I am excited to announce that today, April 5^th, 2021, Golden Fete is officially open in Surfside Beach, SC! As explained in previous blogs, I will be releasing a blog each Monday so that clients and individuals interested in the events industry can keep up with the latest trends.

Since I was little, I have always wanted to start a company and be my own boss, but as I grew up that dream seemed to get further and further away, until recently. COVID made a mess of 2020 but, if it weren’t for this Pandemic, I would not have had the opportunity to move home and reevaluate my life decisions. The decision to open my own event planning business was not an easy one and I still struggle but I learn everyday the joys and challenges that come with being my own boss. I know that the future is unknown but I hope to grow this business with integrity and respect and I hope that I am able to create cherished memories for everyone involved in the events that I create.

I would like to take some time to thank the individuals who have helped me and stood by my side along the way. The first person is my Mom, Sharon. She has been the one person who I could not live without during this entire process. She travels with me, goes shopping with me, laughs and cries with me, and is part of every decision that I make. From answering dozens of phone calls a day to helping with late night proof reading she is the one person that I know will be there when I need help. The second person I would like to thank is my Dad, John. He has been the one person I can depend on to do all the heavy lifting, such as, building my office furniture and helping me design bridal show booths. He is the one person I can depend on to be a devils advocate and make me double think my decisions so that I am making the right one. If it was not for his inputs and considerations, I would have made a lot more mistakes. The third person I would like to thank is my sister, Katie. Katie is an amazing designer and architect and she took the time out of her busy schedule to create a beautiful logo for Golden Fete. She also put up with my constant nagging and crazy perfectionist ways and had the patience of an angel. I could have not done any of my design work without her input! The fourth person I would like to thank is my brother, Christopher. Christopher is one of the nicest, most generous people you will ever meet in your life. Although he has no desire to be in the event industry, he is my biggest cheer leader. I could call or text him at anytime and he would always tell me that everything is going to be okay and that I’m going to succeed. He even took the time to send me personalized M&Ms to cheer me up. Without Christopher’s constant positivity, life would be so boring! The fifth person I would like to thank is my Nana, Karen. She is the best money person I know. Helping me with all of my bookkeeping and tax questions I would definitely not be where I am today. Her great business sense and experience has been invaluable to me and Golden Fete. There are 3 more people that I would like to thank, and even though they are not with us anymore they have huge impacts on this business. The first is my Grampie, Irwin (Ed). Grampie left us in 2015 but he is the reason behind the name Golden Fete. My Grampie was a business owner for many years and he was a business owner that I always respected and looked up to. When I was little, I used to watch him work at his shop and I used to dream of being just like him one day. Ever since I was little, he called me Goldie, thus the reason the business is Golden Fete. The last 2 people I would like to thank is my Grandpa and my Grandma. They passed away when I was in college but they still hold a place in my business. In college I used to plan horse shows and one of the things that I always did for the volunteers at the shows was bake cookies and snacks. One of the snacks that I made was my grandmothers party mix. This party mix was always a hit, and one time one of the volunteers told me that if I can make party mix that good, I deserve to plan every show, well hopefully one day I will! As for my grandpa he was the first person to hear of my future plans. When I was in high school, I was talking to him outside on a beautiful day just the 2 of us and he asked me what I wanted to do with my life. I said one day I want to own a farm that I can convert into a venue and event center. I went into detail about it and probably talked about it for a good 15 minutes and he just listened. When I was finished, he said “Amy, you better follow those dreams, because you will do great things.” Well Grandpa I am following those dreams!

I am excited and truly thankful for all who have helped me get to this point thus far. I have a lot more work ahead of me but I have a strong support system. I hope to make everyone proud and continue this journey until I reach my end goal. Thank you for reading this super long blog post and I hope I can create memories and bring dreams alive for your event in the near future!