One Year of Dearest: Thank You

Thank you Dearest family!

On September 16, Dearest turns one!

That sentence still feels a little surprising to write. Twelve months ago we launched a simple idea: give hosts a private way to collect guest photos and videos without asking anyone to download an app. A QR code on the table. A gallery that stays yours. Memories that do not get lost in group chats.

What we did not fully know then is how much this community would shape the year.

This note is for you.

To every customer who chose Dearest:

If you purchased a package for a wedding, shower, birthday, memorial, or gathering of any kind, thank you. You trusted a young business with something that matters. Your day. Your people. Your memories.

You set up galleries, printed cards, placed signs, and walked guests through a scan that takes seconds. You chose a private gallery over a public free-for-all. You gave us feedback when something could be clearer. You celebrated with us when a gallery filled up with candids no professional shot could fully capture alone.

We see you. We are grateful. ❤️

To every guest who shared a photo or video:

If you scanned a code at someone else's event and uploaded a photo, a clip, or a short note, thank you too.

You are the reason a private gallery feels full of life. The toast caught from the side of the room. The dance floor blur. The quiet moment with grandparents. The message that says more than a caption ever could.

You did not have to dig through old texts later. You did not need another app. You showed up for the people you love, and the gallery held what you shared.

To friends, family, and early believers

To the friends and family who listened to the early sketches, tested uploads, shared our posts, introduced us to planners and couples, added a Dearest QR code to your planned event and cheered when the first galleries went live: thank you. Small businesses do not grow in a vacuum. Yours was the first circle of belief, and it still means everything.

To our subscribers:

If you open our notes, save a pin, watch a short video, or follow along while you plan your own event, thank you for your attention. Attention is scarce. We try to earn it with useful guides, honest comparisons, and ideas you can actually use on stationery week or the weekend of the party.

What this first year taught us

A few things became clear fast.

📸 Guests will share when the path is short. No app. Scan. Upload. Done.

🤫 Hosts care about privacy. A gallery that stays private until they are ready to share keeps people present at the table instead of scrolling a public feed mid-toast.

🎥 The best collections mix professional artistry with the guest point of view. Photographers and videographers capture the craft. Guests capture the in-between. Those layers belong together.

🥹 And community compounds. Every package, every upload, every kind word made the next month possible.

What we are building next

We are still a small team with a big soft spot for the people behind the camera and the people holding the phone.

In the months ahead, we will keep improving the host experience and the guest upload path. We are also preparing a vendor community for photographers, videographers, and content creators. The goal is simple: help great artists get seen, and give couples another way to pair professional coverage with the raw guest perspective Dearest already collects. Details will follow when the page and application path are ready. For now, know that respect for your craft sits at the center of that work.

A quiet ask, if you feel like it

If Dearest played a part in your event this year, we would love to hear one sentence about it. Reply to this note, tag us, or send a favorite gallery moment. No pressure. Your stories help other hosts feel less alone in the planning noise.

In a world driven by honest recommendations, we would be so grateful if you took a moment to leave us a review on our Zola page. As a boutique studio, reviews mean everything to us. They not only help our small team grow, but they also help like-minded couples discover us. We love working with couples who truly value staying present, making moments, and preserving memories. If you’re willing to share your experience, please click hereto leave a review.

If you are still planning, our packages are ready when you are, and our guide to a wedding photo sharing service walks through how private QR collection works in plain language.

With love, from all of us

Thank you for the first year!

Thank you for every scan, every upload, every gallery that filled with real life.

Here is to the memories already saved, and to the ones still ahead.

With gratitude,

Kathy and the Dearest team ❤️

The faces behind Dearest

Founder, Kathy Ecke with her niece Isabella. Isabella honored her auntie by wearing her wedding dress as her 2nd dress for her wedding. You may recognize Isabella. She and her now husband were the cover couple on our home page back when we launched last September. Thank you Isabella and Luke for allowing us to share your engagement and wedding journey on Dearest. Thank you to countless friends and family who allowed us to share their photos and provided much needed testing and feedback. ❤️

Today, we hold space in quiet reflection to honor the thousands of lives lost on September 11th and keep their loved ones in our thoughts. 🕊️