05/31/2020
We’ve been pretty quiet since March, for obvious reasons. My heart hurts for our world right now and also for my industry. We have seen some unprecedented situations arise in these months that no one could’ve imagined.
One of the pillars of my business philosophy has always been to strive to have grace under pressure. This has served me well in building the two companies I’ve owned in the event planning industry over 18 years. I am grateful for and humbled by the clients I have had the pleasure of helping with events - large or small. But lately, grace has seemed very much out of reach.
Last night though, I had the pleasure of helping a client (who only hired me a week and a half ago) pull together an intimate, safe, and very meaningful wedding celebration. As I listened to the couple exchange vows, vows that I have heard countless times over the course of my career, and saw the joy of being together with family and closest of friends overcome the disappointment that this wasn’t the day they’d envisioned, I remembered.
The end result of what we all do in the events industry is to make indelible memories for people. We dream it, we plan it, we negotiate it, we definitely sweat it, and we make it happen. But not for the pictures, not for the paycheck, not for the gratitude, but to know that memories that mean everything were made that couldn’t have happened without our hard work and help and, yes, grace under pressure.
So even though I don’t know when or if I will fall back in love with this job that has become part of who I am, I do know that grace is there...if we remember where to look.