Five months went by in a flash.
I looked at the blog the other day and realized it has been far too quiet around here. But behind the scenes? Definitely not quiet.
Living at the end of the road in Tofino while growing PREP across Vancouver Island means every week looks a little different. Weddings, elopements, community events, planning meetings, road trips, vendor calls, last-minute changes—and plenty of coffee in between.
From the outside, I’m sure it can sometimes look stressful or maybe even a little unbalanced.
But here’s the thing: I chose this. And I really love it.
I started working in the event industry when I was young. After some incredible years of travelling in the early 2000s, I had the opportunity to work for a theatre and conference hall. Looking back, I don’t think I realized at the time just how much I was learning. People. Logistics. Timing. Problem solving. Hospitality. What happens backstage. What happens when something doesn’t go according to plan. And most importantly, how many people it takes to create something that, to a guest, simply feels effortless.
When I started PREP, I knew running a young business would come with challenges, changes and plenty of learning. Somewhere in my mind, though, I think I believed there would eventually be a point where I’d have it all figured out.
Turns out—that point doesn’t exist.
And maybe that’s one of my favourite things about this industry.
Every event teaches us something. Each couple brings a different story. All venue has its quirks. Every vendor relationship adds something. And sometimes even the smallest challenge becomes something I’ll carry into the next event.
Looking back five months, I remember thinking, Okay, the season is planned. We’re ready.
And we were. But gosh, the amount we have learned since then is incredible.
And when I say learning, I don’t only mean timelines, rentals, logistics or the endless little details that go into an event. I mean the relationships we’ve built along the way—with our couples, clients, vendors, partners and so many wonderful new people across Vancouver Island.
That might actually be my favourite part. The event report from the last five months could probably turn into a very long blog post, so I’ll keep this one low-key. There are plenty of stories to share, and I promise I’ll bring a few of them to the blog soon.
And a Little Love for Our Vendors
Now that the busiest weeks are behind us, I’m pretty sure all of our storage spaces could use a good clean-up and sort-out. Mine definitely does. And please don’t look too closely at my inventory list—it needs a serious update too.
But before we clean, count, reorganize and get ready for what’s next, there’s something much more important to say:
Thank you.
To all the incredible local vendors, venues and event professionals I’ve worked alongside this season—thank you for answering my endless emails, picking up the phone, replying to my texts, working through last-minute changes and occasionally helping me figure out the impossible.
Wedding and event planning is never a one-person show.
Behind every beautiful ceremony, dinner, bouquet, photograph, rental delivery, perfectly timed song and last-minute save is a group of people working together. And somehow, even after the long days, the changes and the occasional “Okay… how are we going to make this work?” moment, we usually end up laughing together.
So here’s a little shout-out to just a few of the wonderful people and businesses we’ve crossed paths with lately:
Timeless Rental · Triple T · Tin Wis Resort · Wild Coast Wedding Photography · Shelby Photography · Jenni Artistry · Spring Floral · Pollen & Co · Heartwood Kitchen … and there are so many more.
I’m incredibly grateful for the relationships we continue to build here in Tofino, Ucluelet and across Vancouver Island.
Thank you for continuing to say, “Yep, we can make that happen.”
So, What’s Next for PREP?
PREP is here to help bring our couples’ and clients’ dreams, celebrations and moments together. But while we’ve been busy working on everyone else’s special moments, one of my own dreams has quietly been coming together behind the scenes too.
October is going to be about expanding and moving.
Don’t worry—we’re not moving away.
More soon.
Yours, Anne
