Miss Boa Constrictor, Isabela, Puerto RicoAge and Occupation: 22, Undergraduate StudentFiance's Age and Occupation: 23, Soon-to-be Civil EngineerEngagement Date: May 19, 2011Wedding Date: May 2012Venue: El Faro Convention CenterAbout Me: I’m a Caribbean gal, born and bred on the beautiful island of Puerto Rico, finishing her last year as an undergrad. I describe myself as a “closet nerd” as I secretly enjoy reading research papers, playing video games, and geeking out on Lord of the Rings movie marathons. I will marry my college sweetheart, a soon-to-be civil engineer, who loves Legos and old-school Puerto Rican cooking. This is sure to be a fast-paced year with our wedding, honeymoon, college graduation, new jobs, and a cross-country move all within less than 30 days of each other!
I’m obsessed with all things purple. My wallet, iPod, laptop, cellphone, bathrobe and bedspread are all some shade of the vibrant hue (no wonder it’s my main wedding color!). When it came to choosing what to wear on my wedding day, there was no doubt in my mind purple would be featured somehow. Since Mami Boa almost had a heart attack at the mention of a grape colored gown, my shoes are where I will be highlighting my favorite color. No ivory shoes for this gal!
Using recommendations from the Weddingbee boards for the best online shoe shopping sites, I stalked Zappos, DSW and endless hoping for the perfect shoe to pop up. I found a couple of incredible shoes all of which I wish I could buy, especially these:
Miss Woodpecker, Branford, CT Age and Occupation: 27, Graduate Student/School Psych InternFiance's Age and Occupation: 29, GlazierEngagement Date: Christmas Eve 2010Wedding Date: September 2012Venue: Owenego Beach ClubAbout Me: I’m a Connecticut native planning a coastal beach wedding in our hometown. My loves in life include: food, family and the fiance. I’m a planner/organization fiend, by nature and by addiction, and am obsessed with all things wedding and design. We're trying to put personal touches on everything we can in our wedding, to really make it personal to us, our family, and friends. In the middle of wedding planning, I’m also finishing up grad school, and will be starting a brand new career within weeks of our wedding. It’s going to be an adventure!
My wedding shoes were literally the very first decision I made about the wedding. Before I knew when it was, where it was, and who was coming, I had my shoes…and here is our story…
I have always been a shoe girl. I love pretty shoes. And I insist on a good heel. I’m short at 5’2″, but not too short, so wearing heels allows me some great height. I have no problem walking in heels and have been wearing them for years to work, to go out, and for everyday activities. So, it’s not surprising that wedding shoes to me were very important. Not only did they need to make for some fabulous photographs, but I wanted to feel pretty in them, and nothing less than a four-inch heel would do that for me.
As soon as I saw these Badgley Mischka shoes on a blog (I can’t remember where now!!), I knew they were it. They were gorgeous—freaking beautiful—and they came in gold.
Plus, they share a resemblance to Carrie Bradshaw’s pink Louboutin’s that she wore in the episode where where she has a big romantic sendoff with Big, and Miranda later has a baby.
Miss Hawk, Richmond, VAAge and Occupation: 26, FinanceFiance's Age and Occupation: 30, District SupervisorEngagement Date: March 13, 2011Wedding Date: May 2012Venue: The Chapel of the Sir Christopher Wren Building, 2007 Legacy HallAbout Me: I’m an Arizona-born girl who has spent the majority of my life living below the Mason-Dixon line. The South has definitely earned a special place in my heart (alongside my Virginia born and bred fiance, of course!). We are planning a traditional Christian ceremony at my alma mater in historic Williamsburg, Virginia, followed by a rocking reception filled with Southern cooking and vintage/shabby chic details. When we’re not wedding planning, we enjoy spending time with our three dogs, going for runs together, watching plenty of football (or baseball depending on the season), and sampling new wine.
Since my last post about wedding shoes (what feels like forever ago), I let shoes slip right out of my mind. But lately Weddingbee has literally been abuzz with gorgeous shoe posts, bringing my lack of shoes back to the forefront of my mind. I couldn’t hide from it any longer. Like many others out there, I decided to turn to Pinterest to get my creative juices flowing. I pinned some great inspiration, like these adorable flats:
(BUT if you’re paying attention, these J.Crew flats are actually Crewcuts…as in children’s shoes…sigh). Read more…
Miss Unicycle, Chicago, ILAge and Occupation: 23, Editor for a Web Publishing CompanyFiance's Age and Occupation: 23, MD/PhD StudentEngagement Date: March 26, 2011Wedding Date: June 2012Venue: Bridges of Poplar CreekAbout Me: I’m a writer by trade who likes analyzing pop culture, making fun of celebrities, and laughing until I cry. I’m the queen of half-assed crafts, and there’s nothing I won’t try to DIY. You can usually find me reading blogs on my laptop in front of a good Lifetime movie, wine in hand. I’m planning a polka-dotted summertime wedding to my physics geek college sweetheart, and when I’m not making stupid puns I’m freaking out about my wedding timeline.
A while ago, I purchased four pairs of shoes from Zappos, tried them all on, felt like Goldilocks/a bridezilla, asked the hive for your opinions, then got my account info stolen. Maybe. I was torn between the pink RSVP Raina shoes, which were uncomfortable but had a great color, the yellow Nina Electras, which were more comfortable but weren’t pink, and searching for a different pair altogether. Here’s what I had already:
Pics on the left from my very own camera. Images on the right via Zappos and Zappos.
I also had two other pairs that I didn’t like very much. I included a poll in my original post asking your opinion on what to do (first world probs fosho). More than half of you suggested I go with the pink shoes, while only 10% encouraged me to keep looking. So what did I do? I kept looking. Sorry guys!
I searched high and low and wound up finding these on Amazon during their Black Friday sale:
Miss Turkey, PhiladelphiaAge and Occupation: 29, Brand ManagementFiance's Age and Occupation: 28, ConsultantEngagement Date: February 2011Wedding Date: May 2012Venue: The Rittenhouse HotelAbout Me: I'm a marketer who loves a good glass of wine, anything pumpkin-flavored, every crime drama on TV and, of course, Mr. Turkey. It's funny to say out loud, but we're former coworkers turned betrothed---now planning a wedding in the city of Brotherly Love. For three years, we've been eating our way through Philadelphia, playing tourist at home, and cheering for every sports team in the 215. Although we've hit some unplanned snags along the way, we're determined to have a rocking party this spring with our loud, fun families and friends.
There’s been a decent amount of shoe talk around the hive the last couple weeks (Snapdragon, Mink, Mole and Coyote have all shared tales), so it seemed an appropriate time to jump in with my own shoe story. I’ll keep it short for you, though, as you may be on shoe overload!
I decided early on that I was totally jumping on the colored shoe bandwagon.
I’ll talk about the rest of my “somethings” at a later date, but for me, it was a no brainer to have my shoes meet the “something blue” criteria. After all, I love shoes and one of our colors is blue. However, it was a serious struggle to find a cute navy shoe that wasn’t a pump* / didn’t require dye. Read more…
Miss Mink, Charlottesville, VirginiaAge and Occupation: 34, College AdministratorFiance's Age and Occupation: 40, Craft Beer ConsultantEngagement Date: November 26, 2010Wedding Date: June 2012Venue: Pippin Hill Farm & VineyardsAbout Me: I left a pre-war brownstone in Boston six years ago to live in a funky, Southern city where Thomas Jefferson, Dave Matthews, and urban chicken keepers enjoy equal social standing. I still love my Patriots and Red Sox, but have fallen in love with Virginia. I work in education and specialize in integrating technology into my work to improve the student experience. I’m a diehard blogger, animal lover, jamband follower, and DIYer. I paint to relax and have transferred by energy from home projects to wedding projects in recent months. When Mr. Mink and I started talking about marriage, we knew our wedding would be outdoors, that my golden retriever would be part of the day, and that the music would be fantastic. We’ve taken a few risks during our planning process and we’ve been enjoying the process immensely!
Have you noticed a theme with my posts this week? I have shoes on my mind! Today, I want to share a little project related to my bridesmaids’ shoes.
Early on in planning, I knew that I wasn’t going to ask my bridesmaids to wear the same shoe. I figured I would give them a color and let them pick a pair themselves. With luck, the shoes would already be in their closets, but if they did have to buy something, I wanted them to buy something they liked and would wear again.
I wanted something to unify the potentially disparate looks and decided to make a few pairs of chiffon shoe clips.
Photo by Miss Mink
Since it’s DIY Friday, I thought I’d share how I did this project. I should start by saying that I have absolutely no sewing skill. I do not own a sewing machine. My expertise is limited to reattaching buttons to clothing.
Miss Coyote, Westchester, NYAge and Occupation: 26, Administrative AssistantFiance's Age and Occupation: 30, Computer ProgrammerEngagement Date: August 2010Wedding Date: June 2012Venue: Franklin PlazaAbout Me: I am an overly-caffeinated, sports-obsessed history nerd who loves a good book and hates bananas. Originally from a small town in Upstate NY, I made the move to Westchester County and never looked back! My loves include NBC Thursdays, red wine, fleece pajamas, and my amazing fiancé. Together we are planning a formal evening affair for 175 guests with a mix of new and old traditions and plenty of personal touches.
Miss Coyote, Westchester, NYAge and Occupation: 26, Administrative AssistantFiance's Age and Occupation: 30, Computer ProgrammerEngagement Date: August 2010Wedding Date: June 2012Venue: Franklin PlazaAbout Me: I am an overly-caffeinated, sports-obsessed history nerd who loves a good book and hates bananas. Originally from a small town in Upstate NY, I made the move to Westchester County and never looked back! My loves include NBC Thursdays, red wine, fleece pajamas, and my amazing fiancé. Together we are planning a formal evening affair for 175 guests with a mix of new and old traditions and plenty of personal touches.
I’m not really a trendy bride. Actually, I’m not much of a trendy person in general. I mean, I still have clothes in my closet from high school! I am obviously out of the loop. And that’s OK! I like to think of myself as a traditional bride with some modern twists thrown in there.
Miss Mink, Charlottesville, VirginiaAge and Occupation: 34, College AdministratorFiance's Age and Occupation: 40, Craft Beer ConsultantEngagement Date: November 26, 2010Wedding Date: June 2012Venue: Pippin Hill Farm & VineyardsAbout Me: I left a pre-war brownstone in Boston six years ago to live in a funky, Southern city where Thomas Jefferson, Dave Matthews, and urban chicken keepers enjoy equal social standing. I still love my Patriots and Red Sox, but have fallen in love with Virginia. I work in education and specialize in integrating technology into my work to improve the student experience. I’m a diehard blogger, animal lover, jamband follower, and DIYer. I paint to relax and have transferred by energy from home projects to wedding projects in recent months. When Mr. Mink and I started talking about marriage, we knew our wedding would be outdoors, that my golden retriever would be part of the day, and that the music would be fantastic. We’ve taken a few risks during our planning process and we’ve been enjoying the process immensely!
I think I have a problem, Hive. I’ve been keeping something from you. My first and second wedding shoe purchases aren’t a secret. The $8 pair of peep toe Mary Janes from the J. Crew Wedding Sale were bought before I even had a dress. I told you about tweaking them a little bit just a few days ago. The second shoe purchase was a pair of Butter d’orsay heels that I found online. They were too big and I knew I couldn’t wear them. Now, I didn’t tell you about my third and fourth shoe purchases and now it’s time to come clean.
Photo by Miss Mink
My third shoe purchase was at a charity bridal shop that is sent samples and overstocks from some very well know wedding salons. I thought they’d be a good back up option in case my $8 pair didn’t work out. The Lauren Jones pumps were a great deal and I didn’t feel too indulgent when I bought them. Read more…
Mrs. Mole, Los Angeles/Las VegasAge and Occupation: 29, Test Prep InstructorFiance's Age and Occupation: 31, User Experience ArchitectEngagement Date: April 2011Wedding Date: January 2012Venue: Wynn Las Vegas/Bouchon BistroAbout Me: I’m a Wisconsinite-turned-Angeleno who is planning a destination wedding in Las Vegas. I am passionate about education: I spent 23 (!) consecutive years in school, and now I work to help other people get into graduate programs. I love running on the treadmill, buying bath products from Lush, learning new moves in step aerobics, and exploring my neighborhood on foot. I am sometimes snobby about food, but I am rarely snobby about books. I read everything from Geoffrey Chaucer to Iris Murdoch to Chuck Klosterman to Candace Bushnell. My fiance and I are getting married on our third anniversary!
I’m sure it wouldn’t surprise you, hive, if I confessed that I spend a lot of time browsing Zappos. Over the weekend, I was browsing through the thousands of shoes, trying to see if I could find something to wear with my new(est) rehearsal dinner dress.
Then, I remembered that I already had the perfect shoes in my closet: a pair of cream and black patent leather heels. I wore these heels on our second date. The shoes’ main appeal, though, is not because of nostalgia; it’s because I was able to walk a pain-free mile in them from my apartment in Ravenswood to catch the #9 Ashland bus. We’ll probably be doing a lot of walking the day before the wedding, so I want to make sure that I have something comfortable on my feet.
The only problem? A series of mile long walks meant that these shoes were scuffed to hell. There were black marks all over the cream patent leather. I thought these shoes were goners. However, I was wrong!
Imagine these types of marks over all sides of both shoes
All you need to fix scuff marks on patent leather are two incredibly common household items.
Miss Mink, Charlottesville, VirginiaAge and Occupation: 34, College AdministratorFiance's Age and Occupation: 40, Craft Beer ConsultantEngagement Date: November 26, 2010Wedding Date: June 2012Venue: Pippin Hill Farm & VineyardsAbout Me: I left a pre-war brownstone in Boston six years ago to live in a funky, Southern city where Thomas Jefferson, Dave Matthews, and urban chicken keepers enjoy equal social standing. I still love my Patriots and Red Sox, but have fallen in love with Virginia. I work in education and specialize in integrating technology into my work to improve the student experience. I’m a diehard blogger, animal lover, jamband follower, and DIYer. I paint to relax and have transferred by energy from home projects to wedding projects in recent months. When Mr. Mink and I started talking about marriage, we knew our wedding would be outdoors, that my golden retriever would be part of the day, and that the music would be fantastic. We’ve taken a few risks during our planning process and we’ve been enjoying the process immensely!
I previously shared that I was never really shoe obsessed before getting engaged. The lust for designer heels that Carrie Bradshaw seemed to usher into the mainstream never really hit me. I like shoes and I have plenty of them, but only after getting engaged did I really start poring over footwear options.
My suspicion is that during the early days of our planning, our “to-do” list seemed long and I was intimidated. Shoes were something I could handle. Shoes didn’t require signing contracts or vendor meetings. So I went shopping.
Remember the $8 pair of shoes I found at the J. Crew Warehouse Sale in Richmond? I was pretty proud of my deal, but the more I looked at the shoes, the more I wished the flower embellishments at the toe weren’t so worn and rumpled from being thrown in a big box with dozens of other pairs of shoes at the sale.
Photo by Miss Mink
One Saturday morning, I decided to poke around and see if I could fix the flowers. 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.
If you read this post, Bossyboots, I will take back your wedding present!!! Read more…
Miss Opossum, TallahasseeAge and Occupation: 23, Aspiring Interior Architect
Fiance's Age and Occupation: 23, Soon to be Firefighter
Engagement Date: October 30, 2011Wedding Date: April 2012Venue: The Retreat at Bradley's PondAbout Me: I am a recent design graduate and aspiring interior architect that is a compulsive list maker, a Christmas light fanatic, and an avid nap-taker. This freckle-faced Southern girl loves being on the back of a horse, hanging out at the gym, and watching SVU with her rugby-playing fiance. It is a dream come true to finally be planning a wedding (in five months) to my high school sweetheart (of seven years). While preparing to tie the knot we're also balancing Fire College, grad school applications, jobs, and precious time with our supportive family and friends. We're moving fast...but are excited about enjoying every moment of this time in our lives!
If you can’t already tell from the pictures I’ve posted of Mr. O and myself, I am slightly vertically challenged. Mr. O isn’t super tall—he’s only about six-foot-one or so—but that’s still almost a full foot over my five-one (and a half!!!) frame.
This picture was taken at my best friend’s wedding rehearsal. I was wearing some sizable platform wedges, and there is still a significant height difference between the two of us.
Personal photo
I mean, we’re no Shaq and Nicole, but you get the idea…
Miss Fox, Washington DC/Havre de Grace, MDAge and Occupation: 26, Massage TherapistFiance's Age and Occupation: 28, Field Support EngineerEngagement Date: April 18, 2010Wedding Date: June 2012Venue: Vandiver InnAbout Me: I’m a dancer turned massage therapist who was born and raised in New York. Alas, true love has brought me “south” where I still maintain my penchants for pretty shoes, wine, crossword puzzles, cherry blossoms, and the Mets. I own more sunglasses than a normal person should and don’t eat red meat (though I make up for it by eating my weight in sushi). I tend to be a big planner who likes to get things started early, but generally end up being indecisive and procrastinating when it comes down to it. I have a (not so) secret crush on Chris Carrabba, but my loyalty and love ultimately goes to the future hubs, of course! Together, my Foxy man and I love to discuss (read: debate) politics and current events, have Mario Kart and Scrabble duels, and just laugh. A lot. We’re hoping and planning for a laid back, fun, summery, rustic vibe to our June wedding that will be genuinely “us” – that is, if we finally make some decisions. Huzzah!
I figured I would try each pair with the dress, and would hopefully “just know” if one of them was the right pair. Lucky for me this strategy worked, as I did indeed have my very own magical Cinderella shoe moment. I tried on all three, and one just.. matched. It was a far more perfect pairing than I would have imagined.
Ready for the reveal? Drum roll please… Read more…
Miss Mink, Charlottesville, VirginiaAge and Occupation: 34, College AdministratorFiance's Age and Occupation: 40, Craft Beer ConsultantEngagement Date: November 26, 2010Wedding Date: June 2012Venue: Pippin Hill Farm & VineyardsAbout Me: I left a pre-war brownstone in Boston six years ago to live in a funky, Southern city where Thomas Jefferson, Dave Matthews, and urban chicken keepers enjoy equal social standing. I still love my Patriots and Red Sox, but have fallen in love with Virginia. I work in education and specialize in integrating technology into my work to improve the student experience. I’m a diehard blogger, animal lover, jamband follower, and DIYer. I paint to relax and have transferred by energy from home projects to wedding projects in recent months. When Mr. Mink and I started talking about marriage, we knew our wedding would be outdoors, that my golden retriever would be part of the day, and that the music would be fantastic. We’ve taken a few risks during our planning process and we’ve been enjoying the process immensely!
When I was in college in New England, getting packages with a return address of One Ivy Crescent in Lynchburg, Virginia was a thrill. It meant that yet another boxy, Shetland wool, or roll-neck sweater had arrived from J.Crew. We were addicts. We thought the label “J.Crew U” was a compliment to our great style, not a criticism of our homogeneous look.
One day, I decided to find One Ivy Crescent in Lynchburg, just an hour south of Charlottesville. A friend told me that the clearance center at the J.Crew factory carried current merchandise that had been returned or slightly damaged and not the cheaper outlet-only line that you’d expect. J.Crew doesn’t publish any official information about the two stores it operates out of the Lynchburg factory, but I post their addresses on the Weddingbee boards every now and then in hopes of helping people find them.
During my visit, I got on the factory’s email list and started getting announcements about sample sales and warehouse clearance events. Last spring, I got a message about a wedding clearance event that J.Crew held in an empty storefront in Richmond and decided to go check it out.
I hadn’t finalized wedding colors or my bridesmaids when this sale happened, so I wasn’t really looking for anything specific. I was stunned that gowns that used to sell for over $1,000 were marked down to $200–300. All bridesmaids’ dresses were $30. All shoes were $10. On top of that, everything was 20% off for the final weekend of the sale.
All-Inclusion Invitation Suites
