Hi Brides! Thank you so much for tuning in! Today on the Forever Bride show we have a big announcement to make and I cannot wait to share it with all of you!

Hello beautiful brides! My name is Sarah and I typically produce this podcast, but today I will be here to share a very exciting announcement with you.

First of all, our Market is less than 6 months away! It is on November 10th at Radisson Blu, mall of america. To learn more, check out our website at www.foreverbride.com and click The Market tab. And now, here is our big announcement. Can we get a drum roll please”¦..

We have a new host for The Forever Bride Show! Her name is Sam Schulze, and I must say that she is an absolute gem! She is so kind, smart, beautiful and is here to help you find the information you need to plan your wedding!

Sam, tell us a little about yourself!

• Personal Background – grew up in MN, I’ve been to more countries than I have states, I currently am obsessed with Trader Joes, Bachelorette Recaps by Chatty Broads, and reading. Right now, I’m reading Love Does by Bob Goff, and Boundaries by Henry Cloud and John Townsend. And forever and always, my dog Nash.

• Professional Background – I’ve always loved working. I don’t think I’ve ever had a job I didn’t like, except maybe the few weeks I worked at PacSun lol. I was introduced to Forever Bride about 4 years ago when I met the VP Ashley Hawks at a volunteer event through our church. If you don’t know Ashley, she is bold, beautiful, and full of energy. And she came right up to me and was like, “Hey I need to work with you on a shoot I’m doing!” And she gave me her card hahah. It was so random! So we did that shoot and I loved everyone that was a part of it. Fast forward two years.. I was home from a 2 month missions trip that I had left my previous job to do and Forever Bride was hiring for an Executive Assistant! It could not have been better timing. So I started working there on July 17th, 2017 as her assistant and now I have the honor to be the Marketing Manager and main communicator with our brides! It’s so fun, I love it!

What is your best piece of dating advice for our listeners?

• Don’t stop getting to know yourself! try new things, alone or with your partner, & see a counselor! Again, this can be alone or together, but I think it’s so helpful to have a professional feelings expert guide you through life. Even if it’s just for a season. I’m all about growing and developing to become the most helpful, loving, and healthy person I can be. If you are trying to get in shape physically, you go to the gym, eat healthier, & see a trainer. I feel the same way about getting emotionally and mentally healthy, I compare going to the gym to listening to podcasts or reading books, and seeing a counselor is equivalent to seeing a trainer. Without them, I could see the same results, but it’ll probably take exponentially longer. And I don’t like to dilly dally hahaha.

• We are having some counselors on the show here in a few weeks!

What is your go to cheesy pickup line?

• Anything with a pun or play on words, so I love the classic “if you were a fruit you’d be a fineapple” but I also like the subtle sneaky ones like “kiss me if I’m wrong, but do dinosaurs still exist?”

I am curious, though I am guessing you would never commit a crime so bad that this would ever happen, but if necessary, what would you choose for your death row meal!?

• Chocolate cake. Actually, the turtle chocolate cake from Cafe Latte in St Paul

• Breakfast food, like my grandma’s pancakes with some peanut butter and fruit on top and all natural syrup

• With a side of toast and avocados.

• For sure a nice glass of water

• Maybe a glass of really nice wine. Probably a glass of red and a glass of white. White for during my meal and red for after with my cake!

What is your favorite holiday??

• I have 3…

• Fourth of July or Christmas. 4th of July because my whole family gets together and we are outside on the lake all weekend. And then of course Christmas, because Christmas music, decorating the house, picking out a tree, mostly all the stuff that happens before Christmas. The day-of is fine, but I love the anticipation and excitement that goes on the entire season.

• THE MARKET (maybe more than Christmas). Everyone at Forever Bride, we put so much time and energy into this event. It happens twice a year, basically back to back because we have one before the holidays in the fall, usually around November, and then one after, usually in February. And the night before the market we all stay at Radisson Blu MOA, have dinner together, and then we are up at 4AM getting ready and getting everything set up to make for the perfect experience for the brides. Finally, the doors open at 12 and to see all these amazing brides and babes coming in and talking with these vendors that we know are trustworthy and will treat our brides with nothing short of excellence and love makes my heart so happy. There are so many times throughout the day where I’m like whoa, this is crazy beautiful. So yeah, it’s a very magical day for me!

Favorite time of the year and why

• Summer because dresses and I don’t have to put on a coat and boots just to let my dog out.

You are also a very mindful person when it comes to your health! What is your #1 tip for brides

• If we’re talking physical health; Drink water. Half your body weight in fluid ounces. I want everyone to keep in mind: there’s no right way to look. It’s a cultural norm to feel all this pressure to lose 10 pounds or whatever as soon as summer comes or a big event like your wedding. And I think that’s total crap. My wish for humans is that we would focus on doing things that will optimize our body’s performance so we can feel the best as we do life. So if you’re not drinking water, your brain and body isn’t going to function as highly as it can.

• Mental and emotional health; get a counselor. A licensed professional to help you work through emotional and mental roadblocks.

• Spiritual: figure out your why. That way you always have a compass or something to recenter you when stress starts to overwhelm you. For me, I believe in Jesus and that he’s given me this time on earth to love and bring joy to others and explore all that he has made. So when I start to get crazy in my head with stress or comparison, I stop and think.. this isn’t me, this isn’t what my life is meant for. These circumstances, these stressors, they can throw other people off, but they aren’t going to throw me off. I’m going to recenter on my why. I’m going to fix my attention on what’s going to bring joy to myself and others. I’m going to keep trying and do what I know is right. Typically, that goes back to my other foundational truths about health, like have I been drinking enough water, have I been taking time to try something new or do something I know I enjoy, or is this an issue I should talk to my counselor about.

• So those are my tips. Drink water, get a counselor, and figure out your why.

JENGA TIME: Tune in to hear Sarah and Sam play a few rounds of “get-to-know-you” Jenga!

Sarah: This has been so fun and I am so excited to hear all of the wedding planning advice you discuss with some of the best vendors in town as we get closer to my own wedding day.

Sam: Yeah I cannot wait! We have some really amazing guests coming up to talk about things like, meaningful and inexpensive gifts and favors ideas, a new way to workout, unique bridal shower ideas, and we are getting REAL deep with some counselors. So stay tuned by subscribing and leaving a review on iTunes. PLEASE. That would mean the world to us! We release a new podcast every week and would love to hear your thoughts. If there is a topic you really want us to cover, you can send an email to hello@foreverbride.com or post it on our group page on Facebook called Forever Brides. We are always on that and looking for feedback! With that, let’s close up. Thank you so much for being here, Sarah. We will all miss having you on the podcast, so hopefully we can have you back on after your wedding to give some tips and advice and share your experience!

Talk soon brides!