2020 In Review!

Well…that was a bit of a year wasn’t it? How did your year go? Was it better than you expected? Worse than you expected? Exactly what you expected?

2020 started off with a bang for me! I hosted my first Women in Business Networking Evening and we had a blast kicking off the Roaring 20s with our businesses in mind! My days were filled with couples booking me for their 2020 and 2021 weddings, as well as running my home and taking care of my family. Friends were able to meet for dinners and drinks, and all the fun I had in 2019 was spilling into 2020!

The first wedding of 2020 took place at Millbrook Cathedral on a brisk February day and I was so excited to be back at the altar helping my incredible couples tie the knot! I love being able to go anywhere my couples want so they can have the weddings of all of their dreams!

On March 9th I hosted my second Network Evening and it was sold out and then some! 45 women gathered to network, share their stories, learn about combatting Imposter Syndrome, and have a ton of fun! We had no idea what was waiting for us at the end of that week. On March 13th we got the news we would be going into lockdown for 2 weeks. Mmm hm. Yep…6 months later my son went back to school!

From March 13th until May 15th I was not allowed to perform any marriage ceremonies, although I did get special permission to perform one quick legal ceremony for a police officer and her husband who desperately wanted to be married – and with her being on the extreme front lines it was important for them to know he would be taken care of should anything happen to her re Covid.

On May 16th I was back to work, with weddings of 5 people and we all started learning how to Zoom our ceremonies and find ways to help friends and family members at least feel present, and take part. On this day the concept of Drive-in weddings was born! Their favourite people pulled up in their cars to watch our couple get married and hear what they could with their windows down a little bit.

It was around this time my first media appearance as an Officiant aired! I was interviewed by Pooja Handa on CP24 about weddings during Covid and what couples should do if they need to cancel or change their plans! That interview was followed by being part of a segment on OMNI News Italiano with Emanuela Orsini talking about Covid ceremonies, and my episode of Power In Heels with Whitney Keunen and Maysee McLean talking about my life, business, and advice for all women. My last interview of 2020 aired just before Christmas on Global News Wedding with Alia Adam and we talked about how to plan to perfect proposal…even in a pandemic! I have so much gratitude for the women who invited me to be on their shows to talk about what I know best! To watch and listen to all of these segments and episodes please visit my Media Appearances page!

In June our first fully Zoomed wedding took place in a couple’s back yard. It was just the 5 of us (per Ontario Covid laws), with one family member present and the photographer as people #4 and #5. Our photog also signed the paperwork as a witness! We zoomed in friends and family from all over the world, and they got to take part twice during the ceremony before the kiss and champagne was popped! This sweet couple trusted me to take care of most of the details of their mini-wedding so I put a little package together using my very best vendors (I have a gold list you get access to when you book me!) for cake, flowers, and all the special touches every couple deserves! What a fun and memorable time we had!

A week later the gathering numbers for weddings went up to 20! Wahoo! Suddenly everyone was wanting to get married because now they could include their parents and siblings at the very least! Everyone who held out hope for 2020 could now get married with some adjustments so none of us got in trouble. I have to say, it has been breath taking watching my couples make the most beautiful and exceptional weddings under the strangest of conditions. One of my favourite touches this year was picnic baskets and blankets for loved ones to have their meal in safety while still being part of the festivities! So cute! The baskets had bread and crackers, cheese, sweets, fruits, and of course…wine!

From there my wedding season was a flurry of ceremonies, cities and towns all around southern Ontario, and meeting the most special couples I could ever ask for because ceremony numbers were allowed to go up to 100 outside! Finally we could feel like we were at a normal wedding. Well, the old normal. The before times.

We laughed together, we cried together, we prayed together.

And in the end….love won.

Over and over.

Love. Did. Not. Back. Down.

54 couples said “Not today Covid” and followed that with “I do”.
54 couples in 2020 trusted me with their most important moments.
54 couples now have the rest of their lives to look forward to.

I thank you all for your love and support and wish you all the very best for 2021. Let’s take everything we learned about life, ourselves, and what’s important into this brand new year and show 2021 what we are made of. For some of us we start in lockdown – let’s use that time to build on the success of 2020, read more books, take more workshops, breathe and rest more. Enjoy this slow time to reflect and make plans. Let’s not waste a moment. It’s ok to feel your feelings…it’s not all sunshine and sparkles at the best of times. It’s ok to ride the wave. Don’t fall for the toxic positivity trap. Catch up on your shows, enjoy your pajama days, and remember…this will get better.

Happy New Year friends and cheers to our 2020 couples!

1. Lauren & Jason
   2. Sarah and Dan
   3. Erinn & Kyle
   4. Dana and Steven
   5. Taylor and Jesse
   6. Kylie and Rich
   7. Stuart and Kim
   8. Kristy and Rob
   9. Brianna and Rasmus
   10. Janice and Jeff
   11. Sarah and Chad
   12. Sharon and Adam
   13. Breck and David
   14. Jenna and Bill
   15. Evan and Ian
   16. Miranda and Mathew
   17. Lija and Kyle
   18. Tawni and Rob
   19. Sara and Nick
   20. Olivia and Anthony
   21. Jesica and Kyle
   22. Charlotte and Joel
   23. Kelly and Scott
   24. Vanessa and Geoff
   25. Christina and Cody
   26. Billie and Shawn
   27. Bruno and Angela
   28. Susie and Gary
   29. Michelle and Connor
   30. Amanda and Sean
   31. Debra and Ken
   32. Amanda and Jordan
   33. Julie and Glenn
   34. Dominique and Jonathan
   35. Tori and Ben
   36. Ana and Scott
   37. Chelsea and Kyle
   38. Sara and Jake
   39. Alyssa and David
   40. Katie and Kurt
   41. Serena and Joel
   42. Paige and Leo
   43. Jennifer and Jonathon
   44. Kristen and Peter
   45. Jess and Tom
   46. Ali and Nili
   47. Sarah and Javi
   48. John and Cheryl
   49. Giesel and Paul
   50. Kathy and Will
   51. Debra and Adnan
   52. Melissa and Tom
   53. Annette and Doug
   54. Peter and Jenny

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