Etsy Find - This find is for my Planner "Girlfriends"

If you're not familiar with the website Etsy, it's a must as a new bride!

Etsy is a marketplace where people around the world connect to buy and sell unique goods. You will find tons of great items and inspiration for your wedding, party or household on Etsy.

This find is for my wedding planner "girlfriends". As a wedding planner you juggle many items on the wedding day, so how cute is this ruffle fanny pack! You can be organized and fashionable.  LOVE!

To all my fellow wedding planners, what do you use on wedding day to stay organized?

Back to the Basics!

In 2013, we are kicking our blog into high gear! Posting weekly, we will feature:

- Real Weddings

- Charlotte Wedding Vendors 

- Inspiration/Style Boards to help guide your wedding/party design

- Wedding/Party advice

- Fabulous Local Store Finds (for our DIY and Crafty readers)

- and MUCH MORE!

Cheers to a FABULOUS and STYLISH 2013!

XOXO,
Carla - Style Perfect Events

Real Charlotte Wedding: Sneak Peek of Theckla + Beale 6.25.11

Check-out the blog of Cunningham Photo Artists for a sneak peek of our couple Theckla and Beale married on June 25th at St Peter's Episcopal Church and the Mint Museum in uptown Charlotte.

More pictures to come soon. :-)


Photography by Cunningham Photo Artists

2011 EVIE Awards

I'm on the board for the Greater Charlotte Chapter of the International Special Events Society and this year I was asked to Co-chair our annual EVIE Awards Gala and Fundraiser. This event recognizes event professionals through-out the Carolinas by celebrating outstanding achievement in a variety of disciplines including event planning, production, catering, graphics and more.

I'm really excited about this year's event because we have a lot of fun surprises in-store and will be introducing the new People's Choice Award.

For the People's Choice Award we asked area designers, florists and planners to create a table top design inspired by our theme: sports/competition. We also asked local caterers to create a dish that best represents their take on game day/stadium food. Guests in attendance at the EVIE Awards will be able to vote on the best food and best table top design.

The details for the event are below:


I hope to see all Charlotte event professionals in attendance as we celebrate the special events industry!

Wish Upon a Wedding

Last week the Wish Upon a Wedding Carolinas chapter hosted their first fundraising gala at the Ritz Carlton. It was a pleasure to be in attendance to support this great charity. Wish Upon a Wedding is the world’s first nonprofit wish granting organization providing weddings and vow renewals for couples facing terminal illness and serious life-altering circumstances, regardless of sexual orientation.

The gala was held to raise funds for the organization to aid them in granting wishes. You can learn more about the organization and how to volunteer or donate at their website.

Please spread the word!

Taste at Founder's Hall

Uptown has a new event space, Taste, it's located in Founder's Hall and has a great modern and sleek feel. The venue has a total of 3966 Sq Ft and can accommodate a total of 136 people for a seated reception (56 in the inside space and 80 on the patio). Catering is provided in-house by Compass Group.

Here are a few pictures of the space.













Charlotte event professionals please come out to the ISES Greater Charlotte Chapter October Speed Networking event at Taste, on Tuesday, October 12th, where you will get to check-out the new venue as well as connect with ISES members and other professionals in the hospitality industry. Please click here for the details and to register for the event. Hope to see you out!

Wedding Magazine UK

I have some good news to share! My table number design from the Garden Party Concept Shoot that I designed and styled last Fall is being featured in the August/September issue of Wedding Magazine UK! Please grab a copy and check-it out!

Kudos to The Beautiful Mess Photography for their amazing work on the shoot and to all of the fabulous vendors that made the day possible. You can see images from the shoot and a list of the amazing vendors that participated here.

International Special Events Society (ISES)

I am so excited to announce that I was nominated and accepted to the 2010-2011 board of the Greater Charlotte Chapter of ISES, as a board of director!

ISES is an international organization whose charge has always been to educate, advance and promote the special events industry and its network of professionals. The mission for ISES member is to:

- Uphold the integrity of the special events profession to the general public through our "Principles of Professional Conduct and Ethics"
- Acquire and disseminate useful business information
- Foster a spirit of cooperation among its members and other special events professionals
- Cultivate high standards of business practices

Looking forward to a great year ahead!

Charlotte Event Professionals

Calling all Charlotte event professionals...

As a member of the International Special Events Society (ISES), I am excited to announce our 2010 Evies Awards Gala at Mez on Sunday, March 28th

Hope you can make it! Would love to see you there.

Here are the details.

Sunday, March 28th
5pm-9pm
Mez at the Epicenter
210 East Trade Street
Charlotte, NC 28202

Tickets: $50/ISES and NACE members and $75/non-members

Click Here to Register

Charlotte Wedding: Sheretha + Tremaine 11.27.09

I had the pleasure of working with Sheretha and Tremaine, a lovely couple who met in Japan while serving in the Navy, on their destination wedding here in Charlotte.

The style of the wedding was rich, romance and elegance, with lots of roses and deep red, yellow and orange colors.


Photographer: Gene Ho Photography

Thank you so much to all of the vendors involved!
Venue: Renaissance Charlotte Suites Hotel
Photographer: Gene Ho Photography
Videographer: Ella Grey Video
Ceremony Music: Elegant Ensembles
Cake: Cheesecake Etc.
Flowers: The Place for Flowers
Rentals: Party Reflections and Cooke Rentals
Linens: First Impression Party Linen Rental
Ice Sculpture: Ice Sensations

I'm Engaged! Now What...?

Congratulations to all of the newly engaged brides! This is such an exciting time of the year, but it can also be overwhelming. So, here are "5 things you must do before you start planning your wedding". (These tips can also be applied to planning a birthday party, anniversary renewal, etc.)

Tip 1:
Set your Wedding Date and Guest List -
Your date and guest list will determine a lot when deciding on a venue and the cost of your wedding. You don't want to waste your time looking at venues that are not available on your date (or plan B and C wedding dates) or cannot accommodate your guest list.

Tip 2:
Do your Research -
This is most brides first time being immersed in the finite details of a wedding, so get on the internet, read wedding magazines, figure out what you and your fiancee like and what aspects of the wedding are the most important to you both.

Now you don’t have to do a huge search, just simply get an idea of what you like and what things "COST".

Tip 3:
Set a Budget -
Yes, you MUST have a budget and YES you need to track your spending.

If you have not hired a full-service wedding planner that is managing your budget for you, then you need to stay on top of it. Money is one of the many sources for wedding drama, so once you've set your budget; please embrace it...big or small. This will make your wedding planning process go a lot smoother and your bank account a lot happier.

Tip 4:
Prioritize -
This is a BIG one. In a perfect world we would have everything we want, but many times we have to make compromises. Make a list of 8-10 wedding related items (photographer, cake, flowers, venue, etc.) and rank them, one being the most important. This will help you make easier budget decisions if money is starting to get tight, as you have already outlined what’s most important in the beginning.

Tip 5:
Have Fun! -
Enjoy this chapter of your life. Enjoy your engagement. If you can, have an engagement party and wait a few months before you get bogged down in wedding planning details.

Enjoy your wedding. Be a bride that day and let your family and friends be a guest. If you've already decided that you don't want or need a wedding planner, it's a must that you have a day-of-coordinator so you and your groom are not the point of contact for any questions or mishaps that will come up on your wedding day.

I hope this gets you started in the right direction. If you have any additional questions or want to know how a wedding planner can help you, please give us a call, 704-975-9921. We would love to hear more about your wedding!

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

Charlotte Hot Spots - aloft Hotel

Charlotte is a great city and has tons of fabulous venues for weddings and parties! The swanky aloft Hotel (a vision of W Hotels) at the Epicenter is such an amazing place. The modern and stylish decor and deign of the hotel lobby and their WXYZ Bar takes me back to my years living in New York City.

Their contemporary styled rooms are great for out of town guests!

You definitely have to check-out the space it's great for small private parties.

Here are some pictures taken by Dawn of Rooftop Studios at the Charlotte Wedding and Event Professionals Networking Group event at aloft Hotel hosted by yours truly, StylePerfect Weddings and Events! The event featured a panel discussion with some of Charlotte's finest caterers.

FYI - The lobby is open to the public and is a great pre or post party hang-out spot. :-)

Wedding and Event Professionals

StylePerfect Weddings and Events had the opportunity to plan and host a networking event for the Charlotte Wedding and Event Professionals Networking Group. This was the second networking event that we planned for the group. The beautiful Palmer Building, a restored fire school, hosted the event and A Tasteful Solution Catering and Events did the catering.

The event featured a great panel of local wedding and event planners, Shanika Butts (SJB Weddings and Events), David Klingel (Mint Museum of Art), Tammi Cole (Elegant Creations Weddings and Events and the Bridal House) and Jessica Keyes (Lake Norman Laughliner). I moderated the discussion, which touched on wedding trends and best business practices.

If you're looking to enter the wedding and event industry in Charlotte, this is a great start because there is no cost to join the group and they hold monthly events.

Here are some pictures from the networking event. Pamela Hempstead from The Perfect Negative did the photography.