We are looking forward to the Raleigh Premier business expo this Sunday! We would love to have your support!
2009 Capital Jazz Winner, Marcus Anderson, will be performing and we have many great vendors.
Click here for more information: Raleigh Premier Business Expo

Many couples who visit large bridal shows tend to feel a bit overwhelmed with all of the vendor choices for their wedding. If you’re feeling that way, don’t stress! We have the help you need.

I have been invited to be the guest speaker at the 2009 Franklin Hotel Bridal Boutique. This event will be held on February 22, 2009 at the lovely Franklin Hotel.

This Bridal Boutique promises to be a comprehensive educational workshop full of innovative ideas and information to inspire and assist couples in planning their ceremony, reception and everything for their special wedding day! You will hear from the areas best wedding vendors – each sharing ideas in their area of expertise.

Click here to learn more information.

The Franklin Hotel is located in the heart of downtown Chapel Hill on Franklin Street’s West End, just steps away from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Click here to learn more about this lovely boutique hotel.

Hope to see you there!

Caroline Sewell of Encore Events, Inc. was our guest speaker last night. Caroline, sporting a fabulous zebra print sweater, was a hit! She shared so many experiences and great mentoring tips with my students on the best way to start a business. Caroline always says- “I don’t do weddings” but she is an awesome events planner & designer. She also shared her event portfolio with the class and has pictures with the great event industry names such as David Tutera and Preston Bailey!
Thanks Caroline for sharing your knowledge with us!
Last week we had the priviledge of having Jennifer Kidd of Kidd Photography and Tamra Pope of Tamra’s Camera present. They really work great together and shared hints and tips about photography and videography. The class definitely learned a lot and got to see a few fabulous samples of their work. Thanks Jennifer and Tamra!

As I’m sure you’re aware, I have the wonderful privilege to be the Wedding Planning Instructor at Wake Tech Community College. Last evening was the last class of the 2008 Fall Semester. I must say that this group of students truly touched my heart!
At the beginning of class last night, I noticed that one of my students, Peg, was wearing what has come to be known as my favorite color combination – hot pink and lime green. And as students started to come in, Peg actually handed out small hot pink and lime green stickers that everyone proudly wore on their respective clothing! I felt so special!
And then…….at the end of the class, Peg asked for me to take a seat. She then presented on behalf of the class a “Certificate of Appreciation”. It went on to say, “This award is presented to Tamera Davis. For your outstanding leadership as our class instructor in the ten week course – ‘Start Your Own Wedding Consultant Business’. Thank you for making this class alot of fun! We will never forget you! – From the Class of 2008 – Fall Session.” Can you say – Wow! I was truly honored. And then, to top it all off, the class had actually pulled together to get me a gift. A cute Chartreuse green tote with my initials monogrammed in hot pink. How sweet!
Wow! It brought tears to my eyes. I truly do enjoy teaching and educating my students on the joys and challenges of wedding planning. And it was just so touching to see that my students appreciated me.
Here’s to you – Fall Semester of 2008 – I love you guys! I wish you much success and it would be a privilege to work along side you one day. And in your honor, I am wearing green and pink today and proudly carrying my tote.

My wedding planning class recently had 3 great guest speakers. Mary Greiner of Musician’s Booking Agency spoke about the many offerings that are available for musical entertainment for wedding ceremonies and receptions. Mary was very prepared with great handouts and a CD of wedding music for all of my students!
Next, we had Kayelily Middleton, wedding officiant. Kayelily was wonderful and taught the class all about marriage laws in NC, wedding rehearsals, and she also shared some great stores of weddings that she has officiated.
Last week, we had a special class with a hands-on floral design workshop presented by Teri Freeland-Jones of Floral Alternatives. Teri designed a bridal bouquet, groom’s bout, a couple centerpiece designs and even a placecard design using a green apple!
Many thanks to all of our guest speakers!

I often hear the statement, “I have no idea of where to start planning my wedding!” And then comes the question, “Where should I start?”

Well, don’t stress! I’d love to share some great first steps in the wedding and event planning process.

First, create an idea portfolio. Get a cute scrapbook or even a simple notebook and start compiling ideas by cutting out pictures from magazines or printing them from online. Magazines are a great way to get inspiration! My favorite mags are Martha Stewart Weddings and Wedding Flowers. After a couple pages in your portfolio, you’ll start to see a pattern develop of colors and themes that are your favorites!

Secondly, start on your preliminary guest list and estimated guest count. The number of guests will shape everything from the budget to the location. It seems like an obvious point, but remember, the more guests, the more your budget will need to increase. An increased guest count increases the costs for invitations, flowers, food, drink, size of location, etc.

Next, decide the formality of your wedding or event. Would you prefer an evening affair or morning brunch? An afternoon tea or entire weekend event? Think about these questions when deciding your event style. Then comes the decision on the general location and time of year. Are you looking for a “Falling in Love” fall theme or a “Winter Wonderland” theme? What about a destination wedding at some exotic location?

Also, start thinking of registries. One great new idea is the Honeymoon Registry, where you can actually register for portions of your dream honeymoon trip! Click here for more info: Honeymoon Registry

Finally, hire a wedding/event planner. Planning a wedding can be stressful, time-consuming and expensive! So to make sure your wedding or event is as successful as your hopes and dreams, hire a professional to plan and execute your plans to ensure success and eliminate stress!

Remember our motto, “Relax. It’ll be FABULOUS!”

Happy wedding planning!

It’s great that I’ve gotten quite a few inquires about the next semester of the Wake Tech Community College Wedding Consultant Class! We’re rolling out a new format for the spring semester. The class will increase by 2 weeks to a 12 week course! At this point in time, the class dates have not been released, but most likely it will be held at the same location – Sanderson High School, near North Hills in North Raleigh – and same day/time – Wednesday evenings from 6:30 pm – 9:30 pm.
The online Continuing Education Classes catalog search page can be found here:
Search Catalog

Once there, in the “Search For (Key Word)” box, type “wedding” and hit enter. The title of the class is “Start Your Own Wedding Consultant Business”. The most recent section will appear. Click the class title to learn more information about the class. If nothing is found, it means that the current class offering is full.

Here is a link to the full Continuing Education Classes catalog: Full Catalog

We look forward to this class and many more in the future!

Our fall semester at Wake Technical Community College has just begun! We have our largest class to date with 23 students! Our past students have said how much they have enjoyed the class and that it was a great learning experience.
This class is designed for inspiring wedding planners and consultants and even includes a class project that will allow each student to plan a wedding from start to finish!
Our decision to teach this class was in response to the overwhelming request for Wedding Planning Training and Education.
The title of the course is “Start Your Own Wedding Consultant Business.”
Call us for more info!