The Stylish Planner is coming to Charlotte!

I am so super excited that one of my very favorite people, Jeannine Kennedy, is bringing her The Style Plan workshop to Charlotte! Jeannine is the owner of Favor Events of Atlanta and the founder + editor of The Stylish Planner blog. I met Jeannine this past spring at Eventology and can honestly say that she has changed the way I think about myself and my business!

{The lovely Stylish Planner herself! She has the BEST red hair!}

The fabulous Shanika Butts of SJB Weddings & Events is hosting the day long workshop at her boutique, The Bridal House on Monday, August 23. This workshop is open to ALL wedding & event pros- not just planners! So all of you photographers, stationers, pastry queens and the like should be sure to join us for this great workshop! {PS: You can read Shanika's blog post on the workshop here}

Here is more info on The Style Plan:
The objective of The Style Plan is to clearly show the importance of having a strongly defined and consistent image. I believe that image is so much more than just your physical appearance.

During the workshop, we will discuss three key areas of our image as follows:
-Virtual Image = website, blog, online ads, and social media
-Business Collateral = cards, stationery, brochures, books, albums, etc. & their packaging
-Personal Image = YOU, the person – outward and inward

The Style Plan topics will include:
- My story of how The Stylish Planner came to life
- Why creativity and passion are crucial to your business
· Overall image case studies of 3 celebrities
· Overall image case studies of 3 successful wedding professionals
- Looking the part – why image matters and should be consistent
· How your website, blog and social media use convey your image to others
· Why your business collateral should be more than just your card and a price sheet
· Basic style guidelines such as dressing for your specific profession & dressing
for various events
· Your self-promotion plan: interacting with vendors and clients, promoting
yourself at networking events and through social media
· Why you MUST maintain all areas of your image on an ongoing basis & how to do it.

Each attendee of The Style Plan workshop will receive the following:
- Self Analysis Worksheet: Virtual Image, Collateral Image & Personal Image
- Target Market Analysis Worksheet (are you reaching who you are aiming for?)
- Professional Biography Worksheet
- Dress Codes Defined Reference Sheet
- Weekly Wardrobe Planner
- Wedding submission tips and guidelines
- Image Maintenance Worksheet
- Complete Style and Image Resource List – with discounts for goods + services
for attendees

This is sure to be a workshop that is both fun AND educational for anyone in the industry, so be sure to register today by clicking HERE! Hope to see you there!

Cheers!
Erica

Wish Upon A Wedding- The Carolinas

Wish Upon A Wedding is a new charity- and the first of its kind- whose purpose is to grant wedding wishes to terminally ill adults regardless of sexual orientation. I heard about this amazing new charity earlier this year and then got to meet one of the founders, Sasha Souza, when I attended Eventology back in April.

WUW has gotten some amazing national press lately! A few days ago celebrity blogger, Perez Hilton, wrote a post about WUW as one of his "worthwhile causes".
Yesterday the home page for TODAY featured a WUW wedding!


As soon as I found out there was a chapter being started in the Carolinas I knew it was something that I wanted to be involved in as a volunteer on a committee as well as a wish granter.

Wish Upon A Wedding- Carolinas held their launch party on June 24th and our first wedding wish couple was there to celebrate with everyone!

{Wish Upon A Wedding- Carolinas first couple Yolanda & Marcus with WUW- Carolinas Chapter President Ivy Robinson. Photo credit: Cunningham Photo Artists}

The party was a huge success and got great local media coverage thanks to the always swanky Melissa Lamkin and her awesome PR skills! The launch party was featured on 3 local news stations- NBC36, WBTV, and News 14. Be sure to check out Melissa's re-cap of the event on Bride + Groom

{Clockwise: Yummy appetizers from Nolen Kitchen, future DJs Tyler + Corey Esposito, the beautiful wish tree + martini glass display designed by the lovely ladies of Carolina Wedding Design, two of the most talented (and 2 of my favorite!) guys in the Charlotte wedding industry- Aaron Byrum from Kristin Byrum Photography and Vinny Esposito from Split Second Sound, WUW-Carolinas Founding Board Members. Photo Credit: Cunningham Photo Artists}

Want to get involved? You don't have to be in the wedding industry to volunteer or donate! Please feel free to contact me for more information on how you can help!

For more information or to find out about other chapters, please visit the organization's main website, Facebook & Twitter!

{Personal} Happy Birthday Mini-Me!

{A few pictures of her adventures over the past 4 years. How cute is she?!}

Today, my niece Lucy turns 4. Time flies when you're having fun...and fun she is! I cannot believe she is already 4 and will start pre-school this fall! She keeps us all on our toes with her many questions and sweet southern twang. Some days I think she's 4 going on 14! She loves to dance and shop at Target. Her favorite things are girly and fabulous and of course, the Charlotte 49ers and she's a great big sister to Kate-Linn. It's been said she's a bit like I was...but I'm not sure I see it :)
Leave her some sweet birthday comment love!

**HAPPY BIRTHDAY, GOOSE!**
~xoxo~
Aunt Erica

New to Green Shoes :: {Mary + Luke}

Y'all I am so super excited about Green Shoes Weddings & Events newest clients, Mary & Luke!
I've known Luke since middle school and loved Mary the first time I met her! They are an adorable couple and are so. much. fun. Their wedding is sure to be amazing!

{the newly engaged couple over Easter weekend!}

Just a bit of info on the lovely couple- Mary grew up in Charlotte and graduated from UNC-Chapel Hill. She is a financial planner at a bank in Charlotte. Luke hails from the "City of Pleasant Living" that is Shelby. He graduated from Appalachian State University where he was a manager for the National Champion Mountaineer football team. Luke is currently a team sales rep here in Charlotte. And check out their adorable Boston Terrier, Effie.

{Miss Effie is ready for a boat ride!}

When I met with Mary & her mom to chat about the wedding, the first detail Mary shared with me was that she & Luke knew they wanted a fabulous band- one with a horn section. Not that I ever doubted these two would throw a serious party, but that certainly sealed the deal!
With a good size guest list and a bridal party consisting of 12 bridesmaids, this is sure to be a fabulous event! When I asked Mary what her "vision" was for the design/color scheme she immediately answered "very fun and bright for spring- think Lilly Pulitzer but more glam" needless to say, after that meeting I could not wait to chat with Mary again about more of her ideas!

I will periodically blog about Mary & Luke's planning progress-
and may even have them write a post or two!

Be sure to follow the blog so you can stay updated on all of their super fun details!

A few details about Mary & Luke's wedding:

Date: April, 2011
Ceremony: Sardis Presbyterian Church {the church Mary grew up attending}
Reception: Mint Museum
Photography: Kristin Byrum Photography
Catering: Best Impressions Caterers
Band: TBD through East Coast Entertainment

{Congratulations, Mary + Luke! I am so thrilled to be a part of your wedding!}

Cheers!
{erica}

PRESS :: The Bride's Book Spring 2010

Back in January, I designed & coordinated a feature for The Bride's Book Magazine. The Spring 2010 issue features this shoot which took place on a cold, windy rooftop in January!

Thanks to the vendors who also participated in this shoot:

Holiday Inn Center City (Rachel Samuelson)
Hayden Olivia
The Place for Flowers
Diamonds Direct (SouthPark)

Tizzerts
3 Little Birds
Classic Party Rentals (Charlotte)

And an extra big thanks to two of my favorite photographers, Candice & Daniel Lanning from The Beautiful Mess for all of their extra effort & patience. Y'all do beautiful work!

If you haven't seen a copy of the magazine yet, go pick one up- or leave me a nice comment below and maybe I'll send you one! Who doesn't love a fun magazine in the mail?!

Cheers!
Erica

Grand Opening :: E.G. Couture

The past couple of weeks have been a whirlwind! I attended a conference for wedding planners in Indianapolis called Eventology {there will be a blog post with lots of links coming soon!} and then came home just in time to help celebrate the Grand Opening of the Charlotte area's newest wedding boutique, E.G. Couture.
E.G. Couture is owned by the lovely CJ of J. Major's Bridal Boutique in Dilworth. CJ & Shea Walker, the manager of E.G. Couture hosted a lovely cocktail party last Thursday at the new boutique!

It was a great chance to see some of my favorite ladies in the Charlotte wedding industry as well as meet some new people! Melissa Lamkin from Charlotte Wedding Magazine's Bride + Groom blog as well as Drea Cunningham from Cunningham Photo Artists (who was on hand to lend her fabulous photography skills) both blogged about the event- complete with images!

To read Melissa's recap click here
And for Drea's version click here

I am so excited for CJ and Shea and this new venture! Brides if you're looking for a great deal on a designer gown or some fun, unique accessories for your wedding you should definitely visit E.G. Couture in Matthews!

Congratulations on a successful grand opening! I can't wait to work with you ladies soon!

*PS :: Special THANK YOU to the amazing Lisa Hiner with Classic Party Rentals in Charlotte! She was so great to help me out with the rentals for this event while she was up to her eyeballs in Queens Cup logistics & details. Thanks for all your help, Lisa! :)

Cheers!
Erica

New Hours for Marriage Licenses in Mecklenburg County

Heads up local brides & grooms to be! The Mecklenburg County Register of Deeds office is cutting back on the hours they are available to process marriage licenses in an effort to save money.

The new hours are now Monday through Friday from 8 AM until 5 PM (plan to arrive by 4:30 PM). You can also visit the county website to print the necessary paperwork ahead of time which should speed up the process!

The Mecklenburg County Register of Deeds office is located at 720 East 4th Street in Charlotte.

You can read the entire article from The Charlotte Observer here.

Cheers!
{erica}

Charlotte Wedding Connection Bridal Show

Green Shoes Weddings & Events is proud to announce that we will be a part of the Charlotte Wedding Connection Bridal Show presented by the new fabulous publication in town, Charlotte Wedding Magazine!

Whether you have just started planning or are just looking for a few last minute ideas, come out and visit us at this unique showcase!

Date: Sunday, March 21
Time: 1:00-5:00 PM
Location: Levine Museum of the New South
200 E. Seventh Street, Uptown Charlotte

Tickets are $10 at the door or you can get them for just $5 if you register online!

Hope to see you there!

Venue Spotlight: The Duke Mansion

One of the most charming & unique venues in Charlotte is The Duke Mansion. One of my best friends held her rehearsal dinner there, and my husband and I frequently walked past it when we lived in the neighborhood. It is a beautiful historic mansion in the leafy upscale Myers Park area of Charlotte that now serves as a bed & breakfast. For years, The Duke Mansion was a hot spot for rehearsal dinners & bridesmaids' luncheons, but due to neighborhood restrictions and some other red tape I'm not overly familiar with, they were never permitted to hold weddings or receptions. I was ecstatic to find out that this is no longer the case! The Duke Mansion is now available for weddings & receptions and I absolutely cannot wait to plan {or attend!} a wedding at this beautiful historic venue! The options for decor are endless and will be extra fabulous with the existing details of the mansion itself.
I was unable to attend their big celebration in late January to celebrate the addition of weddings to their service menu {which got rave reviews!} so I set up a lunch meeting with Aundrea, the sales manager. We enjoyed a fabulous lunch in the library and then she gave me a tour of the entire property- which is amazing! I especially loved the sleeping rooms on the third floor whose ceilings rise & fall with the original architecture of the house.
It is truly a charming place and I am so excited to see the amazing celebrations that will get to be held at such an amazing and historic part of Charlotte!

{All photo credit + copyright: Tommy McCart Photography}

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"

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}

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.