You know that there are times in your life when you just can't believe that what is happening is really happening. You know, you pinch yourself just so that you know that you are not dreaming. You know that feeling, right?
Well, I met my fellow members of the B-List this week to sit down to an amazing lunch with the legendary event planner, Preston Bailey and his team. What a memorable experience. As I walked off the elevator, I was immediately greeted by the man himself. He was so welcoming and made me feel very comfortable. I tried very hard to hide my nervousness. But trust me, I was a wreck inside.
After the exchange of pleasantries with the group, we sat down for what would prove to be one fantastic meal. I am not exaggerating. But I will tell you why later. To kickoff our lunch, Preston asked us to put our creative sides to work by taking the gorgeous flowers in our napkins and creating a floral centerpiece for the table. We were to remove the petals and carefully place each one around the bowl of water until it was filled with petals. Once the bowl was full, we took one of the flowers (removed from its stem), pulled it open slightly and placed it in the center of the petals. What a fab idea! What a simple way to make a table look so elegant.
After a wonderful flower arrangement lesson, lunch was served. As the meals were being placed, Preston talked very candidly about how changing his diet to eating primarily raw foods had changed his life. He spoke about the increase in his energy levels and his overall feeling of wellness. I had never considered eating raw foods. Seriously, raw foods have an image problem. It just doesn't seem appetizing when you hear those words. But that could not be further from the truth.
Enter Jana Keith-Jennings, Bailey's personal chef and the one responsible for making sure that he adheres to his raw foods diet. Our plates were a mix of steamed and raw food combinations that I would have never thought to put together. Jana made a watermelon and tomato salad, a fresh summer corn salad and mini raw mushroom pizzas. So delish. Who knew?!? But the best was yet to come.
There was a pair of beautifully beaded drapes that withheld a lovely surprise. Behind the curtain was the quintessential Preston Bailey design on display. It was full of Jana's delectable desserts. The table was filled with cookies, brownies, tarts, and chocolate truffles. I had a chance to speak with Jana and I was totally inspired by her passion for raw foods. Jana does not use processed anything! No processed flours, processed sugars, gluten, animal or dairy products or genetically modified additives. When she does have to use heat, she prefers steaming as her low-heat cooking method as it ensures that vital nutrients are not burned off as it may happen during conventional cooking methods. She really moved me to reconsider my eating habits. If I can eat meals like this everyday, count me in on this movement.
I was very thankful to have attended this fabulous wedding blogger's luncheon with the man who can take an empty space and turn it into something spectacular and very memorable. Many thanks to Preston Bailey and the entire Preston Bailey team for your graciousness and kindness. It will be an experience that I will never forget.
Bridal lovelies, just so you know. Preston Bailey and his team have worked very hard to create some useful tools to help you with your wedding planning. You have the What's Your Story? Color Palette Picker which allows you to choose some signature colors, tell him a little about your event, and he will add the "Preston factor" to your palette to give you an idea of how that wow factor can be realized.
There's also the Design Your Tablecloth tool. With this tool, you can create your ideal tablecloth. It will help you to narrow down your choices so that you can really see its impact on your table design.
You can also check out his Bride Ideas blog where you can discover fab ideas and wedding inspiration that can help to make your day very special.
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