Inspiration Spotlight: Tonia of Aribella Events

I meet so many amazing people in the wedding industry that once a month, I plan to  feature their stories in an Inspiration Spotlight.

I met Tonia at Inspire Smart Success Mexico and quickly struck up a friendship over dinner.  I was so struck by her sweet yet strong personality and the story behind her cherry blossom tattoo.  She’s a strong woman, mother and entrepreneur.  Hope you enjoy and check out Tonia’s website.

Who:  Tonia Adleta of Aribella Events

Twitter: @AribellaEvents    Facebook

Industry: Wedding & Event Design and Planning

The story behind her cherry blossom tattoo: I love that no one expects for me to have a tattoo.  It’s almost the same reaction when they find out I have a 9 & 10 year old.  Just when you think you’ve got me figured out…

I’d been thinking for a few years that I’d like to get a tattoo, but I hadn’t quite landed in what, where, and most importantly, why. As you can imagine, the process of leaving my marriage gave me plenty of opportunities to re-evaluate how I think about life, love, beauty, purpose, faith – pretty much everything. In that journey I found that, even though life doesn’t follow a straight line, when I give it to God, He makes it beautiful, far more so than I ever could have with my preconceived ideas.

When I studied the meaning of the cherry blossom in the eastern cultures, the beauty of feminine strength and power, I *knew* this was what I wanted to become part of me. The branch has two blossoms: one for each of my children, and several petals all in varying degrees of death or life. Nothing is a straight line; it’s all messy, it’s all growth – my life in an art form.

My daughter often asks to look at her flower and wanted to know if she could get a tattoo too: “Sure honey,” I told her, “when you’re 32 you can get one too.”

What she does: To say that “I’m a wedding and event planner” doesn’t really cut it, but gives you an idea of logistics, timelines, paper samples, budgets and schedules. I would add “event designer,” expanding the picture in your mind to include imagination, flowers, entertainment, lighting, linens – all to create an experience.  It’s closer, but still not the whole story…

I’m the person who’s going to help you create and breathe life into the vision you have for your wedding, help alleviate the insomnia that has you reading wedding boards at 2:00am, be on hand with a crochet hook, breath mints, extra black socks for that groomsman, tissues for your mom – and, hopefully, become a friend in the process.

How she started her business: I started my first wedding planning company as a junior in college.  I knew I wanted to be a wedding planner before anyone really knew what that meant. (Thank you, J. Lo, for clearing that up!) After several years and several moves, raising my children, in and out of the corporate events world, I still kept coming back to my first love of weddings. In the midst of all of these “life adventures,” I also started dabbling in genealogy and, as a result, inherited a collection of documents from the Civil War Era. Little did I know at the time, this changed everything.

One of the letters now in my care was written by a young suitor to Aribella Martin, my grandmother’s great-grandmother, on December 22, 1815. My heart and imagination were instantly captured by the idea of this letter. Did she return his affection? Did he survive his post in the war? What was their first meeting like after his absence? All of these questions I have about their story that I might never find the answers to – and yet this legacy of their love story remains.
I’ve always been motivated and inspired by connections, by creating a shared moment. The legacy of a love story took that passion to a whole new level and in a way, gave me permission to simply be the hopeless romantic I am. That vulnerability draws the exact type of brides and grooms that I simply LOVE working with. To be able to take the starry-eyed vision they’ve fostered and bring it to completion – and develop friendships and connections in the process – is a joy unlike any other.

What inspires her: I’m one of those people that always seems to be searching – and I’m constantly inspired by what I find. Whether it’s the letter to Aribella, vintage steamer trunks (oh, where have they gone? what gorgeous gowns have they held?) a massive empty warehouse, a fabric swatch, you name it… I can find something to spin out of it.

Best thing a client has done: Hands down best thing is offer me their friendship, long after the wedding. I have the most amazing clients in the world. I’m really careful about who we choose to work with because I know the magnitude of the adventure we’re going to share in planning their wedding together. I’m literally in the midst of planning a road trip to see one of my favorite couples in Atlanta- and that means the world to me.

Advice to newly engaged couples:  The most important thing, I think, is to continue to cultivate your relationships while you’re planning your wedding – and long after. Done well, planning your wedding is an event in and of itself that brings you and your fiancé closer, an adventure you share and partner in, and also enhances your friendships and family connections. And while it may sound self-serving, hiring the right planner is key in making that possible. Again, it’s all about partnership, one that allows you to be yourself, dream and create a vision, stay on task (and budget!) – and then delegate all of the little “action steps” to a trusted someone so you can focus on your relationships, both with each other and with your families and guests. When it comes down to it, those relationships are really what it’s all about.

Enjoy photos from our session at Now Sapphire Resorts in Mexico.