this is forty

We celebrated my fortieth birthday with a small and intimate dinner party for twenty-two of our closest friends. It was a night that combined all of my favorite things: we wore bow ties, ate burgers, sipped champagne, cut into six of the best cakes ever baked, enjoyed intentional conversations and laughed the night away. Did I mention that Jamie surprised me with a gospel choir that serenaded me… for what felt like an extended period of time? Even my kids got to be part of the night and were there at the beginning to help me blow my candles out! I wanted this party to be more than just about my birthday… I wanted it to be a night to celebrate meaningful friendships and a way to say thank you to the people who have had the biggest impact on my life over the last decade. I wrote letters to each guest and had the opportunity to go around the table and tell each person what they meant to me and the significance they have played in my life. It was a beautiful evening that I will never forget.

If I learned anything over the last ten years, it is that ANYTHING is possible. My thirties were a decade of significant changes and growth for me. I met Jamie, fell in love and asked her to be my wife. We got married and Jamie joined my business. We renamed Steven Moore Designs to Sinclair & Moore and made it our business. We relocated to Seattle, made a baby, bought a house and then made two more babies. I went from planning and designing small local weddings to creating weddings all over the world, working with clients and companies that I use to only dream of working with. I’ve had good years. I’ve had bad years. I’ve taken risks, made mistakes, grown from challenges and continued to dream for big things. I’ve had to learn all kinds of new roles…including how to be a good husband, father and boss to the employees in our company. My faith has increased and I’ve seen mountains move before me. I’ve met some of the greatest humans I’ve ever known and cultivated intentional friendships I know I’ll walk the rest of my life with.

I started my thirties alone, and I closed out the decade with a full house, a full life and a full heart. ANYTHING is possible… ANYTHING can come to fruition.

As we start a new year and a new decade, my heart is full and my mind is racing. My heart is full of gratitude for what has already come to pass and the blessings that surround me every day. Simultaneously, my mind is racing with the possibilities that lie ahead and await me in the years to come. I feel consumed with answering the probing question in my mind… “what if….?” There are exciting changes on the horizon, including some that will require a huge leap of faith. While nervous and anxious at times, I’ve learned not to live in fear of the future. Instead I eagerly await the peeks and valleys that lie ahead, being stretched into something new, the lessons that will be learned and the relationships I get to walk through these next years with.

I think my forties and the twenty-twenties might be the best decade yet and I am truly believing that the best is yet to come. Lets do this!

To see behind the scenes video of putting this event together, and hear the gospel choir singing you can view my archived instagram stories here!

So grateful to all of my friends and vendors who contributed to making this such a special celebration:

photography: Kristen,  Kristen Marie Photography

venue: Canlis  (Thank you for indulging my request to go outside of your norm and creating the perfect craft burger for us to enjoy!)

hotel: Fairmont Olympic  (thank you Andrew for spoiling our family and taking such good care of us)

cake collection: Chef Jamie, Deru Market 

monogrammed cake: Morgan, Midori Bakery

flowers: Gracie and Ryan, Grace Rose Farms 

stationery: Ashley, Floraison Design Co

calligraphy: Chantelle, Bespoke Strokes

attire: Nordstrom – and a shout out to Donita, an amazing personal stylist at the Flagship in Downtown Seattle. I can not say enough good things about Donita and her attention to detail and the level of care in everything she does!