I suppose I've been a part of weddings way a lot longer than I've actually been in the wedding business!
When I was just six years old, my grandmother, who was an incredibly talented seamstress, made me my very own wedding dress.
And let me tell you, I put that dress to good use!
I was constantly planning pretend weddings, gathering everyone together, assigning roles, and making sure every little detail was just right. Apparently, I've always had a little bit of a take-charge personality when it comes to weddings!
My grandmother was one of the most wonderful women I've ever known. She was gracious, kind, meticulous, organized, and incredibly talented. She taught me to sew, to appreciate beautiful things, and to take pride in the smallest details.
Looking back, I realize just how much of her influence has carried into the work I do today.
As I got older, my love for creating never really went away. What started with helping friends with flowers eventually turned into a leap of faith, a bridal show, and the beginning of a business I could have only dreamed of.
There have been years of hard work, plenty of prayers, a whole lot of learning, and more blessings than I could ever count.
And here we are, all these years later.
Sometimes I wish I could go back and tell that little six-year-old girl just how far her imagination would take her.
But more than anything, I wish I could sit beside my grandmother at her sewing machine one more time and tell her how much those little moments meant to me.
How much she taught me without even realizing it.
And how the little girl wearing the wedding dress she made would grow up to spend her life helping make other people's wedding dreams come true.
I truly believe God had a plan for me long before I could see it myself.
And I have a hope I have made my grandmother proud.