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Entertainment January 18, 2017
Military veterans have made plenty of sacrifices to keep our country safe. One sacrifice you might not think about, however, is being without the time, money or nearby family to have the wedding of their dreams.
For Army veteran Jacob Grisel and his wife Jessica Potter Grisel, this meant getting married in a courthouse with only two friends as witnesses. However, this last December, the Grisels received the ultimate Christmas gift a few weeks early on Veteran’s Day: an all-expense paid vow renewal ceremony, thanks to Something Bleu Bridal Boutique.
Was the Grisels’ special day worth the wait? How did this project start? And how can you honor veterans on a smaller scale? ENTITY caught up with Jacob and Jessica, as well as Something Bleu’s Founder Ginny Lopez and Fashion Director Bebe Lashley, to find out.
ENTITY: Why did you enter the “Something Bleu Military Wedding” giveaway?
THE GRISELS: We entered the wedding giveaway because we wanted a chance to have a real wedding with our girls and family and friends. Our courthouse wedding was great, but we were the only ones there.
Why exactly did the Grisels elope to a courthouse in the first place? While the Grisels didn’t go in depth in the interview, their application video filled in the blanks. Jacob joined the military in 2002, was deployed in 2005 and, after returning home, met Jessica. He was working at a drive-thru and she was a customer. According to Jessica, “Something just clicked. He turned me down a couple times…but I was very persistent.”
Laughing, Jacob replies, “So then we gave it a shot, and we talked all night the first night, and we really haven’t been apart every since. We wanted to get married and we got engaged.” However, with their family far away and the stress of wedding planning growing, the two decided to elope. “It was nothing big, but we were ready to get married. We knew we loved each other,” Jacob says.
READ MORE: 9 Things Veterans Want Every Civilian to Know
Several years and two little girls later, the Grisels didn’t just want the wedding they never had. They wanted a wedding for their children to enjoy with them, so, as Jacob put it, “We can do it right!”
ENTITY: What was it about the Grisels’ story that particularly spoke to you?
BEBE LASHLEY: When we saw their video, we fell in love with their family as a whole. The way the couple looked at each other – and the way their daughter said, “I’d love to see my mommy in a pretty dress!” Even in the wedding, when you saw them, it really validated our decision.
The fact that they served and had given so much of themselves to the country, just to give them this was beautiful to watch.
GINNY LOPEZ: It was a really hard decision. All of the applicants to the giveaway were so worthy, it was a struggle.
BEBE LASHLEY: Every time a new video came in, we kept texting each other: “Oh! This one! No, oh, this one!”
ENTITY: Did you experience any challenges in designing and holding the wedding?
GINNY LOPEZ: We literally planned a wedding in little under 30 days. My background is interior design. One of my favorite organizations is the non profit, Soldiers Who Salsa. Throughout my work with them we’ve been fortunate to work with a team of exceptional vendors who support our troops/veterans. All of those vendors were so excited and 100% on board about this wedding.
BEBE LASHLEY: The vendors, once they knew what they were doing and who it was for, their hearts were really into it. [In particular, the Something Bleu Military Gift included: the venue at the Luce Loft in Downtown San Diego, wedding gown and accessories, grooms attire, invitations, floral arrangements, catering and cake, decor for the ceremony and reception, a DJ and other final touches. While the other vendors didn’t donate their full services, they did provide discounts to help make this wedding a reality]. We even had friends who came and pitched in. A huge shout out to all the husbands and girlfriends who helped! They were amazing – and they enjoyed doing it!
ENTITY: What was your biggest takeaway from the experience of giving away a – or receiving a free – wedding?
GINNY LOPEZ: There were just these moments during that day. It’s funny because you notice things like little moments. For example, I took Jessica’s grandmother to where Jessica was getting ready, and the moment when she saw her, it was just touching. Another moment was when Jacob’s sister gave a toast and she made a speech. It was just really moving. The wedding meant so much to this family. They were so happy.
READ MORE: 5 Things People Don’t Know About Military Families
BEBE LASHLEY: Charlotte [the Grisels’ four-year-old daughter] was hiding behind me saying, “I don’t want Daddy to see me yet.” I loved seeing how satisfied she was to have him see her for the first time.
THE GRISELS: The most meaningful part of the wedding was having our family and close friends there to celebrate us. Charlotte was so very excited about the wedding. She was convinced that she was marrying her daddy and her favorite part was when he gave her a ring. The pictures of the wedding are also absolutely breathtaking!
In their application video, Jessica said, “The one regret we had about our eloping is that we have no pictures to show our daughters. We have nothing to prove that we had this beautiful day together.” Obviously, that is no longer a problem…
GINNY LOPEZ: When we left that night, I’ve never been so tired in my life, but it was the best kind of tired. The family was having so much fun. It was definitely one of those weddings that was beautiful and elegant, but they had such a great time on that dance floor. That is amazing.
READ MORE: How the Social Gap Between Civilians and Veterans Make Coming Home Worse Than War
ENTITY: What do you most want people to know about this wedding, Something Bleu or people who serve in the military?
GINNY LOPEZ: I have several friends who have served and my uncle also served. I know when my uncle came back, he served in Vietnam, and he didn’t really talk about it that much. As I got older, my grandparents talking about him reacclimating. I don’t think a lot of people can really understand what getting back into your everyday life and carrying on is like. There’s a lot of adjusting to do. In some ways, those people will never be the same.
They’ve sacrificed so much for us that this wedding was really a small thing in the grand scheme of things that we can do for them.
GINNY LOPEZ: As for Something Bleu, it’s under construction right now and we’re shooting for a late February opening date. We want to offer something really special, where people bring their families, their wedding party, and it’s going to be an event. We also have a men’s store, which is opening right next store, called Bleu Gents. That’s turned into such a fun project.
THE GRISELS: We would just like to say thank you to Something Bleu for everything that they have given us. This is something we will cherish forever and they will always hold a special place in our hearts. As for people in the military, we serve and support each other. It’s all about the man/woman next to you. We are the greatest military in the world because we believe in being a part of something bigger than ourselves.
ENTITY: Do you have any advice for people wanting to show their appreciation for veterans in a smaller way?
GINNY LOPEZ: I think it’s definitely a case-by-case kind of thing. We often just kind of assume that service members returning home is just a happy reunion. If you have a friend and a family member, try reaching out a little bit extra and making an effort to spend time with that person. Just letting them know, “I’m here, I’m glad you’re back,” and giving them some understanding and additional support would be helpful.
BEBE LASHLEY: You don’t have to come up with grand ideas. Sometimes I think a “thank you” and an acknowledgement is enough in that moment.
A photo posted by Something Bleu (@somethingbleusocal) on
It’s impossible to deny that veterans made sacrifices on a daily basis when serving our country, but some sacrifices are more obvious than others. Thanks to the kindness of a few special small businesses, however, Jessica and Jacob Grisel didn’t just receive a free vow renewal; they received a second chance to celebrate their love with the ones who love them most – including their two daughters.
