Milwaukee Engagement Photographer | Milwaukee Baby Photographer
We made it through 2020!! What a wild ride! Here is a final recap of my personal experiences and best images from 2020!
2020 was hard. Unpredictable. Overwhelming. Emotionally draining. Anxious. Helpless. Happy. Sad. Stressful. We saw loss and lots of ups & downs. So many mix emotions. How can someone have so many emotions in ONE year? There were days where I felt on top of the world and other days where I was mentally and physically drained.
But as I sit here looking back, I can’t help laugh. I can’t help to look at myself and see a strong woman who survived a dumpster fire of a year, who through incredible odds, got married in a pandemic and survived it.
This year has made me stronger, more confidant and I feel unstoppable.
While I know we aren’t completely out of the woods for 2021, we will have obstacles along the way and hard times ahead. My hope and goal is that we will make it through 2021 as well!
Milwaukee Wedding Photographer | Milwaukee Portrait Photographer
So, let’s recap 2020!
Personal:
I’ve had some amazing highs and lows this year and have learned that I am grateful and blessed for what I have. God. Health. Family. Love. Happiness.
Here’s my recap of 2020:
- Bought tickets to see ABBA and took my mom for her birthday to the Pabst Theater. I may have been the youngest one there but it was a blast! Who can resist belting out the song, Dancing Queen?
- Went on a mini ski trip to Granite Peak with my family before everything was shut down.
- Spent A LOT of time by our pool, as it helped me survive being stuck at home with quarantine life!!
- Biggest highlight & stressful moment of 2020 – I got MARRIED! Yes. I did it! I’m not going to sugar coat it, as it was a roller-coaster ride. I started the year on such a high finding “the dress”! Then early March hit and I became worried. Constantly tracking the new state laws, new county regulations, heck, just trying to figure out how to file for a marriage license in a building that’s temporarily shut down. Then May/June came and everything was officially shut down. July approached and I scrambled to reschedule vendors who were cancelling and found a new venue. Then AUGUST – wedding month – it happened! I prayed every day hoping I was making the right decision having the wedding with COVID. So many thoughts went through my head thinking so fast that I could not sleep. Instead of stressing about colors, pictures, or dinner platters, I ended up thinking about the distance between chairs so people would be safe, budgeting for masks/sanitizer, hoping no one would get sick or die by attending. I was selfishly thinking “why me” or why did I get suck being a pandemic bride or how I could do my best to make everyone happy. Every other bride hears, “we are so happy for you” and “we are so excited to celebrate with you” but I heard behind those words, “we are so scared”, “are you sure you should be having your wedding”, and “I’m coming but I’m afraid to be there”.
- At the end of the day, I was very fortunate to have a very successful wedding. Although the wedding was not like ANYTHING I had originally planned, it was my best day of 2020. A year like 2020 makes a person appreciate the small things in life. Most important, I was blessed to marry my best friend. Our families were able to be present and we partied with my best friends till 2am having a complete blast. Everyone was healthy and we made some amazing memories which I am forever grateful for.
- I was a part of one of my best friend’s wedding celebrating in Northern Wisconsin with my college peeps. It was extra special getting caught up with their families and I met some new additions too.
- Became an AUNTIE! This brings me so much joy. Meet Aiden James Coenen. I love him so much!
- And finally, my husband and I booked a last minute honeymoon taking a road trip down south to Asheville, NC and Charleston, SC. We chased waterfalls, soaked up some sunshine, ate shrimp and grits and walked the beach. It was the perfect ending to 2020.
BUSINESS
- This year I got lucky. The plan was to be in 4 weddings, attend 3 bachelorette parties, 3 baby showers and 4 bridal showers. Wowzers. With that being said, I didn’t schedule many weddings because I knew it would be a very busy year. Boy, am I happy I didn’t! The weddings I WAS able to capture and be a part of were absolutely beautiful. Here are some of my favorites!
- With all of this free time, I was able to revamp my website! Wahoo! I hope you love it, take a look around.
- Met some amazing people during my fall and winter family sessions!
- Opened a new home studio in Milwaukee for newborns, babies and cake smashes! The timing of this wasn’t perfect with COVID happening, but I am taking precautions seriously and sanitizing everything. Check out each of my pages to learn more about my newborn sessions, cake smash sessions and baby sessions. We have so much fun!
2020 That’s A Wrap. I’m still here. I’m still standing. And so are you!
Bring on 2021! We can do it.
