Don’t mind if “ I DO”!

“Love each other with genuine affection, and take delight in honoring each other.” -Romans‬ ‭12‬:‭10‬ ‭NLT

Friends…friendsssss! Ya girl is a whole wife, not a half or a quarter, a WHOLE wife!

Where do I even begin?! So, I’ve known my husband (🤭, “my husband”) for about 10 years now. I met him like a day after moving to New York in 2014, and we became, and remained friends this whole time. I guess God decided we were ready and it was time, because the dating conversation began and things flowed from there. Would it have been nice if we had started our relationship sooner, yes, but the truth is, it would not have worked out. We definitely needed to become the people we are today, to handle the blessing of each other.

Anyway, this post is not meant to be a love story, I’ll save that for another time (maybe). So, let’s get into it!

I’ve never wanted a big wedding, just close friends and family, and by that I mean people who are actively in my life, and genuinely wish me well, not people who would be invited just because they’re family, or friends who’ve become acquaintances. I feel like a wedding is something so intimate and special, not everyone is entitled to sharing that moment with us. Like, why does a room full of people need to hear the vows we’ve written for each other? And yes, we could have said our vows outside of the wedding ceremony, but that’s not what I wanted.

However, on my husband’s end, initially, a small wedding was not an option because his family size and dynamic are very different from mine. Long story short, we weighed the pros and the cons of not just the wedding but also other factors, it was an all or nothing type of situation, so we decided to elope.

THE PLANNING

Me being me, I didn’t want just a courthouse wedding. I still wanted something nice. I started researching and planning, but that became overwhelming. A few google searches led me to a company named Edmonton Elopements that specializes in planning elopements, so I reached out. Unfortunately, they weren’t available on the date we had decided on, but they provided alternative dates.

After explaining that my fiancé lives outside of Alberta, and our date was most convenient, the AMAZING owner of the company, Amy, decided to squeeze us in and assist with our planning. Although, she wouldn’t be able to provide the full service (for e.g her in house photographer wasn’t available), she would assist us with sourcing the professionals we needed for our day. Amy was so on top of everything! She connected us with our officiant and reached out to photographers and provided us with six options. If you know me, you know this was perfect because I HATE making any type of phone calls!

OUR OFFICIANT & PHOTOGRAPHER

We met with Cory from Wild Rose Officiants and felt so comfortable right away. And when I tell you, Cory was able to make our day flow so well and he tailored our ceremony so perfectly, it’s like he’d always known us. Our ceremony was filled with love and lots of laughter.

Next we had to choose a photographer. This was one of the hardest decisions throughout the whole process, because all the options were SO good. After looking at each portfolio/gallery multiple times over the course of a few days. I decided to go with Vola Via Photography , when I viewed her gallery, her edits as well as the vibe of her pictures just felt like how I’d want my socials to look (not posey and forced). I just wanna say, I made the BEST choice. She was AMAZING! We felt so comfortable and the photos couldn’t be more beautiful.

THE VENUE

Unfortunately, about a week before the wedding, I had to change the venue as the original location I desired wasn’t getting back to us. We went with Hey You Studio, a photo studio that had multiple areas set up. That way the photos would have variety. Again, this was the best decision ever!

THE LOOK

I searched for a dress for months. At first I wanted a short dress, and I ordered one. But then I decided I wanted a simple, clean, classy look.. on a budget, so I kept searching. A few weeks before the wedding I was doing my daily browsing on Fashion Nova when I saw my dress, for $70! A friend of mine removed the ugly breast pads, and I got some ribbon and a strip of half pears to cover up the ugly zipper at the back.

My beautiful veil, jewelry and shoes were all borrowed from my sweet friend! My makeup was done by another friend, you can check out her instagram DBL_glam.

My hair was done by me. The only request hubby had was that my hair was pulled up/back, so I decided on a low bun. I put some tracks in my hair for length and more thickness. After my makeup was done I put my hair back with a bit of shine n jam, did my bun and that was it.

THE DAY

Honestly, all I’ll say about our day was that it was truly special, from my daughter ‘giving me away” to hearing his vows, there is nothing I’d change about it. We got a chance to be in the moment together, no distractions, no worrying about if things are going right, no issues. Just us, and our love.

We know that not everyone was happy about us eloping. But at the end of the day, we had to do what we wanted to do. Anyone who is holding on to whatever anger or disappointment they feel, truly never wished us well (in my opinion). Because our lives and marriage is not about them. While I love a big wedding and reception, I’ll always be team elopement if that’s what’s desired.

To everyone who helped me through the whole process, I love and appreciate you all so so much! I’m so excited to do life with my husband, and to grow in love. I’m blessed beyond measure with my little family. God definitely did not stand us up!

Thank you all for reading. I can’t wait to continue sharing some of this new journey with you all!

I had never met a soul who could speak my language. Until there was you. You, are fluent in me. -Unknown

See you soon!

-Mo