Wow, could 2015 have flown by any faster? It seems like it was just May and now Christmas lights are being strung everywhere. This has been a good nay, FANTASTIC year both personally and professionally. There was a lot that occurred unexpectedly but by the grace of God, it all worked out and I am grateful.

Let’s start with the personal:

Austin and I got married on a beautiful snowy day earlier on in the year. We were then able to make a short, whirlwind trip to Malaysia and Taiwan where our families are, for two more weddings. I know, I know…three weddings is insane and I’m already tired thinking about it.

The good: we really took advantage of our limited time there and stuffed face accordingly. It was also nice to see my parents and family! I usually see my parents once every year or two so it was a wonderful treat seeing them twice in 2015 for the weddings.

The bad: we gained 12 pounds in the first seven days between the two of us. Neither of us dared to look at the scale after that, ha! We took wedding pictures in Malaysia that first week (see image above) and they totally had us pose in certain positions to hide flaws: “Place your hand right under his chin”, “Get her a coat to put around her shoulders!” “Look up, suck in!” I’m pretty sure the images are photoshopped further (it’s pretty common for studios there to alter hundreds of frames to make you look thinner / less wrinkly, etc) but hey, no one is complaining!

The unexpected: it was during the end of the trip when Austin got an opportunity to work in Singapore for a few months. The island is right next to Malaysia and a place I used to live at years ago.

Usually, the weddings we book are spread at all intervals throughout the year. There was a point where I inwardly questioned why there was a lull in mid August – September when the years before, we were pretty busy. It all came together perfectly since I was able to use that time to join Austin in Singapore for a month. A month! I couldn’t believe that the timing of everything just worked out so beautifully. God is good.

Since Austin would be busy working and I am SO thoughtful in not wanting to be a distraction, I decided to make side trips over to Malaysia to see family (my grandfather is 94 years strong!), do a mini vacay with my mother to Vietnam and visit my father in Indonesia. It was amazing being able to see my parents three times in one year since we’re all usually on different continents! It would also be the first time my mom and I traveled together. It was also eye opening since I didn’t realize that she was actually a vampire afraid of the sun. Case in point below.

Austin is now back in Dallas. I’m thrilled that he got to experience Singapore for a while and see why I like that island nation so much. He became so well versed with the city that he would show me local joints and hangouts that I wasn’t aware of before.

In other personal news- Maddie also tied the knot this year on November in Watercolor, Florida! This girl is a serious perfectionist and the details she planned for the wedding were nothing short of thoughtful, creative and beautiful. She has planned many lovely events for others and it was about time she did something for herself!

Now with the professional:

2015 was the busiest this year Keestone Events has ever been, with more weddings + events than the previous two years combined. I’m glad that we have such a strong team and worked with solid vendors that made all of this happen.

We worked on multiple styled shoots as well and they have been my absolute favorites yet!

Credit: Anna Smith Photography

Credit: Allen Tsai Photography

I also attended Wedding MBA in Vegas where I left with good notes and new vendor friends. I’m a huge advocate of continuing to learn and grow in any industry. There is always something that we can takeaway and apply to Keestone Events to improve our services for clients. It’s so crucial that we are on top of things because each event is unique and important to clients, and therefore, has to be for us as well. You never get anywhere being content and staying stagnant!

Aside from that, we also moved into a studio space with an incredible vendor team in Addison.

Disclaimer: Milo may not always make it to consultations / meetings

We rebranded as well and got an amazing new website with one heck of a team. This year has been a pretty wild ride, and I am thankful for it all!

I cannot be happier with the new direction Keestone Events is heading in and am excited for 2016.