Mrs. Magic, Chapel Hill, NCAge and Occupation: 30, Licensed Clinical Social WorkerFiance's Age and Occupation: 30, ResearcherEngagement Date: December 1, 2009Wedding Date: October 2011Venue: Barn at ValhallaAbout Me: I’m a tall drink of water (5’10”!) and a Southern bride with an enormous appetite for Mexican food, good deals, anything French, and all things wedding! By day I am lucky enough to work with individuals with autism and their families. By night, I’m even luckier to be able to spend time hanging out with awesome friends, crafting, shopping, thinking about exercising, and kicking it with Mr. Magic and our two cats. I tend to have sudden, intense cravings that will not be denied (seafood enchiladas! new jeans!) and I’m prone to being a disorganized mess of anxiety and stress. After waiting (and waiting!) to get engaged, I am finally planning the colorful, fun, fabulously awesome Fall wedding of our dreams. In an effort to share the fun and craziness that is wedding planning, I’m gonna blog about it for y’all---the good, the bad, and the pretty!
I had hemmed and hawed and complained about the registry a long while ago, here and here, but Mr. Magic and I finally decided on a couple of registries that would fit our grown ass up needs. The first registry we created was at
I had suggested Bed Bath & Beyond for it’s affordability and awesome coupons, but Mr. Magic wanted something a bit more posh. After all, we’ll only get to request that our friends and families buy us expensive items that we could never afford ourselves once, right?
Walking around Crate & Barrel was hilarious, y’all. Read more…
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.
Something I didn’t think would need to happen: going back and regularly evaluating our registry choices. But it has. And it’s good! We registered back before Christmas, after a push from my mum. “People might buy Christmas presents off it!” People didn’t. But it meant we got the hard decisions about picking a china pattern done with early on in the wedding process, which was nice. We registered at The Bay (Canada’s equivalent to Macy’s, I guess) and on Amazon.ca.
Just before we sent out our invites, we went back to The Bay and had another look at what we’d registered for. We didn’t put the registry info on the invites, but we did put our wedding website on them, which has links and info about both our registries. While we were at The Bay that second time, we made some changes, things we’d thought of since then. We registered mainly for china, as we’re quite happy with our pots and pans and towels, and I bought myself my own Kitchen Aid 6 months before he proposed. The china pattern we registered for is a set of mix-and-match patterns, and I had decided that we wanted the cereal bowls in a different pattern than we originally chose, etc etc.
I actually found that second visit really helpful.
Mrs. Bunting, Grand Rapids, MIAge and Occupation: 24, freelance illustrator & print productionFiance's Age and Occupation: 24, graduate of historyEngagement Date: December 3, 2009Wedding Date: June 2011Venue: Spring Grove Park & St. George Banquet CenterAbout Me: I am a freelance illustrator and designer with a love of nature and a taste for adventure. Textures and color fuel my world, along with apple cider and noodles. I'll try anything once, especially if it involves heights or food. I've hiked the Grand Canyon, gone sky diving, cuddled a baby wolf, and now my latest venture consists of designing and planning a large wedding involving color, DIY details, love, and marrying my best friend.
I have a very strong sense of curiosity. So strong that if Mr. Bunting hints at something that sparks my curiosity, I’ll obsess about it for weeks until he himself can no longer remember what it was about (or at least he pretends he doesn’t remember).
Yes, I was totally one of those kids who would try to find any hidden Christmas presents before Christmas. But I also do enjoy surprises, so when I found where they were hidden I just couldn’t bring myself to finish peeking. Apparently it was enough just to know where they were hidden.
Mrs. Cotton Candy, Riverside, CAAge and Occupation: 29, Field CoordinatorFiance's Age and Occupation: 34, Process ServerEngagement Date: July 5, 2007Wedding Date: June 2011Venue: Riverside Art MuseumAbout Me: I’m a girl in love with her best friend planning a small mid-century modern inspired wedding that’s been a long time coming. I love all things design, sewing, flea markets, and a good book. I’ve been known to swoon over a well-designed chair and often find myself craving a new addition to my chair collection regardless of the lack square footage in our home. I’m Mexican American girl who hates all things spicy but loves her rowdy Mexican family and her Latin roots. My wedding muses may not be your typical wedding superstars, but with a lot of DIY, a dash of offbeat style, and lots of love and laughs, Mr. Cotton and I plan to create a day that is unmistakably us.
By now you’ve probably noticed that the Cotton Candy wedding isn’t your typical formal affair. It probably goes without saying that the some of the more traditional wedding day traditions and accessories such as a garter, cake cutting set, and toasting flutes aren’t high on the CCandy must-have list. Actually, these items are on our don’t need/don’t want/please don’t waste your money on it-list.
Mami CCandy apparently hasn’t gotten the memo. For the past 6 months she’s been insisting that it is Sister CC’s duty as maid of honor to gift us toasting flutes and a cake server. We couldn’t go to one family gathering without her bringing it up. The most mundane conversations would lead to a discussion about toasting flutes and cake cutting. I’m not sure why she was so obsessed, but no amount of reason would change her mind, so it was no surprise when I unwrapped sister CC’s shower gift and found this:
Mrs. Sparkler, ChicagoAge and Occupation: 27, Communications AficionadoFiance's Age and Occupation: 26, PublisherEngagement Date: July 21, 2010Wedding Date: September 2011Venue: Chicago Illuminating CompanyAbout Me: I’m a Southern lady living in the big city of Chicago. Well, lady may be a stretch, but I’m working hard to keep some Virginia charm in our sleek, urban, wedding-palooza! I’m addicted to marathons, not-so-famous bands, Chicago restaurants, and Mark Twain. I cry during SPCA commercials, and I think LOST was the best show to ever hit television. Mr. S and I met at a classy college mixer and, 7 years later, he’s still by my side. He’s the only child, laid back, free spirit... I’m the oldest of five kids, type-A, organizer. It doesn’t work on paper, but we’ve never paid attention to that stuff anyway. Somehow it works. And like they say, sometimes when you know…you just know.
I’m in registry hell. This is, as Miss Magic would say, a first world problem, and I recognize that. Yet, I am still completely overwhelmed, misinformed of, and pretty much disgusted with the world of bridal registries.
A little background will probably help you understand why I’m having a problem asking people for presents. Can that even happen? Everyone likes to get stuff, right? Well, Sparks and I have lived together for almost two years now, and we have stuff. Lots of it. In fact, every time we go home, our parents try to give us more stuff. And, while we are very grateful for the things we’ve gotten for free, what has resulted is a mismatched bunch things that (to put it bluntly) no one else wanted anymore.
So when we got engaged and had the opportunity to register for some spankin’ new goods, we were excited. Really excited. We marched boldly into Crate & Barrel, requested our magic scanner, and then… stared at each other. The conversation that followed our proud entrance went something like this:
Me: Um, so do you like these beer mugs? Read more…
Mrs. Snow Cone, Pittsburgh/Johnstown, PAAge and Occupation: 23, Public Health Graduate StudentFiance's Age and Occupation: 23, EngineerEngagement Date: April 9, 2010Wedding Date: August 2011Venue: OMOS Church ceremony/Sunnehanna Country Club receptionAbout Me: I’m one of the lucky ones---I met my future husband at the ripe old age of 13, started dating him as a mature woman of 15, and have been enjoying the ride ever since. Here we are, 8 years later, living in Pittsburgh, planning a "homestination" wedding in the place our school romance began---Johnstown, PA. I thrive on talking a mile a minute, eating my weight in chocolate, and internet shopping. I love a lengthy to-do list almost as much as I love a healthy amount of chaos in my life. Mr. Snow Cone and I watch countless episodes of Friends and The West Wing on repeat, root for rival college sports teams, and make each other laugh each and every day. We’re putting together a small-town wedding with a big personality and a classically modern (or modernly classic?) look for 250 of our closest family and friends. It’s been 8+ years in the making, and sometimes I still can’t believe I’m finally getting to marry my high school sweetheart!
For about two months now, Mr. Snow Cone and I have had “register for gifts” on our wedding to-do list. And, for about two months now, we’ve managed to bob and weave, trying our very best to avoid this dreaded task. Now, to an outsider, registering may seem like an awesome task to have. Think about it: you walk through a store and handpick each and every item you want other people to buy for you. It’s just that easy! To those facing the R-monster in the eyes, you know it to be a serious sweat-inducer. In reality, you’re walking through a store that is inevitably much larger than you had ever realized, trying to decide which of the 30 different types of towels you want in which of the 15 available colors. You’re also trying to compromise your own stylistic preferences with those of your future spouse’s. You’re also trying to stay calm and patient with the whole process while being focused and efficient. And you’re also trying to make sure you pick the right stuff, since this is one of the few opportunities in life where you get pretty much full control over what gifts you receive. No pressure at all!
Mrs. Giraffe, ChicagoAge and Occupation: 23, Graphic DesignerFiance's Age and Occupation: 24, Music Student TeacherEngagement Date: October 23, 2008Wedding Date: May 2011Venue: Trinity Lutheran Church & Idlewild Country ClubAbout Me: Coming from the suburbs of the Windy City, you'll often find me with my foot in my mouth while laughing for no reason or telling bad knock knock jokes. I've been crafty for as long as I can remember, and will DIY something twice over before I have someone do it for me. I'm a semi-awkward, typeface obsessed, design junkie and have been know to break out my dance moves for no reason as well as try my best to be ridiculous at all times. My love of pop culture, wordplay, and graph paper almost rivals my love of Mr. Giraffe (who is just the bee's knees). After a 2.5 year engagement, we're planning a modern-in-disguise traditional wedding, and cannot wait!
Okay hive, here’s a little new flash for you: a good toasting flute is hard to find. In the interest of full disclosure, that little tidbit should have read “an good toasting flute is hard to find a week and a half before your wedding” …but I digress.
Last weekend, Mama Giraffe and I hunted the mall, party stores, other stores for the perfect toasting flutes. For those of you on a hunt of your own, the a few places we looked (that typically carry a handful of styles) were Bed, Bath & Beyond, Party City, Carson’s, Hallmark, A different Hallmark, Macy’s, Another Carson’s, and a handful of other places. There’s also quite a few to be found online, but that would entail not waiting until the last minute.
Mama Giraffe had absolutely no idea what she was getting into when she told me she’d like to buy toasting flutes for us. I think it’s my style: I wanted something simple and classy that would remind me of our wedding. Tricky, eh?
Mrs. Hyena, College Station, TXAge and Occupation: 23, Marketing SpecialistFiance's Age and Occupation: 24, Aerospace Engineering Grad StudentEngagement Date: January 8, 2010Wedding Date: May 2011Venue: Downtown 202About Me: I'm a Texas girl who met my future hubby in high school, then headed up to Oklahoma for a college education (BOOMER SOONER!) before moving back to the Lone Star State to be with him. I love reading and recycling, Photoshop and reality TV, making lame jokes and then laughing at them, quoting movies, and Mr. Hyena most of all. I'm perpetually early and I like to get things accomplished. When my cat meows at me, I meow back. We're planning a laid-back, unintentionally DIY wedding with a cocktail-party vibe, and can't wait to celebrate our nuptials with our nearest and dearest!
In the past few weeks, I swear I’ve gone into full-on nesting mode. Bride brain? Please. All I want to do is think about decorating our house and throwing fancy dinner parties in which I serve Top Chef-like culinary masterpieces off the beautiful china we would register for if I could just find a pattern that I like.
Oh, to have problems such as this! I can’t find china that jumps out at me saying, “I am BEAUTIFUL and perfect and you have to get me and love me forever!”
I can’t decide if I want fine china or everyday china, and therefore cannot make up my mind on the sets themselves. Would I use fine china? Would the everyday china be nice enough to use for special occasions? Is it selfish to register for, like, four different sets of dishes so there’s always one that fits the occasion?!
Here are some sets I’m considering for La Casa de Las Hyenas:
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!
Mrs. Eggs Benedict, SeattleAge and Occupation: 29, AttorneyFiance's Age and Occupation: 35, AttorneyEngagement Date: December 5, 2009Wedding Date: February 2011Venue: IslandWoodAbout Me: I'm a Northwest girl who spends my time goofing around with Mr. Eggs Benedict and our dog, hiking, traveling, drinking wine and planning a wedding that will showcase the best of what the Pacific Northwest has to offer. I also love photography, beating Mr. Eggs Bene at Mario Kart, and watching the most ridiculous natural disaster flicks you can think of (seriously, how can you deny the awesomeness that is The Core or 2012?? That's right, you can't). We are planning our weekend wedding adventure at an environmental educational center, and I can't wait for the fun to begin!
Way back when before the wedding I talked about our registry, and how we decided to register for some nice china (though not too fancy, since I get a heart attack thinking about asking people to buy usexpensive plates, even though I still want the $400 per place setting silver that we didn’t register for. Ah, someday!). But we weren’t planning on registering for any everyday dishes since we had our white everyday dishes that seemed perfectly usable and we figured we’d just replace them later on.
Well, unbeknownst to me, Mr. EB decided that he really wanted some great looking square plates from Crate and Barrel. Read more…
Mrs. Pancakes, New York/Costa RicaAge and Occupation: 26, Law School StudentFiance's Age and Occupation: 27, Latin American Policy AnalystEngagement Date: March 12, 2010Wedding Date: May 2011Venue: Casa Punto de VistaAbout Me: I’m a perfectionist with a big heart. I love a good laugh and firmly believe no one has ever regretted being prepared! My motto is “go big or go home.” I am incapable of doing anything in moderation, especially when it comes to shopping, TV, food and travel, and some would say wedding planning! The other half of this nearlywed team is a laid-back, adventure-loving, accident prone, sweetie from LA. He makes me laugh, is always down for an impromptu dance party, and totally indulges most of my hare-brained schemes. Now, in my final year of law school, we’ll be spending the spring abroad in Amsterdam and planning a DIY, whimsical, detail-filled destination wedding in Costa Rica!
Mr. P and I are soon-to-be a homeless married couple. Right now, we live in an adorable one-bedroom in the center of Amsterdam, overlooking a lovely canal filled with swans and ducks, but come May 2nd we’ll be HOMELESS! The reason I am telling you all this is because I LOVE vintage plates. I am head over heels obsessed with vintage plates. BUT, since we don’t have a home, we really aren’t in a position to accept a lot of traditional gifts. We literally have no idea where we’ll be from May to October but chances are that we’ll be living out of suitcases and a storage unit. (***I would love to be in Latin America, but we may be in NYC, DC or LA.) That being said, we have to be careful about what we buy and what we register for. Read more…
Mrs. Starfish, Boston/NewportAge and Occupation: 25, Operations AssistantFiance's Age and Occupation: 25, SalesEngagement Date: October 8, 2008Wedding Date: October 2010Venue: The Atlantic Beach ClubAbout Me: I'm a perfectionist who is a planner at heart. I don't do well with surprises. I love planning, crafting, Newport RI, family and friends, and most importantly, Mr. Starfish---all of which will be big components in our October wedding in our favorite little city by the sea.
I’m interrupting our regularly scheduled—OK, randomly scheduled—recaps to talk about our registry. We are hitting the 6 month mark soon, which is totally crazy; time is flying by. Hitting the sixth month mark actually means something…it means registry completion discounts expire.
After six months, you have an idea of how you feel about your registry picks. You also start questioning whether you actually need all those leftover items you went six months without.
I’ve realized there are some items we received that I can’t live without, some items we received but could live with out, some we wish we had registered for, those we almost didn’t register for (but we’re glad we did), and those we haven’t used a lot, but are looking forward to testing out. Read more…
Mrs. Magic, Chapel Hill, NCAge and Occupation: 30, Licensed Clinical Social WorkerFiance's Age and Occupation: 30, ResearcherEngagement Date: December 1, 2009Wedding Date: October 2011Venue: Barn at ValhallaAbout Me: I’m a tall drink of water (5’10”!) and a Southern bride with an enormous appetite for Mexican food, good deals, anything French, and all things wedding! By day I am lucky enough to work with individuals with autism and their families. By night, I’m even luckier to be able to spend time hanging out with awesome friends, crafting, shopping, thinking about exercising, and kicking it with Mr. Magic and our two cats. I tend to have sudden, intense cravings that will not be denied (seafood enchiladas! new jeans!) and I’m prone to being a disorganized mess of anxiety and stress. After waiting (and waiting!) to get engaged, I am finally planning the colorful, fun, fabulously awesome Fall wedding of our dreams. In an effort to share the fun and craziness that is wedding planning, I’m gonna blog about it for y’all---the good, the bad, and the pretty!
Ummmmm, I’m not sure what to do about this whole registry thing. You see, I am 30 and Mr. Magic is, too. We aren’t really old as the title of this post suggests…I mean, he’s in the living room killing zombies as I type, and I get carded all the time (I mean, not all the time, just on the really rare occasions when I drink). How old can we be?!?
But…we are 30. We have lived in sin for some time now. And, I like to decorate and eat. If one combined all these facts and lifestyle choices, one (OK, I) would wind up with this:
Approximately four sets of dishes. One Mr. M bought without consulting me (WTF—I know, right?).They are fine but kind of dark and manly. One is from my college years. One is my grandmother’s set of dishes. Oh, and at FMIL’s house there is a full set of china waiting for us that is Mr. M’s aunt’s china.
Novelty dishes. You know, like dishes with shoes on them, or dishes from the $1 bin at Target that have metropolitan cities on them (Paris! New York!).
LOST drinking glasses. I got these as a birthday present one year. I mean, don’t get me wrong, I love me some LOST…but I don’t really want to set our Thanksgiving Day table with pint glasses depicting the different hatches from the LOST island.
Mrs. Giraffe, ChicagoAge and Occupation: 23, Graphic DesignerFiance's Age and Occupation: 24, Music Student TeacherEngagement Date: October 23, 2008Wedding Date: May 2011Venue: Trinity Lutheran Church & Idlewild Country ClubAbout Me: Coming from the suburbs of the Windy City, you'll often find me with my foot in my mouth while laughing for no reason or telling bad knock knock jokes. I've been crafty for as long as I can remember, and will DIY something twice over before I have someone do it for me. I'm a semi-awkward, typeface obsessed, design junkie and have been know to break out my dance moves for no reason as well as try my best to be ridiculous at all times. My love of pop culture, wordplay, and graph paper almost rivals my love of Mr. Giraffe (who is just the bee's knees). After a 2.5 year engagement, we're planning a modern-in-disguise traditional wedding, and cannot wait!
I’m going to start out disclaimer-style and let you all now that I’m 100% aware of how ridiculous this post is. I mean, seriously, I am out of control here. After you finish reading this, we don’t have to mention it ever again. (Please don’t mention it ever again?)
You see…I have dish envy.
Yes, it’s true. I had a wonderfully amazing shower recently (that I still have to share with you!) and I received so many awesome gifts. I was totally overwhelmed with generosity and I can’t believe that people spent so much money on things for Lil’ Ol’ Me…oh yeah, and the Mister, too.
Mr. G and I were lucky enough to receive all the dishes we asked for. Due to Mr. G having 8 Giraffes in his immediate family, and me having 4, we wanted enough dishes so that we could have everyone over at the same time.
Long story short, we registered for four 16 piece place settings and received them all. That’s enough for 16 people! Woah. Read more…
Mrs. Tartlet, Rochester, MIAge and Occupation: Age & Occupation: 27, Post-Doctoral Research FellowFiance's Age and Occupation: 28, Medical StudentEngagement Date: May 2, 2009Wedding Date: May 2011Venue: The Royal Park HotelAbout Me: I'm an exuberant gal from the Midwest with a penchant for Neuroscience and anything sparkly. I'm not afraid to poke fun at myself, and I'm a believer that given the right pair of shoes, a girl can conquer the world. While an interest in the sciences threw Mr. Tartlet and me together (again, and again, until it finally stuck), we share a love for many things---food, video games, car dancing, food, bad puns, travel, did I mention food?---that ultimately led us to where we are now, less than five months from becoming Mr. and Mrs. We're planning a laid-back, romantic, garden-inspired affair with organic and quirky touches that reflect our love for the unexpected!
…or to speak plainly, how did I not know about Antiquaria before? Maybe I’m just toddling in the dust of the bandwagon, but just tonight I discovered this amazing place dedicated to selling vintage housewares with a focus on mix and match china sets. Feast your eyes on these:
I think it’s my style: I wanted something simple and classy that would remind me of our wedding. Tricky, eh?
