Year In Review 2021

2021. Easily the toughest season we’ve EVER experienced. It was a year marked with uncertainty as the pandemic continued to wreak havoc on everything, especially the wedding world. Despite ongoing restrictions and lockdowns in the first half of the year, we still managed to help get 18 couples hitched, manage a national virtual convention and an awards gala. It was a full year’s work executed in a little over 5 months! All the while, AME journeyed on. We look back at the year that was with a lot of gratitude and we are super proud of our accomplishments. Here’s our Year in Review 2021!

Winter / Spring

Normally our winter season is filled with wedding shows, styled shoots, networking, and a handful of seasonal nuptials, however we found ourselves in lockdown (again).  So, we waited.  While we monitored daily case counts and press conferences, we continued to work away at logistics for the Canadian Association of College and University Student Services first ever virtual conference and conducted regular meetings with our clients to discuss contingency planning and multiple scenarios for their weddings, whether it be a smaller scale version of their original plans or postponing as needed.

Summer

Giddy Up.  We FINALLY launched our 2021 wedding season with Sarah and Chris’ intimate cottage wedding.  I’m so grateful to Connie from Harlow Events for supporting me on their wedding day.  Their wedding was a stunning combination of greenery and white blooms while they dined al fresco on the lake with their nearest and dearest.

In July, we celebrated two more couples (it felt SO good to build some momentum and celebrate our accomplishments) and August was a record for us, executing 6 weddings in the month! We started with Sari and Brian’s bright, garden inspired wedding at the Gates, then the following week celebrated a double header with Maddie and Max’s wedding at their cottage and Elizabeth and Jon’s pop-up style wedding in downtown Winnipeg. You can read more about their wedding day HERE.

Sari & Brian’s Garden Inspired Chuppah. Photo by Kamp Photography

Maddie & Max got married at the cottage in front of this custom moon gate. Photo by Kehra Amor.

Elizabeth & Jon’s nuptials took place at the uber trendy distillery, Patent 5. Photo by Stephanie Hodgson Photography.

The following week we helped execute Dawn and Sean’s wedding at Greenview Paradise.  They hosted their immediate families for the weekend at this incredible Air BNB.  They all woke up together, made breakfast, got ready and celebrated ceremony and reception all 14 of them – it was magnificent!

Dawn and Sean celebrated a magical wedding weekend at an Air BNB with 14 guests. It was intimate and perfect. Photo by Julie Fulsher

We closed the month with the lovely Dena and Josh and their modern and elegant outdoor wedding.  We loved everything about this wedding, most of all the couple and their incredible wedding party, family and friends.  This chuppah was one of our favourite designs of the whole year!

This chuppah from Ornare with blooms from Floral Fixx was a showstopper. Photo by Picture & Poet.

Fall

September brought incredible weather and we helped get several more couples hitched.  Andrew and Elsa got married on a gorgeous September day at Leo Mol Garden and we were delighted to assist with Harlie & Robert’s rustic fall wedding at the family farm. It was a magical month for weddings!

October brought us Ronna and Lucien’s romantic wedding at St. Boniface Golf and Country Club and the rain managed to hold out for their outdoor ceremony.  The next week we successfully held the Pop-Up Chapel where we saw 7 couples get married, each one on the hour at the St. Norbert Arts Centre.

In November, we celebrated Marielle & Brenin at Glendale Golf and Country Club.  Her blooms from Floral Fixx were nothing short of stunning and guests enjoyed an adorable photo booth furnished by Trend Décor and they danced late into the night. It was an epic bash for sure!  In mid-November we were delighted to support again with the Manitoba Philanthropy Awards – the feel good event of the year at the Convention Centre.

This stunning bouquet by Floral Fixx for Marielle. Photo by Mary Margaret Magyar.

We ended the year at the Winnipeg Art Gallery with Erica and Gil for their modern and chic nuptials.  Erica and Gil treated their guests to a delicious multi course dinner, fabulous wine and toasts and then surprised their guests with a choreographed first dance. Afterwards the Danny Kramer Dance Band took over and the dance floor was packed the entire evening. It was a fantastic wedding to end the season.

To all our clients, thank you for trusting us with the most important days of your lives. It means so much to me and the entire team that we get to be involved in your very special days. We love and appreciate you all so much.

To all the vendors we have had the pleasure of working with this year – it wasn’t easy, but we did it. It’s an honour getting to work with all of you throughout the year.

To my fellow Wedding Planners Connie and Ruth who assisted me this year: thank you so much. I am so grateful to have such strong fellow business owners on my side, and I am so glad to call you all friends.

To Ashley and Abby, I could never do this without you. Thank you for your passion, your enthusiasm and for always going above and beyond. Thank you, thank you, thank you!

To Daniel, my husband and best friend, thank you for every single thing you do for me. Thank you for your unwavering support and confidence in me. I love you.

Cheers to a wonderful 2022. Stay safe everyone!