I volunteer as Tribute due to my extensive knowledge of all things wedding and Panem. Using the Internet Cornucopia, I will make everyone victorious!

Meet District 9 Tribute - Betina Simon

Country: United States

Facebook: www.facebook.com/betina.w.simon?ref=ts

Twitter: www.twitter.com/#!/Bewys

Pinterest Board for District 9: http://pinterest.com/WedInstitute/district-9-floral-betina/

Industry: Floral

Final Mood Board for District 9

Interview with District 9 Tribute - Betina

Betina, in Suzanne Collins’ riveting tale of life in North America after its destruction, a powerful Capitol emerges as residents of its twelve outlying Districts individually struggle to survive under its bleak rule. Each year, the Capitol assembles its Gamemakers to create an elaborate arena filled with deadly trigger points and calls upon one girl and one boy from each of the twelve Districts to play in its nationally televised Hunger Games. As part of the ‘game’ The bored, wealthy people of the Capitol are entertained by the spectacle and Capitol-appointed prep teams create an image for each tribute by providing costumes, makeovers and talking points. Tributes who impress the Capitol viewers win "sponsors" — or wealthy fans, who will fund gifts of food and equipment at critical points in the Games.

Q1: The Wedding Games has no such sinister plot, instead they are our chance to celebrate creativity and your chance to impress your audience and win ‘favor’ and prizes, just as the contestants of the Hunger Games must.  The Heroine of the Hunger Games is Katniss Everdeen.  She is a witty, survival-savvy girl who yearns to trust in a world that has shown her nothing of the sort.  In 25 words or less define your image for your voting public. I am an enthusiastic teacher and reader who loves to bring books and fantasy worlds to life.

Q2: What inspired you to enter the Wedding Games?  Are you an experienced designer looking to showcase your talents, or someone just starting out and wanting to make a name for yourself.  Maybe you are a Hunger Games fan.  Give us some insight into what has motivated you to enter the arena. I was inspired to enter the Wedding Games because I and my middle schoolers enjoyed the Hunger Games books so much that I thought it would be a great project for our class to work on together.  I also am a huge fan of weddings and planning them and hope to be planning my own soon.

Q3: In the Hunger Games, the ‘Gamemakers’ design and control The Hunger Games. They design the arena, the outfits, and a number of the deaths. From the tiniest detail to the biggest bloodbath, the ‘Gamemakers’ are in charge of entertaining the Capitol to the fullest.  Turning back to the much more wonderful world of Weddings and Events, who are the ‘Gamemakers’ who inspire you?  We want you to give us the names of 3 and tell us briefly what it is that inspires you about their work. One of the main 'Gamemakers' who inspires me is David Tutera.  His genuine concern and thoughtfulness about his brides really makes the difference in his weddings.  Another influence on my designs is a former colleague of mine who taught agriculture, Diane Cannon.  Through her enthusiasm for plants and flowers, I know much more about what works together, what doesn't, and what is in season where.  Finally, the authors Jean Auel and Karleen Koen inspired me to learn more about the meanings of flowers and plants, which is a recurring motif in the Hunger Games.

Q4: Finally, what can we expect to see from you in your Wedding Games submission (we don’t want you to describe your submission here, but instead give us a teaser or a sense of how you are going to approach this design challenge). From names of characters to saluting tributes, flowers play an integral part in the story of the Hunger Games.  My floral inspiration board will be based on the deeper meanings of flowers as they have been celebrated both in ancient times as well as in modern ones.  Every flower tells a story, and floral arrangements are like a novel in three dimensions.  I wish my fellow competitors the best of luck and look forward to competing against them!

Happy Wedding Games! May The Odds Be Ever in Your Favor.