We’d like to introduce our intern for the Spring/Summer wedding season, Lexi Bickler! We met Lexi last year as we planned her sister Larissa’s Ballantyne wedding. Lexi joined her sister at several wedding planning vendor meetings, it was obvious she had an interest in our industry.
The Charmed Event is thrilled to have her working with us on our Charlotte weddings and events during this busy season!
Here’s a little more about adorable Lexi, in her own words…
My name is Lexi, I am a rising sophomore at The University of South Carolina (Go Gamecocks!). I am a hospitality management major with a focus in wedding and event planning. I love Latin ballroom dancing and spending time with my Zeta Tau Alpha sorority sisters! I love working with colors (especially pink and navy) and flowers (especially peonies and ranunculus).

It’s always an odd feeling once one of our brides gets married. On one hand, we just did our job as wedding planner {well, of course!} and on the other we no longer have to talk to the bride so often! It is almost like losing touch with a girlfriend {boo}.

So, to all of our past brides, we do think of you and your families warmly and often! We love creating your wedding vision with you, and getting to know you/your lucky fiance/your friends/your family!

Today, we received this email from our bride Casey whose wedding was on New Year’s Eve {Uptown Charlotte wedding ceremony, and reception in a historic Lake Norman home…gorgeous…sigh…}. It totally made us feel awesome {!}, but also nostalgic for those Carolina weddings that have come and gone and the wonderful clients we were blessed to work with!

{click on the photos to view them larger, photography by Bella Loren}

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Hello ladies! I just wanted to say hi! I saw beautiful photos you posted in Facebook and it made me think how much I missed you! I was in town a couple weeks ago for a friends wedding and it wasn’t the same coming into town without meeting up with y’all!

My wedding photos are my most prized possession now. I look at the all the time and think about how amazing it was! Our friends and families are still talking about it!

I hope you’re both doing well!

Xoxo,
Casey

Katie & John are an AMAZING couple, a dynamic duo lighting up the city of Charlotte!
It was our extreme pleasure to work with them, creating their wedding day in Charlotte that began at the Little Church on the Lane and wrapped up with a party at The Big Chill! As guests entered the church and reception venues, small signs lined their path that shared facts about Katie & John.
Katie is a social media whiz (you should find her on Twitter!) and an Editor at Charlotte STYLE Magazine {let us also toot her horn as she was just nominated as one of Charlotte’s Most Stylish}. John is a music producer and composer – beyond talented – and has produced music for the likes of Marc Jacobs and Fox Broadcasting. His music was featured during cocktail hour, it was such a thrill for guests when they realized what they were hearing!
Right on with the budding purple trend, Katie picked a deep hue and paired it with creams and silver. The couple wanted a rich design with some contemporary touches, Sterling by Design and Party Blooms nailed their vision in lighting and floral design! We contrasted the traditional silver candelabra arrangements with acrylic cube table numbers which also featured engagement photos of the couple and a custom logo.
The DJ was a friend of the couple, and was part of the night they met at an album launch party. Their love of music found it’s way into the details of the day…their logo was also found on the escort cards (designed to look like little vinyl albums), on a welcome poster greeting guests as they entered The Big Chill (designed to look like an album cover), and of course on their Shutterbooth photos! Katie and John treated the guests to mini chocolate milkshakes and chocolate chip cookies as the festivities came to a close – a sweet take on the late night food trend – complete with super fun purple and white straws!
Enjoy these photos of their special evening, shot by Jeremy Igo! {click on each to see them larger}

I’m just itching to design a bold Spring soiree! This wedding or party color palette is so much fun – yellow, orange, and teal…don’t be scared to go bold! This is a perfect color palette for Baby Showers, Bridal Showers, or even Wedding Decor! Bright colors are perfect for Easter or Spring parties, and you can mute these colors a bit to create the perfect Fall wedding color tones.
I’m thinking of having a Cocktail Party or Girlfriends Brunch using these bright colors. I’m so taken by the colors I threw together a quick invitation design, and I’d love to mimic that with yellow and white striped napkins at each place setting. There are lots of great floral options in yellow and orange {including Jill’s favorite – yellow billy balls}, so I’d go with a teal linen on my tables. Even more exciting is the yummy Kumquat cocktail, consider scattering kumquats around the tables with your votives as well. They are such a cute little fruit! :)
Here’s a few pics to get you inspired about my yellow/orange/teal party palette, including my invitation design! {PS…I may be calling Cake Lady Jill to make me a little striped cake like this one from Sweet Designs!}

Angie and Heath’s love story began in high school, life took them down separate paths through college and career yet they reconnected thanks to Facebook and the sparks continued!

This bride was all about fuchsia and bling for her wedding design – the more the better! Their sweet ceremony was made even sweeter with a room completely draped in soft white fabric with pale pink lighting. Columns greeted guests as the entered and created an the wedding altar. Each column was topped with pink petals, and a cylinder with a floating candle. We even blinged out her floating candles! Crawford and Company hung a strand a crystals from each candle and they swayed in the water. For the reception, we started with linens from Party Tables and Connie Duglin and Todd Crawford sealed the deal with his amazing crystal trees and glimmering candelabras! {and just wait until you see the level of bling the bride brought with her shoes!!}

The cake was made by the Ballantyne Hotel – it was a showstopper!! Each tier appeared to be lifted up on fuchsia roses, and the wedding cake topper was completely encrusted in crystals. Not to be left out, the cocktails were also hot hot pink! We featured 2 – a his and hers signature cocktail. “Real Men Wear Pink” and the “Pink Lady”!

Sterling By Design rocked our fabric draping and lighting as usual, and also set up a hot lounge area with brand new styles! High back, tufted sofas…to die for!

DJ Ant from Atlanta, who is a friend of the couple {and whose wife graced Angie’s bridal party} kept everyone dancing – including passers by in the Ballantyne Hotel hallways!

Enjoy these gorgeous photos from Bella Loren Fotografia www.bellaloren.com ! You can click on an individual shot to view it larger! :)

Cheers!
Katie & Jill

Additional Vendors:
Wedding Videography by Crown Alley
Stationery by Three Little Birds

Diana could take the prize for one of the most gorgeous and fun brides of 2011! We had a blast planning her Hollywood inspired wedding at Daniel Stowe Botanical Gardens in May of last year.

Diana wanted a Hollywood feel to her wedding and reception, but with a soft palette of silver and white. White ostrich feathers and crystals made their way into her centerpieces and cake designs. For chairs, Diana chose Chameleon from Classic Party Rentals. The ruched fabric and crystal embellishments were gorgeous! These Chameleon Chairs offer so many options for your wedding decor!

The bride wore Vera Wang and was beyond stunning!! Her bridal party wore elegant black dresses with custom bouquets we designed with Todd Crawford – lucite boxes with dripping crystals and topped with lush flowers – they were held purse style with a thick satin ribbon! We loved how open Diana was to be unique!

Escort cards hung from a crystal curtain at cocktail hour, as Best Impressions Caterers greeted guests with hors devoures and cocktails (amazing as always). The reception kicked off with our favorite DJ – Split Second Sound! The classic cake was displayed on a custom tiered stand that dripped crystals between each of the layers – thank you Wow Factor another fabulous wedding cake!

Enjoy this gorgeous bride and their photos as much as we enjoyed wedding planning with her, and be sure to check out the vendor links below!

www.dsbg.org Daniel Stowe Bontanical Garden, Wedding Venue
www.crawfordandcompanyflorist.com, Wedding Floral Design
www.classicpartyrentals.com, Chameleon Chairs and Linens
www.bestimpressionscaterers.com, One of our favorite vendors!! Amazing catering
www.charlotteweddingcakes.com, Wow Factor crystal dripped wedding cake
www.splitsecondsound.com, Top Wedding DJ
www.jeremiebarlow.com, Photography

We are trying our hand at adding more video content to The Charmed Event’s YouTube channel! Our first addition in quite some time is a behind the scenes glimpse into what it takes to set up a stunning wedding reception!

The decor installation began on Friday, with Sterling By Design and Scott Brown Media setting up the fabric and some lighting.

Saturday morning met the team from Scott Brown continuing their amazing work, as well as deliveries from Party Reflections (gorgeous linens and chairs), AFR, Ice Sensations, and chargers from Classic Party Rentals.

Catering preparation by Best Impressions, and floral work by The Place for Flowers took several hours. The centerpieces were gorgeous shades of purple – orchids, roses, branches – texture galore! Dinner offered guests a unique choice of Tomahawk Short Ribs or Sea Bass in addition to an amazing cocktail hour that included a Shrimp and Grits station. The late night food was a crowd favorite – hotdogs and sliders! No one went hungry!

Emily had a fabulous vision for her night, and kept surprising their guests. 2 bands, a champagne bar, and even purple feather boas! Everyone had an amazing time, and we hope you enjoy seeing the work these top vendors put into creating the party!

…and we can’t wait to see the fabulous photos captured by Tara Mauldin!!

This New Year’s Eve, you will find us celebrating with Casey and Steve on their wedding day!

This cute couple lives in the Windy City, but met at Wake Forest and will be tying the knot in NC! It will be a night to remember, with plenty of revelry planned. Casey and Steve kicked off this year with an engagement shoot in Chicago {once the snow melted a bit, that is!}. Dustin & Diana from Bella Loren made the trip up to capture this time in their lives, you can find even more photos on the Bella Loren blog!

www.bellaloren.com

There is a new obsession over at The Charmed Event….Pinterest!  We believe that many of our brides are aware of what Pinterest is, however, some of you may ask what in the world is this obsession that everyone is talking about.  Pinterest is a website that you can use to collect inspiration for everything imaginable and store it all in one place.  It is a way to stay super organized with all of the many ideas you find while surfing the internet for inspirations.

For all of you brides that are planning a wedding, we would definitely recommend checking the site out.  When you find the perfect image online that you want your vendors to see, you can just reference your Pinterest board!

Happy Pinning!

xoxo- Jill and Katie

 

Many times everyone gets so involved in the planning process that the bride tends to be the center of attention, and sometimes, we may forget about the groom (yes, even the wedding planners).  Often times we, Katie and Jill, may meet the groom at the initial consultation and then not even see the groom again until the wedding day!  Yes, as crazy as it sounds, it’s the truth!  So recently we were asked by one of our Charlotte, NC grooms, “What should I be doing during the planning process?”  As planners, Katie and I jumped for joy and immediately supplied our groom-to-be with a list of his wedding duties.

The Beverage Bar

The bar is one of the most common things that our brides will put their husbands-to-be in charge of for the wedding.  Generally, the groom determines (with the wedding planners assistance) how much of their budget can handle the bar and what types of alcohol should be served.  So grooms, here’s some advice on how to handle this responsibility for your wedding reception.  Don’t forget to have fun doing this!  If there’s a certain design element to your wedding bring it into the bar presentation, maybe you can have a particular signature drink, even try “His” and “Hers” signature drinks (your wedding planner can give you great advice here).  If you’re a tequila man, then see if your venue can offer a tequila bar, this will definitely add a little heat to the reception.  There’s also the option of a separate beer and wine station, a champagne bar, or even a full whiskey bar!

To “mix” things up a little, you can also offer an ice bar, martini luge, or different colored drinks for different tables.  Colors are the best and most affordable way to play around with wedding beverages and create an interesting and classy atmosphere for your wedding reception.  Make it appealing to your wedding guests by using interesting glasses, cute little colored straws, fresh garnishes like oranges and cherries, and even colored ice!

The Wedding Band

Not all men are excited about the jewelry and even though you may not want to wear a ring, at least you can pick your own individual style out.  There are many different styles and metals of wedding bands that you can choose from.  It can have one or two indented lines, grooves, have a hammered pattern, or just be plain.  Different metals have different colors and properties. There is yellow or white gold, which are both great quality and can be made to fit any size finger.  Platinum is fabulous because it’s a heavy weight can make you feel like a man, however, it is a little more expensive than your other options.  Sterling silver is nice and affordable; however it is for a man that likes more of a shiny ring.  Titanium and palladium are popular choices because of their colors and they are very light weight.  Another popular choice is tungsten.  It’s great because it has a very dark, unique color.  If you are a gem guy, you can discuss with you jeweler the qualities you want in a wedding band.  Decide on a budget or at least a price range – depending on the style, metal, stones, and design that you are looking for, you may even be able to custom-design your ring for an affordable price.

The Honeymoon

Our favorite….The Honeymoon!!!!  YOU can plan the honeymoon.  While your bride-to-be is planning the wedding details, you can to start planning your getaway.  You can begin booking the flight(s), accommodations, food, and activities.  For todays groom-to-be this is lots of fun because you can enjoy searching through websites for great deals and places to go.  You shouldn’t plan the entire honeymoon without inquiring with your bride-to-be.  Be sure to ask her advice on where she wants to go and what she wants to do.  You can book and plan all the details, which many women will find very romantic.  Recently, one of our North Carolina grooms planned an entire getaway honeymoon to Italy all by himself.  Our bride had no idea until the night of the reception, how ROMANTIC!

To all the grooms out there that think they have been forgotten, please know that there are things for you to do and ways to contribute that you can enjoy.  Be sure to attend your food and cake tastings!  You can also request a signature drink taste testing, if applicable!  Remember that choosing metals for your wedding band, looking up places to go scuba diving, and booking fabulous dinners for your honeymoon can be your contributions to make your wedding unique and memorable.   And remember, your wedding planner is always there to give any advice or assistance you may need!

xoxo,

Katie and Jill

Jeremy Igo Photography