The wisest words I've ever heard from a politician

‎"Don’t speak to me about your religion; first show it to me in how you treat other people. Don't tell me how much you love your God; show me in how much you love all his children. Don't preach to me your passion for your faith; teach me through your compassion for your neighbors. In the end, I'm not as interested in what you have to tell or sell as I am in how you choose to live and give." ~~ Cory Booker, Mayor of Newark, NJ

Wedding Update: Choosing the Venue

Okay, it has been several months since I have updated you about anything with the wedding and we are getting pretty close to Fall and the big day!

I thought I would share our top three choices for wedding venues and how we came to make our final decision.  Birmingham has an amazing selection of event facilities from art galleries (www.mattjonesgallery.com, www.artsbma.org) and historic theaters to beautiful gardens, country clubs, and hip hotel ballrooms.  There is certainly a venue for every type of personality.  Since this will be the setting for the rest of your event, choose something that matches the style you want for the wedding and you'll save yourself a ton of time and money in decorating.  Don't pick a modern warehouse if you are looking for a soft and feminine feel for the reception.  For a great list of places check out http://findalabamaweddingvendors.com or just the good ol' www.weddingwire.com.  (Side note: Maybe one day, if I get my butt in gear, I will finally create the event resource blog/website that I've talked about for a year now :)


Before going to visit any venue,  I recommend that you sit down with the important people involved in your wedding decision-making and decide on budget, how many guests, and the overall feel that you want for your event.

Mark & I had a few top things in mind when looking for our wedding venue:
1. Ceremony & reception held at the same general location.
2. Natural surroundings - since we both really love natural beauty and Alabama has a ton of it!
3. A venue that was experienced with weddings and supplied a majority of the details.

We spent weeks doing a lot of online research first.  This gave us a good idea of what each other did and didn't liked before we sacrificed a Saturday to visiting venues that wouldn't work.  Before scheduling any visits we also found out:
- how many people they could accommodate
- if they allowed outside catering
- what type of fees were involved (if we could find it on their website)
- if they supplied tables, chairs, and any other items to keep us from having to rent

Once we had eliminated several places, we made phone calls to the rest to get the details on what was included with their rental fees and visited our top choices.   Once we had a top 3, we weighed the pros & cons* of each, which looked a little something like this:

1. The Sonnet House
Pros: Drool-worthy setting with authentic southern flair; the staff - Jared, Corey, & Candace - are super-friendly and knowledgeable; option for outdoor ceremony and also a chapel option if it rained
Cons: Outside of our budget :(

2. Aldridge Gardens

Pros: Beautiful hydrangea-filled gardens, option for outdoor ceremony by the lake

Cons: Even though you can use the house and the pavilion, the pavilion is open-air which meant I would really want to have a Plan B in place - whether we needed it or not

3. American Village

Pros: Rolling fields with a lake and millions of outdoor photo-ops; Although it was a bit more than our budget, you get lots of set up time and the use of several buildings so our wedding party has separate ready rooms, there is a gorgeous chapel, and a separate space for the reception 

Cons: Farther out of town in Montevallo, limited hotel options in the area,  it's out in the 'country' so our guests traveling from out-of-state will not get to experience all the city has to offer

*Please note that these pros & cons are personal opinion only and reflect what worked for our particular situation. 

Ultimately, American Village really offered a setting that Mark & I both fell in love with! Although we didn't really have any connection to the colonial theme, the property offered acres full of beautiful scenes with fields, giant oak trees, and a lake with a bridge spanned across it.  And even though we had been considering an outdoor wedding, the natural beauty of the chapel with huge windows and natural sunlight filling the space, struck a chord in both of us that made it really click as 'the right place'.   As a bonus, they have two options for the reception space - a more formal ballroom with gorgeous chandeliers or the new, more casual barn with exposed beams and a rustic feel.  We ended up picking the barn because I knew from the start I wanted a space that really made everyone feel cozy and at-home.  

The wedding coordinator out there is Lori and she is nothing short of a pro.  They have golf carts to shuttle you around on the big day and walkie-talkies to help communication between the different buildings.  We have called her on many occasions to ask more questions and she is always responsive.  The most reassuring thing has been a recent visit that I made out to the barn on a Saturday afternoon while they were setting up for a wedding.  

The space looked great and the florists were busily putting the details on the centerpieces.  An employee came through just to check on them and see if they needed anything and after she left I heard her call in to the bride on the walkie-talkie to let her know that everything was coming together beautifully.  I almost cried! Brides are emotional people, you know - and knowing what's going on with the reception you have so carefully planned is not something you really consider.  That is the down-to-the-detail stuff that really shows a venue cares about their customers and reassured me that I would receive the same consideration when it was my day. 

Blog is now "An Event-Full Life"

Hello All,   Just wanted to leave a short explanation on the recent face-lift for the blog.  The blog will now encompass more of my personal life as well as my work life and hopefully also an occasional rant or insight on life in general.  I have some exciting things to share with my blog fans - all 3 of you ;-)  about some new developments in my world.  But not yet.... More to come soon!  Until then, please be sure to update your blog feed for our new address - http://event-full-life.blogspot.com

T'town Has a Sweet Tooth

There's a new store in Tuscaloosa and although it only sells one thing - the line has been out the door every day since it opened 3 weeks ago.  What's got the whole town talking?  It's Gigi's Cupcakes - a cupcake boutique that sells different flavors of cupcakes each day of the week.  In this fast-paced world where businesses are trying to anticipate and meet every need of their client, Gigi's has focused on just one thing and it seems to be working.

 I got to experience Gigi's for the first time last year at their Huntsville branch.  I was so excited about my cupcake, called the Miss Princess, with it's pretty pink cake, towering icing, topped with a little pink crown and sparkly sprinkles - that I took a picture of it and shared my excitement with my Facebook friends.  So I'm not surprised that other visitors to the store are just as excited to spread the word.   

I still, however, was not prepared for the scene when I visited the Tuscaloosa store last Saturday.  The store, located in the new Midtown Village, is tucked right in the heart of the shopping center.  The line of cars swirling around the parking lot, and the circles it took for us to find a parking spot should have clued me in.  Here's my pic of what the store looked like from the outside.  Inside, patrons had thoughtfully cued up in an S pattern to fit as many people as possible into the space.  Thankfully, I never had to squeeze inside, because my brother-in-law and niece were our 'men on the inside' making the deal to get our sweet treats for the rest of the family.  My sister and I waited patiently in the cold and chatted it up with the other people debating whether a half hour wait was worth it for what might be the tastiest cupcake they've had to date.

Was it worth it?  Of course it was!  But I definitely have a soft spot for sweets.  Take a look at today's menu and you'll learn why Tuscaloosa just can't resist - 

• CHOCOLATE SALTED CARAMEL
• CARAMEL SUGAR MAMA
• CHAMPAGNE
• COCONUT SNOWBALL
• ITALIAN CREAM WEDDING CAKE
• KENTUCKY BOURBON PIE
• LEMON DREAM SUPREME
• MIDNIGHT MAGIC
• PUMPKIN CREAM
• SCARLETT’S RED VELVET
• WEDDING CAKE
• WHITE MIDNIGHT MAGIC

Read more about the cupcake phenomenon and see an interview with store owner at WVUA's news page - http://wvuatv.com/content/gigis-cupcakes.  Find out more about Gigi's Cupcakes and all of their locations on their website at http://www.gigiscupcakesusa.com

FTB Announces New Planner Program

In today's market, the corporate planner probably has a different title.  Whether they are in Human Resources, Administration, or just happened to 'volunteer' to coordinate the next company event, I can guarantee you it's not the only thing on their "To Do" list.  


Feel the Beat knows that our planners have busy schedules and a lot on their plate, leaving little time to battle with the details of upcoming events. With this in mind, we have created a Corporate Planner Program to assist our clients in planning great events quickly!  Sign up for our monthly Ezine to get tips on event planning like the newest event trends, local venue reviews, vendor spotlights, and advice on how to plan a great event on a budget.


We can also offer more detailed assistance in planning a timeline for events, finding the best vendor for your needs, negotiating contracts, and reaching company goals through creative entertainment options.  The difference between a good event and a great event is professional coordination and detailed planning.  With Feel the Beat's Planner Program, you can plan the event that you have always wanted without investing hours of your day and pushing other priorities to the side.   Plus, you can contact our Corporate Event Consultant, Lindsey Mason, for any questions or additional assistance.  We are here to help and would like to be of assistance to you in any way that we can.

Follow Lindsey on Twitter:  @FTBEvents

Post-Wedding Advice from a Birmingham Bride

As a bride you get a lot of advice from a lot of people.  I appreciate all the information that people are willing to share with me about tips for planning a great wedding but I don't think there's much that can compare to the advice from a bride that has just gone through all of it herself!

I am friends with a former coworker, Lauren, on Facebook, who just married the love of her life on September 25th.  After sufficiently stalking her page throughout her planning and flipping through all of her gorgeous wedding photos, I decided to give her a call and find out firsthand what she had learned from planning a wedding.  Lauren is super-easy to talk to and was happy to answer my barrage of questions about what happened throughout the planning of her Big Day.

First I started with the basics.  Which vendors did she use and in what order did she book them? 


Her first decision started with the venue.  She chose the historic Tutwiler Hotel for the ceremony and reception.  She fell in love with their beautiful veranda out front and decided that she would have the ceremony outside with the reception in the ballroom.  Food and beverage would be handled by the Tutwiler so there was no need for coordination between the venue and the caterer, which let her focus on other things.

Next she decided on her photographer, His Hands Photography, then the entertainment, the band Nationwide Coverage out of Huntsville, and also her florist, Tracy Sloan out of Warrior, AL.  These vendors were referred to her by friends and family and they ended up all being good choices.  Word of mouth referral is a great way to find good, reputable vendors.  Your wedding day is not a day you want to be disappointed with one of your choices.


After much debate and research, Lauren ended up finding her gown at Bella Couture in Mt. Laurel.  She had fallen in love with a Jim Helm design but the price just didn't fit with her budget.  Lauren, however, was not deterred by this small obstacle, she searched and scoured gowns until she found a similar dress by designer, Allure Couture, that was a better price but still stunningly gorgeous.

The next decision would be the cakes, except that neither Lauren or her fiancee were big fans of cake.  However, they are big cupcake fans, and Olexa's Cakes just happens to be a fan of BIG cupcakes!  Olexa designed a specialty, oversized cupcake for them to share for the cake-cutting and then provided a variety of flavors of normal-sized cupcakes for guests to choose their favorite.  I loved that the couple weren't afraid to veer a little from tradition, to provide an option that better fit their personality.  Weddings have lots of tradition, but it's the special touches and detail that really make it personal.


Last but not least they booked a vintage car through Coats Classic Cars and got assistance from wedding planner, Ouida Jones-Johnson, for the day-of coordination.

Lauren ended up having great luck with all of her vendors but the band, photographer, and the cupcake really stood out to her.  The giant cupcake was so original and too delicious not to love! The guitarist from the band was able to provide music for the ceremony as well, at a better deal since they were already booked for the reception.  And her photographer went above and beyond throughout the day which is so important because they are with you from the morning until that night!

So, after asking her about all of the things that went well, I asked if she had any regrets.  Without hesitation, she said that she wished she had been more prepared for Plan B.  It was not that she didn't have a plan set in place, but just that she had her heart set on the outdoor veranda for the ceremony and when rain started moving in, so did the stress.  I have certainly encountered this dilemma with other weddings before, and it even affected my own wedding planning when choosing a venue.  If you are planning an outdoor wedding, there is always a risk of having to move indoors.  And when it really comes down to it, you have to love the Rain Plan and be prepared for a last-minute change.

His Hands Photography stated that "Just as the outdoor wedding was starting, the rain started to fall. You would think that would be a bad thing but the most beautiful part of the day was how all the friends and family came together, doing whatever they could to make the ceremony absolutely perfect. The rabbi made a chuppah, people volunteered to hold it, friends carried everything inside... and made one of the sweetest most thoughtful ceremonies I have ever been witness to...THIS is why I love my job!

Handling last minute changes is really easier said than done but Lauren handled it in stride.  She knew that her nerves were building and wanted to do what she could to make sure that stress didn't rule the day.  She called in a Zumba instructor and she and her bridesmaids spent the morning having fun and burning off nervous energy.  I think this such a great idea and I plan to steal it for myself!  Stress relief will vary for each bride, but whatever you choose, make sure to add things to the day's schedule to make sure that you are relaxed and smiling for whatever may come your way!  This will be one of the most documented days of your life and any 'issues' that occur can all wait to be addressed the following week.  Her final advice - Enjoy your day!

Planning a Wedding: First Lesson Learned

Okay,  so you may have noticed that it's been a while since my last post.  It's not that I haven't had interesting things to tell you about in my planning,  it's just that I was too embarrassed to put it all in writing!  Already, I have had a major reality check in my planning process.  Yes, I have experience in the event industry, but maybe all that was doing was giving me a false sense of security.

When Mark & I got engaged at the end of July and set our date for next fall, I immediately was comforted that I had over a year to plan everything.  Well, instead of taking advantage of the additional time,  I gathered a little bit of information and researched different venues - but it was not enough.  We set a date for our big event, checked some availability of places, and then went to the drawing board on what would work for our needs:
-Is there enough space?
-Is it convenient for guests to locate and get to?
-Do they allow candles, alcohol, outside catering, and any of the other details that are 'make or break' in the decision-making process?

So, we gathered this information, made our decision and called the venue of our choice back with the exciting news!  Well guess what...it had been two months since I had originally checked their availability and now - the date was booked.  This was pretty tough news, since we had already told all of our friends and family that the date was set and now we would need to either go back to the drawing board to choose another venue, or move the date.  Neither was an easy option!

We ended up needing to be armed with more information than I had researched yet.  If we use outside catering, will they provide linens and glassware? How much will it add to rent these items?  Will the rental price of the venue really be a deal if I have to rent to supplement a lot of items?  Who provides what and at what price?  I realized that to start planning anything, I needed to know a lot more about everything.

Suddenly I felt like I knew nothing about the wedding industry.  Where was all my knowledge of budgets and why was everything in Birmingham booking up when we were still 12 months out?!?  Panic started to set in and I knew I needed to move a little faster if I wanted to get the vendors that I liked at the right price for my budget.

So my advice to you is - talk to every vendor that you like - and start early.  Don't be afraid to call and chat with vendors about what you are looking for and be sure to get pricing from all of them!  Knowing as much as possible is going to give you the power and confidence to make better decisions.  Start collecting as much information at the beginning as you possibly can, so that you can make an educated decision - and make it quickly if you are under a deadline.  And of course, set your budget, and try to make room for a professional planner to help you.  Even though I feel comfortable planning events, it's all changed now that it's my wedding and I'm the bride.  Why didn't I believe this when everyone has said it?  It's so much easier to help someone else plan an event! So be sure to enlist help early and don't procrastinate!