SPOILERS BELOW - If you're new to this journey insight, before reading through to the final results...perhaps you'd like to go to the start of my TWIA story via my previous blog entries to catch up. - INTIAL THOUGHTS - ENTERING TWIA! - POV: ENTERING THE AWARDS AS A NEWCOMER
If you're up to speed, then welcome back...
TWIA, aka The Wedding Industry Awards, with a mission of in their own words "recognising and rewarding excellence in the wedding industry". Created by wedding suppliers for wedding suppliers. They're arguably the biggest awarding body within the wedding industry. And from my own experience, one of the most exciting certification processes in the bizz. Which you may think, an intimidating competition to enter, especially within my first year of being a wedding singer. However, with their uniquely, couple voted and score ratio approach, designed to accomodate for wedding businesses of multiple scales. I thought, the additional benefit of their iconic social media publicity, why not put my hat in the ring?
As a Yorkshire gal and wedding singer, my entry, surprise surprise, fell into the Best Musical Act for Yorkshire and The North East Region. Along with automatically being considered for The Best Newcomer Category, as this is my first year of working within the wedding industry. If you're already with the program, you'll remember that my last blog entry left off with my final thoughts as the deadline day loomed and my entry was complete. To which I qualified for a finalist in both categories. Goal achieved! Full, honest, disclosure (and you can refer back to my own journal and visions boards for this) this was my aim. To make it to the regional finals, to get glammed up, attend the awards event and reap the rewards of being there on the night. You know, the usual extra social media posts, content and mingling with other suppliers. Actually enjoying a "work night out" too. Quite the rare thing when self-employed. "Anything extra is just gravy"....I repeatedly said to myself and my close ones. And I truly meant it. Perhaps it's a naive imposter syndrome mindset, or that fact that within my category I was rubbing shoulders with some extremely talented and experienced suppliers, some with years of experience under their belt. I went into the awards, not only with my ex wedding florist/super supportive mum by my side. But with a grateful and realistic approach, with perhaps just a sprinkle of seemingly delusional hope.
11/11 the date of our particular regions final. Some may sneer at my superstitious angel number excitement. But as a believer in the law of attraction and universal signs, my nerves were calmed. "What will be will be" I told myself. That is after my manic morning of trying to find the perfect outfit. With postal issues ruining my original outfit dreams. Into the wardrobe I dove. As a modern vintage style singer, I wanted to show both sides of my personality and brand as a wedding singer. The old school glam and the quirky. Think funky Dita Von Tease. Which I think actually, although last minute put together, the brief was achieved.
When arriving at The South Causey Inn, our venue host for the awards. The air was filled with a buzz. A buzz of excitement, anticipation, hype and celebration. With upbeat music playing, TWIA branded bright pink beautiful room decoration. Energy was high. A venue full of wedding suppliers and their supportive crew. Posing for photos amongst the recognisable backdrops, glasses clinking and live music by 24 Live Acoustic (big up fellow Barnsley musicians) to get the vibe up. I had the pleasure of catching up with some of my own favourite, until now, virtual, lovely suppliers. (Scarlett Dickinson Music & Floral Quarter Weddings). While also being introduced to new faces. A common denominator I'm finding throughout the industry, is just how friendly and caring everyone seems. Which makes perfect sense, if we're all being trusted with such a wholesome and important life event no?
With a high number of suppliers in one room, we were advised to secure our seats early ahead of the awards ceremony. Which lead to me being placed on the aisle seat of the audience. Automatically giving me a vital role within the evening's events. Welcomes and introductions were made by TWIA founder and host Damian Bailey. Who highly encouraged hype and cheering throughout. And rightly so! This night was in honour of celebrating and giving ourselves as suppliers the pat on the back we deserve, so it was only right that fun should be had. Hence my role as the aisle seat member, given the task of high-fiving every winner as they took their lap of celebration down the centre of the audience to the award stage.
With a mean feat of 27 categories to celebrate. (You really don't realise just how many vendors are involved in a wedding) it’s fair to say that as well as joy, nerves could be felt across the room. To which I was no exception. All of a sudden everything became quite real as the announcement of "now we move onto our Musical Act Category" echo'd through the room. The idea in mind once again of just how many talented musicians were in my category, I was ready to celebrate the winner and prepare my hand for the high-fiving the winner routine.
This would now be a good point to interject and mention an award, which I previously wasn't aware of until the evening of the event. The Highly Commended Award. A kind of runner up award, except not given in every category. Only in the groups where the final scores were so incredibly tight, that it worth crediting the second or in some categories, third place participant too. With the same treatment as a winner in regards to, receiving a physical award, certificate, accreditation, social media press and official award logos to use. It's an incredible way to acknowledge and award well scoring suppliers. If you can't see where I'm going with this, then let me help you out.
I only went and won the Highly Commended Award for The Musical Act, at The Wedding Industry Awards! Yorkshire & The North East Region. (full title necessary)
It's actually too much of a blur to recall myself what happened once I'd heard "Viva la Vintage" read out. But the event footage along with and POV videos will show me beaming, smiling in shock and laughing as I participated in my own high five catwalk run down the aisle. (See video below!) My own internal monologue flapping and flustering against the flashing camera and supportive cheers. Complete shock, overwhelm and amazement.
With a few moments to decompress, business was as usual as I found my seat. Celebrated with my mum and assumed my aisle position once more. Encouraging the remaining vendors during their own moments to shine. Special mention to the winner of the Musical Act Category - Charlotte Kennedy Violinist. Who let's face it, is a more than worthy winner, incredible talent.
The rest of the evening was filled with further congratulations, networking and as a winner, even press videos. Seriously, who is she? Which although rather daunting and extra, holding a microphone, in front of the camera and fancy lights, they'll become an amazing assets to use on social media, for further content or even, let's say, blog post media? It's fair to say that bewilderment as well a pride overcame myself and many other vendors that evening. It truly was a fabulous night!
My aim with this blog entry and documentation of the process, as well as being a cute thing for myself to reflect on in a year or so's time. Is to be taken as a form of encouragement, inspiration or just insight into what this particular awards journey and process has been like. For any other suppliers considering entering or for couples wanting to see behind the curtain. Regardless of this particular outcome, my aim when entering The Wedding Industry Awards, was to push myself, dip my toes in and just get an understanding of where I sat within my first year. What I could improve on, or what I'm doing that already works. I've no-where near found my full voice or even feet fully within this first year. But by gosh, by achieving this very lovely award, it's affirmed that I'm on the right path. But made it be known that of course if I wasn't successful it wouldn't mean that I would have given up! Just having the fabulous feedback and being able to work with my lovely couples is enough proof and validation that I need to continue working in this industry. As I said, this extra little boost and badge of honour, is the metaphorical additional gravy. I've already gained so much in terms of what I've learned as a self-employed, wedding singer gal just by entering these awards - full break down in previous post. So who know's what this achievement will bring. Hopefully, with this behind me, I'll be introduced to more likeminded, vintage loving, music obsessed, quirky and fabulous couples with exciting wedding plans in mind!
It goes once again, that this fabulous achievement wouldn't have been possible without the votes and support of my previous gorgeous wedding couples, who I've had the pleasure of working with and getting to know in this first year. As well as my ever supportive network of family, friends and social media peeps. - If you haven't already, come join the vintage vibes tribe @vivalavintagesinger.
As a Highly Commended Act, I won't continue into the national finals and my journey with The Wedding Industry Awards comes to an end. In a literal sense that is for this year. But I can now go forward, and officially introduce myself as an award winning wedding singer, which is insane. How very boujiee. Furthermore, with the joy, excitement and lessons that I've learned from this first year of entering...perhaps I'll give it another go next year. So watch this space! (As well as the cute event footage below) All the best, Abbi-Kaye (Viva la Vintage) x
If you enjoyed this read - there's a whole catalog of blog entries for you to enjoy...
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