Gather Event: Heart to Heart Gala

One of the great things about my job is getting to work on a variety of different events. I recently had the pleasure of working with an incredible group of people who make up an organization called A Team Ministries. A Team Ministries helps families of children with cancer. They provide lodging, meals, support, etc. A Team has not been around long and the board members needed help putting together their first fundraiser.

Coach Chizik and his wife Joanna are involved with the organization and actually came up with the idea and vision for the event. They wanted to pair up a professional artist with a child who is battling cancer and have them both create a piece of artwork based around their relationship. The artists and the children established such a bond during their time together that the artwork turned out to be far more special than anyone imagined.

Joanna wanted the night to glow, so I hired my friend Andy Tolar with Design Productions to transform the traditional Shoal Creek Country Club into a modern, artistic gala. She also wanted it to be a special night for all of the children involved. If a limo and red carpet wasn't enough, we had Coach Chizik greet each child as they got out of the limo to enter the party.

Coach Chizik spent the first hour of the evening mingling with guests and signing footballs for anyone and everyone.

The focus of the decor was the lighting, but you cannot have a party without flowers. Linda Bearden from Flower From the Heart was kind enough to donate the arrangements. They were so beautiful and unique!!

We wanted to make sure the guests got to know the artists and the children behind the art. Jason Wallis was kind enough to take head shots of everyone so that we could display their bios on easels before the auction began.

Since we were having an auction of only 11 pieces of art, I immediately called the auction pros with Granger, Thagard and Associates. It was very important to me that the auction not look or feel like a "first timer," so hiring a professional to run the auction was a must! This was the best decision I made. The auction was fast paced, energetic, exciting and fun! Oh, and I guess I should also mention, we raised $60,000 in 45 minutes. Not a bad night!

Sherry Jackson was our emcee for the night. She is so sweet and makes every event fun!

Heather Durham and Chuck St. John were the photographers for the night. They set up an A Team back drop for children to pose in front of for photos. The children are so full of life and immediately kicked off a dance party. They had the time of their lives.

It was a fabulous night that was so special for everyone involved! The children are a true inspiration. A Team is an incredible organization that makes dealing with cancer just a little easier for families. Please consider supporting this organization!

Happy Planning!

-NB

You Rock!

A friend of mine called me a few months ago and asked for some creative help. Her twin boys were turning one and she wanted to throw a "thank you" party for all the people who had helped her during the first year of parenthood. After a brainstorming session (you can read about this in an earlier post...) I came up with the idea to base the theme around "YOU ROCK."

Gather's Brainstorming Notes:

Guitar Hero

Rolling Rock Beer

Pizza

Rock Concerts

Napkins monogrammed with the names of different rock and roll stars

Rock Candy

Rocky Road Ice Cream

This list was the start to what turned out to be a great party!

A graphic designer from Etsy designed the invitations to look like a concert poster. For the door decoration, we hung the guitar from Guitar Hero, a party wreath and a blown-up copy of the invitation.

Iced cookies were made by a friend of the host to coordinate with the theme and colors of the party.

We ordered blue rock candy from Candy Warehouse. We put two candy sticks in each bag..........one from each birthday boy, of course!

In lieu of gifts, my friend asked that guests donate children's books to YWCA. This is great thing to do when your children have all that they need! Such a sweet touch!

As a party planner, you won't always follow through with everything on your brainstorming list. I opted to keep with the names of the twins instead of confusing people with random names. Surely guests would have known it wasn't Bruce Springsteen's birthday, but then again, not everyone is as themed orientated as me.

The party was a success and guests had a rocking good time!

Happy Planning!

-NB

Gather Wedding: Mary Chollet and Camper O'Neal

I have sat down to start this post many times, but I have not been able to think of the right words to use when describing this wedding and this couple. Just so you know, my love and excitement for these two people will not be fully expressed, but I will at least tell you how AWESOME their wedding was!!!!

Mary Chollet and her mother did an incredible job of planning one of the most elegant weddings I have seen in a while. It was classy, elegant and sophisticated. One of the first calls they made was to line up Gather for the month of the wedding. They wanted to enjoy their month leading up to the wedding and not worry about a thing. Gather was thrilled to fill in the (very few) holes and make sure the logistics were in line to execute the seamless wedding they had created!

The beautiful bride!

Mary Chollet opted to have just sisters, sister-in-laws and a cousin in the wedding.

This is a photo of the infamous black shoes that have carried me through every wedding this winter and the "binder" that is the bible behind each wedding. In case I were hit by a bus...anyone would be able to pick up this binder and run the wedding almost as good as me.

Highlands United Methodist Church is the family church for Mrs. Still and her family.

Carole Sullivan with Lagniappe Designs did an incredible job with the floral decor. Carole is an an absolute breeze to work with and can create any look!

This arrangement of lights and greenery was the center of the dance floor.

The Quince branches were cut a few weeks before the wedding and forced to bloom in a family friend's basement. I am afraid to ask what the heat bill was to get these suckers looking so good!

The bride's cake was created by Barb Sullivan. Her cakes always taste as great as they look!

Sweet Magnolia Cakes specializes in chocolate displays and cakes. There was a variety of chocolate candies and a groom's cake that represented the couples' white lab, Gus!

After the cake cutting, the couple went straight to the first dance. The bride and her sweet dad had a special moment that was enjoyed by all. The orchid we put in her hair for the reception was a nice touch!

Once the party got started on the dance floor, we passed out tambourines for the guests to enjoy. The tambourines were also used for the couple's exit. The groom's sister then surprised the bride and groom with sunglasses for all!

The band Anita out of Atlanta kept the guests dancing the entire time!

Cheers to a PERFECT wedding and to one of my favorite MOBs!

Many thanks to Dee Moore Photography, Celine Russel for make-up, Ivory and White for the beautiful dress, Larry's Limo and Trolley Time for the transportation and Mountain Brook Club for the venue and food.

Happy Planning!

-NB

Dreams do become a reality....

So, things are getting bigger for Gather by the day. What used to be a dream is quickly becoming a reality. Instead of coming right out and telling you all the good gossip, I am going to have to make you wait...just a little longer....

I found this quote found on Ruffles and Tweeds Blog.

This photo was sent to me by my dear friend who helps Gather with the day to day task. I could not make it happen without her help!

Happy Planning!

-NB

Men In Black Are Back

Ten years ago a group of men decided to throw themselves a birthday party and named themselves The Men In Black! The party was bigger and better than they ever dreamed. Fast forward ten years and the same fun men decided to try it one more time.....

MEN IN BLACK

ARE BACK!

This time, they in enlisted a little extra help from Gather so that they could concentrate on work and whatever else life brings at the age of 60. During the first meeting (over whiskey and wine), "the guys" and I discussed their goals for the party:

1) Great Band

2) Full Bar

3) No Decorations

**3 of the 26 hosts helped me with details and are referred to as "the guys"**

My first job was the band. One of the guys suggested Silk E Smooth, while the others questioned the decision. I assured the group Silk E Smooth was the way to go, and promised them there would be plenty of entertainment.

I then headed over to visit my friends at Village Press to see if they could create the invitation we were looking for. After a few weeks of working out the wording, the invitation was off to the printer and the guest list had grown to 850 people.

The guys wanted to personlize their event with koozies, hats and mock turtlenecks. Concepts and Associates printed the koozies and hats, and I ordered the monogramed mock turtlenecks from LL Bean. We wanted the hosts to be identified from the guests, so the hosts wore a tuxedo with their gray mock turtleneck under the jacket. Black was the color ten years ago, so we felt it was only appropriate that it be gray this year. We have already planned the 70th to be white!

All the hosts enjoyed a seated dinner with their wives or guests before the party started. There were a few funny toasts made, but also a few reflections over the last ten years. Guests began to arrive at 8:30 p.m., and the hosts entered the party to the theme song of "Here Comes The Men In Black" at 9:00 p.m.

Silk E Smooth played until 12:15 a.m. and the crowd was still there. There was fun had by all!!

Happy Planning!

Neillie

Real Wedding: Kathryn and Andy Perreault

Kathryn Dietrich decided the week before Christmas was the perfect time for her to marry her long time sweetheart Andy Perreault. While she did not want a "Christmas" wedding, she did want to embrace the season. Kathryn and Andy went to Cumberland Law School, so the Reid Chapel at Samford University was the perfect place for their ceremony.

Kathryn requested a traditional look, so I introduced her to two of my favorite florists, Kathy Miller and Lois Owens. The jewel-toned colors were perfect for the season!

Very few brides are wearing old dresses these days, so when Kathryn told me she was wearing her grandmother's dress, I was eager to see it. She sent me a photo she took from her phone weeks after the engagement, but that photo did not do the dress justice. Kathryn is a very elegant and sophisticated person, so this dress was a perfect fit!!

To keep with the traditional look, we decided on The Garden's Cafe as the reception venue. Kathy G. & Co. did an incredible job as usual.

To help explain the history of the wedding dress, Kathryn had a photo of her grandmother wearing it displayed on the cake table.

Magic Muffin did a wonderful job on the wedding cake! The candied fruit was a perfect touch for the winter season!

While some couples get stuck talking to guests all night, Kathryn and Andy found themselves on the dance floor for most of the night! The guests danced the night away to music by II Da Max!

Kathryn decided to change into a "party dress" for the reception! She looked absolutely stunning! This is such a fun thing for brides to do! I highly encourage you changing for either the reception or right before you leave. When it was time to leave, we gathered the guests outside to create a tunnel of sparklers.

If you look in the back of the photo you will see me standing there. Kathryn wrote...."there is a cute photo of Andy and me leaving the wedding and you are in the background. I thought: there's my guardian angel." Comments like this add so much meaning to why I do what I do. While picking out flowers, designing invitations and coordinating the logistics keep me busy, my true joy comes from taking care of my clients!

After a perfect night, Coats Antique Cars carried the couple off into the night. Many thanks to Scott Carlisle for the amazing photography!

Happy Planning!

-NB

Inspiration Photo...

I got a call a week ago from a client who needed help with an upcoming event. She wanted a fun theme and needed Gather's help. I am usually pretty good with coming up with ideas on the spot, but this was not the case last week. I was slammed all week getting ready for a FABULOUS surprise wedding (stay tuned..waiting on photos to come in. You will not want to miss this), so I had very little time to sit down and really put some thought into the request. Finally, late Friday night, I sat down in my office with my door closed and began thinking about this event....

minute by minute passed and there wasn't an idea anywhere close to my brain! I felt like I had writer's block, only this was slightly less stressful (I can not write to save my life. If I ever had to write anything other than this blog, I think I would die). For a little inspiration, I hit up the blog world for some fun ideas. First stop, Hostess With The Mostess. With one click, I knew what I wanted to do and was even able to pull two other ideas out of my hat.

When you are in need of an inspiration...check out the other blogs around and see what people are doing. You don't have to copy their ideas, just let it feed your imagination!

Try and figure out where this photo took me.....

I will let you know what I came up with when the party is over! Don't want to spoil the surprise for the guests.

Happy Planning!

-NB