Visit Us at The Bridal Showcase, Charlotte, NC

Ladies and Gentlemen we are approaching that time of year again...drumroll...WEDDING SEASON! Yay!! We are geared up over here at SJB Weddings & Events and The Bridal House. So to welcome wedding season 2010, The Bridal Showcase in Charlotte, NC is this Sunday!

We will be there participating. The Bridal House (our bridal boutique) + SJB Weddings & Events (your fabulous wedding planners at your service) will be in booth 712. Please come by and say hi. Come look at our gorgeous gowns and chat with us about your wedding. Yes we do want to hear it. Oh also, wear comfy shoes and come ready to taste some yummy cake! :)

Brides and Grooms take back your Wedding Day!

In the past week or so I have been thinking a lot about childhood and remembering how great it was to just enjoy life as a child. I was amazed at how many things I could remember and that they were all such wonderful memories. Sometimes, I do not think we realize the importance of our memories.

Planning your wedding is such a great time, especially if you are in to the wedding planning, but it can also be a very stressful time. I'm not particulary speaking about the stress in balancing your life while planning your wedding, but the stress in making everyone happy. Sometimes if mom is writing the check she wants some say in the wedding. Now, let me be clear some say is good, but all the say is very bad.

This post is to empower you brides and grooms out there to stand up and have a say in your wedding day. You have to feel good and be happy about your wedding day. You want to remember you had your favorite song played or your favorite flowers. I think it is wonderful to compromise and sometimes it is very necessary, but remember these are your memories. Make sure you will be able to remember your day fondly.

31 Day Blog Challenge:: NC Wedding Planner Style

I have been so blessed to meet so many talented wedding and event professionals since I started this company in 2006. Through my networking, I have yet to find a group as invaluable as my beloved I-Wed. It's funny how you can be so connected to people you have never laid eyes on. Which brings me to my friend and business accountability partner the fabulous, Tabitha Dantzler, owner and lead consultant of Elite Bridal Concierge based in Raleigh, NC. Although we are both wedding planners in North Carolina we are determined to see both of our companies be an ultimate success.

Well, Tabitha challenged me to blog for everyday in the month of July. If you are a blogger you know what type of dedication is needed to have great content on your blog and to do this daiy is going to be more than a challenge, but I think I can do it!

So Carolina brides and wedding professionals alike, tune in daily to see what wedding and event goodness we'll have to share. Also, if you would like to subscribe to this blog please do so here and you can subscribe to Tabitha's blog here.

Have a great Wednesday!

Pinning a Boutonniere

Can you pin this? Is the question I am always asked when I go and check on the groomsmen. Laura at Wish Special Events (formerly Soiree Special Events) blogged about this same topic awhile ago. If you do not have a wedding coordinator this is something you will need to know how to do. Click here to read Laura's great step-by-step instructions on pinning a boutonniere.

Thank God for spellcheck because I always spell that wrong! :)

photo by: Flowers by Alma

Your Spring Wedding ::Your limo

If you are getting married during prom season, March through May, you may want to book your transportation really early. There are a few things that are synonymous with prom night and one of those is definitely the need of having a limo or some sort of hired transportation. Now if you live in a large city with a gazillion transportation companies, this may not be a problem for you. But , if you only have a couple of limo companies in town, I suggest you book your limo right away or the high school kids will riding in your limo on the way to their prom.

photo credit Proms UK

Attention Spring 2009 Brides: The Hot Spring Colors Have Arrived

Pantone, the world-renowned authority on color, has released it's Spring 2009 Fashion Color Report. I love Pantone and I look for these reports every season because it gives me an idea of what the hot wedding colors will be for the upcoming season. If you are a spring bride and have yet to determine your wedding colors, let this report be your first start.

The Lavender and Fuschia Red are my favorites. I am looking forward to seeing the spring bridesmaids dresses in these beautiful colors!

Rehearsal Dinner Locations in Charlotte

One of the great perks of this job is that I get the opportunity to go into different restaurants and hotels and taste their food. A good wedding planner is able to give good solid recommendations based on their experiences. I'm not saying that I've been to every single venue and restaurant within the Charlotte area, but I have had the opportunity to see a good number of them. Which brings me to my rehearsal dinner venue recommendation.



The first location is Woods on South (the old Southend Brewery) is an amazing restaurant. The first thing you notice when you walk in is the Carolina Beer Company on-site brewery. I'm not a beer drinker, but it is pretty amazing to see how the beer is made. Carolina Cuisine is created by celebrity chef Marvin Woods and it is absolutely delicious. Woods on South has two private banquet areas and enough space to seat 100 comfortably. The food is absolutely amazing and so is the service. The Director of Sales and Marketing Cortenay Matters made sure I had an opportunity to taste all of the restaurant's specialties, and there were a lot of them. This is a great location for your rehearsal dinner one that you and your guests would enjoy.



Next is The Capital Grille located in Uptown Charlotte Center City. If you are looking for an upscale location for your rehearsal dinner, folks this is it! The food and service was absolutely delightful. The Capital Grille has a private dining room that seats 50 and also their wine room is available and seats up to 28. The Private Dining Coordinator, Lindsay Metzelaars treated me wonderfully as she gave me a tour of their event space and treated me to a delicious lunch. She also gave me a black linen napkin, instead of a white one, because I was wearing black pants and she knew the white linen would surely leave lint. I thought that showed great attention to detail and wonderful service.

I would highly recommend either one of the two restaurants above. Both are set up perfectly for intimate parties, such as a rehearsal dinner. So if you're stumped and are unsure of where you should treat your wedding party to dinner, try one of the venues above. Please tell them Shanika sent you!

Your Spring Wedding: Dear Charlotte Brides

Dear Charlotte Brides!

Below are some very important dates, especially if you're planning a spring wedding. Please jot these dates down in your calendar.

Trunk Shows! Are you that designer gown kinda bride?? Then don't miss out on these important dates.
Location: Nitsa's
Monique Lhuillier, January 25 -26, 2008
Judd Waddell, February 29-March 1, 2008

Bridal Shows:
The Bridal Showcase: Sunday January, 13, 2008, Charlotte Convention Center
Winter Bridal Show Spectacular: Sunday January 27, 2008, Hilton Charlotte Executive Park

A Bridal Show is an excellent way for you to get face to face with a lot of the wedding vendors in this area. Make sure you wear comfy shoes because you'll probably be on your feet for awhile as you go around to look at all of the vendors. Also, here's a little hint. Print out labels with your name and contact information so you won't have to write it a gazillion times. Trust me! There will be what will seem like a hundred contests for you to enter and if you don't have the labels already printed, you'll have to write you info over and over.

I know after you've tackled the bridal show and gotten all of your vendors you may think yes I can do this all by myself. Well, in a way that was the easy part! :) You'll still need a manager for your day. Think about it, do you really want it to be you?? or your mom? or your best friend? Of course not. You want them to enjoy the day too, right? Ok, I'm off my soapbox.
We won't be participating in the bridal shows, however, if you read this blog you know how to get in touch with me for your planning needs. Just in case you don't have it here's my info: info[at]sjbweddingsandevents[dot]com.

Image Courtesy of Six Until Me

Ask the NC Wedding Planner!!!

Starting next Monday, we will be starting our new series, "Ask the NC Wedding Planner!". Yes, it means exactly what it says. You email me your questions in regards to wedding planning, etiquette or basically any question that you've been stumped with lately concerning your nuptials and I will post the questions and answers here every Monday. I know you have questions, so let's not be shy about asking them. Here is the email address: info[at]sjbweddingsandevents.com. North Carolina brides I would love to hear from you!!