Our 2022 In Review! | Wedding Planner Edition

Hannah Apodaca
Dec 10, 2022
3 min read

A look back on our first full year and what we did and what we can improve on for 2023!

This time of year is my absolute favorite! I love taking a look back at all the accomplishments and failures and seeing how much I have grown as a person in the last year. (and let's not forget Christmas, the BEST of the year) As I am about to turn 23, I know this time in my life will come with lots of growth and hard lessons to learn. I'm an enneagram 7, which needs I love change and I'm always up to fall flat on my face if it means I tried something new. This year in business was FULL of fun styled shoots, beautiful weddings, and making new friends in the industry. I am so thankful for all new experiences and big mistakes that I have learned this year in business. So let's jump into the major wins and the major mistakes I made this year!!

Major Win | Booking clients that weren’t family friends

This was HUGE for me! When you first get started it is hard to get over the hump and having couples that are friends and family and actually booking with people who you have never met before! I was so excited to prove that I could have a couple trust me on my portfolio and little reviews alone. They didn't know me from Adam and I felt very empowered in my consultation conversations with these first few couples I booked.

Major Mistake | Not Having An Assistant

I can't believe I survived most of my weddings this year without an assistant. Honestly I don't know why I put myself through that much work for one person! It doesn't matter how small the wedding is, assistant coordinators are a requirement for me from now on. Looking back there were so many times I was needed in two places at once and I had to prioritize what was more important and that lead to potential issues in the wedding timeline. This was such a set back for how helpful and available I was on the wedding day. I have now changed my packages to include an assistant no matter what!

Major Win | Rebranding!!

This past spring as I started to get more couples and as I began more knowledgeable and know in the local wedding industry around me, it became obvious I needed to rebrand. When I first got started in January of 2021, I simply made a Canva logo and had been using all my branding based on this logo. I loved my business name and what it stood for but my brand presence had no story or purpose behind it. After finding the amazing Karima Creative, I now have a gorgeous brand identity that I'm so proud of! I mean just check it out!!

Major Mistake | Not Asking Enough Questions

I think with any new adventure, there is a learning curve that you have to experience to truly learn the hard way how to do things the correct way. This was very true for me! I found myself not having all the details I needed to pull off the wedding day as smoothly as possible. I would have to ask my couples last minute questions and I hated doing this! I know have a lengthly list of items and details so nothing gets overlooked!

Major Win | Networking

Networking has been one of the biggest wins for me in my business. I make a point to be friends with as many vendors as possible. One, because we are a community of people aimed to serve couples and two, I love meeting and getting along with new people! Vendor referrals is my top lead source in my business. Not just any vendors, but fellow planners! Working as a team and helping and assisting other vendors is a huge win for your business. But don't just do it for the leads, do it because you are genuine in your intentions!