WilGrant Photography comes to Charlotte: Complimentary Post Wedding Mini- Session

I had the wonderful pleasure to meet the talented Jeff Wilson from WilGrant Weddings, a company named from both his last name and his wife's maiden name. How sweet! But anyway, he's a fabulous photographer and boy do I love great photographers. He has relocated his DC company now to Charlotte and he comes bearing gifts.

WilGrant Weddings, is offering post wedding mini-shoots to Charlotte area brides who are interested in taking some creative photos in their wedding gowns (trashed or not). Oh did I mention that these sessions are complimentary for a limited time. So if you're interested you need to contact him now before this niceness wears off! :)

Email him at info(at)wilgrantweddings(dot)com and phone him at 1.877.641.2120.

Here is the talented Jeff in action. Enjoy.

Daniel Stowe Botanical Gardens Wedding Promotion

Are you looking for a great venue to have a garden wedding? Well, one of the most beautiful locations in this area is offering an amazing promotion. Book your wedding at Daniel Stowe Botanical Gardens by April 30, 2009 and receive 15% off on any Friday or Sunday Package. Your wedding must take place before or on March 31, 2010.

Around The Wedding Blog World

There are so many blogs out there and I know I don't read half of them, but the ones I do read are all full of great information for me as a planner and for you as a bride. I wanted to share some interesting things going on in the wedding blog world that I think you should know if you don't already.

• Jessica Merritt, the writer for the new Soul Mating blog who writes about her plight in the dating world, has kindly created a list of her Top 100 Wedding Blogs. I was honored to see our blog listed. This is another great resource out there for those of you who are getting married or just love reading about weddings and wedding planning.
  
• Get Married has launched the blog Blogger Brides! Blogger Brides is a bridal social community where brides can chat and blog about their experiences. Along with personal bridal posts, Get Married's star bloggers will also post their expert opinions on various subjects.
  
• Those who know me, know that I am truly a photography snob! I am in love with the good stuff and I totally hate the bad stuff out there. Well here is some good stuff. Agie Photography, based out of Charlotte, NC, has created a blog for all of his beautiful work. You must take a minute or two to run over and take a look. You will not be disappointed. Thanks Alyse for keeping me in the know!
  
• Are you thinking about eloping to some far away destination, like Paris?? If so please read the post by Kim Peyt from Parisian Party, entitled the Top 5 Tips for Eloping in Paris. Great, great information!
  

Strike Rattlers Strike!

I was so proud as I watched Jeopardy's College Championships tonight and saw that a student from my alma mater Florida A&M University (FAMU) was one of the contestants. We were cheering for her the entire show and she won and is now going to the semi-finals! Gabrielle McMahan represented us Rattlers well! Good luck Gabrielle!!

What a Good Love Story!

I have been not feeling well for a week or so, but today I actually feel a little like myself so I thought I'd start my morning by checking my email. I'm not sure if you're like me but I have multiple email accounts, actually I've had one account since college which served as my main account but I have not been as diligent about checking it. But anyway, I'm getting to the point, I was going through my 600 emails and found an email from a very dear friend of mine who asked for me to vote for him and his bride-to-be ( I didn't know he was engaged) on brides.com. So of course my interest was piqued so I went over to the site and found that Jeff and his fiance was selected out of millions as the one of the top 10 wedding proposals. Wow! If they win they receive a dream honeymoon to Los Cabos, Mexico! Well I read his proposal and it is a wonderful one. So if you guys have time today vote for my friend Jeff Rumlin and his fiance. Here is the actual proposal:

A Monday Like No Other

On Monday December 3rd, my coworker came into the office and stated that the entire faculty and staff had to watch the morning announcements because there was going to be a special announcement on the schools morning news.

As I watched the students give their reports Jeff (my fiancé) appeared on the TV screen. He spoke about me being the love of his life, and how we had our first date at my school and at that point I blacked out and fell to my knees and began to scream and cry because I knew he was proposing.

Several of my coworkers picked me up off the floor and lead me to the media center where all the students and faculty members were, cheering, clapping and crying. That’s when I saw Jeff on one knee, and he asked me one simple question: "Would you do me the honor of spending the rest of your life with me and joining me in holy matrimony and becoming my wife?" and I said "Of course."

Please vote for my friend Jeff who I've known since elementary school, we even went to the 8th grade dance together!!! I wish I could find those pictures. That was absolutely wonderful Jeff!

a FABULUXE Publication

Are you in need of some new inspiration for your wedding or another grand event coming up. Well I've got the newsletter for you. Actually, I prefer to call it a fabulous online magazine, but whatever you call it you must call it FABULUXE! Terrica Skaggs, the owner of Fabuluxe Events, Inc and the author of The Wedding Planners' Fabuluxe Blog has created {FETE}ish: feeding your addiction to everything fabulous. This publication is one that is full of breathtaking photographs from Scarlett Lillian and wonderful articles such as 20 Concepts and Trends that Changed the Wedding World and Trends Your Wedding Planner Would Like to See Just Die. By the way, yours truly is mentioned as one of the bad trend assassins! :) It's always a pleasant surprise to see a great product that is bolder than the ordinary and one that is a true trendsetter. Terrica never ceases to amaze me, because she is so talented. I am looking forward to reading the next issue. Do not let your wedding inspiration stop at wedding magazines and Wed TV. Take a peek and a listen to someone who works with brides on a daily basis. This is expert advice at it's finest, do not miss out!!

Daniel Stowe Botanical Gardens: Wedding Showcase 2008

It seems like lately we've been having a bridal show every two weeks around the Charlotte area, which is a great thing for you brides who may still be in the hunt for vendors or just a little wedding inspiration. Well, here's another one. Daniel Stowe Botanical Gardens in Belmont, will be having it's annual Wedding Showcase on Sunday February 24th from 1:00-6:00 pm. This event will showcase some of the best vendors in this area, including us, SJB Weddings & Events. If you are even considering to have your event at Daniel Stowe this would be a great opportunity to come look at the venue. It will be set up for a wedding so you can get a great idea of how you would look standing at the altar. Also, keep in mind Daniel Stowe books at least one year in advance so if you're interested be sure to jump on those available dates, because they will not last long.

Please come by the booth to say hi, I would love to meet you. We're sure to have something to satisfy your sweet tooth and we'll have a great giveaway for one lucky winner. Also, quick note, this event is tented so it will happen rain or shine. I'll see you there.

Brides Decide

I love politics. It's right up there with weddings and baking! I'm not sure why I have this obsession, but I have always been very interested with the state of this country as well as who the major decision makers are. Needless, to say I have watched a lot of CNN for the past couple of months and I'm sure I'll be watching more in the near future. I ran across this site today ( I can't remember who blogged about it, sorry) , Brides Decide- Get Engaged in the 2008 Election. I love that tag line. The mission of this site is to motivate young engaged women and newlyweds to make educated decisions about their community via the political process. I think that's great! Go over and take a look at it if you can tear yourself away from your wedding magazines.

Oh, I almost forgot, there are also pics of some of the candidates on their wedding day along with a Q&A about their beloved wedding story. Below are a few of the candidates and their spouses. Unfortunately, my candidate wasn't pictured. I would love to see Barack and Michelle on their wedding day! :)

John and Elizabeth Edwards


Hillary and Bill Clinton


Mike and Janet Hucakbee

Win Jessica Claire Photography for 2008 wedding!

If you are in need of a photographer for 2008, this post is for you! Jessica Claire is offering to shoot some lucky bride's wedding for free in 2008. (Thanks ladies over at the Weddingbee for keeping me informed!) If for some reason you've been under a rock and have no idea who Jessica Claire is she is only THE wedding photographer! If you want to see her work for yourself run over to her site. Be prepared to drool, because the photos are HOT! But anyway, her are the contest rules. If you fit the criteria don't miss out on this excellent opportunity! Who wouldn't want magazine worthy photos of their wedding?? Don't miss out! Here are the complete details.

Image by Jessica Claire

Introducing Danny's World

As I was checking Technorati, I noticed a new link to my site and lo and behold it was my cousin Danielle! What a wonderful surprise. She has began on her blogging journey giving us her take on fashion, makeup, skin care and all of the pretty things that matter in a girls life. So when you get some time run over to Danny's World and leave her some love.


Image Courtesy of MAC Cosmetics

Pink Ribbon Bagel

It is hard to find any food item that makes me just as happy as a Pumpkin Spice Latte from Starbucks these days, but a close second is the Pink Ribbon Bagel at Panera Bread. If you don't have a Panera Bread in your area, I feel awful for you, but with over 1000 locations in the country you should be close to one. I was meaning to blog about this a couple of weeks ago, but I forgot. For the entire month of October, Panera Bread features their Pink Ribbon Bagel, made with cherry chips, dried cherries and cranberries, vanilla, honey and brown sugar. A portion of the proceeds go to benefit Breast Cancer Awareness. So you have to hurry, because October is almost over! Go over try one of these fabulous bagels with hazelnut cream cheese and a cup of hazelnut coffee!! DELICIOUS! I love it, good food for a great cause! By the way, if you're reading Panera Bread people, I would buy this year round!

Happy 1st Anniversary SJB Weddings & Events

Today, one year ago, SJB Weddings & Events was born! I can't believe it has been a year already. This first year was a great learning experience. I literally learned something from every event we did this first year.

I have set big goals for next year and hopefully these goals can be accomplished. We have a new ad campaign in Carolina Bride Magazine this quarter in order to create more exposure in this area and I am also in the process of revising our website. So, if you are engaged and you're not sure of what to do next or you know you may need a little help, please contact us for a complimentary consultation to discuss what your needs are. Don't forget to ask about our referral program!

Happy Planning!

Blog Action Day!!! Get Involved!

One Issue. One day. Thousands of voices. I love this! Blog Action Day!!! I know a lot of us bloggers blog about cute things, things that will interest our readers, things that interest us and sometimes just mindless chatter. But on one day everyone can blog about something important...Our Environment!

In every industry, we can be doing something better to help sustain the environment. So on October 15th, let's tell people how we can do that. If you're looking for some green wedding advice, check back on October 15th and I'll give a few practical tips for you brides to be. In the meantime, if you'd like to get involved take a look at what you can do!

On October 15th, bloggers around the web will unite to put a single important issue on everyone’s mind - the environment. Every blogger will post about the environment in their own way and relating to their own topic. Our aim is to get everyone talking towards a better future.

Blog Action Day is about MASS participation. That means we need you! Here are 3 ways to participate:

• Post on your blog relating to the environment on Blog Action Day
• Donate your day’s earnings to an environmental charity
• Promote Blog Action Day around the web

It's Fashion for a Cause!

Hush: Fashion Speaks for itself, is the tag line for this great fashion show benefiting the Luke Pier Foundation. On Sunday September 23rd at Blue Restaurant & Bar, Charlotte's trendiest boutiques will be showcasing the hottest fall fashion. This show is being held to raise money for the Luke Pier Foundation which was created to help it's name sake Luke Pier raise funds to have a much needed surgery costing $500,000. The night starts with the fashion show and Redwood, band from Wilmington, NC will be playing the music as well as a live DJ for the after party.

If you are in the area and are looking for a charity to donate to please come out and support this event. Also, come say hi to me at the silent auction table!

If you are interested in being a sponsor or donating an item to the silent auction please contact me at info@sjbweddingsandevents.com.

Me in the Charlotte Observer.... Yeah!!!

I was so excited to know that I was in the Charlotte Observer yesterday! Why, you ask? Well every Sunday they publish a Party Tip on the cover of the Celebrations section from a local professional in town and guess who was the lucky professional this week... ME! ME!! I guess you can tell I'm a little excited! I had my husband go out and buy a few copies, because of course it would be in the local paper when I'm out of state! Unfortunately it's not available online, but as soon as I get an electronic copy I'll be sure to share!