BRETT & CICILY'S
10.12.2013
Potomac, MD
WEDDING
His Story
Brett Macias was born in Redondo Beach, California to Eric Macias and Candis Lee Sekyra. He was raised in California until age 12, when we was whisked away to the rocky mountains of Denver. Raised as an Actor, but destined to be a Composer. Brett attended Denver School of the Arts with a double major in Vocal Music and Theatre. But he knew that writing music was in his future. Brett wrote his first musical in High School (A musical about Vietnam. Seriously, what did he know about Vietnam?)
He then shuffled off to Webster University to Major in Musical Theatre and Minor in Music Composition, where he roomed with the silvery voiced Ben (The Best Man), and met Groomsmen, Chris. Together they spent many a late night at 7-11 and Krispy Kreme (Fitness was not an important issue.) He would act in many shows, and write music for the university shows, as well as the Repertory Theatre of Saint Louis. One of his professors encouraged him to to apply to the Graduate Musical Theatre Writing Program at NYU. He found a place where he truly belonged.
While at NYU he hung out with fellow nerd, brilliant composer and groomsmen, Lee, and had many late nights eating Hot Dogs and drinking Adult beverages (see a theme here?). He composed an original musical with collaborator, Caroline, called Beautiful Dreamer, and it is still in development.
After graduation, he became a full time Composer and Music Copyist working on Broadway, Off-Broadway, on the NBC show Smash, and many shows and events around the country. But he still finds time to eat ridiculous food with his last two groomsmen, video game compatriots, Alex (a fellow scotch and cigar enthusiast) and Matt (his current roommate and lover of terrible movies on the Sci-Fi network, see Sharknado).
Currently, he is working on his new musical, Gumbo, with Christina, and getting ready for the most important collaboration of all: Marriage.
Her Story
Cicily Daniels is the daughter of Silvia Daniels & Joseph Daniels, and little sister to Dana Daniels. Since birth, she has been a member of Brookland Union Baptist Church. In Kindergarten, she met Bettina (Maid of Honor), where they performed in a play together. Cicily played the lead Viking girl, and had to kiss a boy, which they thought was gross. In the Productive Thinking Program at Canon Road Elementary, she met Nyasha (Bridesmaid). The two bonded over mean girls, cute boys, poetry, & Whitney Houston. She attended Thomas S. Wootton High School, where she was a cheerleader, sang in chambers choir, performed in shows, was a peer counselor. She also taught and studied dance with Concepts in Motivation, Inc. In 2011, she went back to Wootton to be honored with the alumni award for excellence in the performing arts.
With besties Bettina & Nyasha in tow, Cicily attended Yale University. She would add to her inner circle, Regina (Bridemaid), with whom she sang in Shades a capella singing group and Michele (Bridemaid) with whom she performed community service through LEAP. At Yale, she was a member of Yaledancers, performed & choreographed countless shows, started her own free summer dance program, and became a member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc, and thankfully managed to graduate with a Bachelors of Arts in Theater Studies.
She currently lives in New York City, with all of her girls, where she is a professional actress. She has appeared in television shows, movies, Broadway shows, off- Broadways shows, and regional theatrical productions throughout the country. Currently, she is a voice-over artist for Cinnamon Toast Crunch, so if you hear a commercial that begins with “Hey ladies”, that might be her voice talking to you. Cicily has written a few articles about weddings for the online magazine fashionreverie.com.
In her spare time, Cicily enjoys dancing, reading, watching television and movies, swimming, yoga, and shopping. Cicily is very excited about marrying Brett Macias, who makes her smile everyday, and cannot wait to begin their new lives together.
OUR STORY
But How Did They Meet You Ask?
Brett & Cicily met while working on a musical, coincidentally also about a wedding. Cicily was an actress in the show, while Brett was the supervising copyist on the music team. They first spoke during the sitzprobe, the moment in musical theater there the singers unite with the musicians for the very first time to hear what the show will truly sound like. Cicily thanked Brett for his work on the show, he had been awake for 48 hours. She asked him if he would be at rehearsal the following day, for she would be baking her famous chocolate chip cookies (although, in his memory, she said she was baking cookies just for him). He was not at rehearsal the next day, but he was at opening night. Due to Cicily's need for a variety of beverages, she missed most folks at the pre-show dinner. As luck would have it, Brett, dressed in his handsome opening night suit, was still there when she arrived, and he kept her company. They spoke of their love of science fiction, barbeque, and other mutual interests. At the opening night party, they continued to talk, and bond. Brett brought Cicily roses to the theater the next day, and they went on their first date that weekend. The spark was ignited.
After a couple of years of serious dating, Brett and Cicily were very much in love. They both imagined their futures together, but Brett took matters into his own hands. With a clandestine action very out of character, he secretly contacted Cicily's mother to ask her permission to marry her daughter. Silvia Daniels was elated and gave her blessing. He went ring shopping with his mother, Candis Dravage, to find a ring that was elegant and beautiful. He planned with his father, James Dravage, to purchase Cicily's favorite champagne, Veuve Clicqot. Oblivious, on Christmas Eve of 2012, Cicily Daniels went running and overexerted herself in the Denver altitude, baked and decorated dozens of sugar cookies, and proceeded to help clean for the Christmas Party scheduled for that evening. Brett rushed her to get dressed, as theoretically, the guests were arriving.
Finally dressed, Brett reminded Cicily to call her mother in order to practice using Skype with her on Christmas Day. Cicily called, and to her surprise, her mother was ready to Skype, and even knew her username. The video feed showed her Mother Silvia, Sister Dana, & Uncle Rucker, all looking beautifully dressed. The parents met for the first time, via online video.
The final bit of the ruse used an actual tradition of Brett's family, that of a Christmas Eve gift exchange. Brett's mother even grabbed gifts from under the tree, but instructed Cicily to sit, as "She was a guest, and it was her first time, they would bring her one." Cicily sat on the settee, with her mother and family seeing everything from the computer screen across the room.
Brett began speaking, and for a moment, Cicily thought what a strange gift exchange this was, and how she didn't have a speech prepared. However, when she began listening, Brett was saying the most beautiful words that she had ever heard, about how much she meant to him, and how he couldn't imagine his life without her, and how he wanted to spend the rest of his life with her. She realized he was proposing. As he was down on one knee, with glistening eyes and open heart, he says that it seemed like an eternity until she answered. But, the video recording shows otherwise, and Cicily told Brett yes, right away! Hence, that brings us to today, where you are reading out story because we love you so much we want you to share in the day that we begin our married life together. We hope that you are able to be part of the next chapter of our story: our wedding!