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.
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.
“To lead a better life, I need my love to be here. ” - The Beatles
Do me a kindness, hive, and stop for a second.
Stop and think about everything you’re doing as we speak. You’re reading {at least, I hope you are}. You could be toggling between tabs and paying for bills, reading work emails or chatting online with friends. There could be music playing….or your sweet doggie’s snoozing at your feet. And while I’d love to believe you’re giving this post all your energy and attention, I know better. You’re multitasking.
Peek into my Ostrich mind and you’ll see the same thing—a dizzying amount of work emails, neglected chores, 30 minute dinner recipes, workout schedules, weekend planning, life dreams and life worries that consume my thoughts at any given second. And as I write this, I keep glancing down at my phone to check/answer work emails, I’m shuffling through my Pandora radio station and superfun ideas for Mr. O’s big birthday bash are popping up in my head. OOOOOF.
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.
After 12 months of long distance planning, my idea of the process was very different from the actual experience, both good and not-so-good. And looking back, I wished someone gave me a little survival guide before my planning adventure began. And now that all is said and done, I created a little survival guide of my own, with my story and the tips and tricks that I hope will be enlightening and reassuring for all awesome DW brides out there.
Act II - 12-8 Months Before - Pictures worth 1,000 words, begin a long distance relationship with your awesome vendors and save those dates!
12-10 months before:
All the Pretty Pictures:
In the land of virtual wedding planning, the inspiration board and color palette for destination wedding brides are the keys to the proverbial promise land. The more specific you are in the images (I want wood benches and globe lights that look likethis) and color choices (fabric swatches or Pantone chips, please ), the easier it’ll be for your vendors and wedding planner to make your vision come to life. So I collaged my little heart out. Remember some of ours?
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.
“So now let all the light that collects on your plants…keep you warm…make you smile”
- Bright Eyes
Hey hey everybody! *Waves* I’m back with a few more planning goodness as we wait for those glorious photos. Are ya ready?
Today’s topic? MAGIC PLANTS.
Our selection of wedding blooms was always super duper tricky, since we had to find uber specific varieties that doesn’t make allergy-plagued Mr. O sneeze up a storm. The flower gods were kind to the Ostriches as a few of our favorite seasonal flowers passed the test and would fill our gazillion multicolored bottles. But {you know where this is going, right?} I couldn’t stop there. I had my heart set on getting my crazy bridal hands on these magic plants I discovered in my early planning days….wanna see?
Today Margaret from the revolutionary new travel site Enrout shares Part II of Miss Snapdragon’s and Bossyboots’ potential Hawaiian honeymoon, including a budget breakdown! Check out Part I here! Margaret will continue to bring us great honeymoon suggestions in the coming weeks, so stay tuned!
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Kauai - What to Do
After five days of Maui bliss, the Snapdragons will take a short flight over to the island of Kauai. The couple can head over to Ha’ena State Park to Ke’e beach, a crystal blue cove filled with tropical fish and sea turtles, and tons of caves to explore…
Hi hive! We’re kicking off a guest series this week with an extra special guest blogger, Margaret Wong from Enrout! You may know Margaret as the co-founder of Project Wedding. Since then, she and her husband Joe have gone off to launch their new site Enrout, a revolutionary website where you can discover charming lodging selections and fabulous new places off the beaten path. Enrout covers everything from charming Parisian apartments with huge windows overlooking the Eiffel Tower, to San Francisco Victorian homes complete with hardwood floors, fresh produce, and a cozy armchair for reading Hemingway at night. You can read more about Margaret at the bottom of this post!
Margaret has reached out to our unmarried blogging bees that haven’t quite decided on their honeymoon yet. They’ve set a budget and a few destination parameters, and have set her off to plan their dream honeymoon based on their personalities (Margaret’s an avid Weddingbee reader!) and budget.
The honeymoon takes place during the first days of marriage, days that are going to be remembered forever as some of the happiest days of your life. So when I was asked to design a honeymoon to Maui and Kauai for our beloved Snapdragons, I knew it had to be special.
Miss Snapdragon is a professional and a city gal, and loves a mixture of relaxation and adventure. Since their wedding venue theme is “Food and Booze,” there has to be some amazing food planned for this unforgettable trip. She also blogged about having a mix of guided tours and exploring on your own so you have a balance between relaxing during activities and doing exactly what you want.. With a ten-day honeymoon in Hawaii (5 days in Maui and 5 days in Kauai) and a $6,000 budget, the Snapdragons are in for a special treat. Here we go!
Maui - What To Do
The first five days of the honeymoon will be in the drop-dead-gorgeous island of Maui. When Miss Snapdragon went on her Sistamoon, one of her tips was to wake up early to watch the sunrise over the coastline, so this bike tour to watch the sun rise over at the summit of Mount Haleakala seems absolutely perfect…
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.
“If we are facing in the right direction, all we have to do is keep on walking.”
- Buddhist proverb
waves arms enthusiastically *
Hey hey, hive! Just when you’ve thought I’ve faded away into newly married oblivion, your prodigal ostrich has returned.
I haven’t forgotten you. In fact, Mr. O and I are patiently waiting for our dreamy wedding pics to arrive so I can share them with all of you. And since it may be a bit longer before the recaps can commence, I decided to go off the grid for a solid month and relish in newlywed bliss. You know, finding every excuse to call Mr. O “husband” with the goofiest grin, watching too many so-bad-they’re-good reality shows (the latest? Hardcore Pawn) and eating too many pieces of pie and, for a moment, escaping the wild and crazy wedding world. And it felt goooood. But before it felt too good, I had to jump back in and share the last bits of pre-wedding goodness with all of you.
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.
“I love you not because of who you are, but because of who I am when I am with you.” - Roy Croft
I know this girl.
In our 20s, she was this amazing force to be reckoned with. Endlessly curious and up for anything, my moments with her were some of my brightest, exhilarating and most hilarious in my so-called life. You know those people that literally sparkle? Like, when they walk in a room you feel like a brighter, sunnier version of yourself? Yep, she was one of them.
One day, along the way, we met these boys who stole our hearts.
At first, our group of fun just doubled in size. We painted our town every color every weekend and I was so thrilled that she found this guy who had her same insatiable zest for life. Her equal. And he adored her to pieces.
Then as the years passed, our relationships strengthened and we grew a little older, we started to make some grown up decisions. We moved in with our men and folded our lives together.
And that made all the difference.
I struggled in the beginning to find that balance between couple time and friend/family/solo time. Read more…
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.
“A good map is both a useful tool and a magic carpet to far away places.”
Ahhh, seating maps.
Since Mr. O’s and my big day would include about 50 of our nearest and dearest, our seating strategy was pretty easy and we knocked it out in one night. Which meant that it was time to work on the fun, number-free map we dreamed up when we first started planning this beach celebration, starring this fella:
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.
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.
“To write a good love letter, you ought to begin without knowing what you mean to say, and to finish without knowing what you have written.” - Jean-Jacques Rousseau
If there’s one thing Mr. O and I wanted to avoid, it was the dreaded guest book line/hovering that we’ve experienced in many a past weddings. You know, the ones that look like this:
Waiting…waiting….waiting to sign. our. name in that darn wedding guestbook. Aaand, I’m starving. Via thelovingspoonful.net
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.
Like many a bride, I, too, have a penchant for pretty bottles. This is my favorite inspiration photo, right up here.
Whimsical, but not too vintagey. And a whimsical wedding? That was what me and Mr. O were all about for our wedding day.
And then one day, in my early days of my wedding planning, Gilt had a sale that was too good to pass up— and gave me THE inspiration for our reception table decor:
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.
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.
That’s Mr. O and yours truly in our fancy threads…loopy in love…in paradise…
…oh yeah, and we’re MARRIED!
And all that talk about one’s wedding day being the best day of your life?
It’s nothing but the truth—our wedding day was off. the. hook. Read more…
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.
You could be toggling between tabs and paying for bills, reading work emails or chatting online with friends. There could be music playing….or your sweet doggie’s snoozing at your feet. And while I’d love to believe you’re giving this post all your energy and attention, I know better. You’re multitasking.
All-Inclusion Invitation Suites
