Kristin + TJ: Wedding in Denver, NC

Kristin and TJ's wedding on Lake Norman at her family's home in Denver, NC was perfect. The weather was just right, the food was great, the guests had a ball dancing to music all night long. The photos turned out great so we thought we'd share a couple with our readers. Congratulations to the couple, they had a blast honeymooning in Vegas. And a big Thank You to all of the vendors that worked this event. Enjoy! :)

Vendors:

Photography: Photographic Elegance

DJ: Blacktop Entertainment

Rentals: Gaston Rentals

Officiant: Elizabeth Hyland

Bartender: Elegant Service, LLC

Cake: Cakes by Victoria

Bridal Gown: Darlynn's

Caterer: Red's BBQ

Head Over Heels 2009 Fall Bridal Festival

Our 2009 Fall Bridal Festival was a great success. Held at the Hilton Garden Inn Arsley in September; local brides were able to meet an array of local wedding professionals in one afternoon. Thank you to all for the brides and their guests for coming out to the event. And a huge thank you to all of the vendors that participated in the show!! Here are some pics of the event courtesy Greendoor Imaging.......

Project HALO

As you may know, my husband and I volunteer quite a bit with a local animal rescue group here in Charlotte called Project HALO. Currently we are fostering a chocolate lab mix named Nugget. She is approx. 3 yrs. old and the most lovable dog we have ever fostered. She enjoys playing with other dogs at the doggie park and curling up in bed at night to snuggle. Since she was previously abused she does take a little while to warm up to strangers and she definitely bonds with women much quicker then men. We assume her abuser was a man. Now she is looking for a new home with a loving mommy and daddy. If you are interested in adopting Nugget please contact us at: headoverheels@lauramassie.com and visit: http://www.projecthalo.net/.

Belk Mansion- Monroe, NC

Above is a photo of the foyer at the Historic Belk Mansion located in the historic district of Monroe, NC. The mansion is owned by the lovely Rose Chin and her husband; both have been renovating the property for the last couple of years. Their work has paid off! And now the venue is open to the public for special events: tea parties, bridal showers and rehearsal dinners would be ideal. As an avid lover of historic properties I had to accept Rose's invitation to come down and tour the home. They have done a wonderful job and many of the original features are still in tact such as 3 custom hand tooled leather wall paper patterns. Can we say gorgeous? I had never seen anything like it. The house would also be ideal for bridal portraits either on the foyer staircase or on the wrap around porch with it's brilliant columns. For more information please visit their website at: http://www.belkmansion.com/Welcome.html

TILT on Trade

Our networking group sure has taken off over the last year and a half since we have become the organizer. We host meetings all over the Charlotte area. In October we organized a casual meet and greet at TILT on Trade. The staff at TILT are wonderful. If you are looking for a spot in Uptown to host your event or if you are looking for a fun night out on the town, check out TILT: http://www.tiltcharlotte.com/index.html

Ramada Airport South & Conference Center

Earlier this month, the Ramada Conference Center hosted a luncheon for our networking group. Located on Woodlawn Road, convenient to the airport, the Ramada Inn can accommodate any type of event, large or small. The atrium is probably the coolest feature of the venue. They also offer an airport shuttle, free internet, gym, pets allowed, pool and a restaurant with live entertainment. For more information please visit: http://www.ramadacharlotteairport.com

Hickory, NC Bridal Show

Make sure to visit our booth at the Bridal Expo on Oct. 4 at the Park Inn Gateway Conference Center in Hickory, NC. We will be giving a discount on our services to those brides that attend this show! Tickets are $5 in advance, $7 at the door. 1:00- 5:00 p.m. For more info, please visit: http://www.mylovenc.com/

The Ivey

I love to find new venues in town for our clients and I found The Ivey through Dave at photoEdge. I contacted Rick at The Ivey to schedule a tour. Located in the South Park area, The Ivey is available for any type of event and can accommodate up to 150 guests. The venue has indoor and outdoor fireplaces and a flat screen t.v. for your wedding DVD slide show. The chef is able to create a customized menu for your event. If you are searching for a venue to host your shower, rehearsal dinner or reception, check out The Ivey at: http://www.theivey.com/home/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=66&Itemid=77

Pewter Rose Bistro

Pewter Rose Bistro is located on South Blvd. in Charlotte. The food is beyond amazing and they graciously hosted our networking group this month. The Pewter Rose can host your bridal shower, rehearsal dinner or wedding reception. The restaurant can accommodate up to 300 people. Each event has a customized menu where the client can pick and choose items from a list of pre-planned menus or the chef will prepare any item you can dream of including your aunt's secret family recipe. For more information please visit: http://pewterose.com

Audio To Go presents at Ballantyne BNI

When Brian Hines at Audio To Go invited us to come out to his local BNI chapter's meeting last Thursday to listen to his presentation, we were happy to show our support. Getting up at 5am to make the 7am meeting in Ballantyne was not so fun, but the presentation was awesome! Brian and his team really got the group going and started everyone's day off with a ton of laughs. :)

Audio To Go has Professional DJs, MCs, VJs, Event Coordinators, and Party Motivators. In addition to a great mix of music ATG can provide you with spectacular light shows, video shows, planning help, karaoke and so much more. They not only strive to be the best Mobile DJ Company in the Carolinas, but they strive to be one of the best in the country! Check them out online at: http://www.audiotogodj.com/

Duke Mansion

Last week the beautiful Duke Mansion hosted our networking group where we discussed the trends in wedding florals. What a great turn out! The food was delish. And the panel discussion of local florists was very informative. Each panelist also brought samples of their work which ranged from beautifully elegant to funky, all in shades of red. It's great to see our industry coming together to network and share insights into their professions.

Duke Mansion is the perfect location to host your bridal shower or rehearsal dinner. And the word on the street is that they will begin to host wedding receptions in the near future. We can't wait!!

Charlotte Wedding & Event Professionals Networking Group

The Charlotte Wedding & Event Professionals Networking Group has many great meetings coming up soon. Check us out online: http://eventplanning.meetup.com/249. It's easy and free to join and a great way to meet other local professionals in the wedding, party, event & corporate event industries.

Sept. 24: Luncheon at Tutto Mondo and Pewter Rose with special guest speaker Audio To Go. Topic: Trends in wedding music, entertainment, reception intros and more!

Oct. 7: Luncheon at Ramada Conference Center on Woodlawn with guest speaker Susan Hornsby of AFR Furniture Rental. Topic: Trends in furniture rentals, color schemes and how to incorporate these ideas into your event without breaking the budget.

Oct. 13: Social at TILT on Trade.

Taylor Mathis Photography

Last week we met up with a new photographer in town...Taylor Mathis. He actually grew up in Charlotte, attended college in Wisconsin then headed out to California to study photography where he began his business Taylor Mathis Photography. Now he's back in Charlotte and looking to photograph beautiful Carolina weddings. Check out his Website: http://www.taylormathisphotography.com/#/home/ or Blog: http://taylormathisphotography.blogspot.com/ and be sure to tell Taylor that you read about him on our blog!!

Amanda + Michael

Amanda and Michael's wedding took place on August 15, 2009 at Pine Island Country Club. Elaine McDonald captured the day.......

Kristin's Unofficial Bridals

Rosedale Historic Plantation in Charlotte is now again a rental venue available for your next event. Greendoor Imaging was asked to come in and shoot some images for their website to help promote weddings and other special events at their venue. One of my brides agreed to be the model and she really did work it!

Kristin + TJ- engagement

photos courtesy: Photographic Elegance

Ella Elise Invitation Studio

Last week we also were able to visit the studio of Bridget Dixon, owner of Ella Elise Invitation Studio. Offering completely customized invitations and stationary for any occasion (wedding, baby, holiday, children, party, etc.), the ladies at Ella Elise are proud to have built their business on past clients' referrals. They truly have a passion for paper and design and will be able to help you create just about anything. You are only limited by your imagination. Check out their website to view samples of their work at: http://www.eestationery.com/

Charlotte NC Bridal Shows

Head Over Heels Presents: Fall Bridal Festival

Sunday, Sept. 13

1:00- 4:00 p.m.

Hosted by: Hilton Garden Inn Ayrsley

Brides are free if they pre-register online by Sept. 11 at: http://www.lauramassie.com

Fort Mill Photography

Dave and Shirley Wedra, owners of Fort Mill Photography, invited us down to their studio last week in Fort Mill, SC. We have known them for quite some time now, but have never been to their studio. It's a lovely historic home converted into a photography studio perfect to shoot bridals, maternity and family sessions. They offer a wide range of services and print on site. Wedding packages range from $1500 to $4000. Check them out online at: http://www.fortmillphotography.com/

A Dash of Light....

Trunk Shows at J Majors

Sales & Events at Poffie Girls

History and Location: Poffie Girls began in 1974, when owner Syble Latta opened a small boutique in a local strip mall. From Poffie Girls humble beginnings evolved one of the Souths most successful full service bridal salons. Poffie Girls is located right off I-85, just minutes from Charlotte , in a beautiful 6,400 square foot plantation style home built in 1917.

Poffie What?: What does the name Poffie Girls mean? Here at Poffie Girls we like to think the name means a commitment to excellence and style. The name actually originated from Sybles daughter’s pet name "Poffie girl". Her daughter was pinned with this name because of her graceful mannerisms and frilly dresses.

Our Brides: Poffie Girls prides itself in its ability to reach all brides through our large selection of styles and by carrying gowns for every budget. Our collections include some of the industries top designers and latest styles. Here at Poffie Girls we realize the need for destination gowns and we carry a large selection for brides who want something a little less formal. Poffie Girls is fortunate to carry a new line of gowns that are exclusive to us in the Carolinas . Our goal is to provide brides with the gown of their dreams that reflects not only their personality, but accentuates their body and meets their budget.

Your Experience: When entering Poffie Girls each bride is assigned a personal consultant to assist her through her wedding experience. Your bridal gown is the single most important ensemble you will ever wear. Your personal consultant will ensure that your gown is a statement of your personal style and an expression of your love to another. The consultant will further aid you in meeting the apparel needs of your entire party.

For info on special events and promotions, please visit: http://www.poffiegirls.com/events.html

Trunk Shows at Hayden Olivia Bridal

Queen's Landing

Last Friday morning was spent on Lake Norman. Took the day off? No way, it was all business. The Charlotte Wedding & Event Professionals Networking Group has been scheduling some great events throughout the Charlotte area. Friday we all met on The Catawba Queen at Queen's Landing for a cruise around the lake and lunch. It's always great to catch up with friends in the industry and meet new vendors as well.


Queen's Landing is located in Mooresville, NC. They offer banquet space, and chartered yachts for your upcoming event.

Sheraton Charlotte Airport Hotel

Nestled in its own private corner, the beautiful Sheraton Hotel is a gem waiting to be discovered. Carol Queen was kind enough to give us a tour of the banquet space and guest rooms. The lobby itself is something to be seen.....Gorgeous! The indoor/ outdoor pool was unique and it took all my will power not to jump in. Currently they are reorganizing their banquet packages to reflect the changing economy, but check back soon, we'll have more info to give.

http://www.starwoodhotels.com/sheraton/property/overview/index.html?propertyID=942

The Harvey B. Gantt Center

Although it's not open yet, we got a sneak peak into the Harvey B. Gantt Center for African American Arts + Culture. What a spectacular building, the architecture was truly gorgeous. There will be 3 main art galleries and 2 separate spaces to rent for special events. The center will be opening officially on October 24 marked by its ribbon cutting ceremony. For more information, please visit: http://www.harveybganttcenter.org/index.html

Upcoming Bridal Show

Amanda + Michael- Engagement

Photos courtesy: Elaine McDonald Photography

Belks Summer Bridal Show

We enjoyed meeting the brides at yesterday's bridal show at Belk's Department Store in Northlake Mall. Contact our office today to schedule your complimentary initial consultation.

Charlotte, NC Bridal Shows

Visit our booth this Sunday, August 16 at Belk's summer bridal show at Northlake Mall, 2:00- 5:00 p.m. Free for brides to attend. Lots of door prize giveaways!!