Hello Beautiful Family and Friends! 😊
Happy New Year! How are you? I trust that you are having a great day! I’m sitting here typing this post and looking at the Sunday edition of The AJC. You know. It’s almost surreal. It seems like just a short time ago (more than 30 years), I would sit in our apartment in Southwest Atlanta or later in our DeKalb County home and read the wonderful wedding announcements in the society pages of The Atlanta Journal and Constitution. This publication is the premiere newspaper of the South and parents of all cultures made their children’s engagement official in it.
Antasha and her brother Jay in 1990.
Antasha was a child walking about or sitting and playing with her toys as I was totally engrossed in this popular section of the newspaper. Maybe it was my youth (I was in my early 20s), but I didn’t consider that, soon enough, Antasha would be getting married. At that time, I didn’t imagine that Tony and I would be joining this special group of parents who had completed this rite of passage that has gone on for centuries!
My basket full of newspapers announcing my daughter’s wedding!
The AJC Wedding Announcement
But in the blink of an eye, time has flown by and my Baby (she’ll always be my baby) is getting married. I went to my local Kroger this morning and bought up more than half of the copies. I opened the newspaper to page E15 and saw that she and her fiancé, whom I affectionately nicknamed Jules, have taken their place on the pages of this ICONIC publication. And wow! The AJC was kind enough to place it in full color! Even better, her announcement is right next to the Dear Abby and Miss Manners columns! Nostalgia swept over me! I loved reading those columns and now Antasha’s announcement is next to it! Please click on this link to view the article.
Jules is reading his wedding announcement in On Common Ground.
On Common Ground News Wedding Announcement
A wonderful new African American owned publication was founded when Antasha was seven or eight years old. On Common Ground News publishes exceptional content weekly to benefit the entire metro Atlanta area. I was pleasantly surprised to see their print publication from this past Friday, January 10 which featured a beautifully designed and creative presentation of my daughter’s wedding announcement! I am so very grateful that they shared our great news in such a lovely way! Please click on this link to view the article. http://ocgnews.com/royal-wedding-2020/?fbclid=IwAR31PiGMuxaN4CZ5zyBKJeCouTC6MeS6Gz3ANtSsmpcCUEVzIY1_Car7hDY
The Herald Newspaper Wedding Announcement
My husband and I were raised in Savannah, Georgia. The Herald Newspaper is a BELOVED publication in the city. Weekly, they publish EXCEPTIONAL articles and announcements that the community loves! How nice of them to publish the wedding announcement of Antasha and Jules! Please click on this link to view the digital article. If you reside in Savannah, feel free to pick up a copy! http://savannahherald.net/savannah-natives-to-host-royal-wedding-in-p15074-90.htm?fbclid=IwAR2PKr1RcEtI7Eqa_sHBlV8UpvxnMByVUKk_X20E89NC4xZNcCva2RrDTHk
Experiencing an Outpouring of Love from Everyone!
Tony, Antasha, Jules, and I, as well as our families, are simply amazed by the outpouring of love, encouragement, and support that we have received from so many people! We are blessed beyond measure and thank God for each of you! I will be posting to social media and blogging about this amazing experience as well as writing a seven-part wedding series for the 2020 Wedding Season! Feel free to follow me @LesliesLane as I will often post to social media in real time! Also, I want to send a few shoutouts to some very special ladies!
Ida Kroell of Georgia Palms & Gardens – The Amazing Venue
https://www.georgiapalmsandgardens.com/
Antasha and I visited several prospective venues. She would ask me, “Mommy, what do you think?” I would tell her, “It’s really nice. But is this the place?” That is… until we went to visit Georgia Palms & Gardens. When I got out of the car and starting walking, I was just struck and had to stand in place. I just began turning around and looking in all directions. I said, “Antasha, this is the place. It is absolutely beautiful.” This tranquil, rustic, upscale, all-inclusive wedding venue features 6.5 acres of beauty, two gazebos, an elegant outdoor ballroom, a regal B & B Inn, full-scale wedding planning and coordination, stylish décor, and so much more!
Ida handles everything from start to finish! You can select the package of your choice and let her take care of the rest! If you don’t have a wedding coordinator, she can include it in your package and will handle everything on the day of the wedding. If you have a coordinator, she will work side by side with the person to make your vision a reality! I’ll be talking a lot more about this wonderful venue in the weeks to come! I don’t want to give away all of the magical surprises Ida and her exceptional team have in store for us!
Bernadette Birch of Over & B’yond Event Planning – The Wonderful Coordinator
https://www.overandbyondevents.com/
Bernadette is my sorority sister and she is so creative and kind. Her amazing boutique company creates blissful memories for the bride groom that can range from complete planning and curated services to month of or week of coordination. I’ll share more about Bernadette over the next several weeks as she goes over and beyond! Please stay tuned!
Special thanks to The Jewel Tone Innovation Squad! I’m going to introduce these lovely ladies to you during the month of the wedding! Thank you so very much for allowing me to express the joy in my heart! Have a great week!
Sincerely,
Leslie E. Royal
Leslie E. Royal is an author, international freelance writer, product review expert, social media influencer, and global travel journalist. Her articles have appeared in numerous publications including: ESSENCE, Black Enterprise, FORTUNE.com, AAA Southern Traveler, Upscale, Upscale Living, and The Ashro Blog. She is the creator of the Leslie’s Lane consumer information blog and author of two books: Leslie Lane The Book!: Your One Stop Internet Resource Guide to Links for Jobs, Inspiration, Discounts, FREE Stuff, Scholarships, Travel & More ( $14.95) — How to Write and Self-Publish Your Book for FREE with Amazon’s KDP: An Easy Way to Complete Your Manuscript in Seven Stress-Free Steps (Leslie’s Lane Inc.) ($9.95) Follow Leslie! Instagram and Amazon Author page
