Wedding Planner Getting Married – Why I Postponed My Wedding

Hello MunaLuchi Bride readers! It’s been awhile since I wrote my last blog post, but I have a legitimate reason for being gone so long. It’s a bit sad and disappointing at first, but don’t worry because it has a happy ending.

I’m back! (Photo Credit: Michael Williams)

I contemplated whether or not to share my story as it is very personal, but you all have joined me on this wedding planning journey from the very beginning, full of all the wonderful highs like my bridal shower and engagement session, so it’s only right to also keep you abreast of the inevitable lows. There are times when things don’t always go as planned, but it’s how you handle unfortunate circumstances, with grace and strength, that defines who you are.

During one of the many weddings that my fiancé, Michael and I worked on together this year, I had a slight mishap and twisted my knee. It hurt, but I had a responsibility to my clients as their wedding planner and I didn’t want to let them down. I tried to push through, but about halfway through the reception I felt a shooting pain through my leg and I knew that I could no longer continue walking.

While Michael kept the music going on the dance floor, I quickly gave detailed instructions to my assistant Natalie and then sat on the sidelines to ice my knee. I’m so thankful for Eve Martinez’s phenomenal catering staff from Talde Brooklyn for pitching in and going above and beyond the call of duty in order to make my clients’ wedding day absolutely perfect.

A happy Samantha and Sean = crisis diverted! (Photo Credit: Lev Kuperman)

As soon as the reception was over, Michael rushed me to the emergency room. Completely drained and exhausted, we spent hours just waiting and waiting…and waiting some more only to be sent home with a pair of crutches and a referral for a specialist. During my follow up appointment, I had an MRI and learned that what I had hoped was just a bad sprain was actually a torn ACL that required surgery. Yes, tearing an ACL isn’t just for NFL players – it can happen to the regular people, too.

I was devastated by this news. Not only did I not have time for surgery in my packed schedule, but we were less than two months away from our big day and it would take me up to four months to fully recover. I didn’t want to disappoint Michael, our friends and family, or myself. My wedding day has been something I’ve dreamed about since I was a little girl and I wasn’t going to let anything stop me from walking (or limping) down the aisle.

Luckily, I had an expert physical therapist on hand to give me great advice on another option. I was told that I could possibly hold off on the surgery until after my wedding if I was willing to put in the work. So with a lot of perseverance and countless hours in physical therapy, I made it through the rest of wedding season, crutches and all, and I was eventually able to get back on my feet.

Using one of my crutches as a selfie stick after Andre and Joy’s wedding. (Photo Credit – Michael Williams)

However, just two weeks before our wedding date, tragedy struck once again. On my way home from the office, I tripped and collapsed to the ground in a lot of pain and with lots of tears. I couldn’t walk and was right back at square one. I knew that moving forward with the wedding would be impossible. So instead of getting ready for my walk down the aisle, I had to prepare to be rolled into the operating room.

Postponing our wedding was one of the hardest decisions I have ever had to make.

But the outpouring of love from our family, friends, and wedding industry colleagues who have been so incredibly understanding and supportive throughout this process has been such a blessing. All of the well wishes, phone calls, text messages, flowers and cards have made this ordeal much easier than I ever imagined.

In the whirlwind of putting together all of your wedding plans, the last thing on your mind is what could possibly go wrong. I advise all of my clients to purchase wedding cancellation and liability insurance as soon as they make a down payment on their venue. It not only protects your financial investment in case of illness, injury, or acts of God like hurricanes, but it also gives you peace of mind. And even if you are working with a tight budget, it’s still affordable — a few hundred dollars can save you tens of thousands.

My surgery was a success and I’ve been on the road to recovery for a few months now. I still have a long way to go, but with the invaluable help of Michael and my mother, I know I’ll be good as new in no time.

A beautiful surprise! (Photo Credit: Michael Williams)

On what would have been our wedding day, September 27th, Michael surprised me with the biggest bouquet of flowers I’ve ever received, a box of my favorite cupcakes, and a beautiful card. What could have been a sad and depressing day was actually quite lovely. This tough experience has brought us closer together and given us a taste of the “in sickness and in health” part of our future vows. A wedding is a celebration of love for one day, but marriage is for the rest of your life. I’m happy to have chosen someone with such a loving heart and caring nature as my life partner.

Another plus is that we get to enjoy being engaged for a little longer. I use the word “fiancé” as much as I can these days. I have a newfound appreciation for this phase of our journey to “I do.” We have a bright future ahead of us, so I don’t mind waiting a little longer for my forever.

And the best part is that I have more time to work on making our new wedding day even better than the one we had originally planned! Woo hoo!

The best things come to those who wait. (Photo Credit: Alakija Studios)

Thanks for reading! As promised from my last post, my next blog entry will be all about wedding stationery with expert tips from my friend and Coterie member Ola-Tokunbo of Ijorere, The Invitation.

Happy Planning!

Xoxo – Victoria

Victoria Nee-Lartey is a contributing author for Munaluchi Bride Online, Coterie Member and owner of Victorious Events NYC. To keep up with her, follow her on Instagram and Facebook.