Heading into 2020, I knew I was going to have my work cut out for me; trust me, going from an employee to business owner has been no small feat. It is safe to say there was no way to be fully prepared for what the past year has brought us, but I am grateful for all the learning opportunities and growth I have had along the way.  

In the first week of January, I was living by the motto “New Year, New Ventures”. I was optimistic and truly hopeful for the possibilities the New Year had in store. I was drawing up wedding themes, baby shower themes and birthday party ideas; dreaming of the perfect event, styled shoots, and happily ever after’s. I would wake up in the middle of the night to jot down the thoughts and ideas that had flooded my dreams. I was going to make so many couples’ dream weddings come true and help bring so many important events to life! I had finally found what I was meant to do, and I could not wait to get started. 

Fast forward to March, the world is put on pause. I had just arrived back home from a trip to the states when the new reality set in; Covid-19 had arrived in Canada. Suddenly, all of that excitement and optimism I had had, turned into fear and doubt. The one question that most small business owners had crossed my mind; Would my business survive this new uncertain and unpredictable world?

During the next few weeks, the fear of the unknown had set in. Stores started closing, people were getting laid off from work, and families were being forced to stay apart in order to keep each other safe. What we thought would be weeks turned into months and even still, we are not out of the woods. 

The big question in the wedding industry became “What does this mean for our to-be-weds?” Long term plans were cut short to day-by-day decisions, large gatherings were being restricted, and more and more people were being affected by the virus itself. After many hard conversations with a few of my couples, we found ourselves postponing to the following year, years even, with the hopes that the world may be healthy by then. 

After postponing the last wedding of the 2020 season, I took some time to reflect and to think about what this was going to mean for me next year. At first, I was scared and started to question absolutely everything; what had I gotten myself into? Was I letting my couples down? What could I have done differently to make their wedding happen this year? That small pit in my stomach that had been telling me this was a mistake was growing bigger and bigger.

It took a few days, in fact, it took a few weeks throughout the summer, to see the light in one of the darkest times we’ve faced as an industry and as human beings. It was at this time that I decided to make the positives outweigh the negatives; when is it ever the right time to jump into a new business opportunity?! 

We are living in a global pandemic, no one has ever done this before! And somehow, in the midst of all the worlds chaos, we were still able to celebrate a few of our couples this year. Although it wasn’t exactly how we had originally planned (face masks and hand sanitizer instead of hugs and handshakes), the outcome remained the same; it was a celebration of love. It was the ones I loved the most that reminded me to focus on just that; love. To focus on every little detail that was going to make my couples day perfect; every song, flower, candle, and photo. So that on that day, their day, the world would revolve around them, regardless of what was going on in the outside world.

I have never been more proud to be a part of an industry that comes together and helps each other the way ours has. So, to my fellow planners and vendors, thank you. Thank you for welcoming me into the industry with open arms, for showing me the tips and tricks of your trade, that have ultimately helped me create mine. For showing me that you do not have to look too far for support or to make a new friend. To my family, friends, and boyfriend, thank you for not letting me give up when it felt like there was nowhere left to go.

This past year has been far from what I dreamt it would be, and yet, I would not wipe the slate clean. This year has taught me a lot about myself and what I am capable of. With all the valuable lessons I’ve learnt, the love I have witnessed, and the amazing people I have met along the way, I would not write this year off…I would write it down. This year will go down in my books as one of the most transformative years of my life. 

Now, I’m not sure what the New Year will bring, but I am sure that there will be love. And I am so excited to see how we celebrate it. I am not only grateful to still be able to do what I love, but I so grateful to have you all on this journey with me.

Stay safe everyone,

xxoo 

Ray

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