Well, we have made it to the end of 2021. This year has been full of ups and downs, lots of challenges but, it has also had lots of wonderful and amazing moments.
With all the postponements and adjustments needed with weddings due to the continued difficulties and restrictions with the COVID-19 pandemic, by the end of 2020, I had 18 weddings scheduled for 2021. This was the most weddings I had ever had in one year and was a ton of weddings for this one woman show. Although my heart was so full and so grateful for all of these amazing couples who had chosen me, I was also feeling the pressure as I was still working a part time job at the Bridal Shop on top of running my business when the year started. I was definitely feeling like there was so much to do and so little time.
After the year started, two of my sweet couples ended up canceling their big wedding events all together for 2021. They had both gotten legally married in 2020 and decided not to go through with the larger formal event as well so that they could move on to the next stages of their lives together. They were ready to start their married lives together. But, that still left 16 weddings on my calendar for the year and I was so excited to work with all the wonderful couples that were booked with me.
Here is a look back on all my weddings in 2021:
May 14th, 2021 - Breana & Michael - Knowlton Mansion in Northeast Philadelphia, PA: Breana & Michael’s wedding had beautiful décor and rustic elements with wooden crates, old window panes turned into a beautiful seating chart, tons of candles with touches of greenery and baby’s breath paired with beautiful florals. A simple yet elegant feel! Their wedding also featured signature drinks named after their cats Harley & Scarlett (which of course, I absolutely loved) and Rita’s Water Ice to end the night. Delicious and refreshing and a Philly favorite!
May 14th, 2021 - Erin & Kory - Barn on Bridge in Collegeville, PA: Originally scheduled for December 2020, these two officially got married in Erin’s parents home while under COVID quarantine together and postponed their big celebration to the following Spring. Although I was not able to be in attendance at Erin & Kory’s wedding or celebration, as I was working away at Breana & Michael’s wedding, Erin & Kory and I had worked together for months prior to their wedding day to create a perfect timeline, communicate and coordinate with all their vendors and their venue and make sure we set their day up to go off without a hitch!
June 6th, 2021 - Deanna & Harel - Mikveh Israel Synagogue in Old City Philadelphia, PA: Beautiful outdoor wedding day with an al fresco style dinner and dancing under the stars. Although the day was quite warm, their Ceremony was set up under the tree lined walkway to keep the guests cool and once the sun went down, it cooled up enough for their quests to really kick back and enjoy themselves. Elegant décor, a beautiful blush, mauve and gold color palette, delish kosher food, fun mini desserts, champagne welcome and string quartet made for a lovely romantic and intimate evening.
June 19th, 2021 - Chelsea & James - Flourtown Country Club in Flourtown, PA: Chelsea & James ended up switching their wedding venue about 2 months before their wedding date due to some COVID restrictions that had not yet been lifted. Flourtown Country Club quickly helped us make all needed changes and adjustments for the new venue space and Chelsea & James’s wedding came together beautifully! Their chic and modern details paired with soft romantic florals and ivory, blush and dusty blue color palette made for a gorgeous design!
July 17th, 2021 - Maria & Mark - Belle Voir Manor at Pen Ryn Estate in Bensalem, PA: Maria & Mark got married in August of 2020 with a very small group of their closest friends and family. We created a beautiful and intimate Ceremony and dinner for them where they announced that they were pregnant. It was such a fun experience being able to be a part of that surprise for their friends and family and in July of this year, their son was able to join them in the celebration of their marriage. They even shared a special dance with their beautiful baby boy which was so sweet!
August 7th, 2021 - Morgan & Johnny - Terrain in Devon, PA: Morgan & Johnny’s wedding was bright, colorful and full of personality! Their wedding party wore sequined dresses and their flowers were a mix of colorful wildflowers. The contemporary yet classic vibe of the venue meshed so perfectly with this couple and their style. Great music, cozy firepits, delicious food and a sparkler moment made this wedding one to remember!
In mid August of this year, one of the most incredible things happened for me. I finally officially took this business full time which has been a dream of mine since I was about 14 years old. I have wanted to be a business owner since I can remember and after opening my business in 2015, my goal had been to eventually take my business full time and work in weddings every day. I finally saw that dream come true in 2021 which was an amazing and incredible accomplishment for me. To be honest, it still hasn’t really sunk in all the way but, I couldn’t be happier and more grateful and thankful for all my amazing couples who have helped make this dream a reality! I couldn’t have done any of this without every single one of them!
September 4th, 2021 - Brooke & Dylan - Brother’s Kershner Brewing in Skippack, PA: This fun loving couple wanted something different for their wedding day so a local brewery was the perfect place to bring their vision to life! Although their wedding had been postponed from 2020, there was no shortage of love, laughter and pure happiness from this couple and their loved ones on their big day! Simple and elegant greenery paired with custom made growlers and votive candles made this wedding feel cozy and unique. The couple had adorable personalized koozies as favors and a 5 tiered chocolate peanut butter cake that was bigger than the Bride but made the whole space smell amazing! An Italian dinner buffet, open bar and a hopping dance floor had this party lit.
September 25th, 2021 - Kate & Scott - DoubleTree by Hilton in Lancaster, PA: This wedding was one of my favorites to design and bring to life! Kate & Scott and I worked together to create a retro tropical vibe with tons of color and detail! The color palette was so fun with orange, blue, yellow and pops of hot pink. We also incorporated tropical florals and greens alongside real tropical fruits which just brought the whole look and feel of the wedding to a whole other level! Their wedding also featured a signature drink inspired by one of their first dates, a super cool and unique seating chart, the cutest photobooth ever and the Bride singing “Gloria” on the dance floor which just put this wedding over the top!
October 2nd, 2021 - Taylor & Derek - Taylor’s Parents Backyard: Beautiful farm tables dressed with greenery and candles, lots of soft bistro lighting, a stunning lounge setup, delicious food, honey jar favors made from the grooms bees, hand strung origami swans hanging in the trees and Ceremony featuring a string quartet made this private property wedding a beautiful success! Their doggie, Tallulah got to be a part of the fun too! She got to take lots of pictures with her mom and dad before the Ceremony and even got to walk down the aisle as the Flower Doggie with her own beautiful collar alongside Taylor’s brother, Chase. It was a lovey day!
October 8th, 2021 - Charlotte & Bryan - Platform Thirty in Manayunk, PA: This party couple really brought their personalities into their wedding! They love EDM music and had even met at a rave so incorporating these elements into their wedding was definitely a priority. Their dance floor was definitely the place to be with lots of great rave music, light up rings, tons of dance floor lighting and light up hula hoop performances. Their wedding was full of jewel tone colors in purples, blues, greens and maroons. Their flowers were gorgeous and paired with the bridesmaids teal dresses and the Bride’s blush princess gown, it was nothing short of colorful magic!
October 9th, 2021 - Emma & Patrick - Emma’s Parents Backyard: This couple celebrated their marriage under a perfect Fall tree in Emma’s parents backyard after postponing their big celebration from October 2020. This intimate gathering of their closest family and friends was a laid back party featuring the couples Spotify play list of their favorite songs, a pizza buffet, delicious pies, handmade signage and greenery and centerpieces all made by the Bride herself. Talk about personal touches! Their night ended with “Kiss From A Rose” by Seal as the final song which was quite a fun performance for everyone in attendance!
October 17th, 2021 - Jessica & Scott - Stella in New Hope, PA: A beautiful Fall day along the Delaware river’s edge! Jessica & Scott got married outside overlooking the river with an elegant dinner inside Stella’s beautiful restaurant venue space. Heartfelt speeches, beautiful centerpieces of crisp greenery and romantic candlelight, a super special choregraphed father daughter dance, trays of delicious cookies for dessert and after a little sprinkle of rain, the night even ended with a gorgeous rainbow arching over the river just outside the windows.
October 24th, 2021 - Jenna & Raymond - Normandy Farm in Blue Bell, PA: This beautiful couple waited 1,127 days from the day they got engaged to the day they celebrated their marriage in front of their loved ones this past October. Their color palette of burnt oranges, terra cotta, beige and creams paired with gorgeous signage and tons of personal elements were just perfect! Their wedding featured a hilarious fake first look where Raymond’s brother, Ryan put on a dress and veil to surprise his brother for photos, a unique guestbook rotary phone where guests could leave the couple beautiful voice messages and their puppy dog, Dexter got to join them for photos! He was absolutely adorable in his little coordinating bow tie!
November 13th, 2021 - Alexandra & Francis - Bear Creek Mountain Resort in Macungie, PA: During the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, these two had worked closely with me to postponed their original wedding plans from October 2020 to this past November. Although it was a long wait, it ended up being such a beautiful wedding day! A gorgeous church Ceremony, a fun and funky photobooth, specialty signature cocktails, adorable mini jars of jam as favors, fur shawls, a hilarious bouquet and garter toss and fantastic music made their night not only beautiful but a ton of fun!
November 20th, 2021 - Jessica & Jimmy - Lehigh University in Lehigh Valley, PA: Another postponed wedding due to the pandemic, Jessica & Jimmy had originally planned to be married in November 2020 but pushed their wedding back to this past November. This adorable couple met at Lehigh University while attending college there so when it came time for them to get married, it was no question for them where they wanted their wedding to take place. Their wedding was a magical Enchanted Autumn theme with tons of white pumpkins, gold leaves, lots of Fall flavors in their dinner selections, the Groom’s own home brewed Fall flavored ale and, a pumpkin topped wedding cake. Since Lehigh University meant so much to them, we took the couple all over campus to capture photos in all their favorite places like the beautiful library and even the football field. It was a very chilly day but the love and excitement that Jessica & Jimmy shared warmed us all from the inside out!
December 4th, 2021 - Rachael & Andrew - Historic Stonebrook Farm in Perkasie, PA: My last wedding of the year was a perfect Christmas themed day! Rachael & Andrew love Christmas so we decked out their wedding venue to feel like a warm and cozy “home for the holidays”. There were Christmas trees dressed in silver and gold ornaments and bows, a hot chocolate bar, a cookies and milk station, stockings hung by the fire, garlands and wreaths, beautiful pine and holly berries with lots of candlelight, fake snow and even a surprise visit from Santa & Mrs. Claus! It was pure Christmas magic and helped us all get into the Christmas spirit!
Although Rachael & Andrew’s wedding was supposed to be my last wedding of the year, I ended up stepping in to help a friend with one last wedding in 2021. An industry Wedding Planner friend had unfortunately ended up ill for her own last wedding of the season and had reached out for someone to help her execute one last wedding in 2021. So, on December 11th, 2021 I jumped in to help with some Day of Coordination with a wonderful couple, Anne & Eddie who got married at Morris House Hotel in Center City Philadelphia, PA. Anne & Eddie were incredibly sweet and grateful for the help for their cozy and intimate wedding of about 46 people. The wedding was gorgeous with beautiful magnolia leaves, bronze elements and deep green tones! Their wedding featured a fun photobooth, a traditional Chinese tea ceremony, shots of Chinese rice wine for toasts and one super exciting special announcement. Anne & Eddie were pregnant during their beautiful wedding day and their cake was not just a wedding cake, it was also a gender reveal cake as Anne & Eddie wanted to share the surprise of learning their baby’s gender with their loved ones. They got to cut into their cake and found pink cake inside letting them know that they were going to have a baby girl! It was such a beautiful and emotional moment! So many happy tears!
So this year has been a whirlwind! Full of busyness and hustle, hustle, hustle but absolutely amazing! So many beautiful weddings! So many love stories! So many absolutely incredible couples! And one really big amazing step forward with this business that I love so much! I am so incredibly grateful for you 2021! You were one hell of a year!
Thank you all for being here, for reading along, for supporting my business and sharing in my excitement! It means so much to me to me that you have been a part of this journey with me in 2021!
Cheers to more exciting experiences, lots of beautiful weddings, incredible couples and tons more love stories! I can’t wait to jump in!
Happy New Year!
Naticia