No sooner had the sun set on December 31st and Big Ben struck its first gong, I saw countless social media posts about 2020 being finally over and thank heavens it’s 2021. Now whilst I understand the sentiment (and lord only knows I am glad to see the back of 2020), I cannot see that just because the clock struck midnight and we entered into a new year that this magically means that everything is going to be instantly better.

Indeed, as I write this I am sat in Tier 4 not being able to do the job that I should be, viewings have been cancelled, meetings have been rearranged and yet more weddings have been postponed. However, what I believe, NO, What I absolutely know with all my heart is that there is hope. In fact, there is so much hope I can’t quite get my head around it.

We have hope of a vaccine, make that two vaccines!

The magic of science, and the dedication of our scientists, medics and volunteers mean we have vaccines rolling out across the world, giving us all hope that the end to this pandemic could be in sight, and that life could return to some sort of normality again soon.

We have hope for an even better future!

If the pandemic and the lockdown have taught us anything, it has taught us what we value the most, and when you lose what you value the most you appreciate it so much more when you gain it back. I for one will be appreciating people, my family, my friends, my acquaintances, even complete strangers a lot more. I have missed actual people in the flesh, not in a Zoom call! I miss hugs and handshakes, and I will not take them for granted when I can finally have them back.

We have hope for humanity!

I don’t know about you, but I have learned more about myself during 2020 than I have in my whole life and I can now use this to carve out a happier life, not just for me, but for the people around me. After all, as someone once said, “To the world you may be just one person, but to one person you may be the world”.

We have hope for society!

There is hope that we, as a society, as a nation will appreciate what we have, what we have achieved, and what we can become. I have been constantly amazed by how incredible humanity can be from the likes of Sir Captain Tom Moore, to the complete stranger who lent me a laptop during lockdown when my PC blew up and I had 3 children to home-school.

So there is hope! There is a lot of hope! And whilst things might not be changing for my industry immediately, there is more hope of good things to come, than there has been for a long time

To my wonderful couples. Love is not cancelled, and you will have your day. And no matter what your day ultimately looks like it will be beyond incredible!

To my wonderful industry colleagues. We will be back, bigger and better and stronger than ever, and I for one cannot wait to work with you all.

So here’s to a brand new year with more promise and above all HOPE.

Sending you all the love for 2021!