The Merry Go Round, The Brass Ring & Other Things-People & Places…

My youngest grandniece has been in California less than two weeks and already has Impetigo. Of course, her mother, Leigh Ann is shocked and horrified but, being germophobic didn’t spare young Maddy from Impetigo. On my usual morning FaceTime call with Maddy, I noticed small bumps running across Maddy’s lips and asked “what is that?” Leigh Ann had surgery at 2PM and no idea what those bumps were. Cindy and I were pretty sure we did. As usual, Cindy and I also wished we were in California to run Maddy to Urgent Care while Leigh Ann was in surgery. To solve this issue, I instructed Leigh Ann and Alex to split up. Leigh Ann would have surgery while Alex took Maddy two miles away to Urgent Care. Cindy and I were right about our assumptions. 

Leigh Ann was horrified to hear Maddy had “caught a disease.” But, Leigh Ann was overacting. Medication can treat Maddy’s outbreak with Impetigo. While I was on location at a wedding last night, Leigh Ann, Alex and Maddy were at another event in San Diego at Belmont Park. I’m guessing this is where young Maddy picked up Impetigo. Cindy is too. 

I want to wish my former couples Happy Anniversary and share a joyous release to my bride Jordan who is ecstatic to have her husband home. I love happy endings. Four of my TDCJ couples have been released this month and are already planning their Vow Renewals. Hip, hip, hooray.

Cindy and I are up and at it again tomorrow morning at 4AM to head to Telford Unit for weddings beginning at 10AM. Telford Unit is about three and a half hours from my location. Hitting the highway early is essential to the hours we spend driving to Prisons in Texas and beyond. Cindy is also now a TDCJ Approved Officiant too. Although we have never advertised, our Prison wedding bookings now compromise nearly 90% of all bookings. Shocking but true. I recall my first Prison wedding and thinking that it would be my only Prison wedding two and a half years ago. I had no idea that there were so many people wanting to marry an inmate but there are.

The scheduling of prison weddings in Texas takes place during the weekdays as to not interfere with weekend visitation. Because my traditional bookings all take place on evenings and weekends, adding Prison Weddings to my schedule was a seamless endeavor. Prison weddings in Texas are scheduled Tuesday-Friday although most Units opt for the 1st and 3rd Tuesday’s or Thursday’s, certain Units allow scheduling on Wednesday and Friday which helps organize my bookings. 

If I’m in Huntsville, it’s fairly easy to move to Tennessee Colony or Gatesville Units. Constantly looking at maps and distance is essential to the Prison wedding planning process. I must be in several locations each and every month and I spend a large portion of my time driving. I drive up to 3k miles a week round trip. The amount of driving I do surprises people. Traditionally the past nine years, my destination events were by plane and rarely by car but over the last 2.5 years, the majority of my Events are by car rather than plane. 

Last night one of my Crain Unit grooms sent me a text cancelling his wedding because his bride “got cold feet.” This is unusual and happens rarely but it has happened. I offered to return half of his deposit and my client advised me “keep it. When I find Ms. Right, you and the team can handle my wedding.” I’ve actually performed future weddings for my other clients who had cancelled their original wedding only to months and even years later, schedule another wedding. 

Once I’ve talked to a client, they never forget me. I’m surprised by this because I talk, text and email people everyday though and obviously cannot remember everyone although everyone remembers me and my twin sister, Cindy. I’ve created new bouquets for my Grapevine Botanic Garden wedding this month. Tia is going to be so much fun! I’m as thrilled as she is that her best friend is going to be her maid of honor. Working “something blue” into these bouquets was fun for me late last night. It’s just a whisper of blue. I love delighting my clients! 

I can’t wait to finally meet my client from four years ago in September. When she told me “we were going to hire you years ago,” I searched my email to locate our original emails and was shocked that four nearly five years later, my client had remembered me. I’m as excited as my bride is to finally walk the aisle. 

My Connally Unit bride was so much fun at her photo shoot. There were very few great areas to do her photos so I settled on the courthouse. I’m back at Crain Unit Thursday and Green Bay Friday before rolling into another busy weekend. 

One reader had asked me “which event was crazier, the banjo playing boyfriend, the broken toothed bride, the mother who wanted to be a bride, the tardy party bride, or the bride who lied?” In all honesty, the craziest event was the one that ended with 7 arrests in Fort Worth. No one saw that coming not even me but a bit of advice to old loves who show up at a wedding thinking they can ruin it, you can’t. You had your chance buddy and you blew it. Don’t show up at one of my weddings trying to object. I don’t offer objections. I don’t suffer fools either. Starting a fist fight at a wedding? Come on. 

Nonetheless and anyhow, the California wedding two years ago was also pretty crazy. A toddler locked herself in an SUV. The groom got tangled in the patio lights. A guest passed out on the dance floor without any panties and one of the witnesses scribbled out her address on the marriage license. People are unpredictable. People at a wedding with an open bar are REALLY UNPREDICTABILE. 

For those of you who think my brides should cover up their body art, they don’t want to. In fact, my clients are proud of their ink. Years ago, brides hid their ink but today they no longer do. As for pregnant brides, some may view these weddings as controversial or shotgun weddings but, they aren’t. Many of my pregnant brides couldn’t marry because their partner is either in the military or in prison. There are underlying reasons for the number of pregnant brides I’ve had over all of these years. 

I’ve added several imported veils to my inventory along with fabulous new tiaras and fascinators. Cindy and I believe that “too much is never enough” when it comes to our rolling SUVs of inventory. My twin is crafty and comes up with new headwear on a regular basis. Clients love Cindy’s fascinators. The bigger the better!

I’m hoping that Maddy recovers from her first childhood disease quickly. As I’m sitting here waiting on my sister who is performing a baptism tonight, I wish all of our followers a wonderful week and look forward to meeting our new clients very soon. 

The twins are back at school in ten days and a bit nervous about beginning a new school but, Cindy and I know they are going to rock 9th grade.