“I knew Eric was the one when a moment of challenge presented itself and he was transparent about hard things,” Stay tells us about her new husband. “I had never experienced that level of respect and maturity in a man."
“I received something blue from my mother and sister which was a Pandora charm star fish with a blue stone perched in its center,” the bride shares.
“I decided to allow the bridal party to have distinct bust lines in order to give them autonomy in deciding on a style they would feel most comfortable wearing depending on their shape and size,” she explains.
The bride walked down the aisle to “Never Felt This Way” by Brian McKnight. “We decided on this song because it best expressed our feelings of our destined love,” she recalls.
“What I love most about my wife is her ability to reach any goal or vision she has set,” says the proud groom. “I had the opportunity to experience and see her achieve her health goals. When I first met her, I personally thought she was beautiful. I soon discovered that she battled with insecurities about her weight. She did not let it take control of her. Instead, she really too control of it.”
“Eric is someone I sincerely admire and adore because he has grown so much, and has truly allowed Christ to renew his mind in order to serve our marriage in the most selfless way,” says Stacy. “He is always trying to find ways to improve himself even though our marriage is so fresh.”
“My husband purchased mint green socks for each of his groomsmen to help solidify the look,” the bride tells us.
“Since our wedding was a beach wedding, I decided I wanted something lightweight because of the heat and humidity,” Stacy explains. She stunned their guests and her groom in this Maggie Sottero gown. “I felt lace would best fit the old Mexico romance feel of our venue. I went to four different dress galleries before I found the exact one I envisioned. I knew it was the one because of how I felt when I slipped it on. I felt emotional and became tearful when I walked back into the dressing room. I said to myself, ‘Yes, this is the one.’”
The bridesmaids wowed in mint green Alfred Angelo dresses.
Stacy and her girls were picture perfect on her big day.
Is this a good looking bridal party bunch or what? Talk about beach chic.
“There were four bridesmaids total which included my matron of honor, my sister, and the my sorority line sisters,” says Stacy.
Even the groomsmen were dressed to impress. “We decided to rock the elegant, slim fit three piece tan tuxedos coupled with Matte Chestnut shoes, mint green narrow striped bow ties with matching pocket squares, white gold studs and cuff links to top it off,” says Eric.
“I said yes because of Eric's loyalty, honesty, introspection, willingness to learn and grow, humor and his friendship,” Stacy explains.
“The angel I married is an angelic being,” says Eric. “The rhetoric that I will attempt to declare about her is a whisper because her actions speak so much louder. She is someone that God perfectly made for me. She is relationship centered and covenant driven. She is my accountability partner and my number one cheerleader.” Swoon!
“When I was presented with the opportunity to get to know her on a deeper level, our relationship sprouted reciprocity because I got to know myself,” says Eric. “I was taking responsibility for my actions, stepping out of my comfort zone, being transparent and honest, and truly discovering my strengths and weaknesses, being more health conscious, growing in confidence and effective communication as a man, and drawing closer to God. I strongly believe that her ability to pull out the best in me won in a tug a war game with being protective of myself, being safe, and staying comfortable.”
“As Eric was speaking out of his heart, I began to take big deep breaths,” says Stacy of his sweet proposal. “I was shaking and tearful. It was a surreal moment that felt like the beginning to a very distinct linkage in our
relationship that had never presented itself before.”
“I realized that she was the one when she reached beyond her fear in order to spend time with me,” says Eric. “It was a subtle act that created the most vital paradigm shift within me. At the time, I was still uncertain if I was ready to fully commit and face my fear of holy matrimony. I prayed for clarity and God granted just that.”
“We decided upon a destination wedding after assessing and agreeing upon our long term goals and the things in this journey that mean the most to us,” says Stacy. “I'm referencing our desire to pay for a wedding completely in cash and debt free and also to have a ceremony that included only our closest family and friends. Destination weddings often allow for these two things to exist fluidly.”
“On our wedding day, we said our I dos on an area of beach highland framed by warm crystal waters on the Riviera Mayan coastline and were surrounded by friends and family, which was a dramatic crescendo to our dream wedding,” shares the bride.
“Honestly, before I met Stacy, I did not think I would find true love because I was seeking it for myself,” says Eric. “I dated some amazing women, but I just wasn’t ready and I was caught up in the idea of past hurt. When I finally had a period in my life that I can focus on myself and really pray for my wife, I started to develop hope and optimism. God is so good! I can recall the few times I saw Stacy. She did not notice me, but I noticed her. For reasons I can’t conjure or understand, she stuck out to me beyond physical attraction. Finally when I seized the opportunity to introduce myself, I knew it was something different about her.”
“We purchased fresh flowers for our entire ceremony and reception,” says Stacy. “Our ceremony and reception were both dressed in fresh roses, lilies, cacti, and Mexican greenery. The colors of all our floral arrangements were chosen based on our peach, soft gold and mint green color scheme.”
“We hosted 35 of our closest family and friends for a romantic themed reception on a terrace overlooking a pristine pool with the Mexican Caribbean breeze accenting the nights enchantment,” Stacy explains.
“He has shown me parts of myself that I never knew existed,” says Stacy. “He has helped me to love myself because every single flaw means everything beautiful to him. He has shown me the depth of love and happiness and what it truly means to walk a journey with someone who will look inward in order to maenad the broken pieces.”
“As our relationship developed, I believe love settled in when I started becoming Stacy-centered instead of self centered,” says Eric. “I really don’t know the exact moment I fell in love, but I knew love existed and developed with Stacy.”
“My husband and I had a private covenant ceremony one week prior to our beach wedding on the terrace of our home,” says Stacy. “During this time we exchanged covenant vows which was such an emotionally driven experience, because of the termination of self will and all unhealthy connections and aspects we knew we needed to cease in order for our marriage to be of the highest praise to Christ. We both shed tears during this exchange. There were moments where be both could hardly speak, because we were so overwhelmed in this next level experience.”
