Tattoos.

Anysunrise

If you have one:

What is it/are they of?

Where is it?

Why'd you get it/them?

What was the actual being tattoo'd experience like?

Do you regret it?

Any additional tattoo-related advice you have to give?

If you don't:

Would you ever consider it?

What would it be of, and where would you get it, if you were to get one?

ETA: Bonus for pics!

goheels05

I don't have any.

I wanted one in college, but I couldn't think of anything I wanted on my body forever, and I worried that after college I wouldn't want one anymore anyway.  I was right.

I like tattoos on other people. 

Anysunrise

Yeah, I'm kind of wanting to get one, hence the post ofc.  I haven't been able to find something I really like, so I commisioned an artist friend to draw something up for me. Assuming I love it, I'm still going to wait probably another 6 months at least, just to be ABSOLUTELY sure I want it.

I'm interested in hearing other people's stories and reasons.

katiewhompus

I don't have any but I have thought about it. I would like to get a Goddess symbol either on my back or hip (circle with two crescent moons).

I think I may get tattoos for children when we have them. Something symbolic and small. I'm terrified of needles though so we'll see if that happens.

AllAboutTheBenjamin

If you don't:

Would you ever consider it?  I don't think so - I am just too afraid it would hurt and that I couldn't go through with it.  Plus I can't think of anything I know that I'd want on myself for the rest of my life.

What would it be of, and where would you get it, if you were to get one?  Some people get them just for the sake of getting them, and I think that's dumb.  If I ever DID muster up the courage to do it, it would have to be something extremely meaningful.  Chinese symbols, barbed wire and other generic designs - I'm sorry - are dumb.  I knew a girl in college who was Native American, and she got a feather tattooed just behind her ear and I thought it was the coolest idea ever, since she did it as a symbol of her heritage.  And it was a cool place to get a tattoo.  My future sister in law has a cross on her foot for her faith, decorated with four flowers - each representing her grandparents who have passed away.  Stuff like that is neat.  But I have a friend who got a Playboy bunny tattooed on her hip - she regretted it a year later.  Another girl I knew in college who I worked with at a restaurant had a tattoo of some random, blue moon design on her temple.  It was dumb and everyone was always confused when they saw it.

[Deleted User]

What is it/are they of? I have a sunflower on one ankle and a cheesy rednecky moon on the other. I have a butterfly that looks like a spider on my toe and some circle-y think on the back of my neck. I also have a tramp stamp Chinese character that I'm pretty sure means either doggy style or diarrhea.

Where is it? See above.

Why'd you get it/them? Because I was young and a gigantic, douchey idiot.

What was the actual being tattoo'd experience like? It's like a stinging feeling. The pain really depends on where you get it. My ankles didn't hurt, but my toe and back hurt like a motherfucker.

Do you regret it? Oh yes.

Any additional tattoo-related advice you have to give? None. I just wish I would have waited and not been an impulsive dumbass about it. I like the way tattoos look, just not the ones I have.

Nebb

If you have one:

What is it/are they of? Stars

Where is it? 6 stars down my spine, one on each wrist, swirl of stars down each calf (i posted pics)

Why'd you get it/them? cause, I was 18 and could

What was the actual being tattoo'd experience like? I had a good time, I liked the people in the shop I went to and it was pleasant. DUH I answered this wrong. It hurt more in some areas than others, towards bone or certain muscles for me. You hear the buzz and think "oh this isnt so bad" and then they actually put the needles in and it hurts like shiit but you get numb to it. I dont recall my back hurting very much, my legs hurt the worst.

Do you regret it? my leg ones a bit, because I dont feel comfortable wearing shorts or skirts to work

Any additional tattoo-related advice you have to give? dont pick it!

maratea

If you have one:

What is it/are they of? I have 3. One is a sunset with palm trees, one is a version of the celtic tree of life, and one is a pair of hand releasing a dove with a circle around the hands/dove.

Where is it? Palm tree is on my right shoulder, celtic tree is in the middle of my upper back/shoulder blades, dove is lower back (tramp stamp, what?).

Why'd you get it/them? Palm tree- Because to me it meant freedom and growth. I was about to leave for college so it was a big time in my life. Celtic tree- It symbolizes the bond between my friend and I. We've been through some crazy stuff together and we've been wanting to get similar tattoos for years now. Dove- It's a reminder that I'm connected to everything in this world and what I do (releasing the dove) will affect the world in some way. Also it's in remembrance of my cousin and grandmother who have passed away.

What was the actual being tattoo'd experience like? The first one was fine, it was on my shoulder. The one on my lower back hurt like shiit. The one in my middle upper back was painful, but not bad. It's an odd sensation, I can't really describe it. It's like little tiny needles, sort of poking and pinching your skin at the same time.

Do you regret it? Nope. I always think over what I'm going to get, lots of thought involved. Every tattoo I will get will have meaning.

Any additional tattoo-related advice you have to give? It's doesn't hurt that bad. Plus, you come out looking like a badass because you have a tattoo.

[Deleted User]

What is it/are they of?
1) star headdress of Seshat, Egyptian goddess of writing and scrolls, surrounded by a tribal flame and 2 bear paws, Cherokee symbols of good omens.

2) My Cherokee name, Usti Kamama (Little Butterfly), written in the syllabary symbols. In the background is a bird silhouette, since the goose is my spirit guide and the time I spent rehabbing birds was one of the best of my life. If anyone is interested I could go into the meaning of the colors, but it would be a bit of a novel.

Where is it?
Both are on my back, one upper and one lower.

Why'd you get it/them?
They are personal and mean a lot to me. I've always loved tattoos (blame my dad for that one) so as soon as I was old enough I went with my dad to get them (the first at 18, second at 19 or so).

What was the actual being tattoo'd experience like?
The first one (lower back) tickled. the second hurt more when he went over bone. I went to the same place for both and we knew the guys, so it wasn't uncomfortable or anything .

Do you regret it?
Not at all.

Any additional tattoo-related advice you have to give?
Get something that actually means something to you, not just whatever the current fad is.

pirategal03

I don't have any.  I wouldn't ever get anything large and upon first glance, I think small tattoos almost always look like the person has a bruise or a dirty spot.  My friend has a penguin on her ankle about the size of a thumbprint, even though I know it's there, I catch myself wondering how she got that bruise every time I see it.  Same for my other friend's small tatttoos. 

I'm not hard-core-anti-tattoo or anything, they're just NMS.

dmiller9274

Nope, I don't have any.  When I was younger I thought that I wanted one, but just couldn't think of what I wanted.  Still can't think of anything that I'll want to look at for the rest of my life.  I do like them on others, just NMS.

I do find men that have full sleeves to be sexy, not sure why, but I think it looks HOT.

*BeachBride0410*

If you have one:

What is it/are they of?
I have 3....butterfly on hip, scorpion on back & Celtic clover on foot


Why'd you get it/them?
butterfly- I just really liked it, 1st tattoo I was 18.
scorpion- my sign & I am a Scorpio to a T, everything you read about Scorpios, the good the bad & ugly
clover- very close to my grandmother & our Irish heritage.

What was the actual being tattoo'd experience like?
I was super nervous thinking the needle would be going up & down in & out of my skin, but it moves so fast it just feels like scratching...and a little burning.  My foot hurt the worst because you could feel the vibrations of the gun.

Do you regret it?
Absolutely not!

Any additional tattoo-related advice you have to give?
So many people make the decision to get a tattoo & don't think about it.  It is a permanent decision and you need to be 110% sure you will love it 5, 10, 15yrs from now.  Put it in a spot where it can be covered if needed....that is my advice atleast. 


*picture of 3rd tattoo & my favorite!

betrothed123

If you don't:

Would you ever consider it? I thought about it before I turned 18, but by the time I could have legally gotten one I had lost all interest.  I don't want to permanently mark up my body because I have a feeling I'd regret whatever it is I decided to go with.

What would it be of, and where would you get it, if you were to get one? It would be a mouse's face, on my boob.  The nipple would be the nose   Okay, so I haven't put any thought into it, but I've seen one like that before and it made me laugh.

Nebb

Im actually really considering one I wanted a few years ago and abandoned. I still think about it and I think I want it. It would be across my foot and around my ankle. Im not 100% yet though.

maratea

 The palm tree one looks similar to this.



This is the Celtic tree of life one.



This is the dove one, but the back set of hands isn't there, the bird is more define and it's all outline, no fill-in black.

ETA: I'm going to have my grandmother and cousin's names added to the dove one. I haven't decided where or what style of font yet.

AllAboutTheBenjamin

In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/wedding-boards_snarky-brides_tattoos?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Wedding%20BoardsForum:17Discussion:56c9e250-a38d-43a0-8e0f-0aa42bed172aPost:92e8cd0d-7567-47ab-9a34-0d6dcb5db252">Re: Tattoos.</a>:
[QUOTE] It would be a mouse's face, on my boob.  The nipple would be the nose ;)  Okay, so I haven't put any thought into it, but I've seen one like that before and it made me laugh.
Posted by betrothed123[/QUOTE]

Made me laugh too :)

My cousin married this really, really sweet guy.  Both she and her husband have a ton of tattoos and they both have sleeves - hers is mostly a full sleeve and his is a half.

Recently he asked me "Have you ever seen my pants tattoo?"  When he was maybe 16 or 17, one of his older friends got an amateur tattoo gun and wanted to test it out, so he let him tattoo a tiny pair of pants on the inside of his foot.  It was pants because his name is Lance, and in high school, everyone called him Lance Pants.  He says that apparently tattoos on feet usually fade faster than other tats because feet sweat more - but those pants are still pretty visible :)

I think it's a funny tattoo.

*BeachBride0410*

maratea-  I really like the Celtic tree of life!

maratea

BB- Thanks, it's the most recent one. I think I got it about a month ago.

Nebb

In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/wedding-boards_snarky-brides_tattoos?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Wedding BoardsForum:17Discussion:56c9e250-a38d-43a0-8e0f-0aa42bed172aPost:60d60d38-4c29-4eb3-b409-7c6e34404800">Re: Tattoos.</a>:
[QUOTE] The palm tree one looks similar to this. This is the Celtic tree of life one. This is the dove one, but the back set of hands isn't there, the bird is more define and it's all outline, no fill-in black. ETA: I'm going to have my grandmother and cousin's names added to the dove one. I haven't decided where or what style of font yet.
Posted by maratea[/QUOTE]
Baahahahaha I was chatting to my ex recently and he wants a tattoo and your celtic tree of life was one of his top contenders. I told him flat out it looks kind of girly, but he didnt agree.

*BeachBride0410*

My favorite is the one on my foot, Celtic clover.

I am not sure if this is why I wanted tattoos or not but my dad has full sleeves on both arms.  I know it bothers some people, but it doesn't me at all.  But he grew up riding motorcycles and still does, so he used to hang out with that crowd, so I guess tattoos were the natural thing

maratea

nebb- It totally does look girly. There are way better ones out there for a guy. In fact there are some really interesting neat ones, but they look really involved (lots o' $$ and pain).

future-mrs

If you have one :
Left shoulder blade, in memory of my Uncle


Tibetan symbol for "unity of wisdom" with a purple rose and water


First tat on my foot


When my grandma hit 10 years for being cancer free, 3 of the women in my family got the breast cancer ribbon tattoos in October



Got this after a really tough period in my life.


And my Virgo sign/M for my last name



What was the actual being tattoo'd experience like? I'm addicted to them.
Do you regret it? Nope
Any additional tattoo-related advice you have to give? Make sure it's something you can live with for the rest of your life.

Anysunrise

In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/wedding-boards_snarky-brides_tattoos?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Wedding BoardsForum:17Discussion:56c9e250-a38d-43a0-8e0f-0aa42bed172aPost:6db0e465-0bbc-4bb2-b578-d5eebd1f7fda">Re: Tattoos.</a>:
[QUOTE]  *picture of 3rd tattoo & my favorite!
Posted by *BeachBride0410*[/QUOTE]

I love the green!

Maratea: I love the tree, very pretty.

Basically, I'm considering getting a pair of doves, not huge, but not bruise-sized either, on the higher part of my back, about on the level where my shoulders meet my neck. (Easily hideable if I come to regret it, but at the same time, I can just put my hair up to show it off). I'm not sure how I want the pair in relation to each other, but likely in some sort of lovey pose. Maybe intertwined somehow, or in flight together, that kinda thing.

The style I'd more than likely go with would be similar to this:

<a href="http://cdn.cl9.vanillaforums.com/downloaded/ver1.0/content/images/store/11/15/db0c48bc-c063-48c2-bf50-abffc642279f.large.jpg" title="Click to view a larger photo" onclick="return gSiteLife.LoadForumPage('ForumImage', 'plckPhotoId', 'db0c48bc-c063-48c2-bf50-abffc642279f', 'plckRedirectUrl', gSiteLife.EscapeValue(window.location.href));" class="PhotoLink"><img src="http://cdn.cl9.vanillaforums.com/downloaded/ver1.0/content/images/store/11/15/db0c48bc-c063-48c2-bf50-abffc642279f.medium.jpg" alt="" /></a>

I like doves because of the whole mating for life thing, and freedom and all that lame stuff. There really isn't anything I value enough to have permanently etched into my skin other than my relationship with FI; at the same time though, I want it to be something pretty that if we were to not end up together in 20 years, I wouldn't feel obligated to go get removed (like his name across my back, lol).

Is it super lame, or what? Like I said, I'd be thinking long and hard before getting this, but as of right now, I'm pretty fond of the idea of something at least, to represent us. By all means though, tell me if you think it's stupid.

vegasgroom

Don't have one, never will.  I don't mind them on others, and fortunately there are laws about getting them when you're drunk where I live or I'd probably have a stupid one since there was at least one night where I tried to get one and was refused (don't remember what of).  Main reason I don't want one (when sober) is because I think a large percentage of people look really stupid or white-trashy (if applicable) when they get older and still have the tats they got in their 20's.  Sorry, guess I should have made that a KPS, just calling it how I see it lol.

goheels05

In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/wedding-boards_snarky-brides_tattoos?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Wedding%20BoardsForum:17Discussion:56c9e250-a38d-43a0-8e0f-0aa42bed172aPost:6c1796f1-8e77-4deb-9748-f4b670dfd297">Re: Tattoos.</a>:
[QUOTE]What is it/are they of? I have a sunflower on one ankle and a cheesy rednecky moon on the other. I have a butterfly that looks like a spider on my toe and some circle-y think on the back of my neck. <span style="font-weight:bold;">I also have a tramp stamp Chinese character that I'm pretty sure means either doggy style or diarrhea.</span>
Posted by cew515[/QUOTE]


My boss walked by as I was visibly laughing. 

Nebb

I think thats a really pretty tattooo anysunrise.

kd.joseph

If you don't:

Would you ever consider it? Yes I did when I was younger, now I'm old and dont want a wrinkled tattoo, ha!

What would it be of, and where would you get it, if you were to get one? It was going to be of a fairy sitting on a cresent moon, I still have the nightlight it would have been fashioned after.And it would have been a tramp stamp.

Anysunrise

In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/wedding-boards_snarky-brides_tattoos?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Wedding BoardsForum:17Discussion:56c9e250-a38d-43a0-8e0f-0aa42bed172aPost:ed9b61e8-6c4d-4109-927d-9b0953bd8a00">Re: Tattoos.</a>:
[QUOTE]I think thats a really pretty tattooo anysunrise.
Posted by Nebb[/QUOTE]

=) The big thing I like about it is how the lines flow. It looks a bit more natural to me.

Blueyed228

If you have one:

What is it/are they of?
I have Hope on 1 wrist and Faith on the other.  I also have a lame symbol of talent on my toe.

Where is it?
See above

Why'd you get it/them?
The wrist ones mean alot to me and I waited untill I was almost 30 to get them because I wanted to be sure about it.  The toe one was when I turned 18.  Im glad i did that instead of the huge cross I wanted on the back of my neck.......

What was the actual being tattoo'd experience like?
It hurt but it was fine.

Do you regret it?
Just the toe one, but good news is that it will shed itself off in about 10 years, lol

Any additional tattoo-related advice you have to give?
Just make sure you really think about it before you do it.  Consider job opportunities etc. 

staceytaylor0704

If you have one :
I have 4 (or 5 if you don't consider one a "set")

What is it/are they of? Where is it? : I have a cross between my shoulderblades, a bee on my foot, love, hope on my wrist and a devil bird and an angel bird on my bikini area.

Why'd you get it/them? The cross was my first- got it because of religious beliefs and I just wanted a tattoo. The bee I got after my divorce (its not cartoony-looks real) I liked the art and its symbolic to me. Love and hope I got on my wrist to remind me of God's love for us and the hope forgiveness brings. You can see the pic in my avatar pic. The birds were just a stupid decision. Thougth they were cute at the time.

What was the actual being tattoo'd experience like? Back-not too much pain- hurt worse when I got it touched up. The foot was the worst pain I've ever experienced in my life. Wrist- small pinch, my favorite one- was quick and easy! The birds on the bikini area didn't hurt much at all either.

Do you regret it? No. Maybe the birds a little, but at least they are easy to hide

Any additional tattoo-related advice you have to give? Be 100% sure you want the design before you go get it done. Like, sit on it for a couple months and decide. Nothing worse than an impulse tattoo....

mrscarter052011

Yes, 3 to be exact.

What is it/are they of? butterfly, on ankle, it's just a black outline with a design in it, style wise I think you would call it tribal, 4-leaf clover,on the other ankle, flowers on my right side of my back, at or below the bra line (b/c I wanted to be able to wear a dress without it being visible.

Where is it? see above

Why'd you get it/them? 1st one (butterfly) when I was 18, my mom took me, 2nd with my best friend before she moved to Japan with her husband I got a clover to match the one she already had (and b/c we met in 4-H) and she had a butterfly added to look like it was sitting on top of her clover for me.  3rd-last summer while on a road trip with a friend.  always wants one on my back and not many people see it which I like.

What was the actual being tattoo'd experience like? It hurts but I'm addicted.

Do you regret it? No.

Any additional tattoo-related advice you have to give? Think about what you want, find a reputable artist/shop (this will cost more, it is worth it!), ask questions and when they put the stencil on you if you don't like the position, design, etc say so.  If the artist gives you a hard time, walk away and find one willing to listen to what you want (and listen if they say).  You will have this forever so it's important you're happy.  Follow the after-care instructions.