Mrs. D'orsay, Baltimore/Lancaster UKAge and Occupation: 24, nonprofit communications Fiance's Age and Occupation: 29, Web site developer and designer; co-owner of men's skincare shopEngagement Date: August 10, 2008Wedding Date: August, 2009Venue: Oakland ManorAbout Me: I'm a Maryland raised environmental policy wonk/activist/organizer and communications aficionado. In the past year I've lived in Baltimore, MD, Tucson, AZ, Miami, FL and Lancaster, England. In my not so spare time I enjoy planning trips with Mr. D' Orsay, visiting friends and family and crafting like a mo-fo. I also enjoy modern dance classes, rugby and soccer but have been banned by my mother, MOHs, and Mr. D' Orsay from playing till after the wedding. I have an unnatural addiction to cheese and shoes, but love Mr. D' Orsay more than either and can't wait to become Mrs. D' Orsay!
Mrs. Honey, Durango, COAge and Occupation: 28, Financial AssistantFiance's Age and Occupation: 24, Lab Tech/PhlebotomistEngagement Date: August 1, 2010Wedding Date: January 2012Venue: Vallecito LakeAbout Me: I am a Colorado girl through and through, marrying an adrenaline-fueled Alabama boy. We love the outdoors just about as much as we love spoiling our dog and three cats. On any given weekend you can find us being adventurous, doing anything from rafting to snowboarding, and everything in between. We live in an outdoor mecca and truly believe in "Work Hard, Play Harder." I'm an optimist to the core, a crafter wannabe, a Southern food cook-in-training and a big time believer in girls nights. We met, fell in love and got engaged in eight short months and are now knee-deep in planning what we hope to be a super-fun, very us wedding celebration. Join us as we plan a rustic meets whimsical, Colorado winter wedding with loads of personal touches and good food!
Being without a photographer is not a fun place to be. I worried big time about this and mostly kept my concerns to myself; I knew bringing it up every time I had the thought pass through my mind would only stress and annoy the mister. Sure, we talked about it but it always came back to: “We can’t afford what you want, Miss Honey.” Hrmph. Somehow, though, I just had this feeling that it would be okay. We had a couple leads from other And then the answer came in the form of a Facebook status update, which I very well could have ’liked’ one million times.
A friend of mine from college, was just starting in the wedding photography business and was looking for couples to take a risk with him and allow him to shoot their wedding and use the pictures in his portfolio. With risk, comes reward, and our reward for taking a chance with a new wedding photographer was the price. Ready for this? It starts with ’n’ and ends with ’a’…or starts with ’z’ and ends with ’h’. Give up? Nada, Zilch…Free! Read more…
Miss Snapdragon, Chicago/DallasAge and Occupation: 32,Associate ProducerFiance's Age and Occupation: 33, Lighting DesignerBlogging Since: November 14, 2008Engagement Date: January 1, 2011Wedding Date: March 2012Venue: Marie GabrielleAbout Me: Voracious reader of short stories, Russian literature, National Geographic and Cosmo. I'm a GENIUS at spicing up Weight Watchers recipes and a pathological cheater at board games. I run a slow marathon, but my feet are learning to move faster. Mornings aren't my thing, but I can night owl with the best of them. Don't tempt me with your Cherry Cokes---I'm trying to quit. Tomorrow. Or never.
I knew who I wanted to shoot my wedding even before I met Bossyboots (the second time)…And he won me over in three photographs. (It’s the troof.)
Way back in 2008, I somehow happened upon an acquaintance’s engagement photos (I don’t even remember how I stumbled across them!) They were a sequence of underwater photos that literally took my breath away. The photos were creative, loving, fun, and beautiful. I’d never seen anything like them. At the time, I filed them away an amazing piece of art, but something I’d personally have no use for since the photographer was centered in Dallas (dun dun dunnnnnn).
Fast forward to 2011 - I was engaged and planning a wedding in Dallas. Read more…
Mrs. D'orsay, Baltimore/Lancaster UKAge and Occupation: 24, nonprofit communications Fiance's Age and Occupation: 29, Web site developer and designer; co-owner of men's skincare shopEngagement Date: August 10, 2008Wedding Date: August, 2009Venue: Oakland ManorAbout Me: I'm a Maryland raised environmental policy wonk/activist/organizer and communications aficionado. In the past year I've lived in Baltimore, MD, Tucson, AZ, Miami, FL and Lancaster, England. In my not so spare time I enjoy planning trips with Mr. D' Orsay, visiting friends and family and crafting like a mo-fo. I also enjoy modern dance classes, rugby and soccer but have been banned by my mother, MOHs, and Mr. D' Orsay from playing till after the wedding. I have an unnatural addiction to cheese and shoes, but love Mr. D' Orsay more than either and can't wait to become Mrs. D' Orsay!
Surprise! You thought I was gone, finished, finto after my recaps! Perhaps one day I’ll be writing a signing off post, but today is not that day my friends. As the spouse of an immigrant it’s going to be a very long time until I get to stop writing about marriage and immigration—but this post is not about that yucky business—it’s about photos!
Mrs. Macarons, TampaAge and Occupation: 26, Graphic DesignerFiance's Age and Occupation: 34, Renaissance ManEngagement Date: September 12, 2009Wedding Date: September 2011Venue: Lange FarmAbout Me: I'm creative at heart and a graphic designer with an unhealthy obsession with type. I love roller coasters, spicy foods, and a good glass of Crianza. We’re planning a soft and lovely vintage-meets-modern wedding in a state that’s known for its beaches, glitz and glam. I have a ton of DIY projects and lots of little details I’m dying to share and can't wait to celebrate with our closest friends and family.
Macs and I are a bit of control freaks. We limit what you can and can’t find out about us on the internet. Our Facebook accounts are on lock down, we don’t “check in” and you won’t find us on foursquare. That might make us seem behind the times, but if we wanted to share every aspect of our wedding day as it was happening we would stream it online.
I know we’re not alone in this though process as severalbees have expressed similar concerns. It’s not that I don’t want our guests to snap away, I’d just like to try and mitigate the amount of exposure. How do I expect to achieve this? With the increasingly popular photo cards.
Miss Kettle, Chicago, ILAge and Occupation: 26, Non-Profit Donor Resource CoordinatorFiance's Age and Occupation: 27, Musician & TeacherEngagement Date: May 29, 2011Wedding Date: February 2012Venue: Patrick C. Haley Mansion, Joliet, ILAbout Me: I'm a city girl who loves a good escape, so I'm planning a Chicago wedding outside of the city. I've been described as a quirky yet down-to-earth drama queen who loves fiercely. I used to be a scientist, but now I'm learning to navigate the world of non-profit organizations. I love cooking, blogging, shopping, and music, and movies (Hans Zimmer is my favorite movie composer). Mr. Kettle and I had a short courtship and now we have a happy home with our cat-who-thinks-she's-people, Belle. We spend our days and nights with good food, live music, video games, family, and friends. Our wedding has become this wonderful excuse to bring together hundreds of people we can't bear to be without.
Taking that first crack at looking natural in photographs was no easy task for me, but before we even got there, we had to find a photographer.
For some reason, finding a photographer for this wedding has been a major source of stress for me. I didn’t know this would be the case at first, so I dove into finding a photographer with the same gusto as everything else. Mucho gusto, that is.
But then I hit a wall. I had too many photographers. I was getting follow-up calls at the most inconvenient times. I couldn’t coordinate schedules with Momma Kettle or Mr. Kettle to set up meetings. I began avoiding the calls like I was avoiding a bill collector. It was bad, y’all.
Mrs. Funnel Cake, Zürich, Switzerland/Columbus, OhioAge and Occupation: 24, Visual Communication DesignerFiance's Age and Occupation: 28, Application EngineerEngagement Date: May 30, 2010Wedding Date: October 2011Venue: Catholic church followed by a botanical conservatoryAbout Me: I'm an American designer who moved to Switzerland for love after a fairytale beginning at the top of the Eiffel Tower. I love travel, photography, museums, learning German so I can speak with my mother-in-law, cooking (eating), cuddling, and I'm not afraid to try something new even if it terrifies me. My Swiss/Brazilian man and I are both down to earth people planning a traditional Catholic wedding in my hometown with some quirky cultural exceptions to reflect our different backgrounds. We look forward to celebrating with friends and family from all over the world in a classic, sophisticated fusion of heritage and love.
The most important aspect of our reception venue is LIGHT. Meaning that the venue must have light, and plenty of it. Why is this so very important? Well, let me point out priority #1:
*you know, because “joining in marriage” is priority #0, being integral to the wedding and all.
I’ve now been to a fair amount of weddings that were in dark, poorly lit rooms. I’m sure this is romantic and all, but I often struggled to take photos, even with my fancypants camera. Read more…
Mrs. Parasol, San Ramon, CaliforniaAge and Occupation: 25, Non-profit writer, editor, and bloggerFiance's Age and Occupation: 25, Law school studentEngagement Date: December 19th, 2010Wedding Date: September 2011Venue: Bent Creek Winery (Livermore, California); Reception: Family Residence (San Ramon, California) About Me: I am a California girl at heart. I love the outdoors, sunny days at the beach, and hiking in the woods and mountains. I also love good books and am fresh from completing my Master's degree in English and Comparative Literature in New York City. Living in NYC was an amazing experience, and while I'm glad to be back on the West Coast, I'm also thankful that my two years back East gave me an opportunity to explore new places, make new friends, and indulge my passion for Broadway shows. Oh, and I received a pretty awesome proposal from Mr. Parasol in Central Park. Above all else, Mr. Parasol is my biggest cheerleader and my best friend. But even though I'm thrilled to be marrying him, I wasn't always totally on board with this whole wedding thing and at first, I wanted to run off and elope. I've finally been convinced to throw the wedding I never thought I wanted, and so now I'm busy planning an intimate September wedding filled with DIY details. Along the way, I'm slowly learning to appreciate, perhaps even love the wedding planning process.
As with all things in life, a wedding requires sacrifice. You have this vision of what you want, but nine times out of ten it’s just not possible to make that exact vision come to life. And more often than not, it comes to down money.
Every little aspect of a wedding costs money, from the photography to each stamp on the invitations, and pretty soon it all starts to add up. Few brides and grooms can splurge on everything, so they have to make sacrifices. Sometimes these are easy because it’s something you don’t really care about, but sometimes these sacrifices are really, really hard.
Mr. Parasol and I are no exception, and we have made quite a few wedding sacrifices along the way.
Mrs. Honey, Durango, COAge and Occupation: 28, Financial AssistantFiance's Age and Occupation: 24, Lab Tech/PhlebotomistEngagement Date: August 1, 2010Wedding Date: January 2012Venue: Vallecito LakeAbout Me: I am a Colorado girl through and through, marrying an adrenaline-fueled Alabama boy. We love the outdoors just about as much as we love spoiling our dog and three cats. On any given weekend you can find us being adventurous, doing anything from rafting to snowboarding, and everything in between. We live in an outdoor mecca and truly believe in "Work Hard, Play Harder." I'm an optimist to the core, a crafter wannabe, a Southern food cook-in-training and a big time believer in girls nights. We met, fell in love and got engaged in eight short months and are now knee-deep in planning what we hope to be a super-fun, very us wedding celebration. Join us as we plan a rustic meets whimsical, Colorado winter wedding with loads of personal touches and good food!
Usually, the first vendor booked by an engaged couple is the photographer. It’s a smart move, ensuring the person who will document the biggest moments of your big day is set in stone. Well, the Honeys haven’t booked a photographer. That’s because our preferred photographer is a friendor (a friend and vendor all rolled into one), but not just any friend and not just any ol’ vendor–she is one of my best friends and also a bridesmaid in our wedding. Hive, meet one of my eight bridesmaids, BM Candace of Candace Cross Photography.
Mrs. Lioness, AtlantaAge and Occupation: 25, Physical TherapistFiance's Age and Occupation: 25, AttorneyEngagement Date: August 29, 2009Wedding Date: April 2011Venue: Anthony’s Fine DiningAbout Me: I’m a Southern girl with New England roots. I say "wicked" and "y’all" in the same sentence and I like to drink sweet tea with my lobster. Mr. Lion and I are both former Floridians now living in Atlanta, which fortunately is still SEC country...Go Gators! We both love baseball, coffee, traveling, cooking, and playing Words with Friends with each other on our iPhones all day long. I’m very passionate about the things and the people I love, and I tend to plan things with all of my heart...our wedding, of course, is no different! Oh, and also Mr. Lion is a first generation American of Cuban descent. I may look more like Lucy than Ricky, but I’m doing my best to incorporate some Latin elements into our vintage-garden-Southern wedding!
About a week after our wedding, I met up with some of the bees in New Orleans for fun-filled weekend complete with sight seeing, devouring delicious seafood, and drinking our way through Bourbon Street. I was also fortunate enough to do a Trash the Dress shoot with the lovely Ms. Fondue, who just so happens to be a kick ass photographer!
As you know, I sold my dress, so obviously I didn’t trash my actual wedding dress. Instead, I pulled a Mrs. Cola and found one online for really cheap!
Ms. Fondue and I had a ball, and I was thrilled with the final results. Take a look!
Mrs. Candy Apple, Princeton Junction, NJ/ Seattle, WAAge and Occupation: 26, Project EditorFiance's Age and Occupation: 26, AttorneyEngagement Date: May 9, 2010Wedding Date: August 2011Venue: St. Joseph's Parish, Seattle Tennis ClubAbout Me: I am a Pacific Northwesterner, born and bred. I have lived in many cities---Santa Clara, Durham (England); Florence; Boston; Princeton Junction---but my heart will always be nestled up near the Cascades and Olympics, which is why we are holding our wedding there. I am a bookworm and a History nerd: I love that my life consists of books, books, and more books, since I work in Publishing! Recently, all waking time not consumed by work and my daily commute has been overtaken by wedding planning. Well, that, and watching Premier-League soccer. There is nothing I love more than a good Tana French mystery, traveling to new places, Anthropologie shopping sprees, Iittala dishware, Kate Spade shoes, impeccable typefaces (think: Archer), and a nice English ale (hellooo, Old Speckled Hen!). Oh, and did I mention my obsession with wedding blogs? Yeah, there’s that too. Join Mr. Candy Apple and me as we prep for our wedding, and, more importantly, our marriage!
Like many bees before me, I am a Moo Card bride. You know, those cute little mini cards that you can customize? Yeah, they’re pretty neat.
Surprisingly, I actually did not find out about Moo cards through Weddingbee. Shocking, I know. Our photographers included a box of Moo cards with our e-session DVD—they had a selection of our e-pictures on one side of the card, and our future wedding gallery information on the other. They suggested that we set them out somewhere on our wedding day, so that our guests knew how to access the gallery after the event. Excellent! I fell in love with Moo’s packaging, and the teensy little cards. Right then and there, I knew I wanted to somehow work additional Moo cards into our stationery suite. I had a pretty firm idea on how I would use them, and it was fun to trawl through WB and see how various other bees have used them in the past. I was officially hooked on Moo.
So, I bit the bullet and designed some Moo cards! This means we will not only have the Moo cards to set out on the wedding day itself (from our photogs), but I was also able to incorporate them into our invitations.
Yes, it is exciting. I’m telling you - their packaging kicks butt.
Mrs. Cucumber Sandwich, Washington, DC/Cape May, NJAge and Occupation: 28, School CounselorFiance's Age and Occupation: 40, Collegiate AthleticsEngagement Date: March 27, 2010Wedding Date: October 2011Venue: Congress Hall HotelAbout Me: I am a school counselor who spends my day wrangling children and my nights attempting to be creative with wedding projects. My enthusiasm for each of these activities far surpasses my skill. Thank goodness Mr. Cucumber Sandwich is there to pick up the pieces and be the voice of reason about my DIY tries. I have an obsession with terrible romantic comedies (‘From Justin to Kelly’ anyone?, anyone?!?), competitive Scrabble play, and hot dogs. I could eat astronaut ice cream for every meal and can’t seem to resist buying more shoes. Our wedding is going to be a true hodge podge of semi-destination, tradition, Yuengling, New England charm, with just a dash of ‘Jersey Shore’ thrown in. It has been six years in the making and I can’t wait to marry my best friend.
I know I have mentioned about 10,057 times how awesome our photographer is, but now she is just out of control. Mr. Cucumber Sammie even said that she is worth her weight in gold. Best wedding decision ever.
We got an early wedding present delivered to us the other day. What oh what could it be?!?
Mrs. Cucumber Sandwich, Washington, DC/Cape May, NJAge and Occupation: 28, School CounselorFiance's Age and Occupation: 40, Collegiate AthleticsEngagement Date: March 27, 2010Wedding Date: October 2011Venue: Congress Hall HotelAbout Me: I am a school counselor who spends my day wrangling children and my nights attempting to be creative with wedding projects. My enthusiasm for each of these activities far surpasses my skill. Thank goodness Mr. Cucumber Sandwich is there to pick up the pieces and be the voice of reason about my DIY tries. I have an obsession with terrible romantic comedies (‘From Justin to Kelly’ anyone?, anyone?!?), competitive Scrabble play, and hot dogs. I could eat astronaut ice cream for every meal and can’t seem to resist buying more shoes. Our wedding is going to be a true hodge podge of semi-destination, tradition, Yuengling, New England charm, with just a dash of ‘Jersey Shore’ thrown in. It has been six years in the making and I can’t wait to marry my best friend.
It felt like our engagement shoot was a microcosm of how our wedding is going to be. Of course, ever the student, there were a couple of lessons I learned on Sunday I hope to apply to our wedding day. I am going to share them with you in hopes that you will remind me as I get closer to the wedding and start to lose my mind.
1. Prioritize: Unfortunately we didn’t make it to one of the places that I had on my list. I would have loved to take pictures at several locations, but we ran out of time. Kramers Books (where we had our first date) was most important so we started there, and I couldn’t be happier with the pictures. Over the next couple of weeks, Mr. Cucumber Sammie and I are going to brainstorm things that are most important to us for the wedding day. Everything else will just be a delicious bonus.
Mrs. Ladyfingers, Saint Petersburg, FLAge and Occupation: 30, Marketing ManagerFiance's Age and Occupation: 33, Sports WriterEngagement Date: December 24, 2010Wedding Date: November 2011Venue: Palma Sola Botanical ParkAbout Me: I hail from Oklahoma, he was born and raised in Long Island. Fate brought us together, and now we live in a cute little rental house with our nutty dog, and our aloof cat. We both love to read, watch movies, explore our town, and laugh like hyenas. When I’m not obsessively wedding crafting, I enjoy stalking style and decorating blogs, making collages and painting, napping, thrifting, rearranging our bookshelves, and being a total weirdo with my friends. Hi!
Our photographer “must-have shots” list is a work in progress, as I continue to find more and more beautiful examples from the weddings of others. We had originally booked our photographer from about an hour before the wedding to two hours before it ended, in the interest of keeping our budget trim, but as things opened up over the past few months, we decided to book her through the end of the wedding so she could photograph the cake cutting, bouquet toss, exit, and more things we didn’t want her to miss.
I’d STRONGLY suggest putting together a shots list for your photographer. Every wedding and every couple are different, and even the most professional of photographers are not mind readers. They may not end up capturing some special moment you’d like, and the last thing you want is regret as you flip through wedding photos in the years to come.
Our shots list, so far, looks something like this:
Mrs. Cinnamon Bun, Calgary, AlbertaAge and Occupation: 26, Stage ManagerFiance's Age and Occupation: 26, Theatre TechnicianEngagement Date: June 22, 2010Wedding Date: June 2011Venue: Calgary Opera CentreAbout Me: I'm a life-long crafter and bookworm living in the foothills of the Canadian Rockies. Some of my loves include Lord of the Rings, Sherlock Holmes, knitting, opera, musicals, Etsy, baking, and of course, Mr. Cinnamon Buns. We're keeping our wedding close to home---the venue isn't very far from our house, and we live within walking distance of 6 bridal salons. I'm using the wedding as an excuse to try out every craft project I possibly can, with the endless help and support of my fiance.
It’s a little larger than your average point-and-click. Sometimes I have felt hampered in that I can’t quite put it in the pocket of my jeans, or into a small purse. I have in the past considered buying a camera like this one: Read more…
