Real Brides: Elizabeth

My husband and I met when we were 18 and 22 in April of 2007. Both young and not knowing what God had in store for us. We reconnected in September of 2017 - ten years later. How you ask? It’s simple - God. God wrote our love story. It was August of 2017 and I went forward for prayer at my church. A woman met me there and after service she asked if she could pray for me. I was embarrassed to tell her what specifically so I said casually “the season I am in.” Well, if you know her you know she asked me “what season is that?” So, here I am being completely vulnerable saying “a season of singleness.” She met me in that vulnerable space and said “me too” as she grabbed my hands and prayed over me. I can’t tell you everything she said but I can say that I wept and thanked her. We exchanged numbers and social media accounts. After that day I saw her at all the events I went to at church. I had never seen her before that Sunday in August. But, she felt like a long lost sister that I wanted to know and be friends with. September 27, 2017 she posted a photograph of Jimmy, my now husband. About a month later he reached out to me. We talked for four hours on a Wednesday night and learned so much about each other. So much happened in those ten years. He asked me to watch football with him that coming Sunday after church. We met at Glory Days in Seal Beach - my favorite place to watch football - and spent the whole day together. Later that night we walked down Seal Beach Main Street. We got ice cream and walked the pier as we shared our stories with one another. It felt good to reconnect with someone that knew me so many years ago. It felt like I had always known him. He listened intently when I shared stories with him and we laughed together at some of them. The following month on November 27th he asked me to be his girlfriend - call me old school but I told him I was dating with intention and am old fashion when it comes to that kind of thing. Then on October 7, 2018 he reenacted our first date and we went to Glory Days in Seal Beach and watched football. This time we were wearing matching jerseys that said his last name on the back with each of our favorite numbers. It was an early birthday gift from him since our birthdays are a day a part - 10/10 and 10/11 - and we were going to his hometown for our birthdays in a few days. I told him wearing his last name on my back is very serious. Little did I know what was about to happen. He wanted to get a sunset picture of us in our jerseys on the pier. Like our first date, we walked down to the pier - this time hand in hand - as he started to tell me how much I mean to him. By the time we got to the end of the pier to take a photo I turned and noticed someone I knew with a camera. I thought aha! He wanted to surprise me with professional pictures in our jerseys by my friend (still no idea about what was going to happen next, call me naive, but honestly he had me believe it wouldn’t be till next year). The last photo was snapped and I went to talk to my friend and Jimmy asked me to take one more photo. I stepped back and he got down on one knee. With tears in his eyes and a shaking voice he asked me to marry him. I was in utter shock. It felt as if time froze and we were the only two people on that pier. I could hardly get out the word yes as I was gazing at him on one knee before me. In that moment my dreams became true. As I write this I can feel that feeling on that pier that Sunday at sunset. We spent a year planning our wedding and were married September 27, 2019 - two years later after the photograph that brought us back into one another lives’. You dream of “the dress” since you’re a little girl. At least I did. I always knew I wanted a ball gown with a train. I wanted a “princess dress” like I saw in movies – big, poofy yet eloquent. I started researching designers and looking them up online and I found that one designer I really liked was having a trunk show in Costa Mesa at Mon Amie Bridal Salon. I scheduled an appointment because a dress I loved would be there. When the day came I was so excited! My bridesmaids and family were all there. I was asked if I liked embellishments and I said “no.” Literally far from what I thought I wanted. I was thinking long laced sleeves with an open back. As we were picking the gowns for me to try on I saw the bottom of a dress and as I looked up to the top - which had embellishments - I almost didn’t grab it - but the lady helping me said “just try it on and see.” Well, that dress was the third dress I tried on that day. When I got it on it just felt different. It felt special. Those who had been married told me “you’ll just know when you put it on.” I didn’t know then what they meant by that. As I stood up on the box in front of the mirror I was in awe of the dress but still wasn’t sure if it was “the one.” It wasn’t until they put the cathedral veil on me and pulled the piece over my face. As I was looking in the mirror watching it happen I started to get tears in my eyes that “this is the one” feeling. But this wasn’t the dress I came to see - it was completely different - it was strapless and embellished. I tried on the dress I “thought” would be the one - with a veil too - but it just didn’t feel the same. I tried on a few more dresses but none of them felt like that “one.” As I put the dress back on and had the veil secured in my hair again with the front pulled forward - I just knew! I knew this was it. That feeling is true “you just know” when it’s the one. Not only did I find my wedding gown but I also was able to meet the designer of Moonlight Bridal. She was so kind and so sweet! It was the best day ever! I even got a sketch of my wedding dress when it arrived. On my wedding day, I felt like a princess in that gown. It was unbelievably more beautiful than I ever imagined. Thank you Moonlight Bridal and Mon Amie for making this brides dreams come true!

Photo by Maija Karin Photography