Celebrate with

cocktails,” he said.

Citi’s wine manager Teresa Dalton said rosé and sparking varieties were becoming popular year-round for just about any type of occasion.

“In summer, people want a lighter wine, but we’ll be moving into fall soon and that will mean richer, heavier reds for barbecues,” Dalton commented.

Dan Sirois with Elite Events and Occasions (eliteeventsandoccasions.com) said his company plans weddings, bar mitzvahs, Sweet 16 parties and much more. He said one of the hottest new trends are photo booths, where partygoers can take pictures and short video clips to post on Instagram, Snapchat and other social media.

Sirois said he’s also been seeing a lot of unconventional and non-traditional parties for wedding receptions and other events. Food trucks provide a fun, interactive way to serve guests with a variety of food, forgoing a formal meal. Games such as cornhole, giant Jenga and Scrabble are also adding fun and whimsy to parties.

Sophie Berger and Leslie Bahr with Buckhead Life Restaurant Group (buckheadrestaurants.com) handle the 103 West event space and have seen new trends emerging in the last year.

“We host a lot of wedding receptions, and we’ve noticed that food stations are becoming popular rather than traditional sit-down dinners,” Berger said. “It gives guests options for food and it’s not so formal.”

Bahr said couples are more handson than ever when it comes to menu planning for wedding receptions and rehearsal dinners. “The couples especially want input on the kind of alcohol being served.

Continued HOT on Page 24

VisitSandySprings.org