Wine And Cheese Theme Parties

Gay Lyons' People & Parties: Beastly party brings thousands to Knoxville Zoo

Knoxville Zoo threw what could easily be billed as Knoxville's "wildest" party on Saturday, Aug. 20. The 17th annual Feast with the Beasts, sponsored by ORNL Federal Credit Union, brought more than 2,300 visitors out for an evening where they dined, drank and danced their way through the park, all to benefit Knoxville Zoo. The event featured cuisine from more than 45 restaurants, breweries and wineries, including Bayou Bay Seafood House, O'Charley's, BKW Seasonings, Touch of Love Catering, UT Culinary Institute, Texas Roadhouse, Puleo's Grille, Ole Smoky Distillery, Brixx Pizza, Highland Brewing Co., Latitude 35, Beans Creek Winery, Krispy Kreme Doughnuts, Chandler's Deli, Sapphire Knoxville, Blue Coast Burrito and Smoky Mountain Brewery.

Music on three stages throughout the zoo kept the evening lively, featuring Second Opinion on the Plaza Stage, Dream on Alice on the Kids Cove Stage and Homemade Wine on the Encounter Village Stage. Tuatha Dea Drum Nation engaged visitors with a special experience at the Stokely African Elephant Preserve and invited partygoers to learn how to play the drums as well. Among those seen working on mastering the drums were John Martin and Britanny Bailey.

ORNL Federal Credit Union President Chris Johnson and his wife Chriswere on hand to enjoy the evening, as were Melodie Godfrey, Mason and Ralphine Oaks, Sam and Gwen McKenzie, Stacy Foster, John and Betty McKittrick, and Nancy Ballard. Other guests included Tim and Amy Williams, Jeff and Christy Lee, Bill and Michelle Shory, Eric Foxx, Mike and Terryl Oliver, Eddie Mannis, Tim and Tonya Alleman, Erin Donovan, Robbie Arrington, Lee Ann Bowman, Russell Byrd, Greg and Audrey Hodge, Janet Testerman, Dino Cartwright, Chris and Julie Schulze, Alex Stidham and Debbie Williams, Mike Wiseman, and Randy and Angie Sewell.

nFrank and Belinda Gambuzza hosted "25 Beautiful Years," their 11th annual Education for Excellence combined with a 25-year anniversary celebration for The Visage Group, which includes Salon Visage, Spa Visage, Studio Visage and Frank's Barbershop. The group employs more than 160 people and offers hair, skin, nail, makeup and body services to more than 600 clients per day. Salon Visage has been featured in Wall Street Journal, Elle, Vogue and Sophisticate's Hairstyle magazines, and was recently listed among the Top 25 Salons in America by BE! Beauty Entertainment magazine. Frank's Barbershop was voted Best Barbershop in America by About.com, a New York Times company, in March 2011.

Wine and Cheese Bridal Shower Party

A wine and cheese theme bridal shower exudes a very elegant and sophisticated atmosphere. For a bride who is upscale and classy, a wine and cheese themed bridal shower party screams your true personality and aesthetics. Their vibrant and festive nature ensures that everyone has a wonderful time. If you are thinking about throwing a wine and cheese bridal shower party, here are some great ideas and tips that are certain to contribute towards a memorable bridal shower party that will fail to escape anyone’s memories.

The first aspect of the wine and cheese theme bridal shower party that you will come across is the invitations. Your invitations can depict the beautiful scenery of France as it is renowned for its history and tradition of wines and cheeses. Your invitations can also portray something that is synonymous with wines and cheeses, like a vineyard or grapes. On the other hand, invitations which are shaped as wine bottles or cheese can make for beautiful wine and cheese themed bridal shower party invitations. You should keep in mind that presentations are a part of the aspect of invitations. For a unique presentation, you can insert your invitations in glass bottles that are personalized with custom labels of the guest’s name, initial or a photograph.

For decorating your choice of venue, there are numerous options available for you to choose from. For instance, you decorate the walls with elegant pictures, paintings and posters of vineyards, beautiful scenery of France and bowl of fruits. You can purchase glass bowls and insert faux fruits like grapes, strawberries, bananas, oranges and various other fruits and place them on the tables. This vibrant and colorful decoration can make your table centerpieces. Another centerpiece idea is a large empty wine bottle that can be adorned with a miniature wedding gown.

You can create a wine station where the guests can get the opportunity to taste and experience several different wines. For the wine tasting, it is always advisable to start with the lightest wines and gradually work your way up to the strongest. Keep in mind that two glasses should be allocated for each person. This allows one glass for red wines and the other for white wines. You can also create a cheese station where the guests can treat themselves to various cheeses. If you also opt for cheese tasting, you should keep in mind that each type of cheese should be cut with a separate knife to prevent an infusion of flavors into the cheese. Similar to the wine tasting, cheeses can also set out to progress from the milder-tasting ones to the stronger and sharper tasting ones. A separate table should be set aside and be stocked with an assortment of crackers, breads, bread sticks, nuts and fruits.

Who Moved My Cheese?

Atlantic, Great Sea Battles, Heroic Discoveries, Titanic Storms, and a Vast Ocean of a Million Stories

Crime and punishment

War and peace

Romeo and Juliet