Certified Coordinated Bride Deandrea
Journal Entry #2
“…Plan with me. Dance with me. Cry with me. Laugh with me. Will you be my Bridesmaid?”
Prior to becoming engaged, my fiancé and I would casually discuss our wedding and who would we have by our side. Because we both truly value the importance of a friendship, we knew that whoever we chose, would be someone who we dearly love. For me, when I chose my Bridesmaids aka my Belles (thanks Juliette for the idea), I knew I had to take this task extremely serious.
I truly believe that as you become older, and go through many different life experiences, your circle of girlfriends constantly change. And, as I am becoming older, I am learning to accept that this is perfectly okay. So for me, when I chose my Belles, I knew I wanted to have someone who represented a part of me during my different stages of life. And, of course, this decision took time. I didn’t want to rush the process so I waited approximately 9 months before “proposing” to my girls. I wanted girls who not only supported me, but also supported my relationship. I wanted girls who I could laugh with and throw shade with. I wanted girls who would motivate me to get in the gym. I wanted girls who I could call at 2am and would be a listening ear. I wanted girls who truly knew me. Most importantly, I wanted girls who would be there for me post-wedding. Based on these requirements, my list became easy, and I was able to choose one beautiful Belle of Honor (Taylor) and five fabulous, fancy, fantastic and flawless, Belles (Valerie, Tiffany S., Amber, Tiffany W. and Alyson).
Once I chose my Belles, I immediately began thinking about how I would propose to them. Since each Belle means the world to me, I wanted my proposal to be special, and I wanted it to come from the heart. After beginning my research, I narrowed my ideas down and tried to tailor them to the theme of the wedding. Because I am getting married on a vineyard in New York’s Wine Country, it was obvious that I get my girls bottles of wine. And, not just any ole bottle of wine, but I wanted to customize the labels on the bottles. Because each Belle is different, I wanted each wine bottle to have a different customized label that expressed how I felt about them and our friendship. Once I purchased the wine from Bed-Vyne Wine in Brooklyn, NY and the customized labels from Etsy, I surprised all of my Belles by “popping the question” and asking them to “…Plan with me. Dance with me. Cry with me. Laugh with me. Will you be my Bridesmaid?”
Below are my Beautiful Belles:
Taylor (Belle of Honor) is my pretty little cousin that is becoming more like my sister from another mister. I rely on Taylor to keep me “in the know” when it comes to celebrity gossip, the latest songs, and any new dances. She is also my go-to when it comes to reality TV. She and I love all shows in Atlanta! Taylor is also that one person that tells you the truth even when you don’t want to hear it. The one thing I love about my sophistiratchet sista, is that she has been there for me through this entire process, and I couldn’t have chosen a better Belle of Honor.
Valerie (Belle) is one of me and my fiancé’s closest friends from Hampton University. Val is like my support system, and she always motivates me to be a better person. She looks at things through a positive eye, and no matter what, she never changes who she is. Val is also one of my favorite travel buddies beginning with the many conferences we attended in Hampton. When I wanted to tour Europe, and needed someone to go with, Val was like “Ok, let’s go!” I love Val for her honesty, and her faith. With Val in my life, I can truly say “I’m Blessed”.
Tiffany S. (Belle) is my funny bone and also another one of me and my fiancé’s closest friends from Hampton University. I met T. Summ during our freshman year, and I’m pretty sure she thought I was annoying. Now, she can’t get enough of me LOL. I think it’s because we secretly sound alike, even though I’m from Texas, and she is from my Maryland. This girl is super special to me because she is always there when I need her. True definition of a friend, T. Summ has always been a great listener. On top of it all, she is one of the hardest working people I know. We also have endless jokes between us! The phone/text convos usually start off with a screenshot, followed by a “Did you see this?!?!” LMAO
Amber (Belle) is my favorite line sister; hence why I call her Fave. Her and I immediately clicked when we first met. She says it’s because I say what she is currently thinking LOL. Lowkey, I think we can read each other’s mind haha. Oh, and we throw the meanest shade when we are together and even meaner shade when we are apart. Yes, hunny! Fave is the person I go to when I need advice, or when I need to vent, gossip, or talk about hair, travel, etc. I secretly admire Fave because she is always stepping out on faith and always living life to the fullest…while maintaining great hair!
Tiffany W. (Belle) is one of my dearest friends from middle school. This girl has seen me through all of my different stages in life. Tiff is my chill friend; give us a bottle of wine and we are good! We don’t even need to go out because kicking it with each other is all we need. She is truly a sweetheart, and whenever or wherever I need her, she is there. From the 8th grade dance, to high school prom, to college graduation, and now my wedding, Tiff has been by my side every step of the way. A friend like her is hard to come by, and I am grateful that we have remained close throughout the 14 years.
Alyson (Belle) is my Sorority Sister, and another one of my closest friends from Hampton University. You know how people say that everyone has a twin they haven’t met? Well, I think Alyson or Alys (inside joke) is my twin. If you thought I was goofy, and liked to dance a lot, well u should meet this girl. I love my Aly Rae because it’s never boring when she is around, and she usually sends me gifts in the mail randomly LMAO! Alys is the friend that laughs with you, cries with you, and dances on stage with you. Her eyes are real (yes, they are green) and her waist is snatched! A lifetime member of my twerk team, Aly Rae will forever hold a special place in my heart.
XoXo,
Deandrea
