David Tutera & Diann Valentine

Over the past few weeks I have had the wonderful opportunity to meet two very talented wedding and event designers while they were in Atlanta. To say they are only designer would be an understatement though, because they are each accomplished authors and television personalities.



First up in September was David Tutera who spoke to his audience at Che'ne Rouge about creating a wedding with personal style. He also talked to us about his TV show My Fair Wedding. It was great seeing pictures from his many past events and hearing funny stories about upcoming episodes of his show.



Last weekend it was Diann Valentine. One thing I noticed about her was that she never stopped smiling. Anyone near her could see how excited she was about what she does for a living. She gave the crowd great entertaining tips and told us about some of her celebrity clients such as Usher and Toni Braxton.



It was wonderful meeting two people that I really admire. They gave us a chance to ask as many questions as we liked and it was fun taking pictures with them.



David shared exciting news about his wedding gown collection and Diann showed us samples from her invitation collection. I can't wait to see what they each have planned next!

Manzanita Trees

Manzanita branches have become an important part of event design in the last couple of years. One of the reasons for this is because they can be used in various ways to give you totally different looks and feels. One option is to spray paint the branches silver and have them dripping in crystals. Another option would be to hang flowers from the branches. Either way, it's a winner!

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Fig + Prosciutto

I love...love...love fig wrapped in prosciutto! It's a delicious burst of flavor in your mouth. That makes it a wonderful hors' douevres for your wedding's cocktail reception. But don't just take my word for it, try it for yourself. You won't be disappointed.

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Four Weddings on TLC

We all know that there are a lot of wedding shows on TV now. One show that I like watching is called Four Weddings. A new season premiers on TLC this Fridays at 10 PM. Four Weddings is a show where 4 brides compete by judging each other's weddings based on major details such as the venue, dress, food, originality, and overall guest experience. The bride that scores the most wins a four star honeymoon.
One of the reasons that I like watching the show is because I like hearing each bride's difference perceptions. It's very interesting to me how everyone can be at the same wedding and have totally difference impressions. Sometimes the wedding that I liked the best wins and sometimes I am disappointed at the outcome, but that's another reason that I like the show.

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Lilacs

Another wonderful choice of a flower for your wedding is the lilac. Lilacs represent first love and youthful innocence. This is a beautiful choice in purple or white.

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Wish Upon a Wedding Atlanta Launch Party

Last Thursday night, I attended the Wish Upon a Wedding Atlanta launch party.



Wish Upon a Wedding is the first non-profit wish granting organization that provides weddings for terminally ill individuals. The organization was founded in January by Liz Guthrie of California. Since then, many chapters have started in cities all across the United States.



The Atlanta chapter's launch was at The Mansion Elan. The board of directors put together a very entertaining event for attendees. The entertainment included aerial artists.



The guests, which included industry pros, volunteers, and future wish recipients, were also entertained by fire artists, and stilt walkers.



There were so many choices of hot food to eat as well as some great desserts. Including this tempting smores station.

Your Big Send Off

The way you leave your wedding or reception may be the last experience that your guests have with you of your wedding celebration. So how do you want them to see you off?
Traditionally, guests would throw rice. However most churches and venues don't allow this anymore. So here are a few options for you.

First up is rose petals. Who wouldn't want to be showered in petals?

A bubble send off is always fun. Get a bottle of bubbles in an adult's hand and fond memories of childhood come back to them. They usually have more fun with the bubbles than the children do.

Another great option, especially for night time, is sparklers. When guests find out that they get to hold sparklers, they get very excited. Have fun choosing!