It is a day for bubbles today, for cake, for celebration and for a little reminiscing.

Today, Polka Dot Bride turns eleven. What started as a little way for me to share my favourite wedding ideas turned into something that as of today, has over 11,000 different posts (mind-blowing!) patterned ladies who work all over the world and a community that is richer and more valuable that I could have ever dreamt of.

Within our team, over the past eleven years, we’ve welcomed and said goodbye to many faces. We’ve moved endless times, celebrated weddings carried and birthed so many babies, stayed up all hours of the night dreaming and scheming. We’ve cried together, laughed together and solved all of life’s problems over champagne and cake and french fries. We’ve seen the rise of social media as a “thing” moving from conversations spent on Twitter to showing off weddings on Instagram.

We’ve grown from a tiny blog where I couldn’t even figure out updating the header, to completely creating awesome functionality that saves hours upon hours of manual time.

We’ve built our own special submission process (and one with our Aisle Society sisters – Matchology) we’ve evolved our content, we’ve had big dreams and made them happen, and tiny insignificant moments that were a relief and a joy that you might never even notice.

We’ve grown a lot – and I don’t mean in size. Over many, many years we’ve changed, evolved and figured out our place in the world. We’ve survived the heartbreak, the adrenalin filled highs, and the daily grind – as any little business does, and found strength in our connection and love for what is at the core of it all – the celebration of two people who just love each other too much to do anything but pledge it for life.

We’re scattered all over the globe now, so we’re celebrating a little more quietly this year – saving our toasting and filling our bellies for when we’re all in the one spot (and I am thankful too, as it is raining here today, and we all know how that went last year). But you can bet there will be champagne, and toasts, and sneaky treats. Miss Ladybird Cakes, with an open brief of “make it dotty!” made us the most incredible birthday cake, (inspired by the amazing work of Tortik Annushka), that had me tearing up when I saw it, that we will reluctantly cut open and scoff.

A toast to you – the Dotties who are the heart and soul of it all, something I never ever take for granted, who share your own stories with us, who share the good, the bad, the pain and the joy with us so candidly. Our vendors, who are incredible,  choose to support us and believe in what we work so hard to do, our extended team who work to keep us moving and support us with their amazing talents, the patterned people who work tirelessly to make every little dream of mine happen, and of course to my family, including Mr Polka, who are my rocks and my anchors in life.

May the next year of Polka Dot Bride be filled with the most wonderful days. May we forever feel as passionate about weddings, and making you feel good as we do today, may we forever do happy dances and pop the bubbles when we kick our goals and may you be right there along with us.