A Portrait Of Petals
By Sophia Carabetta

Tammy Polatesk is a charismatic, multi-talented event planner to say the least! How did she come to find her successful niche in life? Well, as she says “scanning items in a grocery store or becoming a secretary wasn't for me but the bills still had to be paid. So, I tried to think of something fun, then it came to me” (drum roll...) “WEDDINGS! What’s more fun then weddings? Little did I know about the bridzillas.... there were no warning signs or brochures .... but once I got to know them I learned how to handle them too!”

Tammy's advice to newly engaged brides to be; “just like Cinderella, if the shoe fits go with it!” Unfortunately, some brides wind up with event planners that just don't understand them. Tammy expresses how you need to have someone you feel comfortable with and not just because they have made a name for themselves. It is important to feel understood, “as an event planner for many years I have worked with all type of brides and in todays world I believe that it doesn't have to be about the stress and the running around, but about you and how you deal with changes. With the right attitude you can change anything from a traumatic wedding planning experience to complete fun and pleasurable experience.”

When asked about her major accomplishments, like being fluent in four different languages, Tammy instead lists being married to her magical blue eyed husband Shloimy for the past 17 years and her 5 beautiful children as number one. Although she also ranks high, conquering her mother-in-laws trepidation for her inability to bake. As she describes, “My mother-in-law,” (yeah girls I'm sorry but your sweetheart usually comes with one of those as well; read the fine print!) “a Hungarian lady that irons underwear and folds things like they are soldiers ready for war, was shocked to find out that her new daughter-in-law was incapable of baking a simple cake” ...My Goodness! Well did she prove her wrong; not only did she learn to bake, design cakes and accomplish the culinary feat of fruit carving, but she also wrote and published her book Aristocratic Fruits. A “How To” on appetizers from cake decorating to table adornment for any event. A literal handbook of her tricks of the trade.

What makes Tammy a success? Her amazing ability to communicate and understand what an individual really wants and convey that throughout their special day. Her sense of humor and love for life enables her to be flexible and understand customs and personalities across various cultures. She is able to listen and pay close attention to details allowing the brides personality to come through in every aspect. She is an artist at heart and her natural gift and ability to coordinate colors is an added benefit in this business.

At the height of her carrier Tammy has brought her artistic talents to a new level. Introducing floral design to her many trades she has been able to form breathtaking floral arrangements emoting distinctive ambiance. Creating wearable floral attire she has contributed a new twist on fashion. In her most recent floral masterpieces Tammy has earned the prestigious awards of Tulip and Pansies 07' and 08' in the categories: Most Beautiful and Most Original. Additionally, she received accolades in the renowned competition for European Flower Cup 2008 (Biz Bash International Competition). This notoriety has bestowed her the honor of floral décor for six distinguished pre-oscar events; with only two days notice she was able to originate breathtaking floral settings that earned her compliments from stars such as Paula Abdul.

A memorable wedding experience that stands out to Tammy was one that took place two days after Hurricane Katrina. Because of the hurricane her shipment of flowers were not going to be delivered. Unbeknownst to the bride, Tammy worked with florists in Holland and at the last minute procured all of the flowers for the wedding from the overseas supplier. In a desperate crunch she was able to pull everything together. The bride was ecstatic and credited Tammy's creativity and perseverance as major factors in making her special day perfect.

Tammy has just finished her events in Hollywood for the oscar nominees and her next challenge along the way is in London. A bridal expo called ____ taking place on July 17, 2009, it is a blending of different cultures and ethnicities into an unique priceless experience. She is always ready for a challenge and is always ready to listen, you can find out more about her and see her work at www.aristocraticbytammy.com