I’m doing a wedding makeover and inviting you along for the ride!
It’s been a little over 4,015 days, one college dorm, two apartments, and one house later since I met my now fiancé, Lauren. If you’re still doing the math, that’s 11 years! It was August of 2005, when I met a girl from New Jersey who would be my new roommate at Kennesaw State University. Lauren was quiet and shy and I’m outspoken and can talk to a wall. I guess opposites do attract? We were both in relationships at the time and oddly enough, didn’t even get along at first. It didn’t take long for, as Ed Sheeran says, “push and pull like a magnet do” and our bond became stronger, and as they say, “the rest is history.”
After 11 years and jokingly hearing Beyonce’s “Put a Ring On It” every anniversary, our new chapter together began October 18, 2015, when I proposed at The Ruins at Barnsley Gardens Resort. Lauren thought we were going for a quiet weekend of horseback riding and skeet shooting, but I had a few tricks up my sleeve. I had worked with the fabulous “Fairy Godmother” (yes, that’s her actual job title) at the resort for weeks planning the perfect, romantic and surprising setup to ask this incredible woman to spend her life with me. The first day we arrived, we went horseback riding, lounged in our beautiful cabin on the grounds and I “randomly” found an invite to a Champagne tasting at The Ruins at 9 p.m. that night.
At first I played it off, saying, “you really want to go to that?” I remember Lauren looking at me like, “What is wrong with you? Of course we’re going!” As we walked to dinner that evening, I remember telling myself, “just breathe… relax…” knowing in just a few short hours, I was about to ask the most important question in my life. The Champagne tasting time fell perfectly after our dinner so we started walking to The Ruins. It was beautifully lit with candles, and you heard the playlist I created faintly in the distance.
Lauren and I walked in, following the trail of rose petals to the back room of the historic Ruins, to find more roses, candles everywhere, the fire place going, Champagne and more. Lauren finally looked at me and said, “What’s happening?” It took me a few moments to gain my nerve, and then I got down on one knee and asked the woman I have dreamt of my entire life to be my wife.
OK, now that you are all caught up! While I say the rest is history, I often go back in time and remember when I looked at Lauren and things changed from a friendship to something more. I remember her looking at me, me looking at her, the smile, the first touch and the first nervous kiss. Think back to when you met your spouse; first impressions are everything, right? You have that one special moment to have your hair a certain way, you remember that one shirt or dress that accented your body just right, those moments count and are sometimes some of the most memorable as you start your timeline together. Now, let’s be real here… 11 years is a long time. Things change, right? You, nor your body are the same as when you were 20! Those jeans don’t fit the way they used to, or that dress doesn’t show off your hips the way you remember and you find yourself looking in the mirror asking yourself, “What happened?”
On top of priorities changing as we get older and finding time to do everything, you wake up and your 15 pounds heavier than you want to be, and that diet you have been on just isn’t working the way you hoped it would. So, what now?
Take all of that, add an engagement and the countdown to your wedding day (9/1/17) and ask yourself: “What would you do?” At this point, I’ll do just about anything to look the way I see myself on the inside, and to be more confident overall. At the end of the day, if you are not happy with what you see in the mirror, or how you feel on the inside, you’re not at your best. And on your wedding day, you want to look into the eyes of your partner and know you’ve never looked so good.
I started my wedding makeover in March with a breast reduction, something I have wanted for years. With diet and lifestyle changes over the past few months, I have lost a few pounds but can’t seem to make a dent in the mid-section area no matter the diet or exercise I put in. It’s just not up to par.
I had heard of “cool sculpting” from a few friends and of course heard about it, but wrote it off as “I don’t have the time or money to do that.” Well, after doing more research and even talking to someone who had the procedure done, I was hooked! It’s a non-invasive, nonsurgical procedure that freezes and eliminates fat. I met with Beaty Facial Plastic Surgery for a consultation and I am excited to say my first appointment is coming up and I will be sharing pictures, videos, and details of the procedures as I get wedding-ready!
So, if you’re playing catch-up: Lauren and I have been together 11 years, we are engaged and will be married in a few short months (9/1/17) and we have started the wedding-ready transformation. Throughout the next few months leading up to our wedding day, both Lauren and I will be writing blogs about getting wedding ready and sharing our experiences from cool sculpting, specialty facials and even laser hair removal! I’m excited to share my experiences, even very honest and unflattering pictures of before and after experiences. I’m asking you to join me down this road of transformation to our wedding day.
The best is yet to come, stay tuned…
