2018 was a year of change.

Good change and scary change, and change that brought new opportunities, a lot of challenges, and unexpected growth in personal and professional areas of my life.

We moved closer to home, switched careers, bought our first house, traveled to new cities, found an awesome church community, had a lot of moments that tested our patience, and we even made some plans for our future that brought us closer together + excited for what’s to come. With a lot of prayer and a lot of grace (“grace” being the most important word in this sentence), we are thankful to look back on 2018 and all that it taught us about our relationship, facing adversity and taking risks. Whether we knew it or not, all of the change we endured was for good and part of plan that’s laid out for us.

If you’re reading this…. I sincerely thank you for all of your support and encouragement for my business and our lives. Brad and I are grateful for everyone we cross paths with and can’t wait to see what 2019 has in store for us.

2018 IN REVIEW:

PERSONAL:

• One of the biggest changes we had this year was buying our first home in a suburb north of Pittsburgh! We loved the 4 years we were able to spend in Baltimore, and my time working at Under Armour + the friendships made during that season of our life taught me numerous lessons that I am now able to apply to my personal and professional life in PA. One of the biggest factors to influence our move was the desire to be closer to our family and friends in Ohio.
• Buying our first home taught us A LOT about finances, loans, mortgages, you name it. We spent so much time learning about this market and chatting with our parents (Brad’s dad is a realtor!) and even though home-buying was stressful at times, we learned so much along the way.
• We have made our house home and have had the opportunity to host friends and family for dinner’s, movies, and games. I truly enjoy hosting and spending time with people. Buying a house with some space to encourage conversation and relationships was a goal of ours and I’m so grateful that we could make this a reality.
• Our love for travel and spontaneous trips continue as we spent 3 days on the Bourbon Trail, a week at Lake Norman, a few days in Savannah, Jacksonville and Asheville…. and (see next bullet)
• Brad turned the big 3-0 s0 I planned a surprise birthday trip for him in San Fransisco, Lake Tahoe, and Napa! The best part? Some of his closest friends flew out to Lake Tahoe to surprise him + spend a few days with us!
• My cousin had her adorable second son Dax + my other cousin announced her pregnancy – and it’s a GIRL!!! Excited for all the new life that bring so much happiness to our family.
• Two of our best friends from college got married this summer and we couldn’t be more happy for them!
• And lastly, we are beyond happy for our siblings and some big moves that they made this year! Brad’s sister and my brother both started their careers!

 

PROFESSIONAL (ALYSSA THOMAS EVENTS):

• I took my event planning business full-time, allowing me to take on more clients + provide an elevated client experience, and grow my business in other facets.
• Planned and/or coordinated weddings for 15 happy couples.
• I transitioned into the leadership role for our Rising Tide Tuesday’s Together Chapter in Pittsburgh. Thanks to Lauren Demby for showing me the ropes and helping make this transition an easy one!
• Alyssa Thomas Events won the “Knot Best of Weddings 2018 Award”, thank you to EVERYONE who left reviews + shared kind words about your experience working alongside me.
• All 3 styled shoots that I planned (alongside some really amazing Pittsburgh vendors) were published on either National and/or Local Blogs  (Publishers: Once Wed, Wedding Chicks, Red Oak Weddings, Burgh Brides)
• I launched my first Sip & Soiree Networking Event (Jan. 11 Event Date in which 55 women from Pittsburgh joined me for an evening of networking and building new business relationships), a goal that I hoped to achieve by the year-end and way to pursue my passion of bringing like-minded women together to learn and grow together.
• I explored new marketing strategies and ways to feature my business in front of ideal clients. Instagram Takeovers were the most successful marketing strategy, which converted multiple leads into paying clients.
• Built countless relationships and new friendships in the Pittsburgh wedding industry that I’m beyond grateful for. Building a community and sharing experiences with people who are in the same mindset as you is priceless, and a goal that I focused/continue to focus on achieving every month in my business. Relationships are powerful.

 

 

2018 was good… really really good. And while we had plenty of set backs and trials that tested our patience (mainly MY patience… as Brad is as patient as they get), we are thrilled to look back on the year with a smile. So much love, so many new relationships, so much growth, so much change.  Looking forward to 2019 and everything that is in store for our lives.

xx,

Alyssa

Alyssa Thomas is a Wedding and Event Planner based in Pittsburgh, PA and serving clients in Pennsylvania, Ohio, Maryland and Worldwide Destinations. Her work spans from weddings and corporate events, to meetups and intimate gatherings. Contact her today for your consultation and stop by her instagram to see some beautiful events, design work, and a peek into her personal life + traveling adventures. @alyssathomasevents

Pittsburgh Wedding Planner | Columbus Wedding Planner

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Alyssa Thomas is a Pittsburgh Wedding Planner and Pittsburgh Event Planner serving clients in Pittsburgh, Columbus, Maryland and Worldwide Destinations. Her work spans from weddings and corporate events, to meetups and intimate gatherings. Contact her today for your consultation and stop by her instagram to see some beautiful events, design work, and a peek into her personal life + traveling adventures. @alyssathomasevents

Pittsburgh Wedding Planner | Columbus Wedding Planner