Wow. To say that 2020 was a crazy year is an understatement, but even though it was an insane year like never before due to the pandemic, it was a spectacular year for personal and business growth, more than any year prior. While there is a lot that I can focus on from the past year, I’m choosing to reflect on all the good that took place. This year had extreme challenges, pandemic aside, with personal illness, racial injustices, and a major job transition. It was a year filled with grief, change, and uncertainty. Yet, this year had overwhelming exciting moments that I want to share. It’s so important, especially in challenging times, to focus on and celebrate those moments.
I’d be lying if I said I made it through this year with successes and celebrations alone. I had the support of my friends and family, especially my loving and undeniably supportive husband. I also had the support of others in my industry, who challenged me and encouraged my growth. But ultimately, my success comes from God and God alone. Seriously, I give God all the glory for my personal and professional growth. He is the one who has given me these strengths and passions. He is the one who gave me a burning desire to help others and provided clarity in uncertainty. He is the one who deserves the shout out, not me. He is the one who deserves the praise.
I know that some of you are reading this thing thinking, “Dang, this girl is one of those crazy Jesus believers who thinks God blesses her life and business. What about your hard work? What about the success of people who don’t believe in God?” Well, I believe every good thing comes from God, and honestly, I don’t know about the rest. And that’s okay. I don’t have to be able to comprehend everything.
What I do know is that I love Jesus; He is my source of joy and comfort. I know that God has turned the challenging circumstances of this year into abundant blessings in disguise. I know that He is in control and this year was filled with glorious surprises and glimpses of hope! So, with that, I’d love to share my 2020 yearly reflection. Yes, only the highlights! Remember, reflecting on the positive thing? It’s not to build a facade that my life is perfect, it’s far from it. But it’s to celebrate what God has done with this mess of a year.
PHOTOGRAPHY | WEDDINGS
Due to Covid, weddings rescheduled, couples planned micro weddings, minimonies, or elopements, and some couples canceled their weddings altogether. It was an extremely challenging year for couples getting married and every vendor in the wedding industry. Yet, while I “lost” over half of my weddings scheduled this year, it was a tremendous year for weddings. I absolutely loved documenting intimate ceremonies and elopements. I had the opportunity to travel in Michigan to Marquette and Mackinac Island for elopements and weddings. After having our travel plans canceled this year, getting out of the city was refreshing!
I had the unique opportunity of documenting a wedding virtually and absolutely enjoyed directing the couple through my iPad for photographs. I began a partnership with Basic Invite, to provide quality wedding invitations to my couples. I created resources for couples, like my favorite wedding planning apps guide and my tips for planning your wedding during a pandemic. I also curated two stylized elopements this year. You can see all the beautiful moments captured from my July Eastern Market stylized wedding here. I also partnered with The Borrowed and Blue Project for another stylized elopement in November, which you can view on the blog. I loved the opportunity to partner with talented Detroit vendors. This year, I also had two weddings featured in Metro Detroit Weddings Magazine, which was a huge honor!
Truly, it was surprising that so much good came out of this year. Having more time to focus on God, myself, and my business helped everything flourish!
