Miss Road Trip, TallahasseeAge and Occupation: 36, Writer, Artist & BookkeeperFiance's Age and Occupation: 47, AccountantEngagement Date: September 30, 2011Wedding Date: November, 2013Venue: Honey Lake PlantationAbout Me: Born in Louisiana (I share my birthday with the state, which I think is pretty cool), I'm a Florida transplant who has (mostly) stopped trying to escape the state and surrendered to its particular charms. I believe in the power of creativity, cocktails, (parenthetical asides), and laughter (usually at my own expense). Riding shotgun, Mr. Road Trip is a Nebraska native who still hasn't gotten used to the Florida version of "winter" but loves woodworking as much as I love paper and paints. We're a couple of sci-fi and gaming geeks who always break for wine tastings. Our wine-a-plenty morning wedding will be small with lots of DIY touches. And lots of bacon.
No, we’re not considering the Jennifer Nettles/Jon Bon Jovi collab for our wedding song (though that might be a fun lark, and certainly not the most inappropriate song choice ever).
The Chapel at Honey Lake Plantation (and our backup ceremony spot in case of rain) | Personal photo
During our recent venue hunt, I had a most surprising feeling overcome me: I almost missed being a member of a church.
I mean, really, if you’ve got a “home church” and it’s got a fellowship hall, you’re all but made in the shade as far as venue is concerned.
Miss Mongoose, New Haven, CTAge and Occupation: 28, Digital AdvertisingFiance's Age and Occupation: 30, Business DevelopmentEngagement Date: November 19th, 2011Wedding Date: May 2013Venue: Hotel Nelligan in Montreal, CAAbout Me:
I was born and raised in Queens, NY (though you would never know due to my lack of a "real" New York accent) but currently live in Connecticut with my fiance. Anyone who knows me knows that I have a crazy obsession for planning and organizing things, so it comes as no surprise that I'm currently obsessed with planning our wedding. I love dancing, music, traveling, reading fiction novels, cooking, the color blue, cupcakes, all things space science-related and TV shows created by Joss Whedon and J.J. Abrams. My fiance and I have been together for seven years and are so excited to finally get married next year. We are planning a peacock-themed destination wedding in Montreal, one of our favorite cities in the world, with 100 or so of our closest family and friends. While we may look very different on the outside, we have eerily similar personalities (probably due to the fact that we share the exact same birthday) and share very similar passions. But above all else, we love each other and love to have FUN!!!
As a kid, I never liked my name. My first name isn’t common at all here in the US. (It is, however, very common in French-speaking countries…which meant nothing to me since I didn’t live in a French-speaking country.) I remember getting so annoyed as a kid when we’d go on family vacations and I’d never find my name on those touristy tchotchkes (key chains, license plates, picture frames, etc.). I’d give my sister the side eye every time she found her name and was able to buy said tchotchkes (she has a very common American name).
Miss Road Trip, TallahasseeAge and Occupation: 36, Writer, Artist & BookkeeperFiance's Age and Occupation: 47, AccountantEngagement Date: September 30, 2011Wedding Date: November, 2013Venue: Honey Lake PlantationAbout Me: Born in Louisiana (I share my birthday with the state, which I think is pretty cool), I'm a Florida transplant who has (mostly) stopped trying to escape the state and surrendered to its particular charms. I believe in the power of creativity, cocktails, (parenthetical asides), and laughter (usually at my own expense). Riding shotgun, Mr. Road Trip is a Nebraska native who still hasn't gotten used to the Florida version of "winter" but loves woodworking as much as I love paper and paints. We're a couple of sci-fi and gaming geeks who always break for wine tastings. Our wine-a-plenty morning wedding will be small with lots of DIY touches. And lots of bacon.
Another objection I had to overcome had to do with the legal side of things. It’s a product of being jaded by the past, I fully admit, but it needed to be addressed in order to move forward.
Well, if you read my earlier experiences, it changed a lot (and not in a good way). But even if we’re not talking Stepford-switch-level of change, things are going to change once we’re officially man and wife.
Miss Road Trip, TallahasseeAge and Occupation: 36, Writer, Artist & BookkeeperFiance's Age and Occupation: 47, AccountantEngagement Date: September 30, 2011Wedding Date: November, 2013Venue: Honey Lake PlantationAbout Me: Born in Louisiana (I share my birthday with the state, which I think is pretty cool), I'm a Florida transplant who has (mostly) stopped trying to escape the state and surrendered to its particular charms. I believe in the power of creativity, cocktails, (parenthetical asides), and laughter (usually at my own expense). Riding shotgun, Mr. Road Trip is a Nebraska native who still hasn't gotten used to the Florida version of "winter" but loves woodworking as much as I love paper and paints. We're a couple of sci-fi and gaming geeks who always break for wine tastings. Our wine-a-plenty morning wedding will be small with lots of DIY touches. And lots of bacon.
I had a lot of objections and misgivings that I had to work through before putting the marriage discussion on the table with Mr. Road Trip. The idea of changing my name was one I contemplated early on.
Looking back, I’m not surprised that my heroine of choice during my pre-teen and beyond years was Scarlett O’Hara (Hamilton Kennedy Butler).
I used to think it was the whole star-crossed love story between her and Ashley (which I now realize to be a ludicrous thing to want), but now I know that her penchant for collecting last names was foreshadowing my own future.
Still, she did end up with the right man on her third time around…
Mrs. Otter, Indianapolis, INAge and Occupation: 22, Freelance Social Media ConsultantFiance's Age and Occupation: 23, CVS Shift SupervisorEngagement Date: November 11, 2011Wedding Date: April 2013Venue: Mustard Seed GardensAbout Me: I'm a born and raised Hoosier girl, but a diehard Michigan Wolverines fan. I have a tendency to take too many photos and spend full days having TV marathons. Mr. Otter and I met in high school, started dating a couple years later, and moved in after a month of being official. He is easygoing and makes plans on a whim, while I'm color coordinating my planner and organizing everything in sight. He hates glitter, but it's my favorite thing. I have tattoos and he still won't get one, despite my attempts to convince him. We're planning a small, rustic, and (hopefully!) peony-filled wedding to get our married life started. (And yes, there will be glitter involved!)
Under two weeks to go and another item checked off the checklist! We officially have obtained our marriage license.
As some of you may know if you follow me on Twitter or Instagram, we actually got our marriage license a couple of weeks ago. I got out of work early and realized that it would be a perfect time to go get our license all taken care of. One thing you must know is that I have some *ahem* connections, if you will, with our county clerk’s office. That connection is the one and only Momma Otter!
She warned me early in the day that going to get our marriage license would probably result in some frustration because they had been super busy that day. Thankfully, because of our connection, Momma Otter just brought us back to her desk and filled everything out for us there.
(Personal photo / Our official marriage license and Momma Otter!)
Filling out all the paperwork was pretty funny, though, because it turns out Momma Otter didn’t remember where she was born. Oops! We got everything filled out, though, and without the wait in line it only took us a few minutes.
Miss Panda, Boston, MAAge and Occupation: 26, Graduate StudentFiance's Age and Occupation: 23, Graduate StudentEngagement Date: June 27, 2011Wedding Date: June 2013About Me: I love window shopping, cute animals, crafting, baking, and most forms of procrastination. I tend to be overly meticulous with choices to a point of complete and total indecision. Mr. PBear and I met and live in the amazing city of Boston. We are big nerds who love trying new foods, playing video games, and cuddling with our adorable hamster. After 5 years together, we are planning an intimate, DIY-heavy, vintage garden themed, nonreligious wedding in the city where we fell in love.
As of a couple days ago, I have legally changed my name to my new married name.
Yay. Cue dancing.
Just because I was looking for an excuse to use this, doesn’t make it not awesome. from: The Gif Factory
Now, you might be thinking to yourself, “but Miss Panda, your wedding isn’t until June, did you secretly get hitched without telling us?”
Nope, we didn’t get married yet, I just decided to get my name change in advance. Now this might be a little bit nontraditional, but ultimately it made the most sense to us.
Miss Jackrabbit, Brighton, UKAge and Occupation: 26, Office ManagerFiance's Age and Occupation: 25, SongwriterEngagement Date: October 5, 2012Wedding Date: September 2013Venue: Fabrica Gallery, BrightonAbout Me: I honestly thought I'd go all Monica Geller when I started planning our wedding, but in truth, things couldn't have gone much differently. I am working my way through this venture, figuring things out as I go, and adopting a 'Que Sera, Sera,' approach to making decisions. When I'm not organising the biggest day of my life, I can usually be found drinking a glass of wine, crafting up one thing or another, or stopping my cat from head-butting me in the face.
My mum’s best friend’s daughter is getting married four months before us. When we got engaged those two got incredibly giddy and started talking about how they would go shopping for mother-of-the-bride dresses together, and help with invitations, and every other thing under the sun that best friends talk about.
But what made me laugh the most about the stories I heard was when my mum asked what her friend’s daughter’s name would change to after she was married.
“Well, I don’t normally beat you on many things,” my mum said to her friend, “but I think I beat you on this one!”
My mum hadn’t even asked me if I were going to take his name, she just assumed. And she assumed correctly.
Mrs. Wallaby, Houston
Age and Occupation: 24, Environmental EngineerEngagement Date: January 1, 2012Wedding Date: November 2012Venue: Oak Tree ManorAbout Me: I'm a free-spirited, adventurous girl who loves anything active, reading, traveling, cooking up new dishes for my fiancé, and working on my budding garden. My fiancé is an athletic, intellectual, animal-loving guy with an obsession with basketball and who treats me with the deepest compassion and respect. We are both engineers, and we met at our workplace. Together we complement one another and make a great team, and we are excitedly counting down the days until our outdoor wedding in Houston in November. We're planning a green wedding with lots of Persian cultural touches, and I can't wait to share all of the before-and-after details of our special day
We are now officially certified to marry! / Personal photo
This turned out to be, hands down, one of the easiest parts of wedding preparation! I did a little online research to find out Texas’s marriage requirements, to make sure that we weren’t forgetting anything. (Every single time I go to a government office for an ID-related issue—driver’s license, passport, etc.—I wait in a two hour long line, then realize I forgot something vital like my Social Security card. Not happening this time!)
If you’re interested, here are the rules of engagement (ha ha!) in the great state of Texas:
Miss Camel, Athens, GAAge and Occupation: 29, high school teacherFiance's Age and Occupation: 35, high school teacherEngagement Date: March 2012Wedding Date: May 2013Venue: Cloverleaf FarmAbout Me: I'm a high school social studies teacher who started her career teaching English in Japan with the JET Program. I love photography and history. I also like to travel and take naps---two things that you would think contradict each other, but somehow they don't. My heroes are Dwight Schrute, Liz Lemon, the Dude, and T.E. Lawrence. I traveled the world throughout my 20s only to fall in love with the social studies teacher in the classroom next door to mine. He just happened to be the kindest, most compassionate, and selfless person I had ever met and each day I'm so thankful to have him in my life. We are planning a whimsical, relaxed countryside wedding with a little Marie Antoinette flair thrown in for good measure. Please join us on our wedding planning adventures!
Is it the Thunderdome? Nope, it’s the ubiquitous name-change post. I guess I will just come out and say that I will not be changing my name after I get married.
I see my last name as part of my identity. When I think of myself in terms of my first name and Mr. C’s last name, I don’t see myself. That’s not me. That’s someone else. Actually it isliterallysomeone else because Mr. C’s sister and I share the same first name. That means there would be two women with the same first and last names in the family. Talk about confusing! And weird. Imagine how that might make my future sister-in-law feel; suddenly a name that was originally uniquely hers is now someone else’s. If I were in her shoes, I have to admit it would make me feel a little weird.
Secondly, I don’t really find it fair that a woman has to run around town (sometimes taking a day off of work) just to get the paperwork she needs to legally change her name. It involves changing your driver’s license, Social Security card, passport, and all financial documents. Then there’s the possibility that there are confusions or mix-ups in the future. Maybe you forgot to change your insurance documents and now you can’t be reimbursed for a doctor’s visit because they can’t verify your identity. No thanks.
Mrs. Gloves, Columbus, OhioAge and Occupation: 25, Executive AssistantFiance's Age and Occupation: 25, FirefighterEngagement Date: December 29, 2011Wedding Date: January 2013Venue: Cathedral ceremony, reception in a converted hardware warehouseAbout Me: I’m a blond-haired, blue-eyed Midwestern girl, who had grand plans of an international career, before the economy came crashing down right as I graduated college. I love travel, exploring other cultures, cooking for friends and family, and relaxing in a pedicure chair. My fiancé is the perfect, level-headed and logical counterpart for my impulsive tendencies, and the nicest person I’ve ever met. Lately, we like to spend our time renovating our new home, planning our wedding, and fitting in date night with friends. We are so looking forward to a wedding weekend jam-packed with all of our favorite people, plenty of food, and flowing champagne!
First of all, thank you so much for all of the encouraging words and messages regarding my Grandma- I was completely engulfed in a cloud of upset and, even though I don’t actually know you guys, just having all of your support really improved my outlook Monday afternoon. So, thanks!
Secondly, the weight of the world was lifted yesterday when two things occurred- McGlovin and I stuffed, stamped and mailed our wedding invitations and then, on a complete roll, went downtown and applied for our marriage license! Yess!
Bam—licensed to be wed!
True story—it took us longer to find the Office of Marriage Licensing than it took for us to get it (15 minutes to find, two minutes in the office to apply). We had filled out the application online, so when we got to the office (where there was absolutely no line) all we had to do was provide our IDs and Social Security numbers, and promise that we weren’t cousins or already married. Somewhat awkward, though—the girl started out her spiel, “Please raise your right hand. Do you swear or affirm, blah blah blah…second cousins…blah blah blah…previous marriages…blah blah blah…please swear or affirm.” And we both looked at her for a second, looked at each other, and managed a confused, “I…swear?” We were completely not prepared for that formality.
Mrs. Toadstool, Obregon, MexicoAge and Occupation: 23, Research AssistantFiance's Age and Occupation: 25, Sales ManagerEngagement Date: October 1, 2011Wedding Date: December 2012Venue: Hacienda los AgavesAbout Me: I’m a born and bred Mexican girl with a severe coffee addiction, an obsession for books and an aversion for exercise. I like to plan things, so this wedding’s my dream project---I just need to remind myself from time to time that I’m the bride and not just the planner. I recently realized brown’s my favorite color as I was trying to incorporate it in every aspect of our wedding and I'm dreaming of an autumn vibe since we don’t have that around here. I’m marrying my best friend and partner in crime on the day of our nine-year anniversary! He’s an awesome, smart, fun guy who is patient, and crazy enough to spend the rest of his life with me. We’re planning our not-so-dreamy dream wedding in December in a non-traditional way and making it our own.
I’m not changing my name, simple as that. Not because I’m a feminist, not because I like my name (I do), not because I don’t like Mr. Toadstool’s name; simply because I don’t have the option (not that I want to).
I always wondered why Marge’s last name was Simpson just like everyone else’s, until in seventh grade my English teacher explained to me that in some countries the woman drops her last name and takes her husband’s. Really? Just like that?
Miss Panda, Boston, MAAge and Occupation: 26, Graduate StudentFiance's Age and Occupation: 23, Graduate StudentEngagement Date: June 27, 2011Wedding Date: June 2013About Me: I love window shopping, cute animals, crafting, baking, and most forms of procrastination. I tend to be overly meticulous with choices to a point of complete and total indecision. Mr. PBear and I met and live in the amazing city of Boston. We are big nerds who love trying new foods, playing video games, and cuddling with our adorable hamster. After 5 years together, we are planning an intimate, DIY-heavy, vintage garden themed, nonreligious wedding in the city where we fell in love.
I am changing my name when PBear and I get married. It’s something that I have always assumed I was going to do, and though I admittedly don’t follow many of the other traditions following a wedding, the name change has always been a sure thing.
I am doing a bit of a weird name change, though. I’m going to go from Firstname Lastname to Nickname Lastname PBear’s-lastname. It’s a bit weird, I admit, but I am really excited.
Though my first name is beautiful in Chinese, it doesn’t translate very well into English. Having a very Chinese first name has always been a problem growing up. No one knows how to say it correctly (it often gets mistaken for a male name), and I haven’t used it since I was four. It’s frankly a name that I don’t associate myself with very much. If getting a name change wasn’t so complicated outside of getting married, I would have changed my name legally years ago.
My nickname, on the other hand, is a name that I actually chose. Granted, I’m not completely sure why my four-year-old self would pick it, but I did, and it stuck. I cannot wait until it’s legally my name. I’m hoping that it’s a lot more convenient, and I don’t have to deal with more blank awkward stares at my name from the nurse at the doctor’s office before she butchers my name.
Mrs. Sword, ChicagoAge and Occupation: 28, Nanny/ActressFiance's Age and Occupation: 28, Software EngineerEngagement Date: February 19, 2012Wedding Date: March 2013Venue: Embassy Suites Bloomington West in Bloomington, MNAbout Me: I am a true girly-girl originally from the great state of Minnesota and my fiancé hails from the beautiful country of Scotland. We met and fell in love in our favorite city, Chicago, and are having a blast blending our cultures for "A Highland Fairy Tale" wedding! We are truly a case of opposites attract in that he’s a world traveling introvert and I’m a social butterfly who is never too far from home. We both love hanging out with family and friends, fine dining, and laughing at ourselves. He drinks a lot of beer and I talk too much. We wouldn’t have it any other way!
In this case, I mean Sword as my Mr. Sword, not the actual weapon. At this point, most of you know Mr. Sword is from Scotland, because let’s face it, I talk about Scottishstuffallthetime!
obligatory photo of Scottish castle by Miss Sword
Mr. Sword has been in the US since early 2009 and is able to work here because of his L1 visa, which is all fine and dandy, but when you are here on a visa, you have very limited control on where you work, live and can move. While he’s happy at his job, it’s scary to think that they are the only reason he’s able to stay in the US.
However, after March of 2013, we can begin the process of applying for a green card because Mr. Sword will be married to yours truly. We are looking forward to being able to make decisions for our new little family based on what is best for us and not because we have no other options. The process of applying for a green card is daunting to say the least. I know it can vary from taking a year or so to about five years, depending on what country you are from and how long the paperwork takes to get through the system.
I have no idea where to start, but I’d like to begin compiling the necessary pieces before the Big Day if at all possible, and that is why I’m thinking of purchasing THIS book:
Mrs. Treasure, ChicagoAge and Occupation: 24, Law StudentFiance's Age and Occupation: 28, Equity AnalystEngagement Date: July 30, 2011Wedding Date: September 2012Venue: Saint James Chapel at Quigley Prep/Murphy AuditoriumAbout Me: I was born and raised in Indiana, but now live in sweet home Chicago. I'm a third-year law student and aspiring trial lawyer, which means Mr. T never wins an argument. Other than Mr. T, I love singing, exploring the Chicago restaurant scene, and Notre Dame football. We met in a musical (just like my parents!) and after 4 years together, we are excited to be planning our urban "destination" wedding.
Miss Cauldron, New York City/AustinAge and Occupation: 33, Human ResourcesFiance's Age and Occupation: 33, TechnologyEngagement Date: October 8, 2011Wedding Date: September 2012Venue: Pecan Grove at the Salt LickAbout Me: I grew up in the Lone Star State, but moved to NYC after college to get a taste of the Big Apple, and never left. I love baking, yoga, Mr. C, and sunshine (not necessarily in that order)! Mr. C and I met on Match.com back in 2007, and our second date was at a Texas barbecue restaurant in Manhattan. It’s only fitting that after almost five years together, we are getting married at an iconic Texas barbecue joint. (Shiner Bock and brisket, anyone?) I’m proud of the life we have built together around our love for each other, Mr. C’s crazy dog Bosley, and fun sailing adventures on our boat, and I’m looking forward to celebrating our marriage at one seriously awesome party in September.
Y’all know Mr. C and I are doing a bit of a destination wedding in Austin. This has definitely been the right decision for us, and in general it’s all gone pretty smoothly, planning-wise. Where it has caused a little consternation, though, is with regard to the marriage license.
The state of Texas requires a marriage license to be obtained no more than 30 days in advance, and also imposes a 72-hour waiting period once you have the license. When we found this out back in January, we scratched our heads a little bit about how we could manage that time window.
We did some research and discovered the following things:
Oops! We got everything filled out, though, and without the wait in line it only took us a few minutes.
