The Bells N Whistles Family

With my babys birth approaching (literally any day now!), I have been quite reflective and rather hormonal about things lately. This is a bit of what’s running through my mind right now…

Last week, I had a little chat at work with my staff. Of course, at BnW, we call them family meetings, because I just love the people who work with me – Allie, Vanessa and Jade are not just people I have hired, they are wonderful people who I trust and adore.

When I setup BnW, almost seven years ago now, I imagined my company would grow and expand – to a point! I never want to be global or so big that I lose focus on what we are really doing here…which is to make wedding dreams come true and create fabulous events!

I didn’t write a business plan, I wrote just wrote my dream on a piece of paper. No financial plans, no forecasts – I know I am every accountants worst nightmare – but doing all that seemed to dilute and destroy my dream. Sure I have plans, mostly filed away somewhere ‘safe’ on my laptop…so safe, even I can’t remember where I put them.

My husband, Patrick Kennedy often gets stressed out about how I have this incurable way of thinking that anything is possible and there are solutions to absolute everything. I can be annoying, but it’s what makes me, me. And it’s what makes Bells N Whistles the great little company that it is!

I always imagined having a quirky little office, great people around whom I could be myself with, and laugh alot. I always wanted to enjoy coming into the office, have great couples, wonderful ideas and so many wonderful stories to tell people (especially when I am an old granny on a rocking chair and wild hair).

I don’t believe in conformity – in fact I run from it. I have been told I am extremely intuitive and alot of couples tell me that I just ‘get them’. I live for the moment and believe me, when the music and dancing starts at your wedding – I’m not the stiff in the corner wearing a black suit with a name tag with a sour expression – I’m the girl on the dance floor, looking like another guest (appropriately dressed), and having a ball. Of course, we’re there to work, so I do wander on and off the dance floor to take care of business.

I love what I do. Simple.

Anyway, I digress, back to the Bells N Whistles family.

When I first started BnW, I didn’t have children…so BnW was my baby. I have poured alot of my time, energy, sweat and tears into this baby and will continue to do so – because I love baby!

Two children and almost a third later…BnW is still my baby! And Vanessa, Allie and Jade, somehow are my kids as well. I’m that kind of boss that tells them to drive safe and eat well. I send them home when they are sick and I care for them…truly I do.

On the odd day when one of my biological children (Grace and Evangeline) have had to come to the office with mum…Vanessa, Allie and Jade are always happy to play and take care of them. My children adore Nessa, Allie and Jade – so much so, they draw pictures for them all the time and always ask about them. Our office walls are covered in them!

Once baby arrives and I venture back into the office – I know that I’ll have three babysitters in the office ready and waiting for kisses and cuddles and I know I can trust them with all four of my babies (BnW, Grace, Evie & little one).

There’s no real point of this post, I guess this is just my way of expressing how much I value and appreciate the hard work that all members of the BnW family put into everything they do and my thoughts on my company…that’s it’s not just something I do for a living…but I actually love it!

For all our couples – you are all honourary members of our family (our family is quite big!). Some of you come & go – once your wedding is over, we don’t see or hear much of you…others keep popping in from time to time and we don’t mind at all. That’s what we’re about!

I once referred to BnW as the ‘Jerry Maguire’ of wedding planning companies…and still believe that. We believe in personal attention – afterall, we’re dealing with people, weddings, events – doesn’t that deserve our personal attention? And most of all, I created and built a company that I can be proud of, and if I had to do it over, I wouldn’t change a thing!

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