Vendor Spotlight: One Stop Live!

Charlotte is such a great place isn't it? Maybe as a native I am a little biased, but I often find my self being thankful to live and work here. We have just about everything you want and need within reach: fantastic shopping; amazing restaurants; more concert venues than I can count; and lots of unique places like the Whitewater Center, Lowe's Motor Speedway (everyone should experience this at least once), Carowinds, and Great Wolf Lodge. A little fun fact for you: Charlotte has more churches than any city in the whole country, over 500!  I most recently discovered a hidden jewel while my husband and I were babysitting our nephews and niece. Plaza Fiesta, ever heard of it? It is right next to Carowinds in an unsuspecting building. It's website boasts that it is the largest indoor playground in the southeast! Who knew? Here is picture I took while we were there, but it doesn't even do it justice. It's much bigger than the picture portrays. The kids had a blast!  I must also mention, being the foodie that I am, that they have the most amazing Mexican food there as well. Very authentic, like nowhere else in the area that I've been.   If you have kids, you should not miss this place! And if you don't have kids, you should go just for the food.

But I digress....Charlotte is a great place to live, and a perfect place to host an event!  Today I want to tell you about One Stop Live!, a local company that provides bands, DJ, various musicians, & staging, lighting and sound.  This is not your typical DJ company, they really have a great thing going.  I have had the pleasure of working with Scooter Abrams, the owner of One Stop Live! on many occasions and he is just awesome!  While working with Scooter for the first time, I learned that he is also a Charlotte native, and that we both went to the same high school (a few years apart).  I knew that Scooter would best be able to tell me about his company, so here is what he had to say:

"One Stop Live was founded on the need for a full service, customer oriented entertainment provider for the Carolinas, that wasn't your cookie cutter "booking agency".  After having worked for another agency for over 5 years, Scooter Abrams, saw a way to do business better and to focus more on the "turn key" aspects missing from most entertainment companies today.  Not only to provide you value in the entertainment you choose, but being able to provide you everything else you may need to put on your event like staging, sound, lighting, etc....  His assumptions were right, because 8 years later One Stop Live has become one of the most prominent and well respected entertainment companies in the Carolinas.  

The wedding and private party market has become their #1 client source, with 85% of that coming from referral and word-of-mouth.  Corporate clients are provided everything from national acts to regional talent options, event management, as well as full production to carry out their convention or meeting.  Their hands-on approach and multi-step process to helping engaged couples find the perfect entertainment for both the ceremony and reception is second to none.  They're not just booking the musician, band or DJ you choose and forget about you.  They go the extra mile to personally take you throughout the process of pre-planning the entire event of activities that require the entertainer to know about and so they can not only emcee for the event, but also help manage the event for you from start to finish.  This added touch, has put them on many preferred vendor lists around the Carolinas, as well as well respected wedding planners in the industry.  They were featured in the cover story of Carolina Bride Magazine's April-June issue this year.  Accolades and personal references from the brides themselves posted right on the website, ensure that you are getting the best the industry has to offer when it comes to your entertainment."

I couldn't have said it better myself!  Scooter and his entertainers are professional, dependable and most importantly, they add to your event.  See the picture here of Scooter doing his thing at one of our weddings.  They know how to keep a reception moving, and keep the guests on the dance floor!    So if you are looking for a fantastic entertainer for your next event, reach out to One Stop Live! and see what they have to offer.  704.533.1829 or bookings@onestoplive.com

info@charlotteeventstyle.com

704.960.2262

Too Many Mouths to Feed?

So you are planning your wedding, which means you want to be surrounded by loved ones to share in the celebration.  Something about a wedding brings out the desire to invite your BFF from kindergarten, your 2nd grade teacher, and your parents' co-workers from three jobs ago; not to mention all of the people currently in your life.  Of course everyone who has ever meant something to you should be there, right? Often the guest list is a sore subject among brides, grooms and their families.  It's hard to rationally decide who makes the cut.   Now if you are working within a budget, and most brides are, that means some tough decisions are going to have to be made.  The cold harsh reality is that every person that attends your wedding is another mouth to feed.  The reception is the biggest part of your budget, and that hinges mostly on the number of guests you have, along with what the guests are offered for food and drink.

I see it over and over, the battle of the guest list.  It's certainly not an easy task.  Need to cut your guest list, but don't know where to begin?  Here's a little tool from Wedding Bee that may be helpful to you:



This is a systematic approach to narrowing down your guest list, and I think it's great.  It asks fair questions that get you to a sensible answer.  If you are in the middle of the guest list struggle, give this handy little tool a try!

Another guest list slicer is an adult reception.  This will depend entirely on your individual situation, but if there aren't children that play an integral part in your wedding, this may be a great option for you.  Sure they are a smaller cost per person, as they wouldn't be hitting up the bar and they may qualify for a lesser meal price, but the little tykes do add up!

Made all of the cuts you can, and still over budget?  There are definitely ways to keep your guest list where you want it, and stay within budget.  It means sacrificing somewhere, but it's up to you where the sacrifice is made:

• Choose less expensive food options
• Limit alcohol by having only beer and wine or a shorter bar time
• Having your wedding earlier in the day allows for less expensive food options, and people typically don't drink as much

Hopefully these tips will lead you down the path to finding the perfect balance of guest list and budget.  Happy planning!

Need help?  Give us a call!  704.960.2262 or info@charlotteeventstyle.com