Real Wedding Feature: The Wedding Row Charlotte

We were so excited to have one of our weddings featured on The Wedding Row Charlotte . For those of you who are addicted to wedding blogs, this is a great one to have in your reader. This gorgeous blog features weddings, events and amazing vendors from The Queen City. It's a wonderful reminder that Charlotte is doing excellent things and producing some fabulous events. I am so appreciative to them for wanting feature some local talent!

If you can't get enough of The Wedding Row Charlotte, click on over to the original The Wedding Row {Charleston} and enjoy more wedding goodness.

Carolina DIY Brides: The Ultimate DIY Workshop

The Ultimate DIY Bridal Workshop

A Day with the DIY Bride Khris Cochran

presented by: Shanika J. Butts of SJB Weddings & Events and SJB Weddings & Events: the blog

Who: If you are interested in having a hands on learning experience on creating fabulous accessories and centerpieces for your wedding this is the workshop for you.

When: Saturday September 26, 2009 and Sunday September 27, 2009

Time: 9:00 am - 5:00 pm

Where: Embassy Suites Charlotte, 4800 South Tryon Street, Charlotte, NC 28217

Khris Cochran is the creator and founder of the award winning DIYBride.com one of the most popular bridal crafting websites and is also the author of The DIY Bride: 40 Fun Projects for Your Ultimate One-of-a-kind Wedding. Khris is dedicated to helping brides personalize their weddings by assisting them with designing elements that will enable them to put their own personal stamp on their wedding.

Topics for the day include:

• Intro do DIY Bride: How to do it well, on a budget and with your sanity in tact.
• Invitations 101: Invite basics and hands-on time creating rubber stamped invite set
• Favors for under $1: Showcase favor ideas that can be made for under $1 + hands-on project time
• Pimp My Wedding: Ideas for adding pizazz to basic wedding products. Learn how to embellish items such as shoes, gowns, favors, etc.
• The $20 Veil: Learn to create a fabulous veil for $20
• Creative Centerpieces: Showcase of inexpensive + creative centerpiece ideas

This workshop is designed to be fun and an open environment for questions for Khris as she shows you how to make beautiful items for your wedding day. You will come away with actual projects that you have made during class and the know how to create additonal items.

The workshop fee includes the hands on instruction by Khris Cochran, all class materials, hand-outs, takeaways and lunch. Please choose one of the two workshop dates that fit your schedule.

Please register here. If you have any questions please send an email to info@sjbweddingsandevents.com

Cookie of the Day

Are you possibly planning for a cookie buffet, instead of a candy buffet? Or maybe you just love to bake and need some cookie recipes. The fabulous Martha Stewart provides a daily cookie recipe that can even be sent directly to your inbox. I know, because I get them everyday. I had no idea so many cookies existed! :)

For those of you planning that cookie buffet, this is perfect. This is a great way to give your guests a wonderful selection of home baked cookies. Enjoy!

April 21 TUESDAY Black Forest Cookies The combination of rich chocolate and tart dried cherries provides a pleasing contrast in these irresistible cookies. TODAY'S COOKIE RECIPE Plus, This Week's Recipes Craft of the Day | Organizing Tip of the Day | Cookie of the Day

Your Beauty Treatment Checklist

There are so many wedding checklists out there for brides to use so they do not forget anything. But, you will hardly find a list of beauty treatments that you should do before your wedding. I stumbled upon this wonderful synopsis of what you should be doing in regards to your wedding day beauty before you walk down the aisle. Traci Fein, owner of Fine Makeup Art based out of the Chicago area, gives some excellent points on her website. This post is one worth saving, so print this one out and put it in your binders.

"My advice for brides before their wedding day is to have all beauty treatments, like facials, done at least 2 weeks to 10 days before your wedding day. This will give the skin a chance to calm down, and prevent any "surprises" on the day of your wedding. Do not use any new products in the days right before the wedding. Start planning your beauty regime well in advance.

-Makeup artists should be tried, and tested well in advance of the wedding. As with hairstyles and hairstylists. Many stylists are booked as much as six months in advance.

-Get a massage the week before your wedding. Not only will this relax you, but it will help flush any toxins from your body and rev up circulation. Great for the skin!

-Avoid tanning beds in the days right before the wedding. Make sure that any tan lines you have will not show when you wear your wedding dress. Work on getting rid of tan lines before your wedding. Heavily tanned skin does not show makeup as well, or photograph as well. Not to mention the damage to your skin. If you choose to tan, do it in moderation.

-Remove any jewelry you will not be wearing on your wedding day. You don't want the tell-tale marks (or the tan line) of the ring or watch, you never take off, on your hands. The focus should be on "the" ring.

-Moisturize your skin. Find a good skin care professional and get a moisturizer and eye cream best suited to your skin type. Use them daily.

-Exfoliate your face and body. In the weeks before your wedding, start a regime of exfoliating your skin. Find a good facial scrub (like honey almond) and a good body scrub - there are many good ones to choose from. This will keep your skin smooth and soft. Great prep for makeup application.

-Do not eat salty foods, or drink too much alcohol the night before your wedding, as this may cause puffiness around the eyes and face. Drink plenty of water to keep your skin well hydrated. If puffiness around the eyes is a problem, reach for chamomile tea bags that have been refrigerated overnight, and place them over your eyes.

-Get plenty of rest and try to sleep on your back with head slightly elevated. This will prevent any fluids from collecting around the eye sockets.

-Wear comfortable, loose-fitting clothing the day of your wedding. Avoid elastic on sleeves, or any area of your body that will show beyond your wedding dress. If your dress is strapless, do not wear undergarments that will leave a mark. Sometimes these take hours to fade.

-It is a good idea to carry a powder compact, lipstick, lip pencil and blush in a small bridal bag during the reception - for touch-ups, as needed. I also recommend carrying facial blotting paper to control shine. This will cut down the amount of times you need to apply powder on your face, and prevent your makeup from looking too caked or powdered.

-Please arrive in the makeup chair with no makeup. If you must wear some, make it minimal. The less rubbing and makeup removal we do before the application, the better. If you are considering wearing false eyelashes the day of your wedding, please bring them to the trial run through."

Excellent Advice! I'm so glad I found this!

Image by Cheyenne Schultz Photography

Gifts for Your Best Men

In early August, I guest blogged on Wishpot Wedding Blog, and for some strange reason I forgot to blog about it on my own blog! Duh! So here is the post just in case you did not read it. Wishpot is an excellent resource, it's like online window shopping, except you can keep pictures of all of your "wishes" together so you can remember where you found them. Also, you get the opportunity to see what the wedding experts are wishing for! But anyway, here's the post...


I know you probably know already that you should give a gift to those who are in your wedding party. Because afterall, these are the individuals who mean the most to you in life. They also, have spent their time, money and energy in helping you make your wedding day a memorable one. So, it is only proper to thank them with a nice gift. Now, your gift giving ideas do not have to be limited to mugs, money clips or things you know your friends will never use. They should be practical items, specific to each of your friends. Do you really want to give them a gift that they will throw away or that will only collect dust on a shelf? Therefore, you should make sure you gift your wedding party with practical items they are delighted to receive and are excited about putting to use.

I found a few items that are practical, personal and useful. Remember, you are not required to give all of your groomsmen the same gift. Especially if you know that a particular gift is suited more for one person over another. Well here are the few items that I ran across:



Now, who does not use a flash drive? This would be a great gift for the techy of the wedding party. He will surely appreciate this gift with his initials.



When I saw these I thought wow these are fun. If you have guys in your wedding party who are in love with sports, why not give them a gift personalized with their favorite team logo?



This gift of course would only be a hit if you have golfers in your party. Again, this may not be a gift for everyone, but if your groomsmen are avid golfers this gift will definitely not collect dust.


You can find these gifts here:
Flash Drive: Roundtable Gifts
Cufflinks: Cufflinks.com
Golf Set: Memorable Gifts.com

Wedding Photosharing with The Wedding Lens

First I must say there is not anything that can replace an amazing photographer and I mean anything. But, I know a lot of couples are antsy to see some wedding photos before the professional photographer can actually get their proofs back. Here comes the wonderful idea of photosharing.

The Wedding Lens is a site where your guests are able to upload their digital photos to your online album and then you end up with hundreds of photos from your friends and families perspective. Another idea I wish existed when I was getting married. :)

More Great Planning Resources for Carolina Brides

It's been a long time I know since I have posted and trust me when I say I have had my hands full! :) I stumbled upon two sites over the past couple of days that I think brides who are getting married in the Charlotte area would find helpful.



Queen City Bride: A Planning Resource for the Discerning Bride - I get so excited when I find wedding blogs in my own neck of the woods. I know I try to give you a wedding planner's perspective at this blog, but if you are looking for a bride's perspective, run over to QCB.



I was reading Cheyenne's blog and ran across some great info. Crazy Fancy is a social network created exclusively for the Brides of the Carolinas. The creator has developed a great forum for Carolina Brides to express ideas and the ups and downs of wedding planning in the Carolinas. So if you are looking to connect with local brides, this would be a great place to check out.

Get Your Pink M&M's NOW!

Just in case you weren't aware, M&M has began to sell the pink M&M's to support breast cancer research. So if you are planning a candy buffet and pink is one of your colors, this would be a great time to purchase some of your candy and support a great cause. So hurry and stock up, because after October you'll have to special order them online.

Charlotte Brides Want to Know: Jessica Dunn of La Bella Hair and Makeup

I have a few more interviews from some of Charlotte's finest vendors so this will be the last week of our Charlotte Brides Want to Know series. I hope these mini-interviews have been helpful to you. I know it's hard to know what vendors to choose especially when there are so many out there. These interviews were just meant to give you a little glimpse into the life of some of my favorites.

Today, I we have an interview with Jessica Dunn from La Bella Hair and Makeup. I met Jessica awhile ago and we instantly clicked. She loves making brides more beautiful on their wedding day. Here is our little interview. If you're looking for a makeup artist please run over and take a look at her site and schedule a consultation.

How long have you been in the wedding industry?

I've been in the wedding industry for many years but full time for 3 years.

How did you get started in this industry?

I have alway done friends hair for proms through high school which naturally led to me going to cosmetology school. After I went to cosmetology school there was still something missing, something I didn't like about just cutting hair. So I met a makeup artist from Miami and after talking to her I realized that I wanted to do freelance hair and makeup. So I just jumped in head first and put all of my energy into "La Bella". After moving to Charlotte I found the market that I love and just grew. Now my main focus is my airbrush makeup and I love every minute of it.

What do you love most about the wedding business?

I love working with brides because they are real and this is the most exciting day of their life. I love knowing that when it is all said and done I was apart of that huge day for them and all of the memories every time they look at there pictures.

What are you most excited about these days?

These days I have so much to be excited about I have been so blessed. I moved back closer to my family(don't worry not far), I am expanding my market to Greenville, SC and Columbia, SC and I just feel like this year is a new beginning for me with anything being possible.

Who or what inspires you most?

The 2 people who inspire me the most are my mom and God with out them I wouldn't be where I am today. Through God I know I can do anything and my mom is the one always there telling me that I can do it and anything is possible.

What inspires me is life and people, I love seeing the look on peoples face when they see the final result and I can tell that the confidence was just raised so much just from what I did and they see themselves in a different light. When all I did is bring out the beauty that was hidden inside.

What is your most popular service or product?

I would have to say my most popular service and product is my airbrush. This is my baby right now. I am absolutely sold on this technique of applying makeup especially for brides. This technique is natural, flawless and has great staying power. I have had such good feedback from it and I recommend it to anyone.

What is the last thing you read?

Well, right now I am starting to read the Five Love Languages but I haven't gotten very far. However, I did finish my In Style magazine the other day (I have to keep up with what’s going on)

How do you describe your style?

My style for hair and makeup is pretty natural. I would rather bring out someone’s inner beauty then completely make them into something they are not. However, I do venture out into more crazy style if I need to. As for my style in other areas of my life, I am more contemporary.

If you could vacation anywhere where would it be?

Figi in a little bungalow in the ocean. One of those that have the glass bottom that you can see everything swim under you. That would be amazing.

What food could you not live without?

Ice cream by far. I really don't know what I would do without it. There is not one occasion I can think of that having ice cream wouldn't make since.

If brides only knew this….when it is all said and done with and the planning is over you will be married to the person you love more than anything. That one day isn't going to compare to the rest of your life together. So don't sweat the small stuff.

Here are some samples of her work.





OMG! I love that eye shadow!!

Month of Coordination Giveaway from Dantzler Desingz

Tabitha Dantzler of Dantzler Designz is offering a wonderful giveaway, a complimentary Month of Coordination Wedding package which is a $1200 value. If you live in the Raleigh-Durham, Rocky Mount, Greenville or Virginia Beach area, please do not miss out on the chance to have this talented firm manage your wedding.

It is so easy to enter, you just have to tell her how you and your beau fell in love and ended up on the road to wedded bliss! :) You've probably told everyone a hundred times anyway, why not make it count for something this time. So, head over to her blog and take a look at the rules, but you have to do it soon. The giveaway ends on August 30, 2008. Good luck!!!!!!!!!!!!

Charlotte Brides: Great Stationery Sale!

Three Little Birds, a premiere stationery and gift store located in historic Southend in Charlotte, NC is having a fabulous sale.

Everything in the store is 25% off! This is an excellent time to order your save the dates, wedding invitations or programs. The sale ends Saturday August 9th at 2pm, so hurry, hurry, hurry!!

Get Inspired with Elite Bridal Concierge

This week Tabitha over at the Elite Bridal Concierge is getting brides inspired with an inspiration board everyday this week. Each board was inspired by a beauiful floral piece and designed by a different wedding professional each day. I had the opportunity to post an inspiration board for Monday, entitled the fun and sophisticated bride. So click over and see what I and my collegues designed to get you guys inspired.

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!
  

The Library: Elizabeth Anne Designs

The wonderful ladies over at Elizabeth Anne Designs have given you more reasons to stop by and visit their wonderful blog everyday. They have now provided brides everywhere with a comprehensive list of wedding industry professionals to assist with planning their nuptials. They have simply called it the EAD Library. Rebekah and Ami have provided links to some of the best vendors in this country. I was thrilled to know that I was included on this wonderful list. So go over and spend some time in The Library and take a look at their blog. I guarantee you will be hooked.