This is  my third business; there is always the risk of failures along the way. Not bone-crushing company ending failures, but the failures that teach you new ways of working with your market, your staff, your advertising. Your failures ultimately teach you as much if  not more than your successes. 

My motives were simple. Mostly, I haven't been an employee for 34 years, and I had no desire to start.  I love the creativity of this business and the satisfaction of facing the challenges.  And it's about freedom too; the freedom to work when and how I want (whch is usually four times and long and hard as working for someone else).

But on another note, I felt that there was an underserved segment of the bridal industry; those who don't necessarily  have a church or temple home and/or don't want a typical ceremony. I started   before gay marriage was legal and we've been doing comittment ceremonies, then civil unions for years when many wouldn't. I felt that my non-traditional couples deserved ceremonies with the same gravitas and significance that anyone else did.

The wedding industry has become a very noisy space; everyone thinks it's a way to make easy money  (HA HA HA) and new non-pros are flooding every aspect of the market with alarming regularity. But, like any other suddenly explosive business, the true pros who offer exceptional service will fine their clients and weather the storm.