Tidewater and Tulle Turns One!

Today marks the very first blogiversary for Tidewater and Tulle when it officially launched. Before I get all nostalgic, thank you. Thank you for being here. Thank you for believing in this local and regional wedding blog before it even launched. Thank you for supporting us through your sharing, submissions, photography, visits, comments, and sponsorships. Thank you. :)

This past year has been an incredible journey filled with milestones, adventures, and lessons. It's personally brought me new friendships, strengthened others, and rekindled a love I have for my hometown and the wedding world at large.

Slow and steady does win the race.
Taking the six months to build Tidewater and Tulle was the best decision I ever made for this blog. It was difficult waiting and see progress happening all around me, but I knew if I built a solid foundation first, a tall and hearty building would rest on that foundation. I'm completely humbled that patience and hard work won out. I can't figure out a way to say it right, but heck, I'm kinda proud! We've had an incredible first year with leaps and bounds of accomplishments I never could have imagined would happen (more on that to come).

If you want something, go after it.
I am flawed like the next person, but one thing I know for sure is that I've never been one to sit around twiddling my thumbs that's for sure. As a new wedding blog editor, I learned more than ever that if I wanted something, it wasn't going to magically show up at my doorstep. This side of the wedding industry is the ultimate in "you are your own mover and shaker." Being complacent just isn't an option when your heart wants to trumpet and tell everyone about the cool wedding things happening in your local area. You carve your own path here!

Diversity is our greatest asset.
One thing I want to foster more in 2015 is the diverse content on here. Not one wedding is the same, not one couple is identical, and not one story is duplicated. I never want a visitor to arrive to Tidewater and Tulle and not find herself/himself in a feature. The most popular features on Tidewater and Tulle were those that were different. The ones that people could identify with, laugh over, warm hearts with, or go, "Yes, I love that." That's been the heart of this blog from the beginning, and I'm determined to continue to loudly encourage this. This little southeastern corner of Virginia is crazy amazing, and we've got loads to show off! Being different is the way to go. (Okay, yeah, total underlying motive of a shameless request plug for what I'm looking for in submissions!)

Quality always over quantity.
I've never been a numbers person, but I've had to become a bit of one for my vendor fam and other advertisers. It's an ongoing lesson, but I'm still determined to balance both so quality still remains tops for the long-term.

Community is everything.
While I knew this before as a wedding photographer, it was compounded as an editor. Tidewater and Tulle would be absolutely nothing without its local Hampton Roads community-- wedding pros, brides/groom, and lovers of weddings-- and my fellow editor friends. We're not an island, and we're not meant to be by ourselves. The blog world can actually be a pretty lonely place with you in your pajamas, dirty hair, and a cat on your lap (truth)… unless you put yourself out there and say, "Hi, everyone! I've got ideas and a boatload of desire to help others!"


In some Memory Lane posts, a roundup of favorite features sometimes pop up, but not this time! You'll want to stay tuned to the weeks ahead since New Year's is now peeking at us, and we have some great features in store to showcase the best of this year!

Thank you again from the very bottom of my heart and the very corners of my keyboard.

- Chelsea :)