Ah! Mazing Vendor: Sorrela Jewelry and Accessories

Hello!!!

Yesss it is vendor time again! Today I am bringing you the lovely Yuwa Sorrela of Sorrela Jewelry and Accessories. It was truly a pleasure working with her on this post because she was so responsive and a genuinely kind soul! I have been seeing her pieces on African fashion show runways for the past couple of years now but never knew who was the master mind behind all of it, until recently! I personally am a fan of her styling and i know you guys will love it! The pieces she finds and puts together are INCREDIBLY affordable and very chic! Be sure to check her out! Enjoy readers!

Memi: How did you get into the accessory business and what keeps you in it, what do you love about it? 

Yuwa: Sorrela is Italian for Sisters. And me starting my company actually started as a joke. Whenever my friends and I would hang out, they would always ask me to sell them my jewelry on the spot. I thought it was quite ridiculous. So I said to myself that I would buy two of every piece of jewelry I had in the case that if someone wants it I can sell it to them but still be safe and have another pair handy at home. That was three years ago and Sorrela is still going strong.

 What I love about the business is that Sorrela is for the fashion forward woman who seeks to express her individuality through simple, sophisticated pieces, while celebrating her bond with her natural born sisters and those amazing friends who have inevitably become sisters.

Memi:What inspires you?

Yuwa: The art of fashion. Fashion is a way of creating and mixing pieces that work together. Fashion is an expression of everything that makes us human.

Memi: So let's say I have the perfect LBD (little black dress) and I'm headed to a wedding as a guest, what are 3 accessories you would add to transform your dress from plain to HOTT? 

Yuwa: It depends on what kind of LBD it is. Is it strapless? If it is then I would definitely add a nice big and bold necklace that will accentuate the neck. Hand accessories are a staple in fashion now, so I’d definitely wear a ring or a bracelet. Lastly, a cute clutch will complete the look.

Memi: What is your accessory pet peeve, like what do you hate to see people do, fashion wise? 

Yuwa: Lol, that’s a good question. The truth is I try not to judge because I believe that if a person looks in the mirror before they leave their house then they certainly do not see anything wrong with the way they look. So I usually say, 'it looks good on them “ALONE”' lol.

Memi: What is YOUR personal favorite accessory?

Yuwa: My favorite pair of accessories would be a pair of earrings. I cannot leave the house without a pair of earrings whether studs or hoops. 

Memi: What is the next move for you and Sorrela? Where do you want to see it go?

Yuwa: The next move for Sorrela is to provide, personal accessory consulting services for brides as well as fashion styling.

Memi: What are some accessory trends you've noticed with brides and bridesmaids this summer? Do you foresee any trends for next season?

Yuwa: I don’t think this is a trend, or at least I hope it isn’t becoming one, but recently at Kim K’s wedding, her guests were allowed to wear white. The color white is a sign of purity and should only be worn on the wedding day by the bride. Kate Middleton’s sister and bridesmaid Pippa also wore white at the royal wedding. We saw the same thing at Kim Kardashian's wedding.

As for accessories I am against brides wearing necklaces with their dress. I am not sure I get it yet. A pair of earrings and a bracelet I believe is enough. Except of course the necklace is a statement piece then that’s an exception --which is rare.

Memi: What is some advice you would give a planning bride who is totally confused about what jewelry to wear for her wedding?

I would ask her to paint a picture of how she would like both her and her bridesmaids to look. I also find that a lot of brides aren't exactly sure of what they want. They have the idea but they need an expert to guide them. I would advise her to take it easy and let her know that accessories should be the least of her worries.
 

Memi: What services do you offer? How can our readers contact you?

Yuwa: I offer bridal services to brides who are looking for accessories for their bridal party. I sell jewelry and other staple accessories such as brooches, necklaces and clutches.

Readers can contact me on my website www.sorrela.com. There’s a contact form that they can fill out to ask me any questions. 

**SORRELA IS OFFERING ALL BCG READERS A 10% DISCOUNT ON EVENING BAGS AND CLUTCHES**

Contact them and let them know you heard about Sorrela HERE!

Stay Beautiful My Loves,

Memi

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How to Thursday: How to Select Your Caterer

Here are a few tips for those planning brides who need just a little bit of help in selecting a caterer for their wedding reception! Food can literally MAKE or BREAK your event it is the EASIEST things for your guests to complain about so your goal should be to get it as close to perfect as possible! That will only come from having a reliable, skilled, insured caterer! Keep reading for more information!

There are many methods on how you can start looking for a wedding catering company, however many people starts with asking for friends and family’s referral that they had good experiences with. Other methods like local advertising and internet research are also good methods to broaden your choices. The most popular way to find the suitable caterer is thru the location of wedding couple’s reception site. It’s much less headache and trouble for the wedding couple to simply go along with the reception site’s catering service. They usually provide the inclusive services including venue, catering, decoration, and even more. After making the choice of wherever the reception will be held at, it is time to see which catering company is best to suit your price range and needs.

If you are holding your reception in a hall, privateresidence or where meals will not be supplied, you should contact caterers in your neighborhood who specialise in on-site catering.
After narrowing down a few of catering company for your wedding, it is time to spend some time to gather as much information as you can about these companies so you can make a good decision on hiring which one for your big day.

Once you first contact your prospects, the very first thing you should confirm is whether or not that caterer is available on your wedding day.
If they are available, it is time to start asking them some of the most popular questions on hiring catering company. It is recommended to write it down and organize all the information, because after a while it will be difficult to remember which company gave you what information.

Some of the questions you may want to ask your catering company are:

Menu Style

There is so many food varieties to choose from when it comes to menu selection. Ask if your caterer will do a “tasting” and when. This is where the bride and groom can go sample and taste some of the caterer’s dishes. You can have a traditional sit down dinner, buffet, food stations or a cocktail reception. It all depends on your personal preference and budget.

Decorations

Ask to see pictures of their table displays. Some caterers that do buffets or food stations will include floral arrangements and other decorations. As your wedding plans progress, talk to your caterer about your color theme so that all decorations and floral arrangements will coordinate. Also, find out what type of decorating they might do for you. Will they swag your head and cake tables? Will they set out your favors and seating cards?

Tableware and Linens

Does the price include table linens, napkins, dishes, and glassware? Ask to see samples. If you don’t like the tableware or linens they offer, most everything can be rented at an additional price. Also, ask if there are extra charges for china and linen service.

Wedding Cakes

Do they offer wedding cakes in their package? Can they make you a wedding cake? Will the caterer cut up the cake for you and will they do this for free or charge a fee? Some caterers charge a per slice fee, so be aware!! Will the wedding cake be served and/or boxed?  Is there an extra charge? Will cookies be displayed?  Is there an extra charge?

Liquor

Do you need to get a Special Occasions Permit from the liquor board? Is there bar service and bartenders included? What about Cups and supplies?

Licenses and Payments

Find out if your caterer is licensed by the province. Most display their license in their office, but if you’re not sure, ask and find out.
Let your caterer know your budget up front. Don’t assume that a buffet or food station is less expensive than a sit down dinner. It all depends on the type of food served, not how it’s served. Is there a deposit required to hold wedding date? Are they included in the price or will they be added later? Find out how soon in advance does caterer need menu and final count of guests what the final price is and when is full payment required.
Do not choose your caterer primarily based solely on their price per person, but consider what is included in the per person price before making your last decision.  You do not want to be shocked on your wedding day when your expectations of exceptional service aren’t met. After you’ve gotten above questions answered, you should have the ability to make a good decision as to which caterer will fill your needs. The presentation of that food is a part of their image and yours. Be sure the wedding caterer you are thinking about hiring is one who will work with you and not tell you what you want.

Information taken from LaRock Photography Blog

Stay Beautiful My Loves, 
Memi  

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Our TUM 2011 Showcase!

Hey guys!


Today, I have the last post in our TUM 2011 series! Today we are FINALLY going to show you what OUR showcase had to offer! We were quite popular if I do say so myself, LOL! We did two completely different looks  but used the same exact color scheme. One display used a LOT of florals, had a very romantic feel, and was just what some may say "over the top". This was an example of a higher end table arrangement. The other display was for the bride who may not have a large budget, or the bride who is not a big fan of floral arrangements but still wanted something glamourous and beautiful! Tell us what you think! 

This is how it looked when we FIRST started setting up, loll!

Our Logo and Card Table

The Floral Filled table

Yesss our chairs had on dresses! Loll!

The blinged out table!

I am personally a huge fan of the lampshades!!

Which arrangement did you like the best?? Are you a big floral person?? Talk to us, lemme know what you think!


Stay Beautiful My Loves,
Memi

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TUM 2011 Highlights and Reviews!

Happy Hump Day!!

I'm excited to give you all a recap of all that went down at TUM 2011! Keep reading for all the great details!


So when I arrived at the Civic Center in Silver Spring it was just an empty room that in a matter of hours, was transformed into a buzzing marketplace filled with vendors from all categories! There were vendors for literally EVERYthing from skin care, hair extensions, wedding planners, photographers, clothing, jewelry, headpieces, and event designers! From what I witnessed it was such an unique event, I've not been to anything like that within the African community. I was just happy to be a part of it and I pray that it gets bigger and better each time because from what I saw everyone that was there was LOVING it! I could not keep my eyes in one place I had to get my shop on!


Here are some of the pics we took!

 

AfriPride T-shirts! I had to yell at him for not having any Edo girl shirts!! EDO REPRESENTA!

  

Simply Beautiful Beautiful Hairpieces

 

Sorrela Accessories representative looking great!

DJ Universe!! A previous Ah! Mazing Vendor

Ours by Juliada Skin Care line



Blessing of Buxom Diva Glam Makeup



Guests enjoying!! JayCube with Bimbo!

Bisi with Feyi Kuyoki of FTK Konnect

 

I thought these shirts were sooo cute! Tshirts mixed with ankara!

Happy Guest!

Bola Odegbami of Threads

Guests checking out our booth

 

Lovely Guest!

Keke Olisemeka of Glam Hair Factory

Lola (middle) of Lola Ro Jewelry, one of our Ah!Mazing Vendors

 

Co-Founder of TUM, Dee Dee George and her brother Banky W.

Banky W. and I

IDIA FASHIONS

IDIA FASHIONS

IDIA FASHIONS

IDIA FASHIONS

Ifueko Igiehon, Head Designer of IDIA FASHIONS

TEAM BCG!!

This is a really good video of the event done by Femi Sonde of Femster Images!






TUM 2011 from femster on Vimeo.

Raves and Reviews from Vendors and Guests:

"Absolutely worth it! Fantastic event and definitely worth it. Sorrela is all smilesssss" -Sorella (Vendor)

"It was my very first event and I had a blast even though I wished we had more time. The vendors were amazing as well. It was great" -Simply Beautiful Creations (Vendor)

"I think the concept of TUM was edgy, creative, but most of all classic. A lot of time and hardwork was put into the showcase and that was evident in the final product. Definitely excited about the next event" -Lara Akinrinade (Guest)

"TUM DC was a great platform for vendors and service providers to network and showcase thier services. BuxomDivaGlam was glad to be a part of it, and we look forward to next year" -BuxomDivaGlam (Vendor)

Hope to see you all there next year!!!

Stay Beautiful My Loves,

Memi

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