March 18th, 2018
It’s hard to believe that this year, let alone this decade is coming to an end. SO much has happened over the last 12 months. This year was challenging, humbling, at times downright scary, but also rewarding, and cause for celebration. Please join me in a recap of 2019.
In January I hired With Grace and Gold as my graphic designers to create my brand and new logo. I was inspired by warm muted tones, fresh florals, and a refined aesthetic. I described my business as being polished, welcoming, and relatable. Kelly and Andra were able to create exactly what I had dreamed up and delivered the most beautiful new logo and brand that made me feel more confident in my offerings.
In February I spent most of the month refining my new website, which at this point was still in draft mode. After winning a free template from Davey and Krista at Creative at Heart the previous year, I was eager to showcase a new online home for Blush and Blossom Events.
In March I did a branding photoshoot to prepare for the unveiling of my new website. I hate being in front of the camera, but Sami Renee Photography makes you feel like an absolute queen while she’s shooting you. The shoot was a whirlwind- It’s an art to shoot so many scenes and outfit changes in just 1 hour! I’m looking forward to more branding shoots in the future.
In April I launched my new site and blog to the world. When I tell you this was the biggest relief… I’m the type of person that will stew over something for months and months until it’s just right, when in reality, I need to just pull the trigger because things will never be “just right.”
May kicked off our wedding season with a rustic barn wedding in Brown County. I’m always a bit nostalgic when I talk about Brown County because I go almost every year with my family at the start of autumn to visit the shops and take in the crisp country air.
In June I executed a wedding for a sweet couple from Charleston, SC (you can see the full wedding blog post here). One of my first clients that planned from afar. It gave me the confidence to take on more clients that don’t live locally, which then snowballed because I took on several out of town clients shortly after from FL, Columbus, and DC to name a few.
I celebrated my 35th birthday and then Sam and I celebrated our anniversary with a short trip to Union Pier, MI. It was our first visit and it was just what we needed to reconnect for a bit without the kids. I love any place that has water, whether it’s an ocean, lake, river, whatever- so I was in heaven! I was able to catch up on books, eat gourmet pizza, and snuggle up as we watched the sun set over the lake.
The months of July and August were my my slow time before my busy fall season began. I spent that time planning a tablescape design for a local table settings event put on by Congregation Beth-El Zedeck.
In September I hit the ground running for 7 fall weddings. I was so lucky to have the summer to plan ahead and ensure I was organized enough to teach full time and oversee so many weddings at the same time. This was my first year with so many weddings on my “case load” and boy was it a learning curve! I look forward to sharing more photos of these weddings in the new year.
In November I had the honor of designing a tablescape for my dear friend Ruchi of Tiffin Kitchen. She is a speech language pathologist turned personal chef. She launched her first ever Chai High Tea which was so well received that she has since hosted three more.
December was full of car trips to see Christmas lights at the Indy Motor Speedway and in area neighborhoods, outdoor ice skating, and Christkindlmarkt. I cherish the time I spend with family over the holidays and this year felt extra special since it’s the first year that my daughter actually understood what Christmas is and was excited about all of our traditions.
I wrapped up the year with my final 2019 wedding a few days following Christmas and I must say, I am actually ready to focus on the more tedious aspects of the business such as financial planning and tax preparation, pouring into my purpose and being intentional about planning for the upcoming year, researching educational workshops to attend in 2020, working on my business model (with the potential of growing my team), and putting final touches on the tablescape styling workshop I recently launched (more information on the workshop can be found here).
Whatever the new year has in store, I know that I am ready to tackle it head on. I hope that this year brings you great joy and I look forward to sharing my personal journey with you in 2020!
Cheers! Amber