Our new telephone ↑ (c) Lou at Whimsical Wonderland Weddings

Happy New Year!!

How is it that time of year already? That is…. the end of 2011… or the beginning of 2012. Whether you have had a great year, or a not so great year, the beginning of a new one can always feel like a clean start.

I love writing a diary, both on paper and online here, one of the reasons for this is being able to look back and remember things that perhaps i would not otherwise. So month by month i have trawled through my archives and rounded up some of my favourite achievements of the year….

In January Whimsical Wonderland Weddings received the amazing top 100 wedding blogs in the world award from Bridetide.

February brought another amazing award, this time from Zankyou, Whimsical Wonderland Weddings was placed 5th in the top wedding websites in the world.

In March i  got my first ever mention in the press, in The TImes Online, within an article about the royal wedding.

In April, Whimsical Wonderland Weddings turned one, and i marked the occasion with the first ever {www} photo shoot. Whimsical Wonderland Weddings got it’s first printed press mention, which started an amazing relationship with the brilliant Wedding Ideas Magazine. Alongside a great article i helped with for the Asian Age. I also turned the grand old age of 25!!

May brought another wonderful accolade of being named at number 7 in the list of the top 100 wedding blogs in the UK by Easy Wedding Search. Some of my DIY tutorials were featured by other amazing UK wedding bloggers. I created an office space for me to blog from and in the process managed a long term personal goal of mine. I spoke about cancelling a wedding, to help others who may find themselves in a similar position. And i had a mention in Wedding Magazine, alongside some other amazing bloggers.

In June i was awarded a top cutest 50 wedding blogs thanks to marrigeblogs.org. I unleashed my inner geek and brought some new frames.

July brought a new start for me, when i started a course of hypnotherapy, which frankly has changed my life. I also went down the road to the lavender farm with my boys, and it is one of my favourite memories of the year.

In August i ran the first Whimsical Wonderland Weddings reader survey to find out more about you guys and what you want from the blog. I made some changes in my personal life, having a mini make over and joining the gym. I took a risk and introduced the first community question time post, which has broken all records with 87 comments!!

September brought my little boy’second birthday and a proper birthday party for him. Whimsical Wonderland Weddings was shortlisted in the Cosmopolitan blog awards.

In October i decided to share the very personal story of my mum’s battle with breast cancer this year. I helped with a feature for F2 Freelance Photographer magazine. And i decided to do a mini photo shoot… i needed some new head shots :-) I managed to achieve something beyond my wildest dreams and i got to network at the DVB show and meet some amazing wedding industry colleagues. I also published the reader survey results and started the hunt for a real {www} blogging bride.

November brought more networking, when my lovely friend organised a wedding fair close to home for me. I was also honoured to be asked to help judge this years Wedding Ideas Awards… perhaps my most exciting professional moment in my blogging career so far. The {www} real brides started blogging too, and you cannot get enough of them!!

December kept me incredibly busy redesigning the brand new look Whimsical Wonderland Weddings, in a huge new re brand. Visitor numbers on this time last year, have doubled!! And of course scheduling time off over Christmas… it’s been a year since my last break and i must schedule some more time off in 2012.

WOW what a year!! If you had asked me what i would achieve in 2011 i would never have even imagined any of this remotely possible. So a huge thank you to all of those that have helped me along the way, readers, vendors, photographers, bloggers, family and friends…. Whimsical Wonderland Weddings would be no where with out you all!!

I pulled this from my end of year ramblings from last year….

“I don’t have a new years resolution as such, i never do, but there are things i want to achieve;

♥ To be positive, relaxed and to have my well being back.

♥ To be a great mummy and have a happy little boy.

♥ To be able to finally forge a career for myself and to help finally to support my family.

♥ To build great memories and start living again.

♥ Seeing family and friends more and to meet some of you.

And finally if i don’t achieve any of these, not to beat myself up over it, there is no time scale, i think most people want these things for themselves. Oh and I’d love to win the lottery too ;-)”

Well you know what i think i have pretty much achieved many of these…. and i feel all emotional typing it. Making goals and then reflecting back is the most wonderful thing. My biggest achievement is being on the road to health again, i have an amazing little family, i am proud to tell people i have a career now and i have made many many memories including getting to meet some of you :-) Now i guess it’s time to think of new goals and aims for 2012…

♥ To continue on the road to recovery, step by step.

♥ To be a great mummy and partner and to  have a happy little boy.

♥ To continue on the road to blogging success and career satisfaction, whatever that may mean.

♥ To build great memories and experience new things.

♥ Socialising more and saying yes more, taking risks.

♥ Getting organised

I feel so optimistic and excited about the year ahead now :-) and am dying to get going with some amazing ideas, and projects i am working on for Whimsical Wonderland Weddings. And i hope my personal life keeps going in that same direction. I want to wish you a very happy, healthy and successful 2012. Thank you all again… i shall leave you with a sneak peek of what the start of 2012 has in store for you….

 Image by Pearl Pictures

Image by Laura Babb Photography

Image by Anna Clarke Photography

Image by Katherine Ashdown Photography

Image by Toast of Leeds

Image by Ann-Kathrin Koch Photography

Image by Debs Ivelja Photography

Image by Joanna Millington Photography

So much new year love xoxo

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