January 2016 – Jackie Fogartie

First and foremost Happpppppppy New Year! Was Monday as rough on everyone as it was on me? Turns out that 2+ weeks of going to bed late, eating copious amounts of food and partaking in many glasses of wine makes for a sluggish Jackie. Who knew…oh wait, I knew. And I did it anyways! We capped off the last day of the “break” with a Panthers win, solidifying our team as masters of the football universe. Playoffs here we come!

For my first post of 2016, I’m here to prove to you that good things come to those who wait! I kicked off a busy wedding season in the fall of 2015 with Sarah and Steve’s late August nuptials. Sarah and Steve’s infectious love for one another and smiling faces combined with a beautiful uptown venue and great vendors made for a one of a kind wedding! Dare I say it was one of my most favorite weddings ever? Oh I do dare.

Let’s take a walk down Sarah and Steve’s memory lane! Photo credit goes to Amy Terrell with Simple Moments Photography. Full vendor list at the bottom of the post!

Let me just brag on Sarah and Steve for a quick sec…they are both so genuinely sweet and both care so much about one another; they are truly a great couple. We became fast friends and I know we will be seeing each other well after their wedding! You can tell just by looking at their photos that they are a blast as was their fun wedding party!

Sarah and Steve picked the beautiful Foundation for the Carolinas venue located in uptown Charlotte. The modern venue has a beautiful lobby filled with unique artwork and the event room is walled by windows and overlooks Charlotte’s bustling uptown streets. Both their ceremony and reception were held there. Their wedding had so many unique elements, and the ceremony “altar” and programs were two of my favorites.

With a custom designed pipe and draping from Party Reflections and floral by Bloom Room, the “altar” was stunning! Small glass globes with candles were hung from the piping and made for a beautiful ceremony backdrop against the wall of windows.

In the ceremony chairs were two-sided programs custom created by Three Little Birds. One side had all the ceremony info and on the other side were words of congratulations like “Yay, Congrats and Yippee!” Guests were instructed to hold up their congratulations when the couple walked back down the aisle as man and wife. Genius! They also made for fun props for the wedding party photos!

As I mentioned, Foundation for the Carolinas has so many beautiful aspects. Their lobby makes for the perfect place for wedding party and bride and groom photos.

I also love the “living wall” that’s on the outdoor deck/patio area. It made the perfect backdrop Sarah and Steve’s First Look…

…and for one of my favorite pictures from the wedding, Sarah and her Grandpa. Isn’t this the sweetest picture? I love her bouquet too…

…Speaking of flowers, my gal Lynette with Bloom Room totally rocked out Sarah’s florals. Sarah knew she wanted blue and green, and in case you are wondering, there aren’t tons of blue flowers! Using an eclectic group of containers including mercury glass and blue glass, as well as a wide variety of flowers, the floral design on this wedding was a showstopper that every guest commented on!

I loved the long head table with tall bunches of Belles of Ireland making a statement.

You might have noticed those custom designed table markers on each table. Three Little Birds knocked it out of the park again with location-themed table cards. Each card had a custom drawing of a landmark in a town up closer and personal to the couple. Not only that, on the backs of each table card, there was a description of why that city was important to Sarah and Steve. Can we say creative much? There was a custom seating chart as well so guests could find their table. This is a great example of how to make a wedding personalized and unique!

When it came to food and dessert, of course we made that creative too! Each food station (catered by the always great Best Impressions) had a regional theme, like this Philly-Jersey Station.

And of course there was no regular ole’ wedding cake, it was a beautiful and unique cupcake display using clear acrylic boxes and topped with a sweet “LOVE” topper. Amy from Wow Factor Cakes and I had fun designing this cake display!