It Had To Be You
A Walk Down Memory Lane by Kate the Great
August 2020 brings Ashlee + me (oh heyyyy it’s Katie!) so many memories!
Most importantly, getting to meet GFunk finally!
Speaking of, last year at this time Ashlee was on her maternity leave + she entrusted her first baby – SSD – to me for a few weeks! (well, days to be more exact!)
But for those of you who don’t own your own business (like me!), we can’t even imagine the amount of letting go + trust that Ashlee was experiencing – especially with the whole new baby thing!
For me, it was the most fun, most stressful, biggest adrenaline rush of my whole life (+ I’ve gone bungee jumping!)
It felt strangely similar to going to the hospital + getting to hold G for the first time + realizing how much trust these 2 new parents have in me to let me hold their little bundle of love + know I won’t drop him or squeeze him too tightly or fail to respond to this email for more than 48 hours.
Okay, the last one had more to do with SSD than G:)
Anyway
Enough about ME – let’s talk about our COUPLES!!
Because these 3 couples that I got to skip with through their wedding weeks were SO. MUCH. FUN!
+ their joy has continued to grace our SSD lives!!
First up! Our Claire + David!!
Yes! They had a Dino First Look!
+ they had their puppies – Teddy + Buck – join them! (Shoutout to our Nicole at WedPets!)
When I say I literally can’t pick a favorite part of their day, I’m NOT exaggerating! Every moment brought a smile from Claire + an even bigger smile from David!
Their joy was contagious + the brilliant Sparked Media Collective + Elizabeth Lloyd Photography managed to capture every giggle!
Even their colorful blooms from Ashley Macdonald Floral Design + the incredible dessert display from Kaked by Katie brought their joy to life!
The .Zack rooftop was the perfect backdrop to their perfect beginning (+ we’re def not complaining about the food from Ces + Judy’s either!!)!
2 weeks later, our Ali + Dusty tied the knot!!
Their transformation of The Breese Legion started on Thursday morning with Exclusive Events bringing in drapery, twinkle lights, lounge furniture + chandeliers.
Grand Rental joined in on Friday with tables, chairs + linens (oh my!)
Saturday was an early morning for Ali + her girls (+ our team) + the day just flew from there!!
I truly can’t decide if my favorite moment of the day was the moment my heart skipped a beat with surprise + excitement as I walked into the brilliantly transformed Legion after the Ceremony to help Tara finish lighting candles or if my favorite moment was Dusty’s pure, unbridled happiness when Deacon Linus announced them “Husband + Wife!”
Regardless! The day was full of favorites – especially the bouquet Ahner Florist created for Cora our flower girl!
+ the dance party McLovin’ led all night long!
+ Pancho + his team didn’t miss a moment behind the camera!!
Ali + Dusty are expecting their first baby in October + we just know that Dirck is gonna be the best big fur brother in the whole world!! Just look at that smile!
1 week later, we celebrated Abbie + Craig!!
(+ 3 days after that, Ashlee took me for a pedi because my toes were so worn out from the partying!)
Chris Johnson highlighted their entire evening with beautiful anecdotes about their 8 years of love!
+ when we say 8 years of love, we cannot stress #DestinedToBeDrennan ENOUGH!!
Craig was so excited to propose, that Abbie still had a towel on her head after her shower! He just couldn’t wait to be engaged!
+ let me tell you, that excitement was a driving force for their whole day!
In fact! Abbie + Craig weren’t going to do a first look but when Wedding Day arrived, they simply couldn’t wait to see each other!
So our team brought the bouquets + bouts (brilliantly crafted by Grimm + Gorly!) to Craig’s family’s home + they got a million photos with Jessica Lauren Photography in the golden light of the backyard!
Our MOB Glenda (heart heart!!) wanted a magical, fairytale day for her daughter + that is exactly what was delivered!
Main Street Abbey + Ces + Judy’s didn’t skip a beat when it came to the seamless room flip + dinner service.
Grimm + Gorly brought in so many florals, MSA probably STILL smells like Abbie + Craig’s day!
+ Uncle Gonnie had us all in stitches + tears + stitches again during the ceremony.
I’ll never forget Glenda’s reaction as she walked into the Main Street Abbey after the flip. She + I spent so many hours on the phone together talking about Abbie’s day + making sure there wasn’t a candle out of place (I say candle because Grimm + Gorly brought in over 100 pillar candles)! Her happiness still brings a smile to my face!
But that’s why we do this job.
Because I haven’t stopped smiling since I started writing this blog about our couples.
Because the amount of sleep I lost leading up to + during Ashlee’s maternity leave creating checklists, double checking the checklists, refreshing my email inbox, double checking my email inbox to make sure I didn’t miss an email + charging my phone so I didn’t miss a text or a phone call was worth it.
Our couples are worth it.
Their families are worth it.
Our memories with them are worth it.
