I LOVE MY OFFICE !  (Until the snow starts to fall!)

Hi. I'm Marcie, the Editor of BrideAccess.com.  I have always loved writing and have blogged personally for a few years now. I started because my life turned upside down and it was easier to blog then answer emotional phone calls. Then I found out I really LOVE blogging-it is a great way to communicate for me. So when this chance came up to blog for one of the happiest times in a persons life and for an amazing company, there was NO WAY I was going to pass that up!!  

I feel like my story the past few years is like a Cinderella story-- starts out with a tragedy and ends up happily ever after!  In 2008 I was living my life like everyone else I thought- I was married with 6 kids, owned my little business, cooked, did laundry, drove my kids everywhere and worked out religiously every day.  Then comes July 30, my husband goes hiking - falls, and never comes home again. Instantly my life was like a bad dream. I thought this happens to people on the news, not to people I know-- certainly not to me and my family.  The next few months I felt like I was in one of those Christmas snowballs that are turned upside down and then watching the snow fall on top of me and not knowing which way is up. I’m not sure how I got through it all except I knew I had to be happy and positive each day for my kids. I had to be the one to show them that we were going to be okay, we adapt and change with whatever comes our way. I can thank my mom for always saying, “look for the good”. I also had years of gym and yoga classes at Treehouse Athletic Club that taught me life lessons and that I can do hard things. Those years of daily words of encouragement really pulled me through. The time I put in each day has not only helped me lead a healthy physical life, but healthy mentally and emotionally. Gosh I got off on my fitness talk- sorry, back to my story...

Two of my younger children would come home from school and say they had a friend in their class that was going through the same thing they were - except they had lost their mom. Well, we became friends with this cute family and started hanging out - having dinners together, swimming, movies, going to the gym, and even vacations. It was fun for all of us to have someone to talk to about everyday life without a mom/dad. For months this went on and we became best friends. I remember on Valentines Day I was on a date with someone else and couldn’t stop thinking about the dad of this family. This was the first time that I thought, “I could really like this guy more than just a friend!” My heart changed that day and never went back. It was so easy to fall in love with Matt- we had an emotional bond from the beginning. For months we dated with and without the families tagging along! In the summer our families were in Newport beach for a vacation. Matt surprised me one night by taking me on a walk along the beach and getting down on his knee and proposing to me. I was happier than I had ever been! I felt like Cinderella- I was trying to do everything by myself and barely hanging on and now my Prince Charming came along and I get to be married! My children get to have a dad again! This man was the one for me and I knew it more than I had known anything before. Miracles happen! 

    
I wanted to get married ASAP (like yesterday), but there was a lot to do! Matt and I planned that 090909 we would be married. About 90 days was all I had to plan for the best event ever! The days seemed to go by so fast to plan this special day,  but in some ways so slow- I couldn’t wait to be married! Even though this was a second marriage for both of us, we still wanted a real wedding and wanted it like a big party. It really was a celebration of life and that we found each other! 

       

Planning the wedding,--well I will just put it out there -I am a very organized person but it was a huge task to keep it all together.  I had sticky notes all over my office with things I was supposed to do, professionals to contact, great ideas and all kinds of stuff. I wanted to spend time with Matt but I was running all over the city. I looked at websites and tried to find help in this process. I had heard about BrideAccess.com and this was my first chance to try it out. It helped me a lot- this is how I found my amazing professionals. What I really could have used is the Pink Wedding Planner!  

I went to Mary's Bridal to find my wedding gown. I loved how they took such good care of me and weren't pushy. They let me try on dress after dress and helped me make a final decision. I found a dress that I was crazy about! It was formal and romantic.  Their alterations lady was amazing and had it right after just one fitting! She and my friends helped me decide that altering it to have sleeves, like I had planned, just didn't fit the style and wouldn't look good. I was happy with it and I felt like a queen.
 

     

Matt and I decided to have our wedding and reception at Thanksgiving Point. It was like an all inclusive resort and I didn’t have to plan for very much. I thought finding bridesmaid dresses was the hardest part of the whole planning process.

Finally the day arrived! It was a busy day and I couldn't wait to just get to the Reception Center.  I thought this was so funny- There was an escape hatch in the Bride's room! Just in case I guess!       

 

  

I love the words I heard, “You may kiss the bride!”. That meant that all my planning was worth it and finally I was where I wanted to be!  Everything turned out perfect.

  

  

The best part of the day was definitely our dance. Matt and I had taken dance lessons from Andrea Hale at Quickstep Dance. She has been on Dancing with the Stars and was amazing. We took lessons for about 6 weeks and the last 2 times she had our children come with us and she taught them part of the dance so they came in through part of the song. It turned out so fun and amazing and brought us all together. 

 

Now the part of the day that I would have changed if I could go back-- I wish I would have hired a videographer!! Dang it! I am still regretting that decision to this day. We had a family member film the dance, but it is not the same quality, not even in the same realm of having a professional do it. Ahh I’m still kicking myself. Ok stop, enough already! 

  

Oh, I can’t forget one other thing I was so happy that we did. We hired a DJ-- Stretch.  He kept things fun and on schedule. I thought it was cool that he met with us a few days before and asked us the time schedule, what songs we liked and had planned for the first dance, family dance, etc and what songs we didn’t want. I didn’t want a line so when one would start to form he would swoop us away. Our first dance song was "Bless the Broken Road" by Rascal Flatts- I'm pretty sure he wrote that song for us! 

Robin at BrideAccess suggested I talk to D’Andrew International Photographer because he said I would like his style. I really did - he's a little edgy like me! So that's who we chose to take our pics on our wedding day. He was incredible. I still love looking at those pictures! He was the last part of the wedding we hired and I’m sure glad we did! 

 

 

 

Now we have been married 2 years and I love it! What a journey we have been on. I wake up each morning grateful to be married and alive! I hug my husband and kids tight each day realizing you never know what's going to happen in this life and I try to live with no regrets. I'm smelling the roses along the way and live life to the fullest- because the edge is where the view is best!  

Lucky me- Now I get to find other wedding inspirations and show them to you.  I think I just might have the happiest job on earth...   XOXO, Marcie

 

Photographer- D'Andrew International Photographer

Bridal Gown- Mary's Bridal

Dance Instruction- Quickstep Dance

Reception Center- Thanksgiving Point