I really hate to admit this, but this post has been on my list of things to do for three weeks now.  I always love sharing this post the day before New Years Day or right before Christmas, but it’s been a bit busy in our house and thanks to today’s snow day I’m finally able to sit down and post it! For starters, my December literally FLEW by! Between traveling in the first week and having a wedding every weekend in December, I literally felt like December was only a week long. Then Christmas & New Years came and went…now I feel like we should be halfway through December, but here we are…almost halfway through January! I know that “they say” time flies when you’re having fun…but geesh! What does a girl gotta do in order for it to SLOW DOWN? Stop having fun?! Not gonna happen!

This year in review post has a special place in my heart and I am SO EXCITED to share it with y’all.  2016 was the “first official” year of Emma Loo in business FULL TIME.   It’s always scary to jump into something and do it FULL TIME as your career and not a part-time hobby…but I’m so glad that I did! I was motivated by my wonderful and supportive husband right after we got married in June 2015 to just take the risk, work really hard, set some goals and achieve them…and that’s EXACTLY what I did! In 2016 alone, I photographed a total of 24 weddings, 31 engagement sessions, 17 bridal sessions, and 55 engagement rings…but who’s counting?! That’s NOT to mention the countless number of sessions I shot for families, newborn babies, children, holiday mini-sessions, high school seniors, and even pets! It’s been one AMAZING & successful year!

I’m a woman of faith and it definitely goes without saying that God has blessed me with such a gift. I’m beyond thankful for His many blessings throughout 2016 and I’m so grateful for many more in the upcoming years.  To say that I’m very honored to have been a part of the 24 wedding days or the countless number of sessions I photographed in 2016 would be an understatement.  I met some amazing people, made some lifelong friends, traveled the Southeast with my partner-in-crime and even trained Phillip how to capture wedding days along with me so we can be together in future weddings! (So excited to add him to the team y’all!) I worked alongside some amazing assistants and one of the sweetest interns, redecorated and organized my office, wrote down and achieved all a lot of my monthly goals, crossed my fingers and submitted my work to magazines and publications, and even added an “office puppy” to the Emma Loo Team all in 2016!

My word of the year for 2016 was “STRIVE” and I think I’m going to keep it as my word for 2017 as well.  Although I may add the words “JOY” and “CONSISTENT” to it too. (I can have a sentence of the year, can’t I?!) This year I’m going to STRIVE for CONSISTENCY and JOY and keep setting those goals, writing them down, and making it happen! If I can do all this in ONE YEAR…I can’t wait to see what I can do in TWO YEARS! Thank you so much for joining me on this journey, supporting me, and motivating me to keep going! Looking back on these 225 “Best Of…” images for 2016 makes me fall in love with my job all over again! I can’t wait to see what 2017 has in store! So please enjoy The Best Of 2016!