Just before the start of my 8th year in weddings, and my 2nd official year of running Nymfee, I wanted to pause for a second.
In between all the flowers, the beautiful set ups, the smiles of my couples, and all the content that is good practice to post, I wanted to escape and take a personal moment here. My friends and my clients know how personal I get at work and those of you following me, navigating through my website, and putting up with my silly posts and texts…you have probably seen that I write the way I speak; unfiltered, unbothered, and bold.
So, just before the new season starts I wanted to dedicate some space to the 3 reasons I am where I am today; with you. Some words about each, when they deserve the world:
1. Mike Vekris Wedding Entertainment – Mike became a good friend back when MSN had the nudge feature (yup, we're old). Super talented DJ, recognized the potential of the wedding industry when it just started blooming, and therefore was one of the first people in Greece to become exclusively a “destination wedding DJ”.
And as the market was fairly new, one day he said to me casually, "hey why don’t you start coming over at my weddings, give me some of your corporate events insight, so we can make this fly?" And so I did. I loved weddings but it’s a niche and closed market and at the time I had experience in corporate events only, albeit 8 years. It’s thanks to Mike, I started taking days off my day job and all my summer weekends to join him. Santorini, Mykonos, Monemvasia you name it… It’s because of Mike I entered this industry. It’s because of him I fell in love with life when observing the happiness of people on their special day. And it’s because of him, I then knew where I was heading for. Mike, you once made a customized “thank you” sign as a gift for the insight & help I supposedly gave you those years. But it’s me I should be thanking you. For the opportunity, the network, the laughs and your trust…Thank you!
2. Agis Peterson – the quarantine brought us close in a way that normal life wouldn’t have allowed. I wanted to make the jump, I wanted to believe I could do this but I had a mountain ahead of me and my vision wasn’t clear. I remember one day we had a fight – I said I am too overwhelmed with doing everything, the marketing, the business relations, the SoMe, the client management, I cannot do the website as well. It’s just not possible and there is no way one can do it from scratch without experience. I yelled at you for pushing me more than I could handle and we said goodnight. It was about 11pm. You texted me at 3am with the first version of my website ready. I did end up designing the whole website based on your ideas, I did write all the content, I did work till morning hours for 3 months to air this… All because you pushed me and helped me with logos and your amazing photos, and you believed in me when I didn’t. Your unconditional love and presence in my life at that point were exactly what I needed to take my leap of faith, and I am not sure how much time I would have lost, or even if I’d even done it, without you. You deserve all the happiness in the world. Thank you ❤
3. Diane Kiameh – you know how you meet a person & your souls collide immediately? This happened with me and Diane. A wedding planner in Mykonos, we met when I was a venue event manager. Moved from Lebanon for love (my idol!), she created @lilyofthevalley_weddings without any network, help or even speaking the language. Diane is the wedding planner I could never be. She absolutely loves design and handles it the way only charismatic people can. All those Pinterest pictures brides fall in love with? She is the one creating them. Diane designs the kind of weddings that people copy, with unprecedented elegance and authenticity.
When I told her my thoughts of going full-time wedding planner, I was scared I’d lose her. Like, it’d make sense if she saw me as potential competition, right? Instead, she hugged me. Told me she will be by my side, and gave me all the industry secrets I needed so I could make this successful. Told me she knew I was going to be amazing at this and that the industry needs people like me. I am a planner at heart and she is a designer at heart, and I still refer clients that are design and details oriented to her. Can you imagine? Two wedding planners on the same island, 0 competition between us but on the contrary always available to help each other? It’s the kind of friendship that makes people bloom. Anytime we visit each other, our souls collide in the most natural form of happiness, wine, and dancing and even though I am standing on my own feet now, she still makes me tear up every time she talks about my skills and my personality. I couldn’t be more proud and honored to be your friend Diane. Thank you!
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