A Bold Color Palette That Will Blow You Away in Charlotte, NC

It’s not very often we meet a couple who really wants to step out of the box. But this couple was all about unique and bold details that were a reflection of their personal style.

This wedding was definitely one for the books, in more ways than one. First, we started working with Jennifer + John just 4 months prior to their wedding date. And second, their wedding was almost derailed by Hurricane Florence, who tried really hard to crash the party! The whole executing a wedding during a hurricane thing was quite a challenge. Oh, and did I mention that I was 37 weeks pregnant at the time?! Like I said, a challenge that was one for the books. But I LOVE a challenge, y’all!

Ok, so back to the details! The color palette just blows me away - I’m in love with these moody tones! Jennifer’s vision was very clear. She wanted to create a lounge-inspired setting for her guests, where conversation and good food can be enjoyed. Our floor plan was very lounge dominant, which I just loved! Working with color isn’t something I always get to do, so it was really fun designing this wedding with Jennifer + John.

Our vendor team was really amazing for this wedding. Everyone came together to make sure that Jennifer + John had the best day, despite the forecast putting us all to the test!
Planning + design: The Graceful Host
Photography: Morning Wild Photography
Flowers: New Creations Flower Company
Venue: Mint Museum Uptown
Paper Goods: Elisabeth Rose
Catering: Something Classic
Dress: Theia Couture
Dress Boutique: Ladies Of Lineage
Hair and Makeup: Makeup by Jenny Le
Cake: The Wow Factor Cakes
Furniture + Lounge Rentals: Crush Event Rentals
Chair Rentals + Draping: Carolinas Luxury Event Rentals
Lighting: Wink Lighting
Linens: Nuage Designs
Linens: Party Reflections

Enjoy some of my favorite photos from Jennifer + John’s wedding!

Turns out that a wedding during a hurricane can be pretty magical. I’m super grateful to the team of professionals that executed everything so beautifully for our couple. And a huge thanks to Jennifer + John for allowing The Graceful Host to be a part of your special day!

XOXO,
A.

A Greenery-Filled Tented Wedding at Champagne Manor

It's a happy day today because Alyson + Matthew's Champagne Manor wedding is featured on Style Me Pretty today! I don't know about you, but reliving this gorgeous summer wedding has me so eager for warmer weather!

Alyson + Matthew were married in a family-centered ceremony, with their children by their side and surrounded by close family and friends, on August 12th at Champagne Manor in Monroe, North Carolina.  They have built a beautiful life together with their blended family, and they wanted to create a celebration of their love for one another and their new beginning at husband + wife. Getting to know this sweet family was such a joy!

What you might not know by looking at the photos is that the entire wedding was planned in less than 4 months. That's right - all this came together in just 4 months! Our gorgeous bride, Alyson, has amazing style and incredible taste, so there was no detail was spared. Our design was inspired by Earth tones and organic textures, with a feminine undertone, and it was achieved using a somewhat neutral palette of mauve, peach, ivory, dove grey, and greenery. The atmosphere was chic, yet relaxed, incorporating upholstered lounge areas into their open seating floor plan. One of my favorite details was the 8'x8' hanging installation of greenery and glass orbs with tea lights that highlighted the dance floor and was the central feature in our tent.

Holding on to beautiful weddings like this one is not easy! I've been bursting at the seams to share every little detail with you ... so at long last, here are some of my favorites from Alyson + Matthew's big day!

How absolutely adorable is their daughter?! She is the cutest little thing and my heart just melts looking at these sweet photos of her with her beautiful mama!

Thank you Alyson + Matthew for allowing myself and my team to be a part of this celebration and special time in your lives! And to our wonderful team of talented vendors - thank you for all your hard work to make this day so beautiful and memorable for this sweet couple!
Photography: Perry Vaile Photography
Flowers: New Creations Flower Company
Venue: Champagne Manor
Paper Goods: Pink Toast Ink
Beauty: Lindsey Regan Thorne of Be Pretty
Cake: Wow Factor Cakes
Rentals: Old South Vintage Rentals
Rentals, Lighting, Draping: Crush Event Rentals
Rentals: Party Reflections
Rentals: La Tavola
Catering + Bar: Best Impressions Caterers
Brides Dress: J. Majors Bridal
Bridesmaid Dress: Show Me Your MuMu

XO,
A.

Real Wedding: Elegance in Uptown Charlotte at the Mint Museum

I had the pleasure of working with the best couple ever last summer! Jana + Jordan are so much fun to be around - it made wedding planning an absolute blast! When I first met with Jana + Jordan, we talked about their wedding being centered around a really great party. And that's exactly what they got! Their wedding day was full of joy and laughter, as they were surrounded by all their friends and family on a beautiful summer North Carolina day. Jana's vision for her wedding was simple elegance with an air of sophistication, in a neutral color palette of champagne, blush, and ivory, with pops of greenery. I love the hanging lampshades over some of the long tables, with a lush garland along the center of the table! It was such a statement piece, and looked incredible in the Grand Room at the Mint Museum Uptown. The cake was absolute perfection, and the definition of simple elegance with textured icing and sweet little flowers clusters on the cake tiers. We had custom monograms created for Jana + Jordan that was incorporated into all their paper goods and details. I really love using monograms (or some sort of symbol) with my clients because it's a fun, memorable keepsake to have after your wedding is over. Plus, it's a great way to really brand your event! We placed their gorgeous monogram on wedding day details like the ceremony program, wedding koozies and cocktail napkins, which is another great way to personalize your special day.

I'm pretty obsessed with theses photos by Crystal Stokes Photography from Jana + Jordan's wedding day, and I'm excited to share with you some of my favorites from this gorgeous summer wedding at the Mint Museum Uptown.

These portraits in a little tucked away courtyard in Uptown Charlotte are my favorites!! How gorgeous are these two?!

Choreographed first dance for the win! This spin is everything, too!

Jana + Jordan, being a part of your wedding was such an honor! Seriously, can we do it again? I'm grateful to have had the chance to get to know you both and help you plan for your special day. So much love to you two!

And a huge thanks to the talented vendor team that made this wedding dreamy day so special
Planning + Design: The Graceful Host 
Photography: Crystal Stokes Photography
Floral Design: New Creations Flower Company
Paper Goods: Pink Toast Ink
Cake: Wow Factor Cakes
Videography: Crown Alley Films
Catering: Something Classic
Entertaining: The Retreat via Sam Hill Entertainment
Venue: Mint Museum Uptown
Hair: Mirror Bomb Studios
Makeup: Erin Ashley Makeup
Chair Rentals: Carolinas Luxury Rentals
Linens: Party Reflections  & Party Tables
Wedding Dress: Monique Lhuillier Bridal from Nitsa's Apparel
Bridesmaid Dresses: J Crew
Brides Shoes: Kate Spade

XO,
A.

Just Married: Classic Glamour at the Mint Museum Uptown

I absolutely adore this couple! Everything about them is #couplegoals. It was a rainy and windy Saturday when Brittani and Taylor said "I Do", and Charlotte, North Carolina was feeling the effects of Hurricane Joaquin. But our beautiful bride and dashing groom didn't let the unwelcome storm dampen their wedding day one bit! In fact, you can see how gusty the winds were in one of the photos where Brittani's veil flew right off! Just wait for it!

With classic and elegant style in mind, we used a neutral color palette of navy blue, cream and gold, with a few sparkly touches. The soft details and clean lines were perfect for their modern venue, The Mint Museum Uptown. Brittani's style is effortless, and she wanted to create a day that reflected her personal style. So we focused our design around the fun party atmosphere by adding in lounge furniture for alternative guest seating, where they could enjoy the heavy hors d'oeuvres menu and fabulous live band. The caterer passed around late night snacks like grill cheese - a favorite of the bride and groom - and chicken fingers with fries as the guests partied into the night at one of Charlotte's premier venues. And with a grand streamer exit, the happy couple hopped into a pedicab at the end of the night.

I'm so lucky to get the chance to work with such amazing couples! Brittani and Taylor were such a joy to work with, and it was an honor to be a part of their celebration. I wish we could do it all over again - but maybe with a tiny bit less weather drama! ;)

Huge thanks to our talented vendor team who went above and beyond for our sweet bride and groom:

Wedding planning + design: The Graceful Host
Photography: Lauren Rosenau Photography
Florist: New Creations Flower Company
Catering: Something Classic Catering and Cafe
Wedding dress: Martina Liana from J. Majors Bridal Boutique
Hair and Makeup: Be Pretty by Lindsey Regan Thorne
Rentals: AFR
Rentals: Party Reflections - Charlotte
Rentals: Nuage Designs, Inc
Cake: Wow Factor Cakes
Paper Goods: Salt and Paperie
Calligraphy: The Graceful Host
Venue: The Mint Museum Uptown

Thank you Borrowed & Blue for featuring Brittani and Taylor's wedding! See the full feature, here.

Brittani and Taylor's portraits are some of my favorite in my 5 years of weddings. Wedding days are unpredictable. You never know what is going to happen, despite the hours and hours of careful planning. On this day, weather was not our friend. Hurricane Joaquin was showing affects in Charlotte, and it interrupted our plans for photography. But you'd never be able to tell because Brittani and Taylor look absolutely incredible and so madly in love! The way they look at each other is magnetic. And the photo of Brittani's veil flying away is just priceless! Don't worry - I ran after it! :)

Brittani and Taylor, thanks for letting The Graceful Host be a part of your beautiful celebration! We absolutely loved working with you to plan for your wedding! Lots of love to you both! 

XO,
A.

Just Married: Jackie O Inspired Wedding

Lauren and Will's classic and elegant Uptown Charlotte wedding at the Charlotte City Club will always be one of my favorite's. I fell in love with this dashing couple from the moment we met - and boy, oh boy are they easy to love! I had an absolute blast getting to know this sweet couple and their family as we planned for their August wedding. Working with this dream couple was so awesome - can we do again, already?! 

Our lovely bride wanted a classic wedding, inspired by Jackie O, in a neutral color palette of ivory and cream, silver, and navy that was luxurious and stylish, yet simple and timeless. The dining room of the City Club was filled with candles and candelabras to bring in the feeling of an intimate dinner party among friends.  As we began designing, Lauren mentioned a wedding that would "stand the test of time", just like Jackie O's fashion. I just loved her inspiration! 

Here's a fun fact about this couple: even though they both grew up not far from each other in Pittsburg, Pennsylvania, and had mutual friends, they didn't actually meet until Lauren took a trip to Charlotte to visit a friend! So, given that they met and now live in the Queen City, we incorporated the Charlotte skyline into their invitation suite by Elisabeth Rose - just wait til you see how gorgeous it is! Even their stunning wedding portraits were taken in the heart of Uptown Charlotte. It was important to the bride and groom that their families and friends traveling in for their wedding would be able to experience Charlotte, so they chose to keep the celebration Uptown with a ceremony at St. Peter's Catholic Church, followed by dinner and dancing at the gorgeous, and oh so classic, Charlotte City Club. 

Oh and our bride and groom have a shared love/obsession of sports, so the brand new BB&T ballpark was the perfect location for their rehearsal dinner... And we even snuck in a sweet little engagement session with their photographer, Lauren Rosenau Photography.  Here's a little peek... aren't they just the cutest couple ever?!

I'm so excited to share a few details from Lauren and Will's wedding with you today! I want to first thank all the talented vendors that helped give this amazing couple such an incredible wedding day:

Planning & Design: The Graceful Host
Photography: Lauren Rosenau Photography
Florist: New Creations Flower Company
Venue: Charlotte City Club
Church: St. Peter's Catholic Church
Catering & Bar: Charlotte City Club
Cake: Wow Factor Cake
Entertainment: Split Second Sound
Save The Dates and Invitations: Elisabeth Rose
Rentals: Party Reflections
Hair & Makeup: Paint Box (Michele Dula) 
Hotel: The Marriott City Center
PediCab Transportation: R&R Pedicab
Trolley Transportation: Sunway Trolley
Wedding Dress Boutique: Hayden Olivia
Wedding Dress Designer: Hayley Paige 
Ceremony Programs, Escort Cards,
Seating Chart, & Wedding Signage: The Graceful Host

We're so honored that Weddings Unveiled shared Lauren & Will's wedding! To see the full feature, click here.

Family heirlooms were important to Lauren. As the bride finished dressing, the mother of the groom gave her a few special pieces - the hospital cap that her husband to be wore as a baby and a family poem. Lauren pinned the hospital cap to the inside of her gown as her something "old". Another special heirloom tied to the bride's bouquet was a pendant her Uncle bought for her mother while he was deployed in Europe. Lauren said, "She always treasured it and I wanted to have something of his with me to honor him." 

I love Lauren's face here.... such a priceless expression!

Seriously, how much do you love these portraits?! Lauren is just the most gorgeous bride ever and Will looks incredibly handsome! I can't get enough of these two!

After the first dance, our beautiful bride changed into a fun party dress that was perfect for dancing! This reception was definitely one of my absolutely favorites, and it had me wanting to jump on the dance floor to join in on all the fun!!

Love our brides killer style! She changed into an adorable romper for the sparkler exit. They made a getaway in a pedicab, and then headed out into the night to meet friends to continue the party! Don't you just love these pedicab photos?!

Lauren and Will, you are two of the sweetest people I've ever met! I enjoyed every second working with y'all. Thank you so much for choosing The Graceful Host to be a part of your wedding and for trusting me to bring your vision to life! Love you both to pieces! I hope one day your grandchildren will look through  your wedding and talk about how classic & timeless your wedding looked with that Kennedy-inspired style! Or maybe they'll just mistake you for a famous Ralph Lauren fashion model, because you totally could be! :)

XO,
A.

Just Married: City Chic Wedding at the Foundation For The Carolinas

Jackie and Daniel are one of the most FUN couples I've ever had the pleasure of working with. Their huge smiles say it all! Working with this fabulous couple to design a modern and sweet wedding full of chic elements was such a blast! We combined soft, romantic details with a structured, clean aesthetic to create a playful mix of both feminine and masculine to reflect Jackie and Daniel's individual styles. I fell in love with their color palette of raspberry, blush, gunmetal grey, and ivory right away! Seeing all the details come together for this sweet bride and groom was such a treat. These two couldn't be more smitten with each other - I loved watching them celebrate all night! 

Huge thanks to an all-star team of vendors that helped make Jackie and Daniel's wedding day so incredible! Working with talented, high quality professionals like this group is seriously the key to a flawless wedding! Thank y'all for all your hard work!

Ceremony/Reception: Foundation For The Carolinas
Planning/Design: The Graceful Host
Photography: Smitten and Hooked
Flowers: New Creations Flower Company
Videography: Indigo Photography and Video (formerly Isabel's Corner)
Catering: Queen City Catering
Cake and Sweets: Wow Factor Cakes
Entertainment: Split Second Sound
Lounge Furniture: Sterling Events Group
Linens: Party Tables
Rentals: Party Reflections
Hair and Makeup: Sara Egri
Wedding Dress: Vera Wang
Wedding Shoes: Manolo Blahnik
Officiant: Reverend Diana Collins
Paper Goods: The Graceful Host
Invitation: Letter Box Ink
Favors: Vinksters Popcorn

I love seeing my couples just after they've said "I Do"! One of my biggest highlights of the wedding day! From this point on, we switch into party mode and celebrate all night long! Nothing better than that, right?! :) Thanks for snapping this moment, Lucy & Steven!!

Rather than tossing the bouquet, the bride and groom gave a bouquet to the groom's grandmother and the two shared a dance before the dance floor officially opened. It was such a sweet moment!

It's always a great night when the bride takes over the mic and raps.... the guests went wild! Jackie and Daniel's reception was one of the best parties of the year! Huge thanks to Split Second Sound for always being so amazing!

Before the grand exit, Jackie and Daniel snuck away with the photographers to fit in some great portraits!

Congratulations, you two - and thank you so much for trusting me with your big day! Cheers to happily ever after! 

XO,
A.

Anniversary: Morgan + Mike

Today, I'm having so much fun reliving Morgan + Mike's wedding! Hard to believe it's been one year since this beautiful bride and handsome groom said I Do. This architectual-inspired grey and white wedding at the Atrium at Byron's SouthEnd was so much fun to create! I loved working with Morgan, who is just so incredibly sweet. What a wonderful experience it was to work with such a great friend to help her plan and design the perfect day. But, even though the entire day was absolutely flawless, Mother Nature decided to RSVP - but that didn't dampen our bride and groom's spirits one bit! (Who ever said rain on your wedding day can't be incredibly romantic hasn't seen these beautiful photos from the talented Sarah Whitlow of Two Cents Photography!)

I can't believe how fast time flies by! I hope this first year of marriage was full of incredible memories and lots of exciting firsts. I am so grateful to have had the opportunity to work with you both, and to create such a beautiful + fun day. Wishing you both a happy anniversary and many more years of wedded bliss! Cheers you two!

XO,
A.

It's All in the Little Details

I'll admit that I have a special appreciation and love of the little details.  After all, it's the little details that make life special, and the special moments in life personal.  With each new wedding design, my goal (always) is to make those little details, that are so important to brides and grooms, come to life! I've had the opportunity to create a lot of things over the years for brides and grooms. And, after finishing some watercolor creations for a wedding at Daniel Stowe, a Chuppah for two spring weddings, and lots and lots of escort cards, programs, and favor tags, I thought "I really need to gather up all these little projects and share them!" So, without further adieu - here are some of the things I've created for weddings so far in 2014 that I wanted to share! A few have been complete surprises, and revealing those surprises to my sweet clients brings me so much joy!  Just a warning: the photo quality is not that great - actually it's down right awful! - and is courtesy of my trusty iPhone. (Thank God for real photographers!) So, please excuse my photos... I'll just stick with wedding planning and leave the photography to the pro's! 

Custom table runners for Katie & Eric's Mint Museum Uptown wedding

Prop pillows and ring bearer pillows for Katie & Eric's Mint Museum Uptown wedding

Sashes for the draping to match the runners and pillows for Katie & Eric's Mint Museum Uptown wedding

Floating frame display for Katie & Eric's Mint Museum Uptown wedding

Watercolor table numbers for Mia & Alex's Daniel Stowe Botanical Garden wedding

Watercolor seating chart for Mia & Alex's Daniel Stowe Botanical Garden wedding

Chuppah and organza draping for Mindy & Brett's Biltmore wedding (Okay, confession: I can't take all the credit for this one. My amazing husband actually built this chuppah for two weddings this year, and has come to both weddings to help me assemble it on-site. So grateful to have such a supportive and super crafty husband!!) 

Ceremony programs for Mindy & Brett's Biltmore wedding

Calligraphy favor tags for Mindy & Brett's Biltmore wedding

Acrylic table numbers for Whitley & Darian's Brakefield at Riverwalk wedding

"Here Comes The Bride" sign for Veronica & Chip's Mint Museum Uptown wedding

Travel-themed escort card display for Veronica & Chip's Mint Museum Uptown wedding

Travel-themed table numbers for Veronica & Chip's Mint Museum Uptown wedding

Citrus-themed escort cards for Taylor & Kyle's Byron's South End wedding

I hate to even share all of these terrible iPhone quality photos, but I'm really proud of the little details that leave my office each weekend to make their way to the amazing brides and grooms wedding days. I'm honored to have the opportunity to be creative and give priority to the special touches of a wedding day!  And believe me when I say that each has been an absolute labor of love.  But it makes me so happy to see my brides and grooms smile with excitement over these details they never expected!

XO,
A.