Evenings with TW - Part 2

www.trinidadweddings.com held its 2^nd Annual Evenings with TW event on January 29, 2015 at the House of Angostura. 

The intention, for the second year running was to provide a forum for wedding and event professionals to network with each other in a relaxed setting.

 

Melissa Besson from The House of Angostura

Simone Sant-Ghuran, Manager/Founder of www.trinidadweddings.com welcomed guests and introduced Melissa Besson, Hospitality Manager at the House of Angostura (above), who gave attendees information on Angostura’s bar services and venue rental facilities.

There was a full house of entrepreneurs and creatives from the wedding and event services industry; and they had a fabulous time networking and socializing with each other!

 

 

Feature speaker, Life Coach - Nigel Wall (see below) took attendees on an inspirational journey on how to tap into their infinite potential.

Guests got to participate in an interactive game on the best practices of entrepreneurial legends. Here’s the winning trio:

 

The winners of the networking game congratulated by Simone Sant-Ghuran, Manager/Founder www.trinidadweddings.com (3rd from left)

There was even a “Get Social” prize which went to photographer Paul Christopher from Walk on Water Photography who used the hashtag #EveningswithTW first, in social media posts before the event.

 

Paul Christopher receiving his prize from Simone Sant-Ghuran, Manager/Founder www.trinidadweddings.com. Photo by Aarti Gosine

Hors d’oeuvres of stuffed baby potatoes, vegetable kabobs, salmon-filled cucumber cups, lamb meatballs, chicken kabobs and tres leches cake, were provided by Les Bourgeois Gourmet Catering.

Photo by Aarti Gosine

Guests sampled prosecco, wines and Daily’s cocktail mixes from Angostura.

There was also local liqueur by Deckie’s Liqueurs in enticing flavours such as: coconut, guava and passion fruit to name a few.

A selection of Deckie's Liqueurs. Photo by Aarti Gosine

The evening ended off on a sweet note too! 

Every guest received a gift of Gina’s Chocolates’ heart-shaped “Razzledazzle” – a dark chocolate shell with a filling of organic raspberries, oranges and white chocolate 

( see below)

Lime.tt sponsored photography and media coverage for the event. 

CLICK here for full event photos from Lime.tt

Are you a wedding vendor/event professional  who would like to attend our next networking event? 

Email us at contactus@trinidadweddings.com and request to be put on our mailing list.  We’d love to see you there!

The Lord of the Wines

Maybe, like me, you've come to associate New Zealand with The Lord of The Rings/The Hobbit Trilogy movies. After all, the rolling green hills, lush forests, mysterious caves and even active volcanoes make the idyllic setting for "Middle Earth."

At the Oyster Bay Launch at the Trinidad Hilton, hosted by Massy Distribution, I discovered though, that New Zealand also plays home to some of the world's most distinguished wines. In fact, many wine connoisseurs attribute this to New Zealand's unique terrain and climate.

At the event last night, guests were treated to a wine tasting and education facilitated by my friend Francis Ragbir ( one of T&T's very own wine experts and also an all round jolly fellow!). 
 

Francis telling us all about the proper way to do a wine tasting

I was surprised to find out that Oyster Bay is the #1 premium New Zealand wine brand in the USA and is ranked #7 in terms of premium wine brands imported into the US. The last two years in a row, has also seen Oyster Bay Sauvignon Blanc being listed as a Top 200 wine brand in Wine and Spirits Magazine.

Even the Wall Street Journal has poured ( pun intended!) accolades onto Oyster Bay, citing that "Every seafood restaurant should have a Sauvignon Blanc from Oyster Bay." Across the pond, it's also the most consumed merlot in the UK. Interesting facts, indeed.

We were asked to sample four wines in turn and each came with a food pairing. 

Four tastings of wine each, makes for very happy bloggers!

 Here's my take on them (I'm no wine expert but I can tell you what I liked!):

Salmon cake, brie cheese in filo, tuna taster in cucumber and beef brisket (on the spoon)

Oyster Bay Sauvignon Blanc - My favourite of the four! This was a medium-bodied, aromatic, spicy wine. I would even say that for me, I detected herbal notes. Definitely a type of wine that you can savour. We were asked to sample it with a tuna taster wrapped in cucumber. 

Oyster Bay Marlborough Chardonnay  - This was a crisp, tart wine that you could perhaps start dinner off with and continue drinking, since it's light bodied. At first whiff, I got hints of peach. We were asked to sample this with the salmon cake.



Oyster Bay Marlborough Pinot Noir - This was very fruity and fragrant - with notes of vanilla and cherries. We were asked to try it with brie cheese wrapped in filo pastry. This wine would also pair well with chicken and fish.

This Merlot also went very well with the chocolate and fruit dessert.

Oyster Bay Hawke's Bay Merlot - This medium-bodied wine had big, rich flavour. I'm actually not keen on red wine but I would definitely have this another time; since I found its acidity level perfect for me. This was my second favourite of the four. 

We were asked to try it with beef brisket. I certainly think, as a red wine option, that this would be a crowd pleaser for weddings



All in all, my table had so many interesting people and blogger friends that I felt quite at home. Every one left with a gift bag with this nifty wine opener!

Would you like Trinidad Weddings.com to cover your event or review your product? Drop me a line at simone@trinidadweddings.com and I would be happy to help you.

Join us on www.trinidadweddings.com for more!

The Face of Trinidad Weddings Magazine 2015

We’ve always featured real brides on the cover of our magazine, the TW Wed-Zine

It’s our philosophy here at www.trinidadweddings.com,plus, we think there’s no better inspiration for our readers than a local bride smiling prettily back at them!

Our next cover could feature you! 

This is why we've launched the #FaceofTW promotion.

Every day since our promotion started last week, we have been flooded with entries but here are just some of the beauties who've entered:

To find out how to enter and win FABULOUS prizes, click here: http://www.trinidadweddings.com/FaceofTW/

Enter Our Magic Of Love Promotion!

We're so excited about the launch of our 2014 TW Wed-Zine Magazine issue that we're in the mood to give away some fabulous prizes!

Imagine getting an entire case of champagne from M&D? or
A gift basket of luxury skincare & fragrance from Stechers Fine Gift Stores? or
A TT$500 gift voucher for home accessories from The Proud peacock?

Head over to our Facebook page!
We're waiting on your entry.

Just LIKE our page & write your favourite wedding trend of 2014 on our wall: www.facebook.com/wedzine to enter.
Use the hashtag: #themagicoflove
Open to residents of Trinidad & Tobago
Entries close: midnight May 23, 2014

M&D’s ‘Discover’ Event

Marketing and Distribution’s (M&D) “Discover” event on October 5, 2013 was an absolute pleasure for www.trinidadweddings.com to cover.

It was a night of wine and premium liquor tastings, fine cheeses and appetizers that all culminated in quite a swanky soiree.

The objective of Discover was set to be more than a gathering of the nation’s taste-makers but also to provide an event for true connoisseurs to socialize and sample luxurious libations in an elegant environment



A selection of Crystal Farms' Cheeses paired with Gamay wines.

  

True to expectation, The Oval’s Century Ballroom was filled with a smartly-dressed crowd who savoured M&D’s display of its entire Wine and Spirits Portfolio.

Yes, that’s over 100 brands; such as Perrier-Jouët Belle Epoque and Mumm Champagne, Absolut vodka, Ballantine’s 30 year-old Scotch, Jose Cuervo Res de la familia Cakebread (winner of the Readers' Choice Award for Best US wine), Louis Jadot Gevrey Chambertin, Cascine Prosecco and Fonseca 20 year-old Port to name a few.

There were also unique execution stations such as the Absolut Vodka Martini Makers Bar, Alize Cocktail Bar, Jose Cuervo shots as well as a Bubbly station.

One of my favourite cocktails is the Tom Collins. So a stand-out moment was when bartender Clinton made one for me on-the-spot with Beefeater 24 Gin. One of the best Tom Collins ever!

My Tom Collins being made!

Tasty hors d’oeuvres such as scrambled eggs with caviar served on spoons, spinach filo pastries, samosas, shrimp and pineapple on skewers and chicken sliders were had by all in attendance.  Of note was Jaffa’s authentic Indian buffet, featuring naan, mushroom pakoras and butter chicken accompanied by a selection of Patak chutneys and sauces.

Guests were given champagne flutes as tokens and treated to a rocking after-party with DJ Nuphoric, as the event drew to a close.

Trinidadweddings.com’s relationship with M&D began when they were an elite sponsor for our event, The Wedding Convention in September 2013; and we certainly look forward to more fabulous events from M&D.

If you would like TrinidadWeddings.com to cover your event, please drop us a line at contactus@trinidadweddings.com

All photos by: TrinidadWeddings.com

A Review of The Wedding Convention - September 21, 2013

Our flagship event, The Wedding Convention took place in Trinidad and Tobago on September 21, 2013 at The Banquet and Conference Centre, Movie Towne. We were overwhelmed with the support of the local wedding industry and the hundreds of brides and grooms who came by.

L-R – Simone Sant-Ghuran, Managing Director Trinidad Weddings, 

Andrea Coutain – Managing Director, Eventuality Lifestyle Events, 

Cheryl & Shea Bailey – presenters 

at The Wedding Convention 

from Yellow Umbrella Events, Texas, USA.

This event was a collaboration between Trinidad Weddings.com and Eventuality Lifestyle Events. 

Our goal was to bring together the best vendors, for an invaluable opportunity to network with each other, build their brands and promote their businesses.

The aim was also to create a high-quality Wedding Convention and Expo that carried an international standard.

Trinidad Weddings.com has had many years’ experience matching brides and grooms with wedding vendors, so it was only fitting that we take this marketing knowledge and use it to produce a Wedding Convention!

Vashti Ram-Maharaj, Manager of the Banquet & Conference Centre welcomes guests at The Wedding Professionals' Cocktail Breakfast

The day’s event was two-part. The first being a “Cocktail Breakfast For Wedding Professionals” and the second part focused on the “Wedding Expo.”

The Cocktail Breakfast For Wedding Professionals was the first official opportunity for networking that the Wedding Industry has had in Trinidad and Tobago. This session was highly-interactive, as wedding vendors and event professionals gained insight from two experts who have been successful in the wedding business. 

The headline speakers were power couple, Cheryl and Shea Bailey from Yellow Umbrella Events, USA. They facilitated sessions on “Marrying Your Creative side to Your Business side,” How to have a more effective Web Presence” and “Effective Networking Skills for The Wedding Industry.”

The Wedding Expo was open to the public by paid entry between 1-8 pm. 

One of the stunning cakes on display by Bakery Treatz

Display from Jennifer Goberdhan Signature Weddings

Hummer Limo from Transport Solutions Limited

Display by Emerald Designs Limited

Our event featured:

·         Displays and demonstrations from top wedding vendors.

·         A roster of tailored workshops and presentations, in a separate conference room between 1-6pm. During this time, guests got ideas, asked questions, won vouchers and gained valuable wedding planning tips.

·         Complimentary appetizers from chefs and caterers such as Jaffa Restaurant, O'Reilly's Catering, Tikka Masala, The Cupcake Wench & Bakery Treatz.

.     Complimentary wine and vodka cocktails from our elite sponsor, Marketing and Distribution

.     A full Beauty Bar - featuring makeup demos, makeovers, eye lash extensions, mehendi and airbrush makeup.  

·         Fabric tote bags at the door.

·         Gift vouchers and fabulous grand prizes:

1.    A lucky couple won a 3-night, 4 day honeymoon in Antigua courtesy Jolly Beach Resort!

2.    One lucky bride won a fabulous Hummer limo bachelorette party ride for her friends, courtesy Transport Solutions Limited!

 Beautiful floral decor was executed by Anthea Walcott of Flowers To Treasure

Ladies' Entertainment by The Untitled Ultra Lounge

Vocalist, Joel John serenading the ladies at the Bachelorette Party

There was also a Hott 93.5 FM After-Convention Party for all brides and one of their female friends/bridesmaids. This party ended the event with a bang - featuring DJ Franco, live updates on Hott 93.5 FM with Warren P., vocalist Joel John and a guest appearance by the Untitled Ultra Lounge entertainers.

The event was sponsored and supported by:  Hott 93.5 FM, AVIt Support, BakeryTreatz, Jennifer Goberdhan Signature Weddings, Republic Bank Ltd, The Outlet Market, TW Wed-Zine Magazine, Marketing & Distribution, Emerald Designs Limited, Transport Solutions Limited and The Guest Factor.

For more information and more photos, please visit: www.facebook.com/TheWeddingConventionTT

To exhibit at The Wedding Convention 2014, please email contactus@trinidadweddings.com

Photos on this page by Triniscene.com and Nicholas Khan of Lime.tt