Hi everyone! I'm Vanessa, Head of Growth with Love Stories TV a.k.a. professional wedding film watcher ;). When I came on board with Rachel and Love Stories TV back in September, I promise you I did NOT know what my fiancé would have up his sleeve (or actually hidden in my dresser drawer) just over two months later. But I have to admit, I lucked up being able to do what every bride wants to do all day -- look at beautiful weddings -- and still be doing my job.
Anthony proposed on my birthday in the most chill way possible, which is really so him and ultimately so us. We were home for the Thanksgiving holiday, and while I was scheduling posts on Facebook telling all of YOU how you were going to get engaged over the weekend, Anthony was plotting my surprise proposal. Talk about irony! My birthday is on November 27, so always around the holiday. Any extra love and attention I was getting that weekend did not peak my curiosity one bit — it was my birthday, and most times I don't even need that as an excuse to expect to be greeted with champagne. So, when my now-fiancé approached me in my childhood bedroom, just as we had woken up, with two glasses of chilled champagne I thought, \"now THIS is why I love him!\" Little did I know, that was the first day of the rest of our lives as an official team. And if it's not already clear, I'M SO EXCITED.
After all the excitement of the engagement finally died down a bit, I realized I actually have to plan this thing. And while I have a knack for guiding people on their life decisions, making my own always seems to be a huge challenge for me. So, the idea of planning what I want to be the party of the century was daunting — until I remembered what I do for a living. Then, I got reeeally excited.
First on my list of to-dos, after setting a date of course, was to ask my best girls to join me for the ride! I've lived in Baltimore, Chicago, and New York City, so I have a little piece of each of those places in my bridal party. I asked them with these custom scratch off cards by Petal Paper Co. on Etsy and personalized bracelets from Ryan Porter.
Photo Credit: Rachel Parker Photography -- one of my maids of honor!
Now that our date is set and I have my bridal party, I finally feel like I can start making the really fun decisions, like decor aesthetic, color scheme, and you guessed it, finding my cinematographer. Love Stories TV has been such a huge help in the process! It's so nice to see something you've helped build from the bride-to-be's perspective. I'm having so much fun watching videos with my wedding in mind. I find little sparks of inspiration in almost every one I see, but there are a few I find myself watching in bed at night before I close my computer. Here's just one of them, but there are soooo many more — but I'll save those for next time.
One thing Anthony and I immediately agreed on was aesthetic. He may not know wedding-friendly words to describe that aesthetic, but from what I can tell, we both want an urban-rustic, open loft concept (which we got!). Anthony and I have traditional jobs, but we're artists at heart, so we needed that offbeat energy to really feel at home on our day. Kaitlyn and Chad's venue is exactly what I was looking for, and I am so obsessed with the hanging arch of greenery they get married under. Currently plotting how we can recreate it!
xo,
Vanessa