Alexia's Bridal Boutique and Vera Wang Salon is hosting two trunk shows at their Cary location that all dressless brides-to-be should NOT miss! Mark your calendar, and call for an appointment- 919.481.6633.

September 10 & 11- Bliss by Monique Lhuillier

September 17 & 18- Vera Wang

For more upcoming bridal events and trunk show listings, visit SB&G's Wedding Shows page.

Open House Tea for brides & their families- Sunday, June 27, 1:00-4:00PM

The former Delta Zeta House (420 Hillsborough Street) in Chapel Hill has been acquired by the Altridge Group and has been renovated to serve as a new event space. The gorgeous building boasts a central dining room with high ceilings & new hardwood floors, and a large shaded patio, which will be a perfect venue for corporate events as well as weddings. This open house tea event is for brides, grooms & their families, as well as wedding industry professionals, and will feature refreshments by Maslow Event Design Catering and The Picnic Basket.  Invitations can be picked up at The Picnic Basket sales office and The Terrace Cafe at Duke Gardens in Durham. Several local vendors will be featured at the event, including The Picnic Basket, Sugarland, Island Sound DJs, A Southern Season Bridal Registry Desk, and Victoria Park Florist.

To RSVP please call 919.321.6204, or click HERE for more information.

This Thursday, June 17, from 5-9pm, come celebrate the opening of The Merry Martini, a new stationary & gift item store in Durham's Sutton Station. This grand opening cocktail party will be held to ring in the new locally-owned business. Guests will be welcomed with food and of course, "merry martinis," and will receive gift bags (VIP bags for the first 25 guests), coupon books, and raffle prizes.

The Merry Martini is located at 5826 Fayetteville Street, Suite 105. Visit www.themerrymartini.com for more information.

Its another Monday in the office after a big weekend of the spring bridal show extravaganza. Forever Bridal's April Event, the Southern Bridal Show & Expo, was at the NC State Fairgrounds yesterday. Donna and I were both there representing Southern Bride & Groom, handing out hundreds of magazines & chatting with the happy brides-to-be. We debuted the new cover, which is a photograph of a real wedding taken by Kristine Dittmer. It was a beautiful Sunday afternoon and the crowd of engaged couples & their entourages were in cheery spirits, which makes the day fun for all. Highlights of the day included an appearance by the American Idol contestant Anoop Desai, and a former SB&G intern winning a kissing contest with her fiance! 

The event was double the fun for me, as a member of the SB&G team and a newly-engaged chica! I've been to dozens of bridal shows with Southern Bride & Groom, but being there while in the beginning stages of actually planning a wedding made things relevant and fun on a whole new level. Even though I work in the wedding industry (and for the Triangle's wedding GURU), wedding planning is inevitably an overwhelming task. There are so many amazing venue & talented wedding professionals in this area - its hard to know who to pick. Then as you choose, dozens of new decisions arise, as you have to figure out your "wedding vision," color scheme, menu items and songlists! The bridal show is a great way to preview the array of options out there and speak directly with vendors. Using SB&G's magazine and Website is another great resource to guide the bride (and her helpers) throughout the process. I'm going to share some of my planning experiences, and planning tips as I go through this blog, so keep checking in for my updates! In the meantime, continue to visit SB&G's website for the Triangle's best vendors, and friend us on facebook for updates on SB&G and wedding industry happenings!

TODAY (April 15)-

The North Carolina Museum of History in downtown Raleigh is hosting a bridal event from 6-9pm. There will be food tastings from local caterers, hair stylists on-site to work with brides, music and a fashion show. Tickets are just $5 at the door. www.ncmuseumofhistory.org

THIS SUNDAY (April 18)-

Forever Bridal's big spring bridal show is this Sunday at the NC State Fairgrounds in Raleigh. At the Southern Bridal Show & Expo you will meet dozens of the best Triangle professionals, taste cakes, watch fashion shows, and hopefully book some wedding vendors! http://www.foreverbridal.net

On Tuesday night, SB&G attended a very special event. The Triangle chapter of NACE (National Association of Catering Executives) donated a wedding to a very deserving Garner couple. Shortly after the couple got engaged last summer, the bride was diagnosed with cancer, and she has now been given 3-5 months to live. Their original wedding venue fell through, so NACE, along with the help of several generous vendors, stepped in to help them have a memorable wedding day. Read more about their story here.

Several local wedding businesses donated different aspects of the wedding. The event took place at The Sutherland in Wake Forest. A dress was donated by Alexia's Bridal Boutique and a tux from Savvi Formalwear, the cake was provided by Sweet Memories Bakery, rentals & linens were from Classic Party Rentals, and both Katie Hamister and Brian Mullins were onsite to photograph the occasion. 

A few of the other local vendors who donated their services include Grace Leisure Events, Joe Bunn DJ Company, Mitchell's Catering & Events, Fleurtations Floral, Ed & Becky Sansbury, the Washington Duke Inn & Golf Club, On Lokation Make-Up Artistry, Sea Sound Studio, Focused Videography, Raleigh Wedding Cars, and A Step To Gold International Ballroom.

This photograph of the couple being wed by Ed & Becky Sansbury was taken by Dara Blakeley (with my handheld camera!). 

And here are a few photos taken by Katie Hamister:

We spent last Thursday evening handing out SB&G magazines to brides who attended the Cary Magazine Bridal Show at the Umstead Hotel & Spa. The event was beautiful and full of brides with their entourages.

The Umstead had their outdoor area set up for a mock wedding, so brides could get a preview of a ceremony on the lake. For more information about holding a wedding and reception at Cary's five-star property, visit: www.theumstead.com

Guests were serenaded with beautiful live music. Emi, of Emi & Udo Violin Duet (found in SB&G), was one of the performers. Our favorite flower arrangement was this incredible centerpiece by Watered Garden Florist- www.wateredgardenflorist.com. 

Yesterday evening was a busy one with three wedding events taking place in the Triangle. 

SB&G's new 2010 magazines were exclusively on display at the Belk Stores Engagement Party, which took place at Belks in Cary Towne Center, Crabtree Valley Mall and Southpoint locations. The after-work celebration featured music, food, champagne and fabulous raffle prizes. 

Donna spent the evening greeting brides and handing out magazines at the Brier Creek Country Club. The club hosted an intimate bridal show called "Wedding Secrets." A few select vendors had display booths at the show, and each gave a brief presentation on their services. Below is an excerpt from the magazine of this year's floral & table shoot, which took place at Brier Creek CC. www.briercreekcountryclub.com 

Jenna enjoyed pastries, chocolates and champagne at The King's Daughters Inn in Durham. The open house event was for wedding planners and local wedding professionals to mingle and get an inside look at the newly-renovated historic bed & breakfast. The photo below is of the dining room, where the Inn can host a wedding reception for up to 50 guests. www.thekingsdaughtersinn.com

Happy Valentine's Day!

SB&G had a successful day at The Carolina Inn's event last weekend, The Bridal Fair. Attendees previewed inspirational table setting ideas and mingled with some of the best wedding industry professionals while enjoying food and champagne provided by the Inn throughout their various ballrooms. 

The winners of SB&G's prize giveaway, a 3-night stay at Jekyll Island Resort, are Kristine Bushnell and Wilton Brown, whose wedding reception will be at The Carolina Inn this August. Congrats to the two of them, who are pictured below! Learn more about this beautiful resort at www.jekyllclub.com. 

2010 Once In A Lifetime Designer Event at the Washington Duke Inn & Golf Club
A Very Unique Wedding Workshop & Designer's Boutique 
Includes a luncheon, panel discussions by industry professionals and design demonstrations. 
January 10, 12:00-4:00PM
Call Beth or Diane at 919.313.2158 to register. 

Matthews House Open House for Brides
January 10, 3:00-5:00PM
Enjoy tastings and tour the historic inn. 
For more information call Nina at 919.467.1944