Engagement Memories

"So here I am, waist-deep in wedding planning as I type this, and forcing myself to "come back to reality" with all the dreams I wrote down in my wedding notebook growing up. I flip through that square, pink book now and I chuckle a little. The girls I had planned on asking to be my bridesmaids have come and gone. The spectacular hotel I listed as the reception location is no longer. My lifelong vision of a new years eve wedding is not a desire of mine now. And every guy I thought-whether for 5 minutes or 5 years-would be the figure in the tux standing up at the altar kinda makes me concerned for my mental health. 

I look ahead to the following 365 days (plus a few more) with optimism, anticipation, and a smidge of anxiousness. I'm thrilled with the idea of trying on my dress and knowing it in an instant! My liver aches a little at the thought of all the drinks to be consumed at the bachelorette party with my bridal entourage. I couldn't be more ecstatic to begin receiving response cards from the 150 invitations we have yet to print, address, and send across the country. But more importantly, my eyes fill with tears at the idea of looking down the aisle of my childhood church and seeing my very best friend & soon-to-be husband at the other end."

While looking through my personal Facebook page this afternoon, I stumbled upon this note I wrote and shared on May 10, 2011. Reading through this now gives me the chills-stepping back into that moment and remembering the exact feelings, emotions and thoughts I experienced more than a year before my wedding day. I hadn't yet asked all of my bridesmaids, gone dress shopping or even finalized my color scheme. I had endless amounts of work to do, decisions to make and items to cross off my to-do list, but I wasn't thinking about that. I was thinking about the life I was planning with my husband and the impending celebration we would share with our friends and family. I wasn't scared, angry, stressed or even confused. I felt secure, empowered and excited.

Our Engagement Party Cake

This isn't my typical style, content or focus. It's personal, deep and emotional, but I'm posting this because I want every bride to have that feeling I experienced almost two years ago now, and not just for one blissful evening, but for the duration of their engagement.

I've often wondered if my work is desirable to other brides and grooms, as any new business owner would, and after reading this and feeling that I have stepped back in time, I know that it is. I plan weddings for the women who have planned them since they can remember. Although the plans may have evolved with time, the little girl who will forever be a dreamer is still the same. And I want the experience of planning your wedding to be full of positive memories and exciting times, so that when you look back on it years from now, as I am, you'll feel that you enjoyed every minute of it. I love what I do and I am so very privileged to work with every.single.couple.