Miss Lamb, NorfolkAge and Occupation: 25, Homeland Security ConsultantFiance's Age and Occupation: 27, Graduate StudentEngagement Date: January 2009Wedding Date: January 2010Venue: Trinity Presbyterian Church/Harrison Opera HouseAbout Me: I’m a Homeland Security Consultant with a tendency towards pulling office pranks, taking lunch breaks, and drinking Wawa shakes. I’m also an English major with a serious obsession with alliteration and rhymes. While I’m not keeping America safe, I’m training for half marathons and the Escape from Alcatraz swim. Or moving for the third time this year. Or baking. Or wedding crafting. Or crying about wedding planning. All the while, I’m getting myself into Lucille Ball-esque scrapes and making Jim Carey-esque faces. Our big fat Czech/Baptist/Jewish/Italian wedding is a combination of vintage eclectic, DIY, and little spoonful of sugar from our Event Coordinator. It’s going to be a Norfolk flavored wedding with the verve of an only-daughter-blow-out bash!
Besides bouts, the other man accessory I love to love is the cuff link. Come to Momma, French shirt wearing man with cuff links and those detective suspenders holding his gov. issued weapon! Seriously.
Take a cold shower and join me again in the cuff link discussion. I saw Miss Bruschetta’s cuff link post and found some new inspiration for gifts for the men in my…
Mrs. Stiletto, ChicagoAge and Occupation: 26, Non-Profit/FundraisingFiance's Age and Occupation: 26, Engineer and PhotographerEngagement Date: March 2, 2008Wedding Date: September 2009Venue: The 19th Century ClubAbout Me: My fiance and I love living in the city of Chicago with our cats Basil and Linus, and vow to never move to the suburbs if we can possibly avoid it! We’ve poured ourselves into planning a wedding that reflects our personal style - modern and high contrast with a vintage twist. Blogging keeps me creative, baking keeps me happy, and grande nonfat no foam sugar free vanilla lattes keep me sane.
We’ve gone through a lot of gift ideas for the guys - we’ve considered ties, beer mugs/highball glasses and/or money clips, and even Chucks. But the mister just couldn’t decide, so we tabled the discussion for a while. Guy gifts are so hard… a lot of guys don’t wear ties or cufflinks regularly. We don’t want to gift them something that they wouldn’t really have…
Mrs. Glitter, Los AngelesAge and Occupation: 27, Research Consultant/WriterFiance's Age and Occupation: 29, AccountingEngagement Date: May 6, 2007Wedding Date: June, 2009Venue: Millenium Biltmore HotelAbout Me: I was born and raised in West Los Angeles, California. I spent eight years in the Northeast working and completing my education. Having split time between two sides of the country has given me a true appreciation for both coasts. It has also provided an overabundance of cross country drives, flights and long distance relationship fun/misery! I love my family, my doggy Emma, fabulous wine, Anthropologie, politics, reading, being outdoors, exploring new cities, and good movies! My fiance and I are complete opposites, but somehow we have managed to fall completely and hopelessly in love.
A while back, I wrote a post about how Mr. G selected my little brothers to be his best men. I was, and still am so touched by their close relationship to each other. Mr. G really wanted to get them gifts of appreciation and love for taking part in our wedding, but he kept coming up short. Leave it up to my mom (of…
Mrs. Crab Cake, Columbus, GAAge and Occupation: 25, Registered NurseFiance's Age and Occupation: 31, Director of Education and Living History for a museumEngagement Date: April 6, 2008Wedding Date: June, 2009Blogging Since: November 26, 2008Venue: Holy Family Catholic Church, reception: National Infantry MuseumAbout Me: I'm a perfectionist trying to balance two jobs, motherhood, my craft obsession, and wedding planning. I am obsessed with all things wedding, especially creative ideas for saving money and DIY projects. A Southern Belle at heart, I love anything southern, especially sweet tea, grits, afternoon thunder storms, crab cakes, and good old Southern hospitality. Mr. Crab Cake and I are planning a vintage inspired wedding with tons of Southern flare (can y'all say that with a thick Southern drawl?).
A few weeks ago, I ran across a photograph by Sarah K. Chen on An Atlanta Bride’s Blog.
(Here, via Her)
So, those bags are from Target. And while we haven’t picked out gifts for our groomsmen yet, I was in love with those bags. They’re perfect for out of town bags, right?
I immediately ran to Target to find them, as they were on clearance.
Mrs. Stiletto, ChicagoAge and Occupation: 26, Non-Profit/FundraisingFiance's Age and Occupation: 26, Engineer and PhotographerEngagement Date: March 2, 2008Wedding Date: September 2009Venue: The 19th Century ClubAbout Me: My fiance and I love living in the city of Chicago with our cats Basil and Linus, and vow to never move to the suburbs if we can possibly avoid it! We’ve poured ourselves into planning a wedding that reflects our personal style - modern and high contrast with a vintage twist. Blogging keeps me creative, baking keeps me happy, and grande nonfat no foam sugar free vanilla lattes keep me sane.
What to get for the men in the wedding? The bridesmaids are so easy because I’ll gift them their jewelry, plus a couple of other accessories/sentimental items. But you can’t be as sentimental with the guys. And with 5 groomsmen and 3 ushers, we definitely need to come up with some manly gifts.I was really surprised to find that Tiffany’s has crystal barware that we…
Mrs. Pinot Noir, New York/Napa ValleyAge and Occupation: 24, Health EducatorFiance's Age and Occupation: 31, Market ResearcherEngagement Date: November 10, 2007Wedding Date: October, 2008Blogging Since: June 25, 2008Venue: Auberge du SoleilAbout Me: I am a Minnesota raised, NYC transplant planning a destination wedding in Napa. I'm balancing my love for the environment and my hubby-to-be's love for tradition to create our "green wedding in disguise." Our wedding will include local food and wine, antique touches and lots of love and laughter. When wedding planning isn't taking up my free time (and money) I love to read, cook, workout, watch baseball and travel! Follow along in my adventure as I attempt to plan an eco-friendly and socially responsible wedding (with eco-oblivious Mr. Pinot Noir).
I love giving people gifts, and finding gifts to thank my favorite people was no different. Whenever I have the opportunity to buy a gift, I like to make eco-friendly choices. I think the best way to do this is to give “experiences” and “useable” items. These items don’t turn into clutter, then don’t get replaced, and they don’t end up in landfills. They are…
Mrs. Spring Roll, TampaAge and Occupation: 23, Certified Pharmacy TechnicianFiance's Age and Occupation: 26, Concert PhotographerEngagement Date: May 1, 2008Wedding Date: March 2009Blogging Since: September 16, 2008Venue: Beach Social HallAbout Me: I'm the stereotypical girl who enjoys sewing, baking, and decorating. I am blessed to share my life with Mr. Spring Roll and our two shih tzu's, Isabella and Gabriella. Hello Kitty, musicals, Target, and Chick-fil-a are a few of my favorite things. I have a fear of fish and Freddy Krueger. Planning our wedding has become a huge part of my life, and I love every minute of it!
While I have been very cautious regarding the budget for our wedding, I refused to cut corners on the gifts for our bridal party and family. It is important to me to give each person a gift that they appreciate, and to make them feel appreciated as well. I must say that picking out the gifts for the groomsmen was as easy as pie.
Mrs. Avocado, SeattleAge and Occupation: 23, StudentFiance's Age and Occupation: 26, ConsultantEngagement Date: July 27, 2008Wedding Date: October, 2008Blogging Since: June 30, 2008Venue: LDS Seattle Temple & Hotel 1000About Me: Somehow this little farm girl found herself a genuine Pole to fall in love and eventually move away to Poland with. I am an LDS bride attempting to plan a private religious ceremony, ring ceremony, seated reception for 100, and an open house while coordinating for guests flying in from across the United States and as far away as Poland. I try to avoid fads, excess waste, and saturated fat. I strongly endorse photography, DDR, calorie counting, rss feeds, cooking, and utilizing your resources.
We didn’t have the budget to give Mr. Avocado’s groomsmen anything that they would want to keep for a long time, so we started looking around for “experience gifts” instead. We wanted something more personal than gift cards, and it just so happens that our reception venue had the perfect solution!
As I am awkwardly demonstrating below, we will be treating our groomsmen to an hour…
Miss Cherry Pie, Seattle/Polebridge, MontanaAge and Occupation: 25, Marketing Communications SpecialistFiance's Age and Occupation: 28, Nurse PractitionerEngagement Date: August 26, 2006Wedding Date: September 2008Blogging Since: April 1, 2008Venue: A tiny town just outside of Glacier National ParkAbout Me: I think of life as a journey and I love the places it's taking me! I went to school to study Magazine Journalism, ended up with a second major in Japanese language, and now work at a company that makes software for libraries. I love writing, computers, photography, and the great outdoors. I spend most of my time playing Guitar Hero and Rock Band or geeking out online with Mr. Cherry Pie. I'm happiest when I'm on the road, especially traveling abroad, or just nesting quietly at home with my sweetie, who is a fabulous cook and bakes a delicious rendition of a certain cherry-filled dessert!
If you’re one of Mr. Cherry Pie’s groomsmen you probably should stop reading. That means you: Jason, Karl, Tom, Mark and Micah.
Right. Like there’s any chance they’re reading this right now… nevertheless! I (Mr. Cherry Pie, that is) got started on finding gifts for my groomsmen relatively late in the game. By late, I mean that Miss Cherry Pie had several projects in the works…
Mrs. Toucan, BostonAge and Occupation: 25, Full-time Research Assistant, Part-time Graduate StudentFiance's Age and Occupation: 25, ActuaryEngagement Date: February 18, 2007Wedding Date: June 7, 2008Blogging Since: November 07, 2007Venue: St. Catherine of Genoa, Jin Asian Cuisine RestaurantAbout Me: I’m a Gemini to the extreme. On one side, I’m a girly girl. I read countless bridal and fashion magazines, and have an obsession with keeping up with the latest Hollywood gossip. On the other side, I’m a sports fanatic. Despite being a full-time bride-to be, full-time research assistant, and part-time student, I’m also a full-time Red Sox fan from spring training to October, and a full-time Patriots fan from mini-camp to February. I devote almost as much time researching my for fantasy football team as researching for our wedding!
While I pretty much bought all my attendants’ gifts early, Mr. Toucan, well… didn’t. He wanted to find something really good for them, but was having a really hard time finding what exactly that was…
Around mid-March, I decided to help Mr. Toucan out. My favorite t-shirt store, Threadless was having a “Spring Cleaning Sale,” and I couldn’t pass up the opportunity to buy one of…
Mrs. Hydrangea, DallasAge and Occupation: 26, Administrative AssistantFiance's Age and Occupation: 27, Network AnalystEngagement Date: June 2007Wedding Date: September 2008Blogging Since: January 14, 2008Venue: Catholic Church and Reception at The W HotelAbout Me: Mr. H and I come from very different cultures and backgrounds so I'm excited to plan our wedding with a balance of both traditions. My mom has always been a DIY queen, and I'm just now starting to get into it with a new house and a wedding to plan!
I know I’ve been talking a lot about gifts, but it’s the one task I know I can check off the list early, so I’m trying to knock it all out.
Mr. H loved all of your input on the groomsmen gifts and it sparked some major ideas - right now we are really thinking about Weddingbee reader KJ’s idea of customized Converse shoes, which we’d…
Mrs. Hydrangea, DallasAge and Occupation: 26, Administrative AssistantFiance's Age and Occupation: 27, Network AnalystEngagement Date: June 2007Wedding Date: September 2008Blogging Since: January 14, 2008Venue: Catholic Church and Reception at The W HotelAbout Me: Mr. H and I come from very different cultures and backgrounds so I'm excited to plan our wedding with a balance of both traditions. My mom has always been a DIY queen, and I'm just now starting to get into it with a new house and a wedding to plan!
Last night while Mr. H and I were eating dinner, the topic of groomsmen’s gifts came up. I’d been bugging Mr. H for months to try and come up with some ideas, so that we aren’t stuck buying everything last minute. With less than 100 days left until the wedding, it’s looking like it will be last minute after all. Here are a few ideas…
Mrs. Candy Corn, PhiladelphiaAge and Occupation: 24, Senior Editor/Writer & Freelance IllustratorFiance's Age and Occupation: 24, Inventory Manager for a Music PublisherEngagement Date: September 1, 2004Wedding Date: October, 2008Blogging Since: May 6, 2008Venue: Pennsylvania Museum of Archaelogy and AnthropologyAbout Me: I enjoy people watching (especially in New Jersey malls), obsessive collecting, drooling over contemporary art, browsing flea markets for vintage finds and eating an absurd amount of cheese. In my Philadelphia abode, I create mixed media artwork and one-of-a-kind home accessories in the company of my farmer-tanned husband, our Westiepoo (Betty White), our three rabbits (Cadbury, Willie Nelson and Applesauce) and our two frisky chinchillas (Ethel Funk and Maude).
Miss Cherry Pie, Seattle/Polebridge, MontanaAge and Occupation: 25, Marketing Communications SpecialistFiance's Age and Occupation: 28, Nurse PractitionerEngagement Date: August 26, 2006Wedding Date: September 2008Blogging Since: April 1, 2008Venue: A tiny town just outside of Glacier National ParkAbout Me: I think of life as a journey and I love the places it's taking me! I went to school to study Magazine Journalism, ended up with a second major in Japanese language, and now work at a company that makes software for libraries. I love writing, computers, photography, and the great outdoors. I spend most of my time playing Guitar Hero and Rock Band or geeking out online with Mr. Cherry Pie. I'm happiest when I'm on the road, especially traveling abroad, or just nesting quietly at home with my sweetie, who is a fabulous cook and bakes a delicious rendition of a certain cherry-filled dessert!
On the 7th of last month, Mr. Cherry Pie and I celebrated eight years together. Eight! EIGHT IS GRRREAT!
Ahem. Sorry ’bout that.
Because it was our last date-a-versary, I wanted to get him something special. I had planned to take him to a very spiffy restaurant near our apartment, but it was closed on Monday evening. I didn’t want to come home empty-handed even though we could…
Miss Peppermint, LA/Palm SpringsAge and Occupation: 23, ActressFiance's Age and Occupation: 24, Web ProducerEngagement Date: October 21, 2006Wedding Date: December 2007Blogging Since: July 2, 2007Venue: historic estate overlooking the heart of Palm SpringsAbout Me: I am a Southern California native who enjoys cooking, writing, travel and all things in the arts. Mr. Peppermint and I met in college and he proposed on our four year anniversary in one of our most special places, Joshua Tree National Park. We're having a destination wedding in Palms Springs that will incorporate tradition as well as reflect our personalities!
One of the fun tasks we had leading up to the wedding, was deciding what to give the members of our wedding party. They truly had been such an important part of the day (not to mention our lives!), that we really wanted to thank them for everything.
Since we were the first of the group to get married, there were no expectations (good) and no…