Twelve years ago today I shot my first wedding as Becky Brown Photography. It seems like yesterday, but also like a lifetime ago.

This time of year I usually like to think back on all the weddings and couples I’ve gotten to work with. I often write a blog post with the highlights and goals for the upcoming year and it really gives me a chance to refocus and just be proud of everything I’ve managed to accomplish with my business.

This year is very very different.

Despite the fact that I basically started this business in a recession (2008) I’ve never had the feelings I’ve had in the last few weeks. Obviously the Coronavirus has swept the world and turned things upside down. Overnight I went from being so busy I thought I was going to have a breakdown trying to keep up with it all to having no idea when I’ll even be able to work again.

Yesterday I finished editing my last tiny wedding I did in March a few days before everything shut down. It literally feels like it was years ago, not weeks. I haven’t been caught up on editing in over 2 years. And last time I was caught up it lasted about 2 weeks before my next wedding. I woke up today feeling free, and then panicked at the same time because I don’t know when I’ll be able to do my job again.

It’s a weird and rough time to be a small business. I’m self employed and have been for 12 years. I’ve worked by butt off to build my business, start a second business (Elope to Chicago) and even a third last year (What If We Elope). I’m doing everything possible to make sure I come out of this okay, but there are so so many unknowns right now and it’s scary.

I feel for my couples that are having to readjust and postpone their wedding and elopement plans. I feel for my fellow wedding industry friends that are primarily composed of small businesses and many many are self employed like myself. I know some businesses won’t survive this.  I feel for all those who have lost their jobs. I feel for all those who rely on events to happen in order to do their jobs. I feel for all those who have been effected by COVID-19. I feel for the healthcare workers putting their lives on the line everyday. So basically everyone.

Last week I wasn’t sure if I’d even do this blog post this year because I felt like it would be downer. But despite the craziness going on right now I want to share some of the positives from the last year. I can’t wait to get back to doing my job. At this point I’m hopeful that at least my elopements or tiny weddings with less than 10 people may be able to resume in the summer. Maybe. (crossing all fingers and toes) But I honestly don’t know.

So here are my top 5 positive memories and favorite moments of the last year. I hope that it brings some joy, if only for a few moments.

1. What If We Elope. At the end of 2019 I launched business #3! I legit spent all of 2019 working on this project with Second Street Creative out of Indianapolis. They built the website for me from the ground up and it was a process to say the least. I think I talked to Ryan on the phone last year about as much as my own mother! But I am super thrilled with how it turned out. It is a website, directory and blog specifically for elopement vendors. You can join as a member and list your services for couples to find you.

My goal with this from day one was to connect couples and vendors who specialized in elopements. There are a million wedding websites, but so few that are elopement specific. And the couple that did already exist were featuring elopements that were nothing like the elopements I and many others were doing. So I wanted a place to showcase those. The city elopements, the backyard bashes the city hall weddings and everything in between. I love mountain elopements, but I don’t live anywhere near mountain and that was all I was seeing. So I set out to change that.

Check it out here – What if We Elope

2. Elopements! Elopements Elopements! In 2014 I launched business #2 called Elope to Chicago.  This year we hit our 175th elopement/tiny wedding with that brand. While I’m not trying to go for volume for those, it was the busiest year we’ve ever had. The elopement side of things has surpassed my larger wedding work as I’ve stopped taking as many big weddings and have focused on the elopements and more intimate weddings with BBP and Elope to Chicago. I had planned on 2020 being my last year for big weddings, but with everything going on I’m already moving that back as I’m afraid some of my 2020 weddings will end up moving to 2021 and what once felt like the right move now feels like I want to cry thinking about not doing weddings anymore. So I’m at least doing to take a few still in 2021.

Elopement #150!

Elopement #175!

3. Wild Wild Weather! Rain, Wind, Snow, Heat. The last year brought some wild wild weather for weddings and elopements. I shot in pouring rain, single digit temps, snow, and “feels like” 100 degrees. There are always a couple every year I remember because of the weather, but this past year there were so many! My giant umbrellas got a serious work out!

The wildest weather award goes to Emily and Nathan. It was POURING the entire day of their elopement. Think thunder, lightning, sideways rain. It was the wildest weather I think we’ve ever had for an elopement. Thankfully we had a Plan B in place so we had cover for the ceremony. And every time it would let up slightly we would run out. They were troopers!

We also had all day rain for Laura & Cruz and Mike & Sophia and Amber & Norman. I have the best couples that they were up for anything!

The coldest wedding day of the last year was 2/20/20 where I did not one, but two elopements. At one point the real feel temp was -4 degrees. Did we still go outside? Yes. Because my couples are invincible. Yes both ceremonies were inside. Yes we took breaks and even grabbed coffee in between photos. Shout out to hot hands hand warmers! And don’t let the sun fool you. It was FREEZING!

Jeremy + Tranh 2/20/20

Iris + Alejandro 2/20/20

4. Three weddings in 9 days. I know I’ve mentioned that I’ve cut back on how many big weddings I’m doing. Partially because of my Crohn’s and partially because of how busy elopements have become. I only did 10 big weddings in 2019. I consider a big weddings to be over 100 guests and at least 8 hours of photo coverage. In November I did three of these in 9 days. It was the end of the busiest 6 weeks of my entire career. At the time I wasn’t sure how I would do it, but adrenaline kicked in and all three of these weddings were absolutely amazing. Two were back to back on a Friday and Saturday which involved me leaving one and driving about 2 hours to stay overnight for the one the next day. And then the following weekend heading up to Milwaukee for the third. It was wild, but amazing!

Kim + Mike 11/1/19 – remember when we got that snow on Halloween?! This fall wedding became a mix of fall meets winter!

Rachel + Robbie 11/2/20- In love with all of these people and this venue. Definitely worth the road trip!

11/9/19 – Molly + Matt – I’ve known these two for years so it was so fun to spend the weekend (my B-day weekend) in Milwaukee with them!

5. My 20+ year couples. I try not to have favorites, but you can’t deny there is something amazingly special about getting to capture couples who have been together or known each other for decades. That was the case with these two couples below.

8/10/19 – Gail + George. These two have known each other since they were in elementary school. They grew up, went separate ways and had separate lives, but were brought back together many years later. They were so sweet and kind and we had an amazing day for their boat wedding in August.

10/1/19 – Julia + Tom – these two have been together for 25 years. And on their dating anniversary they went to City Hall and got married!

How amazing is that?!

GOALS!!!

This is going to be a weird time to make goals for the next year because so so much has changed and is uncertain. But here goes.

1. Travel more. A very weird goal given the circumstances. But 2019 was the first year that I really went no where travel wise. I took zero trips or vacations. I didn’t get on a plane for the first year in probably a decade or more. And that was rough. All I did was work and work and work some more. So when it is safe to do so, I really need to make more time to travel and explore. First stop – Denver to see my sister, brother in law and my triplet nieces who I didn’t get to see on Easter because I had to cancel my trip.

2. Help as many couples as I can. This doesn’t even necessary mean photographing their day. But just helping. I haven been photographing and helping plan elopements and tiny weddings in the Chicago areas for 6 years so I consider myself a bit of an expert in the area. I know many couples are going to have to change plans, adapt, scale down and go to Plan B during this crazy time. And if I can help anyone out there with ideas, questions and more about elopements or tiny weddings in the city I am happy to do so. Even if you don’t hire me or my team. I just want to feel like I can do something to help people during this time. Email me with any and all questions if you’re reading this and need help! becky@beckybrownphotography.com.

3. Be more efficient. As I mentioned I just caught up on editing for the first time in years. So I’m going to use this time to try to streamline some of my processes so when I’m able to work again I’ll be more than ready. Because I feel like it’s going to be wildly busy  with elopements as soon as we’re back open enough to do those.

4. Spend more time with family and friends. The last few weeks I’ve caught up with more people than I have in the last 2 years. I don’t want to see that go away when this is over. I definitely want to take a few trips to see friends and keep up some video chatting even when this madness ends! And hug all my family even tighter than normal.

5. Continue to grow What if We Elope. Any new business takes time. Starting a new business that you poured lots of time, energy and money into only to have a global pandemic shut down the world 4 months later is not ideal. No one is spending money on advertising right now, which I get. But my hope is to continue to share as many elopements stories and blogs as I can and keep giving couples inspiration for their wedding days during this time. I think elopements and tiny weddings are going to grow greatly in the next year or two and I want to be there to help couples and vendors !

Thanks for reading! I hope that year 13 will be more back to “normal”. And I hope that I’m here in year 13!

Lastly I’m sharing more favorite photos in no particular order for your viewing pleasure! Enjoy and stay safe!