Hey guys and doll, Amanda here with another story.

How many of you out there want to get married? Or are you already engaged and planning the wedding? Well if you were at the Wyndham Hotel yesterday for their wedding spectacular then you might have gotten a few tips, deals or discounts. Trust me. But don’t fret. I’ll give you an account of the sights, sounds and smells of my experience there.

First booth I ended up going to was of course American Home Insurance….partly because my aunt works there so it’s mandatory that family comes first. I spoke to Dmitry Simpson who gave me a brief description of what AHI is all about in terms of wedding insurance. What they want to provide for the nervous couple is financial piece of mind. For whatever reason something doesn’t go your way while in the planning process, you’re covered for a certain amount depending on their 4 levels of core coverage. I’ll give you an example:  if you want to postpone or cancel the wedding…for whatever reason and you’ve already made some down payment on it, and the wedding planners want their money for time spent and the expenses your level 1 core coverage would be $850,000 and it goes up to level 4 which is $6,375,000. So that’s one burden off your shoulder right? But what if you lost the ring or damage the dress? Again, fret not. You’re covered for $425,000-$21,250,000. Sounds simple right? That because it is. Getting married shouldn’t be stressful, especially for the 2 people getting married. If you need any more information about AHI’s insurance package, I’ll provide all email addresses at the end of the article.

Next booth I stopped at was Tai Flora Luxe. Guys and dolls, I wish you could have seen it. Absolutely breathtaking their display was. If I didn’t have much of a word limit I could’ve described everything. But what good is my word going to do? I’ll leave their info at the end of course. I think it’s safe to say I intend to link you guys to all the booths I got brochures for. Tai Flora, if you don’t already know (I didn’t know until I saw the booth what they’re really about) is a well know florist. Tai does everything: in terms of weddings they do the whole 9: planning and design, invitations, floral décor (obvious) custom linen, furniture rental, tent décor and lighting. They also do events: event planning, extraordinary décor, furniture rental and lighting. For décor they do interior design, décor accents and accessories. Lastly, as the name says floral: they do exquisite floral arrangements, exotic bouquets, orchids, exotic plants, containers and exquisite gift baskets. If anyone’s planning a wedding…Tai Flora Luxe should be kept in mind.

Third booth I went to was Terri Myrie Events. She does event design and theme development, on-site event management, vendor selection and contract negotiation, venue management, budget management, coordination of pre and post wedding activities, guest accommodation assistance and honeymoon assistance. And she also makes these really adorable cupcakes as part of The Sweetest Thing cupcake and bakery Shoppe. I saw her display and fell in love instantly you guys. I think I’ll ask my higher ups to do something about the photos I uploaded on my Facebook page so you guys can see the magic. I’ll warn you though…I don’t have a camera so the BB had to be utilized and I had much fun using it.

I can go on and on about the booths I visited, and will. I had to stop at D’Mar Event Decorators. The booth was beyond divine, the décor was subdued but still elegant, mixing dark and light for their table setting. I know for a fact when my day comes I’ll hit them up good. Here’s a list of what they do:
•    Floral décor: Bouquets, corsages/boutonnieres, pedestal arrangements, pew arrangements (for those who are confused, a pew is those long wooden benches in church) floral arches/canopies, floral centerpieces.
•    Rentals: Chair covers, chiavari chairs (I have no idea what those are, sorry) tie backs/scarves, tables-bistro/café/trestle, table overlays/runners, plate chargers, napkins, napkin rings and backdrops.
•    Lighting: Party and effects lighting, smoke machine, disco ball (I’m definitely getting a disco ball! I wonder if they have UV lights too)


Next stop was Island Bride Jamaica. What I noticed at first not many people really stopped by, but that’s what drew me in even more and what I found out was they go the whole 9. Lovelies, when I say the whole 9 I mean they go from start to finished based on what you want your perfect wedding to be. The booth was definitely subtle, almost cliché like but still makes you want to see more. And here’s the full skinny on what they do:

•    Locations
•    Floral and décor
•    Rentals
•    Music and Entertainment
•    Transportation (limousines, horse drawn carriages-how sweet and shuttle buses. And all this includes airport transfers)
•    Cuisine
•    Photographer and Videographer
•    Wedding Co-ordination
•    Vendor Management
•    Guidance on Etiquette (really?)
•    Unlimited phone and email consultations

They even go as far as to help out on the day itself to make sure that everything goes silky smooth. And even Beyond the Wedding, they offer local activities as well as organize the rehearsal parties, brunches or a BBQ on the beach (not that I’m down for) I mentioned that the fact that they go the whole 9 yards right? IBJ also does A la Carte. They provide an a la carte menu for $75 an hr. (I hope is $75 JMD) they also do travel services, including planning the honeymoon! Lastly they provide the perfect wedding gift for your guests.

Another booth story, The Photo Affair, in association with Intuit Concepts and powered by Event 2 Event-Concept 2 Completion; if you don’t want to get a photographer for the wedding, wouldn’t it be more fun to have an instant photo booth? Instead of having these plain, boring pictures, spice things up with something even more spontaneous, those memories last longer, and then you’ll have better stories to tell your grandkids.

Need a photographer/videographer? You need to hit up Dwayne Watkins. Very talented young man, collaborating with the Elite Media Concepts booth, you can depend on this dynamic duo for supreme high-def pictures and videos. Tell them Amanda sent you.

And of course I can’t go without mentioning the best part of the day. Food and alcohol! Yes my dears I got myself a nice treat from the Barcode bar. Their slogan “Raising the bar” is an apt line for them because they did raise that bar with their drinks. Sadly I had to maintain my composure (the things I do for love) they do have this one drink that’s to die for, I forgot the name but I do know the ingredients. So simple yet so exquisite. Chocolate syrup and Crème de la coco, what’s not to love? Their Blue Curacao, in my opinion it needs a tad bit more sweetness but it was boss, Chocolate Dreams was right next to them with a most beautiful work of art my eyes ever did gaze upon; a chocolate fountain! With marshmallows even. I died and went to heaven.

And that’s the end of my adventure guys. Until next time, this is your local panda Amanda signing out.
Blessed be.

•    D’Mar Event Decorators: (876) 371-0452/
(8760 330-5888
This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

•    Island Bride Jamaica: blog.islandbridejamaica.com,
www.islandbridejamaica.com,
(305) 420-5377, (876) 796-1576,
This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

•    The Photo Affair: www.thephotoaffair.com This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it (876) 351-6595

•    Dwayne Watkins: (954) 247-4397
(876)286-3198
This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
www.dwaynewatkins.com

•    Elite Media Concepts: (Edward Burke) (954) 471-8260
(876) 840-3994
This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
www.elitemconcepts.com

•    Barcode: (Shannon Singh) 17 Carlton Crescent, Kingston 5
www.barcodejamaica.com
This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
(876) 906-1169 (876) 281-2959

And if you need a caterer as well, the Wyndham does off site as well as on-site catering for all occasions.
•    Shernett Barrett, Director of Romance: 77 Knutsford Boulevard, Kingston 5
(87) 926-5430 hotel ext. 4770
(876) 886-5182 (cell)
(876) 968-6244 (fax)
This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
www.wyndhamkingston.com
But as promised I’ll leave the info from the booths I mentioned today at the end of this article. So until next time guys and dolls, it’s your local panda Amanda signing out. Blessed be.
You can find some of these booths either on Facebook or their websites:
•    American Home Insurance: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

•    Tai Flora Luxe: Barbican Centre, Shop 6 (underground) or 29 East Kings House Road, Kingston 6
1-888-FLOWERS (1-888-365-9377) Tel: (876) 978-4500-1 Fax: (876)978-4502
Email: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
www.taifloraluxe.com

•    Terri Myrie Events: (876) 434-5962
www.terrievents.com


•    The Sweetest Thing Cupcake and Bakery Shoppe: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
Twitter: @sweetestthingja
(876) 410-6576
www.thesweetesthingja.com

To  be  Young,  Gifted,  and…

A  fresh  new  sound  is  in  the  air… “The Pop,  Reggae,  ROCK-STAR,” NEFATARI.   Her international sound gives music what it's missing!  The first thing you will notice about Nefatari is her poise and confidence, followed by a congenial sense of charm.  Place her in any situation and she rises to the occasion.   Whether  it’s singing  backup  on tour for teen idol Lindsay  Lohan or former Spice Girl, Emma (Baby Spice) Bunton; Nefatari fits the role and hits her mark.  Style, intelligence, beauty, sex appeal - and hey, did we mention she can sing! Carib News says NEFATARI “proved to have the necessary wherewithal to hang with the big guns.”

Nefatari began her entertainment  career as a model and has always looked at the industry from every angle. The apple does not fall far from the tree for Nefatari, whose mother is a veteran in the fashion industry. As Editor-In-Chief  of ESSENCE  magazine,  Constance  White’s sense of style and  yearn  for  success  has  definitely  rubbed  off  on  her  songstress-daughter.  Nefatari’s gifts  and talents have propelled her into dancing, modeling, acting and music. She is a singer/songwriter  who easily  takes  center  stage  to  woo  her  audience.   A  vivacious  performer, NEFATARI has  already turned heads at Irie Jamboree concert, Reggae Rhythm and Blues alongside Baby Face, Mavado, and Monica, and at P. Diddy’s Digital Divas Showcase. Nefatari also won a spot to perform at the world famous Apollo Theatre.  She was chosen to perform at Alonzo Mourning, Donald Trump and Shaquille O’Neal's Annual Golf Tournament and Brooklyn Fashion Weekend three seasons in a row.

NEFATARI has studied with songwriting/producing  legend, James Mtume and with Grammy award winning voice coach, Gwen Conley.  Working with a production camp under John Eaton and Tony Woodruff,  (Notorious  B.I.G.  and P. Diddy’s  “No Way Out’’ album)  she wrote  and vocalized songs  shopped  for  JLo’s  album,  “This  is  Me,  This  is  Then”. Songwriting  collaborations  include Grammy nominated producers such as The Heavyweights and Jason “J-Vibe” Farmer.  In 2006 her fast rising single, “Want Him” (on the Gangsta Beat Riddim) gained spins on New York’s Hot 97FM, as  well  as  Jamaica’s  Hot  102  and  Zip  103FM.   Her  collaboration  with  Billboard  artist  ERUP  on “Taking  Over”  has  gotten  attention  from  several  websites  as  well  as the  underground  dancehall scene.  Already, her distinctive  style has landed her on the pages of VOGUE MAGAZINE,  WWD, JAMAICA OBSERVER and GLAMOUR MAGAZINE.  She has appeared in various ads for Dell Computers,  “Sisters  in Style” magazine,  “Hype  Hair”, and on the runway  for Tommy  Hilfiger.

In 2010 NEFATARI was featured on the Ice Riddim medley music video with her record “All the Boys” which  has  already  gained  over  14,000  Youtube  hits  on  its  medley  music  video.Nefatari closed 2011 gaining  industry  attention  with "Talk  Yuh Talk"  on the popular  Bedroom  Riddim  by Payday Music, which includes  records  from top female artists out of Jamaica.   The summer  of 2011 was filled with performances at various venues opening for Munga Honourable,  i-Octane, Mavado,  and many  more! With  so  much  going  on,  Nefatari doesn't  plan  on  slowing  down  a  bit.  Her  new single "Day U Mess Up" produced by Echo One Productions is a certified hit!  NEFATARI embodies fashion and looks forward to making a huge impression in today’s music industry.

For more information contact:  This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it or (754) 246-7693

Bvlgari Blv Notte is just one of several fragrances to come out of the well famed Bulgari design house. The scent was launched in the year 2007 and has since remained consistently popular among its male audience. It has been dubbed as the river of the night due to the rare composition of the perfume and the unique scent it brings that remind one of the essence of night contained in a bottle.

The iPhone 4s

This isn't the iPhone 5. No matter how badly you wanted something slim, sleek and wedge-shaped, this isn't it. If you went ahead and got your hopes up ahead of Apple's "Let's Talk iPhone" event, hopefully you've gotten over the pangs of discontent by now, because this device pictured front and center is the iPhone 4S. It's a new spin on an old phone that will shock none, but give it half a chance, and it will still impress.

The iPhone 4S comes with a faster processor, a better camera, a smarter virtual assistant and twice the storage of its predecessor -- if you don't mind paying for it. Like the iPhone 3GS did before to the 3G, the 4S bumps the iPhone 4 down to second-class status, leaving those Apple fans who must have the best aspiring to own its decidedly familiar exterior. Apple says this is the most amazing iPhone ever. Is it? Yes, of course it is so go get!!!

The recent death of one-time Shower Posse gang leader, Vivian Blake, brought us back to the book, “Shower Posse”, that was written and published in 2003 by his son Duane Blake. “Shower Posse” is a tell-all book that goes into the gritty details of what is said to have been the most notorious Jamaican criminal organization in history.

Movie Reviews
The Avengers
I'm sorry to say The Avengers isn't a good movie; it's a GREAT MOVIE!!!! It's not only the best team superhero movie ever made, but it may just be the best comic book adaption made period!

The Avengers is the culmination of what began in Iron Man; and continued through The Incredible Hulk, Iron Man 2, Thor and Captain America. It was only a few years ago that my son and I had just finished watching Iron Man and as the credits were ending, Samuel L. Jackson appeared on screen as Nick Fury and spoke to Tony Stark about joining Avengers Initiative…in that short scene, the framework for potentially the greatest comic book movie of all-time had begun!

Director Joss Whedon, most known for the T.V. series Buffy The Vampire Slayer, takes the foundation that was built in the prior films and brings together the greatest team of superheroes in film history, The Avengers: Iron Man/Tony Stark (Robert Downey Jr.), Captain America/Steve Rogers (Chris Evans), Thor (Chris Hemsworth), Hulk/Bruce Banner (Mark Ruffalo), Black Widow (Scarlett Johansson), and Hawkeye (Jeremy Renner) as "assembled" by Nick Fury. Whedon's scripts usually include clever banter, gripping action sequences and an air of mystery and The Avengers is no different. Whedon has an utter love for comic books, and it is proudly put on display in The Avengers.

The cast does a great job of bringing these iconic characters to life, beginning with Robert Downey Jr. Unlike Iron Man 2, in which Downey seemed to skate through scene after scene, Downey plays Stark almost effortlessly, delivering his lines with relative ease allowing his charisma, charm and smugness to shine through; Robert Downey Jr. IS Tony Stark! Chris Evans' solidifies himself in the role of Captain America. He was very good in his solo film, but truly owns the role standing alongside Iron Man and Thor. Chris Hemsworth's Asgardian god Thor has some incredible battle scenes and indirectly provides one of the film's most funny moments. After being seriously underutilized in Iron Man 2, Scarlett Johansson's Black Widow is provided a back-story, which helps in developing the character and provides an opportunity to prove she is much more than just a pretty face; she's as dangerous psychologically as she is physically. I could envision myself enjoying a beat-down at the hands (and feet) of Black Widow. The character I was most concerned about being given little story and the least amount of screen time was Jeremy Renner's Hawkeye; happily, he's not left by the wayside and does a more than admirable job of developing the character. Hawkeye stands alongside Robin Hood and Katniss Everdene (The Hunger Games) as the best archers to grace the silver screen. I'd like to see more of him in a film of his own. Mark Ruffalo, the most recent choice to play Hulk, is far better suited to the role than Eric Bana (The Hulk) and Ed Norton Jr (The Incredible Hulk). Ruffalo looks more the part of the nerdy scientist Banner and plays the part without looking angry in every scene. In The Avengers, the Hulk is at his most impressive, both in his on-screen transformation and the violence he displays when the opportunity calls for him to "hulk out". If any character appeared to stand out a little bit more than the others, for me it was the Hulk. Samuel L. Jackson's Nick Fury is finally more than just the guy making surprise appearances. Fury is finally able to stretch his legs some, and Jackson slides quite easily into the role. Clark Gregg's Agent Caulson returns, and Cobie Smulders makes her Marvel films debut as Agent Maria Hill, and she is a welcome addition. The film's main villain is Thor's adopted-brother Loki, played by Tom Hiddleston. You would think the part would be a difficult one to play being opposite such powerful personalities and strong characters, but Hiddleston does a fantastic job; the performance should not go unnoticed, because it's one of the strong points of the film. Loki is not a villain without purpose and Hiddleston comes across as a devious mastermind without being cartoonish.

At a running-time of 2+ hours, The Avengers is well paced and time flies by. The effects are top-notch, the acting is very good, and the script drives the movie elevating its strengths. For viewers that may not have seen any of the other films (and if so, why not!?!?), we're provided just enough information to bring everyone up to speed without feeling overdone. Whedon provides more than just a standard comic book film, but a story with reason that's backed up with incredible action and humor.

Although the film is filled with larger than life characters, none are short changed; each character is given at least one great scene to work with, and the opportunities don't go to waste. The film's finale provides a deafening crescendo of action that is breathtaking. As usual with Marvel films, be sure to stay around for the post credit sequence, which provides a surprising reveal.

I went into The Avengers with unfairly high expectations, due to all of those that were involved, as well as the films that came before it. After viewing the initial trailers and not being blown away, I had set myself up for disappointment. It was only a matter of minutes after the film started that I was put at ease, and just minutes later when my expectations were blown away. I never imagined that it was possible to put onto the screen, what I was watching. I'm happy that Marvel had the sense to keep these properties to themselves and to move forward with these characters in the manner in which they did. Marvel Studios and Disney are going to make a boatload of money off this film, and deservedly so; because there's never been another movie made of its caliber.

Grade: A+

Dreamz Top 10 Events

Month of January 2012

1. Jamaica Jazz & Blues Festival

2. Shaggy & Friends

3. W - Premium Drinks Inclusive

4. Jamaica Motor Show 2012

5. Yolo

6. Chug It Anniversary

7. Appleton Mixterious Fridayz

8. Q - The Ultimate Levels Party

9. Rum Fire Full Saddle - Caymanas Park

10.  Wet Sundaze

Bonuses

Igloo (Florida)

Last Tuesday Poetry of Society Jamaica Monthly Fellowship