How We Met
Jeffrey and I met through a mutual friend at my second home, the mall! We were teenagers and it was “young love” at its finest. Our friend groups bumped into each other for a brief conversation in passing. Jeffrey stared intently at me for what seemed like an eternity, but didn’t utter a single word. I could literally feel him studying me but it was welcomed. I assumed Jeff was awestruck since he was basically mute the entire duration of our run-in. After discovering I was single and willing to exchange numbers our love story began.
The Proposal
From that day at the mall we had been dating for five years before he decided to pop the question. Jeffrey proposed on Friday, December 7, 2012 at my job with our son by his side.
He arrived with Ledos’s pizza (my favorite pizza restaurant) and it truly caught me off guard since he was SUPPOSED to be at the mall preparing for our family Christmas portraits. He came in and jolted upstairs to talk to my boss. Jeffrey has always been spontaneous but it didn’t occur to me that he was about to pop the question! I received a page from my boss asking me to bring a camera upstairs. As I handed her the camera and prepared to go back downstairs she says, “ I’m not done. Come back.” I walked back over to her and Jeffrey comes from around the corner with a little black box in his hand and drops down on one knee. With a smile on his face he asks, “Will you marry me?” I burst into tears and of course I said yes. Everyone in the salon cheered and congratulated us!
Wedding Planning Journey
From the moment Jeff popped the question in December right down to the final hours before the wedding, we were planning. My joy in planning was seeing all of my hard work come together, I spent so much time planning to make sure that our day was as flawless. Jeff and I have different tastes so we wanted everything to be a true representation of both our styles. I like lots of sparkle and pizzazz and Jeffrey is a modern-day Renaissance man with a classic but timeless style.
We got married at The Bolger Center in Potomac, Maryland. It’s a beautiful resort-style venue that’s sure to wow your guests. There’s lodging, restaurants, a chapel, and private meeting spaces. I held weekly check in meetings with my coordinator and this really assisted in keeping me on track with the progress of the wedding. My coordinator often said, “Prior planning prevents poor performance.” and boy was she right. Completing tasks a little bit at a time really helps and the more notice you give people is better. We turned things like dress fittings into girl’s day complete with brunch and mimosas and the guys did the same. We distributed itineraries to members of the bridal party since most were out of state or not local.
Our vision for the wedding was very simple, to just have fun with our family and friends, and our theme was infinity. Our colors were coral, Ivory and hunter green, and the actual infinity symbol adorned a number of decorative items at the wedding. The infinity symbol represents no end, just like our bond.
Advice To My Fellow Coordinated Brides:
Future brides please do not wait until the last minute to do anything because the devil is in the details. Procrastinating will only stress you out. Invest in a reputable coordinator or enlist a friend whom you trust to execute wedding tasks. Assign duties to each individual bridesmaid and have your maid and/or matron of honor report to you. Corresponding with multiple people gets confusing and is harder to track. Remember, they are there to help you in any way possible.
It’s common knowledge that weddings can be expensive, and Jeff and I realized this very quickly. Once you set a wedding date start looking for cost-efficient ways to bring your day to life. I practically lived on Etsy and Pinterest! Fridays and Sundays are typically cheaper, and time of year is also a factor. Consider advice from those you love and trust, but ultimately it is your vision you want to see on your wedding day.
Watch your groomsmen! ‘The Hangover’ is a cautionary tale of what can happen if the bachelor and bachelorette parties go awry. Just get down the aisle in one piece! By all means, turn up, but do so responsibly.
Make a vow to take one day to unplug, decompress, and just relax before the pandemonium begins. This is a rare milestone and you’ll want to be fully present to absorb every moment of happiness.
Wedding Date: Sunday, September 21, 2014
Ceremony & Reception Location: The Bolger Center, Potomac, MD
Photographer: Izake Moniko
Stanley I. Monickam
(301)-792-2476
Vendors:
Lauren Grant, Access Granted Productions, Instgram: @accessgrantedpro
Makeup: Lauren Nicely of Nicely Faces, www.facebook.com/nicelyfacesmakeupartistry, Instagram:@lonicely
Florist: Rainbow Florist, http://www.rainbowfloristandmore.com/
Happy Planning Coordinated Brides!
