I have a confession. As I sit writing this blog post, the big hand on the clock has just passed the number ten, and the little hand, well, that's heading towards the number three.
It's not as bad as you think. I had a major snooze earlier {the joys of spending time with friends who LOVE playing with your kids!}, though I had planned to sit and write this post way before this. But you know, Christmas and children, it's kinda hectic. And we've travelled many miles over the past week {700?} to share this wonderful time of year with much loved family and friends, leaving little time for contemplation and a spot of blogging.
I am safely ensconced in a beautiful coastal retreat, where we are spending 3 nights seeing the new year in with best friends, and from my comfortable dining room pew, I can see a light house flashing out to sea on the spectacular (by day time, at least) Northumbrian coast line. It is a little bit wonderful. It is these moments in your life, these quiet 'you' times (espesh if you are a Mum like me!) that you treasure.
I also do all my best writing in the wee hours. I don't know what it is, but words and ideas flow freely at this time of early morning. Perhaps it's the peace, the serene tranquility before the day starts. My brain giving me one last shot to sit and contemplate before giving up with tired for the night. Whatever it is, I love this time of the day.
2011 has been a year I shall not forget in a long while. I don't want to come over as all self-congratulatory but, if you don't mind, I'd love to refer to some of what I've done. Not in a self-congratulatory way, but in order to help me to reflect on just how far Love My Dress has come {check out my post from this time last year!} – that little blog I set out to develop in September 2009 as somewhere to write and share my thoughts is now a major UK wedding blog – I am earning my living through my blog, and developing my brand outside the realms of my blog. Lady Love My Dress, my sassy alter-ego {that's her taking notes in the banner at the top of this page} and I have come a long way in these past 12 months and I'd love to share some of that with you today, before I thank a few people for helping to make this possible. Actually, for helping to make my dreams come true.
What the heck – let's see what's what through a bit of a list…
January – I received personal invitations to attend time with Jasper Conran's Bridal wear team and Phillipa Lepley…
February – It was the Big Fat Wedding Bloggers Photoshoot! I also attended the annual Valentines party hosted by Mark Niemierko at Browns Bride, where I met super-Scribe, Paul Antonio, who has since become a dear friend. I also exhibited for the first time at the Designer Vintage Bridal Show.
Love My Dress Wedding Blog – Photography Copyright (c) 2011, Devlin Photos
March – I became a full time Wedding Blogger. I also did my first proper conference presentation as a blogger at the UK Alliance of Wedding Planners annual excellence in wedding planning conference. I talked about social media, wedding blogs how to work with bloggers in raising your profile as a wedding planner. This is also the month that Love My Dress was selected by Elle Magazine as one of their top five wedding blogs – in the world!
April – I attended New York Bridal Market as an exhibitor in my own right. SO much fun – huge thanks to Nicola from Propose PR for making this a possibility!
May – I started writing regular features for Vintage Life Magazine and Wedding Magazine. You can view all my press features here by the way.
Love My Dress Wedding Blog – Photography Copyright (c) 2011, Annabel Beeforth
June – world-class Photographer Polly Alexandre shot some PR images for me. It was amazing meeting Polly – she is an exceptional lady, with truly exceptional talent. I actually really do adore her and cannot wait to catch up with her next month in London for a spot of lunch. I love being around people who give off an aura of loveliness and pure positivity – thank you Polly for kindly taking photos that actually make me look a little bit good 🙂
Love My Dress Wedding Blog – All Photography on this page, Copyright (c) 2011, Polly Alexandre
August – I hosted my first major wedding industry networking event, the Love My Dress Summer Soiree. If had to choose just one word to describe the evening, it would be 'magical'. And I mean, in every single way…
Love My Dress Wedding Blog – Photography Copyright (c) 2011, Katy Lunsford
September - I was contacted by Oxfam and asked to be an Ambassador for them with regards an exciting project for 2012.
I was also asked to be a member of the judging panel for the 2012 Wedding Industry Awards, alongside fellow panel members Peggy Porschen – cake maker extraordinaire (and secret obsession of mine!), You & Your Wedding Magazine Editor Miranda Eason, Sky News presenter Sarah Hewson, Celebrity Wedding Planner Sarah Haywood, wedding dress designer Sassi Holford, UKAWP member, Sandy Moretta and the 2012 Wedding Industry Awards founder, Damian Bailey. What a cast to be working alongside! 
October – I exhibited at the Designer Vintage Bridal Show again with fellow UK wedding bloggers. I was also asked to be official blog reporter for the Luxury Wedding Show. Sky TV also invited me to secret and highly illegal speakeasy affair – amazing fun!! 😉
November – I took on an Admin Assistant and advertised for my first Intern! I also hosted a webchat on the You & Your Wedding website. I was a tad nervous in the run-up, but it was just so much fun!
December – I joined fellow judging panel members the 2012 Wedding Industry Awards to select overall category winners, based on the regional winners that had already been announced. It was such an opportunity to spend a little intimate time with some wedding industry greats who I admire muchly. I can't wait for the champagne party awards ceremony next month!
December also played host to a phone call that confirmed such exciting news for me, regarding a new project that will span 2012/13 and beyond! Keep your eyes peeled for news of my exciting secret 🙂
What a great year it's been! It really has. And I have much to celebrate. Don't get me wrong however, but it's been incredibly hard at times – I mean really hard {you'll know this if you've been following my personal posts on becoming self employed}. But the support and love of my family, friends, sponsors and all those people I work with just makes me value every single experience and achievement all the more. Without these people, Love My Dress would not exist. Fact.
Some special thank you's…
My blog would not be a success without my wonderful, amazing sponsors – thank you all so very very much for supporting me and continuing to believe in Love My Dress. I promise you I am going to work super hard in 2012 to make your investments worth while :) Readers, please take a moment to check out the banner advertisements to the sides of this page – I am so very proud of each and every one of them 🙂
My wonderful readers and blog followers – thank you, thank you, thank you. Do you have any idea how much you all mean to me? Your comments, your emails, your kindness. You put smiles on my face that stretch from ear to ear. I wake up every day with a passion to write and share inspiration just for you. I promise you I'm going to work my socks off in 2012 to make Love My Dress even bigger, and better.
To all the brilliantly talented Photographers, Stylists and makers of things pretty who supply beautiful content for my blog – I offically love you! You are all amazing and I look forward to continuing to support you in 2012 and beyond. Thank you so much for your key role in helping to make Love My Dress the success that it is.
There are too many people to list here that I would wish to express a personal thank you too, for helping me to achieve and celebrate success this year, as well as see me through the lowers ebbs. So I'll skip the Gwyneth Paltrow on ya'll. There are three people however who deserve a very special mention; Philip, Eska and Leanora. My darling Husband and two little girls. How patient you have been this year when Mummy has needed to work late nights {early mornings!}. How understanding you have been when Mummy has had to dip out of fun family things to research, write, do boring admin and the like! How supportive you have been when things have gotten tough and I've needed lots of love. I do all of this for you, for our happy family. I love you with all my heart…
Love My Dress Wedding Blog – Photography Copyright (c) 2011, Annabel Beeforth
These wonderful morning hours do not loan themselves to me unconditionally. And that big hand that was a shade away from three when I started is a little nearer to five right now. I will invariably end up paying for a bit of an 'all nighter' in {from experience} approximately two days time. And on that note, I shall retire from this comfortable dining room seat with the little candle flickering to my one side and the distant light house warning flashing through the window on the other {light houses always remind me of Famous Five stories – lashings of Ginger Beer George!}, to make my way to my comfy cosy bed for a few hours before Auld Lang Syne is sung again and we all join hands and do the conga.
I hope all and everyone reading this post has an amazing, rewarding, happy, healthy 2012. May it bring your many smiles and wonderful experiences and memories to treasure 🙂
Check back in tomorrow for a fabulous list of promotions and discounts from some amazing wedding industry suppliers my friends.
Peace, love and Happy New Year to you all!
Annabel xXx
♥
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Annabel View all Annabel's articles
Founder of Love My Dress. Passionate Podcaster and Editor. Annabel lives in rural North Yorkshire with her husband and business partner Philip, their two daughters and menagerie of furry hounds. She loves photography, meditation, walking, being outdoors and star gazing. She is fierce when it comes to championing talent within the wedding industry and when she's not working on Love My Dress, she supports her husband Philip in the running of the family's sustainable flower farm and floral design business, Moonwind Flowers. In 2013, she became a published author.
