Ninth Birthday Cake Edit copy

Yesterday, Polka Dot Bride turned nine. As we do every year, we had cake and champagne, because we believe in celebrating milestones and taking stock of where we have been and where we are going.

I always stumble a little when it comes to our birthday post, wondering if another year deserves such an acknowledgement. But everything about Polka Dot Bride means so much to me – our team, our advertisers, our readers, that letting it slip by, even for a year, seems selfish.

This year, seems almost less about turning nine and more about the fact we are coming up to ten years. With a laptop, at my coffee table I opened a Blogger account, I had no idea that would lead to so much more almost a decade later.

2015 was a hard one here at Polka Dot Bride. As the landscape changed, so did our team – Ms Paisley and Ms Gingham moving on for family reasons, a brand new baby welcomed mid last year. A brand new team at the helm, with more additions (and more babies!) saw Polka Dot Bride as I knew it completely change. For someone who lives and breathes this blog, it was a challenge, but one I am grateful occurred.

While our plans for the year shifted, as I concentrated on building the foundations with our new team, it means that 2016 is the year they take off again. Our much overdue redesign is finally in the works, our content plans changing and evolving just as they should, the launch of Aisle Society just around the corner. Our mission is very clear – to provide a place for couples to create a wedding uniquely theirs.

Returning to our beginnings, the belief that we want to create a space where every couple can feel relieved of the pressure, can feel like they are welcome, at home, in a place where they will not be judged, will not be told of how their wedding day should be in order to be awesome or cool or amazing, with anything but their own true selves, is so much of what I believe in.

Our team is so much bigger than last year, but they each deserve a medal.

Ms Stripey, our client concierge who literally works tirelessly to ensure our advertisers are looked after, who comes up with creative ideas and fresh thoughts for when something needs improvement, who champions getting involved and building a relationship with our readers every step of the way.

Ms Chinoiserie who is our specialty blog editor. Who makes sure our baby blogs all run smoothly and efficiently, who knows her way around a good edit with grace and integrity and is always, always in sparkles.

Ms Harlequin who is all about the projects, who pops up and shoots with us, takes big things off my plate and works out ways to get them done, who makes me laugh and makes sure I’m up to date with pop culture references (and Inner Circle music picks, because my taste in music is all about the nineties).

Ms Rose who took our submissions portal and made it into this neatly organised, running on schedule blissful little system. Who knows the value of a beautiful, heartfelt wedding, who finds the joy in each and every submission we receive without ever losing that sparkle. With her second hat, she’s an email ninja. So quick sometimes, we can barely keep up as she triages the immense correspondence we receive every week.

Ms Millefleur, who is currently doting over the newest member of the patterned people, born just before Christmas. Our sales director who threw herself into the deep end with grace and aplomb and making the role her own.

Ms Liberty – our newest addition! Ms Liberty and I met by synchronicity many years ago, and it was only last year that our paths crossed magically once more. Our acting sales manager, Ms Liberty is someone so very full of passion for Polka Dot Bride and our advertisers, her belief in us is unwavering and although she’s only three weeks into the role, I can’t wait to see what she does next.

There are more thank you’s, because true Dotties know I need this moment to say thank you.

Our advertisers – their unwavering belief in us and choice to spend hard earned dollars with us never goes unnoticed. We are working hard to build up a collective of advertisers who believe that no matter your wedding style, it’s pretty awesome because it’s yours.

And finally the lifeblood of this wedding blog – our readers. I am always stunned by the amount of people who read Polka Dot Bride. I am stunned by your emails, your comments, your clicks – every part of that is counted and never goes unnoticed. We are keenly aware we wouldn’t be here if it wasn’t for you.

Whoever you are, you have a role to play in the Polka Dot Bride story and I know this year is actually going to be the best year yet.

Polka Dot Bride 9th Birthday Cake Top

 

A big thanks to Gina of Miss Ladybird Cakes  who I commissioned for our birthday cake this year. The semi-naked citrus cake with passionfruit buttercream was topped with raspberry filled macarons and covered in gold polka dots. I think it may have been one of my favourites!