"The Fading Tasks: Ross and Brandi"

For you make me glad by your deeds, O Lord;
I sing for joy at the works of your hands.
How great are your works, O Lord,
How profound your thoughts.
Psalm 92: 4,5

As any professional wedding planner knows; the “things to do list” morphs into both a blessing and a curse as the wedding draws closer. You have your things to do, the Bride normally doubles that list, then sometimes the Groom and the couple’s families begin to sprinkle in their items. Before you know it, your simple list of 27 things turns into a list with bullets instead of numbers so you don’t embarrass yourself crossing off item #236. For Ross and Brandi’s wedding (which occurred on March 9, 2008), Venetia and I quickly noticed that this was no ordinary wedding. The two of us have helped plan and coordinate more than 30 weddings. But something strange began to happen during our planning. Our tasks began to take shape and turn into something much more. We didn’t just help find a spoken word artist for the couple – we supported the Groom’s vision of capturing their love through poetry. We didn’t just help design and assemble favors – we honored the bride’s late mother who passed of breast cancer. Every part of the wedding had a deeper meaning for Ross and Brandi and, in turn, had a deeper meaning for the two of us. It drove us. It kept us focused. It allowed us to calm the bride and groom. It kept us grounded as planners.

It’s easy for professional planners to get caught up in tasks and things to do. Ross and Brandi’s vision for their wedding prevented us from doing that. Every touch, every piece had a special meaning that captured the essence of their first meeting, their courtship and their lives as individuals and now as a unit. We really did feel like vessels to be used to help them cement this moment in time. We felt honored to be a part of their special day. We watched, cheered and cried along with the other guests. It’s weddings like these that no longer feel like work and start to feel more like purpose.
To view the slideshow of this beautiful wedding, please visit: http://www.6offourcreations.com/RossandBrandiWedding/



* Next Up: What does Women’s Day Magazine, Old Navy and Alicia Keyes have to do with one another? Check back to see details on a recent wedding proposal we planned in New York City!