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 arrived with my parents and siblings at the venue at 2:00 PM.
Since we didn’t have a wedding planner or DOC, everything was up to us. The day before, Mr. Toadstool and I took my dress and all the decorations and store them at the venue, so I had to take everything out and tell my mom and sister how to set some things up, tell the people setting tables which table linens I wanted, and figure out a table for our fingerprint guestbook.
Meanwhile our photographer Alberto and videographer David started working on something I really, really wanted, getting pictures of my dress. So we took it out of the bag and they proceeded to shoot it while I ran around directing the people setting the tables.
At one point, my dad, who was looking at Alberto and David work, asked me (with a crazy laugh): “Are you that ugly, they’d rather photograph the dress without you in it?” Leave it to Daddy to make the joke of the day.
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.
The morning of the big day didn’t feel special at all. My brother didn’t go to school, so he slept in, my dad left for work as always (he worked half a day), and my mom and sister spent it getting things organized and cleaning the house. I showered, grabbed a cup of coffee (that I failed to close properly), put on a Mickey Mouse shirt with an off-the-shoulder neckline (that I picked because it wouldn’t ruin my hair when I took it off and it happened to be white), and left the house.
Well, this series of unfortunate steps started when I was getting in the car—I tripped and spilled a big amount of coffee (remember the unclosed lid?) on my white shirt—Screw it, it’s my wedding day!—so I brushed it off and decided I didn’t care, got in the car, and drove to the salon.
I arrived five minutes before my 9:00 AM appointment, and the salon was closed; luckily, the receptionist from the doctor’s office next door asked if I wanted to sit in her waiting room, and got particularly excited when she noticed the veil hanging from my purse. That is when it hit me: Holycow, I am getting married today!
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.
It’s time, hive—we are officially starting the Toadstool recaps, and following the tradition, we’re doing it with a video!
Videography was something we really, really wanted; it was just a matter of affording it. We even considered splurging on it, for a bit, but we couldn’t find the right videographer. That was until Groomsmen P pointed us in the direction of Estudio 54 and the talented David Gutierrez, and it was just perfect.
We have a 50-minute-long video with our entire ceremony and the best of the reception, but we also got this fantastic condensed version of the day:
*There’s a translation below, for all the non Spanish speakers.*
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.
This is something I wanted to get off of my chest before officially starting recaps. It is one of those things that “went wrong on the big day” and was difficult to let go when looking back to our wedding. It is something I gave two minutes of my mind to on the big day, but left a bitter taste on my mouth when thinking about it in the weeks after the wedding. However, it’s something I am over now and don’t want to dwell on during my recaps because in the big picture, it is meaningless.
It has to do with bridesmaids.
Once upon a time I wrote about asking my bridesmaids, but unlike with our groomsmen, I never actually talked about them. I asked five of my girlfriends to be bridesmaids, and although they all enthusiastically said yes, I knew they had busy lives and things could go wrong. And they went wrong.
It all started in August when two of them (who are in the busy intern stage of med-school in the center of the country) let me know they had a test scheduled for the day of my wedding. And this was no ordinary test—it would decide the course of their careers. I was sad and bitter and allowed myself a few miserable days thinking they wouldn’t be there. However, there was nothing we could do. They were not setting their career back a year to come to my wedding—there was no question there—but we were all very sad and disappointed about the whole situation.
And then there were three. I held on to the silver lining thinking “now it will all be matching, cause we’ll have three bridesmaids and three groomsmen”…not quite.
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.
Post wedding depression. We have all heard about it, many of us dread it, and some of us even prepare for it. But what happens when you have the complete opposite?
I didn’t have any kind of PWD. I had the odds in my favor; I moved in with my new husband for the first time, started a new life, in a new home, in a new city. I was busy, everything was different, and it helped me to keep my mind off things. In less time than I knew the holidays were here and then life happened: family business, husband got injured (a fibula fracture, don’t worry)…
Sad and unintentional, but true / Image via Someecards
Faster than I thought, the wedding felt like months away and, as excited as I was to get pictures and video, I was over it. It was a fantastic day, unforgettable, incomparable, but it was over and I had moved on.
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 spent 15 months of my life planning a wedding. I went from looking at inspiration, to grounding ideas, to shaping a vision. I slaved over certain details, while deciding some things were not worth it.
I always knew the weeks leading up to the wedding would be stressful, but when the work started to pile up my reaction surprised me. I called it the “eff-it” stage or the “bride coma”—it was that moment when I would just say eff this shiz and stop caring about something, and it happened with a lot of things. One moment I could be stressing over ribbon (color, thickness…) and the next I could be not caring about who was making our cake as long as there was cake in the wedding, even if it was awful.
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 always knew I would walk down the aisle with my dad on my wedding day.
I know there are a lot of mixed feelings concerning the concept of being “given away.” I didn’t look at it that way; I thought about it as him walking there beside me, just as he has done my entire life. But being honest, to some extent, it felt like he was giving me away.
I’ve never been a daddy’s girl; my dad and I are too much alike to have that close relationship, but he’s been a great support in my life and to some extent it feels like I’ve always been under his wing, for better or worse. So this felt like the last straw of him coming to terms with the fact that I am leaving home, I am all grown up now, I am in a serious relationship with a great man, and I’ll be living with him now (eek!).
There was only one small flaw in my “walk down the aisle with my dad” plan. He had no idea it was happening.
This is the only pic I could find with my dad, and I had to crop out my sister…true story.
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 can’t remember when, or where (where on the internetz, of course) I saw a cute wedding pic with the couple kissing and holding in front of them the Xbox “Achievement unlocked” sign, and right then and there I knew we should have one at our wedding. You see, my husband and his friends are big Xbox enthusiasts (BIG), and I knew this would be a hit.
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 know a lot of people hate the term “bridezilla.” I’m not sure I actually like it, so let’s change it to “crazy bride,” shall we?.
On my last month of wedding planning, I read a fantastic book recommendation from Miss Armadillo: Laura Wolf’s Diary of a Mad Bride. It’s a fantastic, light and fun book.
What I enjoyed most about the book is that I am sure that if I had read it in any other time of my life, I would have found it ridiculous, hilarious and a bit silly—how on earth did this woman make such a big deal out of flowers? However, since I read it in the last stretch of my wedding planning journey, I felt related to this girl. I felt her pain, understood her struggles and felt compassion for her situation—Why do you care? Let her have the darn flowers she wants!
And then it hit me…how much of a crazy bride I had been. I realized how Mr. Toadstool and my family (especially my mom) let me have my way more than once in order to preserve peace in the universe; how they put up with my crazy ideas and my mood swings (I get very cranky when I am stressed out), in the hope that after the wedding it will all get better.
But why do we become crazy brides? I firmly believe we’re unconsciously pushed into it.
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.
Hello again, hive! It’s been over a month since my last post. Things have been busy in the Toadstool household—we’ve had a lot in our hands between driving back home for the holidays, visiting family and settling into a new life together.
But I am back now, with engagement pictures!
We got our e-pics a week after our wedding day. The reason? We took them a mere month before the big day. The way our photographer works is that he gives us the chance to see the raw files, we pick the ones we like, he edits them and gets back to us with prints and hi-res digitals. It is his way of making sure we love the pics we get—and it’s great, but I took my time (procrastinated) to go see the files, so we had to add those days to our waiting time.
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.
This day I will marry my best friend,
the one I laugh with,
live for,
dream with,
love
Nine years ago today, Mr. Toadstool and I were sitting outside my parents’ home, our heads close. It was cold, when he whispered, “Will you be my girlfriend?” I was shocked, and graciously answered “What?” He mustered the courage and asked again, to which I of course burst, “For real?”
Today I’ll get asked an even more important question, one that will also change my life in a fantastic way, and today I will not hesitate, I will not ask questions, I will just say yes…or “I do.” The point is I’ll answer straight and square that I will marry this man.
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 had no idea it was called a boutonniere before Weddingbee. I used to call it “the groom’s chest thing,” and I still call it that in Spanish because I have no idea what it’s called.
I wanted Mr. Toadstool’s bout to somehow connect with my bouquet, and that means wooden flowers.
I decided to add some dried baby’s breath, so I cut a small bunch, taped it, and wrapped some ribbon around it.
Next I glued three flowers to a little branch from the baby’s breath and glued everything together. Oh and remember how Mr. Toadstool’s job involves bumble bees? I added one of the bee charms I got from 900 Jewelry a while ago.
I did the same for the rest of the guys but with a smaller bunch of baby’s breath and just one flower. Natural wood for the groomsmen, and orange for the dads and my brother.
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.
For me, having a bouquet toss was always a must; my girlfriends have been talking about my wedding’s bouquet toss (and other wedding details) since way before I got engaged. Once I joked about not having one and they flipped out at me—are you out of your mind?
The bouquet toss tradition supposedly started from the 14th century European idea that brides and all that they touched were lucky. So, trying to avoid guests from tearing off parts of her gown (!), the bride tossed her bouquet. Meaning, the bouquet is supposed to be good luck, rather than an indication that the catcher is the next in line to get married.
For my friends it’s just fun—it’s a competition (and we are competitive), so they’ve been looking forward to it.
Since I’m having a wooden bouquet that I wouldn’t toss in a million years, I made a paper-flower bouquet to toss.
Be good with the paper flowers—the petals are not shaped yet. I’ll do it the day before the wedding.
Paper flower bouquet, Shania Twain’s “I Feel Like a Woman,” and eager friends—BAM! We have a bouquet toss.
The garter toss was a bit more complicated. The tradition comes from the concept of consummation of the marriage. The groom tossed the bride’s garter (meant to hold up the bride’s stockings) to the bridal party, to show them that he scored. (Pretty sure they didn’t refer to it this way back then.)
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.
From day one of this wedding planning I decided I didn’t want real flowers, so I jumped onto the paper-flower train.
I practiced paper flowers and even made enough for half a bouquet, but then I stumbled on a thread in the boards by hive member Robin Sparkles, who proudly showed us her wood bouquet.
Isn’t it gorgeous? So, in the most innocent, platonic way I clicked over to the site she ordered them from, Accents and Petals, and started drooling over those masterpieces.
I sent Cousin P the link and asked her to play devil’s advocate and convince me it was not unreasonable to order some flowers. She did her job and even ordered some music sheet flowers herself, and in less than a month we had our beautiful flowers.
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.
Last week at my hair trial, Ariana, my stylist, asked if I’m wearing any kind of head piece to complement my veil. I proceeded to tell her about the “not finding anything I like at a price I’m willing to pay” dilemma. So, she started listing all the places she thought I could find something I like.
Right after the trial, I decided to visit one of the places she mentioned. While browsing the store my eyes fell on this:
It’s almost perfect (I didn’t want to wear any kind of pearls on my wedding day), almost what I was looking for, except…it’s a brooch.
