For four years May Eason and her friends have filled the Wetumpka Civic Center with their Beautiful Table Settings Bash. This year more than 300 guests and presenters drove and flew from Connecticut, Arizona and Oklahoma to be a part of the three days of fun surrounding fine China, silverware and table settings.
“These are all my friends,” Eason said. “For many of us, this is our first time meeting in person. They are all a part of the Beautiful Table Settings Facebook group.”
Cliff Williams / TPI Beautiful Table Settings founder and Wetumpka resident May Eason speaks at the BTS Bash at the Wetumpka Civic Center. It started with a Facebook group in 2019 now has more than 250,000 followers. More than 300 guests from nearly 20 states came to event highlighting place settings.
PHOTOS: Beautiful Table Settings Bash comes back to Wetumpka
Cliff Williams / TPI Vendors from across the country came to the Beautiful Table Settings Bash at the Wetumpka Civic Center. Guests from nearly 20 states came to event highlighting place settings.
Cliff Williams / TPI Vendors from across the country came to the Beautiful Table Settings Bash at the Wetumpka Civic Center. Guests from nearly 20 states came to event highlighting place settings.
Cliff Williams / TPI Vendors from across the country came to the Beautiful Table Settings Bash at the Wetumpka Civic Center. Guests from nearly 20 states came to event highlighting place settings.
Cliff Williams / TPI Flower arranger Christopher Norwood, from Arkansas, gives a demonstration on using commonly found greenery in flower bouquets. He used blueberry, horseradish and more.
Cliff Williams / TPI Vendors from across the country came to the Beautiful Table Settings Bash at the Wetumpka Civic Center. Guests from nearly 20 states came to event highlighting place settings.
Cliff Williams / TPI Beautiful Table Settings founder and Wetumpka resident May Eason speaks at the BTS Bash at the Wetumpka Civic Center. It started with a Facebook group in 2019 now has more than 250,000 followers. More than 300 guests from nearly 20 states came to event highlighting place settings.
Cliff Williams / TPI BTS Bash attendees take photos of Christopher Norwood’s floral bouquets he created on the Wetumpka Civic Center stage in front of them.
Cliff Williams / TPI Vendors from across the country came to the Beautiful Table Settings Bash at the Wetumpka Civic Center. Guests from nearly 20 states came to event highlighting place settings.
In January the group had more than 263,000 followers, but Eason said Facebook stopped keeping count. Two years ago there were only 163,000 followers
“It just keeps growing,” Eason said.
The Wetumpka resident has organized six of the ‘Bashes’ now, four in Wetumpka and two in Vicksburg, Mississippi.
“In Vicksburg we do it in January,” Eason said. “My friend who helps organize that one wants to do it when not much is going on to put heads in beds.”
This time in Wetumpka, attendees got to visit Eason’s home, ‘She Shed’ and gardens.
Members of the group even suggested a presenter — Christopher Norwood, a flower arranger from Little Rock Arkansas. He drove 10 hours to present Thursday only to turn around to get back home Thursday night.
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“I have two weddings this weekend,” Norwood said.
Prior to this show, Eason didn’t know Norwood.
“Everyone knew him from his videos,” Eason said. “He started around COVID and just built a following.”
From the stage of the civic center, Norwood built arrangements using greenery from blueberries, horseradish and pears. They provide the fill for large floral arrangements. But Norwood doesn’t necessarily go in with a complete idea of how the arrangement will look.
“I just let the flower talk to me,” Norwood said. “I follow the lead of the plants.”
Eason loves seeing all of her friends. They come to hear the presenters, see if they can fill gaps in collections from vendors, trade with each other and more.
“It’s all fun for me,” Eason said. “I say that with exhaustion after each one of these, but I wouldn’t have it any other way.”
