Miss Turkey, PhiladelphiaAge and Occupation: 29, Brand ManagementFiance's Age and Occupation: 28, ConsultantEngagement Date: February 2011Wedding Date: May 2012Venue: The Rittenhouse HotelAbout Me: I'm a marketer who loves a good glass of wine, anything pumpkin-flavored, every crime drama on TV and, of course, Mr. Turkey. It's funny to say out loud, but we're former coworkers turned betrothed---now planning a wedding in the city of Brotherly Love. For three years, we've been eating our way through Philadelphia, playing tourist at home, and cheering for every sports team in the 215. Although we've hit some unplanned snags along the way, we're determined to have a rocking party this spring with our loud, fun families and friends.
Now that we had the venue set, we needed to make it a party. And when we thought about all our favorite weddings in the past three years, the consistent element was music. More specifically, a rocking band that kept people on the dance floor all.night.long.
This would be #2 in Mr. Turkey’s limited repertoire of dance moves that Bridesmaid M is trying so desperately to teach him.
And we knew JUST the band that would keep our party rocking. How? From another wedding, of course.
Miss Mink, Charlottesville, VirginiaAge and Occupation: 34, College AdministratorFiance's Age and Occupation: 40, Craft Beer ConsultantEngagement Date: November 26, 2010Wedding Date: June 2012Venue: Pippin Hill Farm & VineyardsAbout Me: I left a pre-war brownstone in Boston six years ago to live in a funky, Southern city where Thomas Jefferson, Dave Matthews, and urban chicken keepers enjoy equal social standing. I still love my Patriots and Red Sox, but have fallen in love with Virginia. I work in education and specialize in integrating technology into my work to improve the student experience. I’m a diehard blogger, animal lover, jamband follower, and DIYer. I paint to relax and have transferred by energy from home projects to wedding projects in recent months. When Mr. Mink and I started talking about marriage, we knew our wedding would be outdoors, that my golden retriever would be part of the day, and that the music would be fantastic. We’ve taken a few risks during our planning process and we’ve been enjoying the process immensely!
We are passionate fans of great music. We will travel great distances and endure some pretty interesting conditions for a good concert.
Wait in line for hours to ensure our caravan of friends can camp together in the middle of a field lacking in shade, water, and basic necessities? Yes, please. / Photo by Miss Mink
The genre of music we like has a lot of improvisation. A song is never played the same way twice. All the bands we follow allow fans to tape their concerts and trade recordings, so fans tend to remember the dates of particular versions of songs they like. We’re never eager for new studio albums to be released, but we usually buy them to support our favorite artists. We are more excited to see each concert’s set list develop each night there is a live show.
Miss Porcupine, NYC/Lancaster, PAAge and Occupation: 26, Sales Coordinator/PublishingFiance's Age and Occupation: 26, Assistant Manager/SalesEngagement Date: August 8, 2010Wedding Date: March 2012Venue: Riverdale ManorAbout Me: I'm a born and bred New Yorker with a love/hate relationship for the city I have always called home. Although I may seem quiet from afar, I have a loud personality once you get to know me. I am a book nerd at heart, but love a night out in the city with good friends. I have a serious addiction to all things cheese, chocolate, cardigans, Mexican food, and reality TV. The future hubs and I met in college, settled in New York, and decided to go with a rustic/peacock infused wedding in Lancaster, PA, right near his hometown. Come the big day, we will be together 5 years, and we're looking forward to making it official!
When it came to deciding on our first dance song, I immediately knew what song I wanted. So, nope, this was not a joint effort and there was no way I was going to budge on this.
When we first started dating, whenever I heard Look After You by the Fray, it immediately made me think of Mr. Porcupine. I guess when you’re first dating every song makes you think of the person, but I REALLY loved this song. I still do, and it’s one of those songs I can play over and over again on my iPod without killing it.
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I’m not usually a sappy person, but my favorite part is:
Mrs. Raccoon, IndianapolisAge and Occupation: 22, StudentFiance's Age and Occupation: 24, Graduate StudentEngagement Date: Christmas 2010Wedding Date: January 2012Venue: Catholic Church, Chateau Thomas WineryAbout Me: I'm a wholesome Midwestern girl, TV series junkie, professional shower singer, and Anglophile. I love my fiance, crock pot cooking, my cat Heepo, going for the gusto, and all things wedding. Mr. Raccoon is pretty sweet, too! He’s a mad scientist that loves to travel. We met my first night on campus and have been inseparable since.
Hi Everyone! It’s Miss Raccoon here. Sorry I’ve been away for so long! It’s that kind of time when you ask, “Anything else?” as a rhetorical question and some greater power says, “Oh most definitely. Challenge accepted.” We still consider ourselves to be doing pretty well because we were able to have a great Thanksgiving weekend with our families and our wedding is in two months!
It came up in conversation that we still hadn’t picked a song to use for our first dance. In the beginning, we took Miss Doily’s idea of setting up a playoff chart. We had a good time making cuts and practicing dancing to different songs. Frank Sinatra’s version of Cheek to Cheek was the victor and we were going to shamelessly borrow choreography from a YouTube video. It was going to be funny and fantastic and… so not us. It didn’t sit well with me.
Call me selfish, but I think the first dance should be more for us than entertainment for guests. Read more…
Miss Unicycle, Chicago, ILAge and Occupation: 23, Editor for a Web Publishing CompanyFiance's Age and Occupation: 23, MD/PhD StudentEngagement Date: March 26, 2011Wedding Date: June 2012Venue: Bridges of Poplar CreekAbout Me: I’m a writer by trade who likes analyzing pop culture, making fun of celebrities, and laughing until I cry. I’m the queen of half-assed crafts, and there’s nothing I won’t try to DIY. You can usually find me reading blogs on my laptop in front of a good Lifetime movie, wine in hand. I’m planning a polka-dotted summertime wedding to my physics geek college sweetheart, and when I’m not making stupid puns I’m freaking out about my wedding timeline.
If you know me IRL, you might think I’m the opposite of sappy. I love nothing more than laughing at movies that are supposed to be heartwarming or making fun of people for waxing nostalgic about stupid stuff. People who talk about how adorable their kids are? Annoying. People rhapsodizing on how wonderful their SO is? Obnoxious! Any Lifetime or Hallmark movie aired during December? My guiltiest of pleasures. Also, ridiculous.
But, you guys! Something happened to me when I got engaged! I became a tearful, squinty-eyed sap with a permanent shit-eatin’ grin plastered on my face. It all started when I saw none other than a Fancy Feast commercial:
Miss Hawk, Richmond, VAAge and Occupation: 26, FinanceFiance's Age and Occupation: 30, District SupervisorEngagement Date: March 13, 2011Wedding Date: May 2012Venue: The Chapel of the Sir Christopher Wren Building, 2007 Legacy HallAbout Me: I’m an Arizona-born girl who has spent the majority of my life living below the Mason-Dixon line. The South has definitely earned a special place in my heart (alongside my Virginia born and bred fiance, of course!). We are planning a traditional Christian ceremony at my alma mater in historic Williamsburg, Virginia, followed by a rocking reception filled with Southern cooking and vintage/shabby chic details. When we’re not wedding planning, we enjoy spending time with our three dogs, going for runs together, watching plenty of football (or baseball depending on the season), and sampling new wine.
I am quite the little music enthusiast. From country to hip hop and oldies to contemporary rock, I love it all. And although I consider myself an equal opportunity music enjoyer, I still have somewhat of a “discerning taste.” So when Mr. Hawk and I started discussing our music options, we knew that we wanted to go the DJ route for the ability to enjoy a plethora of music styles. But at the same time we didn’t want just anyone behind the DJ booth. We wanted to avoid the super-cheeseball DJ that would turn our wedding into his own personal stage. (Yes, I’m looking at you, Pauly D. I may be fascinated by the train wreck that is Jersey Shore, but stay away from my wedding!)
Miss Unicycle, Chicago, ILAge and Occupation: 23, Editor for a Web Publishing CompanyFiance's Age and Occupation: 23, MD/PhD StudentEngagement Date: March 26, 2011Wedding Date: June 2012Venue: Bridges of Poplar CreekAbout Me: I’m a writer by trade who likes analyzing pop culture, making fun of celebrities, and laughing until I cry. I’m the queen of half-assed crafts, and there’s nothing I won’t try to DIY. You can usually find me reading blogs on my laptop in front of a good Lifetime movie, wine in hand. I’m planning a polka-dotted summertime wedding to my physics geek college sweetheart, and when I’m not making stupid puns I’m freaking out about my wedding timeline.
I’m at the point in wedding planning where I feel like I’ve lost the ability to make a decision. Every wedding-related activity is a series of decisions that I have to either make by myself or interrupt Mr. Unicycle’s med-school studying to bother him about. I’ll probably write a post complaining about this more in depth later, if you’re lucky.
One part of the wedding plans that didn’t require much effort in deciding was the father/daughter dance. Years ago, my dad and I were driving in the car (probably to Home Depot—he used to trick me into going with him by saying we were going on a fun shopping trip, which I fell for every single time), and I was making fun of his choice of music. He’s a big fan of terrible music from the ’70s like The Eagles, America, Chicago, and other bands that took inspiration from geography. When Fleetwood Mac came on, I stopped mid-snark when I realized that I actually kind of liked it.
Personal pic
This is us back when I was cute and he looked like Zorro.
I started requesting The Dance every time we were in the car, on the boat, around the campfire, or any time when I had to choose from his CD collection. My parents got tickets to a Fleetwood Mac concert when I was 14, and they let me and my brother go with. It was one of my favorite concerts ever! I even wrote a paper on the band in my high school freshman English class. A few years ago we went to another Fleetwood Mac concert, just the two of us, and it was possibly even better than the first one.
Miss Doe, Northern CaliforniaAge and Occupation: 24, Real Estate AssistantFiance's Age and Occupation: 23, Recycling ManagerEngagement Date: December 25, 2010Wedding Date: May 2012Venue: Monte Verde InnAbout Me: I’m a Rat Pack fan and a Christmas nut that loves to read, good wine, cheesy ’80s movies and ’90s sitcoms. My wiener dog with an attitude problem and lazy basset hound are my constant source of entertainment. He's a hunter and I like cooking so it's not rare to see wild game on our dinner menu. Both of us were born and raised in a small historic farming town where our feet are still firmly planted. We have been together for nearly a decade and have shared many life experiences together, including birthdays that are only one day apart. We are two old souls that are creating our long-awaited wedding with loads of tradition that blends our two styles into rustic elegance in the foothills of Northern California.
Mr. Buck and I have grown up together listening to your music. It is one of the few music choices that we actually have in common. One of our favorite songs is of course, Better Together. The lyrics are absolutely perfect. You were able to write a beautiful love song while steering clear of being overly mushy. I thank you for that.
Better Together would be perfect for our first dance song. The issue that I am having is that it is much too fast. Either we awkwardly and quickly sway to this song, or we need to have some type of choreographed stint going on. Either way, it is not ideal for us. I have tried searching for different versions that you may have recorded, but this search has proved to be unsuccessful.
I think there is probably others out there who are in the same boat I am in. Read more…
Miss Elk, City: Syracuse/Long IslandAge and Occupation: 25, Medical StudentFiance's Age and Occupation: 25, Computer EngineerEngagement Date: November 22, 2010Wedding Date: May 2012Venue: The Old Field Club About Me: I’m a Long Island girl finishing my last year of medical school in western NY, on the road to becoming a pediatrician. When I’m not studying or sleeping at the hospital, I spend my free time watching bad TV (Vampire Diaries anyone?), playing with my pooch, singing incredibly off-key (to the annoyance of Mr. Elk ), and reading Harry Potter for the zillionth time. Mr. Elk and I are planning a secular wedding infused with both Irish and cultural Jewish traditions. Only a week after I become an M.D., I will get my Mrs. degree, too!
No, not Miss Warbler, but these Warblers from Glee:
AHHH, I love them!
Why, you may ask, am I talking about the Warblers? Well, as I’ve told you before, Mr. Elk and I met in college during our freshman orientation. During those four years, we had more fun than I can tell you! God I miss college, especially now in medical school. What I wouldn’t give to go back to those lazy days hanging out by the Japanese cherry blossoms…but I digress.
Miss Fox, Washington DC/Havre de Grace, MDAge and Occupation: 26, Massage TherapistFiance's Age and Occupation: 28, Field Support EngineerEngagement Date: April 18, 2010Wedding Date: June 2012Venue: Vandiver InnAbout Me: I’m a dancer turned massage therapist who was born and raised in New York. Alas, true love has brought me “south” where I still maintain my penchants for pretty shoes, wine, crossword puzzles, cherry blossoms, and the Mets. I own more sunglasses than a normal person should and don’t eat red meat (though I make up for it by eating my weight in sushi). I tend to be a big planner who likes to get things started early, but generally end up being indecisive and procrastinating when it comes down to it. I have a (not so) secret crush on Chris Carrabba, but my loyalty and love ultimately goes to the future hubs, of course! Together, my Foxy man and I love to discuss (read: debate) politics and current events, have Mario Kart and Scrabble duels, and just laugh. A lot. We’re hoping and planning for a laid back, fun, summery, rustic vibe to our June wedding that will be genuinely “us” – that is, if we finally make some decisions. Huzzah!
I’m kind of in shock that I haven’t mentioned anything specific about our DJ Frank yet. After the venue, he was the first vendor we booked! (What can I say, we like music.) It’s actually kind of awesome because our new buddy Frank apparently works with our venue quite often, so he already knows the space, layout, and general flow of things on the big day. He came highly recommended by our DOC, and the fact that someone else was trying to book him for their wedding on the same day as ours almost two years in advance? Yea, I’d say he’s good at what he does. We’d hit that.
Mr. Foxy and I first met with Frank in July of 2010 and had an instant connection. 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.
Miss Elk, City: Syracuse/Long IslandAge and Occupation: 25, Medical StudentFiance's Age and Occupation: 25, Computer EngineerEngagement Date: November 22, 2010Wedding Date: May 2012Venue: The Old Field Club About Me: I’m a Long Island girl finishing my last year of medical school in western NY, on the road to becoming a pediatrician. When I’m not studying or sleeping at the hospital, I spend my free time watching bad TV (Vampire Diaries anyone?), playing with my pooch, singing incredibly off-key (to the annoyance of Mr. Elk ), and reading Harry Potter for the zillionth time. Mr. Elk and I are planning a secular wedding infused with both Irish and cultural Jewish traditions. Only a week after I become an M.D., I will get my Mrs. degree, too!
One of the first things Mama Elk requested when we announced we would be having a secular ceremony was that Mr. Elk break a glass at the end, and I agreed. If you are not Jewish or have never been to/seen on television a Jewish wedding, the man traditionally breaks a glass (or in the past a light bulb—easier to break, apparently) at the conclusion of the ceremony. I have always been taught that this is to symbolize the destruction of the temple in Jerusalem back in the day, but there are a lot of possible meanings. Still don’t know what I am talking about? You can refer to the only good scene from SATC2 for a movie version of the tradition.
Now, I know what you are thinking!Miss Elk—that is not secular at all! That is actually very religious.But, you have to understand—every wedding I have been to (for the most part) ends with the breaking of a glass.It is the grand finale (well, before the kiss!).It is how my relatives will know to say mazel tov and clap and get ready to party.
Mrs. Raccoon, IndianapolisAge and Occupation: 22, StudentFiance's Age and Occupation: 24, Graduate StudentEngagement Date: Christmas 2010Wedding Date: January 2012Venue: Catholic Church, Chateau Thomas WineryAbout Me: I'm a wholesome Midwestern girl, TV series junkie, professional shower singer, and Anglophile. I love my fiance, crock pot cooking, my cat Heepo, going for the gusto, and all things wedding. Mr. Raccoon is pretty sweet, too! He’s a mad scientist that loves to travel. We met my first night on campus and have been inseparable since.
I know few of the rules that may or may not exist about making appropriate music selections for a Catholic wedding, but I figured I should have some ideas before meeting in person with the woman who will be playing at our ceremony. I’ve heard she is the music coordinator for the church and also teaches the school’s music classes. It’s a blessing when things just kind of fall into place like that.
A lot of thought went into these, but I haven’t gotten my hopes up in case they won’t work for one reason or another. Get comfy, there are a lot of YouTube videos coming your way!
Miss Dalmatian, Nashville, TNAge and Occupation: 23, Pediatric NurseFiance's Age and Occupation: 23, Computer Engineer and Entrepreneur Engagement Date: April 13, 2011Wedding Date: May 2012Venue: Historic CedarwoodAbout Me: I am a Northern girl from Chicago who is planning a wedding filled with Southern charm in Nashville, Tennessee. I love dogs, the White Sox, Full House reruns, and anything with ruffles on it. Mr. Dalmatian is my computer-genius problem-solving fiance who is constantly teaching me new things and making me a better person. We live with our adopted pup Echo, who is very excited that his parents are getting married!
With most wedding decisions, I did research until my head was spinning, contemplated every option that was even in the realm of possibility, and discussed said options with anyone who would listen until I was blue in the face. Picking a DJ, however, was not such a lengthy process, and I don’t really have an explanation as to why. It certainly wasn’t because I did not care about the music, because I think we can all agree that music can play a big role in getting the party started.
That would be Bridesmaid M, me, Mr. Dalmatian, and MOH K busting some moves at MOH A’s wedding. She had a great band that achieved a lively atmosphere and crowded dance floor that I am hoping to replicate at our wedding. Despite her great experience with a band, we decided to go with a DJ, mainly because of the lower price tag (because, let’s be honest, with regard to cutting costs so far my success rate is pretty shameful).
Miss Fox, Washington DC/Havre de Grace, MDAge and Occupation: 26, Massage TherapistFiance's Age and Occupation: 28, Field Support EngineerEngagement Date: April 18, 2010Wedding Date: June 2012Venue: Vandiver InnAbout Me: I’m a dancer turned massage therapist who was born and raised in New York. Alas, true love has brought me “south” where I still maintain my penchants for pretty shoes, wine, crossword puzzles, cherry blossoms, and the Mets. I own more sunglasses than a normal person should and don’t eat red meat (though I make up for it by eating my weight in sushi). I tend to be a big planner who likes to get things started early, but generally end up being indecisive and procrastinating when it comes down to it. I have a (not so) secret crush on Chris Carrabba, but my loyalty and love ultimately goes to the future hubs, of course! Together, my Foxy man and I love to discuss (read: debate) politics and current events, have Mario Kart and Scrabble duels, and just laugh. A lot. We’re hoping and planning for a laid back, fun, summery, rustic vibe to our June wedding that will be genuinely “us” – that is, if we finally make some decisions. Huzzah!
Foxy and I have been having some really great wedding-related talks lately.
As I’ve mentioned previously, for the past year and few months, I’ve been the one researching, putting together inspiration boards, and getting the basic “skeleton” of the wedding in place. Now that we are about eight months away (OMG), it’s time to implement some of those abstract ideas and sit down and really work out what we want for our big day.
A few nights ago, we talked music—what we could use for the processional, recessional, and first-dance songs. While I’ve been compiling music for months, Foxy kind of opened my eyes to something: these songs need to be US. While we have similar taste in music, some things are definitely much more my taste and some are much more his. Naturally, I was picking things in “my style” of music; I was hellbent on using this one particular song for our first dance, but you know what? Foxy doesn’t even know the band. As perfect as the lyrics and the music may be, it’s not his thing. And we can’t be dancing to a song that will forever be “our song” if he doesn’t like it. So we spent an hour scouring our music collections and came up with some really great, unique possibilities that are so incredibly US.
All-Inclusion Invitation Suites
