Immediately after launching the Epic Memorials website last month I had to switch hats and jump back into my role of professional photographer as I traveled to Ontario to document the wedding weekend of a dear friend. After spending a couple of weeks in the editing chair and then a quick trip to the Oregon Coast, I'm ready to get back to focusing on building this business!
In the midst of all that, I did have the opportunity to meet with one of the few event planners specializing in memorials that I’ve found online. Shortly after I launched the website, Christina Andreola of New Narrative Memorials in Vancouver, BC emailed to congratulate me and suggest a meeting on a day when she planned to be driving through Bellingham. It was my intention to contact Christina when I had a chance so I was thrilled to hear from her first! There are very few event planners specializing in end-of-life celebrations across all of North America but we seem to be finding each other through the positive power of the internet. What I have found is women like Christina and me, all with a personal history that brought us to this challenging field of work and all who want to use our creative and organizational skills to help relieve stress for our clients as they move through life’s most difficult and painful moments. Being trailblazers may not have been our original motivation, but I see each of us as pioneering women as we take on the traditional funeral industry with a desire to move end-of-life celebrations into the modern era. Ours is clearly not an established field in the world of event planning and we truly need each other for support, encouragement and the opportunity to share our ideas and experiences. I’m grateful that Christina reached out to establish a colleague relationship and for all of the information she shared with me! I’m so fortunate to have her nearby and expect we’ll forge a successful friendship as we move forward. Thanks, Christina!
