The one thing that stuck out for me on our wedding day was simply being surrounded by our family and friends. To look around and see all the faces from the various points in Brian and I’s lives coming together to celebrate us was overwhelming…in a fabulous way!

My favorite part of the wedding planning process was…all of it! I love weddings and so being able to plan my own, with lots of help from Lori, plus family and friends, was so much fun. I still remember invitation making sessions with my girlfriends, centerpiece creating sessions with my mom, mother-in-law, and friends, and my aunts testing and perfecting boozy marshmallow recipes for our s’mores bar. To be able to see everything come together and really reflect what Brian and I wanted was amazing!

It has been five years since that fabulous party we threw! Today, Brian and I have our complete family. We welcomed our first son, Jack, in November 2013 and our second son, Oliver, in August 2015. Lots of baseball, football, fort building, running (they never stop moving!), hiking and snuggles from them both. I work as a school psychologist and counselor in the Edmonds School District and Brian is a mechanical engineer.

Some advice to other couples…RELAX! Planning should be fun. Keep it simple. Stay true to who you and your partner are and what you both want. Hire a wedding planner….seriously, the best money we spent!