happy anniversary: elaine & tc…

i was going through a really rough time when my friend elaine set her wedding date… honestly, the timing was perfect. i was so happy for her, but i needed something to keep me busy and my creative juices flowing, i needed to be surrounded by a friend and have my focus and attention taken off myself and my problems for a while… and sometimes the best way to get over hurt in your own life is to start serving others with everything you’ve got.

so, i didn’t just decide to help her plan her wedding but without even thinking i decided to do as much as humanly possible. i declared myself her honorary wedding planner and from there, things just went crazy. she was on a tight budget with 2 little ones, and a husband who traveled for construction work, but still wanted everything she’d ever hoped for in her wedding. i was so excited to invest all the extra time i had to help make it a reality. we had a lot of work to do in just a few months and it was some of the most fun i’ve ever had…

looking back it was quite a whirlwind… we set the date, and then made the what seemed like endless list of things to do: i remember it all like it was yesterday. the two of us booked the church and set the date for marriage counseling. we shopped and found the most PERFECT wedding dress… i was the model for bridesmaids dresses since most of her best friends all live in ohio. we made the guest list and i printed and sent out all of the invitations. we found a great reception site, met with the manager and worked out all the details of the rentals. dj, done. photographer, done. hair & makeup artist, done. candles, printed napkins, done. i even remember being in the shoe store almost FORCING her to buy gorgeous silk wedding shoes even though she didn’t “feel” like they were important… {the photographs now show that i was right about this particular purchase} since her husband is italian, we had a lot of fun booking a great italian caterer, everything we tasted was delish! and he even offered us an eggplant dish just for me i was excited to take on the wedding cake, {complete with cannoli filling} cupcakes for all the kids who would be attending and ALL of the flowers. man! we found gorgeous red roses at wholesale and her mom, sister, bridesmaids and i spent the night before the wedding doing all the bouquets. {that was way more work than i’d ever imagined, but hey! you learn something new every day…} we made all the rose balls and white paper flowers on the floor of her bedroom weeks before the big day and made really cute favors: cd’s of all of their favorite songs. the day of the wedding, meet me, the coordinator. i had NO problem making sure everyone was where they were supposed to be… getting the brides dress on and telling the flower girl to go at just the right moment… making sure all the vendors got their final payments, and even re-stocking the bar a few times throughout the night… i can honestly say it was the most fun wedding i’ve EVER been to. their families are tons of fun, and i felt like a part of them when it was all said and done.

i don’t think i knew at the time how much helping her with her wedding was healing me from the inside out… the Lord was using this new marriage to restore my own that had just ended. it’s funny how things work out huh? enjoy photos of the incredible day…

{my favorite cake photo of all time...}

all photos courtesy of crystal genes photography...

elaine and tc: thank you SO much for allowing me to help so much with your wedding. it’s something i’ll never forget… i’m convinced it played a part in my heart being healed from the past and paved the way for my present and future. i love you both and here’s to a very happy 2nd anniversary!