Vendor Spotlight: Renee Skipper Design

Today's Vendor Spotlight holds a special place in my heart.  Renee Skipper of  Renee Skipper Design is one of my dear past brides.  We had so much fun working together for her March 2010 wedding.  We have kept in touch ever since which is so great!  Soon after the wedding, Renee and Nathan made a move to Savannah.  While there, Renee founded Renee Skipper Design.  She has extensive experience in graphic design; she most recently worked for the Business Journals prior to starting her own company.  Renee is back in Charlotte and still does a lot of work with the Business Journals, but has also gained a wide variety of clients.  

I got my first look at Renee's amazing talent while we were planning her wedding.  She designed her save the dates and invitation suite, as well as her ceremony programs.  She also designed the Just Married sign for her reception, one of my favorite details of the day.

Aren't these just beautiful?!  I love to see the stationery elements flow like this.  Since her wedding, she has done work for other weddings as well.  She designs custom logos for your big day, that you can use in many different ways.  Here's a couple wedding logos she did for some of our other weddings:

Renee does gorgeous design, and will work with you to come up with a completely unique and customized stationery suite for your wedding.  Who wouldn't want that?  Her work doesn't stop with invitations, if you come up with it, odds are Renee can make it a reality for you.

 Already married?  Have other design needs?  Renee designs all types of invitations and stationery for any occasion.  Recently married?  Let Renee design custom monogram thank you cards.  Everyone needs thank you cards on hand. 

Lastly, Renee also does a lot of work for business owners.  She can design business cards, marketing materials, anything that will help your business be successful. 

Give Renee Skipper Design a call, I know that you will love working with her, as well as the fantastic product you will receive.

~Alisa
info@charlotteeventstyle.com
704.960.2262

Happy Anniversary April and Jon!

This past weekend, my dear past clients April and Jon celebrated their one year anniversary.  I cannot believe it has already been that long!  Working with April was so special to me, as she is my oldest friend in the world.  We met at the age of eight, in second grade.  We were inseparable as kids and all through high school and college.  As we grew up and moved to different places, we have remained in touch and I cherish her, and our friendship.  At the time they were engaged, they lived in Cherryville and found West Point Farms in Rutherfordton for their wedding.  This place could not have been more perfect, it was as if it was created just for them. The journey to the farm begins with a long winding driveway to the top of a hill where three small open air cabins sit.  There is also large log cabin, pavilion and chapel.  The views of the mountains are breathtaking!

The ceremony took place mid afternoon with Jon's uncle officiating while surrounded by family, friends and the undisturbed beauty of nature.  Once the I Do's were said and a kiss was shared, April and Jon were joined by their guests in the pavilion.  The pavilion was adorned with rustic yet romantic lighting, the tables with local flowers including one of April's favorites, Queen Anne's Lace.  What a perfect flower for their mountain setting!  The decorations really reflected the personalities of April and Jon very well: no frills needed, this couple shares a true love.  Sometimes while planning a wedding the details of the day become the central focus but April and Jon didn't have that issue come up.  They kept the focus of their day on what mattered, they were committing their lives to each other.

The reception was great fun!  BBQ was catered in, and they even fried hush puppies on site!  Can't get any  fresher than that.  I was pleased to be a part of this special day.  See below for some of my favorite pictures from the day.

Can't be a mountain wedding without a picture with a Wagon!

Pictures of past generations of marriages in their families

Delicious cupcakes, and a small cake for April and Jon

April and Alisa

Family heirloom jewelry wore by April

A special thanks to Terri Hood Photography for capturing the events of the day.  Happy one year anniversary April and Jon!  I hope the first year was a great one!

With Love,

Alisa

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

Trend Watch: Anthropologie

We heard recently that Anthropologie would be launching a bridal line soon, and it is finally here!  What's not to love about this store: the amazing clothes, accessories, and items that any girl would love to fill her home with.  Their looks are so classy, trendy, and so unique.  So when we heard that a bridal line was on it's way, to say that we were excited does not quite capture it.  Well it's here, and of course it is at least as amazing as we expected.  Gorgeous gowns, bridesmaid dresses, jewelry, accessories, veils, and even lingerie for the big night!  There are a range of prices, which means brides with all different budgets can enjoy an Anthro wedding.  Check out some of our favorites below, and be sure to check out the whole site:  http://www.bhldn.com/index.cfm

Ethereal Monarch Gown $3200

Pinwheel Tea Dress $1400

Starburst Pleated Shift $200

Hinted Phlox Necklace $245

Feathered Petals Headband $128

Guilded Trillium Kisslock Clutch $320