The Behind-The-Scenes Story of Belle Vue

They say that passion ignites when your heart finds its home. For me, that time came in my early 40s while sitting in weddings and receptions, my heart aching as I watched brides on their most precious day — the day they’d dreamed of since childhood — settling for less than the magic they deserved.

Something deep within my soul whispered, “This could be so much more beautiful…”

My daughter had watched me transform our home with nothing but vision and determination. She’d seen me create stunning floral arrangements and breathe new life into forgotten corners. “Mom,” she said one day, her eyes bright with possibility, “you should do interior decorating.”But fear is a powerful thing, isn’t it? I lacked both the confidence and the financial means to chase such a dream. Yet God had planted something unstoppable within me: a creativity that refused to be silenced and a gift that demands to be shared.

So, I started small. I began helping single mothers, taking what they already had in their homes and completely transforming their spaces for free. Oh, the pure joy that would light up their faces when they saw their homes reborn.

I had walked in their shoes. I’d been that struggling single mom, living with my daughter in a makeshift kitchenette so tiny they are now storage buildings. I knew the weight of choosing between necessities and beauty. I couldn't afford an interior designer, and I knew they couldn’t either. This was my way of using God’s gift to help others who were fighting to build better lives for their children.   I poured my heart into interior decorating, but it felt...incomplete. This wasn’t the fire burning in my soul. Then, everything changed with a single desperate phone call.

A dear friend called me in absolute panic. Her daughter was getting married in THREE DAYS and their family member/wedding planner who was supposed to plan everything had walked away in anger, leaving absolutely nothing prepared. Both mother and daughter were in tears.  “Please,” she begged, “I need you to help us.”   I had never planned a wedding before — let alone a complete wedding for 300 guests in 72 hours!  But something extraordinary happened. She looked at me in tears and said words that would change my life forever: “I have complete faith in you.”

Something ignited within me that I had never felt before — a divine energy that felt like lightning in my veins. I took two days off work and dove in headfirst. They had chosen their colors and wanted a rustic fairytale setting outdoors.  The rest was up to me.

For three straight days, I ran on pure adrenaline.  Sleep became impossible as my mind raced with over-the-top ideas that seemed to flow from heaven itself. When I shared my visions with the bride and her mother, they said the most beautiful words: “We do NOT care what you do…we trust you! Please just make it happen!”   I also had to coordinate the reception, figure out food to serve, find a cake designer and a serving team.    I called my daughter and said, “Honey, I think I’ve found my calling, but right now I need you and three friends dressed in jeans with pink and brown tops to help serve at a wedding reception!”    She said, “Absolutely, Mom!” She and her friends showed up ready to serve.  They later told me they loved doing it — all they had to do was ask and I guided them through everything.

I found myself seamlessly flowing between helping the bride squeeze into a dress that was too tight, comforting the mother and fixing her makeup, pinning on boutonnieres and corsages.

The wedding was SPECTACULAR — unlike anything anyone had ever seen before. The décor was breathtaking, the atmosphere magical, and guests couldn’t stop talking about it.

When the last rental item was returned, I was physically exhausted but spiritually more alive than I had ever been. For the first time in my life, I felt completely fulfilled and energized in my soul.   My daughter, who had suggested interior decorating years earlier, looked at me with wonder and said, “Mom, I was wrong about the decorating. THIS is what you need to do!  She confirmed what my heart already knew, and my journey as a wedding planner began.

I started helping everyone I could with their weddings and it was pure joy — I did it as a hobby because I loved it so much. I didn’t care if my job was washing dishes, I just wanted to be there, to be part of making dreams come true!   But I soon found myself once again critiquing the décor, the chaos that erupted with wedding parties right before ceremonies began, etc. My heart was stirring with solutions, but I still lacked the confidence to step out on my own.  

God began placing me in unique situations that would build my confidence. I started working with the City of West Fork and our District Youth on huge projects. Now, I can look back and see this as God’s divine training ground. Just as He trained David to be King by first being a shepherd.

I decided to step out in faith and offer my services for free to friends and their networks, testing my gifts while serving others. I began creating bouquets, planning weddings, milestone birthdays, and other events. I loved every moment! I didn’t charge for the work, and my team of friends who helped didn’t get paid either, but they didn’t care at all. They said they wanted to work with me and learn because it was so incredibly enjoyable, albeit exhausting.

Jump to 2016 when my daughter decided to get married.   Now I was the mother of the bride, but I thought, “Hey, I’ve got this...no problem!”   I personally oversaw every detail of the wedding and reception decorations — they were too important to delegate. Thankfully, my two best friends were there to help with everything.

The wedding and reception were stunning! So much so that the Marketing Director at the Chancellor Hotel asked if she could photograph the reception area for their website.

In her words, she had “Never seen anything like it!”

But here’s the heartbreaking truth: while the event was visually amazing, it was the worst experience of my life. I have no pictures with my daughter from her wedding day. I didn’t get to spend ANY time with her like a mother should. I cried from the stress of being both Mom and wedding planner and spending a ton of money while missing the joy of the moment.

That night, through my tears, I immediately knew what God was calling me to do. I didn’t just want to decorate for events — I wanted to open a venue where I could ensure that clients and their families had the most positive experience possible, with full access to beautiful décor, so they would never have to go through what I experienced and they could just enjoy the day.

I had already invested thousands of dollars in décor, sofas, China, and accessories, so I built a building (affectionately known to this day as Design Central) to store everything. I returned to my hobby, but now with a completely new frame of mind and a vision burning in my heart.

On June 6th, 2017, I took my passion and desires to God. Through much prayer, fasting, crying, holding on, and believing with every fiber of my being, something incredible was set in motion.

7 ½ years later, we closed on the 7th property we’d made an offer on…7, what perfect number!

On June 6th, 2025, we broke ground on Belle Vue Venue & Grounds!

But here’s the most beautiful part of this story — Years earlier, I had placed an offer on a property for my venue. I was going to call it Rose Hill.  But God spoke to my dear Pastor’s wife who is my best friend. He told her something she didn’t want to share, but she did. God told her He wanted me to give it up.   He said, “If you give up Rose Hill, I will give you something that will be more than Rose Hill could ever be.”    I obeyed, even though I couldn’t see how God would fulfill that promise. I gave up Rose Hill, trusting completely in His faithfulness. And now, eight years later, I am overwhelmed with gratitude and wonder. This venue, this dream made manifest — it is more than I could have ever imagined possible.  I am truly living the prayers I used to pray!

My God keeps His promises. Every single one!    When we trust Him with our dreams, when we surrender our plans to His perfect will, He doesn’t just give us what we ask for — He gives us more than we could ever ask or imagine.   Nothing is impossible with God!

It is my prayer that Belle Vue will always stand as a testament to the beauty of that truth, and that every bride who walks through our doors will experience the love, splendor, and faithfulness of a God who turns dreams into reality.  This isn’t just our story. This is God’s story.

And this is just the beginning...