Follow Me Fridays: Here comes the bride

Hey Divas,

As many of you may already know, I recently had my nuptials this past November 20. (Yeah!!!) So, NOW I can proclaim those immortal words of one Ms. Shug Avery in The Color Purple, (clearing throat) …”I’s Married Now!” 😉

But, let me tell you it was no “wedding cake walk” pulling it off either. Now, I’m no Bridezilla by any means, but I can see how any “bride-to-be” attempting to plan her own wedding could quickly shed her wedding dress for more reptilian-esque garb, 😀 because planning a wedding has got to be the up there with the likes of, say…medieval torture techniques. 😐 So I applaud all the ladies who survived their wedding preparation stage, as well as those who managed to make it through to their wedding receptions without making the 10 o’clock news. But for those of you out there, like me, who were one misplaced orchid away from a starring role in “One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest”, “we” NOW understand how important it is to leave all the stressful work to the wedding professionals.

And speaking of wedding professionals, I recently attended Black Bride ’s 2^nd Annual Bridal Showcase at the beautiful Atlanta Marriott Marquis Hotel in Downtown Atlanta where top wedding professionals, vendors, and guests converged for a showcase unlike any I have ever experienced. Black Bride CEO, Mary Chatman, looks to dispel the myth that “Black women are not getting married” by creating a showcase that offers ‘brides-to-be’ a wealth of resources to help make their dreams of a perfect wedding a reality.

Black Bride provides definitive vendor resources for culturally diverse brides in every aspect of wedding planning, including new trends in fashion, designer wedding gowns, photography, accessories, food, honeymoon travel, destination weddings and much more.

I had the pleasure of meeting Mary Chatman a few weeks prior at the “Beauty & The Bride” event at Polished Beauty Lounge, and she personally extended me an invitation to this fabulous event, which I must say was somewhat bittersweet for me since I could have definitely benefitted from an event like this when I was planning my own wedding.

 

So, upon entering the grand ballroom inside the Atlanta Marriott Marquis Hotel, I felt like the proverbial kid in a candy store as I strolled throughout the venue intermingling with all the unique vendors while experiencing all the beautiful exhibits and fabulous products on display such as custom dolls dressed to look like the bride, fabulous jewelry and accessories, commemorative items, and dazzling tablescapes that could easily grace the cover of any design magazine.

 

Vendors also showcased a variety of services that address every detail of your wedding such as photography, custom ice sculpting, dramatic lighting, seating, honeymoon travel, stationary, linens, floral arrangements, and decadent deserts and cupcakes (yes ma’am!).

 

 

 

 

This spectacular event also featured a fabulous bridal runway show, a mock wedding, a live performance by Gary “Lil G” Jenkins of multi-platinum R&B recording group Silk, a social media café hosted by the fabulous Tami Reed of Talking with Tami and E Vincent Martinez of Fashionado, live music by DJ Blak Magic, pampering at the Grooms Lounge hosted by Kings of Atlanta, as well as fabulous giveaways every hour.

I even ran into R&B crooner Tony Terry. Yall remember Tony, right…Well, Mr. Terry penned one of the most quintessential wedding song must haves in his mega hit ‘With You’…which by coincidence was  included in my own wedding song playlist. 😀

 

 

 

 

 

 

Guests of the event were able to preview the latest in bridal fashions which featured couture lines, stately and trendy gowns from designers such as Therez Fleetwood, Bryan K. Osburn Collection, Alfred Angelo, Brides By Demetrios, Anya Bridal and Express Tuxedos.

 

 

 

Brides Against Breast Cancer, a nonprofit organization dedicated to helping brides diagnosed with breast cancer have a beautiful wedding day experience, donated a beautiful wedding gown, as well one lucky attendee won a gorgeous wedding dress valued at $2,500 from Allure Bridal’s Couture Collection. Other giveaways included a pair of Amrita Singh earrings, a $1,000 gift certificate courtesy of the Jendayi Collection, and, brace yourselves…a 7-day honeymoon to Hattonchâtel Château, one of the most romantic castles in Europe! OMG!!!

 

Thanks to the fab Tamika Morrison of T. Morrison Agency and the amazing Mary Chapman of Black Bride for inviting me to this incredible event. Well, after attending this marvelous display of nuptial-related goodies, I’ve humbly developed an appreciation for letting those with more experience (and sanity) coordinate a major event like a wedding. And, although I’ve already jumped the broom, I may pull a Jackie Christie and renew my vows each year just so I can take advantage of all these fabulous new finds.

 

Check out more photos from the 2^nd Annual Bridal Showcase by Black Brides

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