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!
My wedding-day hair and makeup artist came over today to do a trial run of my wedding day look. I’d talked before about my extensive inspiration—natural, curly, loose side bun or ponytail and fresh, rosy romantic makeup. I was weirdly nervous when Marci from Kyle Lynn came over, since I hadn’t ever had my makeup done and was frankly afraid she’d make me look like Tammy Faye out on the town. So I awkwardly paced around our living room while she set up. She was quiet, which made me think she thought I was weird. As always.
But I showed her my inspiration file, and we got started. She was so great! We nearly nailed the makeup the first time around—we just had to try a couple of shades of lipstick before we found the right one, and tone down the lower lash line’s eyeliner. The hair, too, was about 95% there—the day of, we’ll be doing it a bit looser and less structured, with some more ends showing. But I felt like a total princess—and the bonus is I barely felt like I was wearing any makeup, which is very important for a makeup-phobic chica like me.
Mrs. Giraffe, ChicagoAge and Occupation: 23, Graphic DesignerFiance's Age and Occupation: 24, Music Student TeacherEngagement Date: October 23, 2008Wedding Date: May 2011Venue: Trinity Lutheran Church & Idlewild Country ClubAbout Me: Coming from the suburbs of the Windy City, you'll often find me with my foot in my mouth while laughing for no reason or telling bad knock knock jokes. I've been crafty for as long as I can remember, and will DIY something twice over before I have someone do it for me. I'm a semi-awkward, typeface obsessed, design junkie and have been know to break out my dance moves for no reason as well as try my best to be ridiculous at all times. My love of pop culture, wordplay, and graph paper almost rivals my love of Mr. Giraffe (who is just the bee's knees). After a 2.5 year engagement, we're planning a modern-in-disguise traditional wedding, and cannot wait!
As I told you guys a couple weeks ago, I was a bridesmaid in Bridesmaid Marie’s wedding. That’s the way to do it folks: if you’re planning a wedding, find an engaged BFF and plan them together—it makes it way more fun!
Anyway, I shared some hairstyle photos with you guys, and I ended up looking pretty hot. So, I figured I’d better fill you in on the details!
Even though I showed the Hive a couple of options, the next day I threw ’em out the window and bought these babies to the hair salon with me.
Mrs. Warbler, Long Beach/MalibuAge and Occupation: 24, Quality Assurance EditorFiance's Age and Occupation: 32, Handheld AdministratorEngagement Date: December 7, 2010Wedding Date: April 2012Venue: Calamigos Ranch MalibuAbout Me: I’m a Korean BBQ loving, cheesecake enthusiast bride living in the LBC! By day I write and edit for an online search engine marketing company. By night I am a volunteer food taster of all that is delicious. I am fortunate to be marrying an amazing man who loves me and my quirky ways. I love food, books, indie music, and Harry Potter. We are planning a small, intimate wedding up in the Malibu Hills with our closest family and friends. With the help of my wonderful fiance, our loved ones, and red velvet cheesecake, our wedding will be glorious!
Typically, I wear my hair in two down styles: straight and curly. I don’t think it suits me to wear it up, but occasionally when I’m running late or my hair is not cooperating, I’ll pull it up in a ponytail.
I wear my hair long and straight in the cooler months.
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!
We all want to look perfect on our wedding day, there’s no doubt about that. So what happens when your idea of perfection is different from what you fiance thinks?
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.
Well, I had my hair trial today. It went well and didn’t take long, so I’m pretty happy with the overall experience. I’m not really a hair and makeup person. I think they’re fun to play with, but I’m lucky if I even brush my hair before I leave the house most days, let alone style it. You know how there are people who get their hair fixed and nails done every week? I’m more of a twice a year person. So, my knowledge about this kind of stuff is pretty limited.
I decided to get my hair done at the Beauty Bar because I got my hair cut there in January and enjoyed it. I decided to get my hair cut there in January because it is near my house. So, you can tell I’m not the pickiest lady to begin with. I found some inspiration pictures this week, but didn’t bring them with me because I’m smart like that. I also forgot to bring the headband and birdcage veil I’ve been thinking about wearing. Super smarts here!
I went to my appointment and browsed through a bridal hair magazine as I waited. A few minutes later I met the woman who will do my hair for my wedding. Kind of crazy to think of, isn’t it? Anyway, she asked what I wanted and I explained that I wanted to wear it down with big loose curls. Read more…
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 put off two important factors of the wedding until now—hair and makeup. Oops. Tonight I made an appointment for a hair trial, which is supposed to take place on Sunday. I’m in the midst of working out a time for my makeup trial, but hopefully it will be the same day so I an see how it all works together.
I wasn’t really sure exactly what I wanted to do. For makeup, I wanted to look pretty and not go too heavy since I rarely wear makeup to begin with. I want to look pretty and fresh but not over the top. I Googled up a few pictures: Read more…
Mrs. Teacup, Santa CruzAge and Occupation: 34, Pharmaceutical SalesFiance's Age and Occupation: 41, Ditto! (For a different company)Engagement Date: October 1, 2010Wedding Date: October 2011Venue: ceremony in our family's Catholic church in Watsonville; reception at the Santa Cruz Beach BoardwalkAbout Me: I’m learning to embrace my true spirit as GIRLY GIRL after previous careers in the Navy and consulting for the government. My favorite hobby is SLEEP, with dancing HULA a close second. An INTROVERT in extrovert clothing, I’m questing to UNDO 34 years of TYPE A conditioning. Constantly processing the details of our upcoming nuptials, peek into this late blooming bride & groom's roller coaster ride to the altar. Giant Dipper required, sold separately.
Hello, Hive! A fever pitch is on the horizon with W-Day less than a handful of weeks away. I’ve completely focused all effort and energy to crossing off to-dos and making the last decisions to impact the look and feel of our wedding. No more time to change my mind, it feels good to find some final answers!
Case in point, my beauty trials. From my initial hair inspiration, Anne Hathaway’s glamorous locks clearly won out.
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.
When I first told my friend who is a Mary Kay consultant as well as my hairstylist about my engagement, they both launched into plans for the wedding. I’ve read enough posts around the hive to be aware that having a good plan in place ahead of time can save you a lot of hassle in the long run and avert a possible crisis.
So, hive, I will share with you what these two lovely ladies have told me in hopes that someone else (especially with my type of skin or hair) may benefit from their expertise.
Skincare: My skin type is combination. That means I have some areas that are normal, some that are dry, and some that are oily. I’ve been blessed in the skin department, people. I’ve never had any terrible outbreaks or bad acne, even in puberty. But choosing the right products that make my skin neither dry nor oily has been a delicate balancing act. I use a Dove bar on my face and skin because it has amazing moisturizers in it. I use Oil of Olay body lotion as well as Palmer’s Cocoa Butter. My skin stays smooth and healthy because of it. We also do a number of Mary Kay products that are targeted toward someone in my age range. There’s a long list of products I use, but I use them all every day for the most part, in addition to drinking lots of water.
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!
One of the biggest trends that I love right now is hair flowers. I love all kinds of hair adornments, actually, but especially hair flowers. Preferably with some feathers or something shiny attached.
I have spent many hours on Etsy, as I’m sure many of us have, searching for the perfect hair flower.
There is this pretty little lovely… It’s got the flowers and something shiny. But at the price of $64, I kept looking.
Mrs. Giraffe, ChicagoAge and Occupation: 23, Graphic DesignerFiance's Age and Occupation: 24, Music Student TeacherEngagement Date: October 23, 2008Wedding Date: May 2011Venue: Trinity Lutheran Church & Idlewild Country ClubAbout Me: Coming from the suburbs of the Windy City, you'll often find me with my foot in my mouth while laughing for no reason or telling bad knock knock jokes. I've been crafty for as long as I can remember, and will DIY something twice over before I have someone do it for me. I'm a semi-awkward, typeface obsessed, design junkie and have been know to break out my dance moves for no reason as well as try my best to be ridiculous at all times. My love of pop culture, wordplay, and graph paper almost rivals my love of Mr. Giraffe (who is just the bee's knees). After a 2.5 year engagement, we're planning a modern-in-disguise traditional wedding, and cannot wait!
Can you believe it’s already Thursday? This week is fllllying by! Just in time for a long weekend.
And, this little Giraffe has big plans this weekend—it’s finally time for Bridesmaid Marie’s wedding! I’ve been counting down the days here. Since she and I spent the last couple of years planning weddings, we’ve been one down and one to go since my big day in May. I was totally wedding burnt out for a few weeks after the wedding, but that passed and now I can’t wait!
Bridesmaid Marie and I at my bachelorette party
We spent last weekend making programs and super cute place cards (I’ll ask her if I can share them), and now the big day is almost here! Poor Marie has one heck of a cold, but hopefully she can sleep it off. Read more…
Mrs. Parasol, San Ramon, CaliforniaAge and Occupation: 25, Non-profit writer, editor, and bloggerFiance's Age and Occupation: 25, Law school studentEngagement Date: December 19th, 2010Wedding Date: September 2011Venue: Bent Creek Winery (Livermore, California); Reception: Family Residence (San Ramon, California) About Me: I am a California girl at heart. I love the outdoors, sunny days at the beach, and hiking in the woods and mountains. I also love good books and am fresh from completing my Master's degree in English and Comparative Literature in New York City. Living in NYC was an amazing experience, and while I'm glad to be back on the West Coast, I'm also thankful that my two years back East gave me an opportunity to explore new places, make new friends, and indulge my passion for Broadway shows. Oh, and I received a pretty awesome proposal from Mr. Parasol in Central Park. Above all else, Mr. Parasol is my biggest cheerleader and my best friend. But even though I'm thrilled to be marrying him, I wasn't always totally on board with this whole wedding thing and at first, I wanted to run off and elope. I've finally been convinced to throw the wedding I never thought I wanted, and so now I'm busy planning an intimate September wedding filled with DIY details. Along the way, I'm slowly learning to appreciate, perhaps even love the wedding planning process.
So my natural hair color is gone, as is that muddy brown color I ended up with after my first hair appointment (not a bad color, but definitely not what I was going for). Here’s what I came out of the salon with:
Personal Photo
It’s actually darker and richer than what it looks like in the picture (thank you bad lighting!), and I love it! It came out exactly the way I hoped it would. After months of giving my hair a break, I finally feel like myself again—my brunette-loving self.
Once again, the salon supervisor tried to talk me into getting a PM Shine, which is a demi-permanent dye and what I got last time. I get why they suggest this:
Mrs. Cinnamon Bun, Calgary, AlbertaAge and Occupation: 26, Stage ManagerFiance's Age and Occupation: 26, Theatre TechnicianEngagement Date: June 22, 2010Wedding Date: June 2011Venue: Calgary Opera CentreAbout Me: I'm a life-long crafter and bookworm living in the foothills of the Canadian Rockies. Some of my loves include Lord of the Rings, Sherlock Holmes, knitting, opera, musicals, Etsy, baking, and of course, Mr. Cinnamon Buns. We're keeping our wedding close to home---the venue isn't very far from our house, and we live within walking distance of 6 bridal salons. I'm using the wedding as an excuse to try out every craft project I possibly can, with the endless help and support of my fiance.
A question I was asked more than once on my wedding was ‘is that ALL your own hair?!’. People seemed impressed when I said yes. I was a little surprised, because at that point, my hair was nowhere near the longest I’ve ever had it—it was about down to my bra strap—for a long time, it was down to my waist! You can see a side-view of my wedding hair-do in this photo.
Mrs. Parasol, San Ramon, CaliforniaAge and Occupation: 25, Non-profit writer, editor, and bloggerFiance's Age and Occupation: 25, Law school studentEngagement Date: December 19th, 2010Wedding Date: September 2011Venue: Bent Creek Winery (Livermore, California); Reception: Family Residence (San Ramon, California) About Me: I am a California girl at heart. I love the outdoors, sunny days at the beach, and hiking in the woods and mountains. I also love good books and am fresh from completing my Master's degree in English and Comparative Literature in New York City. Living in NYC was an amazing experience, and while I'm glad to be back on the West Coast, I'm also thankful that my two years back East gave me an opportunity to explore new places, make new friends, and indulge my passion for Broadway shows. Oh, and I received a pretty awesome proposal from Mr. Parasol in Central Park. Above all else, Mr. Parasol is my biggest cheerleader and my best friend. But even though I'm thrilled to be marrying him, I wasn't always totally on board with this whole wedding thing and at first, I wanted to run off and elope. I've finally been convinced to throw the wedding I never thought I wanted, and so now I'm busy planning an intimate September wedding filled with DIY details. Along the way, I'm slowly learning to appreciate, perhaps even love the wedding planning process.
I’ve never been one to swear in polite company, and I feel incredibly uncomfortable putting expletives in writing because of the medium’s permanency. But some occasions call for a little swearing, and this is one of them.
Hive, I have a bullsh*t hair color.
Now I don’t mean that quite literally (though I guess you could say that my hair color does, in fact, resemble actual bullsh*t). When I use the term “bullsh*t,” though, I usually use it to mean something akin to “nonsense.” So when I say that I have a bullsh*t hair color, I mean that my hair color is basically nonsense. To me, it’s more like a non-color.
Growing up, I was a towhead. I had really light blonde curly hair. And I loved being a blonde. I don’t know why, but I always really identified with having blonde hair. I swore that if it ever darkened, I would immediately start dying it blonde again.
Well, like most towheads, my hair did darken over the years, and by the time I was eighteen or so, my once lovely blonde hair looked like this: Read more…
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.
This weekend was my hair and makeup trial. I am so excited to report that it went fabulously. Bring on the pictures!
I can’t believe I am about to post these for the world to see but here are my before:
Sammie Sister took my picture while I was staring in the sun. I am completely making excuses because I look like a hot mess! Please scroll quickly. Read more…
Mrs. Snow Cone, Pittsburgh/Johnstown, PAAge and Occupation: 23, Public Health Graduate StudentFiance's Age and Occupation: 23, EngineerEngagement Date: April 9, 2010Wedding Date: August 2011Venue: OMOS Church ceremony/Sunnehanna Country Club receptionAbout Me: I’m one of the lucky ones---I met my future husband at the ripe old age of 13, started dating him as a mature woman of 15, and have been enjoying the ride ever since. Here we are, 8 years later, living in Pittsburgh, planning a "homestination" wedding in the place our school romance began---Johnstown, PA. I thrive on talking a mile a minute, eating my weight in chocolate, and internet shopping. I love a lengthy to-do list almost as much as I love a healthy amount of chaos in my life. Mr. Snow Cone and I watch countless episodes of Friends and The West Wing on repeat, root for rival college sports teams, and make each other laugh each and every day. We’re putting together a small-town wedding with a big personality and a classically modern (or modernly classic?) look for 250 of our closest family and friends. It’s been 8+ years in the making, and sometimes I still can’t believe I’m finally getting to marry my high school sweetheart!
My hair grows at a pace that makes a snail race look like the Indy 500. I’ve always kind of hovered between chin-length and shoulder-length, which made growing my hair out for the wedding to be quite the undertaking. But, by George, I was going to have as much hair to work with as humanly possible. I didn’t want my hairstyle selection to be limited by my insufficient length, so the entirety of our engagement was devoted to growing my tresses out. The finished product?
The Snow Cones, two days before our wedding!
Photo courtesy of BM E
This was easily the longest my hair has ever been. My plan was always to donate it to a wig organization, since I knew that long hair wasn’t really my standard. A few months back, I started to measure how much hair would survive the donation and realized that it was going to be short. So, I decided that I’d have to tough out the long hair for a few more months post-wedding in order to be left with a manageable length after lopping most of it off.
So, I figured I’d better fill you in on the details!
Unique Wedding Favors
Image via He Knows My Name on Etsy
Bridesmaid Marie and I at my bachelorette party
