromotionsFiance's Age and Occupation: 28, Managing Partner and Senior DesignerEngagement Date: March 5, 2009Wedding Date: June 2010Venue: The Mountain Terrace, Woodside, CAAbout Me: I’m a Washington State native, enjoying life in Silicon Valley California with my fiancé, our three kitties and one leopard gecko. I like reading wedding blogs, Photoshopping wedding design mock ups, making lists, and planning, planning, planning! I’m a bit of an anomaly, on one side I’m a very girlie girl, I collect shoes, I lay out my outfits 4-6 weeks in advance, and I’d never leave the house without my hair curled and makeup on. But on the other side, I’m a total tomboy, I love to go camping and hiking, play drinking games (hey, I’m Irish!) and most of my closest friends are guys. My fiancé and I are planning a DIY-focused wedding with a balance between easygoing (what he wants) and chic and stylish (what I want), and are tying it all together with elements in lavender, sage, butter cream and chocolate.
A long, long time ago, I put “make wedding shadow boxes” on my post-wedding to do list.
Well, better late than never I guess, because I finally got around to it!
Earlier this summer I had purchased some cheap shadow box frames, which I had a location for on a specific wall, but nothing to put in them. It was the perfect opportunity to find some mementos from our wedding that I had stashed away last year.
So I dug through my old boxes of wedding stuff, and printed out some photos to make a collage for the shadow boxes. Unfortunately, I couldn’t find my husband’s dried boutonnière, but I’m sure it will turn up eventually. I distinctly remember hiding it in some kind of little box or something, somewhere “safe” where it wouldn’t get damaged in our cross country move, but I guess it was such a good hiding place that now I can’t remember where I put it!
Want to see the finished (but not yet hung) shadow boxes?
(Tip: After you figure out how you want to display your shadow box items, take a photo of the layout before you glue/tape everything into place. It makes a good reference, and is a lot easier than trying to remember the exact layout you liked after picking things up to apply the glue and tape.)
Mrs. Seal, San FranciscoAge and Occupation: 25, Personal AssistantFiance's Age and Occupation: 29, Sales and Support SpecialistEngagement Date: December 12, 2009Wedding Date: November 2011Venue: Sts Peter and Paul Church/The Bently ReserveAbout Me: I am a goofy, wannabe crafty, well-intentioned Renaissance Woman (OK, perhaps "aimless wanderer" is a more aptly suited term for me, but hopefully you get the point)—basically I dabble in just about everything and pride myself in such. Without warning, I occasionally breakout into soulful improvised songs and interpretive dances and there's just no stopping me! As so many others before me, planning our wedding has unearthed a deep, intense passion for all things bridal and I secretly fear the day it will come to an end. Mr. Seal and I are quite the pair and life with him by my side is extremely rewarding—I am so thankful to have found him. Together we are planning a black-tie San Francisco affair for 250—light on the stuffiness and with lots of extra Seal-y flair.
Ugh, I’m fighting one of the nastiest colds in the history of nasty colds, but if one good thing has come of this beast…it’s been my productivity. I know sickness and productivity don’t normally go hand-in-hand, but I am one busy bee and this has forced me to stay home and take it easy. (”Takin’ it easy” for me = working on my DIY projects in my PJs all day.)
As perhaps you recall, Mr. Seal isa hugeYankees fan; as such, he’s often seen sporting a Yankee hat from his (not so varied) collection:
Mrs. Macarons, TampaAge and Occupation: 26, Graphic DesignerFiance's Age and Occupation: 34, Renaissance ManEngagement Date: September 12, 2009Wedding Date: September 2011Venue: Lange FarmAbout Me: I'm creative at heart and a graphic designer with an unhealthy obsession with type. I love roller coasters, spicy foods, and a good glass of Crianza. We’re planning a soft and lovely vintage-meets-modern wedding in a state that’s known for its beaches, glitz and glam. I have a ton of DIY projects and lots of little details I’m dying to share and can't wait to celebrate with our closest friends and family.
In addition to the shirts and ties, Macs wanted to make something a little more meaningful for each of the groomsmen. Survival bracelets! Each bracelet is made with ten feet of 550 cord, a very strong nylon rope originally used by paratroopers during World War II. The chord can be used for just about anything, from an improvised tourniquet or for tying splints to replacing a broken strap or shoelaces. Our groomsmen can be pretty adventurous; I hope none of them will find themselves in danger but if they do the bracelets might help.
For this project you’ll need a pair of scissors, a lighter, a tape measure, and 10 feet of paracord per bracelet. You can order the cord online or purchase it from a local army/navy surplus. Read more…
Mrs. Trail Mix, New YorkAge and Occupation: 26, PE TeacherFiance's Age and Occupation: 27, MBA StudentEngagement Date: March 2009Wedding Date: June 2010Venue: Tannery Pond at the Darrow SchoolAbout Me: I'm a country girl who somehow found herself living in the Big Apple and loving every minute of it. I'm planning a rustic, country-chic wedding in my hometown in upstate New York and it's going to be a Party with a capital P. White wine, flea markets and running keep me happy and my friends, family and fiance are my world. I'm a little bit crafty, a little bit crazy but mostly just crazy in love.
My friend whose wedding we attended in Italy is also having a New York City reception next Tuesday. Woohoo for more parties! While we already took the couple out to dinner in Oslo as their wedding gift (by some strange coincidence, they were honeymooning in Scandinavia at the same time we were visiting our friends in Norway, so we all got to meet up for dinner, super-duper fun), I am loathe to show up at a party empty-handed.
I wanted to keep it relatively inexpensive (since, ya know, we just flew out to Italy for their wedding and all) but make it heartfelt, rather than give them a colander or whatever.
Enter the classic ‘Framing of the Invitation’ with my own little twist. Since my friend used a starfish motif on all her paper goods, this was the perfect opportunity to put to use all the shells I collected while walking along the beach during our time in Italy.
I bought a white frame with a matte from Pottery Barn. Pottery Barn’s wooden frames are almost always 20% off at the store near me (I should know because it’s only 7 blocks away. DANGEROUS!) but of course, today I had no such luck. Harrumph.
Still, $25 later and I had a beautiful 5 x 7 frame and matte, ready for action. Read more…
Mrs. Crepe, Queens, NY/Nashville, TNAge and Occupation: 28, Jewelry DesignerFiance's Age and Occupation: 28, Animation DirectorEngagement Date: September 28, 2010Wedding Date: May 2011Venue: A church in downtown NashvilleAbout Me: I'm a native New Yorker who has always been a DIY kind of girl and loves tackling creative projects while getting the most out of a dollar. I'm marrying my college sweetheart and we love frequenting antique stores, exploring together, and playing with kittens. We're planning a fun, "us" wedding in his hometown---with as many handmade touches as we can pack into a day!
There are still quite a few little projects and finishing touches that I wanted to show you while I’m waiting on the pro photos! I was dying to show you all the gifts that I gave my girls for all their hard work, but I wanted to wait until after they had received them. It’s hard enough to keep secrets from my besties, especially fun secrets like presents!
Since I make jewelry as a profession, I definitely wanted to make them some special bling that they could also wear afterwards. They were both going to wear short, strapless cocktail dresses that suited their own tastes so I felt like it was important to create similarly styled jewelry to set them apart from all the guests. I thought a long, layered necklace would work best for both girls and unlike a huge statement necklace (which could also work with their dress styles), they could wear again much more easily.
My maid of honor was going to wear a shimmery beige number so I wanted to add a bit more color to her piece. Her style runs more on the feminine side so I took the liberty of adding lots of fun, sparkly pink topaz and huge amethysts.
Mrs. Candy Apple, Princeton Junction, NJ/ Seattle, WAAge and Occupation: 26, Project EditorFiance's Age and Occupation: 26, AttorneyEngagement Date: May 9, 2010Wedding Date: August 2011Venue: St. Joseph's Parish, Seattle Tennis ClubAbout Me: I am a Pacific Northwesterner, born and bred. I have lived in many cities---Santa Clara, Durham (England); Florence; Boston; Princeton Junction---but my heart will always be nestled up near the Cascades and Olympics, which is why we are holding our wedding there. I am a bookworm and a History nerd: I love that my life consists of books, books, and more books, since I work in Publishing! Recently, all waking time not consumed by work and my daily commute has been overtaken by wedding planning. Well, that, and watching Premier-League soccer. There is nothing I love more than a good Tana French mystery, traveling to new places, Anthropologie shopping sprees, Iittala dishware, Kate Spade shoes, impeccable typefaces (think: Archer), and a nice English ale (hellooo, Old Speckled Hen!). Oh, and did I mention my obsession with wedding blogs? Yeah, there’s that too. Join Mr. Candy Apple and me as we prep for our wedding, and, more importantly, our marriage!
On our wedding day, I want to keep a reminder of the Hive with me—you all mean so much, and this has been such a wonderful outlet as I have continued my planning. So, I thought it would be fun to carry a little pint-sized bit of bee love with me!
Like Pain au Chocolat and other bees before me, I decided that I absolutely needed an itty bitty candy apple charm that replicated my adorable moniker. Mrs. Tartlet pointed me in the direction of Etsy seller Petit Plat. I checked out her work and was blown away by her teensy, amazing little creations. Her food miniatures look so life-like! (I am really infatuated with her mini “English Breakfast” plate.)
Anyway, she didn’t have a candy apple on her site, but she said that she could whip one up for me. I could not be more pleased with how it turned out!
I am a little bit in love with cool Etsy packaging. Sellers are really stepping up their game in the creativity department! Read more…
Mrs. Lioness, AtlantaAge and Occupation: 25, Physical TherapistFiance's Age and Occupation: 25, AttorneyEngagement Date: August 29, 2009Wedding Date: April 2011Venue: Anthony’s Fine DiningAbout Me: I’m a Southern girl with New England roots. I say "wicked" and "y’all" in the same sentence and I like to drink sweet tea with my lobster. Mr. Lion and I are both former Floridians now living in Atlanta, which fortunately is still SEC country...Go Gators! We both love baseball, coffee, traveling, cooking, and playing Words with Friends with each other on our iPhones all day long. I’m very passionate about the things and the people I love, and I tend to plan things with all of my heart...our wedding, of course, is no different! Oh, and also Mr. Lion is a first generation American of Cuban descent. I may look more like Lucy than Ricky, but I’m doing my best to incorporate some Latin elements into our vintage-garden-Southern wedding!
One of the many things I learned from our wedding weekend was that it’s practically impossible to over-pack. I say “practically” impossible rather than “literally” impossible, because I’m sure there is a way to go overboard. Seriously, though, you never know what you’re going to need, so you may as well bring it all!
Sister Lioness did a fabulous job putting together a MOH Survival Kit, just as Mrs. Bee and Mrs. Cola have blogged about in the past. A few days before the wedding, she roamed through the aisles of Target, snatching up everything in sight that just might be necessary. Read more…
Mrs. Cotton Candy, Riverside, CAAge and Occupation: 29, Field CoordinatorFiance's Age and Occupation: 34, Process ServerEngagement Date: July 5, 2007Wedding Date: June 2011Venue: Riverside Art MuseumAbout Me: I’m a girl in love with her best friend planning a small mid-century modern inspired wedding that’s been a long time coming. I love all things design, sewing, flea markets, and a good book. I’ve been known to swoon over a well-designed chair and often find myself craving a new addition to my chair collection regardless of the lack square footage in our home. I’m Mexican American girl who hates all things spicy but loves her rowdy Mexican family and her Latin roots. My wedding muses may not be your typical wedding superstars, but with a lot of DIY, a dash of offbeat style, and lots of love and laughs, Mr. Cotton and I plan to create a day that is unmistakably us.
By now you’ve probably noticed that the Cotton Candy wedding isn’t your typical formal affair. It probably goes without saying that the some of the more traditional wedding day traditions and accessories such as a garter, cake cutting set, and toasting flutes aren’t high on the CCandy must-have list. Actually, these items are on our don’t need/don’t want/please don’t waste your money on it-list.
Mami CCandy apparently hasn’t gotten the memo. For the past 6 months she’s been insisting that it is Sister CC’s duty as maid of honor to gift us toasting flutes and a cake server. We couldn’t go to one family gathering without her bringing it up. The most mundane conversations would lead to a discussion about toasting flutes and cake cutting. I’m not sure why she was so obsessed, but no amount of reason would change her mind, so it was no surprise when I unwrapped sister CC’s shower gift and found this:
Mrs. Ostrich, San Francisco/HawaiiAge and Occupation: 30, Fashion Buyer
Fiance's Age and Occupation: 38, CopywriterEngagement Date: October 4, 2009Wedding Date: April 2011Venue: Sweet ceremony by the sea and sunset celebration on the North Shore of HawaiiAbout Me: Born in the city of angels and residing in the city by the bay, I’m a fearless fashion buyer by day, a passionate blog author by night and a dreamy bride-to-be in between. I thank my lucky stars to live in such a stunning city that gives me gifts like organic honey lavender ice cream, movie nights in the park, tucked away beaches, legendary record stores, '80s dance parties, awesome sports teams, stellar flea markets, and vintage bookshops. Oh, and I love to dance! We always find every excuse to escape to the beach, and decided a little seaside wedding in Hawaii is our idea of bliss. Full of our favorite people, music, food and sparkly lights, this is one sunset celebration we will always remember.
All-Inclusion Invitation Suites
