I guess it's only fitting that I reveal this on Labor Day…
I quit.
Yup. I'm a quitter.
But it's not what you think.
I began Marry Me Tampa Bay soon after planning my 11-11-11 St. Petersburg wedding. I was not part of the wedding industry at the time and stumbled my way through the wedding planning process just like any other bride.
I got married “pre-Pinterest” and literally had to “right click” and save my inspiration pictures in folder on my computer. I scoured wedding blogs for photos and advice and created my vision from their features. However, when it came to hiring local vendors, that was a more difficult task, as the featured businesses were all over the U.S., and I couldn't afford to pay travel fees.
So that's when I turned to local vendor listing wedding sites. I definitely found lists and lists of vendors in Tampa Bay, but I was quickly overwhelmed and became indecisive. With pages and pages of vendors, all with great reviews, how did I chose who to hire? I had to do lots of digging on each vendor's website to see who fit my style. This part wasn't as fun as looking at pretty pictures and choosing what I liked.
I thought, “There had to be an easier way.”
So I created one.
What began as hobby back in 2012, has evolved to game changer for the way Tampa Bay brides and grooms plan their wedding. I combined the gorgeous inspiration pictures found on top wedding blogs, but only published weddings from the Tampa Bay/Sarasota area, so that the blog could also double as a vendor list.
Now that Marry Me Tampa Bay is three-years-old, it's evolved more than I could have ever imagined. I never planned on it becoming a business, let alone becoming a full-time job.
Already having a career as a Marketing Team Leader for a Fortune 500 company, I never thought I'd QUIT the corporate world to start my own business, but that's EXACTLY what's happened.
I'm so EXCITED to reveal that I am officially a small business owner and full-time wedding blogger!
Just a few months ago, the thought of taking this leap terrified me, but with all the support of my friends and family and the Tampa Bay wedding community, I couldn't be more confident in my decision.
And now that my head is 100% in the wedding game, I have some pretty innovative ideas in the works for 2016.
So there you have it. This quitter is now a winner.
