Be Inspired - Garden Party Concept Shoot

Style Perfect Events was asked by the super talented husband and wife photography duo Candice and Dan Lanning from The Beautiful Mess Photography to put together a concept shoot, that would highlight the details of a wedding reception. I automatically thought of the Orchard House in Concord for the location. The Orchard House is an estate built in 1853 that has been refurbished by an awesome mother and her two daughters. The venue has three lush garden areas for wedding ceremonies and a tented reception site on the property.

With the Orchard House as my inspiration I came up with a "Garden Party" concept. The color palette was chocolate, lemon and sage (with touches of pink which evolved for one of the place settings after I found this beautiful fabric at Hobby Lobby that I just had to use for the fabric wrapped plate chargers). Stay tuned for the DIY directions on how to make your own decorative plate charger!

The look was old south and lush gardens. The mood was delightful and charming with an air of high-society.

I pulled in several of my colleagues to assist me with bringing this concept to life and I can not express my gratitude enough on how amazing their support made this photo-shoot come together!

Here is the inspiration board that I put together for the concept.



And here are a few images from the shoot...













Big THANK YOU to the following vendors that were involved in this project.

Please check them out!

Photographer: The Beautiful Mess Photography
Venue: The Orchard House
Floral Designer and Baker: From this Day Forward Wedding and Special Event Design
Invitation/Stationery: Ella Elise Invitation Studio
Models: The E Agency
Hair and Make-up: Adrian Howe from the Beauty Sophisticate
Tuxedo: Tuxedo Lady
Bridal Gowns: Classic Bride and Formals in Davidson
Rentals: Cooke Rentals and Classic Party Rentals
Linens: Connie Duglin Specialty Linen and Chair Cover Rental

Fabulous Local Store Find - All things that SPARKLE!

This weekend I stopped in Z Gallerie at Northlake mall and the store always seems to amaze me. They have the best home accessories at the best price and like Homegoods, you can draw so much inspiration from just walking around the store.

Last year Z Gallerie introduced this great "bling" collection and "Yes, I LOVE bling and all things that sparkle" and this fabulous lantern in all crystals stole my heart. At $70 it is such a great accent piece for any event. It even comes with an 85" Cord with a toggle switch.

Here are a few more sparkly items from Z Gallerie that I love!

Bridal Gown SALE

Classic Bride and Formals in Davidson will be hosting their Annual White Friday Event - which is their gown blow out event of the year!

The sale started today at 7am and continues until 10am on Friday November, 27, 2009.

It includes 40% off of favors, formal dresses as low as $20 and wedding gowns as low as $99 and more...

Check-out this great sale! They have a great selection and store!

Classic Bride and Formals
106 S. Main Street
Davidson, NC 28036
704-896-3655

Make sure to tell them that Style Perfect Weddings and Events sent you!

Happy Dress Shopping!

Networking Event at the Duke Mansion

Here are a few pictures taken by The Beautiful Mess Photography of the networking event planned by Style Perfect Events at the Duke Mansion for the Charlotte Wedding and Event Professionals Networking Group. The event featured a panel discussion with prominent florists in the Charlotte area.

Save the Date - Bridal Event in Charlotte

The "ceremony" is the wedding.

Style Perfect Weddings and Events has teamed up with Charlotte Interfaith Minister, Diana Collins to provide bride's and their groom with tips on:

Writing personal vows
Traditions
Ceremony music selections
and more...

Join us for a fun and informative brunch designed to help you create a uniquely personal wedding ceremony.

Sunday, January 17, 2010
1pm-3pm
Hampton Inn and Suites Southpark at Phillips Place
6700 Phillips Place Court
Charlotte, NC 28210
Cost: $10 person

DIY: Pie Pops

I love pie pops, cake pops, brownie pope, etc.

Dessert on a stick...who can resist...they're such a fun edible treat and a joy at any event.

Here is the link to where I found the directions to make the pie pops. My pie pop creations were semi-homemade, like Sandra Lee. I used Pillsbury pie crust and canned pie filling.

Please send in pictures if you try this at home. It's easy. This was my first time baking!

Check-out these beautiful cake pops and brownie pops.


Bakerella (provides "sweets" inspiration and DIY directions)


Brownie Pops (you can order these delicious treats from their website)

If you prefer to order cake pops, check-out The Lollicake Company, they showcased their products in Vegas back in September at the Wedding MBA conference and their cake pops were delicious. I had the red velvet. Yummy!

Dessert Bar

This past Saturday, I planned a 40th birthday party for a client's husband. The event was a nice casual affair with friends and family taking place at their home. I was tasked to create an event that was "well done but understated", so no balloons, cake or vibrant colors.

"No cake"..."Great"...I've been dying to create the alternative to a cake...a dessert bar.

Which spawned in to a fabulous Dessert and Coffee Bar, filled with homemade pie pops, banana pudding, chocolate mouse, miniature flan, vanilla and pumpkin spice flavor shots for your coffee and more.

Here are two quick camera picks of the pie pops and desserts. More pics to follow.

I will post the professional pictures from the party once I receive them from the amazing photographer Jeremie Barlow from Jeremie Barlow Photography.

Fabulous Local Store Find: Beverage Dispensers

Homegoods has done it again. Man I love that store!

Check-out these great beverage dispensers. They are also available in a cream color and are priced at $39.99-$49.99. Fun beverage dispensers are such a great way to add personality to your event. They become more of a centerpiece, rather than just being in the background.



Here are some other great beverage dispensers!


Z Gallerie (another FABULOUS store and also my old stomping grounds...worked there part time for almost a year)


Colin Cowie's new line on the Home Shopping Network


Target's Eco-Friendly Beverage Dispenser made out of recycled glass

Be Inspired - The Dessy Group

Back in September, The Dessy Group, a leading manufacturer of bridesmaid dresses, social occasion dresses, flower girl dresses and destination wedding gowns, launched Pantone Wedding a collaboration with Pantone, the global authority on color and provider of professional color standards for the design industries.

Pantone Wedding is an awesome interactive tool for couples still deciding on their wedding day style and/or color palette. It allows you to create inspiration style boards by mixing and matching over 200 Pantone colors to find your exact wedding color palette. You can also play around with your wedding party style by selecting images from their awesome collection of bridesmaid dresses and tuxedo vests and ties to match to include in your inspiration boards.

"Color is the single most important design element in reflecting mood and style, and with PANTONE WEDDING, the Dessy bride can easily express her creative vision for that all-important day," says Laurie Pressman, vice president of Pantone's fashion, home and interiors division.

Check-out The Dessy Group and Be Inspired...

Here is an inspiration board that I created at Pantone Wedding.

Wedding Monograms

Created by Delovely Designs

As couples are looking for ways to make their wedding day personal, monograms have always been at the top of the list. With a plethora of websites and graphic designers taking a whimsical and youthful approach to monograms couples are really able to express their individuality. The wedding monogram has really transformed into a wedding logo.

Here are some rules of thumb for using your wedding monogram:
- The order of initials for a traditional 3 letter monogram are as follows: bride's first initial, shared last initial and groom's first initial.

- Traditional wedding etiquette dictates that the monogram should not be used until after the couple is actually married, so the best time to unveil the monogram is at the reception.

- If you want to use a monogram as your wedding theme and utilize it on your save-the-dates and invitations, use a monogram that has just your first initials or first names.

Check-out these two websites they design fabulous wedding monograms!
I Do Originals
Delovely Designs

And for my DIY Brides here are some instructions on how to create your own wedding monogram in Microsoft Word or PowerPoint.

For fun fonts check-out our previous post on how to download new fonts to your computer.

Microsoft Word

Select Insert -> Textbox. Type and format the letter - do this three times. Click on all textboxes and choose Format -> Textbox. Select Color: No Fill (to overlap letters) and Line: No Line. Select all letters, right click, and choose Group to lock in the arrangement. You can now copy your image into Microsoft Paint and save it in several image formats.

Microsoft Powerpoint

Use "Word Art" to create your letters. Click on the blue tilted "A" on the bottom toolbar for each letter. Format. Once you're finished designing, select all the letters, right-click, and choose Grouping->Group. Click on your image and right-click for Save as Image.

Giving Back

I'm on the Fundraising Committee for LifeSpan Farm Therapeutic Riding Center and have been diligently working on our 2009 fall event titled Cluckfest alongside my other committee members, Jennifer and Regan.

LifeSpan Farm is a great organization in Charlotte located off of Beatties Ford road. They provide equine assisted activities for children and adults with development disabilities. This organization is very dear to my heart because while working at the Ad Council in New York I had the pleasure of working with Autism Speaks, another outstanding non-profit, for three years on their public service advertising campaign. Creating awareness about autism and other developmental disorders is so key for early detection, acceptance and support.

This Saturday, October 24th please join LifeSpan Farm for our 2009 Cluckfest event which will include a trick or treat trail, pumpkin patch, various games and activities, face painting, hay rides, and more. Attendees will also be able to purchase plates of fried chicken to help raise money for the program while enjoying tunes from DJ Chris Roland.

Hope to see you there!

Saturday, October 24th
11am-3pm
3701 Kidd Lane
Charlotte, NC 28216

We are also in need of a few more volunteers. If you would like to help please give me a call at 704-975-9941. Thanks!

And the winner is....

Congratulations 2010 Brides and Grooms!

Thank you so much for checking out our display at the Wedding Affair Showcase. We hope you had a great time!

And the winner is...

Angela Long and Jack Bell

We look forward to working with you both as your day-of wedding coordinator!

Congrats!!!

Bridal Show

Howard and Howard Events is hosting a Wedding Affair Showcase on Sunday, October 4th from 12pm-5pm at Whitehead Manor.

The bridal showcase will offer spectacular fashions, decadent desserts, dance lessons and more. Brides and Grooms will also be entertained by a professional cigar roller and will receive their very own keepsake cigar.

StylePerfect Weddings and Events will be moderating the Q&A discussion between brides and grooms and some of Charlotte's finest vendors.

Hope to see you there!

Sunday, October 4th
12pm-5pm
Whitehead Manor Conference Center
5901 Sardis Rd.
Charlotte, NC 28270

Fabulous Local Store Find: Peel and Stick Chalkboard

As you may already know, Homegoods is one of my favorite stores. Talk about inspiration and great prices all in one place. I love it! You can always find cool stuff in there. Yesterday, I came across the Wallies peel & stick chalkboard, which is such a fun and nostalgic addition to any event. You can use chalkboards to display your menu, table numbers, seating assignments and more. The dimensions of the chalkboard are 25x38 and it is $16.99.

P.S. - Pier 1 Imports has also just incorporated some cool chalkboard products in to their stores.

Local Venue: The Broadcast Group

I had the pleasure of meeting with Elizabeth from The Broadcast Group in Fort Mill, SC. The Broadcast Group is a full-service media and event company that has event rooms that range from 750 sq ft to 22,000 sq ft. All of the event spaces are very unique and with the Broadcast Group's expertise in staging and lighting you will be able create a WOW event!

My favorite space there is the front foyer that just exudes modern and glamour. The space has so much potential for great little details. The picture above does not do the space justice. That being said I have pulled together a few pictures that were inspired by this awesome room.

Enjoy!