11 Apr Saying Goodbye…

While I’m a little sad, I’m mostly excited about the news I share with you today. Later this year, I’ll be retiring from weddings to take on a new role with a company that is dear to my heart. Alongside my wedding business, I have also served as the general manager for Vision Research Corporation. VRC screens children for vision problems and the work that we do makes a significant difference in the lives of thousands of children each year. I’ll be taking on a more executive role for VRC and am truly looking forward to this new chapter of my life. So I wanted to take a walk down memory lane and say thank you to my clients and friendors in this last post for Two Hearts Weddings.

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As I think back over the last 17 years and reflect on all my weddings, it’s so hard to choose just a few of my favorites. But here goes…

I loved getting to work for the Siddle family. Designing and executing two beautiful days for their twin daughters was double the fun for me… first for Melanie & Taylor and next for Melissa & Travis. Both of these sweet couples are so strong in their faith and commitment to one another, that it’s inspiring. Also the musical selections for both of their ceremonies are the moments I will remember so fondly. They truly wanted their guests to join with them in worship… and it was magical.

A memory I’ll always laugh about from Melanie and Taylor’s day is chasing some neighborhood dogs that decided to be wedding crashers all around the Siddle’s multi-acre property. Y’all their place is BIG! For those pups it was all a game, but for me, I got a serious workout running after and ushering them off the property. Oh the life of a wedding planner!

Melissa and Travis’s wedding resulted in me finding the best burger I’ve ever had (seriously!) and developing a ridiculous affinity for Beekman 1802 products. All thanks to the destination experience one has while staying at Pursell Farms.

Thanks for the memories Siddles and wishing many happy and healthy years together to Mr. & Mrs. Taylor Brown and Mr. & Mrs. Travis Jackson! Love you people!

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I think one of the most remarkable takeaways from my time spent as a wedding planner is learning all of the details of how, where, when, and why my couples came to be. Hearing the crazy, funny adventures they’ve experienced together up until the time we met, is truly a gift. I’ve listened to a ton of proposal stories over the years (some perfect, some not so much) and watched in delight as they re-enacted the day to me. Hearing how it all went down never got old… I love to hear about love! 

Stefanie and Michael’s proposal is an awesome story for sure. Let’s just say it was a “Total Eclipse of the Heart”. You’ll have to click back a few pages on the blog to read their engagement post for what I mean by that. I also got a kick out of learning they have a 5lb. bag of gummy bears delivered to their apartment each week to enjoy during their HGTV binge sessions. Details like these mattered to me when getting to know my couples and designing a special day for them.

Stefanie was from the Birmingham area, but lived in the Northeast while we were planning their wedding. We had bi-weekly status meetings via phone and I so enjoyed catching up with her and her mom, Eva, every time. We even had a FaceTime meeting once with their floral designer, CeCe Designs, where we had Stefanie mounted on a tripod at the end of the table so she could see everyone at once. It was a hoot for sure!

The first look that Stefanie and Michael shared is one I’ll never forget. Y’all these two are IN LOVE and it was so beautiful to witness. Something else I’ll always remember is the custom suit that Michael had made for this day. It was a very nice blue ensemble, but what made it so memorable was the reveal he planned to his groomsmen. That still makes me laugh out loud.

Cheers to you… Mr. & Mrs. Michael Landes… wishing you both many, many, happy years together!

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If you have some time, I hope you’ll browse back through the blog and read the stories of all the amazing couples I’ve served over the years. But the last wedding I’m going to reminisce about is one that I’ll forever be grateful for for being chosen to be their planner. All weddings are beautiful and full of emotion, but Meredith and Joe’s wedding day was ratcheted up several notches for both me and them.

As most of you know… my lovies… The Wiggles (aka Bonnie and Huck) are my world, and on the morning of Meredith and Joe’s wedding, I received the phone call my hubby and I had been waiting for. We were going to be parents again, and soon! I’m already so amped up for wedding days, but this had me bouncing a good bit more!

This wedding became a signature event for my business. The clear tent we installed at Vulcan Park for guests to be able to enjoy the city view below was simply stunning. I loved it so much that I had a large canvas of it hanging in my office for several years. The team that worked this magic was exceptional and Jessica Morris, of Hothouse Design Studio, was the artistry behind the whole design. For the ceremony, we made sure Meredith and Joe felt as if they were marrying in an outdoor chapel. Afterwards, we ushered guests to the upper patio area while the team flipped the tent. This meant moving all the pews out and setting up the tables, chairs, linens, centerpieces, and lounge furniture quickly. Remember, I said this team was exceptional…. this was all done in 30 minutes!

So what made this day exceptionally emotional? Meredith’s dad had passed away unexpectedly a few months prior to the wedding. At the time, I wasn’t even sure the event would go on as planned. I learned later from talking with Meredith’s mom, Jane, that her husband had made them promise to still make the day happen. And that’s exactly what we did. 

I know we all like to believe that our loved ones are watching over us, but this day made me a true believer of the thought. During the early days of planning, Meredith’s parents had expressed their wish to have a surprise fireworks show for Meredith and Joe during the reception. For weeks leading up to the wedding, there had been a severe drought in Alabama. So bad that there was a strict burn ban in place with severe fines for violators. At Vulcan Park, with the elevation, it tends to be on the windy side and often. Up until about 45 minutes prior to the scheduled fireworks time, I had not received the green light from the fire marshall. I was already feeling like the show was not going to be allowed. But then the winds died down, and I mean basically stopped. The fire marshall gave us the thumbs up and the show went off as planned. The newlyweds, along with their guests, were all delighted. Then 15 minutes after the show concluded, the winds returned. I stood next to Meredith’s mother the entire time and afterwards, we both looked at each other with tears in our eyes. We knew her husband had been there. It still, to this day, gives me chills and comfort at the same time when I think about it.

Much happiness to you always Mr. & Mrs. Joseph Lee!

Given the responsibility to handle someone’s wedding is a great honor, and those gifts, I’ll cherish the rest of my life. Executing wedding days are a tremendous amount of hard work, but a lot of joy and satisfaction comes with creating these perfect days. Sometimes the plans get derailed by weather or world-wide pandemics (y’all I can’t even with this season), but in the end I’ve enjoyed this ride like I never dreamed possible. While I know I will NOT miss the inability to walk the day following a wedding, I do however know that I’ll miss witnessing my favorite moment at each wedding… the walk the newlyweds take back up the aisle together hand in hand. I know, that sounds a bit on the cheesy side, but I recognize and feel the relief the couple expresses at that moment and remember that feeling like it was yesterday.

In my final thoughts and words, I want to say thank you to all the beautiful, silly, funny and thoughtful couples I’ve had the pleasure of knowing and working for over the years. Hugs and kisses to you all! And to all the vendors who have been my teammates, cheerleaders, confidants, and conspirators over the years… thank you from the bottom of my heart for putting up with me, answering emails and text messages after hours, helping to square away plan b and sometimes plan c for my events, and for just being great people! Wedding industry folks are a special breed for sure. I wish you all many blessings for continued success in your businesses and personal lives and know that I’m still cheering you on, just from a far. And don’t be surprised about an invitation from time to time to catch up over breakfast or a cup of coffee. Lastly, I’ll leave you with this… 

“There are no goodbyes for us. Wherever you are, you will always be in my heart.” ~ Mahatma Gandhi

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TTFN… Ta Ta For Now! 

hugs and kisses,
Rachael