CWD Exclusive: Searching for Bridesmaid gowns

Searching for the perfect gown for your attendants is always a blast.
Here is a short video from this morning, shopping with one of our fabulous full service clients, Lydia Nims. Her adorable mom (Kim) and sister (Katherine) joined us on the hunt.....
Enjoy!

Video Locations: J Majors, New York Bride & Groom

New Years 2010 Inspiration Board

Just announced....'Get Married' on WeTV.

Click here to learn more about the new highly anticipated show!

Happy Holidays from CWD!

Problem Solved!

Most bridal shoes have thin heels which can be difficult to wear when you are outdoors for a wedding ceremony or reception...especially on the lawn.

You no longer have to sacrifice those fabulous shoes! SoleMates has created a product, clear or black, that slips on most heels so you do not sink in the lawn. This discreet and easy to use product increases the surface area on the base of the heel which prevents the heel from sinking into grass or falling into cracks!

Brides/Bridesmaids - if you order 10 pairs you'll receive a 10% discount! For more information, go to www.thesolemates.com.

CWD Photo Shoot!

Carolina Wedding Design had a great photo shoot yesterday morning on location at the Duke Mansion and Hayden Olivia Bridal! HUGE thanks to George at Catch Light Studio for working his magic (especially on me- Cortenay). Also, the Vivienne Westwood wedding gown (Carrie Bradshaw's wedding gown in the Sex and the City movie) is available at Hayden Olivia Bridal and it MAY have slipped on me to try on for fun. Pictures to come soon!

Trend 2010 Alert!

Mismatched Bridesmaid Dresses

For several years, brides have been selecting a bridesmaid dress designer and a fabric, then letting their bridesmaids choose the style that works best for their bodies. But the 2010 wedding trend takes idea further. Choose only a color, then let your bridesmaids find an off-the-rack dress of any designer that they like. Not only does this take some pressure off of you, but it also ensures that women are choosing a dress they like and they'll be likely to actually wear again. If you follow this trend, be sure to tell your bridesmaids how formal the dress should be – you don't want one bridesmaid wearing a casual sundress while another has on a beaded evening gown.

Showing individual personalities is great and it really adds extra character to your party.....and photos!

CWD on Cover of Ballantyne Magazine!

We are ELATED to be on the cover of the Winter Issue of the Ballantyne Magazine.

Click here to see the full article.

The new issue has been on the stands a couple weeks so we wanted to post it for those of you that aren't in the Ballantyne area.

The 8 page spread talks about holiday tips and tricks to hosting a fantastic holiday party without breaking your bank, but still giving your friends and family a FABULOUS party.

Thanks to Deborah Triplett for the amazing photoshoot.

News 14 Carolina Interview....

Some of you don't have Timewarner Cable therefore missed our clip

today offering budget friendly holiday tips and you asked us to post it.....here you go!

Very exciting for Carolina Wedding Design and Carolina Event Design!

Exciting news! Meet Cortenay Matters!

Carolina Wedding Design has some VERY exciting news!

We are thrilled to announce that Cortenay Matters is now a partner with me at Carolina Wedding Design & our sister company Carolina Event Design! Expect the official Press Release & updated website next week!

You'll be able to read Cortenay's full bio and hear about her 8 years in the wedding industry, 5 of which she's been a planner. She brings a wealth of knowledge to our firm and rarely meets a stranger in the wedding industry, partly because she has served at the NACE Charlotte Chapter President for the last 2 years and is very involved with local organizations.

Welcome Cortenay! I'm honored to be working with you again!

~Heather

Media...

We were interviewed today by News 14 Carolina about ways to host a fabulous Holiday Party without breaking the bank! Lots of great tips & tricks.

Tune in Sunday to watch the feature!

Happy Thanksgiving from Carolina Wedding Design...

More Than A Day

As Thanksgiving Day rolls around,
It brings up some facts, quite profound.
We may think that we're poor,
Feel like bums, insecure,
But in truth, our riches astound.

We have friends and family we love;
We have guidance from heaven above.
We have so much more
Than they sell in a store,
We're wealthy, when push comes to shove.

So add up your blessings, I say;
Make Thanksgiving last more than a day.
Enjoy what you've got;
Realize it's a lot,
And you'll make all your cares go away.

By Karl Fuchs

Warm Winter Wedding Beverage...

....are you in search of something to add to your winter wedding to keep your guests warm and cozy while they perhaps mingle during cocktail hour or as the wind down the evening before they depart?

Warm apple cider will be perfect! You can offer your guests little 'Cider Shooters' dazzled with a fun cinnamon stick as they mozey through cocktail hour, or you can pour a full serving in a monogramed mug right before they leave.....then, they also can keep the mug as their souvenir. Click here for a yummy recipe!

'Green' Save the Dates...

I have several couples that are wanting to be very 'green' with their wedding, especially when it comes to paper. I love that idea and we at CWD completely agree with and advocate eco-friendly ideas.

We've decided to use mypunchbowl.com as a resource for their save-the-dates in lieu of printed ones. This site has adorable announcement templates that can be personalized with your information and photos, then emailed to all of your potential guests, families and friends.

Cost effective, eco-friendly and cute.....how could you go wrong!?

Meet Carlin & Hart!

CWD welcomes

CARLIN GALLMAN & HART TURNER

This beautiful couple is one of our newest and we're thrilled to get started. Monday we'll begin our venue search uptown.

Their July nuptials will be here before we know it so we'll be making gains in no time.

Stay tuned for more details!

Meet Jaya & Derek!

CWD welcomes

Jaya Neal & Derek Rapp

This beautiful couple is our first client via a Skype consult!

They live in Michigan but will be tying the knot here in Charlotte in August 2010 at Byrons.

We connected immediately as we are all huge Tarheel fans (both of them are actually Carolina grads!)...not to mention their personalities are amazing and even from the first chat you can tell they are truly in love.

We have some meetings set up in December, so stay tuned for more details regarding Jaya & Derek!

Graylyn Estate!

We are thrilled to have just booked a wedding at the stately stone masterpiece called Graylyn Estate & Conference Center in Winston Salem. This immaculately manicured 55 acre property will truly WOW our guests in April. Here are a few pictures that we took on our tour last week. They offer indoor and outdoor ceremonies and receptions, and have right at 100 guest rooms and suites to accommodate all of your sleeping arrangements.

If you would like more information on Graylyn, please contact Casey Siega-Riz at 336-758-2425 and tell her CWD sent ya!

Want a Castle?

If you're in search of a 'Castle' be sure to check out Castle McCulloch in Jamestown, NC. (about 1 hr 45 mins from Charlotte). It's a STUNNING location - literally a castle in the woods. Lots of iron, dark metals, hardwood and stone.....love it.

Here are some pictures from our venue visit with Jessica and Oteil yesterday.

Meet Jessica & Oteil

CWD welcomes

JESSICA SHOUSE & OTEIL BURBRIDGE

Our vision for this wedding can be defined in one word: unique.

This fabulous couple wants to incorporate a Moroccan & Indian theme and truly wow their guests. We even anticipate bringing in a sushi roller for added flare...

Jessica is a talented photographer out of Alabama and you may have seen Oteil on stage....he's the ROCKIN' bass player for a world renowned band.

We'll keep you updated with our progress along the way!

Meet Lydia & Jeremy

CWD WELCOMES...

Lydia Nims & Jeremy Mobley, June 19th 2010

It's only been a week, and I already (heart) this bride...and her cute mom, Kim!

After seeing this picture I realized the groom is just as adorable as she is.

We spent the afternoon yesterday at J Majors and found the PERFECT stunning gown for her. I do have to say that after trying on roughly 40 gowns at several boutiques, the one she chose was 1 of 3 I selected for her!!! She wasn't fond of it at first - looking at it on the rack, but she agreed to try it on to passify me =)..... she walked out and WOW! At that point, she didn't want to take it off once we all saw her breathtaking view in the mirror! Lydia, that gown was MADE for you! Mrs. Nims, I'm so proud you didn't cry!

We'll keep you posted on their progress along the way!

Coming Soon...

We're anxious to post our first VLOG!

What is it you ask? It's a 'video blog'!

We'll use it in a variety of ways...letting you meet some of our favorite top notch vendors...letting you hear from our clients...possibly some 'day of' behind the scenes action.....

Stay tuned!

Recap from Mr. and Mrs. Vining!

Here are some kind words from one of our September couples, Jaime and Jody Vining. Following the testimony are some images from their day, compliments of J&J Photography!

Dear Heather and Carolina Wedding Design:

Jody and I just want to let you know how thankful we are for all the amazing things you did to make our wedding day the best day of our lives. We honestly could not have had such a great time without your help. From answering all of our calls and emails so promptly, to the absolutely lovely ceremony and reception, you handled every detail beautifully and professionally. Our day was perfect and we couldn't have asked for more. It is so obvious that you love what you do and it is truly reflected in your work. Even our guests were thoroughly impressed with your talents.

Thank you very much for making our day so special. We have a beautiful day to remember and you are an important part of that. We will always be grateful. Please don't hesitate to use us as a reference anytime. Love always, Jaime & Jody

A great flower option....

A great floral filler for arrangements and bouquets is Queen Anne's Lace...

As described by Taylor O'Shields (of The Place for Flowers) this flower is "very delicate and whimsical...a great filler that adds quite the vintage texture." Taylor advises that this flower "doesn't hold well on its own or out of water, so be sure to plan accordingly...use it in some type of bouquet or arrangement with a moist base."

Budget tip: I recall as a little girl, picking these flowers in fields and putting the freshly cut stems in food coloring to actually change the color of the flower as it absorbed the dye through the stems. For florals on a tight budget, try this idea and place in glass vases full of water for your centerpieces...a very inexpensive way to use florals and add fun splashes of color.