I first “met” Stephanie on a phone call about 6 years ago when I was booking a limousine with Joshua’s Limousine for my own wedding. Over the years we’ve gotten to know each other and I’ve had the privilege of photographing her beautiful family and collaborating with Joshua’s Limousine for this coastal wedding styled shoot in Mystic, Connecticut.

Fast forward a bit to today and I think we can all agree that life has changed significantly in the last year and a half and the way we buy food and interact with local businesses and shops has also been drastically affected due to living in the world of a global pandemic. COVID-19 changed everything. Though much of these transitions have been traumatic and the lives of sos many rocked, we have also admired the resiliency of humanity, the loyalty of friendships, the kindness of strangers, and the importance of hard work, communication, and the ability to adapt. Many of these shifts in the world aligned just right for Stephanie to begin a company that focuses on the creation of gourmet food items and luxury service - a journey that really started with the chocolate dipped strawberry and has expanded from there. So today I’m excited to be introducing you to the Southeastern Connecticut business, Simply Ohana.

Behind every small business is a story of the person who had a vision and worked hard to have it come to life, and Stephanie’s story is particularly significant and moving and gives so much meaning to the heart she brings to her endeavor. Read on for her story…