You Don't Have to Go Home, But You Can't Stay Here.

After the party its the after-party, right? The after-party is something that I have been torn about during the whole planning process. At my best friends wedding, the grooms parents rented a party bus for after the wedding, and let me tell you, it was SO. MUCH. FUN.

Here we are on the party bus. It came complete with a fully stocked bar and there may, or may not have been a stripper pole. The only thing I didn't like about the party bus was that the bride and groom weren't there. I'm sure they were tired and wanted to get back to their hotel room, but it would have been really fun to have them there with us.

So this is why I am torn on the after-party thing. I obviously want to spend as much time with our guests as possible, but will we be too tired at the end of the day? Maybe the adrenaline will be pumping so much that we wont want the night to end!

Did you have an after-party? Are you planning one?

Long Distance Friendships

Wedding planning is one of the greatest times in our lives. We are busy running errands with all our bridesmaids every weekend, champagne brunches in your honor and non-stop fun. But what happens when your bridesmaids, your bestest friends, live more than 2 hours away from you? You do that shit alone. Except maybe the party thing, I haven't thrown a party for myself in my honor... yet. :D

Picture via Identity Magazine

I'm sure a lot of us are in the same situation. We are at that age where everyone is starting their own lives and they can't just pick up and leave at the drop of a hat anymore. Of course I have my mom and Mr.PF to help me plan, but its not the same as having my closest girlfriends with me.

Have you had to deal with long distance friendships? How did you keep them involved?

Invitation Procrastination

I probably should have gotten my invitations out, ohhhhhhhhh say, yesterday? But here they are, still neatly packaged in the box they came in about 2 months ago.


I have absolutely no motivation to address these puppies, it just seems like so much work. The funny thing is, I was so excited to order them and get them. Once I got over their initial beauty it just seems like such a daunting task. Does anyone have any tips on getting through this pile of paper? A wine and pizza party perhaps?

What sort of wedding tasks are you procrastinating on?

Stacked.

I have been obsessed with the stacked ring look for a while now and I decided to try it out for myself.
This is the first combination I tried. I can't help but think I'm doing something wrong because it kinda looks like my finger is suffocating...


Then I tried putting a ring on both sides of my e-ring. Not terrible, but I didn't like how the top ring didn't sit flush. I'm very picky, I know.

Here is a combo with the pink band omitted. I really like that pretty little pink band, even though its really thin, I think it adds character :D



This last option was my favorite combination so far. By the way, you are probably thinking that I'm a total baller with all these diamond wedding rings, right? Not so much. They are CZ and I ordered them from InspiredSilver.com so I could play around with options before committing to a real ring.


So what do yall think? Did you go with a stacked look? How many rings did you stack?

Let them eat cake?

As I told yall before, Mr. PF has celiac disease, so that means no cake.

Picture via Gluten-Free Foodie

I thought about buying gluten-free cake mix and taking it with us to Mexico and then just making a small cake for us to cut and eat. I feel like that might be more trouble than its worth and honestly, I haven't tried any G-free cakes I actually liked.

After thinking about it for some time, I started to think that maybe I was being selfish not having a wedding cake just because Mr. PF can't eat it. Do people even really care about the wedding cake? We are serving dessert but one is a banana whipped dessert and the other is tres leches cheesecake.

So what do yall think? Should I order a regular cake for all our guests?

Poll
1. Absolutely! Cake is the best part of the wedding.
2. Skip it, they won't miss it!
3. Other suggestion- Tell me below!

Case of the ex.

Ah, Facebook. We have a love/hate relationship.

I'm sure most of us have gone through some sort of Facebook drama, but what happens when your ex finds out you're engaged? Well, if you have a crazy, stalker ex, he tries to contact you and win you back. This happened to me recently and it has all been so strange.

Let me start by saying I am not friends with my ex on Facebook, it's just not something I want to do. He actually messaged me through a mutual friend of ours and wanted to talk to me. Our relationship ended badly, and there's no way I would ever even consider going back to him. It's funny, though, how it can stir up emotions inside you.

For me, It made me realize how lucky I am to have a man that I can trust fully and love with all my heart. It made me realize that a normal relationship doesn't include looking through your boyfriends phone because you suspect he might be texting other girls (which he was). All of this hoopla made me so happy to know that I have a loving, steady relationship and I think we got a really good chance at making it. :D

Have y'all ever experienced Facebook drama? Or maybe just Ex drama?

Burlap: It's Not Just For Potato Sacks Anymore

I absolutely love the look of burlap incorperated into the decor at weddings. It has been the object of my inspiration affection for months now. Since we are 4 months away from the wedding, details like these are finally starting to come into play.

Image via Ruffled Blog

But burlap on the beach? Can it be done? To me, burlap has a really rustic, country feel to it and I tried googlin' pictures of weddings on the beach that had burlap, but I didn't come up with anything as striking as these pictures...

Image via Ruffled Blog

Picture via Tiffany Kelley

And then I found this...

Image via Etsy

Image via Jet Fete Blog

Images via Jet Fete Blog

I just about lost it when I saw that adorable burlap bunting! I am totally going to try to do that, by the way. This weekend I am going to head to a fabric store (do you get burlap at a fabric store) and get myself a couple of yards of burlap and start experimenting.

Are you using burlap? How do you think it looks at the beach?

Well, The Dress Doesn't Fit.

That's right, Bees. My wonderful, lovely, ever-so-perfect dress doesn't fit!

I went to my first fitting this weekend and we did get it to zip, but its soooooo tight around my booty. Most people try and lose weight for their wedding, but I gained! Who does that???

Lucky for me, Mrs. Hotdog came to my rescue. Her and her husband have a personal training business in Wyoming and she offered to help me get into my dress with their 3 month program.

Picture via Complete Physique

The best part about the plan is that she planned out all my meals for me on my Google Calendar, which takes out all the guess work on my part. I don't know about y'all, but that's where I'm really clueless. She also gave me several different workouts to chose from so I don't get bored.

OK, now without further ado, the before pictures: (After further consideration, I decided not to post a picture in my sports bra...Your welcome :)


I probably need to lose about 10lbs for my dress to fit comfortably. I know its possible and totally do-able. I have 4 months till the wedding, so I just need to get my little porker butt in gear! I'll keep y'all posted.

Are you losing weight for the wedding or did you unexpectedly gain? What's your favorite exercise?

Name Changing and My Culture

I know that the name change topic has been greatly discussed many times on the hive, but I wanted to get the Hive's opinion on my situation.

Mr. PF is white with a very white last name and I am Hispanic with a very Hispanic last name. I always figured I would take my husbands last name, but I only recently started considering keeping my name. I know that just because you change your last name it doesn't mean that you are losing any part of your culture, but to me it sorta feels that way. I almost feel like I am denying a part of who I am and who I have been for 25 years.

I know that changing my name isn't going to completely change who I am. A rose is still a rose, right? But the cultural difference between Mr.PF and I has made this a more difficult decision for me.

Mr. PF fully supports me keeping my last name, but the traditionalist in me wants us to have the same last name so we can be our own little family unit. Ugh, why can't I have my cake and eat it too?

Are there cultural differences between you and your FI? How did you decide if you were going to change your name or not?

Dressing As A Guest.

One of the best things about this time in our lives is that more than likely, some of our friends are getting married too. I had the pleasure of going to a friends wedding last weekend and had to struggle through the age old question of what to wear.

I love this for a Fall or Winter wedding:

Picture via Nordstrom

This is perfect for a spring or garden wedding:

Image via Dot's Site

I love this dress for a fun summer wedding:

Image via Nordstrom

Maybe you have a beach wedding to attend:

Image via Gypsy05

Trying to find an outfit for a black tie affair? Try something like this...

Image via Nordstrom

I love this simple black dress that you can add some fun accessories to!

At the last wedding I went to, I was surprised to see 3 women dressed in all white! I know some brides don't mind at all what their guest wear, but I always thought it was an unspoken rule that we aren't supposed to wear white!

What are some of the craziest outfits you have seen at a wedding?

Dollar tree decor

(Source)

Dollar tree is probably one of my favorite places to shop. It's like the Disneyland of dollar stores! They have so much glassware that's totally awesome and it got me thinking. After getting a proposal from our venue on floral centerpieces, I was way less than impressed.

For example:

Photo via Zama Beach Club

This picture she sent me I actually really liked. It was the price I wasn't thrilled about. $75 for this centerpiece. Really? I mean, there's like, $12 worth of flowers here...


Then there's this one...

Photo via Zama Beach Club
This centerpiece doesn't even have any flowers! $65 for this puppy.

So, on my last trip to the Dollar Tree I told myself I was going to spend less than $20 and make a centerpiece way better than the ones she sent me. (Ok, maybe not wayyy better, but close)

Here is what I came up with. (Please excuse my terrible picture taking...anyone wanna give me lessons?)

Simple centerpiece

(This picture was an attempt to show the little rocks in the glasses)

In this one I added some little extra stuff around the flowers.

I bought all this stuff for less than $10

3 vases- $3.00
1 bag of rocks- $1.00
5 pack tea light candles- $1.00
1 bag of potpourri- $1.00

The flowers were the most expensive part of this trial- $9.00 for 12 roses

I wish I could pack up all the glass stuff they have at Dollar Tree and ship it to Mexico so I could do my centerpieces myself. That's probably not going to work, so I will just use Dollar Tree to cheaply decorate my house.

Where are your favorite places to shop for great deals??

Hill Country Bee Meet-up Tomorrow!

Yay! It's finally here! The first ever Texas Hill County WeddingBee Meet-up is tomorrow!

Where: We will be meeting at Gruene River Grill in Gruene, TX (half way between Austin and San Antonio)

When: 11A.M.- This is a time change from the original post.

Who: All Texas Hill Country WeddingBee community!

Can't wait to see y'all there!

Here is a link to the board post so you can RSVP if you haven't yet :D

Save The Last Dance For Me

I know a lot of us put thought into our first dance, but silly, type-a me has been thinking about the last dance also.

Image via Seattle Wedding DJ

I really want something that is going to tie the whole wedding together and leave everyone thinking... "That was the best wedding EVER". I know for sure I want it to be upbeat and something we can all dance to, so I am turning to the Hive to help me decide!

I have narrowed down my choices to these three songs. So what do y'all think?

POLL

1.Don't Stop Believin'- Journey

2.How Sweet It Is (To Be Loved By You)- James Taylor

3. Forever- Chris Brown

4. Something else like...

What is your last dance going to be? Was it upbeat and happy, or romantically slow?

Gifting My Groom (on the cheap)

Mr. PF's wedding gift is something that I have put a lot of time and effort, but no so much money into.

If you are looking for something really sweet for your groom, but are on a tight budget, maybe I can help you out. I bought this cute, little book about 6 weeks ago and I have been working on it whenever I have some free time without Mr. PF.

(Source)

The cool thing about this book is that it is kinda like writing in a journal, but it is filled with fun prompts. I have been having so much fun going through this book and reflecting on our relationship and writing about it. I am leaving some of it blank so we can go back and do some of it together. As much as I would love to give Mr.PF an iPad or a PS3, this is more up my alley while staying on budget! :D

What special gifts are you considering? Are you breaking the bank for your groom or staying on budget?

The Love Tank

My friend and I were talking the other day about a book she has been reading about relationships called the Five Languages of Love. In the book, the concept of a "Love Tank" is brought up and how to keep that tank full.

Image via Car Chat

Quality time is hard when you both work full time jobs. To top it off Mr. PF coaches football and is gone a lot. The only time we really get to see each other is in the mornings, and I'll be honest, Im not the most exciting person at 6AM. So, I have been looking for ways to keep our love tank full when I feel like it's starting to get low.

We have been trying to implement date nights on Sundays (his only day off) but a lot of times we are both so tired from the week that we end up not going. Also, Mr. PF likes to watch football on Sundays and planning a date around that can get tricky as well.

I have also tried leaving little love notes around the house for him to discover at random times, but I guess my hiding spots were too good cause he hasn't found any yet.

How do you keep your love tank full on a busy schedule? Have you ever read The Five Languages of Love?

Something old and borrowed?

Does anyone know if its against the rules to combine these two?

My veil is something that was always pretty important to me. I knew exactly what I wanted- lacy and super-long! I longed for that beautiful lace edge of a classic mantilla veil and I wasn't going to stop till I found one that was perfect for my dress.

So, the search began. I scoured etsy, ebay, bridal salons here in town and even craigslist. FYI, all the bridal shops we went to were ridiculously over priced. $1500 for a veil? Uh, no thanks. I was starting to think that my mantilla dreams would be dashed. Then, my super-awesome aunt swoops in to save the day.

She offered to let me use her cathedral length mantilla veil for my big day! Let me tell yall, its gorgeous. Check it out.

Doesn't she look pretty?! Love the sleeves :)

The only problem is that the veil has that 70's hat style that we all know and love so well. I'm hoping I will be able to find someone who will be able to remove it. Does anyone know if this can be done? Or should I just rock the mini hat. Just kidding. I'm totally not doing that. hehe.

PS: No, I'm not naked! :D

A strategically placed wedding

Our wedding will be on a Tuesday. Weird I know, but I promise we have a good reason.

Image via liberalartsduq

Mr. PF and I are both teachers and we will be having the wedding during spring break. We visited the island during the summer time and it was way too hot with way too many chances of rain. We have a lot of family and friends that are also teachers and work for the district, so they will have that time off also.

We know it wont be convenient for everyone but no wedding, destination or not, will ever accommodate every single person. We did what was right for us and as long as my groom is there waiting for me at the end of the aisle, I'll be perfectly happy.

How did you pick your wedding date? Did you choose another day besides Saturday?

Fauxligraphy.

Yeah, apparently that's not really a word.

But it is awesome. Fauxligraphy is one of the ways I have managed to save money on this wedding! My mom was very proud :) Instead of hiring someone to address my envelopes for $3 a pop, I found a more resourceful way of doing things. One evening while obsessively looking at fonts on DaFont, I stumbled upon the calligraphy font section. Score! I immediately went to look at my printer to see if it had the capability of printing envelopes. It does. Turns out most printers can do this, who knew. Heh.

They have a huge selection of awesome fonts (for free!!!!!) but its not my fault if you get addicted. I warned you. The font I chose was Freebooter Script and I think it turned out awesome!

Dafont Freebooter Script

Here is an addressed envelope. The envelope I used was an old envelope I had, the printer didn't make it wrinkly like that. I wanted to show you what it actually looked like on an envelope, but I didn't want to spare one of my real ones :D Those things are way too expensive, y'all.

What inexpensive ways have you found to cut back on the wedding budget? I would love to hear them :D

An Untraditonal Traditional Beach Wedding.

Does that even make sense? Well, it sorta does to me :)

Just because Mr. PF and I are having a destination wedding doesn't mean that we are bucking all tradition completely. We are actually going to incorporate some of my family traditions, his family traditions and some island traditions in our ceremony. It should be very interesting to say the least.

Image via Jabez Photography

The first ceremony we are doing is a tradition from my family which incorporates a Lasso. The lasso we are using has been in our family for many generations and has been used by almost all of my family members during their weddings. The Lasso is a beaded rosary that is shaped like an infinity symbol or and 8. It symbolizes our eternal love for each other and the bond we will be sharing from then on. We are going to have my parents and his parents put the lasso around our shoulders together to symbolize the two families joining together. While they are doing this, the officiant will say:

As you are bound together now, so too your lives and spirits

are joined in a union of everlasting love and trust.

Above you are the stars and below you is the earth.

Like the stars, your love should be a constant source of light,

and like the earth, a firm foundation from which to grow.

So we ask God to bless and protect this couple and their future together.

The next ceremony we are doing is the sand ceremony which I'm sure many of you are familiar with. Since it would be really hard to light candles during the ceremony on the windy beach, we are going to go the sand route. We will have four different colors of sand to symbolize different aspects of our marriage. Red sand to symbolize love and passion, blue sand to symbolize tears (good and bad), green to symbolize abundance and prosperity and finally white to symbolize compassion and understanding.

Image via St. Simon Elopements

The last tradition being incorporated into our ceremony is an island ceremony called a flower offering. Neither of us had ever heard of something like this and we loved the meaning and symbolism behind it. We will provide the guests with flower petals and we will head out to the dock at our venue and offer the flower petals to the ocean. We do this to honor the past, give thanks to the present and invoke love, happiness and abundance for the future. Plus, we will get awesome pictures like these...

Images via Susan Pacek Photography

What kind of family traditions are you incorporating into your wedding? Are you starting any new traditions?

Things You Shouldn't Say to a Bride

Since Mr. PF and I have been engaged for almost two years, you can bet your bottom dollar that I have heard a lot of wedding talk. Needless to say, nothing surprises me anymore so I decided to put together silly list that I'm sure we can all relate to.

Image via Bridezillas

1. I'm invited to the wedding, right? or even better... I'm gonna be a bridesmaid, right?
I have heard both of these and they both took me by surprise. I was left with a deer in the headlight stare and somehow stumbled my way out of it. I totally understand that people are excited for you and they want to be there to share your day, but it puts the bride in a really awkward position, especially if you aren't close friends.

2. Your ring is so cute!
OK, your bunny is cute, your new cardigan is cute, Hello Kitty is cute, but my ring is not cute. We can't all have 2 carat sparklers on our fingers, but I like my ring very much, thank you :)

3. Anything about why she shouldn't get married
I never really understood this. A bride is planning one of the most exciting days of her life and in the midst of best wishes and congratulations you hear a voice shouting "Don't do it!" Most of the time it comes from men thinking that they are being funny, but it get old real fast.

4. I know you have a small venue, but would it be OK if I brought my friend?
Bonus points if you have never met said friend before.

And last, but not least...

5. Do you have a baby in your belly?
Oh yes, my friends, I heard this special nugget today from one of my first graders. She did follow it up by saying that it's probably a really cute baby, but never the less, I was horrified. I don't think I really need to explain why this is something you shouldn't say... haha.

What crazy things have you heard while wedding planning?

Our No Look, First Look.

After our photographer suggested that we take pictures before the ceremony to save time, Mr. PF had to be talked into the idea. He is somewhat traditional and expressed that he didn't want to see me before the ceremony. He wanted that element of surprise when he saw me walking down the aisle, which I totally get.

I actually agreed with him, but I knew it would be more logistical to take pictures before the ceremony. It would leave us more time to enjoy our cocktail hour and more time with our friends and family. So, I started doing some research on first look pictures in attempts to persuade Mr. PF into the idea.

Image via ChocoStudio

I love this shot! I can totally imagine myself sneaking up on Mr. PF.

Another reason the first look appeals to me is because the bride and groom get to spend a few private moments together before the chaos of the day begins. He still wasn't convinced, though. (Aren't the guys just supposed to go with the flow?)

Then, I stumbled upon these beauties.

Image via Becky Young Photography

Image via Becky Young Photography

Image via Gina Leigh Photography

Image via Gina Leigh Photography

I can actually feel the emotion and excitement oozing from these pictures! This is the perfect compromise for us. We get to have some special pictures of us sorta together, yet we still get to keep the element of surprise for the Mr. during the ceremony.

We are also going to get the wedding party pictures taken before the ceremony to get that out of the way.

Did you, or are you planning on having a first look? How did your FI feel about it?

Texas Hill Country Bee Meet-up!

Get ready, yall! It's the first-ever Texas Hill Country Bee Meet-up!

Picture via Gruene River Grill

Who: Come one, come all! Whether you are still waiting, in the midst of planning or have a bun in the oven, we wanna see you!

What: A meet up to get to know other Texas Bees! Lets chat about our wedding plans and make some new friends.

When: Saturday, October 22, at 12 pm

Where: Gruene, TX in the middle of Austin and San Antonio at Gruene River Grill.

Why: Because it's gonna be super-fun!

Head on over to the local boards here and RSVP!

Trying to tame my inner child.

I have had a few people already ask me where I'm registered or if we have registered yet. With the wedding about 5 months away, showers, engagement parties and other fun stuff is right around the corner. I actually registered for some gifts online at Bed, Bath and Beyond, but there was something holding me back.

The place we are getting married is a beautiful, tropical island with endless turquoise waters and bottomless margaritas. It is also home to many people who live way below anything we would consider close to the poverty line. This past summer when we visited the island, I found an amazing organization called Peace Isla Mujeres. They do amazing things for schools, shelters and even animals on the island.

Image via Peace Isla Mujeres
Free spay and neuter clinic on the island

Mr. PF and I already live together and we have accumulated quite a bit of things in those couple of years. We have everything we could possibly need to (air quote) start our lives together.

I can't help but think of all these amazing people we met this summer and how positive they are, even though they have nothing. I also can't help but think of how much they need the money for medical supplies or books for their school. They need it more than we need a new toaster or another blender.

I know it's going to be so hard to tame my inner child when it comes to receiving gifts. I can unwrap a present with the best of them, but this is my chance to make a difference in the lives of the people who inhabit this amazing island that we fell in love with.

I have already gotten some strange looks from my more traditional family members who insist on buying us fine china, but I think most people will be on board for our plan.

Did any of y'all go a different route on the registry front? How did you family react? Did you end up getting gifts anyways?

Our Gluten-free wedding!

About five years ago Mr. PF was diagnosed with Celiac disease. For those who aren't familiar with what that is, he is basically allergic to wheat, flour, barley and rye. Have you ever looked at the ingredients in products your eating? Gluten is in like, everything, y'all!Image via NaturalBuy

After struggling with it for about a year, he is completely gluten-free and he is much happier and healthier. So, what does all this mean when you're planning a wedding? Well, we aren't going to have a cake since he can't eat it anyways. That means no cake face smash pictures that I love so much like Mrs. Prarie Dog. :(

Also, we had to be very careful what we had on our menu. Luckily our venue was very willing to work with us and everything on on menu will be gluten-free! Some of Mr. PF's family members also have Celiac disease, so they will be able to eat the food without any worries.

The only thing that will not be gluten-free is our bar. There is gluten is beer and so we decided that as long as we have other stuff for Mr. PF to drink, we can keep the beer for all our barley loving guests.

All in all, there were some things we had to avoid like bread and an amazing wedding cake, but at least Mr. PF will be able to eat freely at our wedding.

What are some obstacles you had to overcome while planning your wedding? Do any of y'all have a gluten intolerance?