The life of a business owner has been an interesting one over the past 2 years. Especially in my case where we started out in 2019 right before the pandemic!
The term "time of uncertainty" was definitely an understatement for the wedding industry, but weddings found a way to make a come back and were the silver lining we all needed! So as we look forward to another year of celebrating love, here are some of the things I celebrated and got to experience in 2021!
At the end of 2020 I had surgery to finally treat some long awaited chronic pain so the beginning of 2021 was all about recovery for me. Because of this, I knew that I had to ease my way back into weddings while at the same time, I did not want to miss out after a whole year away from weddings, so I did the next best thing. I chose to put myself out there as an assistant for other wedding planners and coordinators so that I could make my return to weddings as soon as I could!
Throughout 2021, I had the pleasure of helping out a number of planners and coordinators which allowed me to visit more venues, work with more vendors, and be a part of so many love stories!
Andrea Marie Events + Design Weddings
Rain or shine, these weddings went off without a hit! From a fancy mansion (the Blaisdell) to the Harriet Island Pavilion, Andrea's clients had amazing weddings that were so fun to be a part of! I got to see first hand just how these couples took advantage of the extra planning time to make sure their décor and entertainment was thought out down to the last detail.
A definite highlight was getting to work a wedding at Calhoun Beach Club with its grand staircase that the bride walked down for the ceremony (to music from a live singer and pianist)!
First Row: Natasha + Jon - Taylor Lauren Photography // Erin + Sam - Kaytlin Dargen PhotographySecond Row: Alyssa + Nathan - Kelsey James Photography // Tiffany + Michael - Sophisticated Grace Photography
Buck & Rose Weddings
Working with Meghan at Buck & Rose allowed me to visit so many fun venues and get to see even more fun vendors! Between live bands, unique bartenders, caterers, and food trucks, I had such a blast! Her sister Hannah also got married this year at PAIKKA and I felt so honored to get to be a part of her day and help Meghan be able to enjoy every second of it!
Highlights were the mini donut truck and Northern Fires Pizzas at Hannah + Matt's wedding along with finally getting to see Ashery Lane Farm and getting to work in two of the three venues inside the Minneapolis Event Center.
First Row: Kristen + Andrew // Shelby + Dan - Alyssa Pearl PhotographySecond Row: Hannah + Matt - Peach and Honey Creative // Megan + Andrew - Joy by Joy Photography
Third Row: Jess + Brad - Ali Leigh Photography // Sara + Adam - Michelle Tanner Photography
Woodland Events Weddings
This season I only got to work one wedding with Todd at Woodland Events but it was definitely one for the books! Ryan + Paul's wedding was the first wedding ever hosted at Bailey's Nursery in Cottage Grove (Paul's family owns the business which made it so special)! As a nontraditional venue, this was a full production! The day was so beautiful surrounded with florals EVERYWHERE and the weather tied it all together perfectly for this outdoor affair.
I finally felt like I was living out my best Jennifer Lopez- Wedding Planner dream with our matching head sets for the whole team and all the grand moving parts, not to mention having the pleasure of riding around in a golf cart all day!
Ryan + Paul - Tracy Walsh Photography
Naomi Anderson Events + Design Weddings
Another barn for the win! With Naomi, I got to visit the Red Barn Farm out in Northfield where I got to enjoy a beautiful day during their outdoor ceremony and cocktail hour on one end of their property while the barn was decorated beautifully inside for the reception!
Emily + Josh - Johnson Photography // Emily + Michael - Captured Glory Photography
Overall I got to explore so many new venues across the Twin Cities and I got to experience all different sizes of weddings in the post-2020 climate which has prepared me for another year of amazing weddings and new opportunities.
Going into 2022 I am excited and ready for whatever new comes up and coordinating weddings of my own as well as assisting in as many more as I can! Like I always tell everyone, if there is something wedding related, I WANT TO BE INVITED!