Country Sugar Events: nicci + mike {san antonio wedding planner}

This blog post is definitely overdue! I've been in possession of the amazing photos from Al Gawlik Photography for awhile now, but wanted to wait to post this blog until I had the time to devote to telling Nicci and Mike's wedding story.

Nicci contacted Country Sugar this past spring in hopes of finding someone to help her track the logistics of her wedding, recommend vendors, and serve as her voice here in San Antonio while she planned her wedding from Tennessee. Nicci and Mike were already technically married, but had not yet had the chance to celebrate the event with their family and friends. Mike proudly serves our United States Army and was serving overseas until just before the wedding!

As time drew closer to the wedding, my communication with Nicci became more sparse. This is not normal, it's usually the exact opposite. However, Nicci's situation was different. Not only was she anticipating the arrival of her husband back home after being in Afghanistan for a year, she also served as a volunteer for Mike's troop. Nicci helped coordinate families and wives upon the arrival of soldiers coming back home, and was there to comfort those heroes at home...the women who lost their husbands overseas in the line of duty. August was a very hard month for them...Nicci was very busy. Not to mention, Mike had a very close call shortly before returning home.

The wedding, the meaning behind the wedding was still VERY important to Nicci. But the details, the things we scour the blogs for, slave late nights for, and sometimes arrogantly boast about as the epitome of all other weddings no longer were AS important to her.

Her husband was home SAFE. She could feel Mike's embrace, he could hold her in his arms. She could share the joy with her family and friends that God blessed them both with this upcoming wedding day. What does this mean on our end? It means that the week of their wedding we scrambled a bit, but pulled it all together. Final meetings, shopping, bridals...YES I said bridals, all in the final days leading up to the wedding! Nicci and Mike's story also touched the hearts of some of my absolute favorite vendors in the business. Erin from Eden's Echo, and Amy and Ashley from Forever to Have and Hold brought extra decor for the wedding day as a gift to Nicci and Mike.

I have to admit I teared up at the wedding rehearsal. What? Ya I know, save it for the ceremony. But, it wasn't the rehearsal that made me get choked up, it was after. I took a moment after to thank Nicci and Mike. I thanked Mike for his service to our country, and for risking his own life to keep my two beautiful baby girls safe in this world. I also thanked Nicci for being a hero at home...a job that's more difficult than many of us imagine.

As you can see why now, I couldn't just share the pictures...I had to tell the story. And the wedding STILL turned out gorgeous!!!

love - brandi & the country sugar team