It's that time of year again!  Time for the Bridal Extravaganza!  Austin's best one stop shop for everything any bride could need for her wedding!  When I talk to many brides about the show I often hear one word, "overwhelming!"  And to the unprepared bride, it will be!  Rows and rows and hundreds of vendors!  It can very quickly become information overload.  But, it doesn't have to be! It can be a great resource for getting valuable information for your wedding!  Here is the best way to get the most out of the show:

I hope this will help you get the most out of the Bridal Extravaganza!  Don't forget to stop by our booth (#804) anytime on June 15th between Noon and 6:00 pm!  Visit early as we sometimes run out of cake!

The Bridal Extravaganza is upon us! As some may know, my husband and I lost our 2 year old son, Kooper, on June 16th, 2013 to a sudden febrile seizure.  Since then we have chosen to use our business to help others in Kooper's memory.  For the Bridal Extravaganza we choose a child or organization to "sponsor."  All brides who book their wedding during and shortly after the show, their deposit will go towards this specific need of our choosing.  For the June 2014 Show, we have chosen a precious girl named Meghan.  Below is Meghan's story as well as how you can help!

Meghan is a healthy 11 year old girl!  Over Easter Weekend this past year she developed an on again/off again fever.  Easter Sunday Meghan also began experiencing a cough, which continued to get worse throughout the day and into Monday.  Her symptoms progressed and she began to experience a terrible pain in her side.  At this point her parents made the decision to take Meghan to the ER, where they received devastating news.  Meghan had a collapsed lung as well as fluid on her lungs and was immediately transported via ambulance to Dell Children's Hospital. 

Upon her arrival, she was immediately taken into emergency surgery where she received two chest tubes and was then taken to ICU.  She was placed on a ventilator to help her breathe and sedated to keep her from being agitated from the tubes.  Doctors began a round of antibiotics to see which ones her body would respond the best too.  Her blood pressure continued to drop during her first week in ICU.  Doctors then learned that Meghan had an infection in her blood.  At this point, her parents began to prepare for the worst, that Meghan may not come home.

Meghan spent two weeks in ICU.  During her time there she received cat scans, daily x-rays, echo cardiograms, 4 antibiotics, and blood transfusions.  Finally, her body started to respond!  She was weaned off the ventilators and moved to a regular hospital room.  Meghan began to improve and started physical therapy to try to regain some of the strength she had lost during her recent battle. 

Finally, after a tiresome 3 weeks, Meghan got to come home!  It took another 6 weeks for her to gain her strength back and she has just recently finished her antibiotics to fight the infection.  She continues to gain strength and weight, as she had lost 10 lbs during her hospital stay.

During this time Meghan's parents held to their faith and praise God that she is okay!  Unfortunately, the financial responsibilities are extensive.  Additionally, during her 3 week stay their insurance renewed, which means they are not only responsible for one deductible, but not two!

Meghan's family is to thankful that she is alive and doing well!  However, they still carry the weight of the financial burden that is upon them.  When Kevin and I lost Kooper people rushed to our aid.  They brought everything from cards, to flowers, to dinner, to financial donations.  The outpouring of love was overwhelming and we want to share that love with Meghan's family too!

So, here is our plan!  Between June 15th (the day of the Bridal Extravaganza) and June 30th all deposits bride pay will go directly to Meghan's family on behalf of our brides in memory of Kooper.  If you have already booked your wedding or would just like to help out as well, we would love you to participate as well!  Visit the "About Us" section of our webpage.  At the bottom is a "Pay Now" button.  Simply click on that and fill in your credit card information.  In the notes section simply put "Meghan" so I see to it that her family receives your donation.  No amount is too small!  Thank you in advance for loving on Meghan and her family in this difficult time!