In a word, Stephanie. But truly, Stephanie is beyond words!
We had three months total to plan our wedding. It was a beautiful, slightly extravagant fusion of Mexican and Irish-Amer...ican families, traditions, personalities, and ideas. Stephanie stepped into the middle of it with only two months to go. And did I mention I was planning it long-distance from Cleveland to Dallas?
From the beginning, Stephanie was involved, engaged, and she listened. Really listened. She didn’t just take a “vision” and carry it out. She understood what mattered, figured out what needed to happen, and got it done. There was never a lot of fanfare around her process. Things just seamlessly happened, problems were handled, details were remembered, and I always knew she had her hands around everything.
Her organization is exceptional, but what I appreciate even more is her communication. I never felt as though I had to chase her down or wonder whether something had been taken care of. When you are planning a wedding from another state, that kind of confidence in someone is everything.
And then came the wedding day. There were all the usual moving pieces: vendors, timing, transportation, ceremony details, reception details, family, and guests. Because of Stephanie, I didn’t have to think about any of them. I could be present. I could enjoy my family, talk to our guests, take in the room, and actually experience this wedding we had spent months putting together. I knew Stephanie was there, and I knew she had it.
That may be the greatest compliment I can give a wedding planner: As mother and host, I was able to let go.
Our wedding was beautiful, joyful, elegant, emotional, and very much ours. Stephanie didn’t make the day about wedding planning. She made all the planning disappear so that we could simply have the day.
And for that, I will always be grateful. What a gift it was to simply enjoy every moment of a day that meant so much to our family, and especially to my son and his new bride. From the bottom of my heart, Thank you!