4.20.2019
Hi, I’m Irene, and my journey as a #maemegirl has come full circle… first as a real bride myself, and now as a MaeMe stylist!
My love for MaeMe began as a bride-to-be shopping for my dream dress to marry the love of my life, Jared. During my shopping experience, I realized how uniquely special MaeMe is and knew I wanted to become part of the wedding dress shopping journey for other brides-to-be! Just a few months after my wedding, I became a stylist at MaeMe. I’ll elaborate more about that another day, but today, I’d like to share some highlights from my own wedding journey from one #maemegirl to another!
Falling in love:
Jared and I met in my backyard during a birthday party I was hosting for a mutual friend. I was finishing up graduate school and Jared was bartending at Proof Brewing Company. Believe me, meeting my husband was the last thing on my mind. Our meet-cute* happened around a fire pit in my backyard. We didn’t start dating right away…a few months passed with random run-ins here and there, and then Jared FINALLY asked me out! He cooked salmon, and we watched Smokey and the Bandit. The rest is history! Our mutual friends say they knew we would get married that first night around the fire pit!
*meet-cute: noun (in a film or television show) a charming first encounter between two characters that leads to the development of a romantic relationship between them
Finding the dress at MaeMe:
I was never one of those little girls who dreamed about her wedding dress, so when it came to actually finding my wedding gown, I had no idea what I wanted! That ended up working in my favor because I approached dress shopping with a completely open mind. My mom, sister, mother-in-law and I set out on a full day of shopping with 3 appointments in one day. (I totally relate to my brides when they tell me they are planning to do the exact same thing!) The entire day was so much fun, but the second I walked into MaeMe, I felt like the MOST important person that had ever walked through their doors.
My stylist, Kristie, was so sweet, knowledgeable, made me feel comfortable every step of the way, and did an amazing job picking out dresses for me to try on. I was relieved she was selecting dresses for me, because the vast number of dresses could have become really overwhelming! Kristie was patient as I sorted through my thoughts, and encouraged my mom and sister to be involved in the process in all the best ways. She encouraged me throughout the process and helped me narrow down the dresses until my face lit up and I said “yes” to a clean aline gown by Justin Alexander. I have never felt so beautiful or enjoyed shopping as much as I did that day! Toasting with champagne and sharing that special moment with my family is a memory I will cherish for a lifetime!
About the wedding:
Jared and I wanted a traditional wedding, but we also wanted to make sure to incorporate our personalities to make our day authentic and memorable. Music has been a huge influence in both of our lives, so I handmade all of the flowers out of sheet music. For the bridal party bouquets, we selected individuals songs for each person that held a special meaning. My sister’s bouquet was made from the soundtrack of Hairspray because her favorite thing to do on road trips was to sing the ENTIRE musical at the top of her lungs… which I have witnessed more than once! Our guests were encouraged to take home the hand crafted flowers from their table at the end of the night to remember our special day.
The ceremony was in the church I grew up in, Metairie Ridge Presbyterian Church, which is also the church where my parents were married. Jared’s youth pastor from Florida officiated the wedding, and our reception was at the Magnolia Plantation. Since our first date was a movie date, we decided to incorporate our love for movies into our day. Jared’s favorite movie is Star Wars (don’t ask which one because I never get it right), so he wore Darth Vader socks, and we drank out of Star Wars glasses. My favorite movie is The Princess Bride, and the pastor started our ceremony with “Mawwage. Mawwage is what bwings us togewah today,” which was probably my favorite part of the ceremony… other than getting to marry the love of my life. Our cake was from Haydel’s Bakery, and the invitations were handmade by Pelican Letterpress. When I look back on my wedding day, I think about how lucky I am. My wedding day was absolutely perfect, and I got to marry my best friend! Photo credit: Mosaic by MG.
Tips for future brides:
Wedding planning does’t have to be stressful! Make sure you have fun with the planning and it will be easy to enjoy your wedding day without worrying about small details.
Xoxo,
Irene, #maemegirl