January 13th is a special day.

It’s the date Polka Dot Bride celebrates the very day it came into existence.

In a world where our to-do lists are full and our must-do’s are overflowing, I want to take a moment to celebrate. Because in order to move forward, to really understand where we’re going, I want to acknowledge all that has been.

We’ve spoken often of our gratitude around our birthday and never has this been truer. 2018 was tumultuous for many bloggers. There seemed to be endless shutdowns from our friends and colleagues, scaling back, taking time out to figure out where to go from here. This challenge is something we were not immune from.

We had plenty of our own battles to fight as we found our way. 2018 was a year that was – at its core – a year of hard decisions. Decisions that were not always popular. Decisions that made people angry. Decisions that had people tell us would most certainly fail. Everything those other bloggers felt? We were right there with them.

And yet, being brave and making decisions that kept us up all night and having the hard conversations have led us here, to a place where we are more aligned than ever to “feel-good weddings” and it feels good.

Polka Dot Bride is not about the coolest weddings, the ones with the most brand names, the hottest team or the most coveted of details. It never has been, because at my core that is not who I am. It’s about helping you walk away from the stories you read and know that you’re pretty darn awesome as you are. That your wedding day not in spite of, but because of, your own limitations, personal style and loves, will be the most perfect possible day for you.

It’s about stripping back the expectations and getting back to the stories. The details you’ve carefully created with your mum over the kitchen table every night, the special song you’ve always danced to with your partner in the kitchen, the dress you thought you’d never find and yet somehow caught your eye at the strangest of times. It not about creating content which you can aspire to, but rather content you are inspired by.

While on the surface, it perhaps looks like not much has changed, so much has. 2019 marks a new beginning, one filled with hope and ideas and inspiration. One filled with a marvelous team who are passionate about what they do and step up to the challenge.

So today, I am taking pause, with this magnificent cake from Miss Ladybird Cakes, (seriously, it’s like a piece of art!) surrounded by people (including you) who always inspire me to do better and be better, with a marvelous celebration with my patterned lady team on the cards to thank my lucky stars.

Because without you, dear reader, dear vendor, dear onlooker, dear friend, dear patterned lady – we wouldn’t be here. Your support, your passion, your worries, your fears, your belief – everything drives us and inspires us and for that, I cannot help but toast you.

Happy Birthday, Dotties.

X Ms Polka