“Oh, what a year!” is probably one of the most commonly used phrases to describe 2020. So many plans, so many hopes and dreams but yet so much loss and so many unknowns that still loom over us. BUT, if it’s one thing 2020 taught many, if not all of us, is that we must exercise our resilience muscles.

Every storm runs out of rain eventually, so we must keep pushing. The entertainment, event & wedding industry continues to suffer great losses with gatherings being restricted globally but we must not lose sight or hope of what’s really important.

The art of sharing. The art of giving and the art of loving each other wholly and soulfully. To all my 2020 post pandemic wedding couples who forged ahead, I applaud you. To the corporate clients who continued to motivate and push through, I applaud you. To all the newly engaged couples who have chosen love despite the unknown of planning a wedding or other celebration, I applaud you. For all the families who still celebrated a milestone together, I applaud you.

You are choosing the greatest gift that anyone can share in this life…LOVE.

No matter the size of your celebration, event or gathering, you are still making memories and those memories are what will sustain us throughout our lives. Keep dreaming, keep hoping and keep fighting for the sharing of love.

I hope we get to make memories together and to gather and celebrate every opportunity we’re given.

Cheers to a safe, healthy & love filled 2021!

Your Dragonfly & Memory Maker,

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Now, I don’t expect all of you to go punching holes and creating custom backdrops…after all, that’s why I’m here :). BUT, definitely let your imagination run wild and celebrate all that you’ve achieved as a parent in your child’s first year of life and of course their incredible milestones too.

For our daughter Logan’s first birthday, I decided to celebrate with a “Bubbles & Bones” theme which was inspired by a champagne barbecue themed event I had the pleasure of working on a decade before. The kids had tons of bubbles to pop with an automated bubble machine that ran most of the day and the parents popped bottles of bubbly :). After all, adults need bubbles too!

The “bones” was a cute homage to BBQ which was the theme of the menu and despite a downpour of rain all throughout the day, the kids had a blast and the parents survived and left with full bellies! 

Just remember, no matter how big or small, moments are meant to be shared & cherished so celebrate every chance you get! 

Cheers to the BIG One!This backdrop included handmade paper flowers from a local paper artist, pinwheels ordered online and DIY photo frames & banners made by me. I repurposed her name banner and her photos for her room. Don’t waste those DIY efforts!What’s a party without lots of desserts! These cupcake markers were handmade and if you look closely, those decorative balls were made with hundreds of paper flowers and pearl pins. Yes, I had a lot of time on my hands back then! Custom signs designed by the amazing Dwayne Jureidini (friend & super talented graphic artist) were placed at the different stations throughout the day. Every guest left with a goodie box filled with sweet treats, bubbles (of course), note pads and crayons for the kids. Every month of Logan’s first year was captured with a custom sticker and her monthly photos were used on the backdrop.

May we always be bubbly!

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What do you do when you get a call from a friend/work colleague who says “Hey, do you wanna work the Superbowl?”…you say YES!! I’ve always dreamed about working on some of the most prestigious events out there. The Superbowl, The Grammys, The Oscars, The James Beard Awards…I mean, who wouldn’t? Any one who works in live event production aspire to be a part of these amazing productions. The backdrops, the stages, the celebrities, the food, the consumer experience…it’s something that just gives  event producers a huge adrenaline rush. 

So, when I got this random text and phone call, I was truly blown away. My role for the 2020 bowl was Stage Manager at one of the pre-game stages. In the grand scheme of things, the role I played may have been small, but for me it was an opportunity of a lifetime. The energy that filled the stadium was something I hadn’t experienced before and the production quality was just inspiring. These small snippets of the day are a fraction of what I was able to witness, but an experience I am so grateful for and one that makes me realize that dreams do come true and no matter who you are or where you are from, the right doors will open for you as long as you are open to receiving the call!

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Dwayne and I met almost 17 years ago in passing at a mutual friend’s house in Florida. He claims he had an eye for me back then but we left that house and went our separate ways and lived very different lives. Fast forward over a decade later, we found ourselves living in Jamaica again where we would randomly run into each other. Friendship turned into a relationship that led to an amazing engagement, and an even more amazing wedding day! The greatest challenge for us was to truly let go and try not to wear our work hats. I must confess, he did a much better job at that than I did!

Here are some highlights of our special day. We incorporated a lot of personal touches, from custom welcome bags to signage, the photo of my parents on my bouquet to a surprise photo collage wall that was made up of hundreds of pictures of our family that Dwayne took. Our day was filled with lots of love & a ton of vibes!

Special thanks to:

M Style XP & Floral Fantasy for executing our design & decor vision

Main Event Entertainment Group for all production

Dwayne Jureidini for designing the surprise collage wall

DJ Smoke for the party vibes

Two Mann Studios for our photos

Reynaldo Martin for our videos

And they lived happily ever after

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In 2004, right before graduation from Florida International University,  I had the opportunity to get an internship with the South Beach Wine & Food Festival. At that time, the Festival had about 2 full time employees and a handful of interns with about 6 events throughout the weekend. Fast forward, 16 years later and this event is a must-attend on any foodie & social calendar and has become the largest wine/spirit & food festival in North America. To say I’m proud and honoured to still be a part of this esteemed team is an understatement. To top it off, in 2019 Jamaica finally hosted it’s first event during the Festival and I was able to not only negotiate sponsorships through the Jamaica Tourist Board and the Tourism Enhancement Fund but also help curate the list of chefs that participated, design and manage the event!

Wow – what a night of immense pride & fulfillment! The event was held at The National Hotel on Collins Avenue and was attended by a few celebs along with dignitaries from Jamaica. It was such a huge hit, we were able to execute it again in 2020! Below are some quick highlights from both 2019 & 2020 – enjoy!

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