Happy New Year!
However we feel about the festivities of New Year’s Eve, December 31st gives us the opportunity to start fresh; to recalibrate and set new goals. It’s the perfect time to take a breath, enjoy ‘wintering’ with a slower pace of life and have both a mental and physical declutter.
Personally, 2024 was a year of huge milestones which came with both tremendous highs, but also some serious challenges.
We moved into our new home in May; a self build project that we have designed and developed from scratch into our dream family house. This, in itself, has been a mammoth project and with it has come emotional, physical and financial strain.
Moving in was only the start… what has followed has been a endless list of design projects, furniture orders and paint samples. But, we are in! And this Christmas felt like a huge goal was achieved when we had the chance to sit by of the tree, champagne in hand and toast to the success (the photo below always reminds me how things were only 12 months ago where it felt truly neverending).
We still have a long way to go and 2025 will be the year of our landscaping, but more on that to come.
We are also expecting our first baby; another monumental milestone and what feels like a ginormous learning curve. From the ‘newborn essentials’ to prepping the nursery…tackling both work and personal life while suffering from sickness and fatigue has been character building to say the least.
And then there’s professional growth.
2024 presented some incredible opportunities, from photographing weddings in Marrakech, having the chance to be creative with highly sought after editorials and increasing my network with international planners. I also returned to my local venues where I am privileged to be a recommended supplier. A huge thank you to Bourton Hall, Hawkstone Hall, Weston Park and St Audries Park for the continued support.
On a final note, the Christmas break brings with it what we call ‘engagement season’. Over 40% of all engagements take place in December, so that means there are a lot of congratulations in order for many couples!
If I can give one piece of advice, it’s to not sweat the small stuff. Of course, if you’ve dreamt of a particular venue for years on end or a photographer you’re desperate to work with, it’s a smart idea to get them snapped up. However, don’t let the stress of wedding planning ruin this exciting time ahead!
To sign off, it’s clear that all of the above has pushed me out of my comfort zone in more ways than one, so much so that the feeling of discomfort has now become familiar and almost a welcome sign that good things are to come. In the famous words of the impeccable Martha Stewart, ‘Change is Good’.
