Carolina Brides Win a Wedding Coordinator for your Wedding

In honor of Valentine's Day, SJB Weddings & Events is announcing it's first ever wedding giveaway! Keep reading to see how you can win our Weekend Wedding Coordination Package for your 2009 wedding.

On every August 17th, I think of my husband proposing to me. I still remember the scene, the candles, the rose petals and the wine.... but what exactly did he say? I know it was beautiful and thoughtful, because I obviously said yes, but I would love to remember exactly what he said.

So, with that in mind, the rules for this contest are quite simple. Tell us about that fabulous proposal that made you say yes. If you have pictures that will help you tell the story please send them. We are looking for the most romantic and beautiful wedding proposals out there. This of course is an excellent opportunity to win a wedding coordinator for your wedding day, but it is a great way to document how the most important question of your life was asked.

So here are the contest rules:

1. Tell us about how he proposed and feel free to attach any photos that help tell your story.
2. Send all entries to info{at} sjbweddingsandevents{dot}com no later than March 14, 2009 at 11:59 pm. On March 15,2009 the top five finalist will be selected and posted on the blog and our readers (which includes all of your family and friends) will have the opportunity to select the winner in a final two week vote. The winner will be announced on March 31, 2009.
   
3. Your wedding must take place in 2009 and in the Charlotte, NC and surrounding area. This surrounding area includes Columbia, SC, Spartanburg, SC, Winston Salem, NC and Greensboro, NC.
   

I am so excited to read all of your proposals. Good luck to all you! Even if you do not enter this contest, please sit down and document his proposal. I wish I had! :)

The beautiful photo is courtesy of Greenville Daily Photo

Don't forget it's YOUR WEDDING!

Too often couples plan their weddings without them in it. What I mean is, they miss the point about it actually being their weddings. I think with all of the wedding shows and the bridal magazines and the past weddings they have seen, they forget that their wedding is about them.

Please do not misunderstand, I think blogs, mags, shows and even past events are excellent resources for inspiration, but one should not have a cookie-cutter wedding. There are many ways a bride and groom can evoke their "couple" style into their event. All that needs to be done is for them to simply look at their relationship as a whole, and talk about how it started and how they got where they are right now at that very moment. That conversation will be unique to every couple, which in turn will assist them in planning an event that is unique to them.

It is so easy to get caught up in what everyone else is doing, but such a personal event should have some wonderful personal touches that are special to the guests of honor. I guess what I am trying to say is to simply take time to make your event yours, actually sit and think what would make the two of you happy on your wedding day, because at the end of the night your opinion is the only one that really matters!

Today is my lucky day!

This must be my lucky month! I won a dinner gift certificate at a networking meeting last week and today I found out that I posted the 1000th comment on the The Wedding Planner's Fabuluxe Blog: Cocktails and Details! To my surprise I found a rather large picture of myself posted! So I know I won something!

Just in case you've been living under a rock, Terrica Skaggs of Fabuluxe Events, is the writer and editor of this fabulous blog and you should click right over there so you like I can be enlightened by all of her knowledge on weddings, fashion and everything in between! :)

Thanks Terrica!!

Photo courtesy of Fabuluxe Events, Inc.

Marry Me Bracelet from Tiffany's

Don't you just love this bracelet??? I saw it in Southern Weddings Magazine. Hmmm...another piece of jewelry during the proposal wouldn't hurt, would it??

Photo Courtesy of Tiffany & Co.

Your Spring Wedding : Rain!

Last year, I had such a great time with this series so I figured I would bring it back. If you would like to see a topic covered during the Your Spring Wedding series, please let me know and I will add it in. But today we're talking about rain!

To tent or not to tent, that is the question! When spring comes everyone is anxious to get outside and enjoy some warmer weather and look at the beautiful blooms. It really is a wonderful time to have a wedding outside. But there is the number one fear for outside weddings..... RAIN! No one wants to think about it, but there has to be a contingency plan. There are a few questions you should have answered before your outside wedding:

1. The top question, where will you setup the ceremony/reception if it rains?
   
2. If there is inclement weather who will get the second site set up?
3. Does your venue have a tent available? This is important if the venue does not have an inside or covered area.

If you are planning to have your entire day outside, I highly recommend a tent. Tents can range from simple to ultra-chic, but you need to have a cover. For example, here are some pictures of a beautiful event done by Saundra at Planning...Forever Events that resulted in a very huge storm. Apparently, the weather was predicted, but the bride was not interested in booking a tent.

Here comes the rain!!!!!!!




Please add tenting in your budget so that your wedding day is not rained out.


Photos Courtesy of Classic Party Rental and Planning...Forever Events

Southern Weddings Magazine: Simply Stunning!

I blogged about Southern Weddings Blog last May because I simply loved the blog. It was so pretty and full of beautiful photos from real weddings. So I was excited to finally find the magazine today and I must say it is simply stunning!

The ladies of SW Magazine have truly produced a beautiful magazine that is sure to inspire any bride, whether they are from the south or not. What is so impressive about this magazine is the number of actual real weddings featured. Unlike any other wedding publication currently accessible, Southern Weddings Magazine is the ultimate wedding inspiration!

Today, I bought Southern Weddings, Martha Stewart Weddings and Grace Ormonde Wedding Style Magazines. I have not been able to read the other mags yet, because I can not put Southern Weddings down!

So listen brides out there, if you are in the planning stages of your wedding and you can not find it in your local bookstore, please order it from the site it is well worth it. The internet is wonderful, but it still does not compare to a great magazine that you can flip and dog ear the pages!! :)

Calling all Charlotte-area brides....

I get so excited when I have great info to share. Starting next week J Major's Bridal Boutique, located in Charlotte, NC, will be having trunk shows until the end of March. There will be discounts on gowns as well as accessories. Now, remember ladies with trunk shows they work by appointment only so please call for an appointment (704.372.0082 ) so you do not miss out on the opportunity to actually go in and touch and feel gowns made by some of the best bridal gown designers in the industry.

Here is the trunk show schedule:

Anne Barge Trunk Show
January 16-18, 2009

Lazaro Trunk Show
January 30-February 1, 2009

Romona Keveza Trunk Show
February 20-22, 2009

Novia d'Art Trunk Show
February 27-28, 2009

Renella de Fina Trunk Show
March 6-8, 2009

Melissa Sweet Trunk Show
March 13-15, 2009

Lea-Ann Belter Trunk Show
March 27-29, 2009

Here is a little of what you have to look forward to!

Lazaro


Romona Keveza


Renella de Fina

The Interactive Wedding :: Photobooth

Photo Credit: Wedding Jeannie

A great way to have a little extra fun at your wedding reception is to have a photobooth. Having this extra item is sure to add another dimension to your already fun wedding reception. Companies normally rent out the booth in four hour increments and you get unlimited photos for the time. You and your guests get to act silly in the photobooth and have the pictures to prove it. Sounds like fun to me. Google photobooths for rentals in your geographic area.



Photo Credit: Party Zone Productions