2020 Year In Review
Well, we all know 2020 has been a year.
COVID affected every aspect of my life and my business and honestly, I’m over it. If you’re anything like me, I’m certain you’re over it too.
So, this blog post isn’t going to be about that. It’s going to be about the wonderful, magical, romantic, real, gracious things that have happened in 202o instead.
But first…
A 2020 Year in Review blog post from me wouldn’t be true or real without taking a minute to recognize that it’s been a crappy year for a lot of people. Many people have lost their jobs, lost loved ones, lived in a state of uncertainty, struggled with depression, social anxiety, general anxiety, triggered panic attacks, physical illness, and maybe other mental struggles due to the global state.
I want to start first with letting you know I see you, I hear you, and I’m with you. This year has not been an easy one in my business or my family (we all know the state of the wedding industry and we lost a close family member this year). Because of the personal nature of all that I’ll leave out the details but I want you to know that these struggles and situations are not any less real because of COVID or the fact that we’re “all dealing with this”. I’m so very sorry for your struggles and hope you find peace, knowledge, comfort and a way to a happier and healthier you in the future.
Take it one day at a time. That’s the best you can do. And I believe you are doing your best. Remember, “You’ve survived every horrible day you’ve ever had.” I don’t recall where I heard that quote, but it’s been particularly relevant this year.
Now we’re going to talk about some happy things and some lessons learnt in 2020
It’s important to take it in and be real with yourself
It’s stressful to see something that you’ve worked so hard at – a business of nine years – where all you wanna do is help people, take a full nosedive. And not be left with many options of what you really truly can do for your couples. I can lead them through postponing, how to plan a smaller wedding, but I just had no crystal ball or end in sight for many of our couples.
There truly wasn’t a lot we could do in regards to knowing when things will get back to normal. Not that that is exactly the expectation that should be on us, but as an Event Planner we usually come to the table with many answers (and we should!).
I spend most of my non-client work time researching, learning new trends, finding out new regulations, learning about new vendors and products, and generally sharpening my skills so we collectively can be at the ready for our couples.
We do so many unique weddings, backyard weddings, warehouse, gallery, and restaurant weddings. We need to be ready for all variables. But 2020 was different, as we all know. I never thought I would be dealing with a global pandemic and what that would mean in relations to events.
To My Clients: Be assured, Amanda Douglas Events will be just fine. For all the doomsday talk, we are planners at our core, which means it’s in our DNA to overcome obstacles. We will be here for you on your special day.
Our clients are wonderful
Our couples are amazing. Just simply amazing. I know everyone’s bias but I truly believe we just have the most wonderful couples.
Although so many of them had to postpone this year, and that was heartbreaking to watch them go through that and help them through the process, it was an inspiration to watch them exercise grace, understanding, and to trust us and respect the process. It was also very humbling and hopeful.
Most of our couples postponed to this year and we CANNOT wait to celebrate with them.
Find something that brings you joy and peace
It’s probably no surprise, if you follow me on Instagram, that gardening and houseplants are an utter obsession and passion for me.
I’ve struggled since a very young age with anxiety. And used to have pretty severe panic attacks. Back then I didn’t really know what a panic attack even was, and the thought of anxiety was very taboo. Along with general conversations of mental health, it just wasn’t a thing that was talked about. Now that I truly understand all the struggles and complexity of my mental health I know what my triggers are. And I can (most of the time) feel when I’m getting heightened or somethings coming on.
Because of all the extra time I was given this year, due to a lot of postponement, I had so much more guarding time. Although it wasn’t really the way I wanted it, I used it and was so exceptionally grateful.
Any time I felt the stress and anxiety of the uncertainty of the season, and I touched a plant, walked in the grass, or went and weeded for a little while.
I encourage you as we go into 2021 and are still in very uncertain time to find something that helps you balance, refocus, and ground yourself. It’s very easy to use escapism but I encourage you to find something that truly clears you out. Find ways to bring balance to yourself and things that bring you joy.
I know we’ve all had Zoom fatigue, but be sure to stay connected to the people you love. Even if that’s having an agreement with one of your good friends that you can send random voice memos to vent and ask for support as you need it (a big thanks goes to my friends Lauren of Stone House Creative & Leanne of Prairie Sky Events for being such supports to me during 2020).
Intimate weddings brought us joy and hope
After working with so many of our couples to change their plans a handful of new couples hired us in the midst of all of this to plan their intimate weddings. This might sound a little funny, but YOU couples were a light at the end of the tunnel.
Having very few weddings remaining in 2020 it was wonderful to be able to celebrate and bring together last minute weddings with a handful of couples (and to rearrange existing weddings with a some so they could still celebrate this year).
Weddings aren’t my everything, I have many other passions, but it brings me so much joy and fulfilment to get to help our couples in whatever way they choose to celebrate.
It was such an experience of hope and love to see our couples celebrate this year and to still go forward with their (altered and safe) plans. Love prevails, no matter the form.
You never know where friendship will start & take you
Make new friends is hella hard. It’s like dating but worse and over and over and over again. And it’s so very hard to know if you’re compatible, if they want the same things, and if they want to be lifelong friends. And for me, generally, when I make a friend I want to keep them for forever. So when I unexpectedly made three amazing friends through industry Zoom calls at the beginning of the pandemic I was floored.
The fact that these women would want to be friends with me, a Canadian thousands of miles away, and that they were so generous, wise, and so like-minded felt like the ultimate gift (Kristan, Beryln, Savannah you’re gems).
I’m so very grateful for these women. That we have Zoomed through it all, cried, laughed, and help each other grow our business is (and had many a happy hour chat too). You never know where you’re going to make a friend, and I’m so very grateful for Renee Dalo for having these daily Zooms for a few months at the beginning of the pandemic. I know I can speak for all of us in saying that it brought us through what would’ve been an otherwise very dark time.
I’m a strong businesswoman, badass, and have fierce will power
Well, I’ve been through the wringer a little bit. It was a struggle this year. It’s been a struggle other years. This wasn’t the first hard year in business. And I know it won’t be last. But all of this just reinforced my strength. And I don’t apologize for my strength.
This is a lesson I learned many years ago. I won’t apologize for my strength, my confidence, or any of the things that make me the badass than I am.
I’m so very thankful that I can look back on 2020 and feel I did all I could. That I utilize the time I had, built my business toward even stronger state, refined our processes and procedures to make them even better and more supportive for our clients, had a lot of fun while I was at it, and just generally became a better me.
I don’t become a better me just for me, it’s always with a bigger purpose in mind. It’s always to help, facilitate, advocate, and do what I can for the people in my life, those that I love, those that I work within the industry, and of course our clients.
