The highs, the lows and the unexpected... we have experienced it all!
As we dive head first into 2021 filled with optimism, excitement and hope for a better year, it seemed only right to take a stroll down memory lane and reflect on what has been one of the most unpredictable, testing years of many of our lives...
As 2019 ended and we celebrated, welcoming in the New Year and hoping for a happy and healthy 365 days ahead of us, we are sure we can all agree in saying that 2020 didn't turn out to be quite what we were wishing for. With brides dreaming of their summer weddings, families looking forward to a summer escape in the sun and birthdays and celebrations with those closest to us being planned for like usual, this year certainly took us all by surprise.
We never expected that there would come a day where weddings would need to be postponed; sometimes several times, those dreaming of a June wedding would now be adjusting to their new, winter wedding date and that weddings, the most social celebration of love, would be limited to just 15 of our couple's nearest and dearest. And so amongst the banana bread baking and zoom quiz nights, not forgetting the nations new found love for home workouts and TikTok, we put our heads together and gathered our thoughts during times of isolation, separation and confusion, where tiers were no longer associated with wedding cakes and bubbles weren't the champagne kind and did what the events industry does best, improvised.
2020, you may have thrown everything humanly possible at us (including the kitchen sink!), but as we take this time to reflect on what can only be described as a rollercoaster year, we realise that there was so much to smile for, to celebrate and to remember about this crazy, crazy time. Whilst it is easy to dwell on the bad times, it is oh so important to remind ourselves of the good too and how even amongst a time of sadness and negativity in the world, we have all created or experienced some wonderful, heart warming moments that should be cherished and commemorated all the same, as it is these times that remind us that there is in fact light at the end of the tunnel and that even better times are coming and we cannot wait...
Now let's rewind back to the very start and have a look through some of the incredibly special moments we were still lucky enough to create and be a part of in 2020, as not even Covid-19 can stop us from doing what we love!
Our final taste of life as we knew it - Wedding Open Days
March 2020, a month we will not forget in a hurry. None of us could have predicted the aftermath that would follow this first wave of announcements...
With distancing advice and limited contact in place, we were still lucky enough to attend some incredible open days on the cusp of lockdown. Elmore Court's Bloom-more was the perfect day for couples and suppliers alike! Wedding inspiration galore, there was not a single corner of the venue that wasn't bursting with fun, positivity and creative genius! We absolutely loved exhibiting our work and teaming up with some fantastic suppliers such as Bubblegum Balloons, but if there is one thing we will never again take for granted, it is speaking with you lovely couples and having real-life, face to face conversations brimming with excitement and smiles as we discuss one of the most exciting days of your lives...
Whilst open days feel like a distant memory right now, we have no doubt that they will return in full force and when they do, we are SO ready to jump straight back in and meet all of you lovely lot again, because by god have we missed it!
We created some of the best parties ever! (in the garden)
With rules that were ever changing and hard to wrap our heads around, there were times that meant, within guidelines, events could in fact go ahead- but not in the ways that we were used to. Whilst the Wedding industry took (and still is) a huge hit over the course of 2020 leaving us no other option but to wave goodbye to many of our beautiful wedding dates that year, we knew that the show must go on and so it was time to get creative and utilise this small yet significant win that had come our way.
And so, the garden party trend was born! From the comfort of our very own homes, we began to create some of the most beautiful, memorable celebrations in true Etiquette style. Balloons, bell-tents, grazing boards and scatter cushions galore, we certainly didn't cut any corners in helping to make many peoples lockdown events as special as they should be. Whilst a little smaller than what we were used to and far more intimate, it felt incredible to back doing what we love, getting creative, keeping busy but most importantly bringing so many happy memories to those that needed a reason to smile.
We went styled shoot crazy to help with our wedding withdrawal symptoms...
To add to our extensive list of awesome attributes, it turns out we are also pretty good magicians too...
With the help of some of our most talented supplier friends, we managed to create a number of gorgeous wedding styled shoots over the months that were that good it was almost as if we were at an actual wedding...in 2020...pretty magic, hey?!
From tipis to manor houses, autumnal boho vibes to traditional white wedding styling, we were able to shoot just about everything and it felt (and looked) so good! Not only did the shots leave us all with tonnes of inspiration to show to our couples, it also helped re-light the fire inside us too, reminding us why we do what we do and giving us an opportunity to collaborate again; sharing ideas, utilising each others talents and allowing us all to be excited about something we are so passionate about.
Etiquette Proposals was born...
Whilst we may have been short on weddings in 2020, we certainly weren't short on love. One of the most exciting and rewarding things to come from last year was undoubtedly being involved in so many intimate marriage proposals. As event stylists, we are privileged to be given the opportunity to style some of the happiest and most memorable days of peoples lives, but there is just something about marriage proposals that warms your heart a little more than usual. Maybe its the nervous partner we deal with in the weeks leading up to the proposal wanting everything to be perfect or perhaps the way candle light just looks even better when theres a 'yes' riding on it...whatever it is, we are extremely lucky to have been able to create the most perfect proposals in places such as London, Manchester and Cheltenham and you'll be pleased to hear that every single one has ended with a YES!
And just like that, we made it through 2020; stronger, wiser and more determined to take on whatever this world throws our way. We had certainly been dealt our fair share of obstacles, challenges and bumps in the road last year, but as we're sure you'll agree, the highlights above remind us that we are unstoppable, this industry is incredible and the love we show one another is unbreakable.
Heres to 2021, a year of doing more of what we love, because love always wins.