Bride Profile - Samantha Miller Faw

Samantha - or Sam to Kelly and crew at BT - is not only a friend, but we joke that she's our Executive VP of Marketing, because you can literally bump into her and she'll start singing our praises. We love this girl and appreciate her enthusiasm for our business. Sam also made an absolutely gorgeous bride and this bridal profile is one we've been looking forward to since we started this series.

Sam Miller married Zane Faw in June of 2014 at an intimate ceremony of about 70 people in an open-air chapel overlooking a lake. Think: elegant, simple and joyful. "Before the ceremony, Zane and I were able to read letters that we wrote to one another and then we prayed together. It was a nice and quiet moment before all the excitement started. It was then time for the ceremony. My dad drove me up to the open- air chapel in our purple 1953 Ford Truck."

THE STORY
Theirs is a story worth telling. They met as middle schoolers and "went together" which means they held hands and teased each other. In high school, a course change led them to the same English class where they really began to "see" each other and fall in love. He asked for her help with some assignments and she obliged and before long they were dating. Zane proposed at Cascade Falls on the Blue Ridge Parkway on their third anniversary and as she continued through pharmacy school, they planned their wedding.

The story doesn't end with a rainbow and a truck receding into the sunset yet, though. Just days before the wedding, while Sam was in the process of finishing the decorations for the venue, she was in a car accident. While it was a minor one, Sam had all of the decorations, honeymoon suitcases, etc in the car and it shook her up, naturally. BT's Kelly even passed her on the road and stopped to make sure that she was OK. The person most shaken may have been Zane though. The couple agreed not to see each other those days before the wedding, but once he heard he went to her side and made sure she was alright and helped move items. 

THE DRESS
The dress she was searching for for her summer wedding needed to have a sweetheart neckline and an A-line shape and be around or under $1000. Those were the details that mattered most to her. While Sam was pretty open to trying on a variety of items at our shop, she ended up finding the one she wanted with those original details. No sleeves (June can be toasty), sweetheart neck and a lovely drape. 
"When I was at Bridal Traditions, Kelly made sure to point out that certain fabrics wouldn’t be as heavy as the dresses I was choosing. I hadn’t really thought of that until then. I have to say something about the amazing service I received from Kelly when shopping there. She really made me feel comfortable and we had a great time. I went to two other places after Bridal Traditions, and the service at those places didn’t compare to her service by far. Also, I had pictures of every dress I tried on from all 3 places. I am a very indecisive person. So I ended up showing Zane all the pictures and he picked out his favorite 2 or 3, which happened to be some of my favorites as well. The ones he chose were all from Bridal Traditions."

"The service Kelly provided played a huge role in my decision making process. I had been to BT for other weddings, so I already knew Kelly from those experiences, but she truly made my experience personal. She made me feel super comfortable when trying on dresses. We had such a good time. We made jokes and laughed and I never once felt rushed or pressured to purchase anything. She just wanted me to find the perfect dress. The other two places I went, I was just a time slot and I felt rushed and pressured to make a decision that very day. I knew I couldn’t make that important of a decision that quickly, so it made me uncomfortable. Kelly made an effort to understand my personality, which is something that most other bridal shops don’t do. Kelly has developed such a wonderful business at BT. You’re not a number, a time slot, or just another dollar. You are a bride and a friend when you walk into BT.
My experience at BT has led to a friendship with the owner, Kelly. I still go by and talk to her often. I recommend her bridal shop to everyone I know getting married. She truly is an amazing person and she has created a wonderful business that brings joy to so many. If you want excellent service and to have a good time when picking out your dress/bridesmaid dresses for the BIG day, then there’s no other bridal shop better than BT."
Sam is a keeper! Here's to many happy years, with Zane and in your life, girl. XO