A little life update, because apparently I blinked and the last few months disappeared. 🥹🤎
WE ARE OFFICIALLY SETTLED IN SOUTH CAROLINA!! 🌴
This was a bit of a spontaneous-but-calculated decision for our family. After my dad was diagnosed with cancer last year (and is officially through treatment and into remission as of THIS WEEK!!!), we knew one of our biggest priorities was getting our immediate family back in the same state. My brother has called South Carolina home for the last 10 years, and our goal was to bring my parents, our family, and my brother’s family together again so we can be there for my parents in their golden years. Family has always been everything to us, and this felt like the right next chapter. 🤍
Somehow, everything aligned. We fell in love with the Grand Strand area, found a house that checked all the boxes, and before we knew it, we were packing up our life in New York and starting over in Longs, SC.
Since then, we’ve unpacked our house in 48 hours (because apparently I’m a psycho and incapable of resting while moving boxes exist 😂), furnished an entire home, worked with countless contractors, tracked down new doctors, dentists, vets, and groomers, started homeschooling the boys, helped my parents get settled nearby, and attempted to learn approximately 847 new things about living in a new state.
You know, just a few things 😅
The transition hasn’t been without its challenges. It’s strange going from a familiar little community where you know the best coffee shops, libraries, playgrounds, farms, and ice cream spots – and where people know you and your kids as “regulars” 🥺 – to suddenly being the new person everywhere you go. There was definitely a season of missing our old neighborhood and the life we had built there.
But a few months in, we’re finding our groove, making sweet new friendships, and building a life here that feels more and more like home. And I’m so excited to watch this next chapter unfold for our family.
Now, what does all of this mean for Under the Willow Events?
Well, if you know me, you know I’m not very good at sitting still. 😂
After five years of building my business in the Buffalo area, I had to make some difficult decisions about this year’s weddings and step away from much of what I had planned while we navigated the move. I needed the time to get our family settled, find our rhythm, and give this transition the attention it deserved.
And while I absolutely could have taken an extended break, apparently the wedding industry has a pretty firm grip on me because here I am, ready to dive right back in. 🥹
I would be lying if I said starting over professionally wasn’t a little intimidating. I’m leaving behind an incredible community of vendors who welcomed me with open arms, supported me, referred me, and helped me grow over the last five years. I will never take for granted having people who spoke highly of me in rooms I was never in, simply because they believed in me and wanted to see me succeed. That kind of community is something special, and I’m so grateful to have been part of it.
Now, I’m the new girl again. I have venues to explore, vendor friends to make, bridal expos to attend, and a whole new wedding market to learn. And honestly? I’m nervous, excited, and so ready for it.
So, if you’re a wedding professional in the Grand Strand area, please say hello! I would LOVE to meet you, learn about your business, collaborate, and build the kind of supportive vendor community that made my first five years so special.
And if you’re newly engaged and planning a wedding in coastal South Carolina, Under the Willow Events is officially accepting inquiries for 2027 weddings! 🥳
A few other things about me: I’m still a gym/caffeine addict, I’m currently swooning over our new home decor, putting together way too many homeschool crafts for our little dudes, exploring the beach, hosting family/friends when they come to town for visits (which has actually been a lot! 🥰), hunting down all the best shopping spots (my husband is thrilled, obviously 😂), and discovering a new love for content creation. Prepare to be sick of me 😜
Here’s to new beginnings, unfamiliar places, finding my people, and building something beautiful all over again.
Buffalo will always have a special place in my heart, but I have a feeling the Grand Strand is going to be pretty special, too 🤍
