We got married on May 18th, 2019. It was a perfect spring day. The weather was overcast (great for photos!), the cherry blossoms were in bloom, and the date fell on our 5 year anniversary together. May 18th was also my late great grandmother’s birthday. When we first got engaged, we initially wanted to do a fall wedding. Given the timing though, it would have been really tight to plan and save in just over a year. We opted for Spring 2019, and when we saw how the dates fell, we knew we just had to pick that date.

When I first attempted to start a business back in the summer of 2017, I did it all wrong. I opened up my Etsy shop and just threw stuff up. I wanted to get into the stationery world and design wedding invitations at the time. I designed a couple templates and just listed them on Etsy hoping for a sale. I was too afraid of failing already that I didn’t tell anyone. I didn’t start an instagram, or a separate social media, I didn’t post about it anywhere.

When you take a step back and take a good look at your brand – does it have all the essential pieces to be successful? Does it stand out in the sea of competition? Can it make a solid impact in the marketplace? Having a strong foundational brand platform with a clear message will attract your target audience and grow your business.