Vendor Profile: The Beautiful Mess

So as part of my October goals, I met with 3 new vendors to broaden my network again. One beautiful Thursday I knocked out that goal in one fell swoop and was lucky enough to meet up with the amazingly fun & talented Candice Lanning from The Beautiful Mess photography in Charlotte. Candice is the "wife" half of the husband/wife team that also includes her equally talented husband, Daniel. They shoot such fun, fashionable pictures of brides, weddings, families, babies...you name it, they'll shoot it. And do a fabulous job of it!Candice & I met for some yummy apple cider at Caribou Coffee on East Blvd. and chatted away about weddings, music, & life in general. I had heard great things about Candice & Daniel and their work and began following her on Twitter where I had recently enjoyed her musings about music she was listening to. As someone who loves and appreciates new music I was stoked to get to meet her and discuss our musical tastes along with some wedding business of course.
I walked away from that meeting feeling inspired & renewed in my business as well as my taste in music....and feeling much less geeky about my recent interest in "Twilight" as I soon thereafter purchased advance tickets for the upcoming release of "New Moon" in the movie theater!
The first two images are of Candice & Daniel from their trip to Seattle this past summer (photo credit: Sarah Rhoads), but then check out some of these recent images from their blog....such amazing work! I absolutely cannot wait to work with them in the future and am so looking forward to catching up again soon- probably with our own personal reviews of "New Moon"

Jennifer & Craig: Married in St. Louis

Jennifer & Craig were married in their hometown of St. Louis, MO this past July. Jennifer is one of my best friends and I was happy to lend a helping hand to her planning process. Jen & Craig were technically married last November in a courthouse ceremony, but then decided they wanted to make it "official" in the Catholic church with the white dress, reception, & their friends and family present with them. I wanted to share a few of my fave images from their day!

All images: {Photo credit FireFly Images}

Left: Always love a good dress shot.
Right: I think Jennifer's face in this picture is priceless!

Top: Completely smitten with this one of Jen & her little girl Tennley. Look at those eyes!
Bottom: Great candid of Jennifer & her bridesmaids!

Congrats to Jennifer & Craig! May you have many happy years together!

November Goals & Sneak Peek!

And here it is a month later which means new goals! And one of my goals is definitely to blog something other than goals! In fact, I’ll even post a sneak peek at one of the weddings you’ll see more of soon! October was lots of craziness and fun and November promises to be just as busy! Here’s how October’s goals fared…
{} Finalize my contract & have the attorney review it In progress- will see the attorney over Thanksgiving so I will have him review it then.
{} Do the paperwork to become an LLC (changing from a sole proprietorship) Paperwork complete but am submitting it after January 1 for tax purposes.
{} Meet with 3 new vendors Check!
{} Have dinner with a friend I haven’t seen in a while Check!
{} Catch up on thank you notes to vendors In progress.
{} Organize my business expenses/receipts Didn’t get to this one...procrastination strikes again!
{} Schedule someone to deep clean our house & carpets House cleaners are coming Friday!
{} Catch up on “Mad Men” & “Glee” episodes Decided to try to do this over the holidays.
{} Start working on my business plan In progress.
{} Clean out my closet & switch out the seasonal clothes Check!
{} Take Norm to the dog bar in NoDa Check! (So much fun- can’t wait to go back!)
{} Make something with my KitchenAid mixer (I am not a cook/baker and it’s starting to get dusty!) Check! The peanut butter-chocolate chip cookies were definitely a success!
{} Plant fall flowers in my front yard & get out the Halloween decorations Check!
{} Update/clean out my Google reader Check!

And now for my November goals…
{} Get a good start on the Christmas shopping (cannot believe it is time for this already!)
{} Order holiday cards for Green Shoes Weddings & Events
{} Meet with 3 more vendors
{} Blog 5 times (this one doesn’t count!)
{} Order a new chair for our office at home
{} Work on marketing plan & materials for Green Shoes Weddings & Events
{} And, of course, work on the goals from October that didn’t I didn’t quite finish!

And here’s a sneak peak from Mandie & Drew’s September wedding at Castle McCulloch in Jamestown! Such a FUN couple- and Mandie has great style! Leave me some comment love regarding the monthly goals or Miss Mandie Grace! Happy Fall, y’all!

{Photo Credit: Bert Reed Photography}

Goals for October!

So I’m totally stealing this idea from my fellow Charlotte wedding pros, Cheyenne Schultz & Alyse Woodward and starting my own monthly “goal list” on my blog. Just for fun reference, you can check out Cheyenne & Alyse’s goals for October as well as the results from their September posts. I think they got the idea from fab photographer Nancy Ray , but as someone who loves to make lists, I thought this would be a good idea! Plus it will help me be more accountable in actually accomplishing some of these goals! Some are business related and some are more personal. There are big goals & small goals on my list, but nonetheless, here’s my list for October (and yes, I know it’s late, but I had a big, fabulous wedding this past weekend so better late than never!)

{} Finalize my contract & have the attorney review it
{} Do the paperwork to become an LLC (changing from a sole proprietorship)
{} Meet with 3 new vendors
{} Have dinner with a friend I haven’t seen in a while
{} Catch up on thank you notes to vendors
{} Organize my business expenses/receipts
{} Schedule someone to deep clean our house & carpets
{} Catch up on “Mad Men” & “Glee” episodes
{} Start working on my business plan
{} Clean out my closet & switch out the seasonal clothes
(check out my inspiration from Julianne Smith here)
{} Take Norm to the dog bar in NoDa
{} Make something with my KitchenAid mixer (I am not a cook & it’s starting to get dusty!)
{} Plant fall flowers in my front yard & get out the Halloween decorations
{} Update/clean out my Google reader

And here is my inspiration board for my goals (disclaimer: that is not actually my closet, nor would my closet EVER be that organized!)

What are some of your goals for this month? Any fun suggestions for what to make with my mixer or any good blogs I should be sure to read on a regular basis (wedding or non-wedding related)?

New owner for The Bridal House!

I am so excited for my friend and fellow planner, Shanika Butts of SJB Weddings & Events. Shanika is a fabulous wedding planner in Charlotte, NC and is the new owner of The Bridal House in Charlotte! Shanika was presented with a great opportunity to take over this business and I have absolutely no doubt she will be super successful with her new venture!

Here is some info on the store as well as some of my faves from the collections Shanika carries.
Be sure to check the blog for future updates on The Bridal House as she adds new lines!


As a wedding planner, what made you want to get into the wedding dress side of the industry?
I love planning weddings. I mean love it. It’s something about the excitement of the wedding day, running around getting things together and fixing things that the bride doesn’t know about. So, when I was presented the opportunity to purchase The Bridal House I thought it would be a wonderful addition to our company. I have always loved assisting brides with their wedding dress and bridesmaids dress selections, now I’ll actually have a true hand in it.

Are you making any major changes or improvements from what the former owner was doing with the Bridal House?
We are not making any major changes to talk about. Although we will definitely be bringing in a couple more popular collections that I think brides in this area will be excited about. After we have the opportunity to attend The Bridal Market in Chicago in October we will then announce our new collections.

What makes the Bridal House different from other bridal boutiques in Charlotte?
Where else can you get wedding planning advice from an actual wedding planner, buy your wedding gown and wedding party attire, select your invitations and purchase accessories? I think that makes us pretty unique for this area. On top of all of that we are overly obsessed with wonderful customer service and that alone will hopefully help differentiate us from other establishments. Our goal is to exceed your expectations every time.
What lines of bridal gowns do you carry?
Currently we carry Mori Lee, Jasmine and Bonny

What lines of bridesmaid dresses and/or mother of the bride dresses do you carry?
Mori Lee, Bari Jay and After Six

Do you carry any other wedding day accessories?
Yes we carry veils, bridal jewelry and wedding party jewelry.
We will also be adding birdcage veils in the very near future.

What is the address & hours for the store?
Our boutique located in north Charlotte at 8432 Old Statesville Road
and is open Tuesday –Saturday 10am-5pm



Love these for bridesmaids! I especially like the Bari Jay short & long option in the same style.
{Clockwise from top left: Mori Lee, After Six, Bari Jay, Bari Jay}


Apparently I favor the sweetheart neckline and sheath/mermaid silhouette! Didn't realize how similar these two gowns were when I first chose them!
{Left: Mori Lee Right: Jasmine}

Let them eat cupcakes!

A fun idea that has become popular with many couples is serving cupcakes instead of the traditional wedding cake. This was once thought to be more appropriate for casual outdoor weddings, but it has definitely found its way into more traditional, formal affairs.
Cupcakes can be a lot of fun and can be just as elaborately decorated and displayed as a traditional cake. The cost will vary based on detail and your location. Some traditional cake bakers will do cupcakes and there are also shops & bakeries that specialize in cupcakes. If you’re in Charlotte, I highly recommend Polka Dot Bake Shop. When you’re meeting with potential bakers for your wedding, ask if they do cupcakes! You could also do cupcakes instead of a traditional groom’s cake as well.
If you’re concerned about the “cake cutting” tradition you can always have a small cake made to coordinate with the cupcakes for you & your sweetie to cut into at the reception. Have fun with it! Have different flavor combos for your guests to choose from or make the design interesting with a monogram or other design that is incorporated into your wedding décor.


Super cute example of cupcakes as well as a smaller cake for the bride & groom to cut.
{photo credit: Luster Studios}




Edible toppers featuring the bride & groom's last initial.
{photo credit: Jennifer Angeloro}

Absolutely LOVE this one! Fall weddings are my fave and this is such a cute display!

{photo credit: Baking Up Chaos}


Adorable for a vineyard wedding

Cupcakes by: Hansel & Gretel's Bakery
{photo credit: Tiona Fuller Photography}

Super cute toppers incorporating monograms and the wedding date.

{photo credit: Live Love Photography}


Aren't these beautiful?! Almost makes me want to learn to bake!
Cupcakes by: Polka Dot Bake Shop
{photo credit: Cheyenne Schultz Photography}

Vera Bradley Weddings!

As a fan of all things Vera Bradley, I loved that when I opened the fall catalog to check out the new styles & colors there was a double page spread on weddings!

I love all of the fun color combinations and functional handbags, tote bags, luggage & accessories that Vera offers. There are several ways you can incorporate Vera Bradley into your wedding. From color palette inspiration to the ties & cufflinks for your guys to gifts for your maids, moms & flower girls there’s so much to be found! There's even a bakery that makes custom cookies decorated to match Vera patterns! Fun for a bridal shower or favors! (Photo credit: Love at First Bite)

Vera Bradley has also announced a contest to win a Bridesmaids’ Reunion! Check out the website for more info and to vote on your favorite “memorable” bridesmaid dress. One winner & five guests will receive a three day, two night getaway to Vera Bradley’s guest house in Seaside, FL!

Below is some inspiration to get you started! The first image contains some of my favorite ideas for gifts for your gals (or yourself!). You can choose a pattern that coordinates with the theme of your wedding or choose a pattern & gift for each of your attendants based on their favorite colors. The second image is a sampling of some of the colors & patterns for the men’s line. All of these patterns are available in a tie and some of them also have coordinating cufflinks and pocket squares!

Top row (left to right): Photo album (Calypso); Large Cosmetic (Yellow Bird); Small Duffel (Purple Punch)
Middle row (left to right): Ribbon Board (Blue Rhapsody); Gabby (Cupcakes Green); Mail Box Stationery Desk Set (Calypso)
Bottom row (left to right): All in one Wristlet (Blue Rhapsody); Audrey (Puccini); Tote (Caffe Latte); Hanging Organizer (Puccini)

Top row (left to right): Cupcakes Green Stripe; Puccini Diamond; Puccini Stripe; Calypso Blue
Bottom row (left to right): Cupcakes Pink Confetti; Bali Gold Stripe; Caffe Latte; Daisy Stripe

Noble Brides in Charlotte closes its doors…

For the second time in a little over a year, a bridal salon in Charlotte has closed its doors leaving brides with a mess to deal with. Noble Brides is now closed and leaving many Charlotte area brides unsure of the status of their wedding gowns & bridesmaid dresses.

This is similar to the situation La Bella Sposa put many Charlotte brides in last summer.
If you were working with Noble Brides and have any issues you need to resolve with your dress, please contact The Bridal House as they are graciously helping out brides that have been affected by the store closing.

The Budget Savvy Bride

Budget Savvy…. Something more brides are becoming during this economy. The Budget Savvy Bride has this concept down to an art and shares all her “secrets” in her fabulous blog! Jess has been a huge help to me with my blog since I am somewhat technology challenged. She is in Charlotte this week with her husband who is doing some job training so we met for lunch today. She planned a beautiful wedding for about $10,000 and blogged about it along the way along with a detailed re-cap after the wedding. She is so creative and did an amazing job of showing brides & planners alike how you can save some money without sacrificing the important details.

Jess is also a graphic designer and does lots of cool freelance work in addition to her budget savvy blogging. And she’s a Tennessee Vol (which is where I spent my first year of college)…so that makes her extra cool!

Green Shoes...up & running!

We've officially arrived online! I am so excited to announce that the website is finished! It's taken a while to get everything just right, but with a lot of help it's finally done. Check it out here!

A big thank you to Kristin Byrum Photography and Piper Warlick Photography for the use of their images on the site and to Lucy Parker Randall at wink! photography for her help with the fabulous logo for the business and my lovely headshots! And while I'm at it, I should also thank my dear friend, Hanson, for her help, support, and honest opinions as well as my always patient husband for putting up with me as I go through this major learning process!

Here's to a finished website and my ventures into blogging & planning! Keep checking back with me for new posts, info & pictures and always feel free to leave comments!

.....And since all blog posts are better with pictures, here's one of my faves from the talented Lucy Parker Randall...love that you can see the city skyline in the background!