Mrs. Pony, Bloomington, ILAge and Occupation: 25, AttorneyFiance's Age and Occupation: 34, AttorneyEngagement Date: March 22, 2010Wedding Date: September 2011Venue: Mackinaw Valley Vineyard; Bloomington Center for the Performing ArtsAbout Me: I found my Southern counterpart in law school and since he popped the question last March, we have been busy graduating, job searching, bar taking, and wedding planning. My loves include must see TV, magnets, quotes, anything green, my car, fun socks, the Cubs, and my Mr. Together we love wine, playing outside, and exploring the world together. Stay tuned to see our Midwest wedding full of Southern charm, vintage flair, lots of DIY details, and a whole lot o’ wine.
Before I started reading wedding blogs, it never crossed my mind that reception tables came in any shape other than your basic round. It seems pretty obvious now after seeing long tables plastered all over wedding blogs, but talk about an eye-opener when I realized this possibility. I love the concept of long tables. They look so intimate and remind me of grand family dinners. And they look so pretty.
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!
Our wedding reception consists of a pretty densely packed country-club ballroom and a seated, multi-course meal. Therefore, to make things as streamlined as possible, we’re definitely going to be doing seating arrangements. Maybe not specifically assigned seats, but at least assigned tables. I don’t like the idea of the doors opening up to our ballroom and our friends and family participating in a glorified cattle drive. I crave order, predictability, and a low level of stress on the wedding day, so seating arrangements are definitely in our future.
There’s an antique grand piano in the area we’ll be using for our cocktail hour, and the coordinator mentioned that most couples place escort cards there.
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!
Mr. Hyena’s side of the guest list is MUCH larger than mine. We are getting married in a fairly small church. If we went with the traditional “bride’s side, groom’s side,” my side would be…sad looking, and there wouldn’t be room for everyone on his side. There won’t be any ushers, and I like the idea of letting people sit wherever they want, but I didn’t know how to convey that until I saw this sign:
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.
I’m a big fan of bold table numbers that add to the tablescape rather than blending into the decor. Table numbers like these really inspired me to create numbers that would not only guide our guests to their assigned tables, but also add to the overall design of our reception.
Mrs. Crepe, Queens, NY/Nashville, TNAge and Occupation: 28, Jewelry DesignerFiance's Age and Occupation: 28, Animation DirectorEngagement Date: September 28, 2010Wedding Date: May 2011Venue: A church in downtown NashvilleAbout Me: I'm a native New Yorker who has always been a DIY kind of girl and loves tackling creative projects while getting the most out of a dollar. I'm marrying my college sweetheart and we love frequenting antique stores, exploring together, and playing with kittens. We're planning a fun, "us" wedding in his hometown---with as many handmade touches as we can pack into a day!
I love buttons. I love that there are a billion and one things you can do with them, I love the fact that they can be one inch in diameter, and I love that people collect them. Something as simple as a little piece of paper can be turned into a tiny piece of art.
When I first started thinking about wedding projects, my instinct was to go to my button maker. I bought my button maker years ago, when I wanted to advertise for the Etsy shop I was running at the time. It’s not cheap, but the machine’s paid for itself time and again.
Another option, if you want to make these one-inch pinback buttons, is to turn to Etsy. There are probably sellers there that will do mixed batches for you too.
Anyway, I thought the wedding project that made the most sense with buttons would be escort cards. Our wedding leans toward the casual side, so we’re not doing seating arrangements. We are, however, having numbered tables, so I thought that was perfect!
Once I decided on a color scheme, I started looking for vintage wrapping paper. I found this sweet floral paper in our colors, and the first thing I did was cut it into strips so I could punch out the circles.
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.
Ceremony decor is not high on our priority list. With our tiny decor budget we have to be strategic with our spending, and dropping a wad of cash to spruce up a space our guests will only be occupying for a short amount of time isn’t practical. I want to make sure that whatever we choose to create for our ceremony can be reused in our reception space and is easy for our coordinator to set up, break down, and move. Sounds like a tall order, right? Well, feast your eyes on these.
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!
Since we will be having a brunch reception instead of a seated dinner, I’m always keeping my eyes out for appropriate table-setting ideas. The traditional tall flower centerpieces and candle-strewn tabletops are just not our style. I also have this “new” obsession with burlap. I particularly like it because it reminds me of those large coffee bags, which in turn make me think of Costa Rica, which makes it obviously perfect for our wedding! Now that I’ve lead you down a tiny trail of obsession, here are some of my favorite table settings:
Mrs. Biscuit, Morgantown, WVAge and Occupation: 24, Dental StudentFiance's Age and Occupation: 26, Chemist at a pharmaceutical companyEngagement Date: April 2010Wedding Date: July 2011Venue: Catholic Church, Lakeview Golf Resort and SpaAbout Me: I'm an engineer who decided to trek back to my hometown three years ago to become skilled in the arts of drilling and filling. I'm engaged to a pretty awesome guy who tests your assorted benzodiazepines by day and home brews by night. Together we have two fur children, Tsali and Tobias N. Fünkat. I'm a lazy perfectionist and eternal sorority girl who enjoys running, crafting, string cheese, good beer, and bad reality TV. We are planning a Big Fat Italian/Sicilian/Polish wedding filled with DIY details and are expecting 300 +/- 50 guests. Our whimsical summer affair is themed "Alice attends the Mad Hatter Vintage Garden Tea Party in a Ballroom. She Thinks That The Venue is Odd for a Vintage Garden Party, but is Tripping on LSD, so She Doesn't Really Care." Yes, I am the Dickens of themes.
So you’ve seen my ideas for centerpieces and linens, but how will people know where to sit? Since I have had nightmares about some random relative not being able to find his table due to red-green color blindness or macular degeneration, I’ve decided to take the double-fail-safe approach.
Mrs. Bacon, ChicagoAge and Occupation: 26, Digital Advertising ManagerFiance's Age and Occupation: 25, IT Client ServicesEngagement Date: June 17, 2010Wedding Date: September 2011Venue: Ravenswood Billboard FactoryAbout Me: I'm a Midwestern girl that can't seem to commit to staying in one place for too long and is constantly daydreaming about my next adventure. I am an aspiring foodie with a weak spot for the unusual and I love semi-reality food television. My other loves easily include laughing as a form of exercise, a book that I can't put down, summer baseball games, espresso with whipped cream, couch potato days and nights with the ridiculous Mr. Bacon, and our two kitties, Lincoln and Sawyer. We're planning a faux-destination wedding for 150 of our closest friends and family in the city we've both adopted as home that has a modern, yet whimsical twist and as many personal touches as we can manage.
Now that I’ve whet your appetite with those amazing photos, let’s remember that I am pretty fabulous and creative, but without David Tutera at my side to make these photos come to life, we will be having a much less intricate evening. The table will likely be set with scattered petals, framed photos, and candles. No luscious pink peonies or overflowing vases with blooming orchids, or any of that jazz since I hate the idea of all those flowers going to waste for the event…and (gulp) I’m just not that into flowers…
Anyway, I digress. Now back to these tables. Mr Bacon is an analyst so, taking after him, I thought I’d create a chart weighing the pros and cons of long tables versus round tables.
Mrs. Biscuit, Morgantown, WVAge and Occupation: 24, Dental StudentFiance's Age and Occupation: 26, Chemist at a pharmaceutical companyEngagement Date: April 2010Wedding Date: July 2011Venue: Catholic Church, Lakeview Golf Resort and SpaAbout Me: I'm an engineer who decided to trek back to my hometown three years ago to become skilled in the arts of drilling and filling. I'm engaged to a pretty awesome guy who tests your assorted benzodiazepines by day and home brews by night. Together we have two fur children, Tsali and Tobias N. Fünkat. I'm a lazy perfectionist and eternal sorority girl who enjoys running, crafting, string cheese, good beer, and bad reality TV. We are planning a Big Fat Italian/Sicilian/Polish wedding filled with DIY details and are expecting 300 +/- 50 guests. Our whimsical summer affair is themed "Alice attends the Mad Hatter Vintage Garden Tea Party in a Ballroom. She Thinks That The Venue is Odd for a Vintage Garden Party, but is Tripping on LSD, so She Doesn't Really Care." Yes, I am the Dickens of themes.
I have a confession to make. I’m not really a fan of those big, giant, generic table numbers that many venues allow you to use. I knew from the beginning of planning that I wanted something a little cooler. At first, I thought I could use the idea of the Mad Hatter’s hat and put the table numbers IN the hat…
Ms. Sloth, PhiladelphiaAge and Occupation: 35, Account Manager and Fashion BloggerFiance's Age and Occupation: 30, Design AdminEngagement Date: December 25, 2009Wedding Date: May 2011Venue: Bartram's GardenAbout Me: I'm an internet junkie and music snob with a good eye for a bargain. I couldn't live without thrift store shopping, cheeseburgers, sushi, Coke Zero, websites devoted to silly photos of baby animals, Photoshop, and Mr. Sloth. Speaking of which, he and I are a pair of goofball homebody nerds who love our beagle (the most ridiculously adorable dog EVER) to an embarrassing degree. We're planning a low-key and intimate yet festive and quirky outdoor wedding with DIY details and deeply personal touches, and it's all taking place in the city where we fell in love and call home: Philadelphia.
In our quest to Keep it Simple, Stupid, we’ve forgone a lot of stressful wedding chores. But there’s one task, one that I’m sure is going to be a giant pain in the ass, that we’ve decided to tackle:
Just the thought of tackling this makes me want to barf. And we’re having a small wedding with only about 80 people! I have no idea how someone with 200+ guests would handle this. Yikes.
Ms. Sloth, PhiladelphiaAge and Occupation: 35, Account Manager and Fashion BloggerFiance's Age and Occupation: 30, Design AdminEngagement Date: December 25, 2009Wedding Date: May 2011Venue: Bartram's GardenAbout Me: I'm an internet junkie and music snob with a good eye for a bargain. I couldn't live without thrift store shopping, cheeseburgers, sushi, Coke Zero, websites devoted to silly photos of baby animals, Photoshop, and Mr. Sloth. Speaking of which, he and I are a pair of goofball homebody nerds who love our beagle (the most ridiculously adorable dog EVER) to an embarrassing degree. We're planning a low-key and intimate yet festive and quirky outdoor wedding with DIY details and deeply personal touches, and it's all taking place in the city where we fell in love and call home: Philadelphia.
Sometimes, when I get all bogged down in wedding planning, I try to step back and think about the most memorable weddings I’ve attended. I’ve been to probably 25 or 30 weddings, but why does this handful stick in my mind?
So, I’ve delved deep into my memory and analyzed some of the best and worst weddings I’ve attended. What can I learn from the weddings I’ve been to?
Mrs. Knitting, TorontoAge and Occupation: 24, Student Recruitment Assistant
Fiance's Age and Occupation: 24, Neuroscience PhD CandidateEngagement Date: October 2009Wedding Date: December 2010Venue: University of Toronto Faculty Club
About Me: I'm a pearl wearing, etiquette book reading Toronto girl who loves cooking and baking, museums, charm bracelets, and collecting books on Jackie Kennedy (a lot). I've been known to spend Sunday mornings at the antique market, Wednesday evenings at sister sushi dinners, and any bit of spare time reading. After six and a half years of many late night walks, watching DVDs together in bed, travelling to places like New York, and Tobermory, doing Sudokus together on the couch, lots of Indian food, the occasional yoga class, moving in together and so much more, Mr. Knitting and I are planning a cozy Christmasy (it's a word!), vintage wedding in Toronto complete with many DIY projects (eek!) and lots of help from our amazing group of family and friends.
Back in the summer I wrote about our dilemma as to who we should sit with at our wedding. Thanks to Weddingbee readers futuremominlaw and glitterashley23 (who pointed me in the direction of this post), we decided to go with a king’s table.
Mrs. Hippo, New York City/Dallas, TXAge and Occupation: 34, Event Planner for a Non-Profit Fiance's Age and Occupation: 35, Finance ITEngagement Date: August 8, 2009Wedding Date: March 2011Venue: Samuel Lynne Galleries and Marc EventsAbout Me: I’m a thirty-something bride living in New York City and planning a modern-ish wedding in Dallas, Texas. I love trashy reality television (Jersey Shore, anyone?), online shopping, Sunday brunch, Central Park, and random celebrity spottings on the streets of Manhattan. While I love NYC, I miss good Tex-Mex, my college friends, central A/C, and being in close proximity to a Target. I’m thrilled to finally be planning an event that’s not work-related and to be marrying my best friend in what I hope will be a unique and personal ceremony followed by a reception with plenty of good food, good drinks, and dancing (regardless if it’s good or not).
If you’ve been following along, you’ll remember that we are inviting our guests to arrive early so that they can have a glass of wine and stroll through the art gallery before the ceremony starts. I’m starting to think through the timing of everything for the wedding day, and with all the roaming guests, I was a little concerned about getting them to stop looking around (the art really is fantastic) and to sit down so the big show can begin. The gallery will be open at 5:45 p.m., and the ceremony starts at 6:30 p.m. If you want to come at 5:45 or 6:00 and have a glass of wine and walk around, great! If not, fine. But, I really want the ceremony to start just a couple of minutes after 6:30, so getting the guests to sit is pretty crucial.
But…I think I’ve figured out how to make it work. I have a two-part plan.
First, my plan is to have the ladies in the house party circulate through the gallery shortly before the ceremony begins to let guests know that it’s time to be seated. With five house-party ladies, it shouldn’t be that hard. I’ve planned many events for work where I have to transition a group from one place to another (say, going from cocktails to sitting for dinner, or a cocktail reception to sitting for a talk or lecture), and usually once you can get a couple of small groups to move in the right direction, people figure it out and start following the trend. Sheep. They’re like sheep.
Ms. Sloth, PhiladelphiaAge and Occupation: 35, Account Manager and Fashion BloggerFiance's Age and Occupation: 30, Design AdminEngagement Date: December 25, 2009Wedding Date: May 2011Venue: Bartram's GardenAbout Me: I'm an internet junkie and music snob with a good eye for a bargain. I couldn't live without thrift store shopping, cheeseburgers, sushi, Coke Zero, websites devoted to silly photos of baby animals, Photoshop, and Mr. Sloth. Speaking of which, he and I are a pair of goofball homebody nerds who love our beagle (the most ridiculously adorable dog EVER) to an embarrassing degree. We're planning a low-key and intimate yet festive and quirky outdoor wedding with DIY details and deeply personal touches, and it's all taking place in the city where we fell in love and call home: Philadelphia.
I’m not talking about a place to park our cars; Bartram’s Garden comes with a big and safe parking lot. I’m talking about a place to park our asses. I’m talking about chairs.
Our caterer will be providing our chairs, and the chairs that come with our package are plain white folding chairs that look like this:
All-Inclusion Invitation Suites
