Sarah will be marrying Rich on 20th June 2021 at Tikitano Beach, Marbella, Spain. Click here to read all Sarah’s planning posts to date.
THREE FACTS: (1) Sarah knew Rich was the one when he brought a gift of dog treats for her toy poodle Nuala along to their fourth date! (2) They are crafting an amazing destination wedding weekend in Marbella with beloved Smashing The Glass Recommended vendor optimum weddings as their planner. (3) Sarah is a member of Smashing The Glass’s Brides Club!
It has a been a while since I last blogged but I’m back! It has been quite the few months and I will be exploring that in my next blog. In the meantime, I thought it is a good time for some positivity because I think we could all do with it!
Last November, I finally secured my training contract after three law degrees and countless unsuccessful applications. I felt relieved that I had fulfilled my purpose having undertaken all my legal training. I was lucky enough to work with a group of really lovely people and make lifelong friends, I acquired a wealth of knowledge and was given many fantastic opportunities, I won the first case I worked on and I will always be grateful for this experience. To all extents and purposes, I was fulfilling my “dream” … or so I thought.
The Journey to Change
Covid-19 came along in March and turned everything upside down. I was worried about my job and if I would even have one, I was placed on furlough and the previous months of long hours sitting at a desk had caused a major flare up with my back condition which was not helped by lockdown and no gym sessions. We also postponed our wedding twice, and by July I was totally fed up and felt like I was stuck in rut. How could I be so unhappy with my life and job when I was doing what I had always dreamt of, albeit taking a break whilst I was on furlough?
The day of our “should have been wedding” was strange, sad, emotional, and I did a lot of reflecting. Little did I know that I was going to make a life changing decision that evening. I was sitting on my bed that night and I realised that I was no longer happy in Law, and that it was not the right fit for me anymore. I suppose that I had always felt that I had to pursue it because I trained in it and I did and do love it.
I am stubborn, and for a while both my mum and Rich had been saying that it was ok to walk away from it, but I couldn’t make the decision and I just continued and got more stressed and unhealthier both mentally and physically. I didn’t want to let my mum down as she had supported me through all of my years of education and I didn’t want to let Richard down as he had always been supportive and was so delighted that I was on track to become a successful litigation lawyer. I also hate change, I don’t believe in quitting and I do not do well with uncertainty. Additionally, the thought of leaving a job without another one lined up terrified me and I wasn’t sure if I could do it.
During my many reflections that Sunday evening I thought about what I really loved. I realised how much I had enjoyed blogging for Smashing the Glass and how lucky I was that it had led me to blog for optimum weddings, my wonderful wedding planners. I thought about what I was good at and what I could do. I wanted to work from home more and be more flexible so that I could work out and protect my back from further injury, I wanted to be able to work with people and communicate with them, I wanted to be passionate about my job.
Fast forward a few hours and I had not come up with a good plan, despite musing over many options. However, I made a huge decision which was terrifying. I decided to leave my job in law and all the security which it provided me with. I had no idea what was to come but the months preceding this decision had taught me how unpredictable and short life can be and I knew I wanted to prioritise my happiness.
A Dream Around the Corner
I told my lovely wedding planner Dyana about my decision to leave my job, and then it happened! We discussed what I was good at and I realised that the job which I had never imagined was actually my perfect career. She offered me a job as a Wedding and Event planner at optimum weddings! I don’t know what you are meant to feel when you get a new job, maybe excited and maybe anxious (especially during the current pandemic!). However, all I can say is that I had an overwhelming sense of relief and calm, and for the first time and at last I truly felt like I had found my calling and I was home.
When I started planning our wedding the year before I was on a mission to get the plans in place as quickly as possible. I met Dyana a week after we got engaged, signed her up as our planner on the spot and we had booked the venue and most of the suppliers within three days! My mum took a back seat as she isn’t into big weddings and it was not her thing so to speak. I was initially frustrated but I am now enormously grateful as what better experience could a new wedding planner ask for than brainstorming and working with Dyana to plan their own wedding!
Quite simply, wedding planning is something I realised I was very good at. I have an eye for detail, I am great with people, I am hard working, I love making lists and working under pressure and I love weddings and events.
The irony is that you always think that you have to do something which you have studied or trained in, but life is not that black and white. I worked in an accounting firm during my summers whilst at University, I then went into residential property sales, followed by marketing and online publishing. I was a member of committees for Jewish Care and organised fundraising events and I even tried my hand at beauty PR, not to mention my years acting and finally law! How on earth does this make me a good fit for the wedding and events industry?
It does, because all of the skills I have acquired over the past fourteen years mean that I have a diverse knowledge, a unique skill set and a great sense of commercial awareness, all of which will be hugely beneficial in my new venture.
Turning the Bad into the Good
The saying goes that something good always comes from something bad and I have now seen this first hand. Yes Covid-19 has been and still is horrendous. The number of deaths, the damage to the economy, our lives being put on hold and the emotional trauma of having to rearrange our weddings once, maybe twice and maybe three times! But the truth is, it has also been a time to take a step back and reflect, a time to face our realities and our fears and the truth. Had this pandemic not happened where would I be? I would probably still be in law, probably back at work, stressed, unhappy and with a very bad back.
The months during lockdown broke my heart when I had to postpone our wedding, but I also found my dream job. I did something that terrified me and I took a risk and a leap of faith with no safety net for the first time in my life. I realised what matters and how important it is to be happy and healthy and I came to peace with making decisions for myself and not based on what I believe other people wanted or expected me to do. Ultimately, I finally came to peace with being me. I loved Law and it will always have a place in my heart, even if it was not meant to be my forever career.
I am not saying you should all just leave your jobs, but what I am saying is to take this time to think and reflect on what matters to you and what makes you happy. Life is busy, but how often do we get the opportunity to just slow down and revaluate what matters. Just because your life is going in a certain direction and just because you have always done things a certain way, it doesn’t mean that you can’t change that.
I am truly ready for this pandemic to be over so that I can start working in person at weddings, bar and bat mitzvahs and all sorts of events, and just embrace all that my new job has to offer. I now get to connect with clients, turn their dreams into a reality and create their perfect event on a daily basis and that really is a wonderful thing to call work. No, I am definitely not glad that this virus took over life as we knew it, but I am blessed that it led me to a dream job and new life which I had never previously considered. Joining optimum weddings, being fortunate enough to have a wonderful boss who I am lucky enough to call a friend, being part of the optimum dream team and being happy and excited for my future with this amazing company is definitely my Covid-19 silver lining.
So, take a moment to stop and find the positives in this strange and unprecedented time, because I promise you, there are some and sometimes, you just need to look a little harder to find them.
Stay healthy, safe and try to find the positives where you can. I will see you all at my next blog! X
P.S. If you want to have a glimpse into my new life as a UK and destination luxury wedding planner then head over and follow my new work Instagram page.
Click here to read all Sarah’s planning posts to date.
Sarah and Rich’s Wedding Vendors booked so far:
Venue – Tikitano Beach
Photographer – Nani De Perez
Videographer – Antonio De Perez
Wedding Planner – optimum weddings {offers 10% discount to all members of Smashing The Glass’s Brides Club}
Dress – Mirror Mirror London {offers £200 discount for veil and accessory purchases over £400 to all members of Smashing The Glass’s Brides Club}
Videographer – Antonio De Perez
Stationery – Simcha Invitations
Chuppah singer – JJ Hodari
Band – One Entertainment
Hair + Makeup – Alex Harrocks and Nicola McGeorge
Welcome Party – at Besaya Beach
Toastmaster – Jamie Paskin
Post Aufruf Lunch Caterer – Karen Harris
Photo Shoot and London Civil Ceremony Photographer – Paul Toeman
Civil Ceremony Venue – The Old Marylebone Town Hall
If you’re a Jewish or Jew-ish bride-to-be, join Smashing The Glass’ Brides Club for step-by-step guides, handpicked wedding vendor discounts, Jewish wedding action plans, a free smash glass pouch, Jewish wedding checklists and templates, and SO much more!
Guided by the world’s number 1 Jewish wedding expert, Karen Cinnamon, Brides Club is the private community for Jewish and Jew-ish brides that minimizes wedstress and overwhelm and maximises your budget. Join our Brides Club here.