Weddingbee PRO

Believe it or not, being a business owner can be lonely at times especially since many wedding businesses consist of one individual whether it is an invitation designer, baker, coordinator, photographer, videographer, etc.  Most wedding professionals are sole proprietors.

Much of our work is done by ourselves, not with a team. For example, photographers and videographers spend the majority of their time working at their office editing photos, cropping images, putting albums or videos together by themselves. It's a quiet and solo process. As for florists and floral designers, they are often making pieces by themselves in their studio space. Often, floral designers are writing detailed proposals at their desk in between taking care of a million little details. As one of these designers, I don't have someone to turn to. I do many things just by myself.

I think to myself - it would be wonderful to bounce ideas off of other people. And yes, I am fairly lucky because I have a wonderful office assistant, Karin, so I'm not too lonely. However, most of the time, important decisions are made alone.

On rare occasions, I do miss those days when I worked on a floor with hundreds of people. I miss the sound of people chatting on their phones, Xerox machines making copies, and work getting done.

That's why important meetings such like a WPPI are key for us lonely entrepreneurs. Last month, seeing Ron Dawson (of Dare Dreamer Media) and David Jay of David Jay Photography reminded me that we, wedding vendors, are not alone. There are thousands of us out there. We may run our own business but when we need to reach out, there's a whole sea of people ready to meet you. I'm reminded that we aren't without a community. I guess that's why I find myself on Facebook. Yup, I finally did it. And already, I see the energy in being part of something greater.

Thanks, Ron and David for reminding us that we aren't just an island. Both of you inspire me.