Tis the season to start entertaining {obviously one of our favorite things!}. Whether you are simply inviting over a few girlfriends for drinks or hosting a large party, try a signature cocktail or two! It’s simple and makes you a fab hostess!
Here’s two versions…very easy…very yummy:
ps: consider personalizing the names to add a little fun

{Cider & Jack}
For each cocktail: Shake 2 ounces applejack liqueur, 1 ounce lemon juice plus a quick splash of grenadine in a shaker with ice. Strain into an ice-filled rocks glass, and top with hard apple cider. Add a cinnamon stick garnish and serve!

{Champagne Poinsettia}
Directions for each cocktail:Combine the 1/4 cup vodka, 1/4 cup Champagne and 1/2 cup cranberry juice in a large-stemmed red wine glass. Add crushed ice and stir until the mixture is well chilled. Twist the orange strips over the glass, drop them in, and serve. {hint: make your orange zest strips about 1/4″ wide and 2″ long}

Has it really been MONTHS since the last Charmed Blog? Yes?! Well, let’s break that spell with some serious eye candy! This is one of our fav wedding EVER and one of our fav brides EVER EVER! Plus the Palumbo family is super wonderful too! :)
Monica and Rick were married at Graylyn Estate, on what started as a very rainy day! Hair and makeup on this gorgeous bride were done by the Be Pretty team. After some anticipation yet right on time, the clouds parted and out came the sun for this couple!
Graylyn Estate is a perfect venue for a romantic and glamorous wedding ceremony, with so many options on where to set your dream into motion. We carried the chandeliers from Monica’s wedding invitation through the entire event, beginning with large vintage chandeliers suspended from the trees on the Graylyn Esate lawn.
The chandelier on the wedding invitation was actually custom drawn to mimic the gorgeous ones in the Winmock at Kinderton barn – we loved it!

Are you ready for a reception that is just…WOW…complete with a Cinco de Mayo mariachi band? Here’s a little teaser…for the rest of the amazing photos from Smitten & Hooked you’ll have to stay tuned for our next blog! {coming much sooner than the last…}
xoxo




www.graylynweddings.com
www.pinkpetuniadesigns.com
www.theeventessentials.com
www.smittenandhooked.com

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}

******************

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