Summer Note from Tony Conway

This past week our team had the pleasure of working on a photo shoot with the Atlanta Occasion Publisher Heather Vreeland on her upcoming July Issue! It is going to be amazing and you will have to check out the newest venue in Atlanta, 200 Peachtree! The image above doesn't even come close to doing this event space justice. Our Creative Director, Steve Welsh, and Floral Director, Jeanna Graham, took my vision and really made it come together with the amazing table settings and incredible floral decor…and then Senior Event Manager, Sandi Horgan, led a team of Legendary Staff and Supplier Partners to handle all of the logistics! Drapery was provided by the fantastic Event Drapery and, of course, photographer Ben Vigil made everything come to life! Heather and I have been planning and designing this shoot for sometime, and I look forward to your feedback on the issue…pick it up July! I cannot wait to see what the rest of the issue has in store for us because Heather is amazing at what she does!

I will also be featured in the July issue of Delta Sky Magazine… from what I hear, the overall theme really is going to be fun and innovative …I hope you like the article!

Have a great summer!

Tony

MICHELE LEND NAMED VICE PRESIDENT OF SALES AND BUSINESS DEVELOPEMENT

Michele Lend is the newest member of A Legendary Event’s award-winning sales team. Lend brings with her over 23 years of sales and social/corporate event planning experience.
After graduating from Oglethorpe University in Atlanta, Lend began her career in 1982 as the assistant director of food services for Epicure Management Services at the university. Within two years she was promoted to director of food services on the Mercer University campus in Atlanta. Lend then spent four years as the director of sales for the Atlanta Catering Company and an entire decade as one of the top sales producers for Proof of the Pudding caterers based in Atlanta.

Lend joined Atlanta Arrangements in 1999 as the director of sales and marketing and became a partner in 2003. She was promoted to chief operating officer in 2006 and to president of the company in 2007. She has had the privilege of working with many Fortune 100 and 500 companies throughout her catering career. Some highlights from her journey have been working with the delegations for the 1988 Democratic Convention, The Nationwide Seniors PGA Tour, The Federation Cup, The AT&T tennis challenge, The Bell South Classic, and the 1996 Olympics in Atlanta.
She has served as co-chair of ADME Achievement Awards and was the 1999 recipient of the ACVB Volunteer of the Year Award. She currently holds a position on the Board of Directors for the Atlanta Convention and Visitors Bureau. Tony Conway, President and Owner of A Legendary Event said, “We are very excited to have Michele on board. Her expertise in the field will be a fantastic addition to our team.”

Green Entertaining

We all love to look at the magazines that are tucked in front of us on the airplane.  What else CAN you do when you are not allowed to listen to your IPod or send an e-mail on your Blackberry??  For those of you who have not been on a plane lately or haven't picked up the latest issue of Delta Sky, here is Mr. Conway's latest and greatest article.  Enjoy!!

A Tony Evening

The New Loews Hotel set the perfect stage for this last weekend’s gala, A Tony Evening. All of the raised proceeds benefited the Alliance Theatre. Our talented event designer, Sophia Lin made it a stylish and upscale atmosphere that blended the setting of the hotel with an artistic rendition of A Tony Evening logo. The logo, which captured the essence of classic style and elegance with filigree patterns, portrayed a contemporary edge with its paint-like splatter design and unconventional color scheme. Sophia also utilized a mixture of soft and bold purple tones combined with dark blue, turquoise and gold, and jewel tones that dramatically came to life with the neutral hotel palette.

The step and repeat was anything but traditional! Sophia found her inspiration for the step and repeat on on the red carpet at the this year Grammy’s.
The centerpieces for the tables were a perfect marriage of traditional beauty mixed with modern style. Each centerpiece was constructed with a composition of stacked clear and turquoise colored glass for a glistening effect with the room lighting. These centerpieces contained a mixture of golden and orange toned florals mixed with deep purple blooms. Conventional florals such as hydrangea, roses and tulips were mixed with orchids, mums and other bold florals for a full yet simple look. A sleek crystal base table lamp was added to the composition and topped with an ivory tapered shade. Square votives were also used in the centerpiece, which again created a sense of modern style.
The theatrical filled evening, which starred Broadway Star Elaine Stritch, was a huge hit!! Our team did a fantastic job at this memorable event!!

****Photos courtesy of our fabulous Nancy Jo McDaniel!!!

Family Farm Nuptials

On Saturday April 10th, we had the pleasure of doing a farm-inspired wedding ceremony. The farm is located about an hour in a half outside of Atlanta in Woodbury, Ga. All of the décor elements were inspired from the gorgeous surroundings, which included horses, pastures and natural elements. As guest arrived at the farm, the gates were adorned with magnolia and lemon leaf wreaths.

Guests entered the ceremony and were greeted by A Legendary Event service staff offering fresh lemonade in mason jars. The small ceremony of 75 people sat upon bales of hay that were topped with burlap pads and adorned with ribbon and magnolia leaf details. The front of the chapel was entirely framed with a graceful, lush strand of garland composed of magnolia and lemon leaf.

The bride held a bouquet of gorgeous white hydrangea, roses, mini callas, spray roses and lily of the valley. The bridesmaids each carried a bouquet of white and chartreuse hydrangea along with other complimentary blooms and were placed on silver goblets (which was a great twist on the traditional bridesmaid bouquet!). The silver goblets belonged to the grooms grandmother, and were used as a loving tribute to her everlasting memory. The groom and groomsmen all wore boutonnieres of white rose, lemon leaf and curly willow.

The reception was held in a gorgeous white tent at the horse barn on the property. The afternoon reception was very casual with seating areas made from bales of hay and adorned with pillows in the bride’s signature colors of brown and green. The mother of the bride said “Everyone is still talking about the clever use of our hay bales ---for chapel seating to couches and coffee tables for the reception, cleverly covered with burlap and throw pillows in the bride’s color scheme----and oh so comfortable!” The wedding cake sat upon a tree stump which gave the elegant cake a rustic feeling. The buffet and bar area featured accents of “birch vases” filled with fresh cut white wild flowers.

The clients were ecstatic and have been enthused with the LEGENDARY work that our team provided. In a letter sent to our team, the mother of the bride made us all smile stating, “The icing on the cake for all of us, however, was the genuine loving, caring, personal attention to our every need – from start to finish – that all of you offered us at every turn. I know of no other professionals who give of themselves as much as you do. And you do it with such ease and grace. This is a special treasure to me, and I thank all of you from the bottom of my heart.”

****Photos courtesy of the fabulous Nancy Jo McDaniel!!

Executive Chef Christophe Holmes returns to ALE

A Legendary Event is pleased to announce the return of Executive Chef Christophe Holmes. Chef Holmes comes to Legendary with an extensive background in the culinary industry. Holmes was previously the Executive Chef for ALE for 5 years and hired many of our current successful culinary staff.

A 1990 graduate of the Culinary Institute of America, Holmes’ restaurant expertise was honed in his positions as executive chef of The Georgia Grille and Willi, two fine-dining establishments located in Alpharetta, Georgia. He has also served as executive chef at two top establishments in South Florida, C’est Si Bon, a gourmet shop and catering company in Palm Beach, and John Bull Pub, an upscale 200-seat pub in West Palm Beach.

In addition to his remarkable talent for food preparation and presentation, Holmes’ management skills are a notable strength, enabling him to succeed in fast-paced, high volume environments while maintaining the utmost quality and attention to detail. As Executive Chef, Holmes will once again oversee all aspects of A Legendary Event’s culinary department including menu design, daily kitchen operations, food preparation, and purchasing. He looks forward to working closely with the Executive Sous Chef, Executive Pastry Chef and the entire culinary team at A Legendary Event. Owner and President of A Legendary Event Tony Conway said, “Chef Holmes will be a great asset to our team, as he is well respected in the industry. We’re delighted to have him back on board.”

2010 Allie Awards

The 20th Annual Allie Awards were held this past Sunday night at the new Loews Hotel in Midtown Atlanta. The Allie Awards is Atlanta's premier awards ceremony recognizing and honoring outstanding examples of quality and creativity in Atlanta’s event industry. The awards demonstrate how working together for a common good can promote excellence in event design, planning and production. This year was a special birthday celebration dedicated to the 20th year of the Allie Awards Gala.

A Legendary Event took home the following awards:

Best Plated Menu for DIFFA’s Dining by Design. DIFFA: Design Industries Foundation Fighting AIDS is one of the country’s largest supporters of direct care for people living with HIV/AIDS and preventive education for those at risk. As the event’s caterer, we were challenged to create and serve a menu for 400 seated guests that would be memorable and innovative.

Best Tabletop Design for DIFFA’s Dining by Design. Each year, a group of the nation’s top designers are invited to create a unique table design to help raise funds for DIFFA. ALE created a table titled “Feast in the Forest” where guests dined amidst a magical forest surrounded by lush greenery, moss and mushrooms.

Best Themed Event Décor for a wedding. ALE featured a bride’s love of nature with a Nature-Inspired Nuptials theme at Atlanta’s Temple and the Buckhead Grand Hyatt Hotel. The décor featured a chuppah completely garlanded with foliage; a lush canopy of magnolia leaves suspended above the dance floor; and a myriad of other “green” features.
Best Use of Rentals for the BMW Event “International Media Launch.” Our venue partner Tents Unlimited was also honored with an Allie for this event; highlighting the custom tent they created to house the lounge and ballroom.

President and Owner Tony Conway remarked, “We are so grateful and honored to receive all of these fabulous awards.” Congratulations to our fellow Allie Award Winners!!