With our rapid expansion, increased number of events, taking over Capitol Romance‘s DIY Workshops, and Sarah’s move to New York, we knew it was time to bring someone on board to help out with some of the increasingly time-consuming day-to-day activities.
It was tough.
We’ve always been Sara + Sarah. We’re often referred to as “The Sara(h)s”. People even seek us out at events, asking if we’re “one of The Sara(h)s” and telling us that they’ve been wanting to meet us. More than once, we’ve been walking down the street – together or apart – and someone has said our name(s) as we passed to see if we’d respond or even yelled down the metro escalator.
Photos from the Harty ı Wedding, Event, & Lifestyle Photography ı www.photosfromtheharty.com
No one really ever knows which Sara(h) they’re emailing with (unless you can figure it out based on speech pattern because we both write the way we speak lol). And, most people have just given up on figuring out which way to spell our name(s), addressing all emails with an equivalent of “Hey, Sara(h)!”
It doesn’t really matter to anyone which one of us does which job behind the scenes. As far as everyone is concerned, we just sort of do everything together; we’re Sara(h) Squared. Which, was definitely true for the first year we were in business, but we’ve drifted away from sort of doing all jobs together as we’ve grown; honestly, it got too crazy and kind of confusing.
Last May, we divided tasks based on skills, strengths, and preferences. It was important to us that we both still got to know all of our Participating and Featured Vendors equally, so we factored that in, too. For example, Sara blogs (can you tell, based on my speech pattern now? LOL) – including the interviews with each vendor and whatnot, while Sarah is often the one responding to emails about planning (she is the planner, after all). We handle specific questions within our skill sets. We keep each other in the loop, but we aren’t necessarily handling each task together. It’s been working well and District Bliss has continued to thrive.
Photos from the Harty ı Wedding, Event, & Lifestyle Photography ı www.photosfromtheharty.com
So, why this change?
Well, one day, we woke up and realized that we no longer had any time. For anything. There have been months where the only time you’d see us was at a networking event, one of our socials, work an event with either Pollyanna Events or Photos from the Harty, pass us on the street (maybe yelling Sara(h) at us), or if you show up at one of our doorsteps (because, let’s be honest, we may not have left the house in days – especially when we’re doing planning or photography/videography editing sessions during wedding season. And, we may look fantastic when you arrive – woot).
Neither of us were particularly proud of, or pleased with that lifestyle. But, bringing in another person to represent District Bliss? Who could possibly fit in this little Sara(h) Squared world that we’d created?
We went back and forth about it quite a bit. Sarah was ready to go, but I was resistant to the change. I’m not adverse to change in principle, but this was a tough one for me. How do you choose someone to represent a relatively young company that is rapidly expanding and very much built around our personalities?
Honestly, I don’t know how Sarah found her, but before I knew it, we were interviewing Noelle. And, I have to admit, she really is the perfect fit! She’s sweet, fun, kind, and pretty much exactly what we want people to think of when they think of District Bliss! Hooray!
So, meet Noelle! The newest member of the District Bliss team!
Noelle is a recent Messiah College grad and currently lives in Maryland. She enjoys writing, planning, and using her creativity to the fullest; she is excited to begin a career in the wedding world. As a bride-to-be herself (she’ll be marrying her high school sweetheart!), she believes she can provide a helpful perspective in planning the super fun, rad events.
In her free time, Noelle likes to take on outdoor adventures with her black lab-mix, Knox. She is a huge animal lover and fosters dogs for a Kentucky-based rescue with her family. She also loves coffee, travel, nature, and reading a good book on the beach.
What’s not to love?! She’s awesome!
Welcome to the team, Noelle! We’re super happy to have you! <3
Anyone looking to meet up with Noelle, you can reach her at districtbliss@gmail.com!
