Neillie’s Story
Founder of mariée ami
I have always loved taking care of people, always loved weddings, and always wanted to work in event planning. (Yes those people do exist. I went to my first bridal show when I was fourteen…) I started Mariee’ Ami in 2009 at the height of the recession with pretty much nothing except a plan to work hard. My first event was a sweet sixteen party for a family friend’s daughter. My husband—an accomplished lawyer—acted as my assistant that night because I needed someone to serve the food. Now, a decade later, our firm has been named Best Wedding Planner in the South by Brides magazine, we plan luxury weddings all over the world, our staff has grown to eight (my husband, you’ll be happy to know, kept his day job), and that little girl who celebrated her sweet sixteen is now one of my bridal clients. While I could not be prouder of where we are today, I’m just as proud of what it has taken to get here.
When I was a child, I was diagnosed with a severe learning disability that made school very difficult. I remember hearing my fifth grade teacher tell my mother that college would be a waste of time for someone like me. I worked my way through school determined to prove myself, knowing that I would have to study longer and work harder than my peers. In 1999 I graduated from high school and was accepted to the University of Alabama.
Six months into my freshman year, I was diagnosed with Desmoid Sarcoma, a soft tissue cancer. While the news was devastating, I was determined to meet the challenge. I had surgery to remove a tumor and returned to school. One year later to the very day, I was diagnosed with a more serious case. Again I went through surgery to remove the tumors. Because of the cancer’s aggressive nature, the doctors told me there was a good chance they would have to amputate my left leg. I remember going into surgery thinking I would wake up without my leg. Fortunately, they were able to save it, but they told me that walking would be nearly impossible.
Not long after the surgery, I got a staff infection and found myself again fighting for my life. Again, I was sustained by the faith and determination that had carried me through past struggles. During those weeks when I was so sick, my mother encouraged me to think about my future. What did I want to do? What did I want to be? Event planning was my passion. It seemed like a career that didn’t require advanced degrees, only hard work. My ambition helped fuel my recovery.
In 2003 during my senior year I was coming home from a trip to New York when I felt a mass on my quad. Tests revealed that cancer had returned for a third time. Incidentally, I had been busy planning the University of Alabama’s first Relay for Life event for the American Cancer Society. Because of my treatment, I had to turn over the planning to other people two weeks before the race, but I swore I would come back and walk the survivor lap of the relay. One of my proudest moments was walking that survivor lap on a cane.
In the years after college, I went into long-term remission and handled events for a number of large companies before finally starting Mariee’ Ami. Though no one would choose to face the adversity I have faced, I remain grateful for the hard-won gifts I have gained along the way. It’s a strange thing to say, but fighting cancer—even when my body was so weak—made me feel strong and powerful. It’s given me determination and perspective. I don’t seem to sweat the small stuff. When hiccups happen, like a tornado blowing a tent away a few days before a wedding or a caterer suddenly quitting, I remain calm because I know how to stand in the midst of storms.
After ten years and hundreds of weddings, I’m immensely proud of our business and optimistic about our future. It’s an honor to shepherd clients through one of the most important milestones of their lives. I am hopeful that my story can inspire and encourage other women to show up and overcome in order to live their true purpose. Life is a journey and I’m grateful for mine.
As years passed, Neillie pushed on doing all she could to fulfill her dream of becoming a wedding planner. Taking different job opportunities to learn more about the event planning industry, the pain and after effects of her cancer continue to motivate and push her to achieve her dream.
Today, Neillie owns her own wedding planning studio that has been named top planner by Brides, Southern Weddings, and Carats and Cake. Neillie's hope is that every bride she works with sees how important they are. And it is most often during that first planning meeting where the personal connection is formed, and her brides turn from clients to friends. You would do anything for your best friend, and just like that, there is no stopping Neillie and her team from making their brides' wedding days exactly what they dreamed of. From holding a deck up from sinking into a lake during a ceremony to answering her phone at any time, she is always there for her brides, because they are friends.