I first learned about Celiac Disease a few years ago, when a client who suffers from the disease came to a South ‘n France party.  Prior to his arrival, I checked all of our bon bon flavors and their ingredients to determine which ones he could enjoy during the evening.  Our gluten-free bon bon flavors are:  Café au Lait, Coconut, Pistachio, and Peanut Buttah.

According to The Today Show, 5% of Americans have a gluten intolerance, and one in 33 Americans has Celiac Disease — that’s not to mention the fact that 95% of Celiacs go undiagnosed. As a result, the gluten-free market is exploding.  Restaurants are offering gluten-free menus; food manufacturers are developing gluten-free products; gluten-free bakeries are popping up around the country; celebrities are converting to a gluten-free diet.  First Daughter Chelsea Clinton even served gluten-free cake at her recent wedding!  Now that all of the wedding planning is over, we’d like to suggest that Chelsea take a break.  She can sit around eating our gluten-free bon bons:  Café au Lait, Coconut, Pistachio, and Peanut Buttah.  I bet her dad would willing scarf up our other three flavors:  Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough, Cookies ‘n Creme, and Fudge Brownie!

There’s nothing like a great love story.  I enjoy reading the New York Times wedding announcements, even though I’ve never known a single person featured therein.  I even own a book (that I bought long before I was married) called  How We Met: Chance Encounters and Other True Love Stories of Real-Life Couples.  And, of course, there is my own love story with Pascal, one I’ve told to countless audiences at Bon Bon Parties and public speaking events.

Whenever I meet a new couple, I love to ask:  “So, how did you meet?”  Recently, I met a bride-to-be with a really cool love story.  Lorie was on a plane, flying home after her daughter’s wedding, when she struck up a conversation with the man in the seat right next to her.  Little did she know that man would become her husband.  Talk about love in the air!

Lorie was living in Texas at the time, but the charming airline passenger, a resident of California, was undeterred.  A week later, when he traveled to Texas on business, he called Lorie and asked to take her to dinner.  The rest, as they say, is history.

Eventually Lorie moved to California to be closer to her beau (he’s a film producer).  And recently, the couple moved to Wilmington, NC to be near Screen Gem Studios where said producer has a few projects in the works.

Pascal and I were thrilled to be a small part of their wedding celebration.  We provided bon bon favors for the Welcome Baskets placed in hotel rooms for out-of-town guests, and we hosted a Bon Bon Party for the bride and her girlfriends the evening before the wedding.

Here’s a shot of the happy bride (in white) with her two daughters, Ashley (left) and Amanda (right), the one whose wedding started it all….