Meet a One Sweet Bride- Lindsay

You know when you meet a client and you just click? That is Lindsay for me. Lindsay is as classic as they come, but with a little pop of spunk. I'm so excited for her wedding this coming weekend on September 6th here in Richmond! Lindsay and her fiancé James are sure to be a couple I will miss working with and I wish them all the happiness in the world. 

All photos of Lindsay and James by the amazingly talented Alisandra Photo

How cute is this bride to be?! Gahh! 

Here is a little sneak of what you'll see this Sunday! Classic greens and whites are ruling the day friends and you know I'm all about that!

   I can't wait to see it all come together!

Lindsay was so sweet to answer some questions earlier this week about her big day! 

What is your Fiance’s name?

James! Which is also my dad’s name…so there’s that.

What’s the story? How did you two meet?

A mutual friend introduced us at a Mad Men themed party. 

Tell us all the proposal details?

I hate surprises so I had a sneaky suspicion something was awry when James told me one Friday night back in April that we were going out on a date, but he wouldn’t tell me where! He told me to meet him at the Georgetown waterfront at 7p so I did and there he was, picnic blanket in tow, saying he just wanted to sit down and chat. After a while I got really into the chatting to which he finally interrupted saying, “will you just kiss me?!” He then got out the ring and said some great things (which my brain seems to no longer remember) and then we headed to Martin’s Tavern in Georgetown to celebrate. Martin’s was the first place we ever met before the Mad Men party years ago. 

Where is your big day happening?

The ceremony is taking place at the Bon Air Christian Church and the reception at The Bolling Haxall House in downtown Richmond. 

What is the inspiration for your wedding?

I’m a pretty simple girl. I have a classic, more elegant style whereas James has a more modern style. Between the two of us, I think we have found some ways to incorporate both of our preferences into our wedding. 

What has been most important to you while planning?

Our ceremony has been a very important part of our planning. James and I are very rooted in our Christian faith and we wanted to share our joy and God’s goodness and blessing with all of those who are coming to celebrate with us.  

What has made you the most nervous?

I’m pretty nervous about walking down the aisle! I tore my ACL back in March and am waiting until after we are married to have surgery. Thankfully I have a trusty brace, lots of tulle to cover it up, and a dad I can lean on when I’m walking down on the big day. 

What about your wedding are you the most excited about?

It’s so rare to have all of the people we love in the same place – we can’t wait to celebrate with the people who have supported and strengthened us to get to this day. 

What are you most looking forward to about being married?

We have focused a lot recently on planning a wedding in just five months. As a result, some of our relationship building has taken a backseat and we are both ready to build the foundation for our family and our new lives together. 

 Any advice for fellow brides in the planning process?

While yes, your wedding day is likely the most important day in your life thus far, remember that it is just one single day. Make time to build up your relationship with your fiancé, because while linens, china, and of course florals are top of your mind right now, after your wedding day you’re starting the rest of your life with this person and you want to get off on the right foot. 

Stay tuned for more from Lindsay and James' big day! Be sure to follow along over on Instagram!

Love,

Michelle

September Goals.

Goodbye Summer, you were simply wonderful. I'm going to miss you maxi dresses and flip flops, but I really am ready for boots and scarves. Since it's the start of a new month, it's time for monthly goals and I wanted to update you on my health journey! 

Simply put, September is nuts! The Fall season kicks off this weekend with not one, but two gorgeous weddings, be sure to follow along here! So because it's so so busy, my goal of this month is intentionality. Making sure I leave my phone and laptop upstairs after 6 o'clock, starting my day actually getting dressed in more than just yoga pants, and taking breaks throughout the day to make sure I'm giving myself "me" time. These are things I didn't do this Spring and it showed. I was exhausted. Busy is good, but it's only good when you are intentional with all aspects of your life. 

My second September goal is to continue my health journey and even pick it up a notch. I lost 10 pounds in August. I think I could have lost more if I didn't spend 5 days in Maine....but that's ok. I jumped back in the Pure Barre saddle today got back on healthy eating. Hooray! I still have a ways to go, but so far so great! My goal is to not be a certain weight or to be skinny. To be honest, I've always had curves and I love them. I don't want them to leave-they are what makes me who I am. So it's not a number on the scale, my goal is to be healthy. A healthy weight so I'm no longer pre-diabetic (ugh) and healthy Thyroid levels too. My next Endocrinologist appointment is October 30th and by then I want my labs numbers to drastically improve. It's a every day commitment though and it's hard. Through tests and lab results I've found out that because of Hypothyroidism, my body has a super slow metabolism (Thanks body!) So it's even harder for me to lose weight, but I think I started out pretty good! 

Thank you for your words of encouragement over the past month! Just keep swimming, am I right? Happy September sweet friends, make it a good one! 

Love, 

Michelle 

One Sweet Fridays. The Working Retreat Recap.

This One Sweet Fridays post is a little different, but I have something special to share! 

This week I was a lucky lady and attended The Working Retreat in the mountains of Maine and to be quite honest, I left a lot of my heart there. I woke up this morning a little sad that I left the mountains, and intentional time with some amazing industry friends. Not to mention, we ate like kings. This trip was so good from my heart. I struggle a bit sometimes with owning my own business and people not getting it. Not getting why I attend conferences, put on styled shoots. or put other people before my business. But the girls at The Working Retreat get it and to say it was wonderful would be an understatement. I'm actually getting a little teary-eyed typing this...that's how much I already miss it. 

Jessica and I flew up on Monday morning after somehow missing our first flight (yep, we were the girls chatting away at the gate and didn't see about 90 people board hah) We finally made it and joined the others. The next two days were spent wearing Yoga pants, listening to educational talks, and just good ol' girl talk about life, husbands, business, and the future. My favorite night was Wednesday night...The weather was perfect and we sat on the porch under blankets and chatted until way too late. We also had a game night which was absolutely hilarious. We laughed until we were crying. This retreat came at exactly the right time. I loved that it was placed during wedding season as we wedding ladies get tired out. This was such a great break right before the Fall busy season begins. 

Here are some snaps from our week...photos are from all of attendees of TWR including Annmarie, Kat, and Jessica

Many thanks to Annmarie who made this possible, Kat, Jess, and Alexandra for their inspiring talks, and the other attendees who made this a week I'll never forget. Can't wait for the next one! 

Maine, you were breathtakingly gorgeous and I know I will see you again. 

Love,

Michelle