Our theme at this year’s Evening of Bridal Luxury event by Atlantan Brides Magazine was Rock Glam, and no one brought that to life better than florist The Savage Garden. When Danny showed up with (are you ready for this?) banana leaves with zippers on them, we knew the event was going to be great.
Thanks to Rae Leytham Photography for the photo.
You can probably Google “Sweet Sensations” or “Sharon Alexander” and see pages upon pages of people saying the same thing: incredibly talented, networking extraordinaire, and the bubbliest, friendliest person ever. And that’s because it’s true: Sharon’s sugar work is more than just cake. It’s art by the sweetest Cake Lady around! Of course I had to ask her some questions about how this one-time-wannabe-librarian and SoCal native went from travel agent to designing cakes in Atlanta and what she loves about the wedding business.
Q: Why did you join StudioWed?
Sharon: Michelle asked and I thought it was a good idea…I was right! ;p
Q: What’s the best advice a bride can get for the day of her wedding?
Sharon: Relax and enjoy, that can only happen if you have a professional planner!
Q: What business accomplishment are you most proud of?
Sharon: Starting the business completely on my own with my entire family on the other coast.
Yellow Flower Cake Photo by Project Duo Photography
Q: Who is your dream client, and why?
Sharon: One who understands our artwork and can trust us to see their style and vision and create a one of a kind cake for them. So many people have to see a picture…it hasn’t been created yet, so there aren’t any photos…trust us!
Q: Do you have any pets?
Sharon: Cat-Maggie. She’s a long haired Calico…gorgeous and the best pet a person could have!! I adopted
her about eleven years ago and she was about ten at the time. She keeps plugging along, thankfully
because she really is the love of my life!
Q: Where did you grow up? How did you end up in Atlanta?
Sharon: So Cal!! Fourth generation Californian…first to ever leave the state. I was having a bad week there
and a friend who had moved back here convinced me to come check it out and help them with their
restaurants. Mom and my grandmother still haven’t forgiven him.
When I asked about her favorite client story, Sharon relayed the time an expectant mom had a custom baby shower cake made, and when she came to pick it up, all of the decorators in the back couldn’t hear the reaction. All of the decorators had a hand in this particular cake design. They were all nervous that their hard work hadn’t paid off, until Sharon came in the back to tell them the client was speechless and had tears running down her face! Apparently that client always makes sure to give audible reactions now to put the decorators at ease! I love it.
White Brooch Cake Photo by Andrea Taylor
Thank you, thank you, thank you, Sharon, for being the kind and wonderful person you are! You deserve all of the success (and constant Twitter praise!) you receive!
I had such a hard time picking my favorite photo of this week, especially when I spotted this engagement session by Jamie Howell Photography. Lauren + Drew’s shoot took place at Berry College in Rome, Georgia, which is absolutely stunning in the fall. I love this shot of the two of them standing underneath this gorgeous tunnel of trees.
One reason we opened the studio was to give brides an up close and personal look at all things weddings: dresses, linens, floral, stationery, etc. It helps to touch and see and experiment with these things in person, and Debra Saba of Luxe Expressions makes experimenting with stationery oh-so-fun! Debra specializes in letterpress designs and printing methods (when the words and art are actually pressed down into the paper instead of just being inked on) and does the best custom artwork. I asked her a few questions and learned about this ex-jet-setting stationery designer!
Q: Why did you join StudioWed?
Debra: I was only 1 year into living in Georgia when I joined StudioWed. Not new to design or my company, just new to Georgia. My husband’s career took us from LA, to Charlotte, NC, to Georgia in the span of 3 years time and so I had to quickly merge myself into this group of talented Southern design and event world and so StudioWed was truly a blessing. I joined when it first opened its doors and I am here to stay.
Q: Why do you love working with brides?
Debra: From a business perspective, I used to be a Project Manager for a consulting firm and most of my clients were going through merger and acquisitions and so I had years of working with grumpy folks to say the least. I know love working with clients that are coming to me because they are HAPPY! They have a Happy Bride (or Groom) to be glow about them. I adore it.
Q: What’s your favorite trend happening in stationery?
Debra: There are a lot of trends but utilizing hand calligraphy into the invitation and having them letterpress printed gives the invites a WOW factor. I work with one of the best Master Hand Calligraphers to accomplish this.
Q: Do you service events other than weddings?
Debra: Yes of course. We offer baby invitations, social cards, corporate literature, and bar/bat mitzvah invitations. We also offer some “design only” but only take a few of those projects a month.
Q: What is your favorite quote?
Here’s a tidbit about me, I collect quotes. I know it sounds odd, but I have hundreds of them. I snag them form people’s email address, from those who sent them to me, etc. This is one of my favorites: “Every man’s life ends the same way. It is only the details of how he lived and how he died that distinguish one man from another. “ — Ernest Hemingway
Q: If you could get remarried today, what would your color scheme be?
Debra: Yellow and Gray. I love this combo.
Q: What is your favorite Atlanta attraction?
Debra: The Aquarium followed by boating on Lake Allatoona.
Q: Did you have another career before going into the wedding industry?
Debra: Sure did, consulting/project management. I got my degree in journalism with a minor in graphic design….had planned to work for a magazine in Chicago but worked a summer job as a beverage cart driver at a golf club before graduation….met the owner of the consulting firm and got sucked in. I loved every minute of it but got tired of the travel. I was what was called “90 percent utilized” meaning I was in a plane going somewhere 90 percent of the year….I was single, to say the least. I now LOVE LOVE LOVE what I do, and would never leave the wedding industry.
Stationery really can set a good event apart from an exceptional event, and the designers at the studio are so awesome at what they do. Thanks, Debra!
Click here to find out how you can win a custom monogram from Luxe Expressions or another StudioWed stationery designer. A free engagement session from a StudioWed photographer is up for grabs, too, so check it out!