Memorial Day:: Stop to remember

In the true spirit of Memorial Day, I thought I'd write a post to remind all of us of the reason we celebrate this holiday. It is because of the men & women who have fought for our country and continue to do so everyday so that we can have our freedom. Regardless of your political views or your opinion on the current situation in Iraq & Afghanistan, please take a moment today to remember and thank those who have served. These photos are of people who are important to me who have served our country.

Patrick (United States Marine Corps) and Butler (US Army) are two of my best friends. I've known them both for 15+ years and love them like brothers. They were both ushers in my wedding. Both of them fought in Iraq & Afghanistan and were deployed multiple times. My mother's father, my Grandpa Pete, fought in the Army during World War II. In my recent explorations of my parents' attic & storage unit I've come across lots of old pictures including these of Grandpa during his service days. I also found his dogtag from the Army and now wear it myself on occasion. The photo in the background of the collage is of the 88th Division Cemetery No. 3 near Florence, Italy. The picture was taken by my grandfather in 1944.

So as many of us enjoy our long weekend, let's not forget those who continue to fight so that we can enjoy the freedoms we sometimes take for granted.

Cheers!
{erica}

Happy Anniversary :: {Kristi + Zach}

Happy Anniversary to one of my dearest friends, Kristi, & her husband Zach! Kristi & Zach were married at Rumbling Bald Resort on Lake Lure (which also happens to be the fabulous location of another Green Shoes Wedding later this year!)

As I helped Kristi plan her fun, casual lakeside wedding- complete with a sparkler exit to a boat that was captained by my father- she became instrumental in encouraging me to pursue wedding planning as something more than a hobby to help my friends. I will always be grateful to her for that little "push" that I needed! She's also the reason I met my husband, so she gets points for that too!

We all need a Kristi in our life...the friend who drags you out one night when you don't want to go (where you end up meeting your future husband) and the friend who encourages and pushes you to do something you really love and want to do- even if it isn't always logical!

So Happy Anniversary to Kristi & Zach! Cheers to many happy years to come!


love,
{erica}

photo credit: Piper Warlick Photography

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}