Happy Weekend!

It is definitely a HAPPY Weekend! Kara Marie is in Erie, PA with her family (yes, she has BIG news to announce on Monday when she returns), Danielle just bought her wedding dress in Birmingham (she's engaged!... and of course planned and booked her entire wedding within 24hours), and Ari and I drove into the California snow yesterday for a much needed day trip.

So, we are just so so busy with weddings that I got to a point late Friday night where I cringed at the sight of wedding cake. You are planning YOUR wedding... imagine planning 30 at once! Sometimes it gets to be a little overwhelming : ) Brides and vendors call 24/7 and the men in our lives start to think of devilish ways to "accidentally" break our blackberry's. haha. But, it's a labor of love. Truly it is.

We live for the moment we send the bride down the aisle and she looks so calm and relaxed because she knows everything is taken care of. She can focus on her husband-to-be and enjoy every sacred moment without thinking about whether or not the caterer remembered her cousin is allergic to nuts and needs a special meal. Or whether or not the band knows that playing "Let's Get It On" will make her grandma blush. Or if the cake is melting in the warm summer sun out in her hot tent. We have it all taken care of. It's all about trust. We do not falter. We just make her day perfect. Now, behind the scenes it's sometimes not-so-perfect. The flower girl spilled grape juice on her white dress, the father of the bride forgot his tie, the cake was delivered to the wrong address, 30 extra guests decided to come to the reception, etc. But the Bride will never know anything went wrong. That is our job- our distinct and trained skill.... to make magic happen. No matter how detailed we are in our planning, something out of our control sometimes goes awry. And those moments are what excites us most- that's when we get to shine. Super-wedding-planner to the rescue!

But, back to our daily lives. Friday night was one of those nights. I said to myself "Self, you'll be better to your brides if you just let the weddings go for one moment." And it's in that moment that I remembered the entire purpose of the work we do and why people do this 'wedding thing'. To celebrate the love. The devotion. The future with your husbands-to-be, your someday children, your someday grandchildren, your future laughs and triumphs. That is the point.

I ask all of you brides, moms, sisters, and friends to take a moment this week to reflect on the point. Put all of the planning aside -the dress, the flowers, the music, the expensive little mini wedding cake favors you just can't live without- and come back to the love. Cherish every moment with those you love. Make your Love laugh. Tell mom and dad "thank you". Say a little prayer for someone in need. And most importantly, CELEBRATE the love you have for each other!

In this reflection, I am always re-invigorated... ready to take on ANOTHER 30 fantastic, unique, personal, intimate, and stunning new weddings! Each bride is a gift and each wedding an opportunity to help her celebrate the love she has for her friends, family, and new husband. It's awesome work that we do!

We are all spending today coming back to the point. Kara Marie with her family, Danielle with hers, and I with the man I love and our ridiculously cute kitty.... who is currently on my desk eating a corner of the new Martha Stewart Weddings (I guess she likes Carolina Herrera!~)

Wishing you all a very happy, relaxing, and love-filled week!