“Work” didn’t get any better than this in 2009!
The year started with economic anxiety, slowing bookings, the passing of our two longtime furry companions on consecutive days, and the unenviable task of following an unbelievable 50-wedding year that I still can’t explain. Little did I realize what a wild and rewarding ride 2009 would be for IndyVisual.
Starting with the weddings themselves… My travel itch was satisfied with events as far as the Riviera Maya to nice little road trips to Linton and Valparaiso, plus weddings in Lexington, KY and Columbus, OH on back-to-back days. The big ones kept coming, as I counted at least five six-figure weddings and my first ever seven-figure wedding! Clients included a mayor, an NFL player, an NBA owner, and many prominent business owners. Then there were the couples for whom I was the only “splurge,” and so many amazing ones in between, every one of whom I was deeply honored to serve.
I never sought out accolades in 15 previous years of business, but they sure sought ME out in 2009. I was given my first-ever PACE award through ISES, then voted by our clients and fellow wedding professionals (no friends, family or random Facebook/Twitter followers!) as Indy’s #1 Videographer on the IndyChannel.com A-List. I was thrilled to be invited to be the official videographer for the ABC annual conference, which was held in Indy this year. My biggest honor was being invited to present at the WEVA Expo in Orlando to videographers from around the globe, and I’m still floating from the amazing response to the seminar as well as the experience of learning from and helping so many new friends.
In the landlord business, my vision of transforming my stuffy old office building into an artsy, creative environment catering to Indy’s most reputable wedding professionals became a reality, and I’m amazed by the quality of people – tenants and clients alike – that I get to mingle with everyday. We celebrated the newly-rebranded We Do! Professional Centre with a epic day of open houses that we were blessed to share with so many of our esteemed peers in the industry, and I’m still blown away to this day by the generosity of Kahn’s Catering and others who made it happen.
Of course, none of this works without the invaluable contributions of (newlywed) Laurie, Rich and Cathy, and none of it has meaning without the unwavering support of Chris and our three nutty little boys who just keep on growing while I toil away everyday. I promise to slow down someday soon, but it might not be this coming year. With more amazing weddings (including St. Lucia and at least three other destinations in the works that I hopefully won’t jinx here), cool new toys and some HUGE surprises in store, it’s time to bid 2009 a fond farewell and look forward to an exciting 2010.
Happy New Year, everyone, and thank you for all that you do for IndyVisual. Please do not hesitate to let us know what we can do for you!
Great post!!